UPSC Key: Two trade deals in the bag, Rules on frozen embryo donation, and Cancer cases in India

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the significance of the India-USA trade deal?

— What are genetically modified (GM) products?

— What were the concerns of the agricultural sector with the India-US trade deal?

— What are the efforts being taken by the government to integrate India into global value chains (GVCs)?

— What are the concerns related to ethanol imports in India from the US?

— Know about the evolution of India-US relationship

— What are the major agreements signed between India and the US?

Key Takeaways:

— This is over twice last year’s imports. In FY25, India imported $45.62 billion worth of American goods, while exports to the US stood at $86.51 billion.

— Under the trade deal announced Monday, Washington lowered tariffs on India to 18% from 50% imposed in August 2025, and US President Donald Trump said India will buy over $500-billion worth of American energy, technology, agricultural products, and coal, among other products.

— Sources said while India has opened its agriculture sector to a wide category of products, it has maintained protection on genetically modified (GM) products, soya meal, poultry, maize, cereals, and corn.

— Quota access has been given in cotton, pulses, chestnuts, onion among a range of other items, sources said, adding that Delhi has given market access to products, such as apples, that are already open for other countries.

— India had given market access to apples to New Zealand and kiwis and pears to the European Union. Market access to wine, spirits and beer has also been a key element in deals with Western trade partners.

— Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Tuesday that interests of India’s sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy have been fully protected in the India-US trade deal, which is much better than what Delhi’s competitors got from Washington

From the front page: Says deal better than what India competitors got; USTR: exciting opportunity

— Given India’s political economy, New Delhi has sought to shield its agricultural and dairy sectors from imports while negotiating trade agreements. Opposition parties including the Congress have also expressed serious concerns about farmers’ interests being jeopardised and demanded more transparency.

— Describing India’s trade deal with the US as “historic” and much better than what its competitors managed, Goyal said it would help bolster the Indian economy and help a range of sectors. The deal is not just about trade but also about integrating India into global value chains (GVCs) and attracting investments worth lakhs of crores into the country, he said.

— US Agriculture Secretary Rollins said America’s agricultural trade deficit with India was $1.3 billion in 2024. India’s growing population is an important market for American agricultural products and that the deal will go a long way to reducing this deficit, she said.

— Goyal also said the US trade deal will give a boost to labour-intensive and export-oriented sectors like textiles and apparel, seafood, engineering goods and machine parts, gems and jewellery, leather and footwear, technology, and chemicals. Many of these had been hit hard due to the 50% tariffs. 

— According to him, this deal will also help India access world-class technology in Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and critical minerals, apart from paving the way for high-performance data centres and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to be set up in India.

From the Explained page: US farm exports to India surged, even with no deal

— The deal will also “go a long way” in reducing America’s agricultural trade deficit with India that, according to US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, was valued at $1.3 billion in 2024.

— But the data on farm trade between the two countries shows US exports to India already surging to record highs and the deficit narrowing — even with no deal signed.

— During January-November 2025, the US exported agricultural produce worth $2.85 billion, a 34.1% jump over the $2.13 billion for the same 11 months of the previous year. The exports for the whole of 2025 are set to top $3.1 billion, which would be an all-time high.

— On the other hand, US imports of Indian farm produce have risen by only 5.1%, from $5.62 billion in January-November 2024 to $5.91 billion in January-November 2025. America’s agricultural trade deficit with India has correspondingly reduced from $3.5 billion to $3.1 billion. In 2024, the deficit was $3.8 billion (table 1) and not $1.3 billion, as mentioned by Secretary Rollins.

— US exports to India have been led by tree nuts — mainly almonds and pistachios — which were valued at $1.1 billion in 2024, while growing by a whopping 32.2% to $1.3 billion-plus during January-November 2025.

— The other two major drivers were cotton and soyabean oil (see table 2).

— The US had hugely benefited from India allowing duty-free imports of cotton from August 18 to December 31, 2025. The duty has been restored to 11% from the new calendar year. Crude soyabean oil exports have, likewise, zoomed from virtually zero, following India reducing its effective import duty from 27.5% to 16.5% with effect from May 31, 2025.

