UPSC Key: India-Uzbekistan relations, Cyber vigilance, and Himalayan challenge

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: Elevating their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, India and Uzbekistan Sunday discussed establishing a framework for long-term supply of uranium to India and set a bilateral trade target of USD 5 billion by 2030. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the  history of India-Uzbekistan relations?

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

— What is the significance of Uzbekistan for India?

— What is a comprehensive strategic partnership?

— Read about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its significance for India.

— What is  SCO Plus meeting?

— What is India’s Central Asia Policy?

— What is the importance of the Central Asian Region for India?

— What are the challenges?

— What is the International North South Transit Corridor ?

— Map Work: Locate Uzbekistan on the map.

Key Takeaways:

— These were the key takeaways after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent for bilateral talks.

— Modi was conferred Uzbekistan’s highest award for foreign leaders, Oliy Darajali Do’stlik Order, which he dedicated to the “enduring bond” between India and Uzbekistan.

— “This year marks the 15th anniversary of our Strategic Partnership. On this special occasion, we have decided to elevate our relationship to the status of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Today, we have prepared an ambitious agenda to advance this new phase of our partnership with rapid momentum and concrete results,” Modi said. 

— Mirziyoyev said his country is determined to boost ties with India in diverse sectors. “We are aiming to advance cooperation in sectors such as energy, culture, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, jewellery and agriculture.”

— The two sides also set a target of USD 5 billion bilateral trade by 2030. India is among the top 10 trading partners of Uzbekistan. Bilateral trade in 2025-26 stood close to USD 1 billion.

— According to the joint statement, “The Leaders expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Joint Working Group on Military Cooperation, wherein new avenues of cooperation in the defence industrial domain are being explored. They welcomed the successful conduct of the Uzbekistan-India Joint Military Exercise ‘Dustlik’, the latest of which was held in Namangan Region, Uzbekistan, in April 2026.”

— A total of 11 pacts were signed during the visit. Besides 11 pacts, announcement of a grant of USD 1 million for afforestation in the Aral Sea region, 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Hindi Language Scholarships and a ICCR Sanskrit Chair at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies were made.

From the Front Page- “Modi at SCO today, will hold talks with Putin, may meet Xi”

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek Monday where leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are gathering for a two-day summit amid shifting geopolitics and the  conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.

— This year marks 25 years of the SCO. For India, the Bishkek gathering is a lead-up to the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. Both Putin and Xi are expected to attend the summit.

— The SCO comprises 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; 15 Dialogue Partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Sri Lanka; two Observers: Mongolia and Afghanistan.

— India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and Delhi’s priorities in SCO are based on what it had espoused in the 2018 summit –  a ‘SECURE’ SCO, i.e., Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity.

— Given that the theme of the SCO Heads of State Meeting this year is “25th anniversary of the SCO: strengthening stability, expanding cooperation for further joint development”, the Indian side will be looking at Kyrgyz Republic’s negotiating strategy to come up with joint documents. 

— This year also marks the 3rd edition of the SCO Plus format meeting. Apart from SCO member states, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Togo, Turkey, Egypt, Turkmenistan, along with UN, CIS, CSTO, EEC, and CICA are expected to attend the SCO+ Meeting. The theme of the SCO Plus meeting this year is “The UN as a key element of a just world order: contribution of SCO+ states to the formation of a multipolar world.” 

Do You Know:

— India’s engagement with Central Asia has been on the rise. Security cooperation has deepened in the wake of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. India has to deal with Chin­a’s influence in the strategically vital region, establish conne­ctivity projects and meet its growing energy needs.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 PM Modi visit to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic: Why Central Asia matters for India

📍India’s Central Asia strategy needs less romance, more realism 

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect (UPSC CSE, 2025)

(a) India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran

(b) India to Central Asia via China

(c) India to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar

(d) India to Europe through Azerbaijan

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Critically analyse India’s evolving diplomatic, economic, and strategic relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs), highlighting their increasing significance in regional and global geopolitics. (UPSC CSE 2024)

In a first, Rlys to build 6 freight lines with pvt firms using highways’ hybrid funding model

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and economic development.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: Giving a push to private investment in Indian Railways, the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) under the Ministry of Finance, earlier in August, approved six railway lines spanning 647 km along freight corridors. These are to be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) — similar to the model used in the highways sector wherein the government and the private builder split the project costs and risks. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the various public-private partnerships (PPPs)? 

