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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for February 27, 2025. If you missed the February 26, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here
FRONT PAGE
Trump offers $5-mn ‘gold card’ visas for US citizenship
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, Indian diaspora.
What’s the ongoing story: US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has announced plans to offer a “gold card” visa that can be bought for $5 million (Rs 43.5 crore approximately) as a route to American citizenship.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is “gold card” visa?
• Discuss the economic and political implications of investment-based immigration programs such as the ‘Gold Card’ visa proposed by Donald Trump.
• What is the EB-5 visa program being replaced?
• EB-5 visa program and “gold card” visa-Compare and Contrast
• How do investment-based immigration policies affect the labor market and socio-economic structure of host countries?
• Analyse the ethical and security concerns associated with ‘Gold card Visa’?
Key Takeaways:
• The proposed visa will replace the existing EB-5 visa for foreign investors, which grants residency to those who invest $800,000 (Rs 7 crore) to $1 million dollars (Rs 8.71 crore) and create at least 10 jobs. The EB-5 programme is popular among Indians with sizeable investment potential.
• “We are going to be selling a gold card… We are going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
• “It’s going to give you green card privileges, plus it’s going to be a route to (American) citizenship, and wealthy people would be coming into our country by buying this card,” he said, adding that details of the scheme would come out in two weeks.
• “It’s somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication, it’s a road to citizenship for people, and essentially people of wealth or people of great talent, where people of wealth pay for those people of talent to get in, meaning companies will pay for people to get in and to have long-term status in the country,” he said.
• “They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful,” Trump said.
• Trump said Russian oligarchs could qualify for the gold cards, when asked by a journalist if they would be eligible. “Yeah, possibly… I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people,” he said.
Do You Know:
• US President Trump said that the “gold card” will provide privileges of green card and it will be a route to obtain American citizenship and suggested that wealthy people would come to US by purchasing this card.
• The existing EB-5 visa program, established in 1990, allows foreign investors to gain US residency if they create or preserve jobs through capital investments. Minimum investments are set at $1,050,000, or $800,000 for economically distressed areas. The program has drawn criticism over concerns of abuse and fraud, with businesses, including those linked to Trump family members, using it to fund property developments.
• US President Trump said that the “gold card” will provide privileges of green card and it will be a route to obtain American citizenship and suggested that wealthy people would come to US by purchasing this card.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍How Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ US visa could work, what concerns it raises
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
1. Which of the following best describes a ‘Golden Visa’ program?
a) A scheme that grants permanent residency or citizenship in exchange for investment in a country
b) A special visa category for diplomats and government officials
c) A work visa granted to highly skilled professionals in the technology sector
d) A tourist visa with extended stay privileges
EU trade talks: India to red-flag carbon tax, data privacy concerns
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
• General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
What’s the ongoing story: India is set to raise concerns over the European Union’s controversial carbon tax, which seeks to impose tariffs as high as 30 per cent on imports of carbon-intensive products such as steel and aluminium from next year, during the two-day visit by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and 21 EU Commissioners, beginning on February 27, 2025.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)?
• What is European Union’s carbon tax?
• What is India’s objection with the European Union’s controversial carbon tax?
• What can be the potential impact of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on India’s exports?
• What are the key challenges in India-EU trade negotiations with respect to carbon taxation and data privacy concerns?
• Explain the concept of carbon taxation in international trade.
• How does carbon taxation align with global efforts to combat climate change?
• Discuss carbon taxation’s implications for developing economies like India.
Key Takeaways:
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have, on multiple occasions, called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) or carbon tax an “unfair” measure and a violation of the “common but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR) provision of multilateral climate negotiations.
• While several countries, including China, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa, have taken the EU to the WTO, India is yet to formally file a case as both sides are actively discussing a free trade agreement (FTA), investment pact, and geographical indication (GI) treaty.
• In the FTA negotiations, India is also seeking concessions for its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Notably, CBAM is set to take effect January 2026, with the transition period—requiring exporters to submit data to EU authorities— having begun on October 1, 2023. This is significant as India exports over 15 per cent of its total goods exports to the EU. In 2022-23, India exported goods worth $75 billion to the EU.
• Delhi-based think tank Global Trade and Research Institute (GTRI) estimates that CBAM will have an adverse impact on India’s exports of metals such as iron, steel, and aluminium products to the EU, translating into a 20–35 per cent tax on select imports into the EU from January 1, 2026.
Do You Know:
EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—
• The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is a plan from the European Union (EU) to tax carbon-intensive products, such as iron and steel, cement, fertiliser, aluminium and electricity generation, from 2026.
• The EU came up with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in 2021.
