UPSC Key: Deportation of Illegal Immigrants, Ayushman Bharat and Cybercrime in India

China hits back with tariffs on US, launches probe against Google

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: China on Tuesday announced a wide range of measures targeting U.S. businesses including Google, farm equipment makers and fashion brand Calvin Klein’s owner, minutes after additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods took effect.

Key Points to Ponder:

• China recently announced a wide range of measures targeting U.S. businesses-Know in detail

• What is “unreliable entity” list?

• Why does a tariff war have a domino effect?

• What can be the potential economic impacts of China’s recent tariffs on U.S. goods, particularly focusing on the energy sector.

• How might these tariffs affect global energy markets and bilateral trade relations?

• Discuss the implications of China’s antitrust investigation into Google.

Key Takeaways:

• The measures were announced as Beijing also slapped tariffs on some U.S. products such as coal, gas and electric trucks in a rapid response to the new duties on Chinese goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

• China’s Commerce Ministry said it had put PVH Corp, the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and U.S. biotechnology firm Illumina on its “unreliable entity” list

• It said the two companies took what it called “discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises” and “damaged” the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

• Companies added to the blacklist can be subject to fines and a broad range of other sanctions, including a freeze on trade and revocation of work permits for foreign staff.

• Separately, China’s State Administration of Market Regulation said Google was suspected of violating the country’s anti-monopoly law and an investigation was initiated into the company in accordance with the law. It did provide further details on the investigation or on what it alleged Google had done to breach the law.

• Google products such as its search engine are blocked in China and its revenue from there is about 1% of global sales.

• In 2017, Google announced the launch of a small artificial intelligence center in China. But the project was disbanded two years later and the firm does not conduct AI research in China, according to a blog posting. Google still works with Chinese partners such as advertisers.

Do You Know:

• According to the Investopedia, the term “trade war” is used to describe an economic conflict where, in response to protectionism, countries impose trade barriers such as tariffs, restrictions, and quotas against each other. Basically, one country imposes targeted tariffs on another’s economy in order to protect its own economy, or to hurt that of its adversary. The former may believe that the trading practices of the latter are unfair.

• Trade wars are usually considered a side effect of protectionism. Protectionism refers to government actions and policies that restrict international trade. A country will generally undertake protectionist actions to shield domestic businesses and jobs from foreign competition. Protectionism is also a method used to balance trade deficits. A trade deficit occurs when a country’s imports exceed the amounts of its exports. A tariff is a tax or duty imposed on the goods imported into a nation.

• Tariffs are a type of trade barrier that makes imported products more expensive than domestic ones. Tariffs typically come in the form of taxes or duties levied on importers, and they’re eventually passed on to consumers. They’re commonly used in international trade as a protectionist measure.
As a protectionist tool, a tariff increases the prices of imports. Due to that, consumers may choose to buy other, relatively less expensive domestic goods instead.

• The US-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) said that Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China would cost the typical US household over $1,200 a year.

• In its report, PIIE stated that US producers competing with newly tariffed imports will raise their prices in line with import price increases, further burdening US consumers.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Trump trade war: As China retaliates, global supply chain worries deepen

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
1. The recent trade measures by China are primarily in response to which U.S. policy action?
a) Imposition of new tariffs on Chinese imports
b) Sanctions on Chinese officials
c) Restrictions on Chinese students
d) Closure of Chinese consulates

FRONT PAGE

First under Trump 2.0: US deports 205 ‘illegal’ Indian migrants, flown back in military plane

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

 Main Examination:

• General Studies I: Effects of globalization on Indian society.

• General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: A United States military plane began deporting Indian migrants, implementing President Donald Trump’s position against an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who are migrants?

• What data on migration says?

• What are the Push and Pull factors of migration?

• What can be the implications of the U.S. deporting 205 Indian migrants using a military aircraft on India-U.S. bilateral relations.

• Discuss the potential reasons behind the U.S. administration’s decision to utilize military aircraft for deporting illegal immigrants.

