UPSC Key: Pricing mechanism of LPG, Petroglyphs and Bird Atlas

LPG cylinder price up Rs 29; OMCs still losing Rs 700: Govt

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: Despite the hike in price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for households from Sunday, public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) continue to absorb under-recoveries of about Rs 700 per 14.2-kg cylinder as the market-linked price of the fuel is over Rs 1,600 per cylinder, the Petroleum Ministry said.

Key Points to Ponder:

• How are petrol prices decided in India?

• What determines the price of petroleum?

• Pricing mechanism of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) in India—What you know about the same?

• Excise duty on petrol and diesel is a part of the Union government’s revenue—True or False?

• What is the special additional excise duty in India?

• How petrol diesel excise duty is calculated in India?

• What are the trade-offs involved in fuel tax policies in India?

• What are the possible implications of an increase in excise duty and cooking gas prices on the Indian economy?

• How excise duty hikes on petroleum products can impact on the fiscal health of oil marketing companies (OMCs)?

• How subsidy rationalisation and price reforms ensures the financial sustainability of the LPG distribution system in India?

• What are the issues and challenges in achieving a fair price mechanism in Petroleum pricing that safeguards both consumer interest and corporate viability?

Key Takeaways:

• It also said that the price of domestic LPG in India continues to be lower than in neighbouring countries as the government and the OMCs have been shielding households from spiralling international prices amid the West Asia crisis.

• Effective Sunday, the price of LPG for households, or domestic LPG, was hiked by Rs 29 per 14.2-kg cylinder to Rs 942 in Delhi, with corresponding changes in other parts of the country. This is the second revision in LPG prices since the West Asia war began on February 28. On March 7, domestic LPG prices were hiked by Rs 60 per cylinder.

• The latest LPG price hike follows increases in the price of other fuels like petrol, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) in recent weeks. The OMCs—Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum—are grappling with financial strain as they have been selling consumer fuels below market price. Like in the case of domestic LPG, the companies continue to incur losses on the sales of petrol and diesel, despite the recent price hikes.

Do You Know:

• LPG prices in India are calculated monthly by public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) like Indian Oil, HPCL, and BPCL. The base cost is tied to international benchmarks, specifically Saudi Aramco’s LPG price, using the Import Parity Price (IPP) model.

• LPG is a relatively clean, portable, and efficient energy source. It is colourless and odourless and a strong “stenching” agent is added so that even a very small leak can be easily detected.

• At a normal temperature, LPG is a gas. When subjected to modest pressure or cooling, it transforms into a liquid. As a liquid, it is easy to transport and store. Once it has been cooled or pressurised, LPG is usually stored in containers made of either steel or aluminium.

• LPG is an energy-rich fuel source with a higher calorific value per unit than other commonly used fuels, including diesel, coal, natural gas, petrol, and biomass-derived alcohols. This means that an LPG flame burns hotter, an advantage that can translate into higher efficiency. Its unique properties make it a versatile energy source that can be used in numerous applications.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | LPG in Focus: What it is, how it is produced, and why India depends on imports

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) In the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply? (UPSC CSE, 2011)
1. It is a major classification of crude oil.
2. It is sourced from North Sea.
3. It does not contain sulphur.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Rock marks, game boards: Wildlife trail leads to prehistoric past in Aravalli

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

What’s the ongoing story: Four months ago, a wildlife trail through the rocky outcrops of the Bhondsi stretch of the Aravalli forests in Gurgaon led wildlife enthusiasts to a stone surface marked with dozens of carefully carved cup-shaped depressions, geometric grids, and a large foot-shaped engraving.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Petroglyphs in Aravalli-Know in detail

• What are petroglyphs?

• How petroglyphs contribute to archaeological studies?

• What is the difference between hieroglyphics and petroglyphs?

• Petroglyphs-Know its significance

• What is the significance of rock art as a source for understanding prehistoric societies?

• Know the geographical and ecological importance of the Aravalli Range.

Key Takeaways:

• That spot has since been identified as a cluster of ancient petroglyphs (images or designs carved or engraved on rock), possible stone game boards, and stone tools —part of a wider archaeological pattern emerging from the Aravalli belt where, researchers say, evidence from multiple prehistoric phases appears to survive within the same landscape.

• “A chronological continuity is being found here,” said Akash Gupta, a PhD scholar and faculty member at Delhi University’s Satyawati College who has examined the Bhondsi material. “The discovery is significant because it shows a rare continuity of human activity linking early tool-making traditions with later ritual, symbolic, and social life across this region.”

