UPSC Key: Open-Weight AI Models, National Offshore Exploration Scheme and Monsoon Dynamics

EXPLAINED

Can Chinese AI models shape future of tech race 

Syllabus: 

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.

What’s the ongoing story: In January 2025, the release of a Chinese artificial intelligence model called DeepSeek R1 drew global attention and briefly triggered market panic. It was a low-cost, quality product that was compared to ChatGPT and other top models from the United States as discussions about AI-related overspending were gaining ground.

Key Points to Ponder: 

— What is the global AI race?

— Why are the United States and China competing in artificial intelligence?

— What makes DeepSeek and Kimi K3 significant developments?

— What is the difference between open-source, open-weight, and closed-source AI models?

— Why do AI models require billions or trillions of parameters?

— What is generative AI, and how does it differ from traditional AI?

— Why are advanced semiconductors (AI chips) crucial for AI development?

— What is AI distillation, and why is it controversial?

Key Takeaways:

— DeepSeek also evoked curiosity and questions — just how capable is China’s AI sector? In parallel, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, accused DeepSeek of copying its technology, with a Trump administration adviser backing the claim. A similar sequence of events seems to be playing out now. 

— Chinese company Moonshot AI released its Kimi K3 model earlier this month, said to rival models from US-based companies OpenAI and Anthropic. It boasts features including coding, financial consulting, deep research, and video editing, and as demand surged, Moonshot AI paused sign-ups.

— Alongside its rise, Anthropic has accused Moonshot AI of illicitly extracting the capabilities of its Claude model, with one US government official describing it as “an assault on every economy that prizes the entrepreneur, rewards private capital, and relies on fair and honest competition.” On Monday (July 27), China’s Commerce Ministry accused the US of “AI hegemonism” in response.

— “Markets react strongly when a Chinese release challenges assumptions about permanent US technological leadership. Another sell-off is certainly possible,” said Lizzi C Lee, a Fellow on Chinese Economy at the US-based Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. But more than just being good, the Kimi story shows that Chinese models are now becoming more ubiquitous, she said.

Do You Know:

— Kimi K3 has been billed as the world’s largest “open-weight” AI system, with 2.8 trillion “parameters”. In the AI context, parameters are the settings that determine how systems respond to user prompts, based on the large amounts of data they have been trained on. Parameters are assigned “weights” or numerical values that indicate their relative significance, which guide the model’s response.

— Poe Zhao, a China Tech Analyst and Founder of the online publication Hello China Tech, explained that “An open-weight model allows developers to download its parameters, run it locally and customise it. Open source usually implies broader disclosure, including enough code and training information to understand and modify how the model was produced.”

— US companies have generally not followed the open model path, while many Chinese AI labs have made their models open-weight. That decision is not just a technical one. Zhao said that for Chinese AI labs, open weights are mainly a “distribution strategy”. “Leading US companies already have global cloud platforms and enterprise customers. Chinese labs can use open weights to reach developers more quickly, build an ecosystem” and generate demand for their products, he said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍OpenAI slashes prices for Luna and Terra AI models as competition heats up

📍Deepseek: How open-source AI is disrupting big tech’s monopoly

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 

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

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units

2. Create meaningful short stories and songs 

3. Disease diagnosis 

4. Text-to-Speech Conversion 

5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

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

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 

Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does Al help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of Al in healthcare? (UPSC CSE, 2023)

Between long wet and dry spells, July rain reduced much of deficit from June

Syllabus: 

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Salient features of World’s Physical Geography, Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent). 

What’s the ongoing story: After a significantly dry June and a poor start to the year’s monsoon season, July’s rainfall can be summed up as that of extremes. There were many rainy days during July, some of which went on to create historic records. But there were prolonged dry days, too.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the different types of monsoon experienced in India?

— What are the key factors responsible for the onset of the southwest monsoon?

— What are low-pressure systems, and what role do they play in India’s southwest monsoon?

— How does the movement of the monsoon trough influence wet and dry spells?

—  What is the Long Period Average (LPA), and why is it used to assess monsoon performance?

— How do El Niño and La Niña influence the Indian monsoon?

— Why does a strong El Niño generally lead to below-normal rainfall over India?

— What is the ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) phenomenon, and how is it monitored?

— How is climate change making the Indian monsoon more erratic?

—  Why is an accurate monsoon forecast crucial for India’s agriculture, economy, and disaster management?

Key Takeaways:

—  Even though July opened with a significant rainfall deficit (-35%), the monsoon’s advance into all parts of the country by July 9, propelled by the formation and dissipation of the season’s first low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, swung the weekly all-India rainfall figures from +45% (July 2-8) to -51% during July 9-15.

