Why in news?

The Supreme Court, in a recent ruling, held that “the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual” — explicitly extending it to children, irrespective of age.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran emphasised: “the safety of our children and their freedom are not at odds with each other. Our children are entitled to both.”

The ruling comes amid states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh planning screen-time curbs for minors, and global trends toward restricting minors’ social media use.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• How the Case Reached the Court
• The Court’s Core Reasoning
• Why Blanket Bans Were Rejected
• What Safeguards Were Allowed

How the Case Reached the Court

• In 2024, a bench of Justices held that viewing, possessing, or not reporting child pornographic material is an offence under the POCSO Act and IT Act — even without further dissemination.
• This overturned a Madras High Court order that had quashed a chargesheet, ruling private viewing without transmission wasn’t an offence.
• The case was brought by the Just Rights for Children Alliance, an NGO coalition, seeking directions to intermediaries on reporting such material.
• In later compliance hearings, the Court noted platforms’ lapses and reports of paid promotion of CSEAM (Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material) via redirect links — but consciously declined to endorse the global trend of blanket restrictions on children’s social media access.

The Court’s Core Reasoning

• The ruling drew on established jurisprudence:
  • Anuradha Bhasin v Union of India (2020): Freedom of speech (Article 19(1)(a)) and trade (Article 19(1)(g)) through the internet are constitutionally protected.
  • Pragya Prasun v Union of India (2025): Excluding persons with disabilities from digital KYC violated Article 21; “right to digital access is an intrinsic component of the right to life.”
  • Cricket Association of Bengal (1995): Article 19(1)(a) includes the “right to know and to receive and impart information.”
• The Court noted that for many children, especially in remote areas, the internet is often the only source of learning and information.

Why Blanket Bans Were Rejected?

• Any blanket restriction on the access of internet by children is nothing more than unproven measures of proven disproportionality. No jurisdiction has been able to demonstrate that children are any safer.
• Any restriction on a fundamental right must pass a three-pronged test:
  • Must be through duly enacted legislation.
  • Must demonstrate legitimate state interest connected to the objective.
  • The restriction must be proportionate to that objective.
• The Court acknowledged that the internet, as it exists today, is far from safe for our children.
• It, however, held that safety measures must target harmful material and those responsible, not the children themselves. Restricting children would be to mistake the victim for the problem.
• Age-verification mandates would require continuous collection of sensitive data, creating disproportionate risk of misuse and surveillance.
• Practically, children simply move to other platforms, even more unsafe, when blocked, undermining the measure’s effectiveness.

What Safeguards Were Allowed?

• Greater emphasis on parental consent, guidance, and oversight.
• A “child mode” with: private-by-default accounts, restricted contact from unknown adults, and moderated advertising/content.
• The Union government retains power to restrict inherently harmful content categories (e.g., adult content websites).
• Key Directions to the Union
  • Create a National Hash & URL List Database for CSEAM, requiring confirmation by at least three trained human analysts.
  • CSEAM removals must be reported within 2 hours; complaints acknowledged within 24 hours.
  • Consider exemplary monetary fines; forfeit and disgorge revenue from CSEAM behind paywalls.
• The Union must frame guidelines, amend IT Rules, and file an affidavit before the next hearing in December 2026.

The Larger Debate: Rights vs. Implementation

• Expanding fundamental rights (like with the right to privacy earlier) carries symbolic and legal value — but raises questions about the gap between doctrine and delivery.
• The Anuradha Bhasin guidelines on internet shutdowns are routinely invoked in breach, with little state accountability — raising concerns that similarly, this ruling’s protections could remain largely unenforced without robust follow-through.

Conclusion

This ruling marks a significant doctrinal shift — reframing children’s internet access not as a privilege subject to paternalistic restriction, but as a fundamental right requiring targeted, proportionate safeguards.

By rejecting blanket bans and insisting that safety measures target harmful content rather than children themselves, the Court has placed the onus squarely on the state and platforms to build effective protective infrastructure.

Yet, as with earlier expansions of digital rights, the real test lies not in the judgment’s eloquence but in whether the Union’s implementation — through the IT Rules, the Hash database, and accountability mechanisms — closes the long-standing gap between constitutional promise and practical delivery.

