UPSC Key: Pellet Gun, Assam floods and Typhoon

PM sets up high-powered task force on exam reforms led by Nandan Nilekani

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: The BJP-led NDA government has formed a high-powered task force to look into next-generation reforms for the country’s education sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Instagram Sunday.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why the government has formed a high-powered task force?

• Who are the members of high-powered task force?

• Who is Nandan Nilekani?

• What are the challenges confronting examination system in India?

• Why are examination reforms important for governance?

• How can technology reduce paper leaks?

• What India’s existing law to tackle exam fraud says?

• What are measures/steps are required to make India’s examination system transparent, secure and inclusive?

Key Takeaways:

• To be headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, PM Modi said the task force was another step aimed at securing the future of the nation’s students and making India’s education system more “reliable, transparent” and technology-driven.

• “Friends, for the future of students, the government of India is, continuously taking several steps. Those who played with the future of students are rotting in jails. We have established fast track courts; in Parliament too tomorrow, we are moving towards making a new law with tough provisions. But we have to think of the future. That our education system becomes reliable, transparent and uses technology to the maximum,” the PM said in his reel, which was followed by the same video message in a post on X.

• PM Modi’s message in this regard comes on the eve of a “tough” new law aimed at increasing both the quantum of punishment and fine for those involved in exam paper leaks – The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 – scheduled to be tabled in Parliament.

• “Keeping all these things in mind, it has been decided to create a high-powered task force under world renowned technology expert Shri Nandan Nilekani which will focus on examination reform; on the basis of its report, the work of making our examination system more dependable will be done as soon as possible” PM Modi added.

Do You Know:
The BJP-led NDA government has formed a high-powered task force to look into next-generation reforms for the country’s education sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Instagram Sunday. The members are:

• Nandan Nilekani—The co-founder and chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited, Nilekani was the founding chairman of the UIDAI in the rank of a Cabinet Minister from 2009-2014. In January 2023, he was appointed the co-chair of the “G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion, and Development”.

• Amrit Lal Meena— A retired Bihar-cadre IAS officer (1989 batch), Meena served as Chief Secretary of Bihar from August 2024 to August 2025. He was earlier the Secretary in the Coal Ministry, and before that he held the charge of Special Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT. In the six-member high-powered task force on examination reforms, he has been appointed as the Logistics Expert. He holds a BTech in electrical engineering.

• Anita Karwal—She was India’s Education Secretary between 2020 and her retirement in 2022. Before that, Karwal was the chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). After her retirement, she was appointed as the chairperson of Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Karwal was closely involved with the development of the government’s National Education Policy 2020. She is a retired Gujarat cadre IAS officer (1988-batch).

• S Somanath—He served as ISRO chairperson between 2022 and 2025. It was under his leadership that India achieved the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s South Pole. He was also at the helm of the space agency when the small satellite launch vehicle was operationalised, and its heaviest launch vehicle LVM3 was adapted for launching in different types of orbit.

• Dr V Kamakoti—He is the director of IIT Madras, a role he assumed in 2022. Kamakoti specialises in computer architecture, security and artificial intelligence. He is known for leading the research team that developed India’s first indigenous microprocessor ‘Shakti’, which can be used in mobile computing devices and networking systems. He was the chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force constituted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Kamakoti did his PhD from IIT Madras in 1995 and then joined the institute as an assistant professor in 2001.

• Tapan Deka—A 1988-batch IPS officer of the Himachal cadre, he served as the IB chief for four years. Deka is credited with strengthening intelligence coordination through the modernisation of the Multi Agency Centre, enhancing intelligence-sharing between central and state agencies, and playing a key role in generating actionable intelligence for counter-terrorism and anti-Maoist operations. Earlier, he spent over a decade in the IB’s Operations branch, overseeing counter-terrorism efforts against the Indian Mujahideen and the Islamic State.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Meet the six experts in the high-powered task force

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Which of the following provisions of the Constitution of India have a bearing on Education? (UPSC CSE, 2012)
1. Directive Principles of State Policy
2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies
3. Fifth Schedule
4. Sixth Schedule
5. Seventh Schedule
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3, 4 and 5 only
(c) 1, 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

RAF man fired 7 rounds from pellet gun, 5 hit protesters: Probe

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies III: Disaster and disaster management and Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

• General Studies IV: accountability and ethical governance

What’s the ongoing story: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is learnt to have found that a person from its Rapid Action Force (RAF), who was deployed in Connaught Place area during the July 20 protest march to Parliament, fired at least seven rounds from his pellet gun. Five rounds hit protesters, while two struck the ground, sources told The Indian Express.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is rapid action force?