• Examine the challenges faced by Indian migrants leading to illegal immigration to countries like the United States.

• Critically assess the role of international law and human rights considerations in the deportation of illegal immigrants.

• How should countries balance their sovereign right to enforce immigration laws with their obligations under international human rights frameworks?

Key Takeaways:

• Reuters reported that the C-17 aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals departed from San Antonio, Texas, around 3 am IST.

• They are mostly from Gujarat and Punjab, according to sources.

• When contacted, a US embassy spokesperson in Delhi said: “The United States is vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants. These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk.”

• This is the first batch of illegal immigrants from India to be deported since Trump’s return to office.

• Last year, about 1,100 illegal immigrants were deported to India through special planes.

• As The Indian Express reported on January 21, there are 20,407 “undocumented” Indians, as of November 2024, who are either facing “final removal orders” or are, currently, in detention centres of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

• Of these, 17,940 “paperless” Indians are not in detention but are under “final removal orders,” and another 2,467 are in detention under the ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Do You Know:

• This makes Indians the fourth largest group by nationality, and the first among Asians, in ICE custody. As of November 2024, the total number of non-citizens, from all countries, detained added up to over 37,000.

• A removal order is issued by an immigration judge which becomes a “final removal order” when affirmed by the appellate authority.

• India’s position is that it is ready to accept illegal immigrants from the US after verification. This message was conveyed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last month when he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

• India is opposed to illegal immigration because of its links to several forms of organised crime, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on January 24.

• Under Trump’s administration, the US military has been increasingly involved in immigration enforcement, deploying additional troops to the US-Mexico border, using military facilities to accommodate migrants, and employing military planes for deportations.

• According to Reuters, previous deportation flights have sent migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras. The Pentagon has now begun arranging flights to deport over 5,000 migrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, the report added.

• Military deportation flights are significantly more expensive than those operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Reuters reported that a single military deportation flight to Guatemala last week cost around $4,675 per migrant.

• On December 6 last year, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Lok Sabha that “as per US Government data, a total of 519 Indian nationals were deported to India” between November 2023 and October 2024.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indian migrants sent back from US: Why Trump is using expensive military planes for deportation

UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades. (2015)

Waiting for muhurat? Deport 63 declared foreigners: SC to Assam

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: Castigating the Assam government for “indulging in suppression of facts” on the continued detention of people declared foreigners, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed the state to immediately deport 63 declared foreigners whose nationalities are known, and file a status report in two weeks.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s directive to Assam to deport 63 declared foreigners.

• How does this decision impact the state’s demographic and socio-political landscape?

• Analyse the challenges faced by state governments in implementing Supreme Court directives related to the deportation of declared foreigners.

• What measures can be taken to ensure compliance while upholding human rights?

• Examine the role of the judiciary in addressing issues of illegal immigration in India.

• How does the Supreme Court’s intervention influence policy and administrative actions at the state level?

Key Takeaways:

• Questioning Assam’s explanation that the addresses of the people declared foreigners were not available, Justice A S Oka, who was on the bench with Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, told Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota who appeared via a video link: “You have refused to start deportation saying their addresses are not known. Why should it be our concern? You deport them to their foreign country. Are you waiting for some muhurat?”

• Justice Oka told the Chief Secretary that the state can deport foreigners even without an address.“‘Foreign address not divulged’ — this is the reason to not deport?…You can’t continue to detain them indefinitely.”

• “Once they are held to be foreigners, they should be deported immediately. You know the status of their citizenship. Then how can you wait till their address is received? It is for the other country to decide where they should go.”

• When the counsel for the Assam government asked “where do we deport them to” without the address, Justice Oka said, “You deport them to the capital city of the country.”

• “Suppose the person is from Pakistan, you know the capital city of Pakistan? How can you keep them detained here saying their foreign address is not known? You would never know the address,” he said.

• Joining him, Justice Bhuyan told the state counsel, “Once you declare a person as a foreigner, then you have to take the next logical step. You can’t detain them forever. Article 21 right is there.”

