UPSC Key: INS Aridaman, Jan Vishwas, and IBC amendments

— What is India’s “no first use” policy?

— How did the No First Use doctrine come into being?

— What are the advantages and disadvantages of the nuclear submarine?

— What is the significance of establishing a nuclear triad?

— What are the international conventions on use of nuclear weapons?

— Which countries possess nuclear weapons?

Key Takeaways:

— The quiet commissioning of INS Aridhaman, which will significantly strengthen India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent capabilities, is in line with how the previous two indigenous Arihant-class submarines, INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, were inducted in 2016 and 2024 respectively.

— INS Aridaman, a 7,000-tonne vessel, is believed to have eight vertical launching system tubes — around double the number of its predecessors.

— This means it can carry more K-15 nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), which have a range of more than 700 km. They can also carry the longer-range K-4 SLBMs that can hit targets 3,500 km away.

— It is also powered by advanced reactors — understood to be an upgrade over the ones that power its predecessors — to ensure it can remain submerged for longer durations (months together) without needing to surface every few days.

— A fourth SSBN is also currently under construction, and, like the Aridaman, will also be able to carry more K-4 missiles owing to its larger size.

— India’s nuclear-powered submarine project was initiated more than three decades ago, involving both private firms and the Defence Research & Development Organisation, with help from Russia.

— INS Arihant was launched in 2009 and commissioned into the Navy in 2016 as its first nuclear-powered submarine. This provided India with a maritime strike capability for the first time.

— INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol in 2018, thus establishing India’s nuclear triad. In October 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced the successful launch, “with very high accuracy”, of an SLBM in the Bay of Bengal by Arihant.

— Both INS Arihant and INS Arighaat are powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water nuclear reactors, which allow it to remain submerged and undetected for much longer than conventional diesel-electric submarines.

— India is pursuing a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) programme. The Navy plans to build two SSNs indigenously and acquire one on lease from Russia, which is expected to arrive by 2027-28 and bridge the capability gap until India’s own boats are ready.

— India and Germany are finalising a deal for the Project-75I submarine program, as part of which Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will partner with India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd to construct six advanced AIP-equipped conventional submarines in India.

— Aside from the SSBNs, the Indian Navy has 16 conventional submarines in service. This includes six Kalvari-class attack submarines built at India’s Mazagon Dock in partnership with France’s Naval Group, four Shishumar class subs, and seven Kilo (Sindhughosh) class subs.

— To carry out its full spectrum of operations, the Navy is authorised to have 18 submarines. However, at any time, around 30 per cent of the fleet is under refit (repair and renovation), which brings down the strength of operational submarines.

Do You Know:

— A commitment to not be the first to use a nuclear weapon in a conflict has long been India’s stated policy. Pakistan, by contrast, has openly threatened India with the use of nuclear weapons on multiple occasions beginning from the time the two nations were not even acknowledged nuclear powers.

— On January 4, 2003, when Vajpayee was India’s Prime Minister, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met to review the progress in operationalizing the country’s nuclear doctrine. An official release issued that day summarized the decisions that were being put in the public domain.

— Among the major points in the doctrine was “a posture of No First Use”, which was described as follows: “Nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: India’s doctrine of Nuclear No First Use

📍How India’s nuclear mission can be both ambitious and realistic

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Which is /are the consequence / consequences of becoming a member of the ‘Nuclear supplier Group’? (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. It will have access to the latest and most effective nuclear technologies.

2. It automatically becomes a member of “ The Treaty of non- proliferation of Nuclear weapons(NPT)”

Which of the statements given below 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 efficacy of India’s ‘no first use’ policy (nuclear weapons) in the context of the evolving strategic challenges from its neighbours. (UPSC PSIR Optional 2020)

NATION

US announces 100% tariff on patented pharma; limited impact on India

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights

What’s the ongoing story: THE US on Thursday announced a 100% tariff on import of patented pharmaceuticals and associated ingredients starting July 31 on grounds that Washington is heavily reliant on imports, which threatens to limit access to life-saving medications in the event of “global supply chain disruption”.

— What is a patent?

— What are the laws in India governing patent rights?

— What are Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?

— What is the difference between “Trademark”, “Copyright” and “Patent”?

— What are the different types of Intellectual Property Rights?