• The European Commission’s website describes it thus, “Designed in compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and other international obligations of the EU, the CBAM system will work as follows: EU importers will buy carbon certificates corresponding to the carbon price that would have been paid, had the goods been produced under the EU’s carbon pricing rules. Conversely, once a non-EU producer can show that they have already paid a price for the carbon used in the production of the imported goods in a third country, the corresponding cost can be fully deducted for the EU importer.”
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Ahead of EU delegation visit, focus on cohesive, collaborative approach
📍What is carbon border tax, which India opposed at COP27
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. ‘Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and (2017)
(a) European Union
(b) Gulf Cooperation Council
(c) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(d) Shanghai Cooperation Organization
THE SECOND PAGE
Beg to differ, says afforestation body after CAG flags fund ‘irregularities’
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
What’s the ongoing story: Days after the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the Compulsory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Uttarakhand was released, the Chief Executive Officer of the body has said they are looking into the issues that have been flagged.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What exactly Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the Compulsory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) says?
• What is Compulsory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)?
• Discuss the significance of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in India’s afforestation efforts.
• Analyse the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in ensuring financial accountability in environmental conservation programs like CAMPA.
• Examine the effectiveness of India’s afforestation policies in achieving environmental sustainability.
Key Takeaways:
• The report, which covers the period from 2019-20 to 2021-22, flagged “inadmissible expenditure” made from the total allocated funds of Rs 753.89 crore in 43 forest divisions of the state.
• But Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and CAMPA CEO Sameer Sinha said that so far, only the purchase of two phones has been found.
• A CAG report on the functioning of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in the 2019-2022 period showed that Rs 13.86 crore was diverted for various activities other than compensatory afforestation – under which forest lands being used for non-forest purposes, like industry or infrastructure development, is mandatorily accompanied by afforestation efforts on at least an equal area of land.
• As per CAMPA guidelines, after the receipt of funds, afforestation should be conducted within a year, or two growing seasons. However, the report flagged that in 37 cases, compensatory afforestation was executed after more than eight years of getting final clearance. “This resulted in cost escalation of Rs 11.54 crore in raising CA (compensatory afforestation),” the report said.
• The report also flagged the low survival of the planted trees, which, at 33.51%, is much lower than the mandated 60-65% as per the Forest Research Institute.
Do You Know:
• The Supreme Court of India in November 2001 had observed that there was poor utilization of funds deposited for compensatory afforestation and also that a large amount of money for compensatory afforestation was not realized by the State Governments from user agencies.
• The Supreme Court of India in October 2002 directed the creation of a ‘Compensatory Afforestation Fund’ in which all the money received from the user agencies towards compensatory afforestation, additional compensatory afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, net present value (NPV) of forest land, Catchment Area Treatment Plan Funds, etc. were to be deposited.
• The ministry of environment and forest, New Delhi issued a notification on 23 April 2004 describing the constitution, management and functions of the CAMPA committee. The act was sent for examination under a standing committee. It was passed by Rajya Sabha on 28 July 2016
• The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016 created a national CAMPA at the central government level, and a state CAMPA in each state and UT. Similarly, a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF), and one in each state and UT too are also constituted.
• CAMPA is set up to manage this money. The compensatory afforestation money and NPV are supposed to be collected from the user agency by the government of the state in which the project is located, and deposited with the central government. The money will eventually flow back to the state to be used for afforestation or related works.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget: What UPSC aspirants must know about ‘CAMPA’ and compensatory afforestation
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3. Consider the following statements: (2019)
1. As per law, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority exists at both National and State levels.
2. People’s participation is mandatory in the compensatory afforestation programmes carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016.
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
EXPRESS NETWORK
Enforce exemplary penalties to end ‘Pradhan Pati’ culture: Panel
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies I: Role of women and women’s organization and Social empowerment
• General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
What’s the ongoing story: A panel constituted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has recommended “exemplary penalties” for proven cases of proxy leadership as a measure to curb the practice of ‘Pradhan Pati’, ‘Sarpanch Pati’ or ‘Mukhiya Pati’ in Gram Panchayats across the country.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What does the report ‘Transforming Women’s Representation and Roles in Panchayati Raj Systems and Institutions: Eliminating Efforts for Proxy Participation’ says?
• The term Panchayati Raj signifies what?
• What was the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992?
• The 73rd Amendment Act of 1992 has given a practical shape to which article of the Directive Principles of State Policy?
• Reservation of one-third seats (both members and chairpersons) for women in panchayats at all the three levels- What are the challenges before Women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)?
• The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have not performed well or to the expected standard, despite being granted constitutional status and protection under the 73rd Amendment Act (1992)-Why?
• What is ‘Sarpanch Pati’ ?
