UPSC Key: Think Tanks, Indus River System and Code on Social Security

India, Australia ink defence pacts, fast-track trade deal

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: Signalling a significant deepening of bilateral ties, India and Australia on Thursday sealed a series of pacts across sectors, from defence and maritime security to energy, including one that paves the way to operationalise their 2014 Civil Nuclear Agreement that secures a stable corridor for uranium supplies to India for peaceful purposes.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The India-Australia bilateral relationship-What history says?

• Strategic ties between India-Australia-How they have evolved?

• What are the key takeaways from the recent agreements between India and Australia?

• What all areas are India and Australia focusing on for collaboration as per the recent agreements?

• What is the primary objective of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Australia?

• Can you name international group in which India and Australia both belong to, aiming to balance China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region?

• Discuss the significance of the recent agreements between India and Australia in the context of renewable energy collaboration.

• Analyze the potential benefits and challenges of the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Australia.

• Evaluate the strategic importance of defense and maritime security cooperation between India and Australia.

• The role of international partnerships, such as the Quad, in addressing regional security and economic challenges-brainstorm

Key Takeaways:

• With these pacts forming the backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described both countries as “vibrant democracies”, “multicultural societies”, and “significant ocean powers”. Modi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that they will together strengthen peace, stability, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based order across the Indo-Pacific region.

• Albanese, in turn, said the two countries are focusing on deepening and diversifying their partnership. “Six years into our strategic partnership, Australia’s relationship with India has never been more consequential than it is today. Our partnership has never been stronger,” he said.

• “We share a focus on deepening and diversifying the relationship between our countries so we can continue to grow from strength to strength. Today, we have done exactly that across the breadth of our relationship. With new landmark agreements, we are expanding our relationship across defence and security, education, science and technology, and energy security and critical minerals,” he said.

• The strengthening of ties comes at a time when China’s assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region has caused concern among like-minded Quad partners, while the ongoing conflict in West Asia between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other has affected maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz over the past four-and-a-half months.

• Modi, who is in Melbourne for the third annual India-Australia Summit, said they have now decided to “fast-track work on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will be balanced, ambitious, and mutually beneficial for both nations”. “We will also accelerate progress on the Bilateral Investment Treaty,” he said after the bilateral talks.

• Following the talks, the two sides signed a joint statement alongside separate statements covering defence and maritime security, energy security, and critical minerals. The statement noted tangible benefits already reaching businesses and consumers under the existing India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), while emphasising the need to dismantle non-tariff barriers further and coordinate institutional financing to drive private-sector investment.

• Another key outcome was the finalisation of the administrative arrangement to operationalise the Civil Nuclear Agreement signed in 2014 and enable supply of uranium from Australia to India. “The arrangement facilitates Australian uranium exports to India to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an additional market for the Australian resources sector,” Albanese said.

• The two leaders also launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS). The partnership targets supply chain diversification, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and joint semiconductor research.

• A separate trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed under the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) umbrella, cementing a trusted technological alliance between the three Commonwealth nations.

Do You Know:

• India and Australia have cultivated a robust bilateral relationship characterized by shared democratic values, economic cooperation, and strategic collaboration. Both nations are members of the Commonwealth and parliamentary democracies with similar legal systems, which has facilitated mutual understanding and cooperation.

• A significant milestone in their economic ties is the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which came into effect on December 29, 2022. This agreement aims to enhance bilateral trade by eliminating duties on a vast array of goods and services, thereby fostering economic growth and diversification.

• Strategically, both countries have elevated their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underscoring their commitment to regional stability and security. This was exemplified during the second 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in November 2023, where discussions focused on deepening defense cooperation and addressing shared security challenges.

• In the defense sector, India and Australia have signed agreements to bolster naval ties, reflecting a shared interest in ensuring maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. These agreements facilitate joint exercises and enhance interoperability between their naval forces.

• While the relationship is strong, both nations acknowledge the presence of differences on certain sensitive matters. Australian officials have expressed confidence in managing these differences through careful and sensitive discussions, emphasizing the maturity and resilience of their bilateral ties.

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📍11th-12th century antiquities from Tamil Nadu to finally come home from Australia

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20? (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
(b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand
(c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam
(d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea

Think tank CSDS likely to face funding cuts from Centre

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.