Why in news?

France is experiencing its worst unrest in years, as a month-long student protest movement has widened into nationwide demonstrations against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services.

Over half a million people have joined marches nationwide, with violent clashes, looting, and arson leading to around 1,800 arrests. The crisis has placed President Emmanuel Macron’s government under severe pressure ahead of the 2027 presidential election, rooted in two interlinked problems: political fragmentation and economic strain.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• The Political Problem
• The Economic Problem: Spending More Than It Earns
• Why Pensions Are at the Heart of the Crisis?
• Why France Can’t Simply Keep Borrowing?

The Political Problem

• France is sharply divided between:
  • The far right — emphasising immigration clampdowns, national identity, and welfare restrictions.
  • The left — advocating stronger public services, redistribution, and workers’ rights.
• Issues of immigration, secularism, and minority rights have deepened these divides.
• Macron’s centrist camp has lost its parliamentary majority, leaving governments unable to pass budgets or reforms smoothly.
• The result: a political stalemate over who pays for France’s problems and what gets cut.

The Economic Problem: Spending More Than It Earns

• France runs an extensive welfare state — pensions, healthcare, education — funded through taxes and social contributions.
• The core issue isn’t high spending alone, but that expenditure persistently exceeds revenue, even without an extraordinary crisis like war to justify it.
• Key OECD figures (2025):
  • Budget deficit: 5.1% of GDP.
  • Public debt: 115.5% of GDP.
• Average Growth Since 2023: just ~1.4% — too slow to ease the debt burden through rising tax revenues.
• The Vicious Cycle: Weak growth, high debt, and squeezed living standards fuel political polarisation and unrest — and in turn, political instability deepens economic uncertainty, discouraging business investment and complicating fiscal fixes.

Why Pensions Are at the Heart of the Crisis?

• France has an ageing population with longer life expectancy, meaning the state must fund retirement for longer while the working-age tax base doesn’t keep pace.
• Macron’s government tried raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, but opposition from both far right and far left stalled the reform.
• Generous pension spending has forced cutbacks elsewhere, notably education — effectively subsidising older citizens at the expense of the young.
• This directly connects to the protests: students are protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and dilapidated schools — the visible fallout of this broader budget squeeze.
• Reforming pensions is politically explosive because it directly affects people’s livelihoods.

Why France Can’t Simply Keep Borrowing?

• Investors lending to governments expect repayment with interest; if debt growth worries them, they demand higher interest rates as compensation.
• This makes new borrowing costlier, leaving less money for public services.
• France’s borrowing costs have risen amid fiscal and political uncertainty — though default is not imminent.
• Eurozone Constraint: France cannot independently print euros to meet obligations, unlike countries with their own currency — a structural limitation unique to eurozone membership.

The Core Dilemma: Economic Fixes, Political Costs

• France’s economy still has genuine strengths — the crisis is that every fix carries political cost:
  • Raising taxes → public backlash.
  • Cutting expenditure → protests (as seen now).
  • Reforming pensions → fierce opposition.
  • Stimulating growth → requires investment confidence undermined by instability.
• Citizens demand better services and protection from rising costs, while investors demand credible debt control — a near-impossible balancing act with a fragmented Parliament and elections approaching.

Context

• The global China+1 strategy, through which companies diversify manufacturing beyond China, offers India an opportunity to attract investment, generate employment and strengthen its industrial base.
• However, success depends not only on national incentives but also on individual States’ capabilities.
• Tamil Nadu and Karnataka demonstrate how infrastructure, skilled labour, supplier networks, administrative efficiency and policy continuity influence investment decisions.

