UPSC Key: Hyphenated Foreign Policy, Air Defence system and US-Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal

Mediation, Kashmir & trade: Delhi rebuts Trump claims point by point

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: WITH US President Donald Trump claiming credit for “mediation” in stopping a “nuclear” conflict, offering to work for a “solution on Kashmir”, and saying America will do a “lot of trade” with both India and Pakistan if they end hostilities — India on Tuesday gave a sharply worded rebuttal on each and every point.

Key Points to Ponder:

• ‘The U.S. President claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan’—how you see the entire issue w.r.t India’s geopolitical stature?

• With the recent US President Donald Trump claiming credit for “mediation” in stopping a “nuclear” conflict, US re-hyphenated India & Pakistan—discuss

• What do you understand by hyphenation and De-hyphenation?

• How external claims, such as those made by President Trump regarding mediation and trade incentives, can impact on India’s foreign policy autonomy and regional diplomacy?

• What you understand by hyphenated foreign policy?

Key Takeaways:

• New Delhi ruled out mediation saying the only outstanding matter is the vacation of territory illegally occupied by Pakistan. It said that trade never came up for discussions with the US, underlined that India won’t give in to “nuclear blackmail”, and gave a chronological account of conversations to reinforce the point that it was Pakistan which reached out towards pausing military action after an extremely effective attack by Indian forces on key Pakistani Air Force bases.

• This is the strongest counter by Delhi since Saturday’s claims by Trump on the range of issues and makes clear its discomfiture with
Trump wading into India-Pakistan politics and hostilities

• In his first term, in July 2019, Trump had claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir. New Delhi had denied that claim then following which Trump had walked back on the mediation offer saying he would only intervene if asked by both countries — a standard formulation adopted by Washington.

• This time, though, the tone and tenor of the counter is more aggressive and comes even as both countries have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal amid the 90-day pause on universal tariffs has been in place till early July.

• The US is also keen to increase defence sales to India, including offering F-35 fighter aircraft, discussed during Modi’s visit to Washington in February.

• Responding to Trump’s comments on Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Tuesday: “We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”

• On the stoppage of action and mediation claims, the MEA spokesperson gave an account of the sequence of events: “The specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on 10 May 2025 commencing 1535 hrs. The request for this call was received by the MEA from the Pakistani High Commission at 1237 hrs (on May 10). The Pakistani side had initial difficulties connecting the hotline to the Indian side for technical reasons. The timing was then decided based on the availability of the Indian DGMO at 1535 hrs.”

• On speculation on nuclear war by Trump, the MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said: “The military action was entirely in the conventional domain. There were some reports that Pakistan’s National Command Authority will meet on 10 May. But this was later denied by them. Pakistan FM has himself denied the nuclear angle on record.”

Do You Know:
Countdown to Ceasefire

• May 9 night: US V-P J D Vance dials PM Modi who tells him an Indian retaliation will be “bigger, deeper and harder”

• May 10 early hours: Pak attacks 26 locations, India responds by striking Pak military bases

• May 10 morning: Pak Army chief Gen Asim Munir talks to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who dials EAM S Jaishankar

• May 10, 12.37 pm: Pak High Commission reaches out for a call with Indian DGMO
—3.35 pm: India, Pak DGMOs speak and agree to stop military action and firing from 5 pm
—5.25 pm: Trump announces ceasefire
—5.30 pm: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announces pause

• Hyphenation refers to this tendency to link the two countries together in policy decisions and treat them as a single entity. The hyphenation of India and Pakistan-often written as “India-Pakistan” is premised on several factors, including shared history, similar geography, and conflict over Kashmir, among others: both nations “share the federal parliamentary republic government system, along with a mixed economy. India and Pakistan’s natural resources are also comparable.

• De-hyphenation is a form of foreign policy where a country keeps diplomatic ties with two or more countries with conflicting interests,
without letting the conflicts prioritize one country over another. The policy allows countries to hold independent relations with countries otherwise distrustful or hostile towards each other while treating each country as a single entity rather than as a part of a conflict with the other countries.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Pak Army knows there is no place for terror to hide: PM in Adampur

EXPRESS NETWORK

‘Not flawless’: SC removes point-based system for senior advocate designation

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.

What’s the ongoing story: As per the points-based system laid down by the top court in 2017, all matters relating to designation were to be dealt with by a Permanent Committee to be known as “Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the points-based assessment for grant of senior designations to advocates in the top court and high courts?

• Why the Supreme Court did away with the existing points-based assessment?