What’s the ongoing story: The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), established in 1963 and one of the premier social science research centres in the country, faces deep funding cuts from the government which could cast a cloud over its viability, The Indian Express has learned.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are think tanks?

• Discuss the role of think-tanks in evidence-based policymaking.

• Do think tanks count as pressure groups?

• Why are transparency and accountability important in publicly funded research institutions?

• Why the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) faces deep funding cuts from the government?

• What is the role of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in promoting social science research in India?

Key Takeaways:

• This action follows CSDS professor Sanjay Kumar flagging discrepancies in voter data in Maharashtra which Kumar himself later said was a mis-reading and apologised for it.
Another think tank, Centre for Policy Research, had to considerably whittle down its operations following an Income Tax probe and the cancellation of its foreign funding licence two years ago.
CSDS faces the prospect of losing its grants from Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), an organisation under the aegis of the Ministry of Education whose grants accounts for over 83% of its income.

• Sources said CSDS may also lose its status as an institution receiving ICSSR grants — called “grants-in-aid” — after a three-member probe committee, submitted a report that makes a slew of allegations regarding the centre’s functioning.

• The committee, constituted by the ICSSR, includes a former UGC secretary, a former government auditor and a former pro Vice-Chancellor of a Central university.
Their report submitted to the ICSSR is learnt to have alleged “irregularities”: academic appointments in violation of UGC regulations, requisite qualifications; processing of financial matters without complying with General Financial Rules; and appointment of non-academic staff without public advertisement.

• It has recommended that ICSSR take action against CSDS as per its “grants-in-aid” rules. This can mean suspension of grants, through which most of the salaries of the staff of CSDS are paid.

• ICSSR grants account for roughly 90% of the salary component at CSDS, apart from which it also gives allowances for research and some maintenance activities.

Do You Know:

• As per the unaudited ICSSR annual report 2024-25, the total income of CSDS was Rs 75.62 million that year, of which Rs 62.88 million came from the ICSSR: Rs. 57.88 million in salaries and allowances, and Rs 50 lakh under the heads research scheme/programme, non-salary.

• The CSDS, on its own, raised — from projects, fellowships and consultancy — Rs. 12.1 million in 2024-25. Thus, 83% of the total income of CSDS in 2024-25 was through ICSSR grants-in-aid.

• Last year, ICSSR withheld its grant to CSDS.

• The enquiry committee was set up after controversy erupted in August 2025 when CSDS professor Sanjay Kumar, in a post on X, said that the number of registered voters in Ramtek and Devlali in Maharashtra had gone down by 36-38 percent between the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Maharashtra assembly elections. Subsequently, he apologised on X, saying that the research team had misread the data.

• Seizing on this, ICSSR sent a show-cause notice to CSDS, asking it to explain within seven days why the Grants in Aid to it, which is discretionary, should not be withdrawn, flagging multiple “irregularities”, including data manipulation and sharing it with the media, to “malign” the reputation of the Election Commission of India.

• The show cause notice also alleged faculty appointments in violation of UGC guidelines, an opaque method of appointment of directors, and not holding elections for the chairman of the governing body. It also said that House Rent allowance was paid to staff members who were staying in government accommodation of their spouses, and that annual accounts of CSDS were not submitted for audits to “hide” misuse of funds.

• A think tank is a research institute or organization that gathers experts to study complex problems—ranging from social policy and economics to foreign affairs and technology—and translates this data into actionable advice, policy recommendations, and solutions for governments and businesses.

• India’s most prominent think tanks shape policies on national security, economics, and international relations.
Major institutions include NITI Aayog, the government’s apex policy body; the Observer Research Foundation (New Delhi), focusing on foreign policy; and the Centre for Policy Research, known for economic and social research

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is CSDS, the eminent research centre that is now under scrutiny of the central government?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the (UPSC CSE, 2015)
(a) Human Rights Commission
(b) Finance Commission
(c) Law Commission
(d) Planning Commission

Nation

Rainfall in eastern river basins down 20% since 1951: Study

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography

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

What’s the ongoing story: In the first-of-its-kind assessment of the impact of climate change on water availability in the Indus river system, a new study has revealed that the catchment areas of the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — saw a 20 per cent decline in precipitation in the period between 1951 and 2024.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What exactly a new study revealed about the catchment areas of the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej?

