UPSC Key: Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, Famine and Gaganyaan mission

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, off the Odisha coast around 12.30 pm Sunday.

Key Points to Ponder:

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

— What is the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS)?

— what are the components of the indigenous IADWS?

— What is the strategic significance of the IADWS?

— Read about the Mission Sudarshan Chakra. 

— Know about the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Army’s Akashteer 

— What is the S400 Triumf and Barak 8 MRSAM?

Key Takeaways:

— This marks another step towards developing a homegrown nationwide security shield from multidomain enemy attacks under Mission Sudarshan Chakra by 2035.

— In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said the IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising all indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).

— The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on Independence Day, announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a comprehensive, multi-layered, networked system aimed at protecting India and its vital installations from a range of enemy attacks across domains.

— The shield is expected to offer multiple layers of protection by combining surveillance, cybersecurity, and air defence systems to detect and destroy threats, including long-range missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, along the borders and at critical installations.

— Defence research organisations and the private sector are expected to collaborate on the project. — It is likely to be integrated with the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Army’s Akashteer subsequently.

— India’s flagship surface-to-air missile systems – S400 Triumf, Barak 8 MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile) and the indigenous Akash – played key roles as the Armed Forces activated their Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid, among other air defence systems, to thwart Pakistani attacks during the Operation Sindoor.

— On the flight tests of the IADWS, the Ministry of Defence said that the integrated operation of all the weapon system components is controlled by a Centralised Command and Control Centre developed by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory.

— VSHORADS and DEW are developed by Research Centre Imarat and Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences, respectively.

Do You Know:

— QRSAM: QRSAM is a short-range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system, primarily designed to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks. The entire weapon system is configured on highly mobile platforms. It has search and track capability and can fire on short halts. The system has an operation range of three to 30 kilometers.

— The QRSAM weapon ensemble consists of a fully automated command and control system, two radars — Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar and Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar — and one launcher. Both the radars have a 360-degree coverage with ‘search on move’ and ‘track on move’ capabilities.

— VSHORADS: VSHORADS is a fourth-generation, technically advanced miniaturised Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD). The DRDO has said that the missile system has the capability to meet the needs of all the three branches of the Armed Forces — Army, Navy and Air Force.

—The weapon system can neutralise targets between the range of 300 meters and six kilometers, including drones and other classes of aerial threats.

— DEW: Earlier this April, the CHESS facility conducted a successful field demonstration of the land version of the Vehicle mounted Laser DEW MK-II(A). It defeated fixed wing UAV and swarm drones, causing structural damage and disabling their surveillance sensors. With this, India has joined the exclusive club of global powers who possess such a system. DEW is said to have a range of less than three kilometers.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍DRDO successfully tests home-grown air defence system: All about IADWS and its 3 components

📍S-400, Akash missiles key to IAF shield against Pak missiles and drones

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following statements with regard to the  Integrated Air Defence Weapon System:

1. It is a multi-layered air defence system that comprises all indigenous components.

2. Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles is a short-range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system.

3. Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System is a fourth-generation, technically advanced miniaturised Man Portable Air Defence System.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only One

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ministry to RGI: Count particularly vulnerable tribal groups in Census

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc., Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies-I, II: Population and associated issues, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

What’s the ongoing story: In a significant step, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has asked the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) to consider inclusion of the most marginalised Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the upcoming Census exercise. The precise enumeration of PVTGs will help implementation of targeted welfare schemes, the Ministry is learnt to have said.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the census and its significance?

— What are the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

— How is the census conducted in India?

— What is the difference between Census, caste census and SECC?

— What is the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) scheme?

— What are the key tribal welfare schemes?

— What are the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering welfare schemes in tribal regions of India?

Key Takeaways:

— If finalised, it would be the first time that PVTGs would be enumerated separately in the Census. There are 75 PVTGs in India across 18 states and one Union Territory (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). They were identified on the basis of low literacy levels, geographical remoteness, pre-agricultural level of technology and economic backwardness.