• What is the difference between CRPF and RAF?

• What is a pellet gun?

• Are pellet guns legal for crowd control in India?

• How severe can pellet injuries be?

• What is crowd management?

• What are the methods of crowd riot control by the police?

• Discuss the role of the CRPF and Delhi Police Force in ensuring crowd management at Jantar Mantar.

• What law says about controlling protests and large number of gatherings?

• How does the law differentiate between lawful and unlawful gatherings?

• What is the concept of graded use of force in crowd management?

• Use of force by police involves an ethical dilemma between protecting public order and safeguarding individual rights-what is your take?

Key Takeaways:

• As reported by The Indian Express earlier, the CRPF had initiated an inquiry into whether pellet guns were used by RAF personnel during the crackdown on protesters.

• At least three persons were treated in hospitals for pellet gun injuries sustained during the protest march — Irshad Sheikh, 25, who works in Gurgaon; Sahil Lochab, 19, a Delhi University student, and a 28-year-old journalist with Outlook magazine.

• After examining log entries made by RAF personnel, it emerged that a total of seven pellet rounds had been fired by one RAF person in Connaught Place, said a source. “Five of the rounds hit the protesters and two hit the ground. The rounds were fired after protesters attacked security personnel and started pelting stones,” the source said.

• When contacted, DG (CRPF) Gyanendra Pratap Singh reiterated his earlier statement: “Now, since the agitation has been called off, and assembled people have dispersed, we would make a professional post-event assessment, like we do after every major assignment, and then let you know the view of the Force headquarter.”

Do You Know:

• Pellets are loaded with lead and once fired they disperse in huge numbers. They don’t follow a definite path. Pellets penetrate the skin’s soft tissues, and eye being the delicate structure is the most vulnerable to damage. Once the pellet goes inside an eye it shatters tissues and causes multiple damages to all parts of the eye.

• Pellet guns was introduced by the J&K police in 2010 when more then 100 people were killed during the stone-pelting protests. Police officials said that one cartridge of a pellet gun contains a few hundred pellets which resemble ball bearings. The moment it is fired, the cartridge bursts and immediately throws hundreds of pellet from a single point.

• According to the official website of CRPF, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), is a specialised rapid reaction wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) established in October 1992 to deal with riot and crowd control situations. RAF has its own flag, symbolizing peace. It was awarded the President’s Colour on 7 October 2003 for distinguished service.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What are pellet guns and why are they so lethal?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) In a multi-ethnic district where both economic competition and historical grievances frequently led to community tensions, a flashpoint has arisen with a Government decision to allocate land for a waste management facility near a tribal hamlet, sparking protests by the tribal community, which claimed that the land was sacred and critical to their cultural identity. At the same time, urban residents and local industries supported the project, citing severe solid waste challenges and health concerns due to lack of a proper disposal site. The conflict has escalated with road blockades, social media campaigns, and allegations of police excesses.
As a responsible Government official, you are tasked with resolving the situation through mediation, ensuring a sustainable outcome that balances environmental needs, tribal rights, and urban public health.
Consider the following statements with reference to the above: (UPSC CSE, 2026)
1. A successful conflict resolution process must begin with acknowledging the cultural concerns of the protesting tribal community before discussing technical alternatives.
2. The Government should move ahead with the project without delay to address urban health concerns, which outweigh the sentiments of a small group.
3. Creating a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform- including tribal leaders, environmental experts, and municipal representatives – to build mutual understanding and help de-escalate tensions.
4. Conducting an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and sharing findings transparently with both sides to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
Which of the statements given above would contribute to the resolution process?
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and

Explained

Indus Waters Treaty: India’s plans, Pakistan’s protests

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What’s the ongoing story: Pakistan has been increasingly targeting India in recent weeks over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which New Delhi had placed in “abeyance” after the Pahalgam terror attack last April.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What does keeping the Indus Waters treaty ‘in abeyance’ mean?

• Know the significance of the Indus Waters Treaty in the context of India-Pakistan relations.

