Why in the News?

• Apple traders and political leaders in Jammu & Kashmir have raised concerns over reduced import duties on U.S. and EU apples under recent trade agreements.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Apple Production (Background, Trade Decisions, Apple Production in J&K, Structural Challenges, Impact on Cold Storage, Demands, Implications, etc.)

Background of the Trade Decisions

• The controversy arises from India’s decision to reduce the basic customs duty on apples imported from the United States from 50% to 25%, while setting a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs. 80 per kilogram.
• Under the India-European Union trade deal, import duty on fresh fruits has been reduced to 20% under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) system.
• Initially, 50,000 tonnes of apples per year will be allowed at the reduced rate, with the quota set to increase to 1,00,000 tonnes over the next 10 years.
• Political leaders in J&K, including the Chief Minister and opposition figures, have termed these decisions potentially harmful to the region’s horticulture sector.

Importance of Apple Production in J&K

• Apple cultivation is central to Jammu & Kashmir’s economy. According to the J&K Economic Survey 2025-26:

• Apple production constitutes 50% of total horticulture output in the region.
• The horticulture sector generates roughly Rs. 10,000 crore in revenue.
• Around 35 lakh individuals are directly or indirectly employed in the sector.
• About seven lakh families depend on horticulture for livelihood.

• In 2024, apple production in J&K stood at 21 lakh metric tonnes. The region contributes more than 70% of India’s total apple production, making it the backbone of the country’s apple supply.

Structural Challenges Faced by J&K Orchardists

• Small Landholdings
  • One major disadvantage is fragmented landholdings. Orchardists in countries such as the U.S., New Zealand, and EU nations operate on average farms of over 50 hectares, while the average orchard size in J&K is just 0.40 hectares.
• Lower Productivity
  • Productivity is another challenge. India produces only 7-8 tonnes of apples per hectare, compared to 40-70 tonnes per hectare in countries such as the U.S., Iran, New Zealand, and China.
  • Higher productivity abroad is driven by:

• Mechanised farming
• Advanced pruning and harvesting techniques
• AI-based agricultural systems
• Better climate conditions
• Western countries have adopted AI-driven systems for pruning, pollination, harvesting, sorting, and bagging.

• Variety and Quality Gap
  • Popular apple varieties such as Gala apples are well-established in Western markets. India introduced the Gala variety only recently, and it has not yet reached optimal quality in terms of yield, colour, taste, and shape.
  • This creates an uneven playing field in quality perception.

Impact on Cold Storage and Off-Season Prices

• Kashmir has heavily invested in controlled-atmosphere cold storage infrastructure to stabilise prices during the off-season.
• Currently, 397.08 lakh metric tonnes of apples are stored in 92 cold storage units in J&K.
• With reduced import duties, fresh apples from countries like New Zealand may enter Indian markets at lower prices.
• This could directly undercut apples stored in cold facilities, destabilising off-season pricing. Traders warn that cheaper imports could:

• Reduce the profitability of stored apples
• Make cold storage investments economically unviable
• Lead to distress sales by farmers

• The concern is that price stability mechanisms built over the years could collapse if imports dominate the market.

Political and Policy Demands

• Political parties and trade bodies in J&K are demanding safeguards.
• They have urged the Centre to re-evaluate the trade agreements and consider excluding apples from the deals. Key demands include:

• Expansion of high-density apple cultivation (currently limited to 30,000 kanals out of 30 lakh kanals).
• Interest-free loans under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) to enhance competitiveness.
• Expansion of controlled-atmosphere storage infrastructure.
• Activation of dry port projects to improve logistics.

• Leaders argue that without improvements in productivity and quality, local producers will struggle against better-quality imports.

Broader Economic and Policy Implications

• The issue reflects a classic trade-off in international trade policy:

• Lower tariffs benefit consumers through lower prices.
• However, domestic producers may face competitive pressure.

• The debate also highlights the need for technological upgradation, farm consolidation, and value-chain modernisation in Indian agriculture.

Context:

• Recent incidents of violence against citizens feeding street dogs — including fatal and serious assaults in Raipur, Gwalior, and Kolkata — highlight growing hostility toward animal caregivers.
• The debate over managing India’s large free-roaming dog population has intensified, marked by legal confusion, policy inconsistency, and vigilantism.
• These developments raise important issues related to animal welfare laws, urban governance, public health (rabies control), and citizen rights.

Rising Violence Against Animal Caregivers:

• Recent attacks reveal increasing intolerance toward people involved in feeding, sterilising, and vaccinating street dogs, despite such activities being lawful.
• Key concerns:
  • Citizens feeding dogs have faced physical assaults and intimidation.
  • Victims were engaged in activities consistent with legal animal welfare frameworks.
  • Public rhetoric and social media debates have contributed to anti-feeder vigilantism.
  • Weak law enforcement response has emboldened perpetrators.
• This reflects a breakdown in rule of law and civic tolerance.