— What is the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM)?

— How can public-private partnerships help in railway infrastructure development in India?

— What are the benefits and challenges of adopting the hybrid annuity model in railway infrastructure projects?

— What are the challenges associated with public-private partnerships in railway infrastructure?

— Know about the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) and its functions.

Key Takeaways:

— Of the six proposed railway projects, four are in Odisha: 49.58-km Balaram-Putgadia-Tentuloi (Inner Corridor), 112.56-km Budhapank-Tentuloi-Luburi (Outer Corridor), 101.26-km Jajpur-Keonjhar Road-Aradi-Dhamara Port and 48.96-km Tikiri Station to Waltair Bauxite Mines. The other two projects are the 207.80-km Manuguru-Ramagundam line in Telangana and the 126.52 km Pakur/Nagarnabi to Godda line in Jharkhand.

— The project will now be sent to the Union Cabinet for final approval, before the bids are invited. This will be the first time the Indian Railways is implementing a project under HAM, a variant of Public Private Partnership (PPP).

— The total bid project cost of six lines is Rs 15,976 crore and the total capital cost covering the entire concession period (which is 17-19 years) is Rs 40,866 crore. The key commodities on these routes are primarily coal, along with iron ore, bauxite, coke, chemical manure, cement and food grains. 

— The PPPAC had earlier accorded in-principle approval to these projects under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model. Later, based on market feedback, the ministry switched to HAM. Under this, Indian Railways will pay 40% of the bid project cost as grant during the construction period and the private party will finance the remaining 60% of the cost.

— The construction of all six projects is proposed to commence from April 2028. Once the line becomes operational, Indian Railways will pay back the remaining 60% through annuity or instalments, plus interest on annuity. 

— Apart from this, it will also make regular payments to the concessionaire for maintenance of stations, tracks and other assets. Railways will operate trains and collect all freight revenue. It will also bear traffic and tariff risks – which means that if freight-loading or revenue is lower than what’s targeted, the private party will not be penalised.

— The Indian Railways recently added HAM, along with Development Partner (DPM), in its participative policy. The transition to newer models like HAM is its attempt at overcoming financial bottlenecks and attracting long-term private sector capital in infrastructure development.

Do You Know:

— The PPPAC, under the Department of Economic Affairs, is responsible for appraisal and approval of central sector public private partnership (PPP) projects exceeding Rs 100 crore.

— PPPAC’s  mandate covers eligible central-sector PPP projects irrespective of whether the private partner is domestic or foreign.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indian Railways plans four-laning of 11,000-km high-density network to boost train capacity 

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(2) With reference to the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), consider the following statements:

1. It works under the Department of Economic Affairs.

2. It is responsible for appraisal and approval of central sector public private partnership (PPP) projects exceeding Rs 100 crore.

3. It appraises only PPP projects involving foreign private investment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Adaptation of PPP model for infrastructure development of the country has not been free from criticism. Critically discuss the pros and cons of the model. (UPSC CSE 2013)

 

EXPLAINED 

Can Trump rename Lake Ontario as Lake America?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national 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: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 27) signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, situated on the US-Canada border, as “Lake America”. The order said the lake was a “tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage.” 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is Lake Ontario?

— What is the Great Lakes system?

— Can countries unilaterally change the names of water bodies? 

— What is the present status of Canada-US relations?

— Is there any global organisation tasked with ensuring uniformity among names of water bodies?

— What are the challenges associated with establishing internationally uniform names for geographical features shared by multiple countries?

— Map work: Locate the Great Lakes system on the map.

Key Takeaways:

— In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote in a post on X that the name Ontario (also the name of a Canadian province) comes from the indigenous Wendat people.

— “The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always,” he wrote.

— In his executive order, Trump cited a range of reasons for the decision — including the US’s investments in the lake to keep it open for free shipping, Canada spending comparatively less on it, and the lake’s history as an “asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense.”

— But more pressingly, it comes amid heightened trade tensions between the countries. Trade talks collapsed last week and led to the US imposing tariffs on Canada, with Carney promising to match them “dollar for dollar” against American imports. The US is Canada’s largest trading partner, while Canada is the US’s second-largest trading partner.