— Another significant export item is ethanol. The US is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of ethanol, which is primarily produced from corn (maize). India currently permits ethanol imports only for non-fuel industrial purposes, i.e. manufacture of alcohol-based chemicals, beverages or medicines.

— The US has been pressing hard on India to open up imports of ethanol for blending in petrol and diesel. India has been resisting that, since it would undermine the use of ethanol from domestically-grown sugarcane, maize and rice in the government’s ambitious biofuel programme.

— It can be seen from table 3 that most exports to the US from India — barring seafood, processed fruits & vegetables, baked goods and sweeteners — took a hit in 2025.

— Even in the case of seafood, exports rose by 32.5% in January-June. But during July-November 2025, the value of seafood exports (basically frozen shrimp) was just $984.5 million, as against $1,183.4 million in the corresponding five months of 2024.

— Simply put, the 50% Trump tariffs have hurt Indian farm exports to the US. The proposed duty cut to 18% — a reciprocal tariff of 18% and hopefully no Russian oil penalty — should enable India to recover some lost ground.

— From the US side, exports of tree nuts, cotton and soyabean oil to India are already doing well. It remains to be seen how much of concessions, both tariff and non-tariff, India is offering on other produce where the US has substantial export interests — corn, soyabean grain, ethanol and dairy products.

From the Editorial page: With tariff cloud lifting, India-US can shape balance of power in Asia & world

— C. Raja Mohan writes: The finalisation of the India-US trade deal this week brings to a close a turbulent year in bilateral ties and clears the way for Delhi and Washington to focus on the broader agenda outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at their White House meeting on February 13, 2025.

— The two leaders had emphasised the importance of a quick trade deal and called for deeper cooperation in defence industrialisation, critical and emerging technologies, and strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific.

— The durability of the India-US partnership owes much to its deep structural foundation. The convergence of strategic interests and the creation of a dense architecture of cooperation in the last quarter of a century was not going to be easily wrecked by personality clashes or even serious differences on any one issue. 

— The strategic ballast of the bilateral relationship was also critical in weathering complications other than trade over the last year. Since Trump’s return to the White House, commentators in Delhi and Washington had argued that Pakistan and Russia had returned to complicate India-US relations.

— Russia, too, remains important for Delhi, but its weight in India’s strategy has seen a relative decline over the decades. Indian purchases of discounted Russian oil were price and market-driven. Therefore, reducing oil purchases from Russia, as part of the trade deal, is not a fundamental question of principle for Delhi. 

— India’s ties with Russia will remain relevant, but Delhi has no reason to let it clash with the high-stakes engagement with the US. Trump is eager to improve ties with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and that is in India’s interest too.

— The key variable that truly matters for both Washington and Delhi is China. Despite Trump’s intermittent G2 rhetoric, the structural contradictions between the US and China remain deep and not easily overcome.

— Trump’s tactical approach to Beijing certainly differs from previous administrations, including his own first term. That is a reflection of China’s rapidly growing economic and military heft in the region. Delhi’s own recalibration of ties with Beijing is shaped by the reality of China’s growing power. Securing a stable Asia will remain the cornerstone of the India-US partnership.

— With the tariff cloud lifting, India and the United States can return to the task of advancing a partnership that will shape the balance of power in Asia and the wider world for decades to come. To get back to that agenda, though, Delhi and Washington must quickly tie up the many loose ends of the trade deal.

From the Ideas Page: Two trade deals in the bag, India has a great opportunity

— Manoj Pant writes: If the India-EU trade agreement can be called “the mother of all deals”, the India-US trade agreement may well qualify as the “father of all deals”. While the details are still awaited, it is now clear that the penalty on all Indian exports to the US, along with the “liberation day” tariffs, has been consolidated into a single tariff of 18 per cent over most-favoured-nation rates — among the lowest offered to any country.

— As argued earlier, the India-EU agreement, though significant in itself, was also part of India’s attempt to diversify exports away from its most important trading partner, the US. With the latest developments, however, it is fair to say that — both economically and geopolitically — relations have reverted to “business as usual.” 

— On the trade front, the immediate beneficiaries are India’s garment and leather exporters. Many had seen orders for the coming year either slipping away or being renegotiated downward by 10-20 per cent as margins were squeezed to absorb higher tariffs. 

