UPSC Key: 18th India-Japan strategic dialogue, POCSO Act, and Startup India scheme

— What is the significance of QUAD for India and Japan?

— Know the historical background of India-Japan relationship

— How is the deepening of the India-Japan relationship at this time crucial in the current geoeconomic scenario?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Japan?

— What is Japan–India Joint Vision for the Next Decade?

Key Takeaways:

— After meeting Motegi, Jaishankar posted on X, “Pleased to co-chair the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue alongside FM Toshimitsu Motegi in New Delhi today. Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership is on an upward trajectory and holds immense potential for shaping the world order and de-risking the international economy.”

— Officials said that under the Economic Security Initiative, both sides will convene the private sector dialogue to enhance public-private cooperation in the field of economic security. The second round of the Economic Security Dialogue led by FS-Vice Minister will be held in the first half of 2026.

— “In order to give a coherent push to our engagement in AI, both sides launched the AI Dialogue to be led by the Foreign Ministries at the JS-DG level. This is a new initiative,” the official said.

— “To advance cooperation in rare earth elements and critical minerals, both sides decided to convene the JWG on Critical Minerals in early 2026. This is a new initiative.”

— Toshihiro Kitamura, a spokesperson for the Japan Foreign Ministry, said Jaishankar and Motegi deliberated extensively on various global issues to align their views and discussed the importance of Quad.

— In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific aligns closely with Japan’s outlook for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

Do You Know:

— Japan and Russia are India’s two oldest Annual Summit-level mechanisms. India-Japan bilateral relations were elevated to Global Partnership in 2000, Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006, and Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014.

— The partnership between India and Japan, two of Asia’s leading democracies and among the world’s top five economies, is rooted in civilizational ties that have been reinforced by convergence in their regional and global outlooks.

— India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) align closely with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy. Japan leads IPOI’s connectivity pillar, and is India’s largest Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) donor.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: As PM Modi lands in Tokyo, an overview of the India-Japan relationship

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following military exercises:

1. JIMEX

2. Malabar Exercise

3. Ekuverin Exercise

4. Veer Guardian

5. Tarang Shakti

India and Japan of which of the following above-mentioned military exercises?

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5

(c) 1, 2, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

‘The time has come for India and Japan to build a strong contemporary relationship, one involving global and strategic partnership that will have a great significance for Asia and the world as a whole.’ Comment. (UPSC CSE 2019)

FRONT

Uttarakhand to Himachal to J&K, why this winter feels snowless

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation

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

What’s the ongoing story: In December and January, Uttarakhand received no rainfall at all, Himachal Pradesh recorded the sixth-lowest rainfall in December since 1901, while Jammu & Kashmir received very little rain and snow in January, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

— What are western disturbances?

— What are the reasons for weak western disturbance?

— How does rain occur in the northern region in the winters?

— What is the relationship between forest fires and decreased snowfall?

— What is the role of climate change in decreased snowfall?

— What is the significance of precipitation in Winters?

Key Takeaways:

— As a result, the Himalayan states have unusually bare and snowless mountain peaks this winter, raising concerns over growing unpredictability in seasonal precipitation, water security, forest fire vulnerability and agricultural productivity.

— It has been a dry winter for India as a whole, with the country receiving less than one-fourth of the rainfall that is expected in the first half of January. But the northwest region was particularly hit, getting just 8 per cent of the rain expected during this period.

— Experts say that winters in the Himalayan states like Uttarakhand have been getting increasingly dry over the past decade.

— The 2024-25 winter season had seen rainfall deficiency of 96 per cent in the northwestern region. Studies have shown a marginal declining trend in the winter season rainfall over some pockets of north India.

— During winters, the north and northwest India regions normally experience light to moderate intensity rainfall mainly triggered by the passing streams of western disturbances.

— This precipitation is particularly vital for the rabi crops cultivated along the plains and supported by irrigation. In the higher altitudes, snow or rainfall is key for the recharge of the groundwater aquifers.

— In December and January, streams of passing western disturbances normally interact with moisture-laden easterly or westerly winds coming in from either the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea. This creates a wind confluence that happens normally over the Himalayas. It results in precipitation in the form of snow or rainfall.

