Why in the News?

• Rising investor preference for gold, especially through gold ETFs, has renewed debate on India’s gold import dependence and its macroeconomic implications.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Gold Imports (Reasons for India Importing so much Gold)
• Steps Taken by Govt to Curb It (Measures & Schemes)
• News Summary

Why India Imports So Much Gold?

• India is one of the world’s largest consumers and importers of gold, despite producing negligible quantities domestically.
• This structural dependence is driven by a combination of cultural, economic, and financial factors.
• First, cultural and social factors play a major role.
  • Gold is deeply embedded in Indian traditions, especially weddings, festivals, and religious ceremonies.
  • It is viewed not merely as a luxury good but as a symbol of prosperity, security, and social status. Household demand remains stable even during economic slowdowns.
• Second, gold as a store of value explains persistent demand.
  • In many Indian households, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, gold is preferred over financial instruments due to limited financial literacy, distrust of formal markets, and ease of liquidity.
  • Gold is often treated as an inter-generational asset.
• Third, macroeconomic uncertainty and inflation hedging increase gold demand.
  • During periods of high inflation, currency volatility, or weak equity market performance, investors shift towards gold as a safe-haven asset.
  • Historically, whenever equity returns are sub-optimal or global uncertainty rises, gold demand in India increases.
• Fourth, limited domestic alternatives for long-term savings also contribute.
  • Pension penetration remains low, and risk-averse households often find gold more reliable than equities or debt instruments.
  • This structural preference results in sustained imports, adversely impacting India’s current account balance.

Steps Taken by the Union Government to Curb These Imports

• Given the adverse impact of gold imports on the current account deficit (CAD) and foreign exchange reserves, successive governments have adopted multiple policy measures.
• One key step has been the imposition of customs duties on gold imports.
  • Higher import duties aim to discourage excessive physical gold consumption and reduce outflows of foreign exchange.
  • However, such measures have also led to smuggling in the past, indicating policy limitations.
• Another important intervention is the promotion of financial gold instruments.
  • Schemes such as Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) encourage investment in paper gold instead of physical gold.
  • These instruments reduce import pressure while providing exposure to gold prices.
• The government has also introduced Gold Monetisation Schemes, allowing households and institutions to deposit idle gold with banks, thereby mobilising domestic gold stocks and reducing fresh imports.
• Further, efforts have been made to deepen financial markets and diversify investment avenues, including mutual funds, digital payment systems, and small savings schemes, to gradually shift household savings away from physical assets.
• Despite these measures, demand moderation has been limited, indicating that gold consumption in India is influenced more by structural and behavioural factors than by short-term policy interventions.

News Summary

• Indian investors witnessed a difficult year in 2025, with benchmark equity indices delivering negative returns and overall market turnover declining. In contrast, gold ETFs saw a sharp rise in investor interest.
• Net inflows into gold ETFs surged to 25,566 crore between January and November 2025, nearly three times higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
• Gold ETFs accounted for 3.2% of total net inflows into open-ended mutual fund schemes, the highest share in recent years.
• Several factors explain this trend. Global uncertainty triggered by trade tensions and geopolitical instability has increased demand for safe-haven assets.
• Additionally, central banks across the world have been increasing gold reserves to diversify away from the US dollar, indirectly supporting global gold prices.
• Gold prices witnessed a historic rally, rising sharply over the last year, while Indian equity markets delivered muted or negative returns.
• This relative performance gap encouraged portfolio reallocation towards gold-linked instruments.
• Experts caution that while long-term fundamentals for gold remain strong, short-term gains could moderate.
• Some analysts describe the surge in gold ETF investments as partly driven by “fear of missing out” (FOMO) behaviour among retail investors.
• Overall, the outlook for gold demand in India will depend on future equity market performance, global monetary conditions, US dollar strength, and central bank policies.

Context

• Air pollution in Delhi’s National Capital Region (NCR) has reached critical levels, with vehicular emissions being the dominant contributor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, benzene, and nitrogen oxides.
• Despite this, responsibility for Delhi’s worsening air quality has frequently been placed on seasonal stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana.
• This selective attribution obscures the complex, multi-source nature of air pollution and raises concerns regarding fairness and accuracy in environmental liability.