— About 40 PVTGs have been scheduled as ‘single entry’ and get counted under the broader Scheduled Tribes (STs) category in the Census. For instance, in the previous 2011 census, these 40 groups got counted as they were part of notified STs.

— The Ministry said PVTGs are one of the most marginalised and socio-economically backward vulnerable sections of the population, and thus it was imperative to have a “consolidated database” on their population and socio-economic indicators, it was gathered.

— Professor A B Ota, a retired IAS officer and former director of Tribal Research Institute and Odisha State Tribal Museum, said 40 out of 75 PVTGs are included in the ST list under the Presidential Order, and hence covered under the Census.

— Ota said although recent initiatives like the PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) scheme have begun collecting some data, there is a “growing consensus on the necessity of institutionalising the enumeration of PVTGs in the national Census”.

Do You Know:

— PVTGs are a sub-classification of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) or a section of STs who are considered more vulnerable than regular STs. The PVTG list was created by the government with the aim to improve on priority the living standards of the endangered tribal groups.

— In 1960-61, the Dhebar Commission identified disparities among Scheduled Tribes, leading to the creation of the “Primitive Tribal Groups” (PTG) category. In 2006, this category was renamed Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

— In November 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM-JANMAN in Jharkhand to improve the socio-economic conditions of PVTGs in over 200 districts. The scheme’s chief aim is to saturate delivery of basic facilities ranging from road construction, health centres to electrification in PVTG habitations and households in three years. It is being implemented through nine line ministries.

— When the scheme was launched, the Centre had said the estimated population of PVTG’s is 28 lakh. The MoTA and states undertook habitation-level data collection, using PM Gati Shakti mobile application, to estimate PVTG population and identify gaps in amenities and infrastructure.

— Based on that survey, PVTG population is estimated to be 45.56 lakh, as per MoTA’s response in Lok Sabha this month. Madhya Pradesh (12.28 lakh), Maharashtra (6.2 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh (4.9 lakh) are the top three in terms of PVTG population.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Census : 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

📍Experts Explain: How the PM JANMAN scheme can help Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

📍Knowledge Nugget of the day: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India: (UPSC CSE 2019)

1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.

2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.

3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2 and 4

(d) 1, 3 and 4

(3) Consider the following statements with reference to the census in India:

1. The first All India Census was attempted in 1872.

2. From 1881, decennial censuses became a regular feature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC-CDS(II) – 2024)

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(Note: The aspirants should also refer to the questions from other competitive exams conducted by the UPSC which might be useful for UPSC–CSE.)

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:

📍What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)? ( UPSC CSE 2017)

📍Why are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes’? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment. (UPSC CSE 2016)

 

EXPRESS NETWORK

Major leap for Gaganyaan mission as crew module passes key re-entry test 

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Science and Technology- Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology; Awareness in the fields of IT and space.

What’s the ongoing story: In a major milestone for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed an Integrated Air Drop Test, simulating the re-entry of the crew module, deployment of all parachutes, and recovery of the crew module.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Gaganyaan mission?

— What are the key features of India’s Manned Mission to Space?

— What is the significance of the Gaganyaan mission? 

— What are the major achievements of ISRO in recent years?

— What are the other important space missions of the ISRO? 

— Read about the Indian Space Research Organisation.

— What are the various launch vehicles of ISRO?

— How is the space sector moving towards the Atmanirbhaar Bharat?

— What are the challenges India faces in establishing a long-term human spaceflight program?

Key Takeaways:

— For the test, a Chinook helicopter carried the dummy crew module to a height of around 3 kilometres — 40 kilometres off the seacoast — from the country’s only spaceport Sriharikota.

— Three main parachutes were deployed to slow down the crew module before it hit the sea. “It was a very successful test. All the parachutes worked as expected and the velocity was reduced to limits safe for human beings. The module was recovered by the navy and handed over to us in Chennai,” said ISRO chairperson Dr V Narayanan. The same crew module will be reused for other tests as well.