— But this year, the western disturbances have not been strong enough to trigger a rainfall event. In December, eight western disturbance streams (against normal of six) crossed northern-most Indian region, but produced little rains.

— Forest fires have also been raging in different parts of the Himalayas, and in particular, in parts of the Valley of Flowers range in the Nanda Devi National Park. This has been attributed to the lack of moisture in the forest floor, caused by decreased snowfall.

— With Himalayan glaciers already experiencing sustained mass loss, scientists warn that declining snow persistence and reduced winter precipitation could worsen the crisis.

Do You Know:

— Western Disturbances are east-moving rain-bearing wind systems that originate beyond Afghanistan and Iran, and pick up moisture from the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and the Arabian Sea.

— These are examples of extra-tropical cyclones that are a result of low-pressure areas formed due to the interactions between polar and tropical winds. Western Disturbances are embedded within the subtropical westerly jet stream — a high-altitude, fast-moving air current that flows from west to east in the Earth’s atmosphere — that lies over the Himalayan and Tibetan highlands.

— They are most common during the boreal winter months (December to March) and influence weather over India, particularly the northwestern regions, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Storm in Delhi, floods in hill states: Impact of climate change-induced changing patterns of Western Disturbances

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2009)

1. In the world, tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt.

2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from north-east winds.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Discuss the concept of air mass and explain its role in macro-climatic changes. (UPSC CSE 2016)

SC upholds Speaker’s inquiry panel move against Justice Varma

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

What’s the ongoing story: Observing that “constitutional safeguards for judges cannot come at the cost of paralysing the removal process itself,” the Supreme Court Friday dismissed the plea of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma who had challenged the legality of the committee constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, to inquire into allegations of discovery of burnt cash from his Delhi residence in March 2025.

— What is the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968?

— What is the process of impeachment of a judge of the High Court?

— How is it different from the impeachment process of the Supreme Court judge?

— What is Justice Verma Cash at home row?

— Know about the constitutional provisions related to the impeachment of the judge

— What role do parliamentary Houses and presiding officers play in the impeachment of High court judges?

— What is Article 91 of the constitution?

Key Takeaways:

— Ruling that the Speaker committed “no illegality in constituting the committee”, the bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S C Sharma said Justice Varma “is not entitled to any relief” and “no interference” by the court “is called for”.

— On January 8, the bench declined to grant Justice Varma more time to respond to a notice by the committee. He subsequently informed the committee that he was not in Delhi on the day of the incident in March 2025, and that he could not be faulted if the site had not been secured.

— Motions for Justice Varma’s removal were introduced in both Houses of Parliament. While constituting the committee in August 2025, the Speaker said the motion to remove the judge will remain pending until the committee submits its report.

— In the Supreme Court, Justice Varma’s petition relied on the first proviso to Section 3 (2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act which contemplates a situation in which notice for impeachment is given in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the same day.

— In such a case, the clause says “no Committee shall be constituted unless the motion has been admitted in both Houses; and where such motion has been admitted in both Houses, the Committee shall be constituted jointly by the Speaker and the Chairman”.

— He contended that in his case, since notices were given in both Houses on the same day, a Joint Committee should have been formed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman, subject to the motion having been admitted in both the Houses; and if the motion fails in any House, the notice given in the other House must also fail.

— The court, however, rejected the argument.

— It said “there is nothing in the Inquiry Act to suggest that rejection of a motion in one House would render the other House incompetent to proceed in accordance with law”.

— After the resignation of then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Deputy Chairman had rejected the motion against Justice Varma. The judge’s plea contended that in the absence of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman could not have rejected it.

— The bench turned down this argument and referred to Article 91 of the Constitution which says “while the office of Chairman is vacant, or during any period when the Vice-President is acting as, or discharging the functions of, President, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Chairman…”.

— It said “the duties that the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman (in case of a vacancy in the former office) perform under the Inquiry Act cannot be separated from the office that they hold as the Presiding Officer of the House.”

Do You Know:

— The process of impeachment of a judge of the Supreme Court is laid down in Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India. Article 218 says the same provisions shall apply in relation to a judge of the High Court as well. Article 124(4) states that a judge can be removed by Parliament through a laid-down procedure on only two grounds: “proved misbehaviour” and “incapacity”.