• Gupta said scholars such as French archaeologist André Leroi-Gourhan viewed hand engravings on rock as evidence of a cognitive shift. Placing the latest discovery in context, he said the region has yielded signs ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic period.

• “Handaxes and cleavers point to early stone-tool traditions, while the tools indicate later Middle Palaeolithic activity (300,000 to 50,000 years ago). The cupules (cup-shaped depressions) and rock-art-like markings are more likely to belong to later symbolic or ritual phases, especially the Mesolithic, when prehistoric communities are known to have left behind paintings, burial practices and other markers of social life,” he said.

• The team has been using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning – a laser-based remote-sensing technique that captures the shape and depth of surfaces in high detail – to create detailed digital records of the petroglyphs.

Do You Know:

• According to Wikipedia, a petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. The term generally refers to rock engravings of ancient origin, often associated with prehistoric peoples.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍World Heritage Desk established for research on ancient rock carvings in Konkan region

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to (UPSC CSE, 2021)
(a) Dance forms of Northwest India
(b) Musical instruments
(c) Pre-historic cave paintings
(d) Tribal languages

3) Consider the following historical places:
1. Ajanta Caves
2. Lepakshi Temple
3. Sanchi Stupa
Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings? (UPSC CSE, 2013)
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None

THE CITY

‘Among global capitals, Delhi ranks second in bird diversity’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Delhi Bird Atlas, released on June 5, which claims to have mapped the distribution and abundance of bird species across the city for the first time, has placed the Capital “second only to Nairobi among the world’s national capitals in bird diversity”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Delhi Bird Atlas-what are the key takeaways?

• Why Delhi has high bird diversity?

• What is the Central Asian Flyway?

• What is a Migratory Species?

• What is the difference between endemic and migratory species?

• What are the steps taken by India for endemic and migratory bird species?

• What is a Bird Atlas?

• What are the ecological role of birds in maintaining ecosystem balance?

• Why are birds considered effective bioindicators of environmental health?

Key Takeaways:

• The atlas cites the rare mix of the city’s geography, including the northern edge of the Aravallis, proximity to the western Himalayas, the Yamuna and Sahibi floodplains, and its location near the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) — a key bird migration route stretching from the Arctic down to the Indian Ocean — as the primary reason behind the bird diversity.

• In the first year, 221 species were recorded across the city, including 200 in winter and 152 in summer. Of these, 126 were resident species, 81 were winter migrants and 14 were summer migrants. Nearly half the recorded bird assemblage comprised invertebrate feeders, that is, 108 species or 48.87 per cent. Plant and seed feeders accounted for 37 species, omnivores for 34, vertebrate and carrion feeders for 33, and fruit and nectar feeders for nine.

• Unlike other bird lists, the atlas used a grid-based method. Delhi was divided into grids of 6.6 km by 6.6 km, further subdivided into smaller quadrants and subcells. A total of 145 subcells were randomly selected for sampling to reduce bias and ensure representation across habitats. Each subcell required four 15-minute checklists, with birds recorded on foot and uploaded to eBird. The atlas says this “systematic approach” of collecting “equal-effort lists from randomly placed grids across the city” helps reduce sampling bias and ensures that results reflect the “true distribution and abundance of species”.

Do You Know:

• The atlas covers 11 per cent of Delhi’s area in its sampling design. The survey started in January 2025, takes place twice a year, in winter and summer, and will run for at least two years. Winter surveys document resident species and winter migrants, while summer surveys record breeding activity, resident birds, summer migrants and early-returning migrants.

• The atlas was developed by the Delhi Forest Department, Bird Count India, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India and other partner organisations, with the participation of birdwatchers, students, researchers, forest staff and citizen volunteers.