Lake Ontario. (Google Maps)

— The name change will apply to how the US officially refers to the lake, but it will not affect how Canada or the rest of the world choose to call it. No single global organisation is tasked with ensuring uniformity among names of water bodies, and the decision to use a certain name is often based on historical precedent.

— In a social media post, Trump stated that the US Geological Survey was officially changing the name to have it reflect in all official USGS electronic documents. This is not the first time that disagreements over trade and other issues have prompted Trump to use nomenclature as a tool.

— In January 2025, the day Trump took office in his second term, he signed a slew of executive orders. These included one on renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, amid tensions with Mexico over immigration and tariffs. According to Reuters, it took about two weeks for the US government to update the official federal nomenclature to reflect those changes. The change was also reflected on Google Maps.

Do You Know:

— Lake Ontario is part of the Great Lakes system, along with Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie, spanning the US-Canada border. 

— According to the US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the lakes system holds about 90% of the freshwater in the US and approximately 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. Forty million people across the two countries depend on it for clean drinking water.

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Consider the following statements with reference to the Great Lakes system,

1. Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes situated along the US-Canada border.

2. The Great Lakes system includes Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario.

3. The Great Lakes system holds approximately 20% of the world’s freshwater supply.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Why India took 16 years to acquire fire-and-forget Javelin missiles

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. 

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Security Challenges and Their Management in Border Areas – Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism.

What’s the ongoing story: After years of deliberation, India has finalised a deal to purchase the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system from the US. On Friday (August 28), the Indian Army signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to acquire the ordnance through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs)? 

— Distinguish between ATGMs, anti-tank rockets and main battle tank ammunition.

— What is the Javelin missile system? 

— Compare Javelin with India’s indigenous Nag ATGM. 

— What is meant by “fire-and-forget” guidance?

— What does “man-portable” mean in military terminology? 

— What are the operational advantages and limitations of man-portable missile systems?

— What are the foundational defence agreements between India and the US? 

— Read about the Yudh Abhyas exercise.

— What is the Spike missile system?

— Know about the Defence Acquisition Council. 

Key Takeaways:

— The journey to procure the Javelin system, which began in 2010 and has now culminated after several paused attempts, highlights the lengthy and complicated nature of major defence acquisitions in India. 

— In recent years, the Ministry of Defence has worked to streamline this process and place greater emphasis on procuring indigenous defence systems through a series of policy and regulatory changes.

— In August 2010, India publicly announced its plans to acquire Javelin missiles. In a written response to Parliament, then Defence Minister A K Antony stated that the government intended to issue a Letter of Request to the US for the procurement of the third-generation Javelin ATGMs through the FMS route, which would also include a transfer of technology (TOT).

— Javelin was highlighted as the choice to immediately fill up the ATGM gaps, after the US forces actively showcased them in 2009 during the bilateral exercise, Yudh Abhyas.

— Despite the urgent operational push, the 2010 Javelin acquisition was eventually shelved due to stringent technology transfer restrictions imposed by Washington. The US refused to share the missile’s core seeker technology under a 100% TOT model, causing India to drop the Request for Proposal and subsequently pivot to Israel’s Spike missile system — manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd — in 2014.

— In 2014, India decided to go ahead with the Spike ATGMs as against the Javelin, after it was understood that it could offer greater flexibility in terms of technology transfer and local production. The Defence Acquisition Council cleared the purchase of over 8,000 Spike ATGMs.

— India purchased a limited quantity of the fourth-generation Spike-Long Range (LR) ATGMs in 2019 to meet an immediate operational gap, the government told Parliament.

Considering the Army’s greater necessity for ATGMs, the limited quantities of Spike-LR ATGMs and the indigenous programme was unable to close the capability gap.

— The Javelin reappeared in India-US strategic discussions at a time when the defence cooperation between the two countries had deepened, with both no longer discussing just purchases but also co-production and defence industrial partnerships.

— The discussion gained pace after Operation Sindoor last year, amid discussions on the India-US bilateral trade agreement. By July 2025, it was confirmed that India was negotiating to get the Javelin systems, both as an emergency procurement and through a long-term contract — the latter likely involving co-production of the weapon systems. Washington officially cleared the sale in November 2025.

Do You Know:

— Aside from the legacy systems in use with the Army, the indigenous programme has progressed substantially in recent years.

— Earlier this year, the DRDO had flight-tested the Man-Portable ATGM (MPATGM) in a top-attack profile against a moving target at the KK Ranges in Maharashtra.