Two States, Their Approaches

• Tamil Nadu: Decades of Industrial Development
  • Tamil Nadu has emerged as a major electronics manufacturing hub.
  • Foxconn employs thousands of workers assembling iPhones at Sriperumbudur, while Tata Electronics has expanded in Hosur.
  • In January 2026, the Centre approved projects under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), including proposed mobile-phone enclosure units by Yuzhan Technology and Tata Electronics.
  • The State’s success reflects long-term industrial planning rather than merely the China+1 opportunity.
  • Investments in technical education, automobile manufacturing and supplier networks have created an established industrial ecosystem.
  • Investors also value policy continuity and the fulfilment of commitments despite political changes.
  • However, Tamil Nadu faces constraints involving land, electricity and labour, alongside dependence on migrant workers.
  • Its future growth requires a shift towards capital-intensive manufacturing, advanced components and innovation-led exports.
• Karnataka: Leveraging Technology and Engineering Talent
  • Karnataka has followed a different trajectory, building on Bengaluru’s strengths in software, engineering and technical education.
  • Foxconn’s proposed 300-acre campus at Devanahalli aims to generate approximately 50,000 jobs, with women reportedly accounting for around 80% of the workforce.
  • Tata Electronics has also expanded its iPhone manufacturing operations at Narsapura.
  • Karnataka demonstrates how technical expertise and established technology ecosystems can attract global manufacturers.
  • Together, the two States illustrate that different development pathways can produce industrial success.

National Policy, State-Level Delivery

• The Role of Central Government Incentives
  • National policies support domestic manufacturing through production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, tariffs and regulatory reforms.
  • The large-scale electronics PLI scheme ended on March 31, 2026, and a successor was approved on July 15.
  • In January 2026, the Centre approved 22 ECMS proposals worth ₹41,863 crore, expected to create 33,791 direct jobs across eight States.
  • In March, it also approved easing Press Note 3 restrictions on investments from countries sharing a land border with India.
  • Nevertheless, incentives alone cannot ensure success. States must provide industrial land, reliable electricity, efficient approvals, skilled workers and dependable suppliers.
• Understanding Foreign Investment Data
  • Between October 2019 and March 2026, Tamil Nadu accounted for approximately 6% of FDI equity inflows, compared with Maharashtra’s 31%, Karnataka’s 21%, Gujarat’s 15% and Delhi’s 13%.
  • However, DPIIT records FDI against the State where the recipient company’s headquarters are located, not necessarily where factories are established.
  • Therefore, investment statistics may not accurately reflect industrial activity.
  • Policymakers should also examine actual capital expenditure, employment generation and domestic supplier development.
• Building Domestic Supply Chains and Value Addition
  • India’s electronics exports reached approximately $48 billion in 2025–26, while imports stood at around $116 billion.
  • This imbalance reflects continued dependence on imported components.
  • One manufacturer achieved $600 million in domestic sourcing against a $1 billion target.
  • Such experiences demonstrate the importance of backward linkages connecting final-product manufacturers with domestic component suppliers.
  • Developing these networks requires investment, technology transfer and skilled personnel. Meaningful value addition may take four to five years.
  • India must move beyond assembly towards component manufacturing, technological innovation and higher domestic content.

Challenges and The Way Forward: India’s Industrial Divide

• The Uneven Geography of Manufacturing
  • Manufacturing growth remains concentrated in southern and western India, while populous States such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand attract comparatively less investment.
  • This imbalance risks widening regional inequalities and limiting employment opportunities.
  • Equal distribution of subsidies cannot automatically create industrial ecosystems.
  • States need suitable infrastructure, institutional capacity, trained workers and reliable supplier networks.
• Replicating Successful State-Level Practices
  • Other States should prioritise industrial infrastructure, technical education, streamlined approvals, logistics and investor engagement.
  • Their strategies must reflect local resources and capabilities rather than mechanically copying established manufacturing centres.
  • The Centre can support this transition through infrastructure funding, industrial corridors, skill-development programmes and incentives linked to measurable outcomes.
  • Regional industrial development must combine national coordination with State-level implementation.

Conclusion

• India’s China+1 opportunity offers a chance to transform its manufacturing structure.
• Tamil Nadu demonstrates the importance of decades of industrial development, while Karnataka highlights the role of technology and engineering talent.
• India must strengthen domestic supply chains, increase value addition, maintain stable policies and expand manufacturing across regions.
• National incentives can attract investment, but State-level delivery determines sustainable industrial success.
• By learning from successful States and adapting their practices to local conditions, India can build a competitive, diversified and inclusive manufacturing economy.