• What is “weaponisation of the Indus waters”?

• What are the legal mechanisms provided within the Indus Waters Treaty for dispute resolution?

• What are the challenges and opportunities that arise from the construction of hydroelectric projects in shared river basins, with specific reference to the Indus River system?

• Since it was signed in 1960, what has the Indus Waters Treaty meant for India?

• When the treaty is renegotiated, what changes should India ask for?

• The Indus originates in Tibet. Should India be concerned about China’s interference while it resolves the river issue with Pakistan?

Key Takeaways:

• The Pakistan government organised a seminar in Islamabad that brought together civilian leaders, climate experts and civil-military officials to discuss the growing threat from India’s “weaponisation of the Indus waters”.

• Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently said his country would not hesitate to go to war if its water security is breached. And its military leadership signalled its own institutional readiness to act through a formal statement issued on July 6, following a Corps Commanders Conference chaired by General Asim Munir.

• On April 23, 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Security had said: “The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” About 15 months later, it is time to evaluate why India did so, the key arguments, and what New Delhi is planning now.

• India maintains it has honoured the treaty through six decades amid wars, military crises, terror attacks and prolonged periods of bilateral hostility as Pakistan pursued a sustained policy of cross-border terrorism. According to New Delhi, agreements of this nature cannot remain insulated from persistent acts of hostility.

• India also feels that Pakistan’s conduct under the treaty has reflected a consistent pattern of obstruction. Since the early years of implementation, virtually every Indian project on the Western Rivers (meant for Pakistan’s use) — irrespective of its size, storage capacity or technical design — has been objected to by Pakistan.

• Indian officials argue that the treaty’s dispute resolution provisions, intended as an exceptional mechanism for resolving genuine differences, were progressively converted into instruments for delaying Indian projects.

• While India’s argument is that it can develop its own water system, its rhetoric of “water and blood cannot flow together” has been perceived to be directed at its domestic political constituency. That weakens its argument in front of the global audience, which often is more sympathetic to Pakistan which portrays itself as the victim as a lower riparian country.

Do You Know:

• The IWT guides the distribution of the waters of the Indus and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. Now, the IWT itself states that the treaty cannot be altered unilaterally. Article XII of the IWT says that the treaty can only be terminated “by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments”. The article also says that it “may from time to time be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments”.

• The term “hold in abeyance” is not recognised in international law, and it does not find a mention in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969 (VCLT), a multilateral treaty which regulates treaties among nations.

• The VCLT recognises circumstances for “termination” or “suspension” of treaties. Article 62 states that “fundamental change of circumstances” may be ground for terminating a treaty under some conditions.

• The Indus treaty has endured for almost 65 years, sharing the waters of the Indus river system — the ‘Eastern Rivers’, namely Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, for India, and the ‘Western Rivers’ of Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab for Pakistan.

• India is constructing two hydroelectric power projects—the Kishenganga HE project on Kishenganga river, a tributary of Jhelum, and the Ratle Hydroelectric project on Chenab river.

• Pakistan has objected to the construction of these two projects. In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to India’s Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs).

• The IWT reflects the technological and hydrological realities of the late 1950s. More than six decades later, those circumstances have changed fundamentally. India’s population has increased several-fold, resulting in substantially higher demand for drinking water, irrigation, industry and urban development needs.
States dependent upon the Indus Basin — including Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan — face increasing water stress and growing developmental requirements that could not have been envisaged when the Treaty was negotiated.

• India also faces a serious challenge of declining groundwater levels, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, making greater utilisation of available surface water an urgent national priority.

The Indus Basin

• At the same time, the hydrological regime has evolved, with reduced availability in the Eastern Rivers (for India’s use) while flows in the Western Rivers (for Pakistan’s use) have not experienced a comparable decline.

• Climate change has further altered basin dynamics through greater hydrological variability, increasing the need for flood moderation, drought resilience, storage optimisation and adaptive reservoir operations.