Legal Framework for Street Dog Management:

• Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023: The ABC Rules framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 provide the official policy framework.
• Core provisions:
  • Humane capture of free-roaming dogs.
  • Sterilisation to control population growth.
  • Anti-rabies vaccination.
  • Release back to original location.
  • Municipal responsibility for implementation.
• This model emphasises humane and scientific population control.

Judicial Interventions and Policy Confusion:

• Supreme Court directions:
  • Recent (August 2025) judicial interventions have added uncertainty.
  • The apex court directed municipal bodies in Delhi-NCR to remove street dogs and house them in shelters indefinitely.
  • The critics argued that this contradicted the ABC Rules, 2023.
• Subsequent developments (2026 hearings):
  • The earlier orders were reversed and partially restored.
  • The court held that feeding should occur within private premises, and states could be liable for compensation if dog attacks occur.
• Concerns: Courts entering the policy-making domain. Lack of clarity for municipal authorities. Conflicting interpretations of animal welfare law.

Ecological Reality - Limits of Elimination Policies:

• The “vacuum effect”:
  • Attempts to remove street dogs fail due to ecological dynamics, such as removed dogs being replaced by migrating animals, remaining dogs reproduce faster, and populations return to original levels.
  • This phenomenon is well-documented globally.
• Indian experience:
  • Cities (like Chennai) attempting removal policies have seen no long-term population reduction.
  • Dogs continue to roam even where such directives are attempted.
  • Street dogs are a resilient landrace embedded in South Asia’s urban ecology.

Evidence-Based Solutions:

• Strengthening ABC implementation: Large-scale sterilisation is the most effective strategy. Scientific data shows that around 70% sterilisation coverage slows reproduction, stabilises populations, reduces bite incidents, and controls rabies transmission.
• Adoption of Indian-breed dogs: Encouraging adoption can reduce free-roaming populations, promote animal welfare, and reduce commercial breeding demand.
• Legal protection for caregivers:
  • Animal caregivers fill gaps left by under-resourced municipalities, assist vaccination and monitoring.
  • Therefore, policy should recognise caregivers legally, protecting them from harassment and violence.
• Rabies and public health measures: Dog bites can be reduced through vaccination campaigns, public awareness, safe human-animal interaction, and waste management.

Major Challenges:

• Policy and legal ambiguity: Due to lack of coordination between courts and municipalities.
• Administrative weakness: Poor funding for sterilisation programmes. Limited veterinary infrastructure. Inadequate municipal capacity.
• Social polarisation: Anti-feeder sentiment, vigilante violence, and public fear of dog attacks.
• Public health concerns: India accounts for a large share of global rabies deaths. Poor vaccination coverage.
• Urban governance issues: Poor waste management sustains dog populations. Rapid urbanisation increases conflict.

Way Forward:

• Policy measures: Strict implementation of ABC Rules, 2023. Dedicated funding for sterilisation and vaccination. National guidelines for municipal animal management.
• Legal measures: Clear judicial interpretation aligned with statutory rules. Protection of lawful animal caregivers. Accountability for violence and vigilantism.
• Administrative measures: Expand veterinary infrastructure. Create municipal animal management units. Data-driven population monitoring.
• Social measures: Public awareness on humane coexistence, community participation in ABC programmes, and responsible pet ownership.
• Public health measures: Universal anti-rabies vaccination, bite-prevention education, and improved waste management.

Conclusion:

• India’s street dog issue cannot be resolved through elimination or reactionary policies.
• Policy must be guided by science, legality, and compassion, ensuring both public safety and animal welfare.
• A balanced approach — rooted in evidence-based governance and civic responsibility — is essential to prevent violence and build safer, more humane cities.

Context

• For decades, India was widely perceived as the world’s back office, a destination for low-cost outsourcing and routine business services.
• However, India has emerged not merely as a support base for multinational corporations (MNCs), but as a strategic nerve centre that shapes global corporate decision-making and innovation.
• The rise of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) marks a watershed moment in India’s economic history.
• These centres have evolved from cost-cutting units into global growth engines that define product strategy, technological development, and enterprise leadership.

