UPSC Key: Teejan Bai, NATO funding and Cash Transfer Schemes for Women

Facing backlash, govt likely to delay higher 25% ethanol blend in petrol

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation.

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

What’s the ongoing story: AMID A raging backlash over a rapid increase in the use of ethanol in petrol from 10% to 20% in just three years, the government is likely to push back the proposed shift to a higher blend of ethanol fuel E25 comprising 75% petrol and 25% ethanol.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why government is facing backlash for the proposed shift to a higher blend of ethanol fuel?

• What you understand by the ‘blend of ethanol fuel’ or ethanol blending?

• What is ethanol?

• Ethanol is classified into four “generations” (1G to 4G) based on the raw materials used-can you recall that?

• What comes in your mind when you see these terms-20% ethanol blending or 100% ethanol blending? What is 20% or 100% here?

• Which country uses 100% ethanol?

• What India can learn from Brazil?

• What are the problems with using a higher ethanol blend in petrol for engines?

Key Takeaways:

• The government had originally planned to dispense petrol blended with 20% ethanol only by 2030. But the E20 fuel — 80% petrol and 20% ethanol — is now the standard petrol variant available nationwide.

• While no formal date has been announced for dispensing E25 blended petrol, two government decisions over the last six weeks triggered fresh concerns: one, central excise duty exemption for blended fuel (22%-30% ethanol) and two, fuel standards notified by BIS for these blends.

• These measures were inferred as heralding the government’s intent to prepare the vehicular and fuel ecosystems for the next stage of ethanol adoption, with the specific proposal to go beyond E20 stoking concern among both car makers and motorists.

• But even before this, the rapid upshift or advancing of the transition to E20 by five years has left a section of
consumers complaining about a perceptible drop in fuel economy. They have also expressed concerns over vehicular part damage in older cars, especially as ethanol content progressively goes up.

• In the backdrop of such sentiments, a meeting at the most senior levels of the government last week is learnt to have advised about the need to scientifically address some of the genuine concerns. This included an effort to ask OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to address the consumer complaints. Officials also said some of which are inferred to be “overblown”.

Do You Know:

• Last year, India fully transitioned to 20% ethanol blending in petrol — five years ahead of the original target of 2030. E20 fuel — 80% petrol and 20% ethanol — is now the standard petrol variant available nationwide.

• So, essentially, within three years, the average ethanol blending level in petrol doubled from the earlier 10% to 20% (this was originally slated to happen over eight years). For older vehicles and those certified for E10 petrol — 90 parts petrol and 10 parts ethanol — this transition came about rather quickly, without sufficient warnings of the consumer-end pitfalls. The experience left motorists, especially those owning older cars and two-wheelers, feeling somewhat short-changed.

• Now, there are three problems with using a higher ethanol blend in petrol for engines not designed for these blends:
—One, there is a substantial drop in fuel economy depending on when the car was manufactured.
—Second, filling E20 fuel in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, especially older ones, could see some damage to parts owing to factors like corrosion, , given ethanol’s hygroscopic nature that promotes water uptake (hygroscopy refers to the property of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment, either through absorption or adsorption).
—Third, vehicle owners in India currently do not have an option to choose different fuels at the petrol pump, unlike their counterparts in Brazil where customers are presented with a choice of fuels with differential pricing and under Brazilian law, there has to be a pricing discount for higher ethanol blends.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Ethanol blending in fuel: Why road ahead is bumpy

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) According to India’s National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
1. Cassava
2. Damaged wheat grains
3. Groundnut seeds
4. Horse gram
5. Rotten potatoes
6. Sugar beet
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, 5 and 6 only
(b) 1, 3, 4 and 6 only
(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Convention centre, museum: Nod sought for work at Indira Point

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment and Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: From a fortified lighthouse to a convention centre and museum, the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships at Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) has sought clearance from the Andaman and Nicobar Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Environment Ministry to undertake protection and development work at Indira Point, India’s southernmost location, on Great Nicobar Island.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Great Nicobar Island mega infrastructure project-what you know about the same?