• How is a Senior Advocate designated?

• Who designates Senior Advocate?

• What is Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates?

Key Takeaways:

• The Supreme Court Tuesday did away with the existing points-based assessment devised by it for grant of senior designations to advocates in the top court and high courts and issued a new set of guidelines.

• A bench of Justices A S Oka, Ujjal Bhuyan, and S V N Bhatti said that “the decision to confer designation shall be of the Full Court of the High Courts or this Court.”

• As per the points-based system laid down by the top court in 2017, all matters relating to designation were to be dealt with by a Permanent Committee to be known as “Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates”.

• In its judgment Tuesday, the SC termed this “not workable”. It said the point-based assessment “has not achieved the desired objectives. Moreover, the experience shows that the points-based assessment is not flawless. We have realised that with experience.”
The SC, however, said that the Permanent Secretariat put in place for the Permanent Committee as per the 2017 judgment will continue. Under the fresh guidelines, applications of all candidates found eligible by the permanent secretariat, along with documents submitted by the applicants, shall be placed before the full court.

Do You Know:

• The Permanent Committee was to be headed by the CJI for SC and Chief Justice for HCs. It would include two most senior judges of the SC or HCs, as the case may be. In case of SC, the committee would also include the Attorney General for India and Advocate General of state for HCs.

• The committee had to evaluate the lawyers by giving them points based on number of years of practise, reported judgments, publications in journals and interview.

• The Supreme Court had laid down rules for designations in judgments in 2017 and 2023. However, while hearing a matter regarding remission, the apex court took exception to the conduct of a lawyer, who had become a senior, and decided that the senior designation rules be made more foolproof.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the process for designating senior advocates, how has it changed

Monsoon reaches south Bay of Bengal, Nicobar Islands: IMD

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Main Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Tuesday announced the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over some areas of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea at least a week before its scheduled arrival time, and said it would further advance to more parts of the country during the next three to four days.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What has the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted for this year’s rain?

• What is the average rainfall for a prolonged period of time called?

• What is the long period average rainfall (LPA)?

• What is ‘above normal’ rainfall?

• How IMD defines rainfall as ‘normal’, ‘above normal’ and ‘excess’?

• What are the main drivers of Indian monsoon?

• know the terms and their influence on Indian Monsoon—El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), El Nino, La Nina.

• What is the arrival and departure of monsoon?

• What is meant by the “onset of the monsoon”?

• What are these conditions, which determine the onset of monsoon?

• Monsoon mechanism in India-Know in detail

• How Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch are associated with Indian monsoon?

• What is difference between Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch?

• What is the difference between the southwest monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon?

Key Takeaways:

• This year’s monsoon onset over these regions is the earliest recorded in the past seven years. As per IMD’s monsoon onset schedule, the normal date for the monsoon onset over the South Andaman Sea, and Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is May 21.

• “The Southwest Monsoon has advanced into some parts of the South Bay of Bengal, South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands, and some parts of the North Andaman Sea on May 13,” IMD said, adding that the monsoon advance could continue over the sea during the next three to four days.

• “Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon over some parts of South Arabian Sea, the Maldives and Comorin areas, some more parts of the South Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands, remaining parts of Andaman Sea and some parts of Central Bay of Bengal during next three to four days,” said the MeT Department.

• Since Monday, there has been widespread, moderate to heavy rainfall recorded over a few places over the Nicobar Islands, besides the widespread rainfall which has continued over these islands during the past two days, which is an important criterion fulfilled towards the declaration of the monsoon onset.

• According to the Met department, this year’s monsoon rainfall is expected to be ‘above’ normal, quantitatively 105 per cent of the Long Period Average of 880 mm.

• Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD, told The Indian Express that the higher-than-normal minimum temperatures recorded over North India, the presence and strengthening of westerly winds in the lower atmospheric levels, the presence and strengthening of easterly winds over the upper atmospheric levels, early pre-monsoon rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms realised over south peninsular for about 40 days and prevailing higher-than-normal pressure over the northwest Pacific Ocean are the key factors that all indicate an early monsoon onset.

• On the prevailing ocean and atmospheric conditions that may be favouring the early monsoon onset, the IMD chief said, “All these factors support the early monsoon onset over Kerala. The prevailing wind conditions indicate strengthening of monsoon winds. Both the Indian weather model and multiple other global weather models are in consensus, and suggest a heightened rainfall activity over Kerala before June 1, which is the normal onset date.”

