UPSC Key: Chhath Puja, Cloud seeding, and 8th Pay Commission

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

What’s the ongoing story: With Bihar going to polls soon, Chhath has attracted a lot of political attention this year, with leaders across party lines offering greetings. While Chhath has been celebrated in Bihar, parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal for centuries, over the past decade or so, it has become a lot more visible across the country.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Explore the role of Chhath Puja in promoting social equality, community participation, and inclusivity

— How has migration and diaspora helped in the spread and popularity of Chhath puja?

— How do regional celebrations across India reflect the diversity and unity of Indian culture?

— Is Chhath Puja recognised in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage?

— How politics get intertwined with the religious aspect of a region?

— Know about the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) elements from India

Key Takeaways:

— Chhath Puja is a four-day elaborate celebration in honour of the Sun. It involves a long fast without water, and making offerings to Usha and Pratyusha, the light of the rising and the setting Sun, while standing in a water body. The prominent rituals begin from the sixth day (shashthi) of the Kartik shukla paksha, which means the waxing-moon fortnight of the month of Kartik.

— Some believe that it is a carryover from the time that man worshipped nature. The Rig Veda mentions elaborate rituals to worship the sun. Others trace its origins in the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

— After Lord Ram and Goddess Sita returned victorious to Ayodhya from Lanka, they are said to have observed a fast and conducted a yagna for the Sun god.

— In the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were in exile, some sages visited them. Draupadi, realising she had nothing to offer them, went to sage Dhaumya for help. He advised her to observe a fast and pray to the Sun, and eventually, all her prayers were answered. In the same epic, Karna also organised an elaborate ceremony in honour of Surya (the Sun), his father.

— Today, Chhath is a festival that epitomises religiosity in Bihar, and countless devotees join their hands as the Sun’s rays spread over them.

— Chhathi maiya or Mother Chhathi, Sun’s sister, is considered an exacting but generous deity. While the rules governing the four-day festival are exceedingly strict, immense spiritual gains are said to accrue to whoever observes them all successfully.

— The first day of the festival is called naha kha, where those observing it take a meal (khana) only after a ceremonial bath in a river or a pond (nahana). Water brought back from the waterbody is used to make a chulha or a stove, and meals for those observing the fast are prepared on this for the rest of the festival. The meal partaken after the bath consists of a pumpkin sabzi.

— The second day is called kharna, on which the one observing the fast takes only one meal in the evening, of roti and kheer (rice pudding). On the third day, devotees go to the banks of a water body. Those who can’t, build a temporary pool in their homes.

— As the Sun sets, the person fasting raises the soop to it as an offering (arghya). Friends and family members of the one fasting pour milk or water on the soop. This is called the Sanjh ka Arghya, or the evening offering. The next day, the same ritual is conducted at dawn, for the rising Sun, called the Bhor ka Arghya.

— This festival means the coming together of the community, the legendary Bihari migrants returning home to soak themselves in the homeland and its culture once more.

— For many Purvanchalis, ‘religiosity’ instantly invokes the lambent light at riverbanks, hundreds of twinkling diyas, Sharda Sinha songs, and a thousands-strong mass of humanity animated by a common purpose.

— People from any caste can observe the festival. There are no priests involved, it is the devotee directly fasting for and praying to a visible, apparent God, who shines on everyone equally. The offerings made to the deity are of seasonal, locally produced and thus easily accessible fruit.

— No matter how rich or poor you are, the rules are the same for everyone, and the success of the festival lies in how faithfully you observe the rules, not on what scale you observe them at.

— As the Purvanchali diaspora spreads, it has become an important votebank in many states. Thus, state governments far from Bihar now make arrangements for devotees to observe Chhath comfortably.

Do You Know:

— “The Government of India is engaged in a major endeavour connected with Chhath Puja, striving to include the Chhath Mahaparva in Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. When Chhath Puja is included in the Unesco list, people in every corner of the world will be able to experience its grandeur and divinity,” PM Modi remarked during Mann ki baat.