• The atlas also records 18 endemic bird species, that is, species found exclusively in one specific geographic region. It also lists several vulnerable bird species, including the Endangered Egyptian Vulture and Black-bellied Tern, the Vulnerable River Tern and Common Pochard, and Near Threatened species such as the Black-tailed Godwit, Ferruginous Duck, Painted Stork, Black-headed Ibis and Oriental Darter.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍1000 volunteers, five years, rough terrain: How Kerala’s bird atlas was painstakingly compiled

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) With reference to India’s biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith barbet, Gray-chinned miniyet and White-throated redstart are (UPSC CSE, 2020)
(a) Birds
(b) Primates
(c) Reptiles
(d) Amphibians

5) If you walk through countryside, you are likely to see some birds stalking alongside the cattle to seize the insects disturbed by their movement through grasses. Which of the following is/are such bird/birds? (UPSC CSE, 2014)
1. Painted Stork
2. Common Myna
3. Black-necked Crane
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only

POLITICS

India, Indonesia deepens cooperation in defence, maritime security, infra

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: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Indonesia counterpart Sugiono held bilateral talks on Sunday as the two nations agreed to advance cooperation in defence, maritime security, digital connectivity and infrastructure. The two leaders also discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit to Jakarta next month.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map Work- Indonesia, Jakarta, Java, Sumatra, Bali, Lombok Strait and Malacca strait

• India and Indonesia-Know the historical bilateral relations

• What are the areas of cooperation and conflict between India and Indonesia?

• India–Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting-what you know about the same?

• What is the significance of Indonesia in India’s Act East Policy?

• How Bandung Conference shaped India-Indonesia ties?

• What is the present situation of India-Indonesia relations since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018?

Key Takeaways:

• Jaishankar co-chaired the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting with Sugiono in New Delhi.

• After the bilateral meeting, Jaishankar posted on X, “A pleasure to co-chair the 8th India — Indonesia Joint Commission meeting alongside FM Sugiono. Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has witnessed a strong growth in recent years.”

• The MEA said the two Ministers reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations under the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discussed avenues for strengthening cooperation in political, defence and security, maritime, trade and investment, pharma and healthcare, digital, energy, connectivity, space, education, consular and culture domains, and people-to-people exchanges.

• It also said the ministers noted that discussions between President Prabowo Subianto and PM Modi, including during the former’s State visit to India in January 2025, provided renewed impetus to the bilateral relationship. The two sides exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation and coordination in regional and multilateral fora, it said.

Do You Know:

• From struggle against colonial powers, democratic traditions and pluralist culture, India & Indonesia share deep linkages. Independent India and Indonesia became chief votaries of independence of Asian and African countries, the spirit of which led to Bandung Conference of 1955 and later formation of NAM in 1961. Indonesia is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy.

• India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership when Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to Indonesia in 2018. During that visit, the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted.

• Since the adoption of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ in 1991, and its upgradation to ‘Act East’ in 2014, there has been
a rapid development of bilateral relations. Indonesia chaired the G20 Presidency in 2022, followed by India in 2023.

• Indonesia is one of India’s largest trading partners in the ASEAN region, with bilateral trade in 2023-24 reaching $29.40 billion. Indian investments in Indonesia amounts to $1.56 billion in infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and consumer goods sectors.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍From Sukarno to Prabowo Subianto: The evolution of India-Indonesia ties

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS: (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. The 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) I and III
(d) I only

7) Between India and east Asia, the navigation ¬time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following? (UPSC CSE, 2011)
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the kra isthmus between the gulf of Siam and Andaman sea.
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

EXPLAINED

Is a text AI-aided? Science, limits of detection tools

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: Criticism is not uncommon in the aftermath of a literary prize announcement. But the uproar after the British literary magazine Granta announced the regional winners of its annual short story prize last month was literary criticism of a different kind: allegations of the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you mean by machine learning?

• Is Artificial Intelligence machine learning?

• What is the controversy with British literary magazine Granta?

• ‘The challenge is no longer creating AI-generated content but distinguishing it from human-created content’-how far you agree with the same?

• Can ChatGPT/Claude be a good detector?

Key Takeaways:

• Within days of the magazine naming this year’s winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, allegations surfaced that some of the winning entries showed signs of AI-generated text. The turn of events has not just highlighted the increasing usage of AI in creative and other forms of writing but also put the role of tools that claim to detect AI-generated text under scrutiny.

• In a written response, Aruparayil earlier told The Indian Express that “no AI tools were used at any stage in the writing, editing, or development process” of her story.

• To understand how these tools claiming to detect AI-generated text work, one must first know the science of machine learning (ML). In simple terms, ML refers to the use of data and statistics to build an AI system: this is done by feeding large datasets into a computer so that it can think and reason like a human — or even at superhuman levels.
“So you would take lots of examples of AI-written content and human-written content and feed it to a big model to do the classification for you. The model, through data, learns signals like, ‘Oh, AI models tend to use em dashes’, or use the word ‘imperative’ or ‘delve’. These are statistical patterns that large ML models can learn when they’re fed lots of examples of both human writing and AI writing,” Danish Pruthi, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru, told The Indian Express.