— What are generic drugs?

— What is the status of India in generic drugs?

— What are the Indian government schemes related to promotion of generic drugs?

— What are the issues related to Intellectual Property Rights in India?

— What are the initiatives taken by the government to provide a strong IPR regime in India?

(Thought Process: Read about the National IPR policy and other initiatives of government)

Key Takeaways:

— US President Donald Trump said that new tariffs will not include generic drugs “at this time”. But a decision on adjusting imports of generic pharmaceuticals and their associated ingredients could be taken within one year. India is primarily an exporter of generic pharma products, but has introduced various schemes to boost production of patented drugs too.

— The US is India’s largest market for pharmaceutical exports, accounting for an almost 40% share. Pharma exports were also exempt from the 50% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on most Indian goods.

— While India’s exports are primarily in the patented segment, Sun Pharma is the only Indian company with sizable sales from patented products in the US. According to HSBC analysts, it reported global sales of $1,217 million from patented products in FY25, of which the US market accounted for 85-90%.

— The PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021, with a financial outlay of Rs 15,000 crore and a production tenure running from FY 2022-23 to FY 2027-28.

— Former trade officer and founder of think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, Ajay Srivastava, said that for India, the immediate impact is limited as around 90% of India’s pharmaceutical exports to the US are generics, which remain exempt.

— Trade experts said the US could use tariffs mainly as a pressure tool, not to raise revenue but to push drugmakers to cut prices in the US, shift some manufacturing locally, and to gain greater control over critical pharmaceutical supply chains, treating the sector as strategically important like semiconductors.

Do You Know:

— Intellectual property right (IPR) is the right given to persons over the creations of their minds: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names and images used in commerce. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.

— A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, and under Patents Act 1970, a “patent is granted for any invention”. A patentee under the Act is defined as the person whose name is entered on the register of patents as the “grantee or proprietor of the patent”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Evergreening in Patents—Why Delhi HC’s semaglutide ruling matters for your UPSC exam

📍Patent evergreening

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

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

1. According to the Indian Patents Act, a biological process to create a seed can be patented in India.

2. In India, there is no Intellectual Property Appellate Board.

3. Plant varieties are not eligible to be patented in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and trade secrets. (UPSC CSE 2013)

 

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

US, China are recalibrating ties. Five ways India must respond

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, Indian diaspora

What’s the ongoing story: Ashok K Kantha writes: As the world remains fixated on the Iran war, significant changes in the US-China rivalry, and their implications for India, are less in the limelight. Donald Trump’s presence as a disruptive force and Xi Jinping’s reputation as an exceptionally consequential leader obscure a deeper truth: The global order is being reshaped not only by the decisions of individual leaders but by structural forces that will outlast them.

— How are bilateral relationships getting realigned amid rupture in rule based international order?

— How are other countries recalibrating their U.S. and China ties under Trump 2.0?

— India should engage China in more substantive strategic conversations with guarded realism. Elaborate.

— What is China’s salami-slicing?

— Know about India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and the Act East Policy

Key Takeaways:

— Trump is a symptom, product and catalyst of broader shifts in American political and strategic thinking. The challenge posed by China is rooted in long-term ambitions, accumulated capabilities, and national narratives that will persist beyond Xi’s tenure.

— For India, this means the strategic challenges it faces are not passing clouds that will dissipate with leadership changes in Washington or Beijing.

— For much of the past decade, Washington framed its relationship with Beijing as great-power competition, placing the Indo-Pacific as the pivotal theatre. In the second Trump administration, China is being seen primarily as an economic competitor rather than a systemic rival.

— Washington and Beijing now share an interest in maintaining a degree of stability in their relationship — though for different reasons.

— The Iran war has exposed an uncomfortable truth: The US is not merely recalibrating, it is becoming less predictable, more militarised, and increasingly erratic in its diplomacy.

— China’s response — calling for a ceasefire, avoiding entanglement, and invoking international law —stands in sharp contrast. The result is a subtle but important shift in perception: China appears responsible and restrained; the US appears impulsive.

— The utility of external balancing of China through the US has diminished. Washington remains committed to preventing Chinese hegemony in Asia, but it is a distracted great power, less willing to accommodate India as a strategic counterpoise to China.