— Unesco defines a World Heritage Site as a place of “outstanding universal value,” representing either cultural, natural, or a mix of both types of significance. These sites range widely, from centuries-old architectural wonders and sacred sites to lush rainforests, coral reefs, and dramatic mountain landscapes.

— They highlight not only artistic and historical brilliance, but also the Earth’s ecological and scientific richness. As of July 2025, India has 44 UNESCO world heritage sites.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Top 10 countries with most UNESCO World Heritage Sites; check where India ranks

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following properties included in the World Heritage (UPSC CSE 2024)

List released by UNESCO:

1. Shantiniketan

2. Rani-ki-Vav

3. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas

4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya

How many of the above properties were included in 2023?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Your vote and the SIR

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act, Constitution of India — features, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: Starting November 4, voters in 12 States and Union Territories — roughly half of India’s nearly 1 billion registered electors — will have to fill out a fresh enumeration form as part of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Special Intensive Revision?

— What is the objective of conducting the SIR?

— Read about the Election Commission of India, its powers and functions.

— What is the legal backing for conducting SIR?

— What are the concerns related to SIR?

Key Takeaways:

— To stay on the electoral roll, they must trace their names, or those of their parents or relatives, to an electoral roll from the last intensive revision held about two decades ago. Those unable to do so will be required to submit documents to prove their eligibility.

— Between November 4 and December 4, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of the Election Commission will visit homes (up to three times if needed) to distribute pre-printed enumeration forms. Every registered voter currently on the electoral roll in these 12 States and Union Territories must fill and submit this form to ensure their name appears in the draft electoral roll to be published on December 9.

Do You Know:

— Article 324(1) of the Constitution gives the ECI the power of “superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of” elections to Parliament and state legislatures.

— Under Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI “may at any time…  direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit”.

— The Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1960, says the revision of rolls can be carried out “either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the [ECI] may direct”. In an intensive revision, the electoral roll is prepared afresh; in a summary revision, the roll is amended.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍12 states & UTs, 51 cr voters: After Bihar, SIR next round from Nov 4

📍Why Election Commission has asked for electoral rolls to be revised

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.

2. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

To enhance the quality of democracy in India the Election Commission of India has proposed electoral reforms in 2016. What are the suggested reforms and how far are they significant to make democracy successful? (UPSC CSE 2017)

 

FRONT

Silver flares fired into clouds: Delhi takes two shots at summoning rain

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology

Main Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Nearly 50 years after the last such recorded attempt, Delhi witnessed an artificial rain experiment on Tuesday to tackle surging air pollution levels. With the Capital reeling under an Air Quality Index of 294 (poor), two cloud-seeding trials were held at 12.13 pm and 3.45 pm.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is cloud seeding?

— How does cloud seeding work?

— What are the factors behind the high air pollution?

— How successful is cloud seeding?

— What are the challenges associated with cloud seeding?

— What measures should be taken to tackle the challenge of air pollution?

Key Takeaways:

— No rain was recorded in Delhi after the trials, which were conducted in association with IIT-Kanpur. According to a report shared by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sisra’s office, light rainfall of 0.1 and 0.2 mm each was reported from Noida and Greater Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR) at 4 pm. The report cited data available on the weather website windy.com.

— On October 23, the Delhi government and IIT-Kanpur — after a nod from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) — had conducted a test run of sorts in a four-hour operation covering Kanpur, Meerut, Khekra, Burari, Sadakpur, Bhojpur and Aligarh.

Cloud seeding

— Launching Tuesday’s trials, a Cessna 206H aircraft took off from the IIT-Kanpur airstrip around noon and entered Delhi’s airspace from the Meerut airfield after its first seeding point at Khekra around 2 pm. It then passed through Mayur Vihar, North Karol Bagh, Burari, Sadakpur (Narela side) and Bhojpur before landing in Meerut at 2.30 pm.

