UPSC Key: Electoral Registration Officers, Separation of power, and Nuclear energy

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the role and function of EROs?

— What is the Special Intensive Revision?

— What is the purpose of conducting the SIR?

— What is the legal backing for conducting SIR?

— What are the concerns related to SIR?

— Who has the power to delete the name of voters from the electoral roll?

— What key reforms are implemented by the Election Commission to strengthen the electoral process?

— What is the role and function of the Election Commission?

Key Takeaways:

— The EROs are the sole and competent authority to issue notices if they doubt an elector’s eligibility, including citizenship, as per the Representation of the People Act, 1950. However, in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the ECI’s centralised portal has been used to generate notices.

— The Indian Express had reported on December 16 that EROs across Bihar had found “pre-filled notices” appearing on their individual log-ins on the ECI’s centralised portal. Significantly, while the notices bore the names of the EROs, they had not been generated by them.

— An Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in West Bengal, who did not wish to be named, said notices are generated by the ECI software, and not by the officer concerned.

— In his letter, Saikat Asraf Ali, General Secretary of the state civil service officers association said, “It is observed that names of electors might be deleted from the electoral roll without the knowledge of the ERO who is the competent authority as per the statute. The common people who will be affected by such action will only blame the ERO without knowing that the ERO has been kept out of the entire deletion process by the Commission.”

— West Bengal CEO Agarwal had earlier said in a press conference that the hearings for those who could not be mapped with the electoral roll of the last intensive revision in 2002 would begin first and those with “logical discrepancies” would be studied.

— The WBCS officer’s letter came on the same day that the Election Commission wrote to the CEOs of the 12 states and UTs where the SIR is ongoing, giving fresh instructions to verify all documents submitted by electors with the respective District Election Officers to establish their eligibility within five days – something which was not done in the SIR in Bihar.

Do You Know:

— The ECI conducts SIR with the objective of deleting duplicate and illegal registrations of voters. The exercise was first carried out in Bihar ahead of its Assembly elections in November this year, and now is being rolled out across the country, starting with nine states and three Union Territories.

— Article 324(1) of the Constitution vests the ECI with the power of superintendence, direction,  and control of the preparation of the electoral roll. Specifically, Section 21(2) of  the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides that “the Election Commission may at any time, for reasons to be recorded, direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit.”

— Section 13B of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, empowers the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for each constituency to prepare and revise the electoral roll. In discharging this function, the ERO can employ persons deemed fit for the preparation and revision of the electoral roll. This statutory provision enables the appointment of BLOs.

— A BLO serves as a representative of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the grassroots level and is responsible for collecting authentic field information about the electoral roll. BLOs, who are familiar with local electors, act as guides for voters at their doorstep in matters of electoral enrolment, correction, and verification.

— Special summary revisions take place every year, and the electoral roll is updated before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. Intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

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

📍Significance of SIR and BLOs for free and fair elections

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) 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)

Any judicial direction on air purifier GST will violate basic structure: Govt to HC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.

What’s the ongoing story: Opposing the Delhi High Court’s intervention in a PIL seeking GST reduction on air purifiers from 18% to 5% by classifying them as medical devices, the Centre said Friday that any judicial direction will amount to the court stepping into the legislative domain and violating the Constitution’s basic structure of separation of powers.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Constitution’s basic structure of separation of powers?

— What is the basic structure doctrine?

— What are the important constitutional provisions ensuring separation of powers?

— What is the role of the GST Council?

— What is the composition of the GST Council?

Key Takeaways:

— Stating that entertaining the petition will “open a Pandora’s box” and the government is “scared from the constitutional perspective”, Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, appearing for the Centre, said there is already a legislative process involved in dealing with recommendations made in Parliamentary standing committee reports as well as how GST Council meetings deliberate on proposals. “How can this process be scuttled through a court process?” he said.

— To the High Court’s suggestion on December 24 that the Centre should consider if a virtual meeting of the Council can be called given the air pollution situation in Delhi and its surrounding areas, Venkataraman made it clear that it will not be possible.

— The bench permitted the Centre to file a counter-affidavit and also allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder to it by January 9, the next date of hearing.