• The Indus River originates near?

• Know the rivers part of the eastern and western rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty?

• Map Work-Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Chenab, Indus, Jhelum (Rivers)

• A decline in rainfall over a river basin is most likely to affect what?

• Know the geographical significance of the Indus River system.

• What are the implications of declining rainfall in the eastern Indus river basins?

• Why is groundwater recharge becoming increasingly important under changing climatic conditions?

• Know the significance of the Indus Waters Treaty in the context of changing hydrological conditions.

Key Takeaways:

• On the other hand, rainfall in catchment areas of three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — was largely stable, with only a 6 per cent reduction observed over the same period, “which is statistically non-significant”, the study has found.

• The findings are relevant in view of India’s argument that the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, which governs the sharing of waters of the Indus basin between the two countries, needs to be renegotiated to account for new ground realities created by climate change and other factors like demographic changes. Under the treaty, the waters of the three eastern rivers have been fully allocated to India, while that of the three western rivers are mostly meant for use by Pakistan.

• After the Pahalgam terror attack last year, India had declared that it had put the treaty “in abeyance”, meaning it no longer considered itself bound by its provisions.

• It has repeatedly maintained that the treaty would remain “in abeyance” until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” abjures its support for cross-border terrorism But much before this incident, in 2023 and 2024, India had served more than one notice to Pakistan seeking a “review and modification” of the treaty.

• India had argued that population pressures, changes in water demand, need for accelerated development of clean energy, and changes in water availability due to climate-induced processes had brought about “fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances” that required suitable modifications to be made in the 1960 treaty.

Do You Know:

• The latest study is the first data-based evidence to support the argument that water availability and the flow in the rivers had been substantially altered over the decades due to climate change. The study was carried out by Vimal Mishra, a professor of Civil Engineering at IIT-Gandhinagar and one of India’s leading researchers on hydrology and the impact of climate change on water resources, and his colleague Urmin Vegad. It is due for publication in a peer-reviewed international journal.

• The study also found significant depletion of groundwater in the Sutlej and Ravi sub-basins. The groundwater situation in the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus basins was found to be relatively better, “possibly reflecting limited agricultural use, lower population density, or higher recharge from snowmelt and precipitation”.

• The study found a “pronounced decline” in annual inflow of water in the reservoirs of major dams on the eastern rivers like Pong, Bhakra and Thein. The reservoir of Pong dam, for example, saw a decline of nearly 34 per cent in annual inflows between 1951 and 2020. The major reservoirs in Pakistan, on the other hand, were not substantially affected. Flows into Mangla and Tarbela dams, two of the biggest in Pakistan, both built on the western rivers, remained mostly stable, with very minor declines.

• The study says these largescale changes may make the treaty unsustainable in the long run. “The treaty was designed in the mid-20th century amid hydro-climatic conditions that differ remarkably from the recent period. Since the formation of the treaty, the Indus River Basin has undergone substantial hydro-climatic and geopolitical changes that have led to questions about its long-term sustainability,” it says.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indus Waters Treaty: One year since Operation Sindoor, how India and Pakistan have approached deadlock

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

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
📍The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (2020)

Explained

Lessons for India from Brazil’s ethanol pathway

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: In the mid-1970s, faced with surging oil import bills and an imploding global sugar market, Brazil made a bold bet: it would run its cars on alcohol. Half a century later, this Brazilian push to ramp up ethanol use in its auto fuel mix is now a masterclass in biofuel adoption.

Key Points to Ponder:

• 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:

• There are perhaps three key enabling factors that have made this a success: a graded, spaced-out approach to fuel blending with predefined milestones; the vehicular ecosystem being given enough time to adapt to this transition in tandem with clear communication guidance to motorists; and offering the power of choice and visible price incentives for consumers to shift to ethanol that is now enshrined in a national law.

• In India’s rushed and increasingly bumbling efforts to dovetail ethanol into its fuel mix, all three established Brazilian learnings have been flouted.

