UPSC Key: Police Commemoration Day, Delhi air pollution, and National Commission for Minorities

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.

Mains Examination: General studies-III: Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism. 

What’s the ongoing story: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday emphasised the shifting landscape of the country’s security challenges, noting that while the nation grapples with border instability, society faces a new surge in sophisticated crimes, terrorism and “ideological wars”.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the history behind the Police Commemoration Day?

— What is the significance of Police Commemoration Day?

— What are the new emerging internal security challenges faced by India?

— What Smart Policing Initiatives have been launched by the government?

— Read about cybercrimes.

— The ‘police’ are part of which list under the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution?

Key Takeaways:

— Speaking on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, Singh underscored the critical need to balance external and internal security to achieve the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

— Police Commemoration Day is observed annually to honour the memory of 10 CRPF personnel who were killed in an ambush by Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Hot Spring area on this day in 1959.

— Addressing an event at the National Police Memorial, Singh asserted that despite functioning on different platforms, the military and police share the singular mission of national protection.

— The Defence Minister cautioned that while there is instability on the borders, new types of crimes, terrorism and ideological wars are emerging within society, as he detailed the complex nature of modern internal threats.

— He commended the police for their dual role: carrying out their official duty of crime prevention while fulfilling the moral duty of maintaining societal trust.

Do You Know:

— Observed on October 21 every year, the Police Commemoration Day remembers the sacrifices of ten policemen who died in Chinese firing in 1959.

— Chinese troops opened fire and threw grenades at a party of 20 police personnel. Ten were killed in the incident, which left seven others injured, who were later taken as prisoners. Three weeks later, China returned the bodies of the ten personnel which were later cremated with full police honours at Hot Springs in North Eastern Ladakh.

— Police personnel had been responsible for manning the 2,500 mile long border of India with Tibet until the autumn of 1959.

— A memorial was erected at Hot Springs and members of Police Forces from different parts of the country trek to Hot Springs to pay homage to the martyrs.

— Since the year 2012, the Police Commemoration Day Parade is being held at the National level at the Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Police Commemoration Day — What you must know for the UPSC exam

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are state subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

2. The Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on  October 21 to remember the sacrifices of ten policemen who died in Chinese firing in 1959.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

 

FRONT

Delhi air turns ‘very poor’ post Diwali, BJP and AAP set off political fireworks

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: As air pollution levels rose the day after Diwali, the Delhi government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had “forced” farmers in Punjab to burn stubble to foul the capital’s air.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the various particulate matter and how do they impact human health?

— What are the reasons for increased air pollution in Delhi around this month of the year?

— What are the immediate measures taken by the government to tackle air pollution?

— What are the long term plans for reducing air pollution in India?

— What are ‘green’ crackers?

— What are the rationale given by the Supreme Court for allowing green crackers?

— The seasonal timing and circulation dynamics can decisively alter the air quality trajectory. Elaborate.

— What is cloud-seeding?

Key Takeaways:

— Farm fires in Punjab have been at an all-time low this year — the state has recorded only 353 instances of stubble-burning between September 15 and October 20. This figure was 1,445 for the same period last year, and hit an all-time high of 9,399 in 2020, the year in which the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) started maintaining farm fire data.

— Overall, 1,461 fire incidents have been recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi so far. Uttar Pradesh has seen 557 incidents (38%), the most so far. Madhya Pradesh has reported 285 incidents (20%), and Rajasthan 212 (15%). All these states are ruled by the BJP.

— Experts have noted that floods and heavy rain in Northwest India delayed the paddy harvest in Punjab this year. This means that farm fires, too, have been delayed, as the crop is yet to be harvested in many areas.

— An analysis of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 trends over the years carried out by research and advisory group Climate Trends shows that post-Diwali pollutant levels this year were the highest in five years.

— The Supreme Court allowed ‘green’ crackers this year, with a direction to the district administration and police to ensure that fireworks were restricted only to two time slots – 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 on Chhoti Diwali (Sunday) and Diwali (Monday). But this direction was flouted widely, with violations being reported from across NCR.

— Real time data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) showed PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations breached safe limits by 15 to 18 times at several stations.

EDITORIAL: On air, connect the dots

— In recent years, delayed monsoon withdrawals have become a troubling new normal, widely linked to climate change by researchers. SAFAR’s earlier studies have shown that such delayed retreat, followed by the anti-cyclonic circulation that tends to slow down the winds beneath, gets further support under colder temperatures, leading to subsiding air and a compressed boundary layer.