— A Judge of the SC or HC is removed from office when at least two-thirds of those “present and voting” in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha vote in favour of removing the judge. The number of votes in favour must be more than 50% of the “total membership” of each House. If Parliament passes such a vote, the President will pass an order for the removal of the judge.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Amid Justice Verma cash at home row, why should UPSC aspirants revisit ‘Three Judges Cases’?

📍The judiciary is slow and clogged — it’s time to get outside help to fix it

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2019)

1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Discuss the desirability of greater representation to women in the higher judiciary to ensure diversity, equity and inclusiveness. (UPSC CSE 2021)

EXPLAINED

Why SC wants govt to consider a ‘Romeo-Juliet’ exception for POCSO Act

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions, Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.

What’s the ongoing story: On Friday (January 9), while setting aside an Allahabad High Court order regarding age determination procedures in a bail matter, the Supreme Court urged the Union Law Secretary to consider initiating steps to curb the misuse of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

— What are the key features of the POCSO Act?

— What was the objective of introducing it?

— Who is regarded as a child as per the provisions of POCSO Act, 2012?

— What are the Rights of a child in India as per the Indian Constitution?

— Who is a minor in India?

— What is the “Romeo-Juliet clause” recommended by the bench?

— What are the concerns related to misuse of the Act?

— What necessary steps need to be taken to address it?

— What is “mature-minor” doctrine?

— According to the POCSO Act of 2012, what age is specified as the “age of consent”?

— WHat are the arguments in favor and against reducing the age of consent?

Key Takeaways:

— Specifically, the bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh recommended the introduction of a “Romeo-Juliet clause” to exempt genuine adolescent relationships from the law designed to punish child sexual abuse.

— The clause, named after the young characters from the Shakespeare play of the same name, essentially protects consensual sexual activity among teens who are close to each other in age, exempting them from prosecution for statutory rape. It exists in different forms in countries such as the US.

— This observation came at a time when a PIL where the age of consent has emerged as a point of contention is already pending before the court. The Supreme Court’s observation highlights a growing judicial discomfort with the criminalisation of consensual sexual acts between minors.

— Under the POCSO Act, a child is defined as any person below the age of 18. The Act does not recognise a minor’s consent to sexual acts. So, any sexual activity involving a person under 18 is automatically criminalised, regardless of whether it is consensual or non-exploitative.

— In its judgment Friday, the Supreme Court noted that while POCSO is a “solemn articulation of justice”, its misuse has created a “grim societal chasm”. The court pointed out that the Act is frequently used by families to oppose relationships between young people.

— In her written submissions filed last year, Jaising argued that the current blanket criminalisation violated the fundamental rights of adolescents under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. She contended that adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 possess the “evolving capacity” to make decisions regarding their sexual autonomy.

— Citing the “mature minor” doctrine from common law, she argued that treating all those under 18 as incapable of consent ignored scientific reality and the biological onset of puberty.

— Jaising proposed a “close-in-age” exception. This legal mechanism would ensure that if both parties are adolescents — for example, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old — and the act is consensual, it would not be treated as an offence. This would prevent the incarceration of young boys under the POCSO Act for relationships devoid of coercion.

— The Union government has opposed any reduction in the age of consent or the introduction of legislative exceptions. In its submissions before the court in the matter, the government argued that the age of 18 is a “deliberate, well-considered” legislative choice aimed at creating a non-negotiable “protective shield” for children.

— The government contended that minors lack the legal and developmental capacity to give meaningful consent. A strict liability framework — where consent is irrelevant — was necessary, it argued, because children are vulnerable to manipulation and coercion by adults in positions of trust.

— In 2023, too, the Law Commission of India advised against lowering the age of consent to 16. But it did acknowledge the issue, suggesting the introduction of guided judicial discretion in sentencing for cases involving tacit approval from children aged 16 to 18, rather than a full statutory exception.

— The judicial anxiety regarding the POCSO Act is backed by empirical data. A study by the Enfold Proactive Health Trust and UNICEF found that nearly 25% of POCSO cases in the states of Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal between 2016 and 2020 were “romantic” in nature — in which the victim and the accused were in a consensual relationship.

