© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for October 17, 2025. If you missed the October 16, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
General Studies-III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc
What’s the ongoing story: The Centre has granted approval to Adani Power Limited (APL), a large thermal power producer, to lay an overhead transmission line to connect its Godda Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant with the Indian grid through a Line-In Line-Out (LILO) arrangement of the Kahalgaon A–Maithon B 400 KV line. As of now, the Godda plant supplies electricity exclusively to Bangladesh.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is Line-In Line-Out (LILO) arrangement?
— What are the advantages of the LILO arrangement?
— What are the guidelines for the import and export of electricity?
— What are the roles and responsibilities of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission?
— What is the Special Economic Zone (SEZ)? What is its purpose?
— What are the problems faced by the electricity sector in India?
— What is the IUCN status of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)?
— India exports electricity to which countries?
Key Takeaways:
— For laying the proposed transmission line, which will pass through 56 villages of two tehsils — Godda and Poreyahat — in Godda district of Jharkhand, the Centre has conferred the same powers to the APL, which the telegraph authority possesses under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, for placing telegraph lines and posts.
— Under the Act, the authority can, from time to time, place and maintain a telegraph line under, over, along or across, and posts in or upon, any immovable property.
— The Ministry of Power extended similar authority to APL by issuing an order on September 29 using powers under Section 164 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
— The Ministry’s order comes in the wake of multiple, and unprecedented, amendments to regulations to enable this transmission connectivity to the APL’s Godda plant.
— This includes the ministry’s move to amend the guidelines for import and export of electricity, the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) move to amend procedure for facilitating cross border flows and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) move to amend the General Network Access regulations for Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) and, separately, its regulations governing cross border trade.
— APL’s Godda power plant, which was declared as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by the Central Government in March 2019, supplies electricity exclusively to Bangladesh.
— However, after a regime change in Dhaka in August last year, the government had allowed as an interim arrangement to connect the Godda plant with ISTS, a high-voltage network in India that transmits electricity across state borders, enabling power flow from surplus regions to areas with deficits and ensuring grid stability.
— “In case, the route of above overhead lines (or some portion of the route of above overhead line) falls in the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) area, the applicant has to comply with the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the petition No.838 of 2019 regarding Great Indian Bustard (GIB) case, and the directions of the technical/expert committee constituted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in this regard,” it said.
Do You Know:
— According to trade data available on the Department of Commerce portal, from April 2023 to March 2024, India exported 11,933.83 million units (MU) of power worth $1.03 billion — 9.3 per cent of total exports of $11.06 billion — to the neighbouring country.
— In 2022-23, power exports to Bangladesh stood at $1.075 billion or 8.8 per cent of the total export volume of $12.21 billion.
— A line in/line out (LILO) substation is a type of electrical substation where the incoming and outgoing transmission lines are directly connected to each other without any intervening equipment. This simple configuration is only possible if the voltages and currents on the two lines are compatible. If not, more complex arrangements must be used.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍To help India’s economy, unleash the power sector
📍In $1-billion exports to Bangladesh, Adani power unit contributed most
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(1) Which one of the following is a purpose of ‘UDAY’, a scheme of the Government? (UPSC CSE 2016)
(a) Providing technical and financial assistance to start-up entrepreneurs in the field of renewable sources of energy
(b) Providing electricity to every household in the country by 2018
(c) Replacing the coal-based power plants with natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind and tidal power plants over a period of time
(d) Providing for financial turnaround and revival of power distribution companies
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
What’s the ongoing story: The government has told the Delhi High Court that the FCRA registration of the NGO Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) was cancelled because foreign contributions received by the organisation had been “diverted towards activities benefiting countries/ citizens such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan”.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What are Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)?
— What are the roles and responsibilities of an NGOs?
— How do they help in strengthening civil society?
— What are the concerns related to NGOs?
— What are Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regulations for NGOs?
— What are the concerns regarding CHRI that have been raised by the government?
Key Takeaways:
— This “diversion of benefits to unfriendly nations constitutes a grave concern and poses a potential threat to national security”, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said in an affidavit submitted to the court.
— CHRI’s registration under The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) was cancelled in September 2024 after the NGO “came under adverse notice through the inputs of the Security Agency”.
— The MHA’s affidavit is learnt to have made at least three specific allegations. First, that CHRI used foreign contributions on activities outside Indian territories in contravention of the FCRA.