• Pruthi said using ML to tell apart whether something is written by a human or AI is just one approach: one that even Pangram — the AI detector at the heart of the matter — also uses. He added that people now want to move beyond this “binary framing” of what is AI versus human. “They (as in the entire research community) are figuring out what the extent of collaboration is. Is it lightly assisted by an AI, moderately assisted by an AI, [or] heavily assisted by an AI?”

Do You Know:

• Since 2012, Granta has been publishing the winners of the Prize — awarded in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation — for five geographies: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The overall winner is to be announced on June 30.

• Days after the magazine announced the winners, many social media users began calling out Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir’s short story “The Serpent in the Grove” (winner for the Caribbean), with one citing the AI detector tool Pangram to call it “100% AI generated” and a “Turing Test of sorts”.

• The Turing Test, proposed by British mathematician Alan Turing in the 1950s, is a test of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour that a human evaluator cannot distinguish from that of a human. To date, it is considered a benchmark for AI.

• Similar allegations were directed at two other winners, Indian writer Sharon Aruparayil (Asia) and Malta’s John Edward DeMicoli (Canada and Europe), again using Pangram. The remaining two — Lisa-Anne Julien (South Africa, Africa) and Holly Ann Miller (New Zealand, Pacific) — were, however, assessed to be “fully human-written”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Commonwealth Prize AI controversy shows: The writer who took the shortcut, failed the story

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
8) 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 main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in healthcare? (UPSC CSE, 2023)

For survivors of trafficking, SC plan focuses on consent, dignity

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court last month said that considering that the “existing vacuum seriously impairs the fundamental rights” of the victims of trafficking for commercial and sexual exploitation (CSE), it was “left with no option but to pass detailed directions” by framing a Victim Protection Plan. This will operate until Parliament enacts a law on the protection and rehabilitation of victims of CSE.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act of 1956?

• What exactly the Supreme Court of India said?

• Why Supreme Court used Article 142 of the Constitution?

• Which are the recommendations that the SC has directed to be implemented?

• What are the constitutional dimensions of the rights of sex workers under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution?

• How Supreme court distinguish between voluntary sex work and trafficking for sexual exploitation from a legal and policy perspective?

• How has the Supreme Court attempted to balance human dignity, individual autonomy, and anti-trafficking concerns in cases involving sex workers?

• Know the role of the judiciary in advancing the rights of marginalized communities in India.

Key Takeaways:

• A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held: “We are aware that a single plan will not be the answer to all the trials and tribulations victims face. However, our effort here… should reflect an endeavour to give the victim centre stage and to prioritise their needs… an attempt to view victims not as passive beings but as agents in need of empowerment”. “It should reflect a commitment to the victims that this Court will accord them the dignity that was always theirs,” the bench said.

• The litigation traces to a 2004 petition filed by Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based anti-trafficking organisation, which argued that victims of commercial sexual exploitation were treated as “criminals” rather than “victims or survivors” and that the absence of a comprehensive “Victim Protection Plan” made rescue and rehabilitation efforts ineffective.

• In December 2015, the Supreme Court disposed of the petition after noting that the government was committed to establishing an Organised Crime Investigation Agency (OCIA) and constituting an Inter-Ministerial Committee to prepare a comprehensive anti-trafficking law. The court expressed hope that OCIA would be “set up” by September 2016 and would be functional by December 2016.

• The proposal for OCIA was dropped, with the Centre instead empowering the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate trafficking offences by amending the NIA in 2019. Prajwala returned to the Supreme Court in 2022, alleging non-compliance with the commitments on which the 2015 order rested.

Do You Know:

• In 2010, an appeal was filed in the SC against a July 25, 2007 order of the Calcutta High Court by which the latter upheld the life imprisonment imposed on a man named Budhadev Karmaskar, found guilty of murdering a sex worker in Kolkata’s red light area in September 1999. On February 14, 2011, the SC dismissed Karmaskar’s appeal against his conviction and sentencing.
The court suo motu converted the case into a PIL to address the problems of sex workers. It said: “We strongly feel that the Central and the State Governments through Social Welfare Boards should prepare schemes for rehabilitation all over the country for physically and sexually abused women commonly known as prostitutes as we are of the view that the prostitutes also have a right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution…” It issued notices seeking responses from the central and state governments.