— Flares weighing about 0.5 kg, and burning for 2 to 2.5 minutes, released silver iodide and sodium chloride into moisture-bearing clouds. These were fired over a 17-18-minute period, Sirsa said in a video statement.

— Environmentalists, however, described the cloud-seeding trial as a short-term measure, saying it may temporarily reduce pollution but fails to address the root causes of deteriorating air quality.

Do You Know:

— Cloud seeding is a kind of a weather modification technology to create artificial rainfall. It works only when there are enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere.

— Rain happens when moisture in the air reaches levels at which it can no longer be held, and cloud seeding aims to facilitate and accelerate that process by making available chemical ‘nuclei’ around which condensation can take place.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why cloud seeding experiments planned over Delhi during post-monsoon season may not work

📍Explained: How successful is cloud seeding technology

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) How many of the following salts is/are injected into the clouds during the cloud seeding?

1. Silver Iodide

2. Sodium chloride

3. Aluminium Iodide

4. Potassium iodide

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

 

GOVT & POLITICS

Cabinet approves terms of reference of the eighth pay panel

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economic and Social Development.

Main Examination: General Studies-II:  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the terms of reference (ToR) of the Eighth Central Pay Commission, which will be headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former Supreme Court judge and the chairperson of the Press Council of India. The Commission will submit its recommendations within 18 months.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Central Pay Commission?

— How have the Pay Commissions evolved over time in India, and what major changes have they introduced?

— Recommendations made by the Pay Commissions are binding in nature—true or false?

— How does the Pay Commission contribute to efficient governance and public administration?

— What are the challenges associated with implementing the recommendations of pay commissions?

— What can be the potential impact of the 8th Pay Commission on the social security framework, particularly pensions and allowances for government employees?

Key Takeaways:

— Apart from Justice Desai, the Commission will have IIM Bangalore Professor Pulak Ghosh as Member (Part-Time), and Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain as Member-Secretary.

—The government had announced the formation of the 8th Central Pay Commission in January this year to examine and recommend changes in the salaries and other benefits of central government employees. The terms of reference have been finalised after consultations with various ministries, state governments and staff side of the Joint Consultative Machinery.

— “The Central Pay Commissions are periodically constituted to go into various issues of emoluments structure, retirement benefits and other service conditions of Central Government employees and to make recommendations on the changes required thereon. Usually, the recommendations of the pay commissions are implemented after a gap of every 10 years. Going by this trend, the effect of the 8th Central Pay Commission recommendations would normally be expected from 01.01.2026,” the government said in a release.

— This essentially means that the pay and pension hikes are likely to be implemented retrospectively from January 1, 2026, with arrears being paid when the recommendations take effect. Allowances, however, are likely to be revised prospectively.

— The Central government’s outgo on pay, pension and allowances is estimated at over Rs 7 lakh crore in 2025-26, which is around 18% of the revenue expenditure.

— The previous Central Pay Commission recommendations were implemented with effect from January 1, 2016, with retrospective effect for pay and pension.

— According to the government, while making its recommendations, the Commission will keep in view the economic conditions in the country and the need for fiscal prudence, the need to ensure that adequate resources are available for developmental expenditure and welfare measures, and the unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes.

— It will also take into consideration the likely impact of the recommendations on state government finances as states usually adopt the recommendations with some modifications, and the prevailing emolument structure, benefits, and working conditions available to employees of Central public sector undertakings and the private sector.

— The Seventh Central Pay Commission had recommended a 23.55% increase in pay, allowances and pension, which led to an additional annual outgo of Rs 1.02 lakh crore for the Central government.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the 8th Pay Commission, approved by Union cabinet?

UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) What is the primary function of a Pay Commission in India?

(a) To determine tax rates for salaried employees

(b) To review and recommend salary structures of government employees

(c) To regulate public sector employee recruitment

(d) To oversee pension disbursements for the private sector

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

Rethink the master plan

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Role of women and women’s organisation, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation, their problems and their remedies

What’s the ongoing story: B V R Subrahmanyam and O P Agarwal write: Cities are critical for India today. Our “Viksit Bharat” goal of becoming a $30-trillion economy by 2047 will require cities to both accommodate and proactively enable most of this growth.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the demographic dividend?