— The indigenously developed MPATGM consists of state-of-the-art indigenous technologies such as an imaging infrared homing seeker, an all-electric control actuation system, a fire control system, a tandem warhead, a propulsion system, and a high-performance sighting system. It can be launched from a tripod or a military vehicle launcher.

— The Javelin system is an advanced, ‘man-portable’, medium-range, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile. It is designed for use against a wide array of targets, including armoured vehicles and fortified positions. Besides the US Army and US Marine Corps, it has several international customers, including Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 What is the Javelin missile system and how does it work? 

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news? (UPSC CSE 2018)

(a) An Israeli Radar System

(b) India’s indigenous anti-missile programme

(c) An American anti-missile system

(d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea

 

ECONOMY

Why regulators are tightening the cybersecurity net around India’s financial sector

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.

What’s the ongoing story: Indian regulators are stepping up the vigil on cybersecurity, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) both reiterating their focus on protecting critical parts of the financial ecosystem from rising cyber threats amid the advent of AI. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are cybercrimes?

— What are the reasons for the rise in cyber fraud in India?

— What are the challenges of cybersecurity in India?

— What are the steps taken by the Government to combat cyber scams?

— What is IT Resilience Index?

— What is a “kill switch” mechanism?

— What steps have been taken by RBI and SEBI for better cyber vigilance?

— What is the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C)?

Key Takeaways:

— SEBI, for example, on Monday introduced an IT Resilience Index (ITRI) for market infrastructure institutions — entities such as clearing corporations and exchanges that enable trading in financial markets. 

— The RBI released a new comprehensive cybersecurity framework late last month for banks and financial institutions and has also flagged the possibility of a “kill switch”. 

— Both regulators have indicated increased attention towards cyber-related matters as AI makes fraud easier and more prevalent. This ranges from incidents like fraudsters using deepfake voices to bypass KYC norms, or more complicated scams that infiltrate the walls of critical financial services institutions. 

— SEBI’s ITRI for market infrastructure institutions (MIIs), for instance, quantifies cyber readiness and turns it into something tangible. The index has nine parameters — availability and security have a weightage of 20%, integrity, governance, reliability and monitoring, modularity and flexibility, and business continuity have a weightage of 10% each, while scalability and an “others” parameter with miscellaneous requirements have a weightage of 5% each.

— The framework, which will come into effect from early 2027, will also include an “early warning system” and continuous monitoring to flag risks early. 

— The regulator on Monday also said it has aligned its cyber incident reporting portal for regulated entities with a standardized “Format for Incident Reporting Exchange” or FIRE format. — This “will facilitate reporting of incidents in stages to reflect incident life cycle from initial reporting to intermediate updates and final closure, while acknowledging that certain information may not be available at the time of initial reporting,” the regulator said.

— The RBI has also taken a host of measures to both improve cyber surveillance and address the grievances of fraud victims. For example, both the RBI and SEBI are considering a “kill switch” mechanism — allowing users to stop all financial transactions from their accounts during fraud in the RBI’s case, while SEBI is evaluating a similar mechanism as part of its AI guidelines.

— The central bank also released a new comprehensive cybersecurity framework late last month for banks and financial institutions. The framework mandates board-level ownership of cyber risks, dedicated committees within organisations to monitor IT risks, and a strict six-hour window to report cyber incidents.

— It also revised its fraud compensation mechanism in June for consumers who have been victims of fraud, increasing the scope of victims who can now claim compensation, and included newer-age digital scams in its definition.

Do You Know:

— Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of malicious activities, including identity theft, online fraud, financial fraud, hacking, cyberstalking, and the distribution of harmful software, among others. Digital Arrest is a form of online fraud.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: RBI proposes ‘Kill Switch’ for payment safety. What it is and why it matters

📍How India strengthens its digital-fraud resilience

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(5) With reference to the IT Resilience Index, consider the following statements:

1. It has been introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

2. The index tracks the resilience of technology systems used by market infrastructure institutions.

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 

(6) In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. Service providers

2. Data centres

3. Body corporate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The mountains have sounded a warning; we ignore it at our peril

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies-I, III: 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.Disaster and disaster management

What’s the ongoing story: Shyam Saran writes- “Nepal is the latest victim of catastrophic flash floods, sweeping down from mountains just across the border with Tibet, caused by what is technically termed a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). A mountain river upstream may be blocked by a portion of a glacier breaking away or by an avalanche, thereby forming a lake. When the loose banks of this lake burst under pressure, then a huge volume of water hurtles downstream.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— Know about the Himalayas in detail.