• Why Sarpanch Pati, or spouses who exert authority in panchayats by forcing their women to compete, is a common occurrence in the Panchayati Raj Institutions?
• ‘The issue of Sarpanch Pati is recognized as a barrier to women’s progress—How this concept impedes women’s empowerment?
• However, the issue of ‘Sarpanch Pati’ continues to undermine women’s political participation.
• ‘Despite constitutional provisions for women’s reservation in local governance, the phenomenon of proxy governance persists in Panchayats across India’—Examine the reasons behind this practice and suggest policy measures to address it.
Key Takeaways:
• “Exemplary penalties should be enforced for proven cases of proxy leadership, deterring male relatives’ interference,” the committee headed by former mines secretary Sushil Kumar said in its report ‘Transforming Women’s Representation and Roles in Panchayati Raj Systems and Institutions: Eliminating Efforts for Proxy Participation’.
• The report was submitted recently and the ministry is now planning to take measures to implement the committee’s recommendations, which include policy interventions and structural reform.
• Initiatives such as gender-exclusive quotas in some panchayat subject committees and ward-level committees (like Kerala); an annual award for Anti-Pradhan Pati champions; appointing women’s ombudspersons; public swearing-in of women pradhans in Gram Sabhas; creating federation of women panchayat leaders; and setting up gender resource centres that serve as hubs for leadership training, legal advice, and support networks were also recommended.
• The committee also suggested technological solutions like virtual reality simulation training, integrating AI-powered query-driven replies to provide real-time legal and governance guidance to WERs (Women Elected Representatives) in vernacular languages, creating WhatsApp groups of WERs linked with panchayat and block officials to help resolve day-to-day problems, and using the ministry’s Panchayat Nirnay Portal to allow citizens to track elected pradhans’ participation in meetings and decisions, fostering public accountability and discouraging proxy leadership, etc.
Do You Know:
• India has about 2.63 lakh panchayats in all three tiers – Gram Panchayat (at village level), Panchayat Samiti (at block level) and Zila Parishad (at district level) – with 32.29 lakh elected representatives, of which 15.03 lakh (46.6 per cent) are women.
• While the ratio of Women Elected Representatives (WERs) among panchayat officials has increased significantly, their effective participation in the decision-making process is still very low. The culture of ‘Pradhan Pati’, Sarpanch Pati or Mukhiya Pati is more prevalent in northern states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan, a ministry official said.
• The MoPR had constituted the ‘advisory committee to examine the issue of women pradhans being represented by the male members of their families and also examine other issues related thereto’ on September 19, 2023. This was a follow-up to a Supreme Court order of July 6, 2023.
• The committee has suggested capacity building and training initiatives focusing on continuous and mandatory training in vernacular languages, collaboration with IIMS, IITs/NITs, involvement of international development agencies and women MLAs/MPs to leadership training to women pradhans etc.
• It also suggested accountability and oversight mechanisms, which include helplines and women watchdog committees for confidential complaints about proxy leadership, with whistleblower rewards in verified cases.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍‘Sarpanch Pati’: The small steps, and giant leaps of women’s reservation
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
With reference to women’s political participation in local governance in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution of India mandates one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
2. The practice of ‘Sarpanch Pati’ refers to husbands of elected women representatives exercising authority on their behalf.
3. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act introduced the provision for women’s reservation in local governance.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
GOVT & POLITICS
Centre opposes lifetime poll ban for convicted politicians in SC
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
What’s the ongoing story: Opposing petitions seeking a lifetime ban on convicted politicians from contesting elections, the central government has submitted in the Supreme Court that there is “nothing inherently unconstitutional” in limiting their disqualification to six years.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What Sections 8 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 says?
• Do you think that there should be a lifetime ban on convicted politicians?
• In the context of democratic governance, do you think a six-year ban on convicted politicians is sufficient to uphold electoral integrity?
• Under what act or provision can a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) be disqualified upon conviction for a criminal offense?
• The issue of criminalization of politics remains a serious concern in India’s electoral democracy—Discuss
• What are the legal provisions governing the disqualification of convicted politicians?
• The Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides for disqualification of convicted politicians. However, challenges remain in curbing criminalization of politics. Suggest legislative and judicial reforms to address this issue.
• The Supreme Court of India has played a crucial role in electoral reforms through landmark judgments. Examine the significance of the Lily Thomas case (2013) in ensuring accountability in politics.
Key Takeaways:
• In a counter-affidavit filed in the top court, the Centre said there are several penal laws that confine the operation of the penalty to an appropriate length of time and added that by this, “deterrence is ensured while undue harshness is avoided”.
• The affidavit was filed in response to a petition by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenging the constitutional validity of Sections 8 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act 1951.