• On July 19, 2011, the SC appointed a panel comprising Senior Advocates Pradip Ghosh and Jayant Bhushan, and the NGOs Usha Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee and Roshni Academy “to assist and advise” it “for giving suitable directions in this matter”.

• In its final report submitted on September 14, 2016, the panel noted that sex workers found it difficult to acquire proofs of identity such as ration cards or voter cards because they lacked a proof of residence. It said that district authorities did not recognise the identities of sex workers and their children, and sex workers did not have access to schemes meant for their rehabilitation. They also had no access to credit offered by states, because the lack of documents prevented them from opening bank accounts, the panel said. The committee recommended that amendments should be made to The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why Supreme Court’s acknowledgement of sex work as a profession is welcome

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
9) 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

THE IDEAS PAGE

Policy is undoing what science built. that’s a challenge for Cotton Productivity Mission

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

What’s the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati, Ayushi Gupta, Ritika Juneja Writes- he Mission’s intent is welcome, but does it have the technology that global giants provide? The simple answer is ‘no’.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Cotton Cultivation in India-what data and statistics says?

• What recent initiative has been launched to enhance cotton production and exports in India?

• What is the mission for cotton productivity?

• Why mission for cotton productivity is required?

• What are the issues and challenges with the mission for cotton productivity?

• How mission for cotton productivity can be strengthen?

• What is extra-long staple (ELS) cotton?

• Why there is a limited cultivation of ELS cotton in India?

• Which country is a major exporter of ELS cotton to India?

• what are the agricultural limitations, such as genotype variability and pest susceptibility, that hinder the domestic production of cotton in India?

Key Takeaways:
Ashok Gulati, Ayushi Gupta, Ritika Juneja Writes-

• In April 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Cotton Productivity with an outlay of Rs 5,659 crore, to run from 2026-27 to 2030-31. The intent is to raise lint productivity from 441 kg per hectare (in triennium ending (TE) 2025-26) to 755 kg/ha by 2031. But to understand whether this mission can succeed, it is worth recalling where India once stood and how deep the crisis in cotton fields runs.

• In 2002, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee approved the commercial cultivation of Bt cotton as cleared by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). At the time, he said: “The next big revolution that is unfolding in the world is the biotechnology revolution. This is going to touch the lives of ordinary people in ways that we cannot even fully imagine today. We must not lag behind others in this revolution. India should aspire to be one of the leaders of this revolution. We must plant its healthy saplings in different parts of the country so that we can reap their fruits soon.”

• India did not lag behind. For a decade, it led. The first Bt hybrids incorporating the cry1Ac gene were approved to resist the bollworm complex. By 2006, GEAC had approved Bollgard II, a second-generation hybrid with two stacked genes. The results were unambiguous. Cotton production rose from 13.6 million bales in 2002-03 to 39.8 million bales in 2013-14, a 193 per cent increase.

Do You Know:

• Cotton, a semi-xerophyte, is grown in tropical and subtropical conditions. 15 degrees Celsius is the minimum temperature required for better germination under field conditions.

• The optimum temperature for vegetative growth is between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius, and it can tolerate temperatures to the extent of 43 degrees Celsius; however, temperatures below 21 degrees Celsius impact its growth. Warm days of cool nights with large diurnal variations during the period of fruiting are conducive to good boll and fibre development.

• A variety of well-drained soils are suitable for cotton production. It is semi-tolerant to salinity and sensitive to waterlogging. Well-drained alluvial soils in the north, to black clayey soils in the central region, and in black and mixed black and red soils in the south zone, are suitable for the production.

• There are nine major cotton-growing states in India, as per the Ministry of textiles, these are grouped into three diverse agro-ecological zones:
(i) Northern Zone – Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan
(ii) Central Zone – Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh
(iii) Southern Zone – Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

• According to the Ministry of Textile, India is the only country that grows all four species of cotton G. Arboreum and G. Herbaceum (Asian cotton), G. Barbadense (Egyptian cotton) and G. Hirsutum (American Upland cotton).

• Once hailed as “white gold,” cotton—the backbone of India’s textile economy—is facing several challenges. The production of cotton has been declining due to reduced acreage, uneven rainfall, and extreme temperatures.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: What is Mission for Cotton Productivity?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
10) “The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost — free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
(a) Cotton
(b) Jute
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Tea

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(b)  2.(d)  3.(b)  4.(a) 5.(b) 6.(a) 7.(b)  8.(d)  9.(c)  10.(a)

  

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