• India is expediting projects designed to prevent the avoidable wastage of waters allocated to it.
A key priority will be the accelerated development of hydropower projects on the Chenab basin. These are critical for India’s clean energy transition, grid stability and regional development.
Major projects under implementation include the 1,856 MW Sawalkot Hydroelectric Project, the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, the 850 MW Ratle Project, the 624 MW Kiru Project and the 540 MW Kwar Project.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Renegotiating Indus Waters Treaty: way forward for India

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct? (UPSC CSE, 2021)
(a) Chenab
(b) Jhelum
(c) Ravi
(d) Sutlej

This year’s Fields medal confirms China’s rising maths prowess

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

What’s the ongoing story: Two Chinese mathematicians are among the four to have been awarded this year’s Fields Medal, making it one of the rare occasions when more than one person from the same country have featured on the list in any year. The Fields Medal is the highest prize in mathematics, considered equivalent to the Nobel, only tougher.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Fields Medal-Know in brief

• Who are this year’s Fields Medal winners?

• Why Fields Medal is important?

• Where does India stand in terms of spending on research and development (R&D)?

• India’s spending on R&D vis a Vis China’s spending on R&D-compare

• What do you understand by Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD)?

• Reasons for low R&D spending in India?

Key Takeaways:

• It is awarded only once in four years, and only mathematicians below 40 years of age are eligible.

• This is the first time that any Chinese national has won the medal. There have been a couple of Chinese-origin mathematicians, including the widely-recognised Terrence Tao, who have won this in the past.

• The two Chinese winners this time, Yu Deng and Hong Wang, have also been teaching at American universities where most of their prize-winning work has also happened. But they continue to be Chinese nationals, and are products of Chinese universities. Wang has become only the third woman, after Iran’s Maryam Mirzakhani and Ukrainian Maryna Viazovska, to win the Fields Medal.

• The other two winners this year are John Pardon, a US national, and Jacob Tsimerman, a Soviet-born Canadian. Unlike the Nobel Prize, which can be shared by at most three people, the Fields Medal recognises at least two, and up to four people, in every four-year cycle.

• Considering how rare this distinction is, the Fields Medal makes global headlines every time it is announced. This year it has garnered special attention because of the presence of two Chinese nationals on the list, both recognised for their role in resolving a few long-standing puzzles in mathematics. It is being seen as a validation of the consistent effort that China has made on improving the quality of higher education and basic research over the last couple of decades.

Do You Know:

• The Fields Medal is awarded every four years to one or more mathematicians under the age of 40 in recognition of “outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement”.
—The honour carries a physical medal of 14K gold, 63.5 mm in diameter and weighing 169 g, and with a unit price of approximately 5,500 Canadian dollars, according to the IMU website. There is also a cash award of CAD 15,000.
—The obverse of the medal is embossed with the head of Archimedes facing right, and the Latin words “Transire suum pectus mundoque potiri”, translated as “To pass beyond your understanding and make yourself master of the universe”.
—The reverse has the inscription “Congregati ex toto orbe mathematici ob scripta insignia tribuere”, or “The mathematicians having congregated from the whole world awarded (this medal) because of outstanding writings”.

• China’s emergence in science and technology sector has been noticeable for several years now. At least two of its universities consistently rank in the top 20 in the world and 4-5 in the top 50. Its expenditure on research and development (R&D) has grown from less than one per cent of GDP in 2000 to about 2.6 per cent now. Considering that China’s GDP itself has grown by over ten times during this period, the investments in R&D have been massive.

• According to the latest OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook, China is now spending almost as much as the United States on R&D in purchasing power parity terms. Its researcher base has increased by over three times in the last 20 years, and now adds to more than 2.28 million, the highest in the world. It is also one of the top contributors of research papers in the most prestigious and cited scientific journals.

• A strong tradition of mathematics has existed for long in India too, but it is still to build a critical mass of leading mathematicians at its universities and institutions. Some of the best Indian mathematicians happen to be working at institutions in other countries. Two Indian-origin Indians have so far won the Fields Medal, Manjul Bhargava in 2014 and Akshay Venkatesh in 2018.

• Bhargava is a Canadian-American while Venkatesh moved to Australia when he was very young. Incidentally, Bhargava, who is an accomplished tabla player and also a scholar of traditional Indian knowledge systems, is now advising the Indian government to reform the education system and improve the research ecosystem in the country.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: What is the Fields Medal, so-called ‘Mathematics Nobel’ awarded to Ukrainian professor and three others?