Do You Know:

• A break-up of individuals at the camp accessed by The Indian Express shows two categories of “foreigners” among the 270 inmates. There are 103 Rohingya people, 32 Chin people and an individual from Senegal who had been referred to sessions courts where they were sentenced and convicted for violations of the Foreigners Act, the Citizenship Act and the Passports Act. These individuals are citizens of other countries, and after completing their sentences in prisons, they have been placed in the “transit camp” while awaiting deportation.

• The rest of the 133 inmates have been declared “foreigners” by Foreigners Tribunals in Assam – quasi-judicial bodies that determine whether or not a person presented before them is an Indian citizen. The tribunals receive two kinds of cases – those referred to them by the border police when they suspect someone of being a foreigner and those related to people listed as “doubtful” voters in electoral rolls.

• According to a senior Assam government official, 70 of these 133 declared foreigners have “admitted to being Bangladeshi nationals” and have shared addresses in Bangladesh. Another individual has been released on bail. However, the 63 people who the Supreme Court referred to have not shared an address.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As Assam faces Supreme Court heat, why deporting 63 ‘foreigners’ is easier said than done

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. With reference to India, consider the following statements: (2021)
1. There is only one citizenship and one domicile.
2. A citizen by birth only can become the Head of State.
3. A foreigner once granted citizenship cannot be deprived of it under any circumstances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 2 and 3

After Olympic bid, India sets sights on hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

What’s the ongoing story: AFTER SUBMITTING a Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Olympics last October, India is learnt to have opened an “informal” dialogue with the a Federation (CGF) to host the centenary edition in 2030 — 20 years after the country first held it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the significance of India’s intention to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in the context of its broader sports diplomacy and international standing.

• Evaluate the potential economic, infrastructural, and social impacts on Ahmedabad if it is selected to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

• Analyse the challenges and opportunities associated with India’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, considering past experiences such as the 2010 Delhi Games.

• Critically assess the role of the Commonwealth Games Federation in promoting sports development among member nations, with a focus on India’s recent interactions and initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

• But unlike 2010, when the Games were hosted in New Delhi, Ahmedabad has emerged as the frontrunner, with Bhubaneswar also in the mix, officials involved in the process told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

• Over the last week, CGF president Chris Jenkins and chief executive Katie Sadlier travelled to multiple cities in India, meeting state and central government ministers and senior bureaucrats in Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar and New Delhi. They also toured potential venues in Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar.

• On the sidelines of the National Games opening ceremony in Dehradun, Jenkins also met Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha where the possible Indian bid was discussed. The IOA doubles up as the governing body for the Commonwealth Games in India.

• It is learnt that during their conversation, Jenkins laid down the timelines, with March 31 being the deadline to submit an official Expression of Interest (EOI).

• In a statement to The Indian Express, the CGF said: “CGF President Chris Jenkins was recently invited to attend the opening ceremony of the National Games in India, taking this opportunity to continue to strengthen ties between India, Commonwealth Games India, and Commonwealth Sport.

• The CGF recently put out the call for Expressions of Interest for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and beyond, and, during his visit to India, President Jenkins had some informal chats around this process.”

Do You Know:

• The interest from India comes at a time when the CGF has found few takers to host its flagship event. In 2022, Durban was chosen as the host but the South African city later pulled out citing financial reasons. Birmingham was then named the new host.

• Similarly, the Australian state of Victoria gave up the hosting rights after winning the bid for the 2026 CWG. After a Commonwealth-wide hunt, Glasgow stepped up to rescue the Games. However, unlike the previous editions, Glasgow CWG will only be a 10-sport event with a tight cap on the number of athletes to make it affordable.

• The setback forced the CGF to come up with new hosting models and, officials said, Jenkins and Sadlier impressed upon their Indian counterparts that under the new measures, host cities are no longer required to construct a special athletes’ village or build new venues.