— This dynamic acts like a lid over the city, allowing pollutants to accumulate ceaselessly. This year, however, was a welcome exception. The 2025 monsoon officially withdrew from Delhi at the beginning of the last week of September — the earliest retreat since 2002.

— The benefits were twofold. First, the early retreat under relatively warmer conditions kept the winds active, preventing the accumulation of pollutants near the surface. Second, post-withdrawal spells of western-disturbance-induced rainfall continued to wash the air, further curbing pollution build-up.

— India is presently under El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral conditions. However, the equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures are trending below normal, signalling a likely transition towards a La Niña phase, with a 71 per cent probability by mid-October 2025.

— Recent studies from the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) indicate that strong La Niña events enhance surface wind speeds over northern India, promoting greater dispersion, thereby reducing the build-up of fine particulates that typically lead to winter smog conditions.

— A weak La Niña could also have counterproductive effects. If its link with climate change holds, the winter may be prolonged and severe, creating conditions that favour pollution accumulation and extreme smog events.

— Delhi’s air pollution crisis is complex and persistent. This underscores the need for long-term, systemic solutions rather than temporary fixes like water sprinkling, costly smoke towers, or cloud-seeding experiments.

— The only viable path is to tackle the root cause — source emissions. While implementation is challenging, the sooner Delhi adopts an airshed-based approach, the better it will be for the health and well-being of its residents.

Do You Know:

— Cloud seeding is a kind of a weather modification technology to create artificial rainfall. It works only when there is enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere. These ‘seeds’ of rain can be the iodides of silver or potassium, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), or liquid propane. Delhi government is planning to use ‘cloud seeding’ to induce rains amid pollution.

— The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, and it helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the situation, based on its severity. The pollutants measured include PM 10, PM 2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon, etc. There are six categories of AQI, namely

(i) ‘Good’ (0-50),

(ii) ‘Satisfactory’ (51-100),

(iii)‘Moderately polluted’ (101-200),

(iv) ‘Poor’ (201-300),

(v) ‘Very Poor’ (301-400),

(vi) ‘Severe’ (401-500).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

📍New study shows reducing pollution has health benefits.

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index? (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? (2021)

 

THE IDEAS PAGE

A commission of omissions 

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

What’s the ongoing story: Tahir Mahmood writes: Currently, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has no chairman or members. There have also been whispers regarding its uncertain future. The Delhi High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pleading for directions to reconstitute the Commission, has recently sought the response of the Union government.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the purpose of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM)?

— Is NCM a constitutional body?

— What is the difference between a constitutional and statutory body?

— What are the challenges with NCM?

— What are the constitutional provisions regarding the protection of rights of minorities?

— What are the educational and cultural rights of the minorities enshrined in Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution?

— Know about the National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

Key Takeaways:

— There are several National Commissions in the country. All of them are supposed to be watchdogs to oversee adherence to the provisions of the Constitution relating to civil rights and liberties of various sections of society.

— The Minorities Commission was first set up in 1978 under a Ministry of Home Affairs resolution. Five months later, a similar body named the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission was formed.

— On returning to power in 1981, the Congress reconciled with the existence of the Minorities Commission but remained averse to giving it any space in the Constitution.

— However, in 1992, the Congress government led by Narsimha Rao at last placed it under a parliamentary charter, renaming it as the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) and enabling it to exercise some powers of a civil court specified in the Act.

— In 2004, the Congress government set up a separate National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).

— None of the so-called National Commissions has ever enjoyed autonomy in fulfilling its statutory obligations. None of them, even after long years, has brought any revolution in the lives of those for whom it had been created.

— Its history of 47 years shows that whatever little the minorities of the country can expect in terms of the constitutional provisions for their rights as equal citizens of the country can never be secured through intervention by the toothless tiger called the NCM. So, if it is thrown into the dustbin of history, it will be worthless to shed tears on its unceremonious exit from the national scene.

Do You Know:

— Constitutional bodies are institutions or authorities whose powers, duties, and structures are explicitly defined in the Constitution. Their roles extend beyond mere administrative functions, as they are designed to serve as checks and balances on governmental power.

— Some of the constitutional bodies are the Election Commission of India (ECI), Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Finance Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), National Commissions for SCs, STs, and Minorities, and Attorney General of India.

— Apart from constitutional bodies, there are statutory bodies that play a vital role in strengthening our democracy. Statutory bodies are institutions established by an act of Parliament or state legislatures, deriving their authority from legislation rather than directly from the Constitution.