The Evolution of GCCs

• Phase One: Labour Arbitrage and Routine Operations
  • The first wave of GCCs was driven by labour arbitrage. MNCs established captive centres in India primarily to reduce operational costs.
  • These centres handled repetitive tasks such as IT support, data processing, and back-office functions. India’s advantage lay in its large English-speaking workforce and lower wage structures.
• Phase Two: Process Specialisation
  • Over time, GCCs expanded their scope to include specialised operational processes such as finance, analytics, human resources, and compliance.
  • While still support-oriented, these functions required higher technical and managerial capabilities.
• Phase Three: Knowledge Integration
  • The third wave saw Indian centres participating in product development, engineering support, and advanced analytics.
  • GCCs moved beyond execution and began contributing to knowledge creation and innovation processes.
• Phase Four (GCC 4.0): Strategic Ownership and Innovation
  • Today’s GCC 4.0 era represents a decisive shift. Indian centres now:
    • Own end-to-end product lifecycles
    • Lead global research and development (R&D)
    • Develop proprietary intellectual property (IP)
    • Deploy advanced technologies such as Agentic AI
  • Nearly 58% of GCCs are investing heavily in autonomous AI systems capable of reasoning and executing complex tasks.
  • This reflects a transition from experimentation to enterprise-scale innovation. Indian centres are now indispensable nodes in global value chains.

Strategic Benefits for Multinational Corporations

• Access to Scale and Talent
  • India hosts over 1,800 GCCs employing nearly two million professionals. This provides MNCs with access to a multidimensional talent pool at a scale unmatched elsewhere.
  • The follow-the-sun operational model enables continuous development cycles, accelerating innovation.
• Centres of Excellence (CoEs)
  • Indian GCCs have evolved into global Centres of Excellence in areas such as:
    • Finance
    • Legal services
    • Human resources
    • Advanced R&D
  • These centres centralise high-value corporate functions in a high-skill, high-efficiency ecosystem.
• Shift in Corporate Power
  • In many cases, the technical depth and execution capacity within Indian GCCs rival or surpass those at traditional headquarters.
  • This has created a form of shadow leadership, where strategic influence increasingly resides in India.

Socio-Economic Impact on India

• Creation of High-Value Employment
  • The GCC boom has generated intellectually stimulating, well-compensated jobs, contributing to the emergence of a globally competitive professional class.
  • These roles significantly exceed traditional service-sector wages.
• Regional Economic Diversification
  • Growth is expanding beyond major technology hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad into Tier-II and Tier-III cities like Coimbatore, Indore, and Kochi. This decentralisation:
    • Reduces pressure on saturated metros
    • Stimulates local infrastructure development
    • Boosts real estate and retail economies
    • Promotes balanced regional growth

Key Challenges Facing the GCC Ecosystem

• The Talent Gap
  • While India produces millions of engineering graduates, demand for niche skills in AI security, cloud architecture, and quantum-resistant cryptography far exceeds supply.
  • This has triggered intense competition and wage inflation, potentially eroding India’s cost advantage.
• Cybersecurity and Data Protection Risks
  • As GCCs handle increasingly sensitive global data, they have become prime targets for state-sponsored cyber-attacks.
  • Compliance with data protection regulations has increased governance pressure. Cybersecurity has emerged as the most expensive operational mandate for modern GCCs.
• Taxation and Fiscal Uncertainty
  • The introduction of the OECD’s Global Minimum Tax (Pillar Two) reduces the tax arbitrage benefits previously enjoyed by MNCs.
  • Additionally, ongoing debates regarding transfer pricing and Safe Harbour rules create fiscal unpredictability, making regulatory clarity a top board-level concern.
• Geopolitical Volatility and Protectionism
  • Global trade uncertainties, tariff volatility, and reshoring policies, particularly in advanced economies, pose long-term risks.
  • The growing emphasis on digital sovereignty may encourage corporations to relocate critical data operations back to domestic markets, slowing new GCC investments in India.

Policy Recommendations to Sustain the Momentum

• Introduce a Single-Window Clearance system for GCC establishment.
• Rationalise transfer pricing norms.
• Provide tax safe harbours for R&D-intensive operations.
• Strengthen industry-academia collaboration to address skill gaps.
• Offer capital subsidies to promote expansion into Tier-II cities.

Conclusion

• India’s transformation from the world’s outsourcing hub to a global innovation command centre represents a historic economic shift.
• GCCs have redefined the country’s role in the global value chain, positioning it as a driver of strategy, research, and technological advancement.
• If managed effectively, India’s GCC revolution has the potential to secure its position not merely as a participant, but as a leader in the global innovation economy for decades to come.

Context

• The Women’s Reservation Act, passed in September 2023, promises one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
• It seeks to correct the long-standing underrepresentation of women in Indian politics and was widely celebrated as a step toward gender equality and inclusive democracy.
• Yet the legislation postpones its own operation. The Act links implementation to future constitutional processes, meaning women will not immediately receive guaranteed political participation.
• The reform therefore recognises women’s rights in principle while delaying their exercise in practice, raising questions about the real pace of democratic reform.