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Scientific research in Indian universities is declining because a career in science is not as attractive as are business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer-oriented. Critically comment. (2014)

Why assam is experiencing unprecedented flooding this year

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story: At least 66 lives lost in around a week, close to seven lakh people affected and the government yet to reach more than 50,000 people for relief — Assam is in the grip of an unprecedented wave of floods.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map Work-Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat

• Assam floods-which are affected areas?

• What are the reasons cited for floods in Assam this year??

• What are the main causes of floods in Assam every year?

• What is the geographical situation of Assam?

• The flood and erosion problem of Assam is singularly different from other states-How?

• How riverbank erosion is also one of the reason for the massive floods in Assam?

• What measures has Assam government has taken for flood management?

• What are the ecological problems faced by the Assam?

• What are the disaster governance challenges revealed by the Assam floods?

Key Takeaways:

• The people who live in the three most affected districts — the Upper Assam districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat — say they have never experienced such flooding in their lifetimes, as the devastating waters spread to new parts of this region each day.

• With floodwaters rapidly reaching critical levels on Sunday (July 19) and spreading since then, the total population affected is now estimated at seven lakh across 856 villages in 12 districts.

• Entire villages, vast expanses of agricultural land and major towns such as Sivasagar have been inundated with water well above chest level.

• Since Monday, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority has recorded 58 deaths, including that of six children. But authorities have pointed out that it is very likely that this toll will rise as the full extent of the destruction unfolds. More than 1.15 lakh people are in relief camps and around 4,455 have been evacuated from flooded areas in boats by the NDRF, Army, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services and local administrations.

• Critically, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Friday that the government is yet to be able to reach around 30% of areas in Nazira Assembly constituency and around 20% in Sivasagar constituency, both in Sivasagar district, even after water levels have come down.

Do You Know:

• The Assam government had initially attributed the flooding to a “cloudburst” in the neighbouring hill district of Mon in Nagaland on July 19.

• A scientist at the Meteorological Centre Kohima, however, told The Indian Express that the area had not experienced a cloudburst — which the India Meteorological Department defines as rainfall exceeding 100 mm within one hour — but rather heavy rainfall of 137 mm over the course of eight to nine hours on that day. This had also triggered multiple landslides in Mon, leaving nine people dead.

• Gauhati University professor of Geography Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, who is studying the current wave of floods, said there has indeed been excessive rainfall.
“While we are still studying, there is a mix of rainfall and anthropogenic factors. One contributing factor can be that in satellite images, we have seen excessive excavation on the river valley sides, down which the rivers come, likely because of mining. It is completely dug up, which would mean a large amount of mud flowing down which reduces the river carrying capacity,” he said.
Nayan Sharma, who is a retired professor from IIT Roorkee specialising in water resources and river engineering, said he believes there are several critical contributing factors, among which is deforestation.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍In Assam, floods shift course. State response is static

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35 °C. Which of the following statements best reflect(s) the implication of the above-said report? (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. Peninsular India will most likely suffer from flooding, tropical cyclones and droughts.
II. The survival of animals including humans will be affected as shedding of their body heat through perspiration becomes difficult.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (2020)

How quantum computing and AI can help trigger a better immune response

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Could the next breakthrough in cancer treatment come from combining artificial intelligence (AI) with quantum computing? Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have taken an early step by using a photonic quantum computer to improve how an AI model designs peptides, which help the immune system recognise diseased or infected cells.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Quantum Technology?

• What do quantum computers do?

• What are peptides?

• Why designing peptides are hard?

• What is Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes?

• Why do the gains for data-poor HLA types matter?

• What does “not quantum advantage” mean, and could a better classical model catch up?

• What needs to happen next, and where are the opportunities in five years?

• What is the significance of quantum computing in modern medicine?

• Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize fields such as cybersecurity, finance, materials science and now in in cancer treatment-Discuss

Key Takeaways:

• A quantum computer differs from a normal or classical computer mainly in the way it is built and operates. While the latter uses bits (basic unit of classical information) that are either 0 or 1, a quantum computer uses qubits (fundamental unit of quantum information) that can be both at the same time. A photonic quantum computer uses individual light particles, or photons, as qubits to encode and process information.

• The DTU’s proof-of-concept study (real-world feasibility test), which is awaiting peer review, confirmed through laboratory tests that the AI-designed peptides could successfully bind to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules present on a cell’s surface — a critical first step in triggering an immune response.