— The data reveals a pattern of families often misusing the Act to regulate the autonomy of their daughters. In such cases, parents file kidnapping and rape charges against a young boy their daughter may have eloped with — often due to it being an inter-caste or inter-religious relationship.

— The criminalisation of adolescent sexuality also has health implications. As Jaising noted in her submissions, the mandatory reporting provision in POCSO forces doctors to report underage pregnancies or sexual activity to the police. This fear of prosecution deters adolescents from seeking essential sexual and reproductive health services.

— Currently, courts across India have been navigating this grey area through discretion. Various High Courts have, over the years, quashed criminal proceedings in romantic cases, noting that the purpose of the POCSO Act was not to punish teenage love. But by then, the accused boy has often spent months or years in custody.

Do You Know:

— The POCSO Act came into force on November 14, 2012, and was specifically formulated to deal with offences including child sexual abuse and child pornography.

— Under common law, minors are now understood to have evolving capacities to make decisions, including decisions about their life and death. In India, the age of majority is understood as outlined in the Abduction Acts of England. However, in England, this understanding has changed.

— Post R v D [1984] 2 All ER 449, the current law, even in England, for medical decisions, recognises that the minor has sufficient understanding and intelligence to make a decision and that is not to be determined by reference to any judicially fixed age limit.

— From 1940 to 2012, the age of consent was 16 years. It was raised to 18, post the December 2012 gangrape case. No reasons were provided for this change, either by the Verma Committee or on the floor of either House when POCSO was brought in or during the 2013 Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act.

— The National Health and Family Survey-5 noted that 45 per cent of teenage girls in the age group of 15-19 have had sexual intercourse.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍POCSO and age of consent debate in India: Debunking the misconceptions

📍10 years of POCSO: An analysis of India’s landmark child abuse law

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(4) With reference to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, consider the following statements:

1. The act was enacted as a special legislation to address incidents of sexual abuse of children.

2. The Act gives the well-being of the child paramount importance at every stage.

3. The Act makes it obligatory for anyone who has an apprehension that a child is being abused, to report the matter to the authorities.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Examine the main provisions of the National Child Policy and throw light on the status of its implementation. (UPSC CSE 2016)

India must widen, and deepen, its  export pool to offset US tariffs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: India exported goods worth $38.5 billion in December 2025, a modest 1.8% increase over the $37.8-billion export figure recorded in December 2024, according to data shared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

— Understand the impact of high US tariffs on various sectors of the Indian economy

— What is the trade deficit?

— How does low export impact the country’s currency?

— What is the status of export of basmati rice from India?

— Why is the US threatening additional tariffs on countries doing trade with Iran?

— What are the steps taken by the government to mitigate the impact of high tariffs from the US?

Key Takeaways:

— In December, India imported far more goods than it exported, as it often does. Total goods imports during the month were pegged at $63.55 billion. This is almost 9% more than what India imported in December 2024. That means the trade deficit — the gap between exports and imports — for December 2025 was $25 billion.

— The crucial bit of interest in this data was to ascertain whether a trend was emerging in the aftermath of the 50% tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration beginning August. It is also of interest how India’s exports to the rest of the world have behaved — not just the US — in the wake of these exceptionally high US tariffs.

The sequential momentum of exports have fallen post US tariffs

— Instead of looking at year-on-year (y-o-y) growth rates, a look at the month-on-month (m-o-m) data (after adjusting for seasonal variations) shows that India’s export momentum has weakened.

— The weakness is across the board: While it is still positive, the growth in the exports of electronics, engineering goods, petroleum and textiles has slowed. Moreover, export growth in pharma, chemicals, and gems & jewellery has fallen on a sequential basis.

— HSBC found that the average sequential momentum of export growth fell from 1.9% during January and July 2025 to -1.4% during August and December owing to the 50% tariffs.

— Marginal rise in exports to China: This has risen, but the increase is too small (around $2 billion a month) to offset the drag created by the fall in exports to the US (around $7 billion).