• Let’s consider the timing aspect. In response to the 1973 global oil crisis, the Brazilian government launched the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool) in 1975 to reduce petroleum dependence by promoting ethanol additives.

• But its first ethanol blending law, Brazil’s legislation requiring a 5% blend of anhydrous ethanol into petrol, goes all the way back to 1931. This decades-long arc culminated in the 2024 passage of the Fuel of the Future and Mover Program legislation to heavily boost low-carbon vehicle technologies and biofuel adoption, with E30 petrol blend mandated in 2025.

Brazil’s blending arc.

• In comparison, the timeline of India’s ethanol-blended petrol programme technically spans 2003 to 2026, but even in that, much of the action is front-loaded. It was only in 2022 that 10% ethanol blending was achieved, with a rapid increase to 20% in just three years.

India’s blending arc.

• The government had originally planned to dispense petrol blended with 20% ethanol only by 2030, but the E20 fuel is now the standard petrol variant available nationwide. Since then, there has been a move to shift to E25 as the base fuel, with a simultaneous push for E85-100 fuels for specialised flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs).

Do You Know:

• FFVs are essentially internal combustion engine vehicles engineered to operate on more than one type of fuel — typically petrol blended with ethanol or methanol. These vehicles use a fuel composition sensor to automatically adjust fuel injection and ignition timing based on the blend in the tank, allowing seamless switching between petrol and ethanol and varying degrees of blends.

• Over the past five decades, Brazil has also worked hard to give the power of choice to its motorists. At nearly every petrol pump in Brazil now, people have an option to choose between blended petrol, which typically includes E27 ethanol, and E100, which is pure hydrous ethanol. Alongside that, since Brazilians got carmakers to switch to FFVs, consumers can fill up with whichever option is cheaper at the pump on a particular day. Often, E100 is cheaper by 25-35% compared to lower blended petrol.

• In India, that is far from the case. Motorists here were told that performance would not be affected. But the definition of performance did not include mileage. That has come back to bite the decision-makers, as vehicle owners noticed a sharp dip in fuel efficiency, with the promise of more efficiency loss as blending increases. Concerns over vehicle damage appear somewhat exaggerated, though there are concerns about plastic and rubber parts getting degraded in older vehicles.

• In India, the push to progressively raise ethanol blending in petrol from the current E20 level to E25, before transitioning towards flex-fuel vehicles and E85-E100 fuels, is an integral part of the strategy to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.

• Brazil’s story may have a template for how India could move forward. Its widespread use of flex-fuel vehicles is a story of strong government mandates, visible price incentives for consumers, clear guidance to car makers and robust consumer education that helped mainstream higher ethanol blends like E20 and above. For India, this offers a ready template

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why mileage-conscious Indian motorists are resisting the ethanol mandate

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) 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

Tabling report on Justice Varma: Accountability after resignation

Syllabus:

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

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

What’s the ongoing story: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision to table the report of the parliamentary investigative committee against former Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma will bring India’s judicial accountability framework into uncharted territory.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the case against Justice Varma?

• What does the law say about a judge’s resignation?

• Why did previous impeachment probes lapse?

• Was there any internal resistance to ending the Justice Dinakaran parliamentary probe?

• What are the implications of tabling the report now?

• What is the Procedure for Removal of a Judge in India?

• What is Impeachment?

• What are the constitutional provisions and procedures governing the impeachment of High court judges?

• The process of impeachment of a judge of the Supreme Court is laid down in Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India-True or false?

• What Article 218 of the Constitution of India says?

• What are the Grounds of Impeachment?

• What role do parliamentary Houses and presiding officers play in the impeachment of High court judges?

Key Takeaways:

• When Justice Varma resigned in April, it was widely assumed that the impeachment proceedings against him had hit a dead end. However, legal experts argue that tabling the report is a crucial step for public accountability, challenging a long-held assumption that a judge’s resignation automatically extinguishes a parliamentary probe.

• The impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma can be traced back to last year when wads of burnt and partially destroyed currency notes were recovered from his official residence in New Delhi. This triggered an in-house inquiry by the Supreme Court, which reportedly found him culpable.

• Subsequently, over 146 Lok Sabha MPs moved a motion for his removal, prompting the Speaker to constitute a three-member investigative committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. Before the committee could conclude its hearings, Justice Varma tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.