— Second, as per the affidavit, CHRI deposited consultation fees amounting to almost Rs 32 lakh in its FCRA account, even though this sum was not FC.
— Third, the affidavit states CHRI provided “incomplete information” in statutory form FC-4 for FY-2018-19 by not providing details of the activities/ projects for which FC was received and utilised, and “incorrect information” for FY 2013-14 and FY 2018-19 on opening and closing balances.
— CHRI was founded in 1987 as a public charity in the UK, and brought to India in 1993 by the late jurist Soli Sorabjee. On June 7, 2021, its registration certificate under FCRA was suspended for six months (and later extended) over five alleged violations.
— CHRI had moved the HC at the time seeking quashing of the suspension order. As an interim relief, the court had allowed CHRI to use 25% of the FC towards payment of salaries to staff and consultants on humanitarian grounds. However, CHRI’s challenge to the suspension order was dismissed in February 2022.
Do You Know:
— The FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations. These concerns were, in fact, even older — they had been expressed in Parliament as early as in 1969.
— The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic”.
— In May this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the rules under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and henceforth, NGOs engaged in publication-related activities and receiving foreign contributions will not be able to publish any newsletter and must get a certificate from the Registrar of Newspapers for India that it does not circulate any news content.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Ministry amends FCRA norms: NGOs getting foreign funds can’t publish news content, says MHA
📍Explained: What is FCRA, the law related to NGO funding?
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
Civil Society Organizations are often perceived as being anti-State actors than non-State actors. Do you agree? Justify (UPSC CSE 2025)
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: While government hospitals make up a bulk of hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat, the health insurance scheme is largely being utilised by people to seek care in private-sector hospitals and at higher costs.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is the Ayushman Bharat Scheme?
— What is the National Health Authority?
— Who can avail this scheme?
— What are the initiatives taken by the government for the universalisation of the health sector?
— What is out-of-pocket expenditure?
— What is the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)?
Key Takeaways:
— The private sector accounts for over half of all the treatments approved and nearly two-thirds of the treatment cost received by beneficiaries under the scheme, according to the recently released annual report of the National Health Authority that runs the scheme.
— Over nine crore instances of treatment — costing Rs 1.29 lakh crore — have been accessed under the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme in the seven years since its inception.
— Of the total 31,005 hospitals empanelled under the scheme, only 45% were private sector-run. Yet, 52% of the 9.19 crore hospitalisations under the scheme were in private-sector hospitals, the report revealed.
— According to the report, the most commonly sought treatments under the scheme are haemodialysis and common medical maladies such as fever.
— Other than that, the most common treatments were for fevers (4%), gastroenteritis or stomach upset due to bacterial or viral infection (3%), and animal bites (3%).
— States such as Uttar Pradesh and Punjab were among the top in terms of both the number of patients travelling out of the state for treatment and those coming in for treatment.
— The report showed that the government’s plan to create a digital infrastructure to share health records across facilities is also well underway. Under this scheme, which was launched by the National Health Authority in 2021, 50 crore health records have already been linked.
Do You Know:
— The Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme was rolled out in 2018 with the aim of providing universal health coverage, especially in a country where a majority of hospital-based care — 60% in urban areas and 52% in rural areas — is provided by the private sector.
— This essentially means that the scheme has been able to prevent people from dipping into their savings or going into debt to afford care that they were anyway accessing at private hospitals. This is affirmed by the reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure even as the government expenditure has increased.
— PMJAY is for inpatient secondary and tertiary care. Outpatient services are not a part of the scheme. The latter component is being addressed through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), earlier called Health and Wellness Centres. With over 1,75,000 AAMs free consultations and many medicines (up to 172) and diagnostics (up to 63) are being provided free.
— AB PM-JAY is the world’s largest public health insurance scheme. It provides free cover up to Rs 5 lakh annually to all members of eligible families — estimated to comprise the bottom 40% of the population economically — irrespective of age.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget of the day: Ayushman Bharat
📍The road to Universal Health Coverage in India
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2023)
Statement-I: India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-ll is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-ll are correct and Statement-ll is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-l is correct but Statement-ll is incorrect
(d) Statement-l is incorrect but Statement-ll is correct
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
“Besides being a moral imperative of Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary pre-condition for sustainable development.” Analyze. (UPSC CSE 2021)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
What’s the ongoing story: Among the developments which Muttaqi’s unprecedented visit has yielded is India’s decision to re-establish the Embassy in Kabul. Since June 2022, almost a year after the Taliban took power, the Embassy has been functioning as a downgraded “technical mission”, principally to coordinate the distribution of humanitarian aid and development efforts.