• The plea argued that limiting the disqualification by time is violative of constitutional provisions and urged that the disqualification in such cases should be for a lifetime.
• Responding to the petition, the government said, “The question whether a lifetime ban would be appropriate or not is a question that is solely within the domain of Parliament. It is not for the petitioner or the respondent to state that the same is appropriate or even to state that the same would be excessive. As a matter of law, in imposing any penalty, Parliament seeks to maintain the principles of proportionality and reasonability.”
• The Centre insisted that “the impugned laws are constitutionally sound, do not suffer from the vice of excess delegation and are intra vires the powers of Parliament”.
Do You Know:
• Section 8 of the Act states that a person who has been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for offences specified in the provision shall be disqualified from contesting elections for six years after their release from prison.
• As per section 9, for public servants dismissed for corruption or for disloyalty to the state, the disqualification shall be for five years from the date of such dismissal.
• In India, the term “criminalization of politics” refers to the rise in the number of people with criminal histories participating in politics.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Democracy interrupted: The rising number of criminals in politics
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. Consider the following statements: (2021)
1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.
2. In the 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.
3. As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her winning in all the constituencies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 2 and 3
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Discuss the procedures to decide the disputes arising out of the election of a Member of the Parliament or State Legislature under The Representation of the People Act, 1951. What are the grounds on which the election of any returned candidate may be declared void? What remedy is available to the aggrieved party against the decision? Refer to the case laws. (2022)
EXPRESS NETWORK
Ancient ‘stitched’ ship ‘put in water’, set to sail to Oman by year-end
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: History of India
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 project, which is part of an initiative to revive India’s rich maritime heritage, is being executed through a tripartite agreement between the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Culture and Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is India’s Maritime History?
• Discuss the significance of the recently launched ancient ‘stitched’ ship in Goa in the context of India’s maritime heritage and historical trade routes.
• What were the key features of ancient Indian shipbuilding techniques?
• How Indian shipbuilding techniques contribute to India’s maritime dominance in ancient times?
• Know the impact of ancient sea routes on India’s cultural and economic exchanges with other civilizations.
• Examine the role of traditional shipbuilding knowledge in contemporary times.
• How can reviving ancient techniques contribute to India’s cultural and economic diplomacy?
• The Indian Ocean has been a hub of trade and cultural exchanges for millennia. Discuss the importance of reviving ancient maritime traditions for India’s present-day strategic and economic interests.
Key Takeaways:
• A 5th century wooden ‘stitched ship’ – recreated using ancient stitching techniques and constructed using coconut fiber stitching, traditional wooden joinery, coir rope and natural resins and powered by cotton sails – was ‘launched’ Wednesday at Goa’s Divar island.
• The ‘ancient’ ship, modelled on a painting of a stitched ship in the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, has been “put in the water” or “transferred from land to water” for the first time, said officials.
• The vessel, with a 15-member crew of the Indian Navy aboard, is expected to set sail on a historic voyage to Oman – retracing ancient trading routes – by the end of 2025.
• The project, which is part of an initiative to revive India’s rich maritime heritage, is being executed through a tripartite agreement between the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Culture and Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd.
Do You Know:
• The ship has been designed and built in Goa by Hodi Innovations Pvt Ltd, with the help of artisans and traditional shipwrights, led by Babu Sankaran, an expert in stitched ship construction. Sankaran said in the stitched method, the wooden planks are shaped using the traditional steaming method to conform to the shape of the hull. “Each plank is stitched to another using cords, ropes, sealed with a combination of coconut fiber, resin, and fish oil,” he said.
• The ancient stitched ship features a main mast, mizzen mast and bowsprit mast, with steering controlled through steering oars. The vessel is bound together with coir rope and fiber. The keel is made from ‘Matti’, Goa’s state tree, while the stem, stern and beams are crafted from teak. Jackfruit wood frames have been selected to match the ship’s natural curves. The joints are sealed with a traditional mixture of fish oil and khundrus.
• The earliest known example of a sewn boat is the 40+ metres long funerary boat in Egypt; dating back to 2,500 BC. Later finds in other parts of the world include some early Greek ships. In Finland, Russia, Karelia and Estonia, small sewn boats have been constructed more recently, until the 1920s.
• As per experts in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), naval trade on the Indian Ocean dates back to the 3rd century BC, when residents of the Indus Valley opened maritime trading with Mesopotamia, Egypt, East Africa, and the Roman Empire. Through these maritime trade networks, many goods were exchanged, including medicine, aromatics, spices, wood, grain, gems, textiles, metal and stones. The trade, in turn, facilitated the exchange of religions, cultures and technologies, contributing to the expansion of Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism, they say.