ISRO successfully accomplishes first Integrated Air Drop Test for end to end demonstration of parachute based deceleration system for Gaganyaan missions. (@isro/X via PTI Photo)

— The space agency plans to launch the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan programme by the end of this year, with the first crewed flight scheduled for late 2027. The government has so far approved eight flights under the Gaganyaan mission, two crewed and six uncrewed. One of the six uncrewed missions will also carry the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

— The test carried out on Sunday was not only to check the deployment of the drogue, pilot, and main parachutes but for the coordination between four key organisations — ISRO that will undertake the Gaganyaan mission, DRDO that designed the parachute system, the Indian Air Force that provided the Chinook helicopter for the drop test, and the Indian Navy that recovered the module. The Indian Navy will undertake the recovery operations for the final Gaganyaan flights as well.

— ISRO had previously conducted an air drop test for the main parachutes alone in 2022. However, a planned air drop test for the drogue, pilot, and main chutes could not be carried out last year as there were some problems in the helicopter as it “could not handle the crew module” according to an official. The problems have since been address and a successful test was carried out on Sunday.

Do You Know:

— Announced in 2018, Gaganyaan is one of India’s most ambitious space programmes. It is India’s maiden human spaceflight mission that was originally scheduled for 2022 but is now expected to happen in early 2027. A successful execution of this mission would put India in the company of the US, Russia and China.

— As stated on the ISRO website, the short-term goal is to demonstrate human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit, while the long-term goal is to lay the foundation for a “sustained Indian human space exploration programme”. Success in its ultimate objective — proving that India is capable of indigenously developing this complex technology — would be a huge boost for ISRO.

— Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla are India’s astronauts-designate for Gaganyaan.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What the success of Gaganyaan could mean for Indian science

Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:

(4) With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.

2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.

3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 3 only

No riverbed mining nod without sand replenishment study: SC

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 a major decision to curb environmental damage from sand mining, the Supreme Court underlined on Friday that no approval can be granted for mining in a riverbed without a proper scientific study to assess how quickly the sand is naturally replaced.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is sand mining?

— What are the environmental concerns related to sand mining?

— What is the significance of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, in regulating sand mining?

— Why is environmental clearance required for extraction of minerals?

— What is a District Survey Report (DSR)?

— What is Environment Impact Assessment?

— What are the key features of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016?

— Read about the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and its role in checking unsustainable sand mining?

— How effective have existing regulations been in addressing the challenge of illegal mining?

Key Takeaways:

— The court described this “replenishment study” as a mandatory requirement, upholding a NGT order that had cancelled the environmental clearance for a mining project in Jammu and Kashmir.

— The bench traced the legal framework for sand mining, starting from the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to a landmark 2012 judgement of the Supreme Court which made environmental clearance mandatory for minor mineral extraction. The court noted that the requirement for a DSR was introduced through a 2016 amendment to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, specifically to bring scientific rigour to the process.

— The judgement further highlighted that both the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020 mandate the calculation of the annual rate of replenishment.

Do you Know:

— The Supreme Court, High Courts and the National Green Tribunal have played a pivotal role in regulating the mining of minor minerals, especially by mandating Environmental clearances for extracting minor minerals. 

— In the landmark case of Deepak Kumar vs State of Haryana (2012), the Supreme Court took notice of the unscientific and illegal mining of minor minerals and made it mandatory for all mining operations, even below five hectares, to obtain environmental clearances from the appropriate authority. 

— The court also recommended a compulsory mining plan before granting environmental clearance. Notably, through various judgements, the Supreme Court has emphasised the need for the sustainable extraction of minor minerals.

— Following the apex court’s decision in Deepak Kumar vs State of Haryana (2012), the MoEFCC in 2013 notified that the river sand mining project with a lease area of less than five hectares should not be considered for environmental clearance. However, the notification was declared invalid by the National Green Tribunal in Himmat Singh Shekhawat vs State of Rajasthan (2014). 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How clean energy needs, new tech shape mineral governance in India

UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Mineral resources are fundamental to the country’s economy and these are exploited by mining. Why is mining considered an environmental hazard? Explain the remedial measures required to reduce the environmental hazard due to mining. (UPSC CSE 2025)

 

EXPLAINED 

GAZA: How the IPC Global Hunger Monitor determines ‘Famine’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: A global hunger monitor determined on Friday that famine is taking place in Gaza, nearly two years after Israel launched a military campaign in the tiny Palestinian territory in response to the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is famine?