• This, the Indian officials estimated, could reduce the costs by “almost 60 per cent”. “Ahmedabad will already have a lot of venues ready in the next three to four years. These venues are being built to foster a sporting culture, regardless of whether India wins the bid to host the 2036 Olympics,” the official said.

• As per the Gujarat government’s plan, the SVP Sports Enclave will house the Narendra Modi Stadium, a multi-purpose indoor arena, aquatics and tennis centres as permanent venues. In Karai, an athletics stadium is being constructed along with a shooting complex and an indoor arena. The deadline to complete the entire project is 2028.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Who’s representing India at CWG, and from which state

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3. Consider the following statements: (2010)
1. The Commonwealth has no charter, treaty or constitution.
2. All the territories/countries once under the British empire (jurisdiction/rule/mandate) automatically joined the Commonwealth as its members.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

THE SECOND PAGE

Ayushman scheme, awareness, facilities aiding timely cancer care in India: Study

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story: BETTER knowledge, and healthcare facilities have helped reduce delay in starting cancer treatment in India, and this trend has been observed more among people enrolled under the Centre’s flagship Ayushman Bharat programme, according to a recent study published in the Lancet journal.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What exactly recent study published in the Lancet journal says?

• What is Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)?

• What are the key features of the AB PM-JAY?

• Recently, the Union Cabinet expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to
people up to what age?

• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a Central scheme or Centrally sponsored scheme?

• Evaluate the role of public awareness and healthcare facilities in the early detection and treatment of cancer in India. How do government initiatives complement these efforts?

• Assess the limitations of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in providing comprehensive cancer care.

Key Takeaways:

• According to the report, timely initiation of cancer treatment increased by 36% across the population, but it increased by a massive 90%
among those covered by the insurance scheme after 2018.

• The Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides health cover to the poorest 40% of the population, was rolled out in 2018.

• While appreciating the government’s health safety net, the study, which looked at data of nearly 6,700 cancer patients, made a strong case for a need to increase cancer care facilities such as radiotherapy machines. The highest delay in treatment initiation was for radiotherapy, followed by chemotherapy and surgery, it said. This “is an important argument for strengthening public healthcare infrastructure for provision of radiotherapy to cancer patients in India as well as inclusion of cost-effective chemotherapeutic agents in” Ayushman Bharat, the study said.

• It said there were an estimated 779 radiotherapy machines across the country, which was short of the required numbers. Most high-income countries have 4 machines per 10 lakh population, while WHO recommends at least 1 machine per 10 lakh population. By this standard, India would need between 1,350 and 5,000 radiotherapy machines, the study said.

• For the study, the researchers compared people who initiated treatment on time (within 30 days) to those who didn’t. They found that timely treatment was started among patients under the age of 30 (77%), those who were more educated (70.2%), and those covered under some scheme (69%). Nearly 40% of the study participants were not covered by any scheme. Those with higher income were also less likely to delay treatment, the study said.

Do You Know:

• Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) — is the world’s largest Government-funded health insurance scheme. Currently, beneficiaries are identified from the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), based on specific deprivation and occupational criteria across both rural and urban areas.
Initially covering 10.74 crore families, states implementing AB-PMJAY have broadened their reach to encompass 13.44 crore families (65 crore people).

• The scheme is jointly funded by the Centre and the states in the ratio 60:40 (90:10 in the case of North-East and hilly states). Government hospitals account for 58% of all facilities empanelled.

• In a landmark decision, the Union Cabinet approved an expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) on September 11, 2024, offering comprehensive health insurance to senior citizens aged 70 and above.

• Everyone of age 70 or more will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually, shared within the family. This means if there are two elderly beneficiaries in the household, the cover will be split among them.

• Elderly members (age 70 and more) of families that are already covered in accordance with their economic status will get a top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh — to be used only for the elderly. These elderly beneficiaries will have to re-register to receive the top-up cover.

• The scheme will cover almost 6 crore individuals (from 4.5 crore families), of whom 1.78 crore are already covered by the scheme. “For the additional top-up amount, the financial implication is very little,” a senior official said. The Ayushman Bharat scheme already covers 1,670 procedures across 26 specialities, which includes 25 geriatric packages.