— Similar pressures were faced by exporters of gems and jewellery and sports goods — sectors that are important for employment in the MSME ecosystem.

— The India-US deal also serves a broader strategic purpose. It helps restore normalcy to bilateral relations that have steadily deepened since the Civil Nuclear Agreement. 

— A third area likely to benefit is India’s IT sector. Services exports have been crucial in keeping India’s balance of payments under control, and there were concerns that a deterioration in Indo-US relations could adversely affect IT exports — a critical component of services trade.

— There is also a longer-term possibility. With strengthened trade ties with both the US and the EU, India now has an opportunity to emerge as a credible “China-plus-one” alternative — provided it continues to invest in skills and domestic capacity. 

From the Economy page: Rupee, interest rates, to GDP growth: US trade agreement & India’s economic outlook

— First things first: the reduction in the tariff to 18%, which comes into force immediately, means the effective US import duty on Indian products could fall to anywhere between 12% and 16% from 35-36%, according to economists.

— The effective tariff rate is lower than the headline number of 18% because of the concessions the US has made on electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food items such as spice, coffee, and tea and the Section 232 tariffs on products such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles.

— The above should have several positive consequences. Higher exports to the US should narrow India’s merchandise trade deficit, which had surged to an all-time high of $41.7 billion in October 2025 before cooling down to $25 billion in the final month of 2025. 

— While the impact on India’s growth from the trade deal will take some time to materialise, the boost to market sentiment has already led to tangible results: the stock markets closed over 2% higher on Tuesday — reversing the post-Budget losses due to the hike in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) — while the rupee strengthened by more than 1% against the US dollar.

— But beyond the short run, the outlook for the rupee is a bit unclear. For one, there is still some clarity required over the contours of the US deal. Second, the factors that led to the rupee weakening by around 7% in 2025 haven’t really vanished. 

— Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) had pulled out nearly $12 billion from India’s stock markets on a net basis during August 2025-January 2026. According to Kotecha, “hot money flows” such as those of FPIs have become important drivers of the rupee’s exchange rate. 

— Then there is the deal itself. While the details remain elusive, the fact that President Donald Trump has said India will move towards reducing its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US “to ZERO” and has committed to over $500 billion of American products across sectors means the situation is not all rosy.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Jumping hurdles: How India managed to diversify exports in the face of US tariffs

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 the North Sea.

3. It does not contain sulfur.

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

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Yumnam Khemchand Singh set to be Manipur CM; Kuki-Zo, Naga MLAs may be Dy CMs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Polity and Governance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, Linkages between development and spread of extremism and Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

What’s the ongoing story: After weeks of deliberations, the BJP on Tuesday elected 62-year-old Yumnam Khemchand Singh as the leader of the Manipur legislature party, paving the way for government formation and for Singh to take over as the next Chief Minister. Manipur was put under President’s Rule last year, days after N Biren Singh resigned as CM of the state, which had been roiled by ethnic violence since May 2023.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Why was the president’s rule imposed in Manipur?

— During President’s Rule, which body assumes the power to legislate on state matters?

— What is the cause of ethnic violence in Manipur?

— What measures have been taken by the government to ensure peace and harmony in the Northeast region?

— How does Article 356 of the Constitution maintain a balance between the unitary and federal features of the Constitution?

Key Takeaways:

— The decision was taken at a meeting helmed by Biren Singh at the BJP headquarters in the national capital, wherein he interacted with over 30 MLAs from across communities, sources said. The term of President’s Rule in Manipur will end on February 13.

— According to the sources, the process of government formation will begin “over the coming days” and likely conclude this week itself since the “Centre is committed to ensuring government formation in the state at the earliest”. The new government is likely to include “more representation for communities, including Kukis”, sources said.

From the Politics Page- “How and why Manipur finally moved back to an elected govt”

— For much of 2025, the Centre remained cautious. Its assessment was that President’s Rule had brought a “semblance of normalcy”, and an “unsteady government” might derail fragile peace efforts. Disarmament was incomplete, free movement across hills and valley was still contested, and talks with armed groups were ongoing.

— Yet, parallel developments nudged the situation forward. Agreements with Kuki groups to enable freer movement and renewed Suspension of Operations arrangements and Modi’s September 2025 visit — his first since the violence began — were all projected as signs of a return to normalcy.