The Polluter Pays Principle and Its Legal Foundations

• The Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) assigns the cost of environmental damage to those responsible for pollution.
• In Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India (1996), the Supreme Court recognised PPP as part of Indian law, later reinforcing it through statutory recognition under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
• PPP aims to internalise environmental costs and prevent polluters from externalising harm onto society.
• However, PPP faces serious limitations in cases involving multiple point and non-point pollution sources.
• Air pollution, unlike land or water pollution, is diffuse, cumulative, and often transboundary.
• Determining precise causal links becomes difficult, weakening the effectiveness of PPP when applied in isolation and without coordinated inter-state or regional mechanisms. 

Proportionality and the Limits of Farmer Liability

• The Standley judgment (European Court of Justice, 1999) introduced proportionality in pollution liability, holding that liability must correspond to actual contribution.
• In that case, farmers challenged restrictions imposed under the EU Nitrates Directive, arguing that industrial pollution was also responsible for nitrate contamination.
• The Court accepted that imposing disproportionate liability violated fairness principles embedded within PPP.
• Applying this reasoning to India, seasonal stubble burning cannot be held singularly or excessively responsible for Delhi’s air pollution when vehicular and industrial emissions account for a substantial share.
• Assigning blame without proportional assessment undermines both legal integrity and environmental justice.

Transboundary Air Pollution and International Precedents

• Air pollution is increasingly recognised as a regional and global phenomenon rather than a purely local issue.
• The Trail Smelter Arbitration (1941) established that states are responsible for environmental harm caused beyond their borders.
• Scientific research, including findings by Q. Zhang et al. (2017), demonstrates that PM2.5 pollution linked to international trade produces significant transboundary health impacts, often exceeding those caused by atmospheric transport alone.
• International agreements reinforce this understanding. The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP, 1979) and the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (2002) recognise long-distance pollution movement.
• The 2012 amendment to the Gothenburg Protocol explicitly included PM2.5, confirming its capacity for long-range dispersion.
• These developments highlight the inadequacy of addressing air pollution solely through localised liability frameworks.

From Polluter Pays to Government Pays: The Indian Experience

• Despite formal recognition of PPP, Indian courts have struggled to operationalise it effectively.
• In cases such as Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action, Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum, and S. Jagannath, the judiciary prioritised compensation for victims and environmental restoration over precise cost internalisation by polluters.
• This approach aligns more closely with corrective justice over cost internalisation.
• Consequently, India has witnessed a gradual shift towards a government-pays model.
• Through the Water Act (1974), Air Act (1981), Environment Protection Act (1986), and constitutional mandates under Articles 48A and 51A(g), the state has assumed primary responsibility for environmental regulation.
• Specialised authorities possess extensive powers, including industry closure and enforcement directives.

The Role of an Activist Judiciary and Its Limitations

• Regulatory authorities frequently suffer from administrative inefficiencies, prompting an increasingly activist judiciary to intervene.
• Courts often require governments to bear the primary costs of pollution monitoring and control, while polluter liability is imposed secondarily.
• This judicial stance reflects judicial welfarism protecting vulnerable victims, recognising that affected populations often lack the resources to litigate against polluters.
• While this approach enhances access to environmental justice, it weakens the deterrent function of PPP.
• Pollution prevention costs remain inadequately internalised, and long-term accountability is diluted.
• Moreover, environmental discourse in India continues to emphasise rights over duties, with limited engagement on individual environmental responsibility.

Conclusion

• Delhi’s air pollution crisis exposes the shortcomings of simplistic blame narratives and the limitations of unilateral liability frameworks.
• While PPP remains a cornerstone of environmental law, its effective application requires proportionality, scientific attribution, and regional cooperation.
• India’s reliance on a government-pays approach and judicial intervention provides immediate relief but undermines sustained accountability.
• A balanced framework integrating PPP, administrative efficiency, transboundary cooperation, and individual responsibility is essential for durable environmental justice and improved air quality governance.

Context

• Public policies are shaped by the objectives they prioritise, whether equity, efficiency, fiscal sustainability, or political symbolism.
• In medical education, these choices have far-reaching consequences for access, quality, and public health outcomes.
• The proposed public–private partnership (PPP) model for medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh illustrates how policy design reveals true objectives.
• A close examination shows serious concerns regarding equity, risk allocation, system efficiency, and the long-term viability of public healthcare.