Do You Know:

• Under Article 217 of the Constitution, a High Court judge can resign by writing to the President. In a 1978 judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that a judge’s resignation is a unilateral act that takes effect immediately on the date chosen by the judge, without needing formal acceptance.

• No judge has ever been impeached in India. In 2011, impeachment proceedings against Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen were dropped after they resigned. Justice Dinakaran had resigned while the committee was in the midst of its probe against him. Upon his resignation, the Rajya Sabha secretariat reasoned that since the goal of the probe was the removal of the judge, a resignation rendered the process meaningless and the committee’s work infructuous.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Impeachment of judges

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2019)
1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act 1968.
2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details or what constitutes ‘incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in 4 the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4

Revamped EPFO portal: Centralised database, with easier claim filing & info access

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

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

What’s the ongoing story: As the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), India’s retirement fund body, rolls out a revamped portal, members will be able to access all their details on a unified portal along with faster auto-crediting of interest by July 15.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 2026?

• How Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 2026 is different from the Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952?

• What is the significance of contributory social security in India’s labour market?

• What is the Code on social security?

• What are the major reforms introduced under the EPF Scheme, 2026?

• How the Code on Social Security, 2020 seeks to modernize India’s labour welfare framework?

• What are the challenges in extending effective social security coverage to contract and informal workers?

• Know the role of provident fund reforms in promoting inclusive economic growth.

Key Takeaways:

• One of the most important features of the Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES) project under the EPFO 2.01 initiative is the move towards a centralised database. It follows the merger of information from all regional centres, which will allow members to resolve their issues at any regional EPF office and not necessarily in their city of employment, where Provident Fund deductions may have happened.

• “The EPFO has completed the process of migrating its entire database of member records to the new centralised database. Earlier, the services were tied to a particular Regional Office. Now, a member’s service request can be processed from any authorised location across the country,” the Ministry of Labour and Employment said in a statement on Wednesday (July 8).

• The new portal enables automated processes, including crediting of interest, online processing of claims verification, and a facility to view the eligible amount for withdrawals under various claim categories.

• A centralised database is a significant measure that will help employees who migrate for work and also the PF members who struggle to find solutions at a particular regional office, as has happened in the past. For instance, if an employee has worked in Chennai and moves back to their hometown in West Bengal, they can access their records and resolve any issues at the EPFO office in West Bengal instead of travelling to the Chennai office.

• The new portal will also help expedite the annual interest crediting process by July 15, which would earlier get delayed to October-November. Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said the annual interest of Rs 1.44 lakh crore for financial year 2025-26 will be auto-processed on the new portal and verified by field authorities before being credited to 34 crore EPF accounts by July 15. The EPFO has nearly 8 crore contributing members.

Do You Know:

• In October 2025, the EPFO announced a slew of changes to its withdrawal norms by streamlining the withdrawal categories from 13 to three — essential needs (illness, education, marriage); housing needs; and special circumstances, along with an introduction of a minimum balance of 25%.

• The new EPF Scheme, 2026 incorporates those changes by allowing members to withdraw funds in case of illness of self and family members, up to 100% of the eligible member balance, after completion of 12 months of total membership of the Fund. The 100% eligible member balance means withdrawal of 75% of the total funds as 25% is mandatory minimum balance requirement. The full 100% amount can be withdrawn after remaining unemployed for one year.

• The rate of contribution remains the same from the previous scheme at 12% and 10% for certain notified establishments. As per the existing scheme, the rate of contribution is mandatory till the wage ceiling. The EPF Scheme, 2026 requires provident fund contributions at 12% of wages from both the employer and employee and specifically provides that where wages exceed the statutory wage ceiling, mandatory contributions will be restricted on the wage ceiling amount. Gupta said. “Employees may, however, opt to make voluntary contributions either on wages exceeding the statutory wage ceiling or at a rate higher than the prescribed 12%. Employers also have the option to make matching contributions against such voluntary contributions,” he added.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍New withdrawal rules, same PF contribution rates

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) With reference to casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2021)
1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund Coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(a)  2.(d)  3.(d) 4.(a) 5.(c) 6.(b)

  

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