— A more transactional US-China relationship raises the possibility of deals struck over India’s head. Chinese analysts argue that India’s interest in improved relations with China derives from turbulence in India-US ties — a reading that reduces Beijing’s incentive to offer meaningful concessions. India’s salience has declined in both capitals, exposing a strategic vulnerability.

— Compounding this picture, the global AI landscape is moving toward bipolarity. For valid strategic and security reasons, India cannot align with the China stack, but exclusive reliance on US foundational models also carries risks.

— India’s response to this complex environment must be steady, resilient, and anchored in long-term capability building.

— The first imperative is to recalibrate expectations from external balancing. India must deepen selective cooperation with the US on defence modernisation, maritime domain awareness, and critical technologies, while moderating expectations in conflict situations.

— Two, India should engage China in more substantive strategic conversations with guarded realism. The two-track approach — addressing border-related issues firmly while pursuing calibrated improvement in the broader relationship — must continue without morphing into a search for contrived progress.

— Three, India has to build economic and technological resilience through dual de-risking, vis-à-vis both China and the US. Reducing dependencies on China in critical inputs is a strategic imperative, as is avoiding the creation of new dependencies on the US in domains like AI.

— Four, India must not succumb to the illusion of “middle-power coalitions”. Middle powers hedge, balance, and bandwagon; they do not set the rules. India is not a great power yet, but it shouldn’t identify itself as a middle power either.

— Fifth, India urgently needs a reimagined Neighbourhood First Policy and reinvigoration of the Act East Policy. The world to India’s west is rightly getting more attention, but that must not be at the expense of strategic prioritisation of its neighbourhood or geography to its east.

Do You Know:

— The international order based on the rules enshrined in the United Nations Charter of 1945 is referred to as the rules-based international order. It was established to overcome the gravest consequences of traditional power politics, evident in the devastation of the Second World War, and is based on principles like sovereignty, self-determination, multilateralism, and international law.

— Initially known as the liberal international order, the rules-based international order institutionalised a system of rules, laws, and norms, with international organisations like the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund providing a framework for interaction among states.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍There is a new logic to India-US ties. Delhi must adapt quickly 

📍Beyond Trending: What is rules-based international order?

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain and as a strategic ally to counter China’s political and economic dominance. Explain this statement with examples. (UPSC CSE 2024)

THE IDEAS PAGE

Jan Vishwas ethos is about the state placing the citizen first, taking a step back

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: Manish Sabharwal writes: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the Director Generals of Police conference in 2024, suggested replacing “danda with data” so India can place “citizens, dignity and justice first” through jan vishwas (trusting citizens).

— Know about the Jan Vishwas Act?

— What is the difference between civil and criminal law?

— Is cheque bouncing a criminal offence in India?

— What is constitutional morality?

— Understand the difference between “due process” and “procedure established by law”

— Which constitutional article mentions the due process and procedure established by law?

Key Takeaways:

— Since then, the policy project to review unjust jail prescriptions has articulated the Jan Vishwas Siddhant (principles), passed the Jan Vishwas Bill, notified the labour codes, identified obsolete laws, and amended the Companies Act.

— This combined interrogation of jail provisions across 950-plus laws represents the world’s largest decriminalisation of compliance — more than 12,500 across citizens and enterprises.

— Should India be the only country to make ticketless travel on trains a jailable offence? …Thankfully, these are all now gone. But our 5-crore case backlog in courts is unsurprising; one act of policy irrationality — prescribing jail for cheque bouncing — accounts for 43 lakh cases.

— The importance of Jan Vishwas requires recognising that a few jail provisions in laws can cascade into thousands of compliance requirements with criminal consequences, because laws passed by Parliament authorise the government to draft and notify rules and regulations.

— Criminalisation is amplified by the 21 instruments invented by the administrative state (notifications, public notices, guidelines, circulars, orders, policies, directions, guidance notes, schemes, SOPs, etc.) to create 41 unique types of compliances (licences, displays, registers, filings, reporting, certification, payments, committees, inspections, meetings, notices, standard processes, etc.).

— For example, the poultry farm guidelines of 2021 use one jail provision of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 to create more than 20 criminal consequences, including for not having a tyre dip for every vehicle, not protecting manure from runoff water, and not maintaining a register for every chick moving through the process.