Do You Know:

— The doctrine of separation of powers stands for a form of government in which the mechanism of governance is divided into three branches, namely Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary in the majority of democratic nations.

— The doctrine of separation of powers evolved with the famous work of Aristotle, The Politics, in which he discussed the concept and stated that every constitution should include different branches of government, namely the judiciary, public officials, and the deliberative branch.

— British philosopher John Locke reiterated the idea of the three branches of government in his 17th-century work, Two Treatises of Government, although in a different manner.

— In his view, the three branches ought not to operate independently or with equal power. Rather he thought that the legislative branch should be the most significant of the three and that the monarch should have control over the other two branches.

— However, in the 18th century, French jurist and philosopher Baron de Montesquieu meticulously developed the notion of the separation of powers in his book, The Spirit of Laws.

— Montesquieu increased the weight and independence of the judiciary. He asserted that these three powers must be separate and act independently to avoid totalitarian rule and to protect individual liberty. The US Constitution is founded on the Montesquieu school of thought.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the Doctrine of Separation of Powers?

📍‘Violates separation of powers and judicial independence principles’: Supreme Court strikes down provisions of Tribunals Reforms Act

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. The Constitution of India defines its ‘basic structure’ in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights and democracy.

2. The Constitution of India provides for ‘judicial review’ to safeguard the citizens’ liberties and to preserve the ideals on which the Constitution is based.

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

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

→ Do you think that the Constitution of India does not accept principle of strict separation of powers rather it is based on the principle of ‘checks and balance’? Explain. (UPSC CSE 2019)

→ Judicial Legislation is antithetical to the doctrine of separation of powers as envisaged in the Indian Constitution. In this context justify the filing of large number of public interest petitions praying for issuing guidelines to executive authorities. (UPSC CSE 2020)

 

POLITICS

Indus Waters Treaty on hold, green panel’s nod for another hydel power project on Chenab

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination:  General Studies I: Salient features of the world’s physical geography.

What’s the ongoing story: Amid the Centre’s push to expedite pending infrastructure projects in the Indus River basin, the Union Environment Ministry’s sectoral expert appraisal committee (EAC) on hydel projects recommended an environmental nod for the 260 MW Dulhasti Stage-II project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, as per official minutes of the panel’s December 19 meeting.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)?

— What are the main tributaries of Indus?

— Know about the western rivers and eastern rivers of Indus

— What are the major hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin?

— What steps are needed to mitigate the impacts of hydrological alterations?

— What is the significance of the Indus River system for India?

Key Takeaways:

— The 390 MW Dulhasti-I is a run-of-the-river scheme commissioned in 2007 by NHPC Ltd. Dulhasti-II, meanwhile, will utilise the existing dam, reservoir, and power intake of the stage-I project, and draw water from the Marusudar River, through the Pakal Dul project.

— While giving its nod, the panel noted that the water of the Chenab basin is shared between India and Pakistan, in accordance with the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), 1960, and the parameters of the project were planned in accordance with the Treaty. “However, the Indus Water Treaty stands suspended effective from 23rd April, 2025”, the panel noted in its minutes.

— The Indian government put the IWT in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, in which 26 people were killed. Under the now-suspended treaty, Pakistan controlled the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, while India controlled the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

— After the IWT was put in abeyance, the Centre has sought to expedite several hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin, such as Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai-I and II.

— The clearance will be subject to general and some important specific conditions, including the development of a river conservation strategy to mitigate the impacts of hydrological alterations due to the operations of Dulhasti-II and Pakul Dul Dam.

— In light of these plans, it directed a structured river conservation strategy, covering aspects related to robust environmental flow regimes, restoration and maintenance of channel morphology, protection and conservation of aquatic and riparian biodiversity.

— The Chenab River basin already has three operational projects on it—the 390-MW Dulhasti-I project at Kishtwar, the 890-MW Baglihar at Ramban, and the 690-MW Salal project at Reasi. Apart from these, other projects under construction on Chenab include the Ratle (850MW), Kiru (624 MW), and Kwar (540 MW) projects

Do You Know:

— A river, along with its tributaries, is called a river system. The Indus River system comprises six rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.

— The Indus and Sutlej are antecedent rivers, meaning they existed even before the formation of the Himalayas and cut deep gorges after originating in the Tibet region. The other four rivers – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas – originate in India.