— Why do cities need to be resilient?

— What are the challenges faced by the cities?

— What are the important things that need to be kept in mind while planning urban cities?

— Smaller cities have an extremely important role in India’s Viksit Bharat ambitions. Elaborate.

Key Takeaways:

— If we are to meet our climate commitments of reaching net zero by 2070, and effecting significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions by 2030, cities will have to be at the forefront of the action needed.

— Given our demographic dividend, we have to find jobs for the young population. Most of the job opportunities will also emerge in cities…. It is in this context that India must look at how it has been planning and managing its cities so far, and what changes, if any, are needed.

— Let’s start with our planning process. The current planning systems primarily emerged during the mid-1800s when plague hit several cities and sanitation challenges compelled us to look at better planning of our cities. Hence, it was a public health issue that led to the start of a structured planning process in the country.

— Yet our master plans, are not derived from any longer-term economic vision or a plan to develop them as “Economic Growth Hubs”. The master plans tend to make projections of population growth based on past trends and identify infrastructure/service needs based on such projections. There is no mechanism to factor in the rapid growth that the country currently aspires for in the urban planning process, and no economic vision is outlined.

— This is a serious weakness that needs correction. Planning must start from a structured exercise outlining an economic vision that identifies the key economic drivers for a city in the next 20–50 years. This should be followed by assessments of population growth based on the number of jobs that are likely to be created.

— With a growing urban population, cities are facing shortages of natural resources. Planning must undertake a natural resources budgeting exercise and ensure that there is adequate supply to meet needs.

— Similarly, given the growing importance of climate change and the need for cities to be at the forefront of meeting our commitments, every city needs to have a climate action plan that spells out its pathways for enabling growth with lower emissions.

— Many Indian cities also face serious problems of air pollution. City plans must, therefore, include an environmental management plan, especially an air pollution management plan. A big contributor to air pollution is the transportation sector. National policies have recommended greater use of public transport and non-motorised modes as a way of dealing with congestion and air pollution.

— The economy of any urban area has a close linkage with that of the surrounding rural areas. These linkages must be recognised and taken into account. Similarly, smaller cities have an extremely important role in India’s Viksit Bharat ambitions, because major manufacturing activities can only come up in smaller cities where large land requirements would be more affordable.

Do You Know:

— In July 2025, the World Bank, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, released a report titled Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India. The Report estimated that Indian cities will require $2.4 trillion by 2050 to build climate-resilient infrastructure and services.

— The report projects that the country’s urban population will nearly double to 951 million by 2050, and that by 2030, cities will account for 70 per cent of all new employment generated. In addition to the rapid pace of urbanisation, Indian cities will face two major shocks in a business-as-usual scenario — flooding and extreme heat.

— The report makes several recommendations for national- and state-level interventions, including boosting private sector engagement, creating a financing roadmap, and setting standards to build municipal capacities. For cities, it calls for risk evaluation and the mobilisation of capital — including private investment — to support mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: World Bank report on Indian cities — why it matters for UPSC prep

📍How paid parking could change urban mobility and cut emissions

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Discuss the various social problems which originated out of the speedy process of urbanization in India. (UPSC CSE 2013)

 

ECONOMY

‘Wealthy individuals fuel climate crisis through wealth more than consumption’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

What’s the ongoing story: Wealthy individuals fuel the climate crisis through their wealth even more than their consumption, with 41 per cent of global emissions associated with private capital ownership, while the top 1 per cent represent 15 per cent of global consumption-based emissions, as per the Climate Inequality Report 2025 released Wednesday.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Know about the major highlights of the Climate Inequality Report 2025.

— What is the carbon footprint?

— What is progressive tax?

— What are the challenges in designing progressive environmental taxes?