• What is Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO)?

• Map Work-Indira Point, Galathea Bay and Great Nicobar Island

• What are CRZ (ICRZ)-1A and ICRZ-IVA categories?

• Why the lighthouse structure is needed?

• What exactly environment impact assessment (EIA) report says on concerned project?

• What environment impact assessment (EIA) report says about coral reefs?

• What is the conservation status of leatherback sea turtle, long-tailed macaque, coconut crab and Nicobar megapode?

• What are the issues related to the Great Nicobar Island Project?

• Analyse the trade-offs between development and conservation in the Great Nicobar Island Project.

• How the Great Nicobar Project can enhance India’s maritime security?

• Examine the impact of the Great Nicobar Project on the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes.

Key Takeaways:

• Official documents reviewed by The Indian Express show the proposed work falls in the ecologically sensitive Island CRZ (ICRZ)-1A and ICRZ-IVA categories.

• Under ICRZ-1A, no development activity is permitted except for certain specified purposes such as eco-tourism and the construction of roads and roads on stilts — and, in exceptional cases, for defence, strategic purposes and public utilities, subject to detailed impact assessment. Under ICRZ-IV, several activities, including land reclamation, bunding and control of erosion, are permitted and regulated.

• The development comes against the backdrop of the proposed Great Nicobar Island mega infrastructure project, which involves construction of a transshipment port at Galathea Bay, a greenfield airport, a power plant and an integrated township. Indira Point is located to the south of Galathea Bay.

• According to the Indira Point project’s ICRZ map report, prepared by Anna University, the lighthouse falls in ICRZ-IVA, while the project site boundary and other proposed facilities, including a temporary approach bund, fall in ICRZ-IA.

• The development work has been proposed mainly on the grounds that the lighthouse structure needs to be safeguarded and safe access to it restored, in light of continuous erosion, wave action and shoreline changes. An Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report by PSU WAPCOS Ltd, and a Detailed Project Report by the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT-Madras, have been submitted as part of the official proposal.

• The EIA report includes a coral reef survey conducted in shallow intertidal and subtidal zones. It does not specify the impact of the proposed project on corals, if any, or the extent of corals found near the lighthouse. The report notes that during the construction phase, activities such as transportation of materials, piling work and shoreline protection work may affect air quality, coastal water quality and marine sediments.

Do You Know:

• The Indira Point lighthouse was established in 1972 on an area of 11.5 hectares, with a 35-metre-high cast iron tower. In the 2004 tsunami, the southern shores of Great Nicobar Island subsided by about 4.25 metres, leaving much of the area surrounding the lighthouse closer to the sea. While the lighthouse tower survived the tsunami, its peripheral structures were damaged or washed away.

• Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands, a sparsely inhabited 910-sq-km patch of mainly tropical rainforest in southeastern Bay of Bengal. Indira Point on the island, India’s southernmost point, is only 90 nautical miles (less than 170 km) from Sabang at the northern tip of Sumatra, the largest island of the Indonesian archipelago.

• Great Nicobar has two national parks, a biosphere reserve, small populations of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples, and a few thousand non-tribal settlers.

• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of 836 islands, split into two groups — the Andaman Islands to the north and the Nicobar Islands to the south — by the 150-km wide Ten Degree Channel. President Droupadi Murmu visited the archipelago in February this year, and interacted with some of its indigenous inhabitants.

• The mega infrastructure project — which is being implemented by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) — is proposed to include an International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), a greenfield international airport with a peak hour capacity to handle 4,000 passengers, a township, and a gas and solar based power plant spread across 16,610 hectares.