— The Centre’s hands were also forced by a Constitutional obligation which requires the invoking of national emergency to extend President’s Rule beyond one year.

Do You Know:

— The imposition of President’s Rule under Article 356 effectively transfers all the functions of the state government to the Centre and the function of the state legislature to Parliament during the period when it is in force. The only exception to this is the functioning of High Courts, which remains unchanged.

— The process begins if the President, on receiving a report from the Governor, is “satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the Government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.

— In this situation, the President will issue a ‘Proclamation’, which can remain in force for up to two months. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha must approve it through a resolution before this period expires for it to remain operative further. If approved, the proclamation of President’s Rule can be extended to six months and Parliament can approve further six-month extensions for up to three years.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍President’s rule imposed in Manipur: What is the provision, its history

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) If a particular area is brought under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which one of the following statements best reflects the consequence of it? (UPSC CSE 2022)

(a) This would prevent the transfer of land of tribal people to non-tribal people.

(b) This would create a local self-governing body in that area.

(c) This would convert that area into a Union Territory.

(d) The State having such areas would be declared a Special Category State.

 

NATION

4 in 10 cancer cases among Indians are preventable: Study

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Worldwide four in ten cancer cases could be prevented, as per a new analysis by World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Key Points to Ponder:

— Why are cancer cases rising in India? 

— Why is early awareness and detection important? 

— What are the reasons for celebrating World Cancer Day?

— What are some of the major government programmes aimed at cancer care and treatment in India?

— What are the reasons for the high rate of cancer among women in India?

— Why does the government need to take measures against tobacco smoking?

— What are the main contributing factors to cancer cases?

— To tackle India’s cancer crisis prevention must lead the way to tackle the surge. Elaborate.

Key Takeaways:

— The study has examined 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation–and for the first time–nine cancer-causing infections. 

— Released ahead of World Cancer Day— February 4—the analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes.

— Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the study identifies tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer globally responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).

— In India, nearly 4 in 10 (37.1%) cancers are preventable or for both women and men which amounts to approximately 520,000 cases. 

— The top modifiable contributors to cancer are infections, accounting for 13.4% of the total cancer burden, tobacco smoking accounting for 10.5% of the total cancer burden and smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption accounting for 5% of the total cancer burden.

— The burden of potentially preventable cancer is higher among men with over 4 in 10 cancers being due to modifiable risk factors (44.7%; more than 305,000 cases) in India. Among women, around 3 in 10 cancers are potentially preventable (30.5%; approximately 218,000 cases).

— As per the analysis, the top modifiable contributors to cancer among men in the country include tobacco smoking. This accounts for 18.5 % of all new cancer cases, smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption accounting for 7.7% of all new cancer cases and infections accounting for 7.6 % of new cancer cases. 

— Among men the top cancers which are potentially preventable include lip, oral cavity (more than 85,000 cases can be prevented mainly due to smokeless tobacco, areca nut consumption and tobacco smoking). 

— The top modifiable contributors to cancer among women are: (1) infections accounting for 20.2% of all new cancer cases among women, (2) insufficient physical activity accounting for 2.7% of all new cancer cases, and (3) smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption accounting for 2.4% of all new cancer cases.

— According to Dr Basu, the two most important infection preventable cancers in India are cervical and gastric cancers

Do You Know:

— Cases of cancer in the country have risen from 84.8 per 1,00,000 people in 1990 to 107.2 per 1,00,000 in 2023. This means nearly 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer annually. Cancer mortality has increased from 71.7 per 1,00,000 in 1990 to 86.9 per 1,00,000 in 2023, translating to around 12.1 lakh yearly deaths. 

— India’s cancer burden is becoming heavier, resulting in a system grappling with late diagnoses, uneven access to care, and, in certain cases, avoidable complications.