— What is the proposal about carbon-adjusted tax on wealth and investments?

— How do disparities in resource ownership contribute to climate vulnerability in various socio-economic groups?

— The report suggested a ban on new domestic dirty investments. What does it mean?

— Discuss the role of sovereign green investment funds in accelerating energy transitions and reducing wealth inequalities.

Key Takeaways:

— Climate change can deepen wealth inequality as the share of wealth held by the global top 1 per cent could increase to 46 per cent in 2050 from 38.5 per cent at present if those individuals were to make and own all necessary climate investments in the next decades, the report titled ‘Climate Change: A Capital Challenge Why Climate Policy Must Tackle Ownership’ stated.

— The report has proposed a financial investment tax on the carbon content of assets which may help redirect capital flows away from high-carbon assets, especially in the absence of an outright ban on high-carbon investments.

— . The findings show that the world’s wealthiest 1 per cent account for 41 per cent of emissions associated with private capital ownership versus 15 per cent of emissions associated with consumption. This implies that per-capita emissions for an individual in the global top 1 per cent are about 75 times higher than those of someone in the bottom 50 per cent under the consumption-based approach, and about 680 times higher under the ownership-based approach.

— As per the ownership-based approach, the carbon footprint of the wealthiest 10 per cent in France, Germany, and the US is three to five times higher than suggested by consumption-only estimates, it said.

— In the consumption-based approach, the share of total emissions of the top 1 per cent stands at 3 per cent in France, 2 per cent in Germany, and 6 per cent in the US. When seen for ownership emissions, these shares rise to 44 per cent, 45 per cent and 43 per cent for France, Germany, and the US, respectively, the report said.

— This concentration of emissions linked to wealth, could be partly addressed via a tax on the carbon content of wealth, the report said.

— Such a tax could be designed as an additional component of a wealth tax, adjusting each taxpayer’s liability according to the carbon intensity of the assets they own, it said adding that implementing such a scheme would require systematic data collection from asset holders and financial institutions.

— A wealth tax on the carbon content is likely to be more progressive than standard carbon taxes, which are almost entirely passed on to final consumers, it said, adding that carbon taxes on wealth rather than consumption may prove more effective as consumers often lack immediate substitutes for fossil fuels, whereas asset owners — particularly those with financial portfolios — can more readily shift their investments to cleaner alternatives.

— As other policy options, the report suggested a ban on new domestic dirty investments, such as fossil fuel exploration, to halt further contributions to climate change along with public investments and shared public ownership (international, national, local, and cooperative), to accelerate the shift to a resilient, low-carbon energy infrastructure that has the potential to reduce wealth inequalities.

— The report said climate change is advancing faster than ever and projections suggest that the remaining global carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C could be exhausted within three years.

Do You Know:

— Ahead of COP30, the State of Climate Action Report 2025 was published by Change Lab, as a joint effort of the Bezos Earth Fund, Climate Analytics, the Climate High-Level Champions, ClimateWorks Foundation and World Resources Institute.

— According to the report, not a single one of the 45 indicators assessed is on track to meet the 2030 targets needed to achieve the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this decade.

— The report highlighted the key areas where acceleration is needed. The world needs to phase out coal more than ten times faster — equivalent to retiring nearly 360 average-sized coal-fired power plants each year and halting all projects in the pipeline.

— There is a need to reduce deforestation nine times faster. The current levels are far too high — roughly equivalent to permanently losing nearly 22 football (soccer) fields of forest every minute in 2024.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Green Bonds to Masala Bonds — A must-know for UPSC exams

📍State of Climate Action Report shows record clean-energy investments still inadequate to check temperature rise. Upcoming COP 30 must address

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) “Climate Action Tracker” which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a : (UPSC CSE 2022)

(a) Database created by coalition of research organisations

(b) Wing of “International Panel of Climate Change”

(c) Committee under “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

(d) Agency promoted and financed by United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (b)  2. (d)  3. (c)   4. (b)  5. (a)

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