• The HPC was formed in April 2023 on the orders of the NGT to address “unanswered deficiencies” regarding the impact of the mega project involving a port and airport pertaining to coral conservation, location of the port in a prohibited area , and on limited baseline data collection. The NGT had not interfered with the environmental and forest clearances granted for the project.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As NGT clears Great Nicobar project, a look at its strategic importance and ecological fallout

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’? (UPSC CSE 2014)
(a) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Nicobar and Sumatra
(c) Maldives and Lakshadweep
(d) Sumatra and Java

3) “Biorock technology” is talked about in which one of the following situations? (UPSC CSE 2022)
(a) Restoration of damaged coral reefs
(b) Development of building materials using plant residue
(c) Identification of areas for exploration/extraction of shale gas
(d) Providing salt licks for wild animals in forests/protected areas

4) Which of the following have coral reefs? (UPSC CSE, 2014)
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Politics

Defence, critical minerals on table at India-Indonesia meeting today

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: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday began a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. He said the visit, from July 6-11, “will further strengthen India’s Act East Policy, MAHASAGAR Vision as well as our outlook towards a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India-Indonesia relations?

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

• What is India’s ‘Act East Policy’?

• What is the significance of the Indo-Pacific for India?

• What is the “ASEAN Plus” policy?

• Read about the Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

• Map work: Location of Indonesia

Key Takeaways:

• Modi, who reached Jakarta Monday afternoon, was received at the airport by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The two leaders are expected to focus on bilateral cooperation in defence and maritime partnerships, critical minerals, food security and digital economy at their meeting on Tuesday.

• “I’m touched by President Prabowo Subianto’s gesture of welcoming me at the airport,” Modi said on X. “In 2018, we elevated our relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has benefited our people. During this visit, President Prabowo Subianto and I will hold discussions aimed at adding even more momentum to this partnership across diverse sectors,” he said.

• While this is his fourth visit to Indonesia, it is the first bilateral visit since the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in May 2018. “President Prabowo and I will visit the Prambanan Temple complex at
Yogyakarta. This will ensure closer cultural linkages between our nations,” Modi said on X.

• Sources said India’s defence and security cooperation with Indonesia has seen increased momentum and expanding scope through high-level visits, regular bilateral and multilateral exercises, and deeper defence industry cooperation, including the sale of BrahMos missiles.

• As maritime neighbours, both countries adopted the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in 2018. “The stationing of an Indonesian liaison officer at IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region) will give further impetus to our maritime domain awareness. India will also be earmarking slots for Indonesian cadets and officers at the National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College which will enhance defence capacity building,” sources said.

Do You Know:

• Indonesia has emerged as India’s second largest trading partner in ASEAN region with bilateral trade of US$ 24.78 billion in 2025-26. Over 130 Indian companies are invested in different sectors in Indonesia.

• On cooperation in critical minerals, officials said Indonesia dominates the sector, commanding roughly 21% of world’s nickel reserves and ranking among the top global producers of copper, bauxite and tin. On trade and investments, officials said there are “strong synergies between developmental visions of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Emas (Golden) Indonesia 2045”.

• The two sides will also work towards building resilient food security cooperation. Officials said several Indonesian delegations have visited India to learn from social welfare schemes like the PDS, fortified rice scheme and fertiliser subsidy reforms. Indonesia’s free nutritious meals initiative is modelled on India’s midday meal programme.

• According to officials, India is set to commemorate the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Indonesia in 2027.

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:
5) 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

Nation

Mahendragiri, an indigenous stealth frigate, to be commissioned on July 11

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

What’s the ongoing story: The Indian Navy is set to commission its sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam later this week. It was designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Know about Project 17A

• Indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38)-know in detail

• What is a stealth frigate?

• Under which class of frigates does Mahendragiri (F38) fall?

• Know the strategic importance of commissioning INS  Mahendragiri (F38) for India’s maritime capabilities.

• How Mahendragiri (F38) induction aligns with the Indian Navy’s goal?

• Compare Project 11356 Talwar-class frigates with India’s indigenous P-17A Nilgiri-class in terms of design philosophy.

• Compare destroyer, a frigate and a submarine.

• What is meant by a blue-water navy?

• How does indigenous naval shipbuilding contribute to national security?

• What is the strategic significance of inducting these ships in the Indian Navy?

• What are the efforts taken by the government for indigenisation of the Indian Navy?