Why in the News?

• The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect on October 20, 2026, providing zero-duty access for Indian exports to New Zealand and opening new opportunities for trade, investment and skilled workforce mobility.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India-New Zealand FTA (Key Features, Benefits for India, Safeguards for Sensitive Sectors, Investments, Workforce Opportunities, etc.)

Key Features of the FTA

• The India-New Zealand FTA aims to strengthen bilateral economic relations by reducing trade barriers, expanding market access and facilitating investment.
• Key provisions include:
  • Zero-duty access: New Zealand has eliminated import duties on all Indian exports across sectors.
  • Tariff reductions by India: India has reduced tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's imports, subject to the agreement's provisions and exclusions.
  • Investment commitment: New Zealand has committed to invest $20 billion in India over the next 15 years.
  • Sensitive-sector protection: India has excluded selected agricultural and dairy products from tariff concessions to protect domestic producers.
  • Trade facilitation: The agreement establishes mechanisms such as Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) for selected products.

Benefits for Indian Exports and Industry

• The removal of import duties is expected to improve the price competitiveness of Indian products in the New Zealand market.
• Labour-intensive sectors
  • Industries such as textiles, apparel, leather and footwear are expected to benefit from duty-free access.
  • These sectors have significant employment potential and are important for export diversification.
• Engineering and pharmaceuticals
  • The agreement also creates opportunities for engineering goods, pharmaceutical products and other manufactured exports.
  • Better market access may help Indian businesses expand their presence in New Zealand and develop more stable export relationships.
• Agricultural exports
  • Selected agricultural products can benefit from improved access, although some products remain subject to tariff rate quotas or other conditions.
  • Centres of Excellence are also proposed under the agricultural partnership, particularly for apples, kiwifruit and honey.

Safeguards for Sensitive Domestic Sectors

• India has retained exclusions for several products considered sensitive to domestic agriculture and allied industries.
• These include dairy products such as milk, cream, whey, yoghurt and cheese, along with selected agricultural products such as onions, chickpeas, peas, corn and almonds. Artificial honey and sugar have also been kept outside the trade concessions.
• These exclusions are significant because tariff reductions on imports from a major agricultural producer could affect domestic farmers and food-processing industries.
• At the same time, India has permitted selected New Zealand products, including apples, kiwifruit, albumin and Manuka honey, under Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs).
  • A TRQ allows a specified quantity of a product to enter at a preferential tariff rate, while imports beyond that quantity may face a different tariff.
  • This mechanism can balance market access with the protection of sensitive domestic producers.

Investment and Bilateral Trade

• The agreement seeks to expand an economic relationship that has historically involved relatively limited bilateral trade.
• India-New Zealand trade in goods and services currently stands at approximately $2.4 billion. During 2024-25, bilateral trade in goods was about $1.3 billion.
• India's goods exports to New Zealand stood at $711.1 million, while imports were $587.13 million during the same financial year.
• New Zealand's commitment to invest $20 billion in India over 15 years could support investment-led cooperation, although the actual economic impact will depend on the implementation and realisation of these commitments.
• The agreement also reduces tariffs in India on selected New Zealand products, including wine, pharmaceutical drugs, polymers, aluminium, and iron and steel articles.

Student Mobility and Skilled Workforce Opportunities

• Beyond merchandise trade, the FTA includes provisions to improve educational and professional mobility.
• Student mobility
  • The agreement provides a dedicated pathway for Indian students, removes numerical caps on Indian student enrolment under the arrangement, and guarantees a minimum of 20 hours of work per week during study.
  • Post-study work opportunities extend up to three years for graduates with STEM bachelor's and master's degrees and up to four years for doctorate holders, subject to the agreement's applicable conditions.
• Temporary Employment Entry Visa
  • New Zealand has introduced a Temporary Employment Entry (TEE) Visa pathway for Indian professionals in skilled occupations.
  • Quota: Up to 5,000 visas at any given time.
  • Duration: A stay of up to three years.
  • Eligible occupations: These include AYUSH practitioners, yoga instructors, Indian chefs and music teachers, alongside professionals in IT, engineering, healthcare, education and construction.
• These provisions could support skills development, professional mobility and the expansion of services trade between the two countries.