— The Indus Basin extends across four countries, namely China, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In India, the basin spans the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir as well as Chandigarh and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The total drainage area of the basin is approximately 3,21,289 sq. km, accounting for nearly 9.8% of India’s total geographical area.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indus River system and the debate on Indus Water Treaty

📍India issues notice to Pakistan seeking review of Indus Waters Treaty: What to know

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) According to the Indus Waters Treaty, which rivers are allocated to India for unrestricted use?

(a) Indus, Jhelum, Chenab

(b) Ravi, Beas, Sutlej

(c) Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra

(d) Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

“The situation today is far different to that prevalent fifty years back when the Indus Water Treaty was signed.” Highlight the complexity of the current challenges on both sides of the border in this regard. Do you think that a review of the Treaty is in India’s best interests? (UPSC CSE 2012)

NATION

‘Proud moment’: Gujarat regains ‘Tiger State’ status after 33 yrs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains 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: Gujarat has regained its status as a ‘Tiger State’ after 33 years, with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) confirming the presence of a tiger in the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary in central Gujarat and including the state in the national Tiger Census.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the role and function of NTCA?

— What is the purpose of the Tiger Census?

— What are the major tiger reserves in India?

— What is the conservation status of Tiger?

— How does tiger conservation contribute to India’s economy?

— What is the status of the Tiger Population in India?

— What are the key initiatives taken by the Government for tiger conservation?

Key Takeaways:

— According to the statement, forest officials detected pugmarks of a tiger on February 23 this year in the Pipalgota Round of the Kanjeta Range in the sanctuary. Subsequent analysis of camera trap data revealed an image of a tiger captured on February 22 at 2:40 am.

— Calling it a “proud moment for Gujarat”, Modhwadia said the state has become the only one in India to host three big cat species — lion, tiger and leopard — simultaneously.

— The last time, in 1989, when the Tiger Census was conducted, officials spotted pugmarks of a tiger but no tiger was seen. In the 1992 Tiger Census, Gujarat was excluded and lost its status as a Tiger State. With the sighting of a tiger in 2019 in Mahisagar district, a ray of hope was raised, but unfortunately it survived only for 15 days. It is a matter of joy for us that a tiger has once again made Gujarat its home,” he said.

Do You Know:

— Conserving tigers not only aids in ecosystem preservation but also offers financial benefits. Tiger reserves play a crucial role in supporting human life by protecting agricultural lands and fish nurseries, as well as providing clean drinking water and irrigation. These habitats are economically valuable for the surrounding communities.

— The IUCN status of the tiger is endangered, and it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

— India has been actively collaborating with neighbouring countries to enhance transboundary conservation efforts like India-Bangladesh to promote tiger conservation across the Sundarbans landscape.

— The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India’s tiger population was rapidly dwindling.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Why Tigers Matter: Environmental, cultural, and economic significance of India’s apex predator

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

(d) Security of National Highways

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

India moves towards unlocking nuclear energy. The hard work begins now

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government Policies and Interventions, Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story: Akshay Jaitly writes: The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act marks the most significant reform of India’s nuclear sector since the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the key features of the SHANTI Act?

— What are small modular reactors (SMRs)? What is its significance?

— What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy?

— What is the status of the nuclear energy sector in India?

— What are the steps taken by India to make nuclear power a pillar of clean energy security?

— How significant is the role of private sectors in the nuclear energy production?

Key Takeaways:

— For India to realise the full potential of this reform, which will require the confidence of overseas suppliers and the interests of long-term investors who seek a low-risk, predictable business environment, some important work remains.

— The most consequential change is the restructuring of civil nuclear liability. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, despite its well-intentioned origins in the Bhopal tragedy, had become a threshold obstacle for foreign suppliers.

— Section 17(b), which permitted operators to seek recourse against suppliers for defective equipment or substandard services, diverged fundamentally from international norms under the Convention on Supplementary Compensation.

— Neither the CLND Rules nor the government’s FAQs, which lacked statutory force, reassured the American, French and Japanese OEMs whose participation India sought.