Key Takeaways:

• According to the Navy, it exemplifies India’s growing expertise in indigenous warship design and construction. The warship incorporates advanced stealth features, enhanced survivability, a reduced radar signature, and a high degree of automation. The frigate is powered by a modern combined diesel or gas propulsion system, enabling high-speed operations with exceptional endurance across the full spectrum of maritime missions.

• The stealth frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems, and an integrated combat management system.

• “Capable of undertaking anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine operations, Mahendragiri is equally suited for maritime security, power projection, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, and sustained presence missions,” the Navy said in a statement.

Do You Know:

• With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the construction of the stealth frigate has brought together a vast network of Indian industries, including numerous micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), generating employment while strengthening the nation’s defence industrial base, the statement added.

• The Navy said the commissioning of Mahendragiri would mark another significant milestone in the successful execution of the Project 17A programme.

• As successive frigates of the class join the Fleet, they continue to strengthen the Indian Navy’s combat capability while reinforcing India’s position as a leading indigenous warship-building nation,” the Navy said, adding that Mahendragiri will serve as a formidable force multiplier, safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests and contributing to a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The frigate is named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, and embodies resilience, strength and unwavering resolve, according to the Navy.
The frigate is the first naval warship to bear the name.

The Editorial Page

Teejan Bai claimed her right to sing

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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: One will probably remember the remarkable talent of Chhattisgarhi folk musician Teejan Bai, who died in Raipur on Sunday at 69, as an innate gift. But what was often admired as genius was her extraordinary resolve.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Personality in News-Teejan Bai

• What you know about Pardhi tribe?

• What is Pandavani?

• What are the features of Pandavani?

• What is Pandavani famous for?

• What musical instruments are used in Pandavani?

• Know the legacy of Teejan Bai.

Key Takeaways:

• In Ganiyari village, where singing on any public platform was forbidden for women, people didn’t want their daughters to become like Teejan, the 10-year-old, who under the pretext of collecting cow dung for the hearth would escape to the ponds, fields and naalas to belt out the verses of Pandavani — an oral storytelling tradition from Chhattisgarh, where a lone performer combines music and narration to bring a story from the Mahabharata to life. The sun would go down and Teejan would return home, only to be shunned by family and community because she dared to sing a form that was a preserve of men.

• Married at 12, she would run away from her husband’s home at 13 to live alone in a neighbouring village to become Teejan Bai, the first woman to perform Pandavani professionally from the Pardhi community.

• For decades, one saw Teejan become the Pandavas, Kauravas, Krishna, Bhishma and Karna, shifting effortlessly between characters, conjuring kingdoms and battlefields, with just her voice and an ektara. In the 1970s, Urdu playwright Habib Tanvir, struck by her talent, brought her into Naya Theatre, introducing her to a national audience. She later appeared in Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj and received the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award. But perhaps her greatest achievement lay in winning the hardest battle to begin with: Claiming her right to sing.

Do You Know:

• Teejan Bai’s talent and her work in the arts eventually earned her the country’s highest honours, including the Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2003) and Padma Vibushan (2019) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995). While Teejan found much success, none of her children, however, took to Pandavani. But she herself trained about 200 students in it over the course of her career. But what will always remain significant about Teejan Bai is the courage she showed in breaking the barriers she faced, paving the way for other women performers who continue to perform Pandavani globally.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Remembering Teejanbai: The woman who redefined Chhattisgarh’s Pandavani tradition

📍Legendary Pandavani singer Teejan Bai, who took the art form across the world, dies at 69

Explained

Media’s ‘public function’: Impact of Delhi HC verdict on press freedom, privacy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out

of their design and implementation.

• General Studies IV: Ethics and Human Interface

What’s the ongoing story: Fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution have traditionally been viewed as a shield for citizens against the State. However, a judgment by the Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 1) extended the “horizontal application” of these rights, ruling that private media houses perform a “public function” and can be taken to a High Court for violating an individual’s right to privacy.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is meant by the media performing a public function?

• What are the constitutional basis of freedom of the press in India?