Key Points to Ponder:
— How has India’s relationship with Afghanistan evolved in recent years?
— Know about the history of the Taliban group and how they came to power
— The series of engagements with Taliban acknowledge that, in a highly competitive neighbourhood, maintaining ties with the Taliban is a geostrategic necessity. Elaborate.
— What is the strategic significance of Afghanistan for India?
— Which country has formally recognised the Taliban government?
— What are India’s concerns with Taliban ruled Afghanistan?
— What is the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project?
Key Takeaways:
— Despite reopening its Embassy, however, India continues to refrain from formally recognising the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
— The actions of recognising a government or state, and establishing an embassy in that state, are distinct political acts which are governed by different norms of international law and practice
— Officially recognising the Taliban-run Islamic Emirate would entail India’s acceptance of its de jure nature. This would in turn mean that India deems the Taliban’s violent displacement of an elected government in 2021, to be a legitimate form of governmental transition within a recognised state.
— This would be similar to when India, in the 1980s, became the sole country to recognise the legitimacy of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan that was established after the 1978 coup.
— However, this does not mean that India cannot use traditional diplomatic tools to engage with the de facto entity ruling Afghanistan. Engaging with the Taliban does not violate any norms of international law as they presently stand (lex lata).
— International conventions such as the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and Consular Relations (1963) are functional documents meant to standardise and codify international practice regarding the rights and responsibilities of diplomatic and consular missions of a sending state, in a receiving state. They do not (and are not meant to) classify when a state can or cannot formally recognise a government.
— Cumulatively, along with India’s own steady increase in diplomatic interactions with the Taliban across the last two years, this has meant the assertive use of an ‘engagement-without-recognition’ model.
— India has used this model even for other states (such as Taiwan) or governments (such as the Myanmar junta) which it does not recognise. The former is represented by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Centre in New Delhi, and the latter controls the Myanmar Embassy through staff appointed by the de facto military leadership ruling Myanmar from 2021.
— India’s model for engagement is also not reliant on future recognition of the Taliban government, even if the possibility of a future Taliban-designated Ambassador in New Delhi remains. Notably, it is not unusual for Embassies to function without Ambassadors.
— Unlike avenues of diplomatic interaction, the question of granting political recognition is more linked with international practice. As the formal representative of the international comity of nations, the United Nations’ (UN’s) recognition in particular is a benchmark for legitimacy and remains the Taliban’s foremost foreign policy goal.
— Broadly, Kabul must satisfy the UN on three fronts: an inclusive government, dismantling terror groups operating in Afghanistan, and respect for human rights and liberties, especially of women and girls. Given the Taliban’s failure to meet a satisfactory threshold for all three thus far, the UN continues to reject the group’s efforts to claim Afghanistan’s UN seat. In November, 2024, the UNGA Credentials Committee rejected the Taliban’s request for the fourth year in a row.
— More functionally, the UN’s non-recognition also leaves other states’ abilities to host Taliban senior representatives subject to UN permissions. Muttaqi’s ongoing visit to New Delhi was itself possible due to the UNSC 1988 Sanctions Committee approving an exemption to his international travel ban on September 30.
— Even as they push their own forms of engagement-without-recognition, regional states are also seemingly united in their opposition to foreign militaries in Afghanistan which could raise the specter of violence again.
— India joined other states (including Pakistan) in the latest Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan to reiterate this position, especially in light of US President Trump’s recent efforts to regain control of the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan’s Parwan Province.
—Muttaqi’s remarks across events in New Delhi focused on showing Afghanistan to be a positive investment environment, with the Taliban also inviting Indian firms to invest in Afghanistan’s mining sector.
— He reiterated Afghanistan’s continuing interest in connectivity projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and increased transit through the Chabahar port in Iran.
— Even as Pakistan remains an unavoidable obstacle for TAPI and India’s investment in the Chabahar port remains vulnerable to US sanctions, the Taliban’s need to unlock greater Indian engagement remains.