— The SHANTI Act addresses this. Operator recourse against suppliers now exists only where expressly provided in contract, or where the nuclear incident resulted from intentional acts to cause damage. This aligns India with the international liability architecture and removes the problem that has long troubled potential projects at Kovvada and Jaitapur.

— One gap remains: The Act does not define “supplier”. Earlier proposals for a CLND amendment had recommended a statutory definition, distinguishing between those who manufacture and supply systems or components on functional specifications, those who provide design specifications to vendors, and those who provide quality assurance or design services.

— The scope of key terms remains unclear. “Sensitive” activities (which cannot be patented by private parties), matters with “national security implications” (which may be carved out from AERB jurisdiction), and those of a “strategic nature” (which may trigger the creation of separate regulatory bodies).

— Without at least indicative definitions or procedures for advance determination, start-ups developing technology, especially small modular reactors (SMRs), will not know whether their innovation efforts will ultimately become the property of the central government. This will choke investment in R&D.

— Second, Section 25 permits the constitution of additional regulatory bodies for “strategic” activities. The open-ended nature of this provision creates uncertainty as investors will not know whether their facilities might be subjected to a different, yet-undefined regulatory regime.

— Section 37 of the SHANTI Act vests pricing authority for nuclear electricity in the central government, explicitly overriding the Electricity Act, 2003. This creates avoidable problems.

— The rationale for central government control possibly lies in nuclear power’s high cost. But this is precisely why administered pricing is not the way to go. Nuclear power is expensive and state discoms, already in precarious financial condition, should not be burdened with mandated procurement of high-cost power.

— These are transactions between willing private parties and there is no policy rationale for central government price intervention here. Long-term stability will come from commercial relationships between producers and consumers who value what nuclear power offers, not from a top-down system of fixed tariffs that insulates generators from the market.

— Ideally, this would require legislative amendment to Section 37. Alternatively, a notification could exempt private-to-private transactions from administered pricing. If felt necessary, central government tariff-setting powers could be retained for transactions involving PSUs (including discoms), leaving purely private arrangements to mutual agreement, with grid access on non-discriminatory terms.

Do You Know:

— India has set an ambitious target to increase nuclear capacity to 22,800 MW by 2031-32 and 100 GW by 2047. A diversified energy portfolio is a strategic necessity for India’s development and energy independence.

— In the union budget of 2025-2026, the government launched ‘Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM) for Viksit Bharat’ with a target of achieving 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047. It has been envisioned with the purpose of achieving energy independence, and helping India to meet its climate targets by developing indigenous capabilities, public-private partnership, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). A budget of Rs 20,000 crores has been allocated to develop SMRs.

— SMRs are essentially advanced small nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of 30MWe to 300 MWe (megawatt electrical) per unit. The relatively simpler and modular design of SMRs—enabling their components to be assembled in a factory instead of being constructed on-site—lowers costs and allows flexible deployment, making them a much more attractive proposition in recent years.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How India’s nuclear vision supports a sustainable tomorrow

📍How India is overhauling its nuclear power sector

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) India is an important member of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India? (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation

(b) It can attain a global role in satellite navigation

(c) It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation

(d) It can build fusion reactors for power generation

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (UPSC CSE 2018)

 

EXPLAINED

India weathers tariff storm for now, but consumption headwinds await

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.

What’s the ongoing story: It is often said of the Indian economy that “it lets down both its optimists and pessimists”. In 2025, the world’s fourth-largest economy did little to deviate from that script.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Assess the impact of Trump’s tariff on the Indian economy

— What are the major economic reforms introduced by the government this year?

— What is the current account deficit (CAD)?

— What are the major trade agreements signed by India this year?

Key Takeaways:

— The year started with the broad assumption in New Delhi’s policy circles that India would emerge relatively unscathed from President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught and wrap up an early trade deal with the US.

— Nearly 12 months on, both assumptions have turned out to be wrong: India now faces the highest effective tariffs into the US, higher than China, and a trade deal is nowhere in sight.

— And yet, as the year draws to a close, India’s exports to the US have seen a robust uptick in November after declining through September, thanks to buoyant exports of tariff-exempt goods such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, and some genuine success in market diversification (exporters cracking alternative markets).