• Examine the relationship between press freedom and the right to privacy.

• How does responsible journalism strengthen democratic governance?

• Know the significance of the doctrine of proportionality in resolving conflicts between competing Fundamental Rights.

• Know the role of the judiciary in protecting both press freedom and individual dignity.

• What are the challenges posed by digital media and social media to traditional concepts of press freedom and privacy?

Key Takeaways:

• A two-judge bench of the High Court upheld a single-judge’s order from 2013 directing TV Today Network to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation for broadcasting details that could identify a minor victim of sexual assault. The judgment, authored by Justice C Hari Shankar on behalf of himself and Justice O P Shukla, laid down legal principles that carry implications for press freedom, the right to privacy, and the avenues through which citizens can sue the media.

• The case dates back to August 2005, when a woman filed a police complaint accusing her husband of sexually assaulting their minor daughter. Despite the mother explicitly refusing to interact with a visiting television crew from the news channel Aaj Tak, the network broadcast a segment that disclosed the father’s name, his official designation, the colony’s address board, visuals of the house, and the mother’s voice. The mother subsequently filed a writ petition against the channel before the High Court.

• The main legal question before the High Court was whether a writ petition could be filed against a private television channel.

• Under Article 226 of the Constitution, High Courts have the power to issue writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights as well as for any other legal right against the State or authorities discharging public duties.

Do You Know:

• The court ruled that the media, even when privately owned, discharges a “public function”. Referring to previous Supreme Court judgments, it reasoned that the media’s role in disseminating news and shaping public opinion is so central to society that it constitutes a public function. Noting that it would be “unrealistic to hold that the media… do not perform any public function”, the court held that this role carries an inherent “public duty to ensure that the rights of the public are not prejudiced or injured by the manner in which such public function is performed”.

• Based on this, the court applied the fundamental right to privacy horizontally. While fundamental rights are typically applied vertically — meaning a citizen enforces them against the government — horizontal application allows a citizen to enforce these rights against a non-State actor. A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had, in the 2023 Kaushal Kishor judgment, established this principle, ruling that certain fundamental rights can be enforced horizontally against private individuals.

• The Delhi High Court has now extended this principle specifically to the right to privacy against the press, holding that the channel’s broadcast, aired without consent, was an illegal intrusion into the victim’s privacy, justifying the award of monetary compensation in a writ court.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Social media can be a tool to enhance police outreach — not dispense justice

Economy

‘Prioritise charging infra for electric 3Ws’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: As a government-led push to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) gains momentum, a statistics ministry report has said commercial three-wheeler charging corridors should be prioritised as this category of EVs accounts for the majority of electricity demand.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why is the government pushing for EVs?

• How electric vehicles and public transportation reforms can help in reducing vehicular pollution?

• The Delhi EV Policy 2026-what are the major provisions?

• What are the different categories of electric vehicles?

• Why are critical minerals important for the EV ecosystem?

• Explain the concept of battery recycling and its importance?

• Know the role of charging infrastructure in accelerating EV adoption.

• What are the opportunities and challenges associated with large-scale EV adoption in India?

Key Takeaways:

• As per the report, the annual electricity demand from all the EVs in the country is equal to 20.07 Terawatt-hours per year, or roughly 1.1% of India’s annual electricity generation. While this indicates that “current EV penetration remains manageable for the national power grid”, the NITI Aayog estimates that it may rise to 100 TWh–640 TWh/year by 2030.

• The MoSPI report comes days after the Delhi government said no petrol motorcycles and scooters will be registered after March 31, 2028, while the registration of new CNG auto-rickshaws will stop in 2026-27. As such, starting April 2028, every new two- and three-wheeler sold in Delhi will have to be electric. This sweeping policy is a first in India and aims to make the country’s capital pollution-free by March 2030.

• According to the MoSPI report, there are 4.37 million electric two-wheelers in the country and 4.14 million three-wheelers, together making up 95% of all EVs in India. Electric Heavy Motor Vehicles or buses and trucks, meanwhile, only make up 0.4% of all EVs but command an electricity share of almost 22%, with the report noting that “annual energy consumption increases significantly with vehicle size…due to higher payload and long-distance operation”.