Do You Know:

• Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. In immunology, they matter because cells display peptides on their surface, allowing your immune system to inspect them and decide what is healthy and what is foreign. Many vaccines work by showing the immune system the right peptide and training it to respond.

Laboratory assay showing peptide-HLA binding (Special arrangement)

• The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins, sitting on the surface of almost all your cells, are the immune molecules. They act like a display shelf, grabbing short peptides from inside the cell and holding them up on the surface so patrolling immune cells can inspect them. A peptide only gets shown to the immune system if it can bind and sit stably in the groove of an HLA molecule. So binding is the entry ticket: no binding, no display, no immune recognition. Designing a peptide that binds a particular HLA is the first step in developing such vaccines or immune therapies.

• The AI, a generative adversarial network, does the actual design work: it learns the patterns of real immune-binding peptides and proposes new ones. Every such model needs a random starting point for each new design. Normally, that’s a simple, standard distribution from a classical computer.

• An ordinary computer’s randomness resembles a row of musicians each playing a note independently, resulting in an even, uncoordinated spread of sound. By contrast, our photonic processor works by letting particles of light interfere with one another, much as instruments in an orchestra blend into a single chord, resulting in a structured, correlated pattern that no set of independent players could produce. That interference is a genuine quantum effect, giving the randomness a built-in structure that is difficult to recreate classically.

• So the quantum computer didn’t replace the AI; it changed the raw material the AI starts from. Handing the model these structured, correlated starting points rather than plain uncorrelated noise appears to push it to explore a wider, less obvious range of designs, rather than converging on familiar designs. That breadth seems to matter most for the harder, understudied immune types where there is little data to guide it.

• HLA genes are among the most variable in the human genome. There are thousands of versions, and you inherit your particular set from your parents. That determines your HLA type. Versions may differ between individuals and between populations, so two people can display quite different peptides from the very same virus. This partly explains why a given infection or vaccine can provoke a stronger response in some people than others. It’s also why some HLA types are well-studied and data-rich while others, often those more common in underrepresented populations, have far less data.

• Current tools work well for common HLA types because there’s a lot of data to learn from, and less well for rarer ones. That means people with less-studied immune profiles are often less well served by AI-driven design.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Peptides: performance-boosting, anti-ageing drugs or dangerous snake oil?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) Which one of the following is the context in which the term “qubit” is mentioned? (UPSC CSE, 2022)
(a) Cloud Services
(b) Quantum Computing
(c) Visible Light Communication Technologies
(d) Wireless Communication Technologies

6) Which of the following statements with regard to the National Quantum Mission (NQM) is/are correct? (UPSC CSE, 2026)
1. It aims at developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits.
2. Its implementation includes setting up of four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in academic and national R&D institutes across India.
Select the answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Economy

CBDT issues crypto asset reporting note aligned with OECD framework

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

• General Studies II: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has come out with a 198-page guidance note on crypto-asset reporting obligations in a move that will help in global sharing of information on crypto transactions from next year.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?

• The CBDT issues guidance note on crypto reporting in line with OECD framework-know in detail

• What is OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF)?

• What is Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)?

• What is the significance of India’s alignment with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset reporting framework?

• Know the role of the OECD in shaping international tax governance.

• Cryptocurrency or Virtual Currency-what do you understand by this term?

• Inception of Cryptocurrencies in India-Know in detail

• What are the issues involving Cryptocurrency in mainstream financial Markets or simply market?

• What is Bitcoin?

• What is Blockchain Technology and why it is associated with Bitcoin?

Key Takeaways:

• The guidance note has been released in line with the crypto asset reporting framework (CARF) outlined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) putting greater onus on crypto exchanges for providing transactional information about crypto assets.

• The CBDT said that guidance note intends to provide guidance to Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (RCASPs) for compliance with the reporting obligations under section 509 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, and under Rules 241 to 244 and Form 167 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026. However, it pointed out that nothing in the guidance note and FAQs should be construed as affecting the permissibility, or the legitimacy of the transactions in crypto-assets as well as regulation for transactions in crypto-assets.

• In the note’s foreword, CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal said the rapid growth of crypto-assets has brought with it a fresh challenge even as India’s commitment to combating tax evasion and protecting its revenue base has remained steadfast. The note will help RCASPs in understanding and discharging their obligations under the Income-tax Act and Income-tax Rules in a clear and practical manner, he added.