• Project Mausam is said to be India’s answer to the Maritime Silk Road of China, and India plans to move for UNESCO to award transnational heritage status to Project Mausam, which was launched by India at the 38th World Heritage Session at Doha in June 2014. Several countries including the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Myanmar, and Vietnam have expressed great interest in this multifaceted cultural project.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍What is the Central govt and Navy’s new project to reconstruct an ancient ‘stitched ship’?
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom? (2017)
a) Kakinada
b) Motupalli
c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
d) Nelluru
THE EDITORIAL PAGE
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure,
What’s the ongoing story: Krishna Kumar Writes: Tamil Nadu’s refusal to adopt the three-language formula has irked the Centre. A two-language policy has been in place in Tamil Nadu for decades, and there is no ground to say that it is going to change any time soon.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is three-language policy?
• Do you think that India’s linguistic diversity is both a strength and a challenge?
• Discuss the constitutional and policy framework regarding language and its impact on national integration.
• The debate over Hindi imposition versus linguistic autonomy continues to be a contentious issue in India—Discuss the historical and political dimensions of this debate.
• What is the role of the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in promoting linguistic diversity.
• Should more languages be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution? Justify your answer.
• Language is a crucial aspect of cultural identity—Comment
• In the context of India’s federal structure, discuss the challenges of maintaining linguistic harmony while promoting national unity.
Key Takeaways:
Krishna Kumar Writes:
• The three-language policy is also not new, and its own record is rather chequered, even in states where it has been in place for a long time. In the Hindi belt of the north, there is no instance of the use of this formula to introduce children to a contemporary language of another state. You can’t find even a private school in, say, Uttar or Madhya Pradesh where Punjabi or Tamil has the status of a third language under the haloed formula.
• In the post-Independence history of our system of education, language has consistently remained a strangely controversial issue. One reason is that language has been perceived mainly as a medium of instruction, rather than as a means to think and express oneself during childhood.
• After Independence, language was perceived as a key factor to be addressed for the goal of national integration. In fact, the history of this perception goes further back. As Independence came closer, the issue became charged with contestation and claims. If India is to have a “national” language, which one will it be? This question was debated in the Constituent Assembly.
Do You Know:
Krishna Kumar Writes:
• Not just the word “medium”, but the other word in that phrase, “instruction” is also interesting and loaded with history — that of colonial days when education was believed to consist of instruction alone. The idea that children learn better when they feel relaxed emerged well after the mid-20th century in educational theory. It influenced systems of education in European countries when serious attempts were made to improve teacher training and school curriculum to accommodate the new perspective on language teaching.
• In the context of language education, the real impasse is not over this or that formula, but over standards. While science and mathematics have been encroached by coaching institutions, no one bothers about the standards of language teaching.
• Not just English, the standards of teaching in Hindi are no better. Indeed, Hindi is a special victim of the convention that forces it to serve as a cultural preserver rather than as a means of learning different subjects with pleasure and satisfaction. Indeed, several other Indian languages share this fate in their respective states. The long-term benefits of learning a language well are also declining. One major indicator of this is the decline in reading habits. Reading is taught from the earliest grades, but schools fail to produce habitual readers.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Tamil Nadu’s opposition to three-language policy has historical roots. Centre must respect it
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7. Consider the following languages: (2014)
1. Gujarati
2. Kannada
3. Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
• General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
What’s the ongoing story: Dhiraj Nayyar Writes: A resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war seems imminent. The contours of the peace may depend on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s final offer of American access to his country’s considerable critical mineral resources.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What are critical mineral resources?
• What is “critical minerals diplomacy”?
• Why critical mineral are important for India’s economic and strategic interests?
• “Critical minerals are the new oil.”—Analyse the given statement.
• Discuss the role of government policies and international collaborations in ensuring India’s self-reliance in critical minerals.
• Examine the geopolitical dimensions of critical minerals trade.
• How can India reduce its dependence on foreign sources and ensure a stable supply chain for its technological and industrial growth?
Key Takeaways:
Dhiraj Nayyar Writes:
• Not long ago, America’s involvement in foreign wars or conflicts centred around the geoeconomics of oil. The technologies of the “future” — electric vehicles, renewable energy, high-tech semiconductors, etc — all are critical-mineral-intensive. Critical minerals — copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths among others — are the new oil with great influence on not just economics but over war and peace. India must take note.
• In the second half of the 20th century, America’s involvement in foreign conflicts and wars was influenced partly by ideology, but also by geoeconomic interests, particularly oil.