Do You Know:

• The Southwest Monsoon is the chief rainy season for the country. Over 70 per cent of the country receives the majority of its annual rainfall during the June to September season. Every year, the monsoon winds first arrive over the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal around the third week of May and further progress into mainland India.

• IMD declares the monsoon onset over India when it hits Kerala, where the normal onset date is June 1. Through June and mid-July, the monsoon brings continuous rainfall before covering the entire country by around July 15. This year, the monsoon onset over Kerala is expected to be early by 5 days and would be around May 27.

• ENSO and IOD refer to the condition of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific and Indian Oceans respectively. Both of them influence monsoon rainfall. If the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the cost of South America, is warmer than usual, a condition called El Nino, rainfall over India during the monsoon season is generally adversely affected. The opposite condition, called La Nina, favours good rainfall. IOD refers to the difference in temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea sides of the Indian ocean. IOD is considered positive when the Arabian Sea side is warmer than the Bay of Bengal side. This is generally favourable for Indian monsoon.

• Almost 75 per cent of India’s annual rains are realised in the four-month monsoon season. The rainfall received during this time is absolutely critical for irrigation, drinking water, power generation, and economy in general.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Southwest monsoon to hit south Andaman Sea around May 13, says IMD

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2018)
1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an EI Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

2. The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of (2014)
(a) Equatorial climate
(b) Mediterranean climate
(c) Monsoon climate
(d) All of the above climates

3. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from EI Nino? (2011)
1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian ocean whereas EI Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial pacific ocean.
2. EI Nino has adverse effect on southwest monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.
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

Need ‘whole of govt, society’ approach to eliminate TB: PM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: Reaffirming India’s commitment to eliminate tuberculosis, PM Narendra Modi Tuesday called for a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach to scaling up the successful strategies nationwide.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)?

• What are the 4 pillars of National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)?

• What is the goal of NTEP 2025?

• What you understand by “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach?

• Know the significance of India’s achievements in tuberculosis (TB) treatment and preventive therapy?

• Tuberculosis (TB) and India-Impact

• Know the term-BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin)

• What is India’s TB elimination target?

• What are the challenges and strategies in combating TB in India, particularly focusing on high treatment coverage and preventive measures?

• What is the role of preventive healthcare in addressing communicable diseases like TB and its impact on public health?

• ‘India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in the context of WHO’s End TB Strategy’—Discuss

• What are the socioeconomic implications of high TB incidence in India, and how can preventive strategies help mitigate them?

Key Takeaways:

• Chairing a meeting to review status of National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), the PM stressed the need to analyse the trends of TB cases in urban or rural areas and based on people’s occupations. This, he said, will help identify groups that need early testing and treatment, especially workers in construction, mining, textile mills and similar fields.

• The PM also highlighted the importance of cleanliness through Jan Bhagidari (community participation) as a key step in eliminating the disease.

• India has set a target for eliminating TB by 2025-end, five years ahead of the global goal. The global End TB Strategy for 2030 says that countries must reduce the number of TB deaths by 90% and new cases by 80% as compared to the levels in 2015.

• Towards this goal, the Centre last December launched a 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in 347 priority districts.

Do You Know:

• Under this campaign, health workers looked for TB cases among vulnerable individuals such as household contacts of TB patients, under-nourished individuals, those living with HIV, diabetics, smokers and alcoholics, among others. Over 12.9 crore vulnerable individuals were screened and 7.19 lakh new TB cases detected, including 2.85 lakh asymptomatic patients.

• The 100-day campaign would further close the gap between the estimated number of TB patients and reported cases. According to the latest available Global TB report, in 2023, of its estimated 28 lakh cases, India reported 25.2 lakh cases.

• According to officials in the know of the matter, several technologies and methods tried out during the campaign would be implemented across the country. Training was underway, they said.

• One of the key innovations utilised during the campaign — which helped in detecting several of the asymptomatic patients — was the AI driven hand-held X-ray machines. These machines used AI to read the X-rays without a doctor, meaning these tests could be done by minimally trained health workers.

• Another key method was Jan Bhagidari — the participation of parliamentarians, Assembly members, local government representatives, officials and members of the public.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India saw dip in TB cases & deaths in 2023, but target still far: WHO report

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)
1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only

EXPLAINED

India’s air defence shield

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

• General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

What’s the ongoing story: At the media briefing on Operation Sindoor on Monday, military officers displayed a picture of the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) node of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS)?

• What do you understand by ‘Air Defence system’?

• How Air Defence system work?