— Low-pressure systems form when warm air heats up, expands, and rises into the atmosphere. These can cause unstable and cloudy weather, stormy conditions, and strong winds. During the monsoon, these are the main rain-bearing systems.

— Rainfall in the last few days eliminated much of the deficit and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that during July 1-29, the country received normal rainfall. The same for July 1-30 was 13.9% below normal compared with the long period average (LPA). LPA is the mean rainfall recorded over a region for a specific time frame, calculated across a multi-decade span of 30 to 50 years.

— The all-India rainfall came close to normal for the first time in this season so far as July came to a draw. The country has, since June 1, recorded 389.8 mm (-12.6% from normal of the LPA). Notably, the day-on-day all-India rainfall remained below the normal mark

Do You Know:

— El Niño and La Niña are the two phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring ocean-atmosphere interaction. These events influence global weather patterns and can trigger extreme weather, droughts, and heatwaves across the globe. El Niño has a general warming impact on the planet. Over the Indian region, it has the effect of suppressing rainfall. This year, the monsoon in India is expected to be well below normal, mainly on account of the developing El Niño. The current El Niño event began in June and is predicted to intensify and continue into 2027.

— The ENSO phase and the intensity of the El Niño and La Niña events are decided by the sea surface temperatures measured in a specific region of the Pacific Ocean, called the Niño 3.4 region. An El Niño is declared when the average sea surface temperature anomaly in this region surpasses 0.50°C.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Monsoon revives: IMD warns of extremely heavy rainfall across eastern, central India

📍El Niño could become strongest since 1950: What it means for India

Previous year UPSC Mains Questions Covering similar theme:

(1) Why is the South-West Monsoon called Purvaiys’ (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region? (UPSC CSE, 2023) 

(2) What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 per cent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia? (UPSC CSE, 2017)

FIR over remarks on PM: How law treats obscenity, profanity

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government;

What’s the ongoing story: On Wednesday (July 29), Noida Police registered a Zero FIR against a 25-year-old woman over remarks made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The FIR invokes Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — covering insult, public mischief and defamation.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the difference between free speech, hate speech, and obscenity under Indian law?

— What constitutes obscenity under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?

— How have Indian courts interpreted the concept of obscenity over time?

— What is the difference between criticism, defamation, and public mischief under the BNS?

— What is a Zero FIR, and when can it be registered?

— Can offensive or abusive language alone amount to a criminal offence in India?

— What are the reasonable restrictions on free speech under Article 19(2)?

— How do courts balance freedom of expression with public order and individual reputation?

— What is the significance of the ‘community standards test’ in determining obscenity?

Key Takeaways:

— The case has triggered a public debate, veering into moralistic notions about profanity, especially against public leaders. Is crude language a crime in India? The provision most commonly reached for in such disputes is Section 296 of the BNS (Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code). 

— It punishes “whoever, to the annoyance of others, (a) does any obscene act in any public place, or (b) sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place” with up to three months in jail. It is the default charge for loud, crude public behaviour. But “obscene” carries a precise legal meaning that courts have read narrowly.

— The legal doctrine for defining obscenity in India was tested by the ban on DH Lawrence’s final novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, published in the 20th century. In the 1965 landmark ruling in Ranjit D. Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra, the Supreme Court upheld the book ban and the constitutionality of Section 292 of the IPC, which allows the “sale of obscene books”.

— In doing so, the court also laid down the test for obscenity: an 1868 English rule called the Hicklin test. The test asked whether isolated passages of a work could corrupt the most vulnerable reader, and the court determined that Lady Chatterley’s Lover did that.

— The test changed significantly in 2014 with Aveek Sarkar v State of West Bengal, where the SC held that a nude photograph of tennis player Boris Becker and his fiancée was not obscene, and formally discarded Hicklin for a “community standards” test. This test stated that the allegedly problematic material is obscene only if it “tends to arouse sexual feelings, judged by an average person applying contemporary standards.”

— Court rulings on this issue frequently state that for an utterance to be considered obscene, it must be shown that it was lascivious. Lascivious is an adjective that means feeling, showing, or expressing a strong, often inappropriate desire for sex. Anything that falls short of that yardstick is likely not to be considered “obscene” in criminal law.

Do You Know:

— The sections actually cited in the zero FIR (insult, public mischief and defamation) sit in an entirely different chapter of the BNS, each with its own, narrower test. Section 352 requires proof that the accused intended, or knew it was likely, that the insult would provoke an actual breach of public peace and not simply that someone felt insulted.