— For too long, threatening jail time has been part habit, part intention, and part malice; cutting enabling provisions reinforces our constitutional morality that liberty should not be casually curtailed.

— Unenforced jail provisions are toxic because they breed inequality (they are a thorn in the flesh of the powerful or wealthy but a dagger in the heart for the unconnected and poor), informality (a sense of humour about the rule of law), and corruption (transmission losses between how the law is written, interpreted and enforced).

— The decriminalisation vector of the broader Jan Vishwas project had three phases. The first — and quiet hero — was the adoption of principles guiding which offences to decriminalise; whether the provision involved procedural compliance, omnibus provisions, potential for serious harm, malicious intent, externalities, cases filed and prosecuted, punishment proportionality, coverage under other laws, or whether civil penalties are more appropriate.

— The second phase compiled an inventory of such provisions, and the third phase applied these principles to the inventory.

— But Jan Vishwas is inspiring because it shows that ideas matter (research by Rishi Agrawal and Gautam Chikermane and Vidhi Legal), that the state can learn (the difference between Jan Vishwas 1.0 and 2.0 is principles-based reform), and that the state can reimagine itself (decriminalising is more than tidying up books; it is a conscious choice to step back).

— This wedge between niti (policy) and nyaya (justice) created excessive criminalisation. The best counter to power’s natural tendency to expand is voluntary restraint. In a system that equates power with control, this is a quiet but meaningful shift.

— By prioritising nyaya over niti, the state is not stepping away; it is adjusting its grip. Now onto the next four phases of Jan Vishwas: Digitisation, deregulation, a single source of truth for laws and rules, and replication by chief ministers.

Do You Know:

— Constitutional morality entails the adherence to constitutional norms within a democratic system. It goes beyond the literal interpretation to encompass a commitment to values such as sovereignty, social justice, and equality in constitutional adjudication.

— The term was first coined by British historian George Grote in his twelve-volume work, A History of Greece. Grote discussed the reforms of the Athenian Constitution by Cleisthenes – a statesman regarded as the founder of Athenian democracy.

— He emphasised the need for a constitution that could instil a sense of civic responsibility among citizens and prevent the usurpation of power by oligarchs and despots through coercion.

— In essence, constitutional morality embodies the balance between freedom and restraint. That is, citizens submit to constitutional authorities and, at the same time, have the freedom to criticise those in power.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Constitutional morality: Definition, origin and challenges

📍Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill gets Lok Sabha nod: ‘It was Colonial thought to punish everything’

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) In essence, what does’ Due Process of Law’ mean? (UPSC CSE 2023)

(a) The principle of natural justice

(b) The procedure established by law

(c) Fair application of law

(d) Equality before law.

EXPLAINED

Between oil shock and El Niño, how high inflation could go

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: Since the day that the United States attacked Iran in late February, the biggest policy concern has been the impact on India’s domestic inflation rate. This is the rate at which the general price level goes up from one year to another.

— How is inflation measured in the economy?

— What is Flexible Inflation Targeting?

— What is the impact of lower inflation rate on borrowing from the banks?

— What is El-Nino?

— How does El-Nino affect the Indian economy?

— How is it different from La-Nina?

Key Takeaways:

— Typically, Indian policymakers (read Reserve Bank of India) hope to achieve an inflation rate of 4%, that is, the general price level goes up by 4% from one year to the next. This level has been chosen because it is considered ideal — high enough to incentivise producers to produce more and earn more profits, and low enough to not hit consumer demand.

— However, since late 2019, thanks to a series of supply shocks like the Covid pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, not to mention unseasonal rains and such disturbances within the country, India’s inflation rate often stayed above the RBI’s target, and often even outside its comfort zone. The RBI’s comfort zone ranges between 2% to 6% of inflation (see CHART 1).

CHART 1: India’s Annual Inflation Rate.

— The inflation rate has been moderating since the highs of 2022-23, and as of the last financial year (2025-26) that ended in March, inflation was closer to 2% — the other end of the RBI’s comfort zone.

— But just in the last month, the severity of the energy supply shock in the wake of the US attack on Iran and the latter’s decision to choke the Strait of Hormuz has raised the spectre of a sharp spike in inflation.

— There are two big variables that are likely to decide how inflation will pan out. One, the price of crude oil.