— To break the cycle, India must make preventive action the backbone of its cancer policy. This includes investing in cleaner air and water, scaling up HPV and hepatitis B vaccinations, expanding public awareness on the triggers of certain cancers.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s cancer crisis: Prevention must lead the way to tackle surge 

📍Explained: What India’s cancer map shows

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) With reference to the treatment of cancerous tumours, a tool called cyberknife has been making the news. In this context, which one of the following statements is not correct? (UPSC CSE 2010)

(a) It is a robotic image guided system   

(b) It delivers an extremely precise dose of radiation   

(c) It has the capability of achieving sub-millimetre accuracy   

(d) It can map the spread of tumour in the body

Stop sharing user data or opt out of country: SC to WhatsApp, Meta

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

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: The Supreme Court Tuesday slammed WhatsApp LLC and Meta Platforms over their data sharing policy, saying they were making a mockery of the country’s constitutionalism and it will not allow them to exploit the private data of citizens. The top court said the two should leave India if they cannot address the concerns about data sharing and exploitation.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the right of privacy?

— What are the concerns associated with WhatsApp’s privacy policy?

— How is the commercial exploitation of user data a big challenge?

— Read about the Competition Commission of India  and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal?

— What challenges do digital monopolies pose to consumer rights and fair competition?

— What are the laws related to data governance in India?

— What measures should be taken to ensure data privacy?

— What data protection laws are implemented in other countries?

Key Takeaways:

— The bench was hearing appeals filed by Meta and WhatsApp challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) judgment upholding the penalty of Rs 213.14 crore imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy.

— The CCI too has filed an appeal against the NCLAT order allowing Meta and WhatsApp to share users’ data for advertising purposes.

— At the outset, Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Akhil Sibal, appearing for Meta and WhatsApp respectively, said the penalty had been deposited. The bench then directed that the amount shall not be allowed to be withdrawn until further orders. Also taking a stern view of the data sharing policy, the court went on to add that WhatApp is directed not to share, but stopped short after the counsel said the NCLAT had allowed them to share. The bench then asked the counsel about the data sharing policy of the companies.

— The CJI said that it will pass directions unless the companies give an undertaking that the data will not be shared till the matter is finally decided. Sibal said the NCLAT judgment sets aside the ban on data sharing. “The order of December 15, 2025 says that data sharing will only be with the consent of the user”.

— The CJI said, “We will not allow you to share a single word of your data. It must be very clear. If you are willing to give an affidavit undertaking of your management, then its fine. Otherwise, we will dismiss it. No question of sharing data. How can you play with the right of privacy of the people like this?”

— Intervening, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was present in the court said, “Our privacy data, our personal data is not only sold, it is commercially exploited. We feel we are consumers, (but) we are products.”

— Agreeing, the CJI said, besides the danger of compromising with the right of privacy “which is so zealously guarded in this country, then that data is exploited purely for commercial consideration.”

— The court finally allowed the companies to file affidavits explaining their position and also asked the CCI to suggest conditions which it thinks need to be put in place. The bench will now hear it on February 9 on the need for interim directions.

Do You Know:

— In August, 2017, a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India in K. Puttaswamy v. Union of India Case ruled unanimously that  “the right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍WhatsApp’s privacy policy: Why CCI fined Meta Rs 213 cr and what it means for users

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) ‘Right to Privacy’ is protected under which Article of the Constitution of India? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) Article 15

(b) Article 19

(c) Article 21

(d) Article 29

 

EXPLAINED

Rules on frozen embryo donation, now under legal challenge

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; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story: The Delhi High Court last week issued notice on a PIL that asks whether the law can require viable frozen embryos to be destroyed rather than donated, even when couples consent on both sides.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the key provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021?

— What is the rationale behind prohibition on “altruistic, voluntary, consent-based donation” of unused frozen embryos to infertile couples?

— What is embryo adoption?

— What are the ethical dilemmas related to donation of surplus frozen embryos?

— Understand the challenge of infertility in India

— What is In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

Key Takeaways:

— To oppose what it describes as a “blanket prohibition” on “altruistic, voluntary, consent-based donation” of unused frozen embryos to infertile couples, the plea challenges provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and its Rules, which permit embryos to be created using donor sperm and donor eggs but prohibit the donation of unused frozen embryos for reproductive use by another couple.

— Under this framework, such embryos may be stored for up to 10 years and must be “allowed to perish” or be donated for research. The plea describes this as the “irrational destruction of viable embryos” and argues that it is ethically incongruent to mandate they perish when willingly recipient couples exist. 