Expansion of Medical Education and the Shift Towards PPPs

• Andhra Pradesh has rapidly expanded medical education infrastructure. Government medical colleges increased to 17, alongside 19 private colleges, with plans for 10 more.
• Each new college was designed with 150 seats and attached to a 650-bed district hospital, financed through public funds, NABARD loans, and central schemes.
• To address fiscal pressures, a three-tier fee structure was introduced, effectively commercialising half the seats even in government colleges.
• The newer proposal pushes this trajectory further. Under the PPP model promoted by NITI Aayog, private investors would receive land and district hospitals on long-term leases at nominal rates, along with viability gap funding, assured bed occupancy, and regulatory clearances.
• In return, they would construct and operate medical colleges while providing limited free services.
• This marks a decisive shift, as the PPP model shifts welfare to market, prioritising investor viability alongside public objectives.

Unequal Risk Sharing and Incentive Distortions

• A central weakness of the proposed framework lies in how risks are distributed.
• Private investors face delayed reimbursements, mandatory free outpatient services, and capped package rates under public insurance schemes.
• These pressures may encourage undesirable practices such as informal fees, faculty shortages, compromised care quality, or selective denial of services to redirect patients to paying beds.
• At the same time, the government assumes long-term systemic risks. Handing over district hospitals for up to 66 years reduces public control over essential health infrastructure.
• If the private partner underperforms or exits, judicial remedies are slow and uncertain.
• This arrangement reflects how unequal risk sharing distorts incentives, undermining both efficiency and accountability.

Impact on Access, Equity, and the Public Health System

• The PPP proposal has generated widespread opposition due to fears of privatisation of public assets.
• Affordable medical education opportunities for middle- and lower-income students may shrink, while employment pathways in public hospitals could narrow as private operators are not bound by reservation or recruitment norms. Patients who currently receive free care may increasingly face out-of-pocket expenses.
• Beyond individual access, the model threatens the coherence of the public health system.
• District-level PPP hospitals fragment service delivery and weaken coordination between primary, secondary, and tertiary care.
• Effective health systems depend on seamless referral pathways and continuity of care, particularly for chronic diseases. The proposed structure risks exactly the opposite, as fragmentation weakens integrated public health.

Structural Weaknesses and Governance Constraints

• Andhra Pradesh’s health system already struggles with chronic underfunding, infrastructure gaps, and severe shortages of specialists, especially in rural areas.
• Commercialisation of medical education is likely to intensify these problems, as graduates burdened with high fees tend to prefer urban, private-sector, or overseas employment.
• Instead of selling seats at high prices, the state could expand subsidised education linked to service obligations, building a stable public health workforce.
• Moreover, PPPs require a strong regulatory state capable of enforcing contracts and standards.
• Past experiences with weak enforcement of health regulations and fragmented primary care contracts indicate limited institutional capacity, making large-scale privatisation of health assets especially risky.

Quality, Sustainability, and the Future of Medical Education

• Medical education in India faces a broader crisis marked by faculty shortages and uneven quality.
• Rapid expansion without adequate teaching staff risks repeating the collapse seen in engineering education after unchecked growth.
• Simply increasing the number of colleges does not guarantee better outcomes. What matters more is ensuring competent faculty, robust clinical exposure, and equitable access.
• In this context, quality and equity trump expansion. The PPP approach, focused largely on financial and infrastructural metrics, fails to address these foundational concerns and does little to strengthen the public health mission of medical education.

Conclusion

• The proposed PPP framework for medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh prioritises financial expediency over evidence-based health system
• By ceding long-term control of public hospitals, exacerbating inequities in education and care, and weakening system integration, the model risks undermining both medical education and public health outcomes.
• In a sector as critical as healthcare, policies must be guided by long-term system strengthening, equitable access, and quality of care rather than short-term fiscal or symbolic considerations.

Context:

• The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act represents the most significant reform of India’s nuclear sector since the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
• It marks a decisive shift from a state monopoly to a regulated, licence-based framework enabling private and foreign participation.
• It is crucial for achieving India’s climate commitments (Net Zero 2070), energy security, and technological self-reliance, especially in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

Key Features of the SHANTI Act:

• End of State monopoly: It opens civil nuclear power generation to private sector participation, introduces a licence-based regime for nuclear activities, and aims to attract long-term domestic and foreign capital.
• Independent nuclear regulation: It grants statutory backing to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). Positions AERB as the sector regulator, enhancing credibility and predictability.