Challenges and the Way Forward

• The agreement's long-term benefits will depend on whether Indian businesses can effectively use the new market access opportunities.
• Export readiness: Businesses must meet New Zealand's product standards, certification requirements and other import regulations.
• Awareness among enterprises: Small and medium enterprises need information on tariff concessions, rules of origin and export procedures.
• Investment implementation: The proposed investment commitment requires effective project execution and a conducive business environment.
• Farmer protection: Domestic producers in sensitive sectors require continued support through productivity improvements, infrastructure and market access.
• Skills recognition: Professional mobility will depend on applicable qualifications, licensing and visa requirements.

Context:

• As the Prime Minister of India completes 25 years in public life and enters his 26th year, the strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank offers a useful lens to assess the broader direction of his governance.
• The sale of 60.72% of IDBI Bank for ₹52,878 crore to 10955230 Canada Inc., the parent entity of Fairfax Financial Holdings, represents the largest FDI in India’s financial sector.
• The transaction is significant because it could improve financial intermediation, capital allocation and efficiency, potentially lowering the cost of capital for Indian businesses.
• Yet, one transaction alone cannot establish a definitive shift in the role of public-sector banks.

From Bank Nationalisation to Strategic Disinvestment:

• India’s capital reforms have travelled a long arc—from nationalisation to privatisation.
• The nationalisation of 14 banks in 1969 and six more in 1980 brought around 91% of banking under public ownership.
• While nationalisation expanded financial inclusion, the system also suffered from political lending, inefficient credit allocation and recurring non-performing assets (NPAs).
• The economic reforms of 1991 liberalised several sectors but did not adequately address all three factors of production—land, labour and capital.
• The recent government has attempted to address this unfinished reform agenda, notably through the four labour codes and financial-sector reforms, although land and agricultural reforms remain politically difficult.
• IDBI’s disinvestment is therefore presented as part of a wider asset-monetisation and structural-reform

Six Cs of Governance:

• Consistency:
  • The governance model evolved from the Gujarat experience of “minimum government, maximum governance” towards a delivery-oriented state.
  • Initiatives such as Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, UPI, Swachh Bharat, Ayushman Bharat, IBC, GST, DBT and PRAGATI reflect an emphasis on implementation and measurable outcomes.
• Continuity:
  • The approach is not necessarily to discard inherited programmes but to retain, scale and recalibrate what works.
  • Aadhaar, for instance, evolved into a major component of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
  • The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 (replacing MGNREGA nationwide from 1 July 2026) similarly builds on the employment-guarantee framework while increasing the statutory employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days.
  • It also links rural employment more closely with durable assets, livelihoods and infrastructure.
• Creativity:
  • Technology and institutional innovation are central to the model.
  • PRAGATI facilitates direct monitoring of stalled projects, while Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile (JAM), UPI and DBT have transformed welfare delivery and financial inclusion.
  • The emphasis is also on challenging established institutional practices. However, greater audacity brings greater risks, requiring strong institutional checks and implementation capacity.
• Consensus-building:
  • The use of behavioural economics and “nudge” theory through initiatives such as Mann Ki Baat, Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
  • The GST Council represents an important example of cooperative federalism and pooled sovereignty, where the Centre and States collectively exercise taxation powers.
  • This model could potentially be extended to areas such as regulation, procurement and auditing.
• Commitment:
  • The government’s reform agenda is reflected in fiscal consolidation, IBC, inflation targeting, infrastructure investment, PLI, Make in India and the Semiconductor Mission.
  • The fiscal deficit is budgeted at 4.3% of GDP in 2026-27, while capital expenditure is estimated at 4.4% of GDP, reflecting continued emphasis on public investment.
  • Sharp decline in NPAs (gross NPAs fell from 11.2% in 2018 to 1.8% in 2026), expansion of infrastructure through PM Gati Shakti, and rapid growth of renewable-energy capacity are evidence of sustained policy commitment.
• Calibration:
  • With the global order becoming increasingly plurilateral, transactional and mercantilist, India must balance strategic autonomy with economic engagement.
  • 9 FTAs covering 38 countries, India’s G20 and BRICS presidencies and greater emphasis on the Global South illustrate this adaptive