— The second half of the year saw a series of legislative actions and policy steps: Belated GST rate tweaks, movement on the moribund labour laws and nuclear sector amendments that could foster private and foreign investment — at the cost of diluted supplier liability provisions.

— A raft of financial services reforms, including 100% foreign ownership of insurance firms and new investment rules for banks and pension funds, could set the stage for a possible foreign capital surge amid concerns around capital outflows and a widened current account deficit (CAD).

— India continues to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with GDP forecast to grow 7.3 per cent in fiscal 2026.

— But global tariff shocks will likely continue to influence the economic outlook for the next year. A lot depends on how domestic buffers and policy levers can be deployed to act as counterbalances.

— Going into 2026, some domestic tailwinds such as healthy agricultural prospects, the continued impact of GST rationalisation, low inflation, and healthy balance sheets of corporations and financial institutions should continue to support economic activity.

— Continuing reform initiatives will facilitate growth. The opening up of the nuclear sector could see investments returning to the power sector at a pivotal transition period, when renewable investments are slowing.

— On the external front, things look more uncertain. Though the implementation of the tariffs has been far less potent than was feared, there is a lack of clarity on where all this is heading. Merchandise exports also face challenges.

— While there is still no clarity on the US trade deal, the speedy conclusion of ongoing trade and investment negotiations with the EU and other countries could present upside potential, the RBI said, while upgrading real GDP growth for the first quarter of 2026-27 to 6.7% and Q2 to 6.8%.

— While there is still no clarity on the US trade deal, the speedy conclusion of ongoing trade and investment negotiations with the EU and other countries could present upside potential, the RBI said, while upgrading real GDP growth for the first quarter of 2026-27 to 6.7% and Q2 to 6.8%.

— While India’s current account deficit at 1.3% in the second quarter of 2025-26 doesn’t seem alarming, amid robust services exports and strong remittances, there are some concerns on financing it if foreign investment outflows continue. Healthy services exports coupled with strong remittance receipts are expected to help manage the CAD in FY26.

— As 2025 wraps up, there are perhaps more questions than when the year started. Will the US economy go into recession? Will the AI exuberance end? Will the AI-fuelled stock market bubble in the US burst? What would that do to countries such as India?  Then there are larger questions over the advent of AI and to what extent this could be labour substituting versus labor augmenting.

— The rising debts and deficits of countries, especially in the developed world, means that at some point, all of these gaps will have to be inflated away. Inflating away debt refers to a situation where a government deliberately pursues a policy of generating inflation, including by printing money, as a means to reduce the debt burden.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Despite Trump tariffs, US economy has grown at its fastest pace in two years. It may not sustain

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation. (UPSC CSE 2024)

ALSO IN NEWS

100 yrs of CPI: In 1st conclave, it criticised Gandhi’s khadi push, hailed Tilak

From describing untouchability as a purely economic problem, calling khadi for the masses a “problematic” idea, seeing Buddha and Jesus Christ as communists, to terming the Congress a “bourgeois” party and hailing Lenin and Lokmanya Tilak – the presidential speech of M Singaravelu at the first Communist Party of India (CPI) conference – held during December 25-27, 1925, in Kanpur – highlighted a wide range of pressing national and international issues from the lens of communism. One of the founding leaders of the CPI, Singaravelu was a freedom fighter and a pioneer of trade union movement, who organised the first ever May Day celebrations in India in Madras (currently called Chennai). He chaired the Kanpur conference of communist groups, which adopted a resolution for the formation of the CPI. Singaravelu disagreed with Mahatma Gandhi’s khadi campaign as a way forward for the Indian masses. Recalling that the economic logic of “khaddar” was celebrated during the non-cooperation movement from 1920 to 1922, he said its limitations became obvious later. He flagged the “communal and religious differences” that surfaced after the non-cooperation movement, saying its fire may spread as “we Indians are so religious-minded and caste-ridden”. “The Hindu Sabhas, Sanghathans and Shuddhis are more bourgeois tactics of the leisure class,” he averred. Singaravelu also paid glowing tributes to Lenin as a tall communist leader – he died in 1924 – and also, among Indian nationalists, to Lokmanya Tilak, who passed away in 1920, calling the latter “that beacon of light for all true lovers of freedom”.

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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