• What is the primary function of the Recognized Air Situation Picture (RASP) in IACCS?

• Which missile systems were notably used during Operation Sindoor?

• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)—Know in brief

• What is the purpose of integrating the Army’s Akashteer system with the IACCS?

Key Takeaways:

• The picture showed more than two dozen IAF personnel gathered before a large screen that displayed a consolidated real-time feed produced by India’s air defence assets that were deployed towards creating an impenetrable shield against incoming aerial threats from Pakistan during the military conflict of the past week.

• Capable air defence systems that protect against enemy air strikes are vital to a nation’s defensive infrastructure. Air defence systems use a complex system of radar, control centres, defensive fighter jets, and ground-based air defence missile, artillery, and electronic warfare systems to neutralise a range of threats from the sky, including enemy aircraft, drones, and missiles.

• The Indian Army has a similar air defence control and reporting system called Akashteer, which connects the units of its air defence.
Akashteer too has been developed by BEL, with which the Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 1,982 crore contract in March 2023, according to an official release issued at the time. Akashteer would enable the monitoring of low-level airspace over battle areas, and effectively control ground based air defence weapon systems, the release said.

• The air defence assets of the Indian military are deployed in a multi-layered system.
Point defence comprises low-level air defence guns and shoulder-fired weapons, while area defence comprises fighter aircraft and long-range missiles.

Do You Know:

• Developed by the public sector aerospace and defence electronics company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), IACCS is an automated command and control system that integrates data from all air defence assets, including ground-based radar, airborne sensors, civilian radar, communication nodes, and the various command and control centres of the IAF.

• The availability of the consolidated dataset, along with real-time updates, provides military commanders at multiple levels with a comprehensive picture and overall situational awareness during air operations, so that they can respond to a wide range of aerial threats.

• The total battlefield picture enables central control and decentralised execution at various levels. By reducing reaction time, it allows military commanders to make early decisions on identification and assessment of threats, and to direct air defence assets to carry out kills.

• The overlapping radar and radio data coverage of the IACCS helps in effective airspace management and reduces redundancy.

• A range of surveillance radar forms part of the air defence grid. The modern radars of the IAF — both ground radar and the air-based AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) System — are networked into the IACCS. These radars play a key role in the detection, identification, interception and destruction of hostile intruders.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍More details of Pak losses: 20% of PAF infra, war jets, officer among 50 killed

📍How Air Defence Systems work

WHY DOES SAUDI ARABIA WANT A CIVIL NUCLEAR DEAL WITH THE US?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Saudi Arabia and the United States are discussing a deal to cooperate on the kingdom’s ambitions to develop a civil nuclear industry, talks that have long been complicated by regional politics and concerns over weapons proliferation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why does Saudi Arabia want a nuclear programme?

• What is a civil nuclear cooperation agreement?

• How would the US benefit from a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia?

• What are the hurdles to a US-Saudi civil nuclear deal?

• What is the wider pact in which a nuclear deal might figure?

• What are some of the key issues to be worked out in a Saudi-US nuclear deal?

• What does it mean if uranium is enriched?

• What is the difference between natural uranium and enriched uranium?

Key Takeaways:

• As the world’s largest oil exporter Saudi Arabia may not seem an obvious candidate for nuclear power, but it aims to reduce carbon emissions and free up crude for export under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic plan.

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration said last year that 68% of Saudi electricity was generated by burning gas and 32% by burning oil, with 1.4 million barrels a day of crude being used for power generation during the peak month of June.

• Atomic power could displace some of that, including for energy-intensive water desalination and air conditioning, allowing the kingdom to make more money from oil sales.

• However, Saudi Arabia has also said that if old foe Iran develops a nuclear weapon it would have to follow suit – a declaration apparently aimed at ramping up pressure on Tehran, but which has also fuelled concern about its own ambitions.

• In January it said it would enrich uranium – a process that can also be used as part of a military programme – to create ‘yellowcake’ fuel for nuclear power generation that it could sell.
Any deal with Washington would likely address safeguards to assuage worries about military ambitions, on top of Saudi Arabia’s existing commitment not to pursue a bomb under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Do You Know:

• Under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the United States may negotiate agreements to engage in significant civil nuclear cooperation with other nations.

• It specifies nine non-proliferation criteria those states must meet to keep them from using the technology to develop nuclear arms or transfer sensitive materials to others.

• As the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia at first glance is not an obvious candidate for a nuclear pact typically aimed at building power plants to generate electricity.