Five Priorities for Viksit Bharat @2047:

• Faster productivity-led growth while maintaining fiscal discipline.
• Completion of factor-market reforms, especially efficient financial intermediation and lower cost of capital.
• Modern legal architecture with faster dispute resolution, stronger contract enforcement and investment protection.
• Competitive manufacturing beyond assembly, supported by reliable power, logistics and urban infrastructure.
• Quality employment, skilling and R&D, while balancing rapid AI adoption with job creation.

Conclusion:

• The IDBI transaction is important, but one successful disinvestment cannot by itself establish a comprehensive privatisation trend in public-sector banking.
• The larger test is whether reforms consistently improve productivity, competitiveness, capital allocation and institutional efficiency.
• The broader message is that reforms often begin by opening a previously closed door.
• IDBI may therefore represent not the conclusion of India’s banking reform journey, but a possible “wind of change” towards deeper structural reform.

About Vasuki indicus:

• It is an ancient snake species, the fossils of which were first unearthed in 2005 at the Panandhro Lignite Mine in the Kutch district of Gujarat.
• However, the species was only identified and described as a new genus in 2024.
• It is named after Vasuki, the mythical snake often depicted around the neck of the Hindu god Shiva.
• It belonged to the now-extinct Madtsoiidae family, a group of large, non-venomous constrictor snakes.
• It is thought to have existed during the Middle Eocene (47.8 to 38 million years ago), when the Earth's temperature was good enough to permit the evolution of large, cold-blooded reptiles. 

About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Barda Hills of Gujarat, near the coastal city of Porbandar.
• Known locally as Jam Barda, it was once a private hunting ground for the royal families of Jamnagar and Porbandar.
• It is surrounded by agricultural fields, wastelands, and forests, and the terrain of Barda is almost hilly.
• Rivers: There are two waterways, the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, and two dams, Khambala and Fodara.
• Tribes: Ethnic races such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this region.
• Vegetation: There are several forest sub-types, such as southern tropical forest, southern dry mixed deciduous forest, and northern tropical thorn forest.
• Flora:
  • Gorad, Babul, Dhav, Rayan, Ber, Jamun, Amli, Dhudhlo, Bamboo, etc.
  • Medicinal plants of great use grow profusely within the forested belt of the sanctuary.
• Fauna:
  • It shelters species like leopards, wolves, sambar deer, chinkara, hyenas, and blue bulls (nilgai).
  • The sanctuary is also a paradise for bird watchers, with numerous resident and migratory birds such as eagles, owls, crested serpent eagles, and partridges found here.
  • The sanctuary is a key area for the conservation of Asiatic Lions.
  • To develop Barda as the second home for the Asiatic lion, the state government implemented the ‘Gir-Barda Project’ in 1979.
  • It is the first fully protected satellite lion habitat in Gujarat.
  • It is now home to Asiatic lions, according to recent reports.

About Exercise Akhand Prahar-II:

• It is a military exercise conducted by the Indian Army.
• It was jointly conducted by the Army’s "Black Mace" Brigade and "Battle Axe" Division at Jaisalmer in the desert region of Rajasthan.
• It followed the success of "Akhand Prahar-I", during which the Army demonstrated its combat and operational readiness through joint military operations.
• The exercise focused on strengthening operational effectiveness by integrating New Generation Equipment (NGEs) and Force Multipliers (FMs).
• It also tested the formations’ preparedness to meet the evolving challenges of modern warfare, highlighting the Army’s emphasis on technological advancement, operational coordination, and battlefield adaptability.
• During the exercise, the formations tested integrated battle drills in a multi-domain operational environment, demonstrating coordination among combat elements and the effective use of advanced technologies.
• The drills showcased their ability to combine different operational capabilities, execute tasks with precision, and improve combat effectiveness across multiple domains.