Do You Know:

• The CARF defines “Crypto-Assets” as “a digital representation of value that relies on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger or a similar technology to validate and secure transactions”, which includes cryptocurrencies, as well as cryptography- based tokens.

• The framework is expected to bring tax transparency to the crypto-asset sector as it will impose obligations on a new subset of service providers, RCASPs, which are the service providers collecting and reporting information on transactions of crypto-assets. The CARF requires RCASPs to identify their users and to report on specified transactions, with a view to ensuring the annualised reporting of tax-relevant information concerning certain activities in relation to crypto-assets, the note said.

• Once received by tax authorities, the information will be automatically exchanged with the tax authorities of the jurisdiction(s) of residence of the crypto-asset users, pursuant to an international agreement that provides a legal basis for the automatic exchange of such information for tax purposes, the note added.

• With adoption of CARF, India is aligning its reporting standards with internationally accepted OECD norms, thereby strengthening cross-border exchange of crypto transaction information.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Digital currencies and how they work

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7) With reference to “Blockchain Technology”, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2020)
1. It is a public ledger that everyone can inspect, but which no single user controls.
2. The structure and design of blockchain is such that all the data in it are about cryptocurrency only.
3. Applications that depend on basic features of blockchain can be developed without anybody’s permission.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only

The World

10 killed, thousands affected as Typhoon Noul hits south China

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story: Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China early Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Guangdong province while disrupting air and rail services in neighbouring Hong Kong, Reuters reported.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Typhoon Noul-know in detail

• What is typhoons?

• How do typhoons form?

• How is the typhoon presently moving?

• What is Typhoon, Cyclone, Hurricanes and Tornado?

• Cyclone, Tornado, Hurricane and Typhoon-How they are different from each other?

• How Are Cyclone, Tornado, Hurricane and Typhoon Named?

• Typhoon and Super Typhoon -Compare and Contrast

• Types of Typhoon and Super Typhoon or Classification of Typhoon and Super Typhoon -Know in detail

• What are the Stages of Formation of Typhoon and Super Typhoon?

• What are Air Masses and Fronts? How they are related with typhoons?

Key Takeaways:

• China’s National Meteorological Centre (NMC) issued a red alert, the highest level in the country’s four-tier typhoon warning system, as the storm approached the coast.
Late Saturday night, the centre of the typhoon was about 100 km southeast of Huidong County in Guangdong’s Huizhou City, packing maximum sustained winds of Force 14, according to the NMC.

• The weather agency said Noul was moving northwest at around 20 kmph and was expected to continue strengthening before landfall. It is forecast to shift to a north-northwestward path after moving inland and gradually weaken, state-run Xinhua reported.

• As a precaution, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters raised Guangdong’s emergency response for floods and typhoons to Level III, while activating a Level IV flood emergency response in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.

• China follows a four-tier, colour-coded typhoon warning system, with red representing the highest level of alert, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
The storm is expected to affect large parts of eastern, central and southern China, including Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi.

Do You Know:

• Noul, meaning “the glow of sunrise or sunset” in Korean, is the 12th typhoon to form in the Pacific this year and the third to strike China this month.
Authorities said the storm prompted the evacuation of more than 340,000 people from Guangdong province ahead of landfall.

• Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are the exact same weather phenomenon—large tropical storms—but they are named differently based on where they form, while tornadoes are entirely different, smaller, and vastly more intense storms that form over land.
—Hurricanes: Form over the North Atlantic and the Central or Northeast Pacific oceans. They typically impact North America and the Caribbean
—Typhoons: Form over the Northwest Pacific Ocean. They typically strike East Asia, including nations like Japan, China, and the Philippines.
—Cyclones: Form over the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. They impact areas like India, Australia, and East Africa. Because they form in the Southern Hemisphere, their winds rotate clockwise, whereas hurricanes and typhoons rotate counterclockwise

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What made Super Typhoon Ragasa so intense?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
8) In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclones do not originate. What is the reason? (UPSC CSE, 2015)
(a) Sea surface temperatures are low
(b) Inter-tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
(c) Coriolis force is too weak
(d) Absence of land in those regions

Previous Year Mains Questions Covering the same theme:
📍Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? (2014)
📍The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? (2013)

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(d)  2.(a)  3.(d) 4.(c) 5.(b) 6.(c) 7.(d) 8.(b)

  

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