— Hearing the plea, the Division Bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the petitioner was seeking an expansion of the scope of Section 28 of the ART Act, which governs the storage and handling of embryos, and sought a response from the Union government.

— The ART Act, enacted in 2021, permits altruistic donation of sperm and eggs under regulated conditions. It also allows donor-assisted IVF, including “double-donor IVF” where an embryo is created from donor sperm and donor oocytes are transferred to a commissioning couple. In such cases, the child has no genetic link to either parent, a position the statute accepts.

— What the law does not permit is the donation of surplus frozen embryos.

— These embryos arise because IVF cycles often create multiple embryos to improve success rates. However, not all of these are implanted. Many couples later decide they do not want another pregnancy, but their embryos remain cryopreserved. It is at this stage that the law restricts their use.

— There is no explicit ban on “embryo adoption”. The restriction primarily flows from multiple provisions read together. Clinics must preserve unused embryos exclusively for the original commissioning couple and are barred from using them for any other person. Transfer of embryos to their parties is prohibited except where a couple seeks transfer of its own embryos for personal use with regulatory permission.

— Section 28(2) further limits storage to 10 years. After this period, embryos must either be “allowed to perish” or donated to registered research institutions, subject to consent. The statute provides no framework for the donation or adoption of the embryos to another couple for reproductive use.

— A central issue raised in the plea is the distinction the law draws between fresh donor embryos and frozen embryos. Fresh embryos created using donor sperm and donor eggs may be transferred to a commissioning couple. Frozen embryos, once thawed, are biologically equivalent and routinely used in IVF practice.

— Despite this, frozen embryos are treated as non-transferable for reproductive purposes. The petition describes this as a “double standard”; genetic non-linearity is accepted when embryos are created fresh, but rejected once embryos already exist and are frozen.

— The plea rests its challenge on Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. On equality, it argues that the law creates an “arbitrary and constitutionally untenable distinction” between couples who receive fresh donor embryos and those who seek frozen embryos. In both cases, the child has no genetic link to the parents.

— On personal liberty, the petition places reproductive choice within the right to life, dignity and privacy. Decisions about whether and how to have a child through ART, it argues, fall within decisional autonomy. By denying embryo donation as a medically recognised option, the state effects an “unwarranted intrusion” into reproductive choice.

— Infertility affects an estimated 27-30 million couples in India. IVF is expensive and often requires repeated cycles. Traditional adoption involves long waiting periods. The plea states that embryo donation could provide a regulated option for some couples and allow pregnancy and childbirth where other routes are unavailable. 

— It also points to access concerns, noting that couples with resources may seek embryo donation abroad, while others cannot, effectively turning reproductive choice into a matter of means.

Do You Know:

— It is important to address infertility, an issue stigmatised in India, where marriage is often equated with childbearing. Despite advances in healthcare, many women still face barriers in accessing maternal care and reproductive health information. 

— For couples struggling with infertility, the options are often limited, expensive, or poorly regulated. Treatments are dominated by private players, and high costs, combined with lack of insurance coverage, make the experience prohibitively expensive for most.

— Reproductive agency is further constrained by widespread reliance on sterilisation. Encouraging access to reversible, modern contraception methods, not just for birth control but also to preserve choice, is essential to ensure people can plan families on their own terms.

— Another challenge lies in changing patterns of childbearing. Early childbearing is on the decline, with more women choosing to have children later in life (World Fertility Report, 2024). 

— In India, many educated, working individuals from higher income groups are marrying in their late 20s or early 30s and having their first child soon after. However, when it comes to a second child, spacing practices — critical for maternal, child and societal health — are overlooked.

— According to NFHS-5, 4 per cent of currently married women aged 15–49 report unmet needs for spacing. This is shaped by social norms that discourage contraceptive use and a preference for male children. These factors undermine women’s reproductive autonomy. The stigma around family-planning conversations needs to be dismantled urgently.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s real fertility crisis is about choice, not numbers

📍From EMIs to egg freezing: How young women are budgeting for fertility

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, “Pronuclear Transfer” is used for (UPSC CSE 2020) 

(a) fertilization of egg in vitro by the donor sperm  

(b) genetic modification of sperm producing cells  

(c) development of stem cells into functional embryos  

(d) prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring  

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

1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent.