• There are two reasons Riyadh may wish to do so.
—The first is that under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious Vision 2030 reform plan, the kingdom aims to generate substantial renewable energy and reduce emissions. At least some of this is expected to come from nuclear energy.
—Critics cite a second potential reason: that Riyadh might wish to develop nuclear expertise in case it someday wishes to acquire nuclear weapons despite the safeguards enshrined in any deal with Washington to prevent this. The Saudi crown prince has long said that if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit, a stance that has fueled deep concern among arms control advocates and some U.S. lawmakers over a possible US-Saudi civil nuclear deal.
The Sunni Muslim kingdom and Shi’ite revolutionary Iran have been at odds for decades.

• The United States hopes to find a way to give Saudi Arabia several things it wants – a civil nuclear pact, security guarantees and a pathway toward a Palestinian state – in return for Riyadh agreeing to normalize relations with Israel. Earlier this month, seven people familiar with the matter told Reuters the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia were finalizing an agreement for U.S. security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance to Riyadh.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍On Day 1 of Gulf tour, Trump secures $600-bn Saudi investment pledge

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. Consider the following statements: (2023)
Statement-I: India, despite uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production.
Statement-II: Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-1
c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

PM SHRI: Why Kerala will take Centre to the SC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: The Kerala government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Centre’s decision to withhold the release of Rs 1,500 crore to the state under various centrally sponsored education schemes, according to Kerala’s Education Minister V Sivankutty. He has alleged that the funds have been withheld as Kerala has stayed away from adopting the Centre’s flagship PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the PM-SHRI scheme?

• What are the key features of NEP in school education?

• How will PM SHRI schools be different from Kendriya Vidyalayas or Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas?

• Where will the PM SHRI schools come up?

• Why has Kerala not signed the MoU?

• Why does Kerala want to take legal action?

• What are the several concerns raised by Kerala regarding NEP?

• How does the Union Government respond to Kerala protest?

Key Takeaways:

• CPI(M)-le Kerala government has opposed the PM SHRI scheme mainly because it is part of the NEP 2020. The government sees NEP as a tool for the saffronisation of education in the country. Moreover, it also argues that the PM SHRI scheme will bring the state schools under the control of the Centre.

• The Kerala government has said that it has already implemented many elements of the PM SHRI scheme. For instance, on the infrastructure front, Kerala schools, both government and aided ones, have made major progress over the last nine years. The state already has 40,000 smart classrooms in numerous schools, which have a broadband connection.

• The Kerala government has said the Centre has withheld release of Rs 1,500 crore aid to the state education sector since 2023-24, primarily under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme (SSA) — an Indian government scheme designed to ensure universal elementary education (UEE) for children aged 6 to 14.

Do You Know:

• PM SHRI is a scheme under the Union Ministry of School Education and Literacy. It aims to upgrade more than 14,500 existing schools across the country, and transform them into model institutions that embody the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

• The scheme “is to be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a total project cost of Rs 27360 crore which includes a central share of Rs 18128 crore for the period of five years from year 2022-23 to 2026-27,” according to a September 2022 press release by the Centre. States will bear 40% of the project expenditure, like any other Centre scheme.

• So far, 12,400 schools from primary level to higher secondary, in 670 districts across the country, have become part of the scheme.

• However, schools under state boards in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have not been part of the scheme. That’s because these states have refused to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union School Education Ministry to implement the PM SHRI scheme.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM Modi says 14,500 schools will be upgraded under new central scheme PM SHRI; what will change? 

Op Sindoor briefing: reading between lines of Rashmirathi, Ramcharitmanas

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Operation Sindoor Dinkar quotes: On Monday, as senior officers of the Indian Armed Forces began briefing the media on Operation Sindoor, a video played on the screen, along with some lines by the poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Which epic poem by Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ was referenced during the Operation Sindoor briefing?

• What were these lines from Dinkar (1908-74) and the 16th century Bhakti saint poet Tulsidas?

• What message did they convey?

• What is the primary message conveyed by the verse “Bhay binu hoye na preeti” as quoted in the Operation Sindoor briefing?

• In the context of Operation Sindoor, invoking verses from Indian epics serves what?

• ‘The use of epic literature in military briefings’—discuss

• How cultural and literary references can enhance the effectiveness of military briefings and public diplomacy?

• How integrating traditional literature into contemporary defense narratives can impact on national morale and international perception?

Key Takeaways:

• When the officers were later asked about the choice of the lines, Air Marshal A K Bharti responded by quoting a chaupai (quatrain) from the Ramcharitmanas that encapsulated the message that India had sent to Pakistan.