• The reason why Vladimir Putin’s Russia can fight protracted wars despite a middling economy is its self-sufficiency in oil and gas and defence equipment. But without the former, having the latter would not be enough. Abundant, affordable fuel is necessary to run the war machinery. Putin also knows that Europe’s import dependence on energy, particularly gas, is what makes its response to Russia’s moves more complicated.
Do You Know:
Dhiraj Nayyar Writes:
• President Donald Trump’s interest in “acquiring” Greenland or suggestion to make Canada the 51st state of the US is driven by the huge potential these lands have in critical minerals. Ukraine is also well endowed. It has one-third of the estimated lithium reserves in all of Europe. Its reserves of graphite, a key input in batteries, are among the top 5 in the world. It has significant reserves of 17 rare earths in which China controls about 75 per cent of global deposits. And in recent months, it has not hesitated to ban or restrict exports.
• India’s import dependence for critical minerals is even more than for oil. The government is actively searching for assets overseas and signing supply agreements with friendly countries. However, there is no substitute for producing more domestically. India has a very rich geology but there is insufficient exploration. It is time to completely liberalise exploration and let those who make discoveries monetise their find. That is the global practice. That is the path to a vulnerability-free future.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍US, Ukraine reach agreement on terms of critical minerals deal, say officials
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
8. With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements: (2019)
1. Sand is a ‘minor mineral’ according to the prevailing law in the country
2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the Central Government.
3. State Governments have the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
THE IDEAS PAGE
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: Anil Kakodkar Writes: At long last, the government seems to have awakened to the inevitable role of nuclear energy in the realisation of ‘Viksit Bharat’. The private sector, while it needs to be mobilised to scale up the programme has, at best, a secondary role
Key Points to Ponder:
• How does nuclear energy contribute to India’s energy security? Discuss its potential and limitations in the Indian context.
• “Nuclear energy cannot be a business-as-usual approach in India.” Evaluate this statement in light of technological, economic, and environmental challenges.
• What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)? Discuss their advantages and feasibility in India’s nuclear energy program.
• Examine the role of thorium-based reactors in India’s three-stage nuclear program.
• How can India leverage its thorium reserves for energy self-sufficiency?
• How does nuclear energy compare with renewable energy sources like solar and wind in terms of sustainability, cost, and environmental impact?
Key Takeaways:
Anil Kakodkar Writes:
• At long last, the government seems to have awakened to the inevitable role of nuclear energy in the realisation of “Viksit Bharat”. Setting up 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047 may seem like a tall order, especially with little clarity on how it will be accomplished. Yet, it is a minimum mission statement for the long road to Viksit Bharat.
• The plans to establish a number of Bharat Small Reactors (BSR) in an innovative public-private partnership mode are indeed welcome. Along with the 700 MWe PHWRs, which must form the main workhorse for capacity addition, BSRs could play a supportive role. HALEU–thorium fuel can be leveraged in both to enable the continuation of capacity addition beyond the time uranium supply constraint sets in, despite delays in the Fast Breeder Reactor programme.
Do You Know:
Anil Kakodkar Writes:
• Small Modular Reactors are a new craze in the nuclear industry. But India already possesses the largest experience in the small reactor category through its commercially successful and robust 220 MWe PHWRs.
• In contrast, no SMR product has yet been deployed in numbers. A sizable order book is a prerequisite for an SMR business. Having said that, there are a number of retiring coal plant sites that could be leveraged, provided the design of the reactors is safe that there would be no anxiety about evacuation in case of accidents.
• It is worth recognising that most of what is stated above would necessarily mean delivery by our laboratories like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, IGCAR, etc. That needs to be ensured. The private sector, while it needs to be mobilised to scale up the programme has, at best, a secondary role. The reverse would cause irreversible damage.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍25 years after it was drafted, why India’s nuclear doctrine still remains relevant
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
9. The Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) technology is significant for India because:
(a) It uses thorium as fuel directly, reducing dependence on uranium.
(b) It enhances plutonium production, ensuring self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel.
(c) It operates at lower temperatures, making it safer than conventional reactors.
(d) It is the primary technology used in all Indian nuclear reactors.
ECONOMY
Farmers’ share in rabi crop consumer prices ranged from 40-67%: RBI survey
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints;
What’s the ongoing story: A pan-India survey conducted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials has revealed that farmers received a share ranging from 40-67 per cent of consumer prices for major rabi crops.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the implications of the recent RBI survey findings that farmers’ share in consumer prices for rabi crops ranges from 40% to 67%.
• How does this disparity impact the agricultural economy and what measures can be taken to enhance farmers’ income?
• In the context of the agriculture supply chain, which mode of payment has seen a significant increase according to the 2024 RBI survey?