— Some examples of statutory bodies are the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Commission for Women (NCW), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

— On the other hand, non-statutory bodies, also known as executive or advisory bodies, are organisations or committees that are established by an executive order or administrative resolution rather than by an act of Parliament or state legislatures. They are created for specific purposes and may not have a legal framework backing them, as is the case with statutory bodies.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What are constitutional, statutory, and non-statutory bodies?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Which of the following are envisaged by the Right against Exploitation in the Constitution of India? (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour

2. Abolition of untouchability

3. Protection of the interests of minorities

4. Prohibition of employment of children in factories and mines

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Whether National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) can enforce the implementation of constitutional reservation for the Schedules Castes in the religious minority institutions? Examine. (UPSC CSE 2018)

EXPLAINED

Post-Diwali farm challenge

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economic and Social Development.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government Policies and Intervention, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development.

What’s the ongoing story: Retail food inflation has been in negative territory for the last four consecutive months ending September 2025. That’s against an average 8.5% annual rise in the consumer food price index during the eighteen months from July 2023 to December 2024.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is retail food inflation?

— How is inflation measured in India?

— Read about El Niño and its impact on Indian agriculture.

— What are the reasons behind the recent decline in retail food inflation in India?

— What are the concerns associated with the falling crop prices?

— What measures should be taken to balance the interests of both consumers and farmers?

— What is the minimum support price (MSP)?

Key Takeaways:

— The softening has to do with the easing of supply pressures – thanks to back-to-back good monsoons, after an El Niño-induced prolonged period of dry weather and above-normal temperatures in 2023-24 – and overall weak price sentiment in agricultural commodities.

— The supply turnaround is particularly evident in cereals. The real glut, however, is in rice, where government agencies are not only holding an unprecedented level of stocks; these are also 4.4 times what is necessary to meet the needs of the public distribution system plus a strategic reserve for emergencies.

— The oversupply is set to intensify as the harvesting and marketing of the new crop, which has started from October, picks up post Diwali. Indian farmers have planted a record 44.2 million hectares (mh) area under rice this kharif (monsoon) season, up from last year’s 43.6 mh.

— The jump has been even more, from 8.4 mh to 9.5 mh, for maize. Not for nothing that the starchy feed grain is currently wholesaling in states such as Karnataka and Haryana at around Rs 2,000-2,100 per quintal, compared to Rs 2,200-Rs 2,300 a year ago and the government’s minimum support price of Rs 2,400.

— Through the second half of 2023 and the whole of 2024, the government struggled to contain food inflation that was eating into the purchasing power of households. With that battle decisively won, the shoe is on the other foot. It’s farmers, not consumers, that are at the receiving end now.

— Almost all crops – whether maize, soyabean and cotton or bajra (pearl millet), arhar (pigeon pea) and moong (green gram) – are selling way below their MSPs. The sentiment is overwhelmingly bearish, even as the benefits of recharged groundwater aquifers and filled reservoirs from the surplus monsoon rains are likely to extend to the ensuing rabi (winter-spring) cropping season as well.

— The coming weeks and months could see a shift in the government’s policy focus, from an excessively pro-consumer approach to one that is more pro-farmer. These may take the form of restoring import duties on cotton and yellow/white peas, besides stepping up MSP procurement of pulses and oilseeds under its price support scheme.

Do You Know:

— Minimum support price (MSP) is the price at which the government is supposed to procure/buy that crop from farmers if the market price falls below it. MSPs provide a floor for market prices and ensure that farmers receive a certain “minimum” remuneration so that their costs of cultivation (and some profit) can be recovered.

— MSP was introduced in the mid-sixties when India was in food deficit. The government was keen to boost domestic production through green revolution technologies but realised farmers wouldn’t plant input-intensive high yielding wheat or paddy varieties unless guaranteed a minimum price. MSP was first fixed for wheat in 1966-67 at Rs. 54 per quintal.

— The MSPs are announced by the Union government on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

— The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a final decision on the level of MSPs.

— Crops covered under MSP

— 7 types of cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley),

— 5 types of pulses (chana, arhar/tur, urad, moong and masur),

— 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower, nigerseed),

— 4 commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, copra, raw jute)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

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

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. The weightage of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

2. The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.

3. Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

ECONOMY

Signs of improvement in demand in September, high US tariffs not a major growth concern: RBI Bulletin

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: Domestic demand showed signs of improvement in September, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) latest State of the Economy article which also said that high US tariffs on India’s exports “do not pose a major concern for the overall growth”.