— Public mischief under Section 253 is aimed at incitement: mutiny within the armed forces, fear likely to push people toward offences against the state, or enmity between communities. This is a considerably higher bar than sharp criticism of a leader. Defamation, too, carries long-standing exceptions for good-faith comment on a public figure’s conduct in their public role.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Lady Chatterley’s Lover on Netflix: Obscenity trials the book faced, including in India

📍Age rating to list of don’ts: Draft rules on obscenity online

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

In the present digital age, social media has revolutionised our way of communication and interaction. However, it has raised several ethical issues and challenges. Describe the key ethical dilemmas in this regard. (UPSC CSE, 2025)

What strong IIP growth conceals: persistent weakness in consumer demand

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

What’s the ongoing story: Earlier this week, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the recently updated Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data. It showed that the IIP grew by 7.3% year-on-year (YoY) in June 2026. 

Key Points to Ponder: 

— What is the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and why is it an important indicator of industrial growth?

— Which sectors are covered under the IIP, and how are they weighted?

— What is the difference between sector-wise and use-based classification in the IIP?

— Why can strong industrial production coexist with weak consumer demand?

— What does sustained growth in capital goods and infrastructure goods signify?

— Why is weak growth in consumer non-durable goods a concern for the Indian economy?

— How does government capital expenditure (CapEx) influence industrial production?

— What is the relationship between IIP, GDP growth, and employment?

— How does inflation affect consumer demand and industrial production?

Key Takeaways:

— This spike comes at a time when most observers suggest that India’s growth in the current year will slow down. As such, the IIP data presents a contrasting picture. However, a closer look at the data reveals more about the state of the Indian economy: the sectors that are pulling it up and those that are dragging it down.

— The past three quarters — nine months — show a clear trend where consumer goods growth has been fairly tepid, especially for consumer non-durables, while capital goods, infrastructure goods and intermediate goods growth has been very strong. Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist of Bank of Baroda, says there is a weakness in consumer demand both in rural and urban India, which are bogged down by higher prices.

— “The weakness in demand for consumer non-durables is evident from the corporate earnings of many FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies. The high growth in capital and infrastructure goods is in line with the higher infrastructure spending taking place in the country, especially from the government’s side. That also explains why intermediate goods have shown a rise, as everything from metals to machinery is being used here,” said Sabnavis.

— Weak growth in the production of primary goods is due to supply disruptions and higher prices, thanks to the events in West Asia. Dipti Deshpande, Senior Director and Principal Economist, Crisil Limited, explained: “The weakness in consumer goods IIP during most quarters of fiscal 2026 was largely driven by pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel and leather, sectors that were most vulnerable to tariff-related uncertainties.”

Do You Know:

— As the name suggests, the IIP maps changes in the volume of production in Indian industries. It chooses a basket of industrial products — ranging from the manufacturing sector to mining to energy — to create an index by allocating different weights to each sector and then tracks their production every month. Finally, the index value is compared to where it stood the previous year to understand the economy’s industrial health.

— There are two ways to read the IIP data, based on how the government provides it. The first method sees the different sectors that form India’s industrial base like mining, quarrying, electricity and gas supply, water supply etc. The other way is to look at the “use-based” classification, or examine the use to which industrial goods are put.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | India unveils modernized Index of Industrial Production : 5 key changes that matter

Previous year UPSC Prelims Questions Covering similar theme:

(2) In India the overall Index of Industrial Production, the Indices of Eight Core Industries have combined weight of 37.90%. Which of the following are among those Eight Core Industries? (UPSC CSE, 2012)

1. Cement

2. Fertilizers 

3. Natural Gas 

4. Refinery products 

5. Textiles 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 5 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

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

(3) In the ‘Index of Eight Core Industries, which one of the following is given the highest weight?

(UPSC CSE, 2015) 

(a) Coal Production

(b) Electricity generation

(c) Fertilizer production

(d) Steel production

 

ECONOMY

Govt nod to 84k cr scheme to boost offshore oil & gas exploration

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy

What’s the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to a Rs 84,084-crore scheme aimed at boosting oil and gas exploration and production from the country’s offshore basins, and reducing the dependence on imported energy. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are hydrocarbons, and why are they important for energy security?

— What are offshore, deep-sea, and ultra-deep-sea hydrocarbon reserves?

— Why is India focusing on offshore oil and gas exploration?

— What is the Samudra Manthan (National Offshore Exploration Scheme)?

— Why does India remain heavily dependent on crude oil and natural gas imports?

— How can increasing domestic oil and gas production strengthen India’s energy security?

— How does the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) promote oil and gas exploration in India?

— What is the significance of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for offshore energy exploration?