— What are the determinants of famine?

— What does it take for a famine to be declared?

— Know about the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

— Why does the declaration of famine matter?

— What is a ‘man-made famine’?

— Read about the Israel-Hamas war.

— What is India’s response and position regarding the Gaza hunger crisis?

Key Takeaways:

— The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an independent body funded by Western countries and widely recognised as the main global system for measuring the severity of hunger crises.

— It was set up to sound the alarm so that famine and mass starvation could be prevented and to help organisations respond. The IPC is overseen by 19 major humanitarian organisations and regional bodies. It typically partners with national governments to analyse data.

— The IPC system charts acute food insecurity on a five-phase scale. Its most extreme warning is Phase 5, which has two levels, catastrophe and famine.

— If the IPC or one of its partners finds that at least one area is in famine, a famine review committee, led by up to six experts, is activated.

— For an area to be classified as in famine, at least 20% of people must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.

— The IPC says it does not formally declare famine, but provides analysis for governments and others to do so.

— The IPC relies on the U.N. World Food Programme and other relief organisations and government agencies to provide data.

— Its preferred method for assessing acute malnutrition levels is to measure children’s weight and height, or if conditions do not allow that, to measure the circumference of children’s upper arms.

— This is the fifth time in the past 14 years that a famine has been determined by the IPC, and the first time it has confirmed famine outside Africa. The IPC previously concluded that there was famine in areas of Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and Sudan in 2024.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 ‘Worst-case scenario of famine’ in Gaza, say food crisis experts

📍The hunger crisis in Gaza: ‘Efforts not enough to counter current starvation’

India and the World in dairy 

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Economic and social development.

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

What’s the ongoing story: How competitive and efficient is India’s dairy sector? That’s a question being asked, especially with pressure on India from the Donald Trump administration in the United States to open up its market to American dairy products. One way to assess competitiveness is prices.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the status of milk production in India?

— Read about the White Revolution.

— What is the contribution of the dairy sector to the Indian economy?

— What are the factors behind India’s price competitiveness in milk?

— What are the challenges faced by India’s dairy sector?

— Where India stands on milk production

— What are the various schemes introduced by the government for the promotion of diary sector?

— Read about the India-US trade talks. What are the “red lines” in the India-US trade talks?

Key Takeaways:

— The retail price of whole milk (containing 3.25% fat and 8.25% SNF) averaged $4.37 per gallon or Rs 100.4 per litre (one gallon=3.785 litres) last month in the US.

— On the other hand, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation’s (GCMMF) toned ‘Amul Taaza’ milk (with 3% fat and 8.5% SNF) is retailing at Rs 55 per litre in Gujarat and Rs 57 in the national capital region.

— If efficiency is measured by price spreads from the farm to consumer, the Indian dairy sector scores pretty high. GCMMF, in fact, claims its farmers in Gujarat are getting Rs 44-45 per litre for cow milk (3.5% fat and 8.5% SNF) and Rs 65-66 for buffalo milk (6.5% fat and 9% SNF) — much more than the Rs 34-35 and Rs 58-59/litre that private dairies are paying. Thus, it is sharing over three-fourths of the consumer rupee with the Gujarat farmer.

— All this is due to efficiency in procurement, processing, transport and marketing, enabling a compression of the value chain. A cooperative’s aim is to maximise the ratio of the farm value of milk to the retail sale value of products.

— India’s price competitiveness in milk, as noted, derives primarily from the low cost of labour. That includes unpaid family labour having few employment avenues outside of agriculture.

— The dairy farmer basically seeks to recover only paid-out costs (on feed, hired labour, veterinary care and other purchased inputs), while not imputing any value on family labour or owned land. Any money earned over and above pocket-paid expenses constitutes “return”.