• Apart from commercial three-wheeler charging corridors, the report also said future infrastructure deployment should prioritise urban fleet charging stations, bus depots and freight charging hubs, and fast-charging infrastructure for heavy-duty transportation. “Residential charging associated with two-wheelers is comparatively manageable because of lower charging power and lower annual electricity consumption,” it added.

Do You Know:

• According to the India EV Electricity Demand Assessment Report, part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) report of the Expert Committee on Energy Statistics, electric three-wheelers make up as much as 61% of the annual electricity demand from India’s EV population of 8.97 million vehicles.

• It also highlighted the absence of data on who uses imported coal, which makes up more than 20% of the domestic demand. The report noted that sectoral data on end-use consumption of non-coking coal – which makes up 75-80% of imported coal and is used by thermal power plants to generate electricity – is not available. As such, the data “fails to provide clear picture of the actual flow/demand of energy across different priority sectors,” the Expert Committee said.

• The MoSPI report comes days after the Delhi government said no petrol motorcycles and scooters will be registered after March 31, 2028, while the registration of new CNG auto-rickshaws will stop in 2026-27. As such, starting April 2028, every new two- and three-wheeler sold in Delhi will have to be electric. This sweeping policy is a first in India and aims to make the country’s capital pollution-free by March 2030.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Delhi mandates all new 2-wheelers be electric from ’28 to fight pollution

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) Consider the following types of vehicles: (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. Full battery electric vehicles
II. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
III. Fuel cell-electric hybrid vehicles
How many of the above are considered as alternative powertrain vehicles?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None

7) In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements: (UPSC CSE, 2025)
I. Cobalt
II. Graphite
III. Lithium
IV. Nickel
How many of the above usually make up battery cathodes?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four

8) Which one of the following is the exhaust Pipe emission from Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles powered by hydrogen? (UPSC CSE, 2024)
(a) Hydrogen peroxide
(b) Hydronium
(c) Oxygen
(d) Water vapour

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India? (2019)

Cash transfers helped Odisha, Maharashtra women; review amount periodically: EAC-PM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment

What’s the ongoing story: Calling for the continuation of the cash transfer scheme for women in Maharashtra and Odisha and a periodic review of the amounts to adjust for inflation and household spending patterns, a paper by a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has found the schemes boosted expenditure by as much as 46% in the case of Maharashtra and 28% for Odisha, with the increase being “qualitatively welfare-improving” as the share of money spent on lifestyle, medical, and educational purposes rose.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What exactly a paper by a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has found on cash transfer scheme?

• What is a cash transfer scheme?

• What are the types of cash transfers?

• What is the DBT scheme?

• Know the objectives of cash transfer schemes for women.

• How do cash transfer schemes contribute to women’s financial inclusion?

• What is gender budgeting? Explain its significance.

• How social protection and inclusive development goes hand in hand?

Key Takeaways:

• “…the policy implications are clear and actionable,” the paper, titled ‘Unconditional Women Cash Transfer Programmes in India: Evidence from Maharashtra and Odisha’ and authored by Soumya Kanti Ghosh and Shagishna K, said.

• “Both programmes should be sustained and evolved toward cash-plus architectures that combine the income transfer with voluntary capacity-building, digital literacy, and SHG (self-help group) linkage components… Transfer amounts should be reviewed periodically for adequacy in light of inflation and evolving household expenditure patterns, with efficiency gains from improved targeting deployed to fund enhanced benefits and complementary services for beneficiaries,” the paper further said.

• Ghosh is a part-time member of the EAC-PM and State Bank of India’s Group Chief Economic Advisor, while Shagishna K is an economist in SBI’s Economic Research Department.

• The paper analysed account-level monthly data to evaluate Maharashtra’s Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and Odisha’s Subhadra Yojana. The former involves the monthly transfer of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, while the Subhadra Yojana scheme offers biannual instalments totalling Rs 10,000 per year.