— What is a glacier, and how does it form?

— What are the major Himalayan river systems and their sources?

— What are Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)?

— What are the challenges posed by hydropower development in the Himalayan region?

— Why are the Himalayas particularly vulnerable to glacier-related hazards?

— How can India and other Himalayan countries improve early warning and disaster preparedness?

— Why are the Himalayas particularly vulnerable to glacier-related hazards?

— Locate the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra systems and examine how glaciers and snow contribute to their flow.

Key Takeaways:

— “It is reported that about 20 km east of the Rasuwagadhi Nepal-Tibet border crossing, a massive avalanche brought surging waters and sheets of mud down the Lhende River, sweeping away villages, settlements, and a large number of people downstream. The avalanche may have been triggered by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake recorded in the area just minutes earlier.”

— “The border crossing connects Nepal’s Rasuwa district with Gyirong county on the Tibetan side. Chinese media report similar loss of life and property across the border. The flash floods spread south from Rasuwa to Dhading, Gorkha and Nuwakot districts in Nepal, and the impact will be felt across the border in India.”

— “At least six hydropower projects downstream have been wiped out, causing a loss of 405 MW of power capacity, constituting 12 per cent of the national total. This is a loss of power that Nepal can ill afford. Recovery and rehabilitation may take several years.”

— “There are 48,000 sq km of glaciers spread over the Himalaya. Another 18,000 sq km are located in the Karakoram. Researchers have mapped over 5,000 glacial lakes in the Himalaya, of which about 500 are classified as “hazardous” or “significantly hazardous”. There have been at least 388 recorded instances of GLOF so far in the Himalaya-Karakoram mountains but their frequency has been increasing in recent years.”

— “In August 2025, there was a GLOF event in Dharali in Uttarakhand on the route to Gangotri, which caused large-scale loss of life and property..In the immediate aftermath, there was talk of how the human carrying capacity of these remote pilgrimage places should be assessed and strictly observed. No construction 500 metres from the river banks was to be permitted hereafter. But no lessons have been learnt.”

— “Hotels and guest houses have mushroomed once again on the river banks. During the pilgrimage season, Kedarnath may have a daily turnover of 15-20,000 pilgrims. Even at 18,000 feet elevation, there are pre-fab guest houses, restaurants and dhabas with cylinder gas being transported back and forth for heating and cooking. There are no proper arrangements for waste management.”

—”Hydropower development continues apace in the Himalayas despite the risk of GLOF and earthquakes. This is known to be an active seismic zone.In October 2023, a GLOF from the South Lhonak lake in Sikkim completely washed away the 1200 MW Teesta-III hydropower dam and power station.” 

— “Despite this mounting and compelling evidence, major hydropower projects continue to be pursued across the mountain zone, creating mounting risks to life and property. But these are being cynically ignored.”

— “There are several rivers that rise from the Tibetan plateau and flow through Nepal and India. There have been flash floods on some cross-border rivers that have caused large-scale damage on the Indian side.”

— “The Himalayan glaciers have been a source of life-sustaining rivers for the entire Indo-Gangetic plain, populated by over 500 million people. It is this life-source that we are despoiling and for which our succeeding generations will pay the price. The mountains have sounded a loud warning of a cataclysm that lies round the corner. We ignore it at our collective peril.”

From the Editorial Page- “As glaciers melt, prepare for Himalayan challenge”

— The Himalayan mountain system is the ecological mainstay of large parts of the Indian Subcontinent. It is the wellspring of rivers and shapes the monsoon. Its forests support biodiversity, and the region is home to several pilgrimage centres. However, the range has become increasingly fragile in recent years.

— The mounting toll of the flash floods that struck Nepal last week after a glacier collapse near the country’s border with China sent torrents of water down the Bhote Koshi River is a grim reminder of the region’s precarity. It underscores how a disturbance in higher altitudes can swiftly become a downstream catastrophe.

— Several studies, including IPCC reports, have documented the retreat of glaciers in the rapidly warming Himalaya. The meltwater accumulates in glacial lakes, many of which are held back by unstable dams of boulders. These lakes can suddenly burst, sending enormous volumes of water and debris down narrow valleys.