• The Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) 2021 report reveals that 75 per cent of the elderly have one or more chronic diseases, 40 per cent have some form of disability, and one in four suffers from multi-morbidity. Notably, 58 per cent of the elderly population are women, with 54 per cent being widows. Unlike many private insurance products for senior citizens, PMJAY does not exclude anyone because of a pre-existing illness, nor does it impose a year-long waiting period before the benefits are allowed. The scheme empowers the elderly to lead healthy and dignified lives.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Five years of Ayushman Bharat: A shield for the vulnerable

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2022)
1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2. As it aims to achieve universal, health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3. It has seamless portability across the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

EXPRESS NETWORK

Cybercrimes see sharp rise since 2021, over 17 lakh cases last year: Govt data

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Basics of cyber security

What’s the ongoing story: A massive surge in cybercrime incidents was reported in India with fraudsters cheating people of Rs 33,165 crore in the last four years, including Rs 22,812 crore in 2024, with several Tier 2 and 3 cities identified as cybercrime hotspots, shows government data.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Analyse the significant rise in cybercrime cases in India since 2021.

• Discuss the primary factors contributing to this increase and suggest effective measures to mitigate cyber threats.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) in addressing the surge in cybercrime incidents.

• What additional steps can be taken to enhance cybersecurity in India?

• Discuss the economic implications of cybercrime in India, with a focus on the reported siphoning off of over Rs 10,300 crore since April 2021.

• How can financial institutions and individuals better protect themselves against such threats?

Key Takeaways:

• Data compiled by the National Cyber Reporting Platform (NCRP), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, shows fraudsters cheated people of Rs 551 crore in 2021, Rs 2,306 crore in 2022, and Rs 7,496 in 2023.

• Data also shows that 1,37,254 complaints were received in 2021, 5,15,083 in 2022, 11,31,649 in 2023, and 17,10,505 complaints were received last year.

• “Domestic hotspots have been identified as Deoghar in Jharkhand, Deeg, Alwar, Jaipur, and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Nuh in Haryana, Mathura and Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal, Surat in Gujarat, Nalanda and Nawada in Bihar, Bengaluru urban in Karnataka, and Kozhikode in Kerala,” a source said.

• Amid the steep rise in cybercrime cases, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is learnt to have asked the Home Ministry to develop an e-FIR system, in which a citizen can file their complaint via NCRP.

• According to an MHA source, a meeting was held in North Block in December last week, which was chaired by Shah and attended by senior ministry officials. “Several issues, trends and measures related to cyber fraud were discussed and among other suggestions, Shah is learnt to have asked [officials] to develop an e-FIR system, so that they can provide a hassle-free system to the cyber fraud victim, who lost Rs 10 lakh or above in cyber fraud,” said the source.

• Multiple teams, including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), are currently working on this and discussing it with state police as well. “In this system, they are trying to make a nationalised cyber-police station of e-FIR in the NCRP portal where apart from lodging a complaint, they can also file their e-FIR. Later, the e-FIR will be transferred to their concerned jurisdiction police station for further investigation. As of now, Delhi Police has a system of e-FIR of theft and motor vehicle theft,” the source said.

Do You Know:

• As cybersecurity spans various domains, India has established a multifaceted institutional framework involving multiple ministries, departments, and agencies to address this issue. The Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) oversees policies concerning IT, electronics, and the Internet, including cyber laws.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for internal security, including cybersecurity. It has established the Cyber and Information Security Division, which comprises a cybercrime wing, cybersecurity wing, and monitoring unit. In 2020, it formally launched the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.

• India lost approximately Rs 11,333 crore to cyber fraud in the first nine months of 2024, according to data compiled by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• Stock trading scams accounted for the largest share, with losses of Rs 4,636 crore from 2,28,094 complaints. Investment-based scams caused losses of Rs 3,216 crore from 1,00,360 complaints, while Rs 1,616 crore was lost to “digital arrest” frauds across 63,481 complaints.