Reform of Civil Nuclear Liability - A Breakthrough:

• Background - CLND Act:
  • Influenced by the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act (2010) allowed operator recourse against suppliers for defective equipment/services.
  • This deviated from global norms under the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), creating a major deterrent for US, French and Japanese OEMs (Kovvada, Jaitapur stalled).
• Changes under SHANTI Act:
  • Operator recourse against suppliers allowed only when explicitly provided in contract, or in cases of intentional acts to cause nuclear damage.
  • It aligns India with international nuclear liability architecture, enhancing investor confidence and supplier participation.
• Remaining gap:
  • No statutory definition of “supplier”.
  • Earlier proposals suggested categorising manufacturers of systems/components, designers providing specifications, and quality assurance/design service providers.
  • Lack of clarity leaves residual liability uncertainty in the supply chain.

Regulatory and Institutional Concerns:

• Ambiguity in key terms:
  • Undefined terms include -
    • “Sensitive” activities (non-patentable),
    • “National security implications” (may bypass AERB),
    • “Strategic” activities (may trigger separate regulators).
• Risk -
• Start-ups, especially in SMRs, may face expropriation of IP.
• Could deter R&D investment and innovation.
• Multiple regulators (Section 25):
  • Allows creation of additional regulatory bodies for “strategic” activities. Open-ended provision creates regulatory uncertainty.
  • Need: Clearly defined circumstances in rules, or procedural safeguards before jurisdiction shifts.
• Independence of AERB:
  • AERB member selection committee constituted by the Atomic Energy Commission (DAE).
  • Best practices (e.g., Financial Sector Legislative Reform Commission [FSLRC] model) suggest independent experts, retired judges, and limited executive dominance.
  • Section 17(5) allows rules to strengthen structural independence while safeguarding national security.

Pricing of Nuclear Power - A Major Policy Challenge:

• Section 37 - Centralised tariff control: It vests pricing authority for nuclear electricity in the central government, overriding the Electricity Act, 2003.
• Issues with administered pricing:
  • Electricity is fungible — no justification for treating nuclear power differently.
  • The Electricity Act ecosystem supports tariff discovery, open access, power exchanges, and captive generation.
  • Nuclear power’s high cost makes mandatory procurement burdensome for financially stressed DISCOMs.

Way Forward - Market-Based Nuclear Expansion:

• Enable private-to-private transactions: Encourage captive nuclear generation, natural buyers (data centres, industrial clusters, SEZs, GCCs, power-intensive commercial consumers), and SMRs (ideal for 24×7 clean baseload demand).
• Learn from renewable energy models: For example, in offshore wind proposals, generators find their own C&I (commercial and industrial) buyers. Similar models can drive scalable nuclear adoption.
• Reform Section 37:
  • Legislative amendment: To remove administered pricing.
  • Alternative: Exempt private-to-private contracts via notification. Retain tariff control only for PSUs and DISCOM-linked transactions. Ensure non-discriminatory grid access. 

Conclusion:

• The SHANTI Act is a landmark reform.
• However, clarity in regulatory scope, market-driven tariff mechanisms, etc., will determine whether India can truly harness nuclear power for clean energy transition, energy security, and industrial growth.
• The success of this reform lies not just in legislation, but in its implementation architecture.

Why in news?

India’s Malaria Elimination Technical Report, 2025 has flagged urban malaria driven by the invasive mosquito Anopheles stephensi as a growing national concern.

It could threaten India’s target of eliminating malaria by 2030, with an interim goal of zero indigenous cases by 2027, aligned with World Health Organisation strategy.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Urban Malaria: A New Challenge
• Why Anopheles stephensi Is a Serious Threat?
• Persistent High-Burden Pockets
• India’s Progress So Far
• Strategic Frameworks Guiding Elimination
• The Road Ahead: 2030 Malaria-Free India

Urban Malaria: A New Challenge

• The spread of Anopheles stephensi in cities such as Delhi marks a shift from traditional rural malaria transmission.
• The species thrives in urban environments, breeding in artificial containers like overhead tanks, tyres, and construction sites.
• It efficiently transmits Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, complicating malaria control efforts.

Why Anopheles stephensi Is a Serious Threat?

• Recognised globally as an invasive vector.
• Adapted to high population density, informal settlements, and fragmented urban healthcare systems.
• Requires city-specific vector control and surveillance strategies, unlike conventional rural-focused approaches.