— The second big variable that is almost equally important in India’s case is El Niño, which refers to a natural climatic phenomenon that essentially results in higher temperatures and lower rainfall during the monsoon. The more severe the El Niño, the worse it is for the economy as well as the country’s agriculture starves for water availability.

— The intensity of these two factors is likely to have the biggest impact on India’s inflation in the coming months.

Do You Know:

— Inflation refers to the rate at which the general price level for goods and services increases over a period of time, causing a decrease in purchasing power of money or real income. In other words, as inflation rises, each unit of currency can buy fewer goods and services than before.

— Rising inflation affects the financial well-being of households, especially those with lower incomes or fixed incomes. As the cost of goods and services increases, it reduces the quantity of goods and services that can be purchased with the same nominal income, thereby affecting households’ cost of living.

— There are different methods for measuring inflation such as Consumer Price Index (CPI), Wholesale Price Index (WPI), GDP deflator, Producer Price Index (PPI), and wage inflation, with each focusing on a specific aspect of price changes.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | RBI Foundation Day Special: History, new initiatives, and rupee stabilisation

📍West Asia war: Why June quarter inflation is forecast to breach target amid weakening growth impetus, rupee

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) With reference to Indian economy, demand-pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2021)

1. Expansionary policies

2. Fiscal stimulus

3. Inflation-indexing wages

4. Higher purchasing power

5. Rising interest rates

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

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

ECONOMY

Fresh IBC amendments: How govt looks to plug gaps in insolvency code

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: The Parliament on Wednesday passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The IBC was enacted in 2016 to create a time-bound mechanism to deal with companies that default on their loans — by reviving them through resolution or liquidating them if resolution is not possible.

— What is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code?

— What is insolvency under the Bankruptcy Code?

— What is the purpose of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code?

— What are the roles and responsibilities of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)?

— What is the objective of bringing the Creditor-initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP)?

Key Takeaways:

— The amendment seeks to speed up the resolution process and introduces provisions for an out-of-court mechanism, group insolvency and cross-border insolvency.

— Before this amendment, the IBC had already been amended six times to address the pressing issues of the time and incorporate the needs of the stakeholders.

— Over the years, the IBC has improved discipline among borrowers and lenders but has also faced criticism over delays, backlog of cases and low recovery rates for banks.

— According to the existing code, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which oversees the corporate insolvency resolution process, has 14 days to decide on admitting an insolvency application.

— But it often takes months to initiate insolvency proceedings. The amendment attempts to streamline this hurdle at the very first stage.

— The NCLT must now admit applications once the default is proven. There are no other conditions except ensuring that the resolution professional faces no disciplinary proceedings and procedural requirements are met. The Bill makes it clear that an application cannot be rejected on any other ground.

— Another major change in the IBC framework is the introduction of the Creditor-initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP). This provides for an out-of-court initiation mechanism which can be done by only “specified financial creditors”. At least 51% of financial creditors will have to agree to initiate this process.

— The Bill also introduces a framework for group insolvency and cross-border insolvency, aimed at improving investor confidence and aligning domestic processes with international best practices.

— The committee called for replacing criminal penalties with civil penalties for offences such as contravention of moratorium or resolution plan and non-disclosure of dispute or payment of debt by operational creditor. Its reasoning was that non-implementation or delayed implementation of resolution plans may not always be attributable to malafide intent.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Changes in insolvency law will help save viable businesses: FM

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Which of the following statements best describes the term ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A)’, recently seen in the news? (UPSC CSE, 2017)

(a) It is a procedure for considering ecological costs of developmental schemes formulated by the Government.

(b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.

(c) It is a disinvestment plan of the Government regarding Central Public Sector Undertakings.

(d) It is an important provision in ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code’ recently implemented by the Government.

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How to make data tell a larger story, drive smarter policy	Saurabh Garg: Administrative data has emerged as a powerful and strategic asset for modern governance and decision-making. Generated as a byproduct of routine administrative processes, it offers granular insights not only for decision-making but also to enable governments and institutions to move towards more continuous and comprehensive data systems. In India, over the past decade, the growing digitalisation of public services has led to a substantial increase in the availability of digital data across diverse socio-economic dimensions… While these systems provide significant value within individual departments, their impact can be enhanced through harmonisation of datasets, enabling information from different sources to be combined to generate more meaningful insights.

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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