• The RBI survey indicates a significant increase in electronic payments within the agriculture supply chain. Evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of this shift from traditional cash transactions to digital modes of payment for farmers and other stakeholders.
• Which rabi crop’s producers realize the highest share in consumer prices, as per the RBI survey?
Key Takeaways:
• The survey, which covered major rabi crops during May-July 2024, found that farmers’ share is higher for non-perishable crops and lower for fruits and vegetables.
• Wheat farmers emerged as the biggest beneficiaries, with a 67 per cent share of consumer prices, owing to the fact that wheat is a notified commodity, with a significant portion of produce sold through the public procurement system.
• Rice farmers received an estimated 52 per cent share of retail prices. This figure is consistent with previous surveys, indicating a stable trend in farmers’ shares for rice.
• Around one-fourth of the respondent wheat farmers in the 2024 survey are reported to have sold their output to the government under a procurement system. Procurement at minimum support price gives farmers an assured market option.
• The estimate of 67 per cent is consistent with the available literature which suggests that wheat farmers’ share in the consumer price ranges between 53 and 74 per cent, said the survey report authored by five RBI officials.
Do You Know:
• In India, the fruit and vegetable supply chain comprises many unorganised intermediaries, which creates difficulties in identifying the flow of products, funds and information across the supply chain, and, can compress farmers’ share in consumer prices, it said.
• A lower share for farmers can also act as a constraint for farmers in diversifying from traditional cereal crops, the survey said.
• As per the current survey, the combined share of traders and retailers is estimated to be more than half for all surveyed fruits and vegetables except tomatoes. “Amongst the set of crops which were surveyed in previous kharif rounds and this rabi round survey, the farmers’ share in retail prices of rice is estimated at around 52 per cent in this survey,” it said.
• The survey covered mandis/villages in 86 centres across 18 states for 12 rabi crops using three separate questionnaires for farmers, traders and retailers.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Farmers get only a third of what consumer pays for vegetables, fruits: RBI study
EXPLAINED
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies I: population and associated issues
• 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: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that southern states would not lose “even a single seat” after delimitation, addressing long-held apprehensions of states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala about losing representation in Parliament if delimitation was to be carried out based on latest population data.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is delimitation?
• Why are southern states nervous about delimitation?
• How demographic shifts and variations in fertility rates among states influence political representation in India.
• Discuss the impact of population-based representation on economic development and governance.
• Should economic contribution and governance parameters be considered in delimitation?
Key Takeaways:
• Largely due to the divergent economic trajectories of the two regions, population growth in South India has been far slower than in the North. Thus, if delimitation were to take place based on latest population data, northern states would receive a much larger number of seats in Parliament compared to the South.
• States in peninsular India feel that delimitation based on latest population data will reduce their representation in Parliament, and thus diminish their political heft.
• In September 2023, during the debate in Parliament on the Women’s Reservation Bill — whose implementation is linked to the delimitation process — DMK leader Kanimozhi read out a statement from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. It said, “…if delimitation is going to be on population census, it will deprive and reduce the representation of the south Indian states… There is fear in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu that our voices will be undermined.”
Do You Know:
• Delimitation is a Constitutional mandate, to be carried out after every Census in order to readjust the number of seats in Parliament, and the boundaries of constituencies, based on latest population data. The idea is to ensure that each constituency has roughly the same number of people living in it.
• Up until 1976, after every Indian Census, the seats of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State legislative Assemblies were re-distributed throughout the country. This happened thrice, based on the Censuses of 1951, 1961, and 1971.
• The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, passed during the Emergency, froze the total number of Parliamentary and state Assembly seats till the 2001 Census.
• In 2001, the boundaries of constituencies were altered. But the number of seats that each state had in Lok Sabha, as well as the strength of states’ legislative Assemblies, remained the same. This was largely due to opposition from southern states.
• The number of seats each state gets after delimitation will depend upon the base average population that a delimitation commission, as and when constituted, will arrive at.
• In the 1977 Lok Sabha, for instance, every MP in India represented 10.11 lakh people on average. While it is impossible for every constituency to have the same population, it is desirable that the population in each constituency be tightly grouped around this average.
• There is, however, no restriction on what this base average should be. If the 10.11 lakh average were to be retained, the strength of Lok Sabha would shoot up to nearly 1,400 (based on the Union Health Ministry’s population projection for 2025).
• This would also mean that UP (including Uttarakhand) would end up nearly tripling the number of seats it has in Lok Sabha, from 85 to 250. The percentage rise would be even greater for Bihar (including Jharkhand), which would see its tally rise from 25 to 82.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍As Stalin says ‘sword’ hanging over South states, what are the delimitation stakes
WHY GHARIALS ARE ENDANGERED, HOW MP HAS LED CONSERVATION EFFORTS
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav last week released 10 gharials, a critically endangered species, into the Chambal river at the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Morena.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Map Work-Chambal river
• Discuss the primary factors contributing to the endangerment of gharials in India.