Key Takeaways:

—  The ambitious ‘Samudra Manthan’ scheme, or the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, will provide financial support for exploratory drilling in deep-sea and ultra-deep-sea areas and support building of common infrastructure for production of discovered hydrocarbons in offshore areas, apart from funding offshore data acquisition and developing hydrocarbon manufacturing and services zones. The outlay is for implementation till financial year 2030-31.

— “The Scheme encompasses a comprehensive set of interventions across the offshore exploration value chain. It provides for large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, accelerated deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling, scientific drilling in frontier basins, development of common offshore production and evacuation infrastructure, and establishment of an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone,” the government said in a release.

— Under the Samudra Manthan scheme, Rs 43,200 crore will be allocated to support deep-sea exploratory drilling, which involves significant costs and risks, while Rs 28,534 crore will be earmarked for offshore data acquisition.

—Another Rs 10,000 crore will be used to partially fund building of common infrastructure to bring the discovered oil and gas reserves into production, while Rs 2,000 crore will be earmarked for developing oil and gas manufacturing and services zones.

— Subject to exploration success, the scheme aims to increase India’s domestic oil and gas production from around 62 mtoe to 80 mtoe annually and expand the country’s hydrocarbon resource base from 1,600 mtoe to 2,2oo mtoe. The additional production has the potential to reduce crude oil imports by nearly Rs 1 lakh crore annually, strengthening India’s energy security and reducing import dependence, as per the government.

Do You Know:

— India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and also a major consumer of natural gas, but has a high degree of import dependency — over 88% for oil and about 50% in the case of natural gas. This makes the country’s economy vulnerable to global energy market volatility, and even poses supply risks, as has been witnessed during the ongoing West Asia crisis. Moreover, the country’s energy demand is on the rise, while domestic production is stagnant.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Why is natural gas discovery in Andaman basin making headlines?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Consider the following activities : (UPSC CSE, 2025)

1. Production of crude oil

2. Refining, storage and distribution of petroleum

3. Marketing and sale of petroleum products

4. Production of natural gas

How many of the above activities are regulated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in our country? 

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All the four

 

WORLD 

Trump hails gaza truce deal even as Hamas and Israel see hurdles

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

What’s the ongoing story: Senior Hamas officials have confirmed they have reached a deal to end the conflict with Israel, after US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his “Board of Peace” had reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza calling it a major milestone in carrying out his 20-point plan to end the war. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the historical background of the Israel–Palestine conflict?

— What are the major issues preventing a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine?

— What is the Two-State Solution, and why has it remained difficult to implement?

— What is the significance of the Gaza Strip in the Israel–Palestine conflict?

— Locate the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Israel, and neighbouring countries on a map.

— Why is West Asia (Middle East) strategically important for global politics and energy security?

— What has been India’s traditional position on the Israel–Palestine issue?

— What is the Board of Peace, and what are its stated objectives?

— What are the functions of an international peacekeeping or stabilisation force?

Key Takeaways:

— The 20-Point Plan is Trump’s broader roadmap for ending the war in Gaza, of which Thursday’s disarmament agreement forms one part. Trump said the deal would pave the way for Gaza to finally be governed by a new Palestinian government working alongside the Board of Peace, while giving Israel the security it needs so the territory is no longer used as a base for attacks.

— Hamas spoke directly with mediators, including Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, and agreed to sign onto the agreement, according to reports by Aljazeera. Disarmament had long been seen as one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations, but Hamas has now agreed to hand over its weapons to the International Stabilisation Force.

— Specific zones in Gaza will be identified and demilitarised, with the process moving to its next phase only once verified by an independent body.

— Trump said the agreement would be carried out in structured phases: as disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza, while an International Stabilisation Force works with a new Palestinian police force to take charge of security for both Gaza’s residents and its neighbours. He warned that the threat that emerged from Gaza on 7 October would not be allowed to rebuild.

Do You Know:

— Trump first announced the Board of Peace in September 2025 while outlining his plan to end Israel’s war in the devastated territory, with the United Nations (UN) backing the plan. But since then, as the body’s chair, he has expanded its mandate to “resolving global conflict”, triggering criticism that it could undermine the UN. While 27 countries, many of them from West Asia, have accepted Trump’s invitation to join the board, India and several others in the West and Global South have not. 

— The board’s 27 members include major West Asian countries such as Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Bahrain. Trump’s right-wing allies Argentina and Hungary are members, as are Vietnam and Cambodia. Pakistan, too, is a member.