• Data from the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), as seen by The Indian Express, showed nearly 12 lakh cyber fraud complaints were received in 2024, with 45% of these originating from Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Since 2021, the CFCFRMS has recorded 30.05 lakh complaints, leading to losses amounting to ₹27,914 crore. Of these, 11,31,221 complaints were registered in 2023, 5,14,741 in 2022, and 1,35,242 in 2021.

• An analysis of cyber frauds this year revealed that stolen money is often withdrawn using cheques, central bank digital currency (CBDC), fintech crypto, ATMs, merchant payments, and e-wallets. Over the past year, the I4C has frozen around 4.5 lakh mule bank accounts, typically used to launder the proceeds of cybercrime.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Cyber Shield: How India blocked Rs 1,800 crore worth of online fraud in just 90 days

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? (2017)
1. Service providers
2. Data centres
3. Body corporate
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

THE IDEAS PAGE

A nuclear recharge

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: C Raja Mohan writes: Budget decision to amend laws governing atomic energy was overdue. It is a chance to open up the sector an exploit its potential.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who was the prominent Indian scientist elected as the president of the world’s first international conference on atomic energy for peaceful purposes in Geneva, 1955?

• What is the term used to describe India’s nuclear strategy that emphasizes maintaining a minimal yet credible deterrent?

• The Atomic Energy Act (1962) and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) of 2010-Know in brief

• Which international treaty aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which India has not signed?

• Analyse the historical factors that led to India’s initial advancements in nuclear technology and the subsequent decline in its nuclear energy program.

• Discuss the role of international collaborations and agreements in shaping India’s nuclear policy.

• Evaluate the concept of ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence’ in the context of India’s nuclear doctrine.

• Examine the challenges and prospects of India’s civilian nuclear energy program in the current global scenario.

• Critically assess India’s position on international nuclear treaties such as the NPT and CTBT.

Key Takeaways:

C Raja Mohan writes:

• In her budget speech on Saturday, Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman announced the decision to amend the two atomic Acts that have paralysed the prospects of nuclear power in India. The long-overdue decision has not come a day too soon, as the world moves towards reviving the nuclear energy industry.

• The story of India’s atomic slide is a tragic one. It is impossible to believe that India was the second Asian nation to build a nuclear power plant in 1969 at Tarapur — just after Japan and long before China.

• Through the last decade, Delhi has repeatedly revised the targets for nuclear capacity but could not realise them. The FM has now set a new target of 1,00,000 MW by 2047.

• One part of the problem was the change in the global order on nuclear energy cooperation when the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty came into force in 1970.

• India’s ideological and policy confusions put it in the worst of all worlds — it was neither a “nuclear” fish nor a “non-nuclear” fowl. It took another quarter of a century for India to break out of this nowhere land.

• India finally conducted five nuclear tests in May 1998 and declared itself a nuclear-weapon power. Although they brought a new set of sanctions, the tests opened the door for a reconciliation with the US and the global nuclear order.

• Beyond the civil liability act, there is a deeper structural problem ailing the Indian atomic energy programme. It is the fact that atomic energy activity is a government monopoly under the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.

Do You Know:

• India was the second Asian nation to build a nuclear power plant in 1969 at Tarapur — just after Japan and long before China. It also built up an impressive nuclear research and development programme in the 1950s and 1960s with significant assistance from its Western partners.

• At the peak of nuclear optimism in 1970, India hoped to generate 10,000 MW of atomic power by 2000. Twenty-five years after that deadline, India’s nuclear power sector is limping along at about 8,200 MW. China’s installed nuclear capacity today is about 58,000 MW. South Korea has 32,000 MW. China and South Korea are now major exporters of nuclear reactors. The UAE, which launched its nuclear power programme less than a decade ago, has 5,200 GW of nuclear capacity, centred around South Korean reactors.

• The NPT froze the number of nuclear-weapon states at five (those who had already tested atomic weapons before 1967) and began to impose restrictions on the transfer of nuclear technologies to the rest of the world.