Key Points to Ponder:

— How the recent GST cuts were aimed to drive investments?

— What are the major drivers of the economy?

— What is the role of RBI in controlling inflation?

— What are the challenges faced by the Indian economy?

— What is the impact of US tariff on the shrimp industry of India?

Key Takeaways:

— “Rural demand remained strong, as evidenced by the pick-up in growth of two-wheeler and automobile sales, on the back of good monsoon and robust agricultural activity. Urban demand showed some signs of revival with passenger vehicle sales recording their highest growth in six months,” the RBI article, released late Monday in the central bank’s monthly bulletin, said.

— On the whole, the RBI article said, high-frequency data for September was “robust”, with GST e-way bill generation at a record high as businesses stocked up ahead of the festive season, with the government’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) cuts – which came into effect on September 22 – aiding demand.

— At a joint conference named ‘GST Bachat Utsav’, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the benefits of the GST rate cuts are reaching households and have led to consumers increasing their purchases. This, in turn, will drive investments.

— On the trade front, the RBI article reiterated that the Indian economy’s reliance on domestic sources of demand meant the high US tariff of 50 per cent on Indian exports “do not pose a major concern for the overall growth”.

— However, despite the relatively lower risk faced by India from the tariff war, the RBI article warned that economic resilience is a “key priority” given the uncertainties from the global economy and policies.

Front: Its shrimp sector hit by US tariffs, Andhra eyes Australia for exports

— Andhra Pradesh, where the shrimp industry has been hit by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, is looking to Australia as an alternative market.

— During a seven-day tour of the country, N Lokesh Naidu, the state’s IT and HRD Minister and the son of CM Chandrababu Naidu, said the Australian government may ease restrictions on the import of prawns.

— Lokesh said that a long-standing hurdle for Indian seafood exporters has been Australia’s restrictions on unpeeled prawns due to white spot virus detection. Lokesh announced that after “extensive work done by the Indian and Australian governments”, the first import approval for Indian prawns has been granted.

— Lokesh requested the SIA to undertake trade missions and networking programs to connect Andhra Pradesh marine product exporters with buyers in Australia. He also requested them to facilitate partnerships between Andhra Pradesh’s aqua industry players and Australian importers to expand the Indian marine product market.

— Andhra Pradesh accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s shrimp exports and 34 per cent of marine exports, valued at around Rs 21,246 crore annually. Over 30 lakh people are dependent on shrimp exports and allied activities in the state.

— US tariffs touched 59.72 per cent after Trump announced 25 per cent additional tariffs over and above the 25 per cent announced earlier, as well as the 5.76 per cent countervailing duty and 3.96 per cent anti-dumping duty.

— On September 15, the AP government stated that Trump’s tariffs are estimated to have cost the state approximately Rs 25,000 crore in shrimp exports, with government officials saying that about 50 per cent of the orders were cancelled.

Do You Know:

— Under the next-generation GST reforms, multiple slabs — 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent — were replaced with a broad two-slab structure: a merit rate of 5 per cent and a standard rate of 18 per cent, in addition to a special demerit rate of 40 per cent for sin and demerit goods.

— The increase in consumption is expected to drive a corresponding rise in investments, reinforcing the growth momentum and demonstrating how GST reforms have strengthened the link between consumption and investment in the economy, he said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍GST cuts passed on, spurred consumption, may show in GDP: Govt

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

“Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth.” Discuss in the light of India’s experience. (UPSC CSE 2020)

ALSO IN NEWS

New scheme with ‘set-up grant’ to get top Indian faculty overseasto return

The government is working on a new scheme to attract Indian-origin “star faculty” and researchers settled abroad to return and work in Indian institutions. The discussions have gained momentum amid concerns over the Trump administration’s policies towards higher education in the United States, seen by critics as challenging university autonomy and academic freedom. The proposed scheme aims to bring back “established” Indian-origin scientists and researchers with significant academic work to their credit, who are willing to spend a defined period in India to pursue research. To give researchers financial autonomy and operational flexibility, a substantial “set-up grant” may be allowed to enable them to establish laboratories and teams in India. According to sources, the scheme will initially identify 12-14 priority areas in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for which talent will be invited. These will include fields considered strategically important for national capacity building.

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (c)   2. (b)   3. (c)    4. (a)

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