The Constitutional Framework Behind the Delay

• The Two Mandatory Preconditions
  • The Act makes reservation conditional upon two sequential processes:
  • A national Census conducted after 2026.
  • A delimitation exercise based on that Census.
  • Both steps are constitutionally required and cannot be bypassed.
• The Census Timeline
  • The next Census is expected in 2027. After enumeration, the data must be verified and officially published, a process historically taking 12–18 months.
  • Only after publication can the next constitutional step begin.
• Delimitation Process
  • After publication, the President establishes a Delimitation Commission under Article 82.
  • The Commission must redraw 543 parliamentary constituencies and thousands of Assembly constituencies while ensuring population balance, administrative boundaries, and existing SC/ST reservations, along with women’s reservation.
  • Previous commissions have taken several years. Even under optimistic conditions, delimitation is unlikely to finish before 2032–2033.

Why Implementation Before 2029 Is Impossible?

• India’s next general election is scheduled for 2029. Because both Census and delimitation cannot be completed beforehand, reservation cannot operate in that election.
• The earliest likely implementation is around 2034.
• The delay results from constitutional procedures rather than administrative uncertainty.
• Until prerequisites are completed, the promised representation remains legally inoperative.

Political Logic Behind the Design

• Avoiding Immediate Displacement
  • Immediate implementation would convert roughly 181 constituencies into women-only seats.
  • A similar number of male incumbents would lose their positions. Political parties therefore faced direct electoral cost.
• Expansion Instead of Replacement
  • By connecting reservation to delimitation, representation is introduced alongside an expected expansion of Parliament.
  • A larger House allows new reserved seats without removing sitting members. Political loss is avoided through expansion rather than replacement, though the cost is a long delay in women’s participation.

Historical Background: A Long Wait

• Efforts for reservation began in 1996, followed by repeated debates, amendments, and lapses. The proposal passed the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but never became law at that time.
• The 2023 Act appeared to conclude decades of legislative struggle, yet implementation is postponed for another election cycle, extending a wait that has lasted nearly three decades.

Linkage with Delimitation and Federal Tensions

• Delimitation redistributes seats according to population. States with higher population growth may gain representation, while others may lose proportional strength.
• This north-south imbalance has historically caused political conflict and led to the 1976 freeze on seat redistribution, later extended in 2001.
• By tying women’s reservation to this unresolved federal issue, the Act places women’s rights within a broader federal dispute unrelated to gender justice.
• Any disagreement over seat allocation can postpone representation further.

Design Gaps in the Act

• Exclusion of Upper Houses
  • Reservation applies only to directly elected bodies. The Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils remain outside its scope.
• Absence of OBC Sub-Reservation
  • While Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women receive proportional representation, OBC women do not receive a separate quota despite forming a major demographic group.
• Rotation of Constituencies
  • Reserved constituencies will rotate after each election, but operational rules are unclear.
  • Frequent boundary changes and shifting constituencies may create uncertainty for candidates and parties.

Possible Solutions for Early Implementation

• Several options could enable earlier implementation:
  • A constitutional amendment delinking reservation from delimitation
  • Temporary reservation within existing constituencies
  • Immediate Lok Sabha expansion with additional seats reserved for women
• Article 15(3) already allows special provisions for women. Implementation therefore depends primarily on political will, not constitutional impossibility.

The Larger Democratic Question

• The Act illustrates the tension between symbolic reform and substantive Legal recognition alone does not guarantee participation.
• Representation is essential to democratic legitimacy, and prolonged postponement weakens the meaning of equality.
• A right that cannot be exercised remains incomplete within a democratic system.

Conclusion

• The Women’s Reservation Act acknowledges the necessity of women’s political participation but delays its realization.
• By linking implementation to future Census and delimitation processes, the law transforms a reform into a deferred constitutional project.
• The measure’s success will depend not on its enactment but on its execution. Democratic equality requires not only recognition but timely application.
• Until women occupy the seats promised to them, representation remains unrealised. In democratic governance, representation delayed becomes representation denied.

About Exercise Vajra Prahar:

• It is the joint Special Forces exercise between the Indian Army and US Army.
• The exercise is designed to deepen defence cooperation, enhance interoperability and joint operational readiness, and enable the exchange of advanced special operations tactics, techniques, and procedures.
• The year 2026 marks the 16th edition of the exercise.
  • It will be held at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
  • The focus this year will be on the exchange of advanced special operations tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs), honed through rigorous training in realistic combat scenarios.
  • It will place strong emphasis on counter-terror operations, precision strikes, intelligence-based missions, and joint planning under simulated battlefield conditions.