• If India’s nuclear adventure flourished in the era of atomic internationalism, it began to wilt under external pressures from the 1970s. If India had done a nuclear test before January 1967, it would have been on the right side of the nuclear divide. But the inability or unwillingness to become a nuclear-weapon power put it on the wrong side. (There are reports that US President John F Kennedy had offered to help India conduct a nuclear weapon test in 1963, but Nehru had turned him down.)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How a nuclear ‘chain reaction’ and neighbourhood challenges led to India acquiring its n-weapons

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6. In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under “IAEA safeguards” while others are not? (2020)
(a) Some use uranium and others use thorium
(b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies
(c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises
(d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned

EXPLAINED

Why the RBI could cut repo rate, for the first time in 5 years

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: After keeping it unchanged for two years, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is likely to cut the repo rate — the rate at which the RBI lends to other banks — by 25 basis points (bps) in its upcoming meeting scheduled from February 5 to 7. If the cut does come, it will be the first in nearly five years.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the potential reasons behind the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee’s inclination towards cutting the repo rate in early 2025.

• Evaluate the impact of leadership changes within the Reserve Bank of India on its monetary policy decisions.

• How might the appointment of a new governor influence the central bank’s approach to managing inflation and economic growth?

• Analyse the relationship between the repo rate adjustments by the Reserve Bank of India and the performance of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar.

• What are the potential consequences of a repo rate cut on the currency’s value?

Key Takeaways:

• A majority of economists have pencilled in a 25 basis points (bps) reduction in the repo rate, to 6.25 per cent from 6.5 per cent. One basis point (bps) is one-hundredth of a percentage point. This would be the first monetary policy announcement by the new RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra.

• The Union Budget 2025-26 announced a cut in personal income tax and also revised the limits of the tax deducted at source (TDS). These measures would provide the much-needed stimulus to consumption demand.

• Retail inflation or consumer price index (CPI) inflation eased to a four-month low of 5.22 per cent in December from 5.48 per cent in the previous month.

• The policy will be announced amid global uncertainty, with US President Donald Trump announcing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. The tariffs on Canada and Mexico have been postponed for a month.

• The tariffs triggered a fear of global trade wars, resulting in a rise in the dollar against major currencies on Monday. The rupee plunged below the 87-level to an all-time low of 87.29 per dollar on Monday.

• If RBI reduces the repo rate to 6.25 per cent from the existing 6.5 per cent, all external benchmark lending rates (EBLR) linked to the repo rate will come down by 25 bps, giving relief to borrowers as their equated monthly instalments (EMIs) will fall.

• Lenders may also reduce interest rates on loans that are linked to the marginal cost of fund-based lending rate (MCLR), where the full transmission of a 250 bps hike in the repo rate between May 2022 and February 2023 has not happened.

• In response to the 250 bps hike in the policy repo rate since May 2022, banks have revised upwards their repo-linked external benchmark-based lending rates (EBLRs) by a similar magnitude. The one-year median marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) has increased by 175 bps during May 2022 to December 2024.

Do You Know:

• Every day, people go to commercial banks (such as the State Bank of India) either to deposit their savings or to get a loan — say for a car or home.
On their savings/deposits, the bank pays them interest at a certain rate. On loans, the bank charges them interest at a certain rate. Typically, the interest rate banks charge on loans is higher than the interest they pay on deposits.

• A key deciding factor — although not the only one — is the interest rates that commercial banks themselves pay (or get) when they borrow (or deposit) money from (or in) the Reserve Bank of India.

• The interest rate that the RBI charges when commercial banks borrow money from it is called the repo rate. The interest rate that the RBI pays commercial banks when they park their excess cash with the central bank is called the reverse repo rate.

• Using these two rates, the RBI sets the tone for all other interest rates in the banking system, and through that route, in the broader economy. For instance, when the RBI wants to encourage economic activity in the economy, it reduces the repo rates.