• As per the results of the analysis by Ghosh and Shagishna, the Maharashtra cash transfer scheme raised month-end balances by 84%, or Rs 6,884, for each beneficiary and spending by 46% (Rs 1,349). In Odisha, on the other hand, balances rose by 45% (Rs 6,887) and spending by 28% (Rs 1,920). It was found that for every Rs 100 of cash that was transferred, Rs 90 was spent. Older women saved more, while women with lower education showed the urge to spend on education.

Do You Know:

• The EAC-PM paper comes at a time when cash transfer schemes for women have become increasingly popular even as concerns mount over the financial situation of state governments. Elevated debt levels at the Centre and state levels – often referred together as general government debt – have been repeatedly cited by global ratings agencies as a key weakness of India’s public finances. In October 2025, PRS Legislative Research had estimated that 12 states would spend Rs 1.68 lakh crore on providing unconditional cash transfers to women in 2025-26.

• Noting that several states had introduced measures such as free electricity and direct cash transfers to women, the RBI had said that while social welfare programmes are essential in a country such as India where economic disparities remain stark, “these welfare expenditures run the risk of crowding out critical investments in physical and social infrastructure”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍From TVs to cash transfers: Experts explain how Tamil Nadu’s welfare model is evolving

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Reforming the government delivery system through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is a progressive step, but it has its limitations too. Comment. (2022)

The World

NATO defence push strains Europe’s budgets

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: With Eastern Europe and West Asia in prolonged turmoil, leaders of the 32 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will gather in Turkey on July 6-7 for the so-called Ankara Summit.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Ankara Summit-what are the key takeaways?

• What is NATO?

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Know the historical background and current Status

• What are the origins of NATO?

• How is NATO funded?

• How many NATO members meet the defence spending target?

• What is important about NATO’s collective defence?

• What is Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty (Collective Security)?

• What is Article 4 of NATO’s Founding Treaty?

Key Takeaways:

• NATO summits take place roughly once a year to impart strategic direction to the world’s most powerful alliance. Established at the beginning of the Cold War in 1949, NATO aims to safeguard its members through political cooperation and collective defence.

• The cornerstone of NATO, enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, or the Washington Treaty, stipulates that an armed attack against one or more of its members will be considered an attack against all. But now, alongside the military threat from its principal adversary, Russia, NATO faces demands for a more equitable burden-sharing from its principal financial contributor, the US.

• Last fortnight, NATO outlined the broad themes that it expected to dominate discussions during the Ankara Summit. The first is a topic that has been contentious ever since NATO’s beginnings: Spending levels on defence by the alliance’s European members.

• At last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, NATO’s European members committed to investing 5 per cent of their respective Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) into defence. This commitment covers two categories of defence expenditure. First, each member must spend at least 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence equipment and to meet NATO Capability Targets. In addition, NATO countries must spend 1.5 per cent of GDP on defence- and security-related investments, such as protection of critical infrastructure, defence networks, and strengthening the defence industrial base.

Do You Know:

• The Ankara Summit will be about execution, not grand strategy, say NATO watchers. The focus will be on delivering on the 5 per cent pledge with the US piling pressure on the European allies to step up. Washington is altering its contribution to NATO, pressing Europe to grow high-end capabilities, such as logistics, command and control, aerial refuelling, missile defence, and special operations forces.

• NATO watchers expect three themes to dominate the Ankara Summit. The first will be a continued focus on “alliance adaptation”, as NATO seeks to transform from a force optimised for crisis management to one that is focused on collective defence against peer competitors. The second theme will be “capability delivery”, with NATO identifying its security requirements and actually fielding those capabilities at the speed demanded by today’s security environment. The third theme will be “technology and industrial resilience”.

• Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 was the wake-up call that goaded NATO into reversing a quarter century of spending cuts. At the 2014 Wales Summit, the NATO allies signed the so-called “Defence Investment Pledge”, committing themselves to spending targets of 2 per cent of their GDPs by 2024.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is NATO?

 

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

  

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.