— The expansion of roads, hydropower schemes and tourism facilities in the valleys has added another layer of risk. Such projects are necessary for livelihoods, energy security and connectivity. But infrastructure development must factor in the idiosyncrasies of mountain ecology.

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(7) Consider the following pairs (UPSC CSE, 2019)

	GLACIER	RIVER
1.	Bandarpunch	Yamuna
2.	Bara Shigri	Chenab
3.	Milam	Mandakini
4.	Siachen	Nubra
5.	Zemu	Manas

Which of the pairs correctly matched?

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 5 only

(d) 3 and 5 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (UPSC CSE 2020)

Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent. (UPSC CSE 2014)

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

Atmanirbharta in fuel must strengthen, not undermine, India’s food security

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Energy, Issues of Buffer Stocks and Food Security, Energy.

What’s the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati, Tanmoy Adhikari write- “Sugar prices have spiked sharply within weeks. The all-India modal retail price climbed from around Rs 45/kg on July 24 to about Rs 65/kg by August 24 — a nearly 44 per cent increase in a month. The government has blamed traders and millers for hoarding and threatened strict action. While speculative behaviour may have amplified the spike, the deeper reality is a tightening of the supply situation just before the festive season.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the factors behind the fluctuations in sugar prices in India?

— What are the major feedstocks used for ethanol production in India? 

— How can the ethanol blending programme affect food security? 

— How can India balance its ethanol blending targets with food security? 

— Read the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018. 

— Examine the “food versus fuel” debate in the context of India’s ethanol policy.

Key Takeaways:

— “Three supply-side pressures seem to have caused a “perfect storm”. First, opening stocks in the current sugar year (October to September) were significantly lower (5 MT) when compared to the situation last year (8 MT). The lower carry-over stocks reflected weak production in the previous season and left little room to absorb another supply shock.”

— “Second, sugar production in 2025-26 fell short of expectations. The initial estimate was around 34.3 MT, but the government has now revised it to 30.6 MT, citing damage from red rot and top borer.”

— “Third, the ethanol programme diverted about 2.75 MT of sugar even when supplies were tight. The more important issue is that ethanol blending has progressed much faster than feedstock supplies.”

— “Ethanol blending remained largely stagnant for years, reaching only 1.53 per cent in 2013-14, before accelerating to around 5 per cent by 2019-20 and ultimately 20 per cent in 2025-26. The feedstock supplies could not keep pace with the blending programme. No wonder energy policy started competing with food markets.’

— “The timing is particularly difficult. The festive season is approaching, when sugar demand typically rises, while fresh cane supplies will not arrive in significant quantities until mid-October. The market must, therefore, rely on existing stocks for many more weeks. Thin inventories are pushing up sugar prices, which could go even higher if timely action is not taken.”

— “In a more open economy, a production shortfall would normally be corrected through price signals triggering imports and changes in consumption. But India’s sugar sector remains heavily regulated: Sugarcane pricing, sugar sales, imports, exports and ethanol feedstock allocation are decided by the government. When the government controls every step of the sugar/ethanol value chain, the resulting spike in sugar prices also has to be owned by the government. It is a classic case of policy failure.”

— “The government’s response so far has been to allow 1 MT of duty-free raw sugar imports. We feel this is too little, too late. Our calculations suggest that the government needs to import at least 3-4 MT of refined sugar and increase supplies in the open market before and during the festive season. The import duty on refined sugar (100 per cent) must be slashed to zero or just 5 per cent.”

— “The second response should be to temporarily alter the ethanol feedstock mix. Sugar-based ethanol should be drastically reduced, with greater use of alternative feedstocks.”

— “The third response could be either to directly import ethanol, when domestic supplies are putting pressure on food prices, or reduce the blending from 20 per cent to about 15 per cent.”

— “The deeper lesson is that India’s ethanol programme needs a little rethink and recalibration. We need to know the net energy balance with different feedstocks. Rather than rigidly allocating the amount of ethanol from sugar, rice or maize, oil marketing companies could be given flexibility to choose the most economical source, subject to safeguards for food security, farmers and the environment. The government should focus on strategic buffers and food-security safeguards rather than managing every feedstock allocation.”