— Exports to the rest of the world (apart from the US and China) have been flat: Lower export levels put pressure on India’s currency. This is because low exports imply lower demand for Indian currency, thus putting pressure on the exchange rate.

EXPLAINED: New Trump tariff could be last straw for basmati exports to Iran

— United States President Donald Trump’s latest salvo threatening to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on any country doing business with Iran can have a significant impact on India’s basmati rice exports.

— The reason: Iran is India’s third largest market for basmati rice. The Islamic Republic accounted for $753.20 million out of India’s total basmati exports of $5,944.49 million in 2024-25 (April-March). That was next only to the $1,203.67 million of Saudi Arabia and $850.08 million of Iraq.

— In quantity terms, out of the total exports of 60.65 lakh tonnes (lt), Iran’s share was 8.55 lt, with Iraq’s at 9.06 lt and Saudi Arabia’s at 11.74 lt.

— Moreover, all these are official figures. Basmati exports to Iran are also routed through Dubai. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) imported 3.89 lt of basmati rice from India in 2024-25 and 2.52 lt during April-November 2025. A lot of these shipments are believed to be diverted to Iran, with exporters using the more reliable banking channels and payment systems in the UAE.

— The impact is being felt in prices. India mostly exports parboiled Pusa Basmati-1718 and Pusa Basmati-1509 rice to Iran. These varieties, bred by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi, have a good market in Iran due to their extra kernel length and volume expansion capacity: a cup of milled 1718 or 1509 grains give around 4.5 cups on cooking, making it possible to serve more plates of biryani from the same quantity of rice.

— Pusa-1509 basmati rice rates in Haryana’s mandis rose from Rs 54-55 per kg in October to around Rs 68 towards December. But since late last month, when the street protests in Iran broke out, prices have fallen to Rs 63-64.

— India’s main basmati exporters to Iran include the Amritsar (Punjab)-headquartered Supple Tek Industries, Shree Jagdamba Agrico Exports (based in Gharaunda, Haryana), Shiv Shakti Inter Globe Exports Pvt Ltd (Taraori, Haryana), GRM Overseas Ltd (Panipat, Haryana), and KRBL Ltd (Noida, Uttar Pradesh).

Do You Know:

— The fiscal deficit occurs when the government’s total expenditure exceeds its total revenue (excluding borrowings) in a given financial year. In other words, the fiscal deficit is reflective of the total borrowing requirements of the government.

— A broader understanding of the deficit is the difference between the size of the government debt at the beginning of the financial year and the final size of the debt at the end of the year. A continuously increasing ratio of debt to GDP runs the risk of fiscal stress, potentially pushing the country towards an unsustainable debt path and leading to national insolvency

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s fiscal balancing amid global economic uncertainties

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) In the context of governance, consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2010)

1. Encouraging Foreign Direct Investment inflows

2. Privatization of higher educational Institutions

3. Down-sizing of bureaucracy

4. Selling/offloading the shares of Public Sector Undertakings

Which of the above can be used as measures to control the fiscal deficit in India?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2 and 4

(d) 3 and 4 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (UPSC CSE 2019)

ECONOMY

Develop indigenous AI on Indian servers, PM urges Indian talent

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said that Indian startups should focus on building indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, which should be developed by talent from the country and on Indian servers.

— What is the Startup India scheme?

— What is the status of startups in India?

— What is IndiaAI mission?

— How significant is the role of women in India’s startup ecosystem?

— What are the steps taken by the government to create an ecosystem of innovation?

— What are the key drivers of India’s startup ecosystem?

— How can emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT accelerate growth in Startups ecosystem?

Key Takeaways:

— Speaking on the occasion of National Startup Day, which also marked 10 years of the government’s flagship Startup India scheme, he urged startups to double down on manufacturing, and focus on creating global standard products in the country. He also said that the country’s goal should be to play a leadership role in new startup trends and technologies.

— He also said that Indian startups need to focus on new domains that can secure the country’s economic and strategic interests.

— Speaking of the IndiaAI Mission, the PM said over 38,000 GPUs (graphics processing units) have been onboarded so far. “Our effort is that big technology is available to small startups. Indigenous AI should be developed by Indian talent on Indian servers,” he said.