• Doing this enables commercial banks such as the SBI to bring down the interest rates they charge (on their loans) as well as the interest rate they pay on deposits. This, in turn, incentivises people to spend money, because keeping their savings in the bank now pays back a little less, and businesses are incentivised to take new loans for new investments because new loans now cost a little less as well.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍RBI policy meet starts: Will central bank go for CRR cut, why that is important for you

UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7. Concerning the Indian economy, consider the following: (2015
1. Bank rate
2. Open market operations
3. Public debt
4. Public revenue
Which of the above is/are component/ components of Monetary Policy?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 1, 3 and 4

Pulses & Aatmanirbharta

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country,

What’s the ongoing story: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the launch of a six-year ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in Pulses’ with a special focus on tur/arhar (pigeonpea), urad (black gram) and masoor (red lentil).

Key Points to Ponder:

• “Despite being the largest producer and consumer of pulses, India still depends on imports to meet domestic demand.”—Discuss

• Discuss the importance of pulses in Indian agriculture, particularly in terms of soil fertility, crop diversification, and climate resilience.

• How can government policies promote pulse cultivation in India?

• What are the challenges faced by Indian farmers in producing pulses, particularly in terms of pricing, procurement, and market volatility?

• Critically evaluate India’s pulse import policy in the context of WTO commitments and domestic production goals.

• How can scientific research, biotechnology, and mechanization help in increasing pulse productivity in India?

• Examine the role of institutions like ICAR and IIPR (Indian Institute of Pulses Research) in promoting pulse production.

Key Takeaways:

• The 2025-26 Union Budget has allocated Rs 1,000 crore towards this scheme, which aims to provide minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement and post-harvest warehousing solutions in respect of the three pulses crops.

• The NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India) will be ready to procure these “as much as offered…from farmers who register with these agencies and enter into agreements,” said Sitharaman.

• Significantly, this comes even as India’s pulses imports during April-November 2024 were valued at $3.28 billion, 56.6% higher than the $2.09 billion for the corresponding period of 2023.

• Between 2013-14 and 2016-17, India’s pulses imports rose both in value (from $1.83 billion to $4.24 billion) and quantity (from 31.78 lakh tonnes or lt to 66.09 lt) terms. Subsequently, they fell to 25.28 lt ($1.14 billion) in 2018-19, 28.98 lt ($1.44 billion) in 2019-20, 24.66 lt ($1.61 billion) in 2020-21, 27 lt ($2.23 billion) in 2021-22 and 24.96 lt ($1.94 billion) in 2022-23.

• Domestic pulses production, as per the Agriculture Ministry’s data, increased from 192.55 lt in 2013-14 to 273.02 lt in 2021-22 and 260.58 lt in 2022-23.

Do You Know:

• There are growing limitations, particularly in tur/arhar, which was traditionally a 250-270 days crop yielding around 20 quintals per hectare. Breeders have brought the duration down to 150-180 days with 15-16 quintals/hectare yields, but that’s still comparatively long and low. As a result, tur/arhar cultivation is confined largely to the rainfed Marathwada-Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra and northern
Karnataka, where farmers have fewer alternative cropping options.

• Aatmanirbharta in tur/arhar would, perhaps, require development of hybrids maturing within 140-150 days, giving 18-20 quintals/hectare yields and also amenable to mechanical harvesting.

• Imports of most other pulses – matar, masoor, urad and desi (small-sized) chana – are also attracting zero duty. Only imports of large kabuli chana are being permitted at 66% duty, while altogether restricted in the case of moong.

• With domestic production likely to rebound after the drought-induced dip to 242.46 lt in 2023-24 – and retail milled dal inflation, too, easing to 3.83% in December – the Modi government may have to take a call soon to restore import duties to levels that incentivise farmers to plant and achieve the goal of near-aatmanirbharta in pulses.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Held up for months, import of tur dal from Mozambique resumes after MEA’s intervention

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (a)  2. (a) 3. (a) 4.(b) 5.(d) 6.(b) 7.(c)

 

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