— “The immediate response is clear: Bring in enough sugar to rebuild the stock cushion, temporarily shift ethanol away from sugar, use FCI grain only when genuine surplus exists, and retain imported ethanol as a safety valve.” 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Problem with ethanol blending isn’t sugar— it’s reliance on grains; the way forward

📍India’s ethanol policy must count water, sustainability costs

 

ALSO IN NEWS

For India polymer notes, bidders certify no animal tallow, firewalls against China, Pak

— Moving a step closer to the introduction of low-denomination plastic banknotes in the country, Indian and foreign firms have bid for the supply of polymer substrate sheets with inbuilt security features.

— Responding to the global Expression of Interest (EOI) issued by Reserve Bank of India subsidiary Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran (P) Ltd (BRBNMPL), which set an August 18 deadline, at least two foreign polymer currency manufacturers and an Indian substrate manufacturer in partnership with UK banknote manufacturer De La Rue have placed their bids, The Indian Express has learnt.

— Given the sensitivity of future supplies of polymer banknotes, the companies have been made to fill an integrity pact; a confidentiality contract; a no-agent pact and an undertaking that they will firewall their operations in India from those they may have in China and Pakistan.

— The bidders have also had to certify that their polymer substrate will not contain any animal tallow content or its DNA for supplies to the BRBNMPL. 

— In its EOI documents, the BRBNMPL has underlined an “immediate” requirement and indicated an approximate requirement for 68,000 reams of polymer substrate for printing Indian banknotes. Each ream should consist of 500 sheets of polymer film with samples to be provided with the bids.

— The samples will be tested in various climatic zones and those found eligible will be allowed to apply for the final BRBNMPL tender.

Typhoid control needs more vaccine, less antibiotic

— Kamini Walia writes- “Everyone is talking about increasing influenza and swine flu cases. Another disease where cases are unobtrusively mounting is typhoid. This should concern us, not simply because typhoid remains a common infection, but because every suspected case can become a trigger for inappropriate or unnecessarily broad-spectrum antibiotic use.

— “Typhoid presents a particularly difficult paradox. It is a vaccine-preventable bacterial disease, yet in India we continue to diagnose it imperfectly and treat it empirically. The fundamental problem is the absence of a simple, reliable, accessible diagnostic test.”

— “India is one of the countries where the case for typhoid vaccination is compelling. The WHO has prioritised typhoid-conjugate vaccine (TCV) introduction in countries with high disease-burden or high AMR levels. India produced the world’s first WHO-prequalified TCV, Typbar-TCV, in 2017. Since then, additional Indian TCV products have achieved WHO prequalification. The scientific and manufacturing capability exists. The vaccine exists. What remains inadequate is the scale and rigour of use.”

— “Vaccination should not be viewed as a substitute for clean water, sanitation, food safety or better diagnostics. It must be part of an integrated typhoid-control strategy.”

‘To find the rare & unusual’: NASA launches new space telescope

— NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before.

— SpaceX launched the $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope shortly after daybreak aboard a triple-the-firepower Falcon Heavy rocket. Roman blazed toward an observation point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away that’s home to the Webb Space Telescope, one of NASA’s other big-ticket eyes in the sky.

— The bus-sized telescope — named after the late Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer — will take more than three months to reach its destination. Once there, it will cast the widest gaze yet on the hidden parts of the universe from space, uncovering the unimaginable with unsurpassed speed.

— Roman’s field of view is more than 100 times wider than that of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, still churning out celestial glamour shots after 36 years in orbit. Webb joined the effort several years ago with an even narrower yet spot-on vision capable of zooming in on objects almost as old as the universe-creating Big Bang.

Worries behind India’s robust GDP, inflation data-Done

— Six months since the start of the war, while there have been many disruptions, the GDP growth rate, inflation rate, and current account balance do not show the kind of impairment that was initially feared. The current account balance maps India’s trade in goods and services with the rest of the world, and the consequent flow of money.

— A research note from HSBC states: “Growth remains high, inflation remains low, and the current account deficit surprisingly contained. Headline numbers across the board feel more goldilocks than crisis.”

— The “Goldilocks” reference in the last line refers to a term analysts were using at the start of the year to describe India’s economy. Just like the story of Goldilocks, in which she finds a bed that is “just right”, it refers to an optimal state of affairs. The term, however, quickly lost favour once the West Asia war exposed the more persistent weaknesses in the Indian economy — best captured by the sharp fall in the rupee’s exchange rate.

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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

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