• How has Madhya Pradesh become a leader in Gharial conservation?
• Evaluate the role of community involvement in the conservation of critically endangered species, with specific reference to the gharial conservation initiatives in Madhya Pradesh.
• Analyse the impact of riverine ecosystem degradation on the gharial population in India.
Key Takeaways:
• Madhya Pradesh’s decades-long conservation efforts have earned it the title of a “gharial state,” hosting over 80 per cent of India’s gharials.
• CM Yadav released nine males and one female into the Chambal on February 17 to bolster the population of gharials and reinforce Madhya Pradesh’s leadership in crocodile conservation.
• The state boasts the highest number of gharials in India, with a 2024 census recording 2,456 individuals in the sanctuary. This is a feat attributed to decades of conservation work, following a national decline of over 80 per cent in gharial population between the 1950s and 1960s, MP wildlife officials said.
• Globally, Gharial populations saw a steady recovery until 1997, but between 1997 and 2006, numbers plummeted by 58%, dropping from 436 adults to 182, according to a 2007 research paper.
• Wildlife researchers have said the species is likely extinct in Myanmar and Bhutan, with only small, uncertain populations remaining in Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh’s upper Brahmaputra.
• Between 1975 and 1982, India established 16 captive breeding and release centers and five gharial sanctuaries. Today, the species survives primarily in five refuges: National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), Katerniaghat Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park, Son River Sanctuary, and Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary.
• Conservation efforts include captive breeding programmes to rear and release hatchlings back into the river, monitoring populations, actively managing threats like sand mining, and engaging local communities in habitat preservation and awareness campaigns.
Do You Know:
• The gharial is a species of Gavialis gangeticus—long-snouted, fish-eating crocodilians. The name ‘gharial’ comes from the Hindi word ghara, meaning pot or vessel, referring to the bulbous snout tip of adult males, which resembles an inverted pot.
• In Indian mythology, gharials hold sacred significance, often depicted as the divine mount of the goddess Ganga. Their slender snouts, lined with numerous sharp, interlocking teeth, are adapted to trap fish, the mainstay of their diet.
• Males grow from 3-6 meters, and females 2.6–4.5 meters. Gharials mate during November, December, and January. Sandbanks, sandbars, and islands are critical to their ecology, serving as preferred sites for basking and nesting.
• From March to May, as river levels recede, female gharials climb onto exposed sandbanks and islands to nest communally, with many laying eggs in the same area. Females provide parental care for the first few days after hatching.
• Gharials are important for a river’s ecosystem, as they clean up carrion.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
What to know about NASA’s new space telescope
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: General Science.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
What’s the ongoing story: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is tentatively scheduled to launch its new megaphone-shaped space telescope on Friday (February 28) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the objectives and significance of NASA’s SPHEREx mission in the context of understanding the early universe.
• How does the SPHEREx telescope differ from other space telescopes like Hubble and James Webb ?
• Explain how infrared astronomy, as used in the SPHEREx mission, helps in studying the origins of galaxies and the distribution of water in space.
• Explain the concept of cosmic inflation
• How SPHEREx will help in validating the concept of cosmic inflation.
Key Takeaways:
• During its short two-year mission, the observatory will help better understand things about the formation of the universe, the growth of all galaxies across cosmic history, and the location of water and life-forming molecules in the Milky Way galaxy.
• SPHEREx will map the universe while detecting two kinds of cosmic light, optical and infrared. While the human eye can see optical light, infrared light is invisible to it. That is an issue when it comes to studying the cosmos as it is the infrared light that contains information about the farthest reaches of space, the stars being born, and the details of galactic structures.
Do You Know:
• One of the primary aims of SPHEREx will be to measure something called cosmic inflation. It refers to a period which took place around 14 billion years ago, during which the universe expanded faster than the speed of light for a fraction of a second. Scientists suggest that inflation explains many aspects of the universe such as its flatness, or lack of curvature, on the largest scales.
• SPHEREx will identify water- and life-forming molecules, also known as biogenic molecules (such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen), in the Milky Way galaxy, where the Earth is located.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Nasa to launch mission SPHEREx to trace origins of life soon after Big Bang
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
10. Consider the following phenomena: (2018)
1. Light is affected by gravity.
2. The Universe is constantly expanding.
3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.
Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
|
PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (a) 2.(a) 3.(a) 4.(d) 5.(b) 6.(c) 7.(c) 8.(a) 9.(b) 10.(d) |
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