2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage. 

3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  

(a) 1 only  

(b) 2 and 3 only  

(c) 2 only  

(d) 1, 2 and 3

To tackle India’s waste problem, new rules turn focus to source

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the new Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 on Tuesday (January 27. This will come into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the SWM Rules of 2016.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are solid waste management rules 2016? How is it different from recent notification?

— What are the challenges of solid waste management in India?

— What are the steps taken by the government for solid waste management?

— How has waste management evolved in India – from disposing of waste to converting it to energy?

— How do waste-to-energy technologies contribute to solving the challenges of waste generated by modern industrial societies?

— What are some global practices that could be adapted for waste management in India?

Key Takeaways:

— The new regulation overhauls the framework for garbage management by urban and rural local bodies, and promotes reduction, reuse and at-source processing, rather than relying on large landfills and dumping yards.

— The SWM Rules, introduced a decade ago, replaced the Municipal Solid Waste Rules of 2000. It focused on segregation at source, reuse and recycling, door-to-door collection, and scientific disposal and management of municipal waste at landfills.

— While retaining these principles, the 2026 Rules firmly focuses on increasing the responsibilities of bulk waste generators, discourages sending waste to landfills and poor segregation and seeks to promote a “circular economy”.

— India faces a major solid waste management crisis, generating more than 620 lakh tonnes of waste every year. Every day, it generates around 1.85 lakh tonnes of waste. Of this, 1.79 lakh is collected, 1.14 lakh tonnes is processed or treated, and 39,629 tonnes is landfilled, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s 2023-24 data. To tackle this mounting crisis, the Centre wants to shift towards a circular economy, using the following key changes.

— Four-way segregation and waste hierarchy: For this, the government has spelt out a “waste hierarchy” and defined a “four-way” segregation of waste. The hierarchy comprises prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal as the last resort. The segregation system expands the ‘dry-waste-wet-waste’ system by adding sanitary waste and special-care waste.

— The sanitary waste category will include items such as sanitary towels, tampons and condoms, while special care waste will include items such as medicines, paint cans, bulbs and tube lights. Urban local bodies will have to place green bins for wet waste, blue for dry waste, and red for sanitary waste, if needed, in public toilets.

— Bulk generators: Bulk generators are defined as entities which meet any of the following criteria – buildings with a floor area of 20,000 square metres or more; water consumption of 40,000 litres per day or more; electricity generation of 100 kg/day waste or more.

— These include residential societies, malls, colleges, hotels, and large townships. This regulation applies to central and state government departments, local bodies, commercial establishments, residential societies, universities, and hostels, among others. Additionally, all gated communities and institutions with more than 5,000 sq m area and all resident welfare associations, hotels and restaurants will have to ensure segregation of waste at source and hand over recyclable material to authorised entities within a year.

— Polluter pays principle: Under the new rules, entities will be levied an environmental compensation for non-compliance, such as not registering on a centralised portal, false reporting, forging documents and improper waste management. This principle discourages unsegregated waste disposal at landfills, and provides for imposition of higher landfill fees. Thus, sending mixed waste to landfills will be costly. The Central Pollution Control Board will prepare guidelines on this issue.

— Tracking system: The new rules introduce a centralised online portal for tracking different stakeholders and all stages of the solid waste life cycle itself. Bulk generators, urban local bodies, waste processing and transporting agencies, waste pickers, disposal and processing facilities and large authorities such as railways, airports and Special Economic Zones, will all have to register on this centralised portal.

— Bulk generators will face extended responsibility similar to the extended producer responsibility in place for manufacturers of electronic items and plastic products. This will apply once urban local bodies frame by-laws by March 2027 to incorporate provisions of the new rules.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Stricter SWM rules notified: Residential societies, government-run buildings to local bodies will have to process solid waste at source

📍New Solid Waste Management Rules notified, larger onus on bulk generators

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(7) As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct? (UPSC CSE 2019)

(a) Waste generator has to segregate waste into five categories.

(b) The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies, notified towns and all industrial townships only

(c) The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.

(d) It is mandatory on the part of the waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded solid waste which are continuously being generated? How do we safely remove the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (UPSC CSE 2018)

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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