— But this model may not be viable in the long run, with farm labour becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. As the reluctance to work on the farm goes up with rising education, even family labour has an “opportunity cost”.

— India, unlike New Zealand, has no abundant land to grow alfalfa fodder for cattle to graze on and sustain a low-cost pasture-based dairy farming system. Capital and energy costs are also too high to afford heavy investments in farm automation like in the US.

— The future of Indian dairying may lie in a different model of selective mechanisation, boosting milk yields through genetic improvement and new breeding technologies, and on-farm cultivation of high-tonnage protein-rich green fodder grasses.

— The focus has to be on reducing the cost of milk production so as to maintain the global competitiveness of India’s dairy sector, which cannot be based on cheap labour alone.

Do you Know: 

— India is the world’s top milk producer, with production having reached 230.58 million tonnes during 2022-23. In 1951-52, the country produced just 17 million tonnes of milk.

— As per the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS) 2023, the top five milk producing states are UP (15.72%), Rajasthan (14.44%), Madhya Pradesh (8.73%), Gujarat (7.49%), and Andhra Pradesh (6.70%), which together contribute 53.08% of the country’s total milk production.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍4 red lines in India-US trade talks: Corn, ethanol, soyabean & dairy

📍How to bring about White Revolution 2.0

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India? (UPSC CSE 2017) 

 

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Test of a rising power

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: T V Paul writes- “US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods and to reestablish strategic parity between India and Pakistan poses significant challenges to Indian foreign policy.’ 

Key Points to Ponder:

— Read about the India-US relations.

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

— What are India’s import and export trends with regard to US?

— Why the U.S. imposition of a 25% tariff plus penalty against India represents a significant departure from prior U.S. trade strategy regarding tariff differentials.

— What can be the implications of the higher tariff imposed by the US on India?

— What strategies is India using to navigate potential trade negotiations with the U.S.?

Key Takeaways:

— “The situation is reminiscent of the aftermath of the nuclear tests in 1998. These regressive American actions may create serious obstacles to India’s aspirations of becoming a major power in the short and medium terms. Yet, they may also present an opportunity for India to pursue a more assertive and confident foreign policy posture.”

— “It is important to recognise that such challenges are common for rising powers, which are often tested at different stages of their ascent. Established powers have strong incentives to contain emerging rivals before they become peer competitors, unless they serve a useful balancing function.”

— “Historically, rising powers often had to wage wars and endure significant hardships to achieve their strategic goals. In today’s era, a peaceful rise is possible, but the process is rarely smooth. A great power must be able both to withstand pressure and, when necessary, to exert it on others.”

— “For India, heightened conflict with Pakistan and China carries another cost: Constraints on military spending. With active threats on two borders, India’s ability to expand its naval power may suffer, delaying its ambitions to develop a true blue-water navy.”

— “In the short term, US “status games” will hurt India. But great powers must be able to absorb pain while also imposing costs on others. To do so, India must continue strengthening its economy so that, like China, it becomes capable of leveraging economic interdependence to influence global actors.”

— “Meanwhile, India should intensify its outreach to American policymakers, employing lobbyists and cultivating influencers to reshape the narrative in Washington. It must emphasise the risks for the US of alienating India, particularly the possibility of driving it closer to a China-Russia partnership. India should also generate innovative proposals with BRICS partners and within other forums such as the G20, while accelerating trade negotiations with a wider range of states.”

— “New Delhi’s multi-alignment strategy should, therefore, be recalibrated to make BRICS more effective, beyond its current role as a talking shop. Gradual but deliberate efforts should also be made to expand the role of non-dollar currencies in global trade and finance, including the Indian rupee.”

— “The most pragmatic approach, therefore, is to weather the storm: Intensify lobbying efforts in Washington, engage with key Republicans who may influence the administration, and, most importantly, implement economic and social reforms at home to attract global investment.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | From Trump’s reciprocal tariffs announcement to 90-day pause: Everything in between

📍Between Scylla and Charybdis

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2019)

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