Do You Know:
— According to the Asian Development Bank, the TAPI Pipeline extends for approx. 1,600 kilometers (km), from the Turkmenistan (TKM)-Afghanistan (AFG) border to the Pakistan (PAK)-India (IND) border. At full capacity, the pipeline will transport 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from TKM to respective buyers in AFG (5%), PAK (47.5%) and IND (47.5%) during the 30-year commercial operations period.
— Since Taliban captured Kabul in 2021, the global situation has changed. Taliban’s ally, Pakistan, has turned into an adversary; Iran has been weakened; Russia is fighting its own war; the US is behaving differently under Trump 2.0; and China is making inroads by exchanging ambassadors with Taliban.
— This explains India’s move to upgrade the level of official engagement with Taliban — or it will lose out on years of investment in Afghanistan, which is significant to its security calculations.
— Express View: The series of engagements confirms that New Delhi recognises the ground reality that the Taliban is the only force, for now, that appears capable of controlling all of Afghanistan. It is also an acknowledgement that, in a highly competitive neighbourhood, maintaining ties with the Taliban is a geostrategic necessity.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Express View on engaging with Taliban: A necessity
📍With new Great Game, India must engage with the Taliban and Kabul
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(3) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2022)
1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?
(a) 1, 2 and 5 only
(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 3, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
The proposed withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to safeguard its own strategic interests. (UPSC CSE 2013)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: In a significant move ahead of the festive season, the Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed the absolute ban on the sale and use of firecrackers in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), allowing government-approved “green crackers” on a “test case basis”.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What do you know about green crackers?
— Why is air pollution a big issue in Delhi NCR?
— What is the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)?
— What is the function of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)?\
— What are the factors leading to pollution in Delhi?
— What are the initiatives taken by the government to curb air pollution?
— What are the concerns related to green crackers?
— What is the impact of air pollution on human health?
Key Takeaways:
— The order, passed by a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, attempts to strike a balance between the livelihood concerns of the firecracker industry, festive traditions and the public health crisis caused by air pollution in the region every winter.
— The Supreme Court has laid down a strict regulatory framework for this temporary relaxation.
— The court’s reasoning stems from a desire to find a “balanced approach” after acknowledging that the complete ban had its own set of problems.
— First, the court noted that despite the ban, conventional and highly polluting firecrackers were being smuggled into the NCR and used rampantly. It reasoned that allowing a less-polluting alternative like green crackers in a regulated manner could be more effective than a complete ban that is difficult to enforce.
— Second, the development of green crackers, which the court was informed could reduce particulate emissions by 30-80%, presented a viable middle path. The order acknowledged the work done by NEERI in developing the chemical formulations for these less-polluting crackers.
— Third, both the Union and Delhi governments argued in favour of relaxing the ban, assuring the court of strict compliance with norms. This marked a shift from the previous stance, where the Delhi government had imposed a year-round ban.
— Finally, the court considered the economic hardship faced by the firecracker industry and its workers, as well as the concerns of neighbouring states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, large parts of which fall under the NCR and were affected by the ban.
— However, as air quality in the NCR continued to plummet each winter, the National Green Tribunal in 2020 imposed an “absolute” ban on the sale or use of firecrackers in NCR during the Diwali period.
— The term ‘green cracker’ does not mean it is pollution-free. It refers to a formulation developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and NEERI to have a reduced environmental impact compared to traditional firecrackers.
— Their key features are:
Do You Know:
— Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold. Stage 1 of GRAP is activated when the AQI is in the ‘poor’ category (201 to 300). The second, third and fourth stages will be activated three days ahead of the AQI reaching the ‘very poor’ category (301 to 400), ‘severe’ category (401 to 450) and ‘severe +’ category (above 450) respectively.
— The GRAP was first notified in January 2017 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This was based on a plan that was submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in November 2016.
— According to the notification, the task of implementing the GRAP fell on the now-dissolved Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the NCR. From 2021 onwards, the GRAP is being implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
— The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) was constituted through the CAQM Act, 2021, which came into force in the same year on April 13.
— The air quality monitoring body is tasked with better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index and related matters in NCR and adjoining areas. It has the power to take measures, issue directions and entertain complaints to protect and improve the air quality in the region.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget of the day: Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
📍Why air pollution should be an urgent national priority
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(4) In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index? (UPSC CSE 2016)
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve revised standards? (UPSC CSE 2021)
| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) |
Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for October 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