— India’s commitment to the UN and multilateralism will be put on test if the Board of Peace tends to undermine the UN framework and positions itself as a parallel body. New Delhi is wary of the fact that the Board of Peace might wade into other conflicts, beyond Gaza. After all, its charter does not even mention Gaza. Trump has said the body “is for the world”. And Trump’s penchant for getting involved in the India-Pakistan conflict is something that concerns India the most. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍A tough road to Hamas disarmament

📍Hamas dissolves Gaza government: What happens next?

📍Why Donald Trump’s new Gaza ‘peace plan’ is different from his earlier interventions, and the challenges ahead

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.

Statement-II: The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.

(d) Statement-I- is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

“Energy security constitutes the dominant kingpin of India’s foreign policy, and is linked with India’s overarching influence in Middle Eastern countries.” How would you integrate energy security with India’s foreign policy trajectories in the coming years?

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

At root of exam leaks, a problem of centralisation

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Issues and Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure, Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.

What’s the ongoing story: The multiple leaks during the past decade or so are because of structural weaknesses and covert objectives. The heart of the problem is neither failure of technology nor weak laws.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the constitutional provisions governing the distribution of powers between the Union and the States in the field of education?

— Why is education placed in the Concurrent List of the Constitution?

— What are the advantages and challenges of centralised versus decentralised entrance examinations?

— How has the growth of the coaching industry affected India’s education system?

— Which level of government—the Union or the States—is responsible for conducting public examinations in India?

— What is the National Testing Agency (NTA), and why was it established?

— Which major entrance examinations are conducted by the NTA?

— How can paper leaks undermine the credibility of public examinations?

— What are the key provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024?

— What is the role of technology in preventing examination malpractices?

Key Takeaways:

— The first problem is centralisation. Before the NTA-based examination started, every state had its tests for engineering, medicine and law, and leaks were rarer. States had a stake in a clean examination process. With centralisation and uniform tests by the NTA, the involvement of the states is minimised, and the Centre can push its agenda to the detriment of most candidates. The evangelical search for uniformity defies logic and is detrimental.

— With the centralisation of testing comes the flourishing of the coaching industry. Dependence on coaching or tuition shops has become so complete that doing well in a standardised test has become well-nigh impossible without them. The coaching-tuition-profiteering model has consolidated, and they charge a hefty sum for training.

— While China was able to demolish the entire coaching-tuition industry in 2021, in India it is yet to be recognised as a problem. The industry expands relentlessly even though it strains parents’ finances, wastes families’ time and resources, and takes young people away from the fun of learning and growing up.

Do You Know:

— In the US, the ETS administers centralised tests. In the past 50 years, there has not been a single “paper leak”. The NTA, which has questionable procedures and a skeletal staff, should have been jettisoned when it failed time and again. Where there are question setters, there can be selection bias. 

— The ETS does not have any specific question setters. They have a question bank, and questions are algorithmically selected for a test. In India, ideological bias makes the system more likely to turn a blind eye. Given repeated failures, we should go back to the decentralised system, with the NTA handling examinations for institutions under the purview of the central government, if that.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Before Team Nilekani, ex-ISRO chief-led panel tried to fix exams: What its report said

📍Parliament debates examination Bill: How it compares with states’ anti-cheating laws

📍What new fast-track courts can address: Lapses in exam leak probes, weak legal provisions

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What are the aims and objectives of recently passed and enforced, The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024? Whether University/State Education Board examinations, too, are covered under the Act? (UPSC, CSE 2024)

ALSO IN NEWS

Bloomberg defers India’s inclusion into global index

— Despite the best efforts of the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bloomberg Index Services Ltd (BISL) on Friday again deferred the inclusion of Indian government bonds into its Bloomberg Global Aggregate Index, saying the announced reforms need to be “fully reflected in day-to-day market practice” before such a decision is made.

— Coming more than six months after its last update, the latest deferral will disappoint the bond market that has seen improvement in foreign investments after a raft of measures were announced on June 5 to make Indian government bonds – issued by the Centre to borrow money and bridge the gap between its income and expenditure – more attractive to foreign investors.

N-reactor cost soars 55%: Why price escalation may affect clean energy plans

— The project cost of the four under-construction Russian-designed nuclear reactor units at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNP) has increased by nearly 55% over the original sanctioned cost since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

— The sharp rise in project costs comes at a crucial juncture for India’s nuclear power sector. Last year, the government opened the tightly regulated civil nuclear sector to private participation, drawing interest from global nuclear technology suppliers from Russia, the US, and France. As Indian companies evaluate partnerships and competing reactor technologies, project costs are expected to be a key consideration as any significant cost escalation could ultimately translate into higher electricity tariffs.

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (b) 2. (c)  3. (b) 4. (b) 5. (c)

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