• The lines played at the briefing were: “Jab naash manuj par chhata hai, pehle vivek mar jaata hai (when destruction awaits, good sense is the first to die)”…

• “Hit vachan nahin tune maana, maitri ka moolya na pehchana/ Toh le main bhi ab jaata hun, antim sankalp sunata hun/ Yachna nahin ab rann hoga, jeewan jay ya ki maran hoga (You did not listen to good counsel, did not appreciate the value of friendship/ So I am leaving now, here’s my final resolve/ No more imploring, now there will be combat, the triumph of life, or there will be death).”

Do You Know:

• These are lines from Dinkar’s epic poem Rashmirathi, a retelling of the Mahabharata with Karna as the protagonist, although they are not in the precise order in which they occur in the poem. This passage appears in the chapter ‘Krishna ki Chetavani’ (Krishna’s Warning).

• As war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas is imminent, Lord Krishna goes to the Kaurava prince Duryodhana to make one last attempt at peace. He tells Duryodhana that his cousins, the Pandavas, are willing to forgo their right to the kingdom of Hastinapura, if Duryodhana would give them just five villages and leave them in peace.

• When asked about the poem, Air Marshal Bharti replied, “Main bas aapko Ramcharitmanas ki kuchh pankti yaad dilaoonga, aap samajh jaayenge… ‘Binay na maane jaladhi jad, bhay teen din beet/ Bole Ram sakop tab, Bhay bin hoi na preet’. Toh samajhdar ke liye ishaara hi kaafi hai (I would just like to remind you of a few lines from the Ramcharitmanas, and you will understand [the quatrain]… For the wise, a mere indication is enough.”

• The Ramcharitmanas is Tulsidas’s version of the Ramayana. These lines come when Lord Rama, on His way to Lanka, asks the ocean to allow Him to pass. For three days, the Lord makes polite requests, even though he had an arrow with which he could have simply dried up the ocean.

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📍Operation Sindoor is an apt and timely response to Pahalgam

ECONOMY

Retail inflation rate eases to near six-year low of 3.16% in April

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: Retail inflation rate slipped to a 69-month or near six-year low of 3.16 per cent in April, primarily due to moderation in prices of food items including vegetables, pulses, cereals, meat and fish, data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you mean by retail inflation?

• What is the difference between retail inflation and CPI?

• What are the concerns related to retail inflation?

• Discuss the factors influencing retail inflation in India and the role of monetary policy in controlling it.

• Explain the difference between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

• Analyse the impact of inflation on different sectors of the Indian economy

Key Takeaways:

• This marked the sixth month of a downward trajectory in retail inflation, the lowest inflation level after July 2019 and the third successive month of inflation rate remaining below the Reserve Bank of India’s band of 4+/- 2 per cent for medium-term inflation targeting.

• Food inflation, based on the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), moderated for the sixth consecutive month, easing to a 42-month low of 1.78 per cent in April from 2.69 per cent a month ago and 8.7 per cent in April 2024. Vegetables recorded a deflation of 10.98 per cent in April, the sharpest pace of decline since February 2023, while pulses also recorded a deflation of 5.23 per cent in April as against a deflation of 2.73 per cent in the previous month, marking the fastest fall in prices over six years.

• The meat and fish segment registered a fall in prices to (-) 0.35 per cent after a gap of 22 months in April 2025, while the cereals inflation slipped to a 35-month low of 5.3 per cent due to better kharif output. “The easing of food inflation would help in bringing relief to households and the consumption demand as we begin the new fiscal,” Paras Jasrai, Associate Director, India Ratings and Research said.

• Going ahead, a favourable monsoon should help keep inflation in control, raising expectations of a rate cut by the RBI in the upcoming June monetary policy review meeting.

• While the overall inflation in FY26 is seen below 4 per cent, the cumulative rate cut in FY26 would depend on the pace of decline in inflation and evolving inflation-growth dynamics, economists said.

Do You Know:

• According to Investopedia, inflation is a gradual loss of purchasing power that is reflected in a broad rise in prices for goods and services over time. The inflation rate is calculated as the average price increase of a basket of selected goods and services over one year. High inflation means that prices are increasing quickly, while low inflation means that prices are growing more slowly. Inflation can be contrasted with deflation, which occurs when prices decline and purchasing power increases.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s retail inflation slips to over 5-year low, opens door to more rate cuts

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6. Consider the following statements: (2020)
1. The weightage of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
2. The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.
3. Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

  

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