— “In 10 years, the Startup India mission has become a revolution. India today is the world’s third largest ecosystem. 10 years ago, there were less than 500 startups, today there are more than 2 lakh… Today India has 125 active unicorns,” the PM said.

— He also highlighted that in 2025, about 44,000 new startups were registered in the country, which was the highest for a single year in the 10 years of the Startup India scheme so far.

— PM Modi highlighted the role women have played in India’s startup journey. “Women have played a big role in this change. In over 45% recognised startups, there is at least one woman director or partner. India is the second biggest ecosystem of women-led startups….

— Modi said that in the last 10 years, the government has created an ecosystem in the country that encourages innovation. “We started Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, hackathons so that youth can solve the country’s problems, and incubated problems so ideas don’t die over lack of resources.

— Outlining the Jan Vishwas Act, the PM said that over 180 provisions were decriminalised.

— Similarly, the drone sector. For years, due to the lack of an enabling framework, India was left behind. We removed outdated rules, trusted innovators. Through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), we have increased market access. Nearly 35,000 startups and small businesses are onboarded on GeM, and have received more than 5 lakh orders worth over Rs 50,000 crore,” the PM said.

Do You Know:

— Launched on 16th January, 2016, the Startup India Initiative has rolled out several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building a robust startup ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers. These programs are managed by a dedicated Startup India Team, which reports to The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

— National Startup Day is an annual observance in India dedicated to recognising and promoting the vibrant startup ecosystem.

— This day aims to mark the spirit of entrepreneurship to boost economic growth, innovation, and job creation. Additionally, it acts as a reminder of the government of India’s dedication to encouraging and observing the startup community’s noteworthy contributions to the progress of the country.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Startup and go

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(6) What does venture capital mean? (UPSC CSE 2014)

(a) A short-term capital provided to industries

(b) A long-term start-up capital provided to new entrepreneurs

(c) Funds provided to industries at times of incurring losses

(d) Funds provided for replacement and renovation of industries

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as are business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment. (UPSC CSE 2014)

THE IDEAS PAGE

To seize AI moment, India needs less jugaad, more precision

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Abhishek Lodha writes: AI will shape the 21st century much as steam power, railways, electricity and the telegraph shaped the 19th. Those technologies reordered global power, transformed economies, and elevated nations. Britain rode them to empire; the US built institutions around them to emerge as the dominant global power.

— How AI can help in addressing the challenges faced by various sectors like education and judiciary?

— What are the steps taken by India for developing indigenous AI capabilities?

— What are the challenges in developing indigenous AI?

— What is the scope of the AI ecosystem in India?

— What is IndiaAI mission?

Key Takeaways:

— AI is that kind of technology. And for India, the stakes are civilisational. With decisive action over the next decade, it can emerge as one of the world’s three major AI powers, alongside the US and China. Without it, the country risks compounding economic, geopolitical and social disadvantages.

— Take education. India’s jobs challenge is fundamentally a skills challenge. Its roots lie in uneven teaching quality, large class sizes, and the lack of individual attention in early schooling.

— AI systems are uniquely suited to addressing this. One-to-one tutoring at national scale, adaptive learning, continuous teacher feedback, and personalised curricula are no longer science fiction.

— India’s backlog of over 47 million cases, according to the National Judicial Data Grid, is not only a justice issue but an economic one. Weak contract enforcement raises the cost of capital and discourages enterprise.

— AI systems can be deployed to summarise filings, analyse precedents, and support judges with structured recommendations. Decisions would remain human. But timelines could compress from years to months. Few reforms would have a comparable impact on India’s investment climate.

— China enjoys a substantial lead in AI compute, military integration and software depth. As warfare becomes autonomous, geography alone will not guarantee security. A nation without indigenous AI capability will face growing vulnerabilities.

— AI-driven automation is likely to disrupt white-collar work globally over the next decade. Productivity gains will accrue disproportionately to firms that own the technology, most of which are foreign.

— India’s outsourcing industry faces structural disruption. Overseas professional pathways may narrow. Without domestic AI capability, India risks absorbing the disruption while exporting the value.

— The choice is not whether India adopts AI, but whether it does so as a sovereign shaper or a dependent user. What would a serious national response look like?

— First, a national AI programme with clear authority, measurable outcomes, and direct reporting to the PM. It should bring together the best minds from the public and private sectors. Call it Mission Saraswati, a mission to place knowledge, intelligence and learning at the heart of India’s state capacity.

— Second, strategic public investment is unavoidable. Even with the demand unleashed by the government’s embrace of AI, private enterprise alone will not build sovereign AI infrastructure within the timelines India requires. A five-year, $100 billion sovereign investment programme — roughly 0.5 per cent of GDP annually — could catalyse several times that amount in private capital.

— This approach — blending state capacity with respect for capital and private execution — can be understood as Lakshmi Pujan: Not ritual symbolism, but disciplined national capital mobilisation and deployment.

— Third, this is not only a technological shift. It is a cultural one. India must consciously move from jugaad to systems, from patchwork to precision. Infrastructure alone will not suffice if standards, institutions and execution remain weak.

— India is led by a Prime Minister who has demonstrated an unusual willingness to pursue long-term structural reform. If this political will is channelled toward a national AI mission, India will enjoy a rare alignment of technological opportunity and leadership capacity. This is India’s railway moment. Seize it.

Do You Know:

— Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of machines, especially computers, to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include things like understanding language, recognising patterns, solving problems, and making decisions. Essentially, AI enables machines to think and learn from experience, just like humans do, but often at a much faster pace with access to vast amounts of data.

— The IndiaAI Mission seeks to create a comprehensive ecosystem that encourages AI innovation by democratising computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, facilitating industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and promoting ethical AI.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Centre selects start-up Sarvam to build country’s first homegrown AI model

📍Knowledge Nugget | Sarvam and IndiaAI Mission: All you need to know for UPSC Exam

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(7) With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units

2. Create meaningful short stories and songs

3. Disease diagnosis

4. Text-to-Speech Conversion

5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

ALSO IN NEWS
A US attack on Iran may be more show than substance	On January 12, the Iranian government announced that it had secured total control over the unrest in the country after a communications blackout imposed on January 8. Since then, internecine protests have continued but without reports of significant anti-regime demonstrations. The global focus, however, has shifted to the possibility of American attacks on Iran following a series of dizzyingly oscillating assertions by US President Donald Trump. America’s initial hesitations could well be explained by insufficient military preparedness in West Asia, especially with one carrier strike group redeployed to the Caribbean (for Venezuela), and another in the South China Sea. If it does attack, Washington would have to deploy standoff methods to prevent committing boots on the ground in a fresh war. But even as the USS Abraham Lincoln sails towards the Gulf with its carrier strike group, Washington is likely aware that it cannot afford involvement in a messy Iranian transition, even if it targets key government and Revolutionary Guards’ strongholds.
In Assam’s Kaziranga, elevated corridor lifts hopes of curbing animal deaths	Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off on Sunday a 34.5-kilometre elevated corridor in Assam’s Kaziranga, which, according to experts and forest officials, is expected to be a long-term solution to the increasing problem of animals being hit by heavy traffic in the national park. The Rs 6,950-crore corridor will be part of a major existing highway connecting the national park and Eastern Assam to the state capital, Guwahati, and its aim is to enable safer passage for animals to cross. Currently, the highway disrupts their natural movement during floods.
Multilateralism à la carte, the Washington way	Syed Akbaruddin writes: On January 7, the United States announced it would withdraw from 66 international bodies, including 31 in the United Nations (UN) system. The scale is unprecedented. The message is sharper: Multilateralism, once a pillar of American strategy, is now a menu. This shift marks the formal embrace of multilateralism à la carte. Washington now selects the institutions that serve its interests, bypasses or disables those that do not, and exits those that impose constraints. What Richard Haass identified in 2001 as a US tendency is now doctrine. For India, it marks a shift from rules to leverage.
‘Paracetamol use during pregnancy doesn’t increase autism, ADHD risks’	Taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disability among children, according to a latest study in The Lancet. This clears the confusion that had arisen from US President Donald Trump’s statement in September last year, suggesting paracetamol use during pregnancy is linked to autism in children.

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for January 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