Persistent High-Burden Pockets

• India has entered the pre-elimination phase, but malaria is now concentrated in specific pockets rather than widespread.
• High-burden districts persist in Odisha, Tripura, and Mizoram.
• Cross-border transmission from Myanmar and Bangladesh continues to affect northeastern border districts.
• Key Drivers of Continued Transmission
  • Asymptomatic infections, making detection difficult.
  • Difficult terrain and remote tribal and forest areas.
  • Population mobility and migration.
  • Occupational exposure and uneven access to health services.

India’s Progress So Far

• Malaria cases reduced from 11.7 lakh (2015) to ~2.27 lakh (2024).
• Deaths declined by 78% over the same period.
• Active surveillance intensified in tribal, forest, border, and migrant-population settings.
• Health System Gaps Identified
  • Inconsistent reporting by the private sector.
  • Limited entomological capacity.
  • Drug and insecticide resistance.
  • Operational gaps in remote tribal regions.
  • Occasional shortages of diagnostics and treatment supplies.
• Priority Actions and Research Areas
  • Strengthen surveillance systems and vector monitoring.
  • Improve supply-chain reliability for diagnostics and medicines.
  • Focus operational research on:
    • Asymptomatic malaria infections
    • Ecology and control of Anopheles stephensi
    • Drug and insecticide resistance
    • Optimisation of P. vivax treatment regimens

Strategic Frameworks Guiding Elimination

• India’s success rests on a clear policy roadmap:
  • National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME), 2016: Target of zero indigenous cases by 2027.
  • National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2023–2027): Focus on enhanced surveillance, “test–treat–track” strategy, and real-time monitoring through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).
• Vector Control and Urban Malaria Management
  • Integrated Vector Management (IVM) has been central, including:
    • Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS)
    • Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs)
    • Special attention has been given to controlling the invasive Anopheles stephensi mosquito, strengthening urban malaria control.
• Strengthening Diagnostics, Health Systems, and Communities
• Establishment of National Reference Laboratories under the National Centre of Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).
• District-specific action plans for tribal, forested, and high-endemic areas.
• Integration of malaria services into Ayushman Bharat, with Community Health Officers and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs delivering care at the grassroots level.
• Capacity Building, Research, and Partnerships
  • Over 850 health professionals trained in 2024 through national refresher programmes.
  • Research on insecticide resistance and drug efficacy guiding evidence-based interventions.
  • Intensified Malaria Elimination Project–3 (IMEP-3) covering 159 districts in 12 states, focusing on vulnerable populations, Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) distribution, entomological studies, and surveillance.

The Road Ahead: 2030 Malaria-Free India

• India remains committed to achieving zero indigenous malaria cases by 2027 and elimination by 2030, with safeguards against re-establishment.
• By combining strong policy frameworks, scientific interventions, community participation, and sustained funding, India is emerging as a global benchmark in malaria elimination.

Why in news?

Amid widespread violence and political unrest in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to the country after 17 years in exile. The turmoil has also been marked by intensifying anti-India rhetoric, raising regional and diplomatic concerns.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Forces Driving the Current Turmoil in Bangladesh
• Mobocracy and Media Control as Tools
• Economic Unravelling and India Ties
• Tarique Rahman’s Return: Political Impact After 17 Years
• Rising Anti-India Rhetoric in Bangladesh
• Why the India–Bangladesh Relationship Matters Deeply?

Forces Driving the Current Turmoil in Bangladesh

• A Planned Regime-Change Operation (July–August 2024)
  • The unrest that began in July–August 2024 has often been described as a spontaneous uprising, but evidence points to a planned operation aimed at regime change.
  • Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus publicly acknowledged this in September, identifying a close aide as the strategist behind it.
  • The Jamaat-e-Islami, long aligned with Pakistan, emerged as a key driving force—and now exerts significant influence over the administration.
• Dismantling the Post-1971 Political Order
  • A central objective has been to erase the post-1971 legacy.
  • From August 5, 2024, symbols and institutions linked to the Liberation War and the Awami League have been targeted, signalling an attempt to rewrite national memory and politics.
• Minority Repression and Visible Islamisation
  • Another major strand is a crackdown on minorities and a push toward more overt Islamisation.
  • Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Ahmadiyyas have faced attacks, including allegations of killings, sexual violence, property destruction, and land grabs.
  • The lynching of Dipu Chandra Das drew international condemnation, underscoring the severity of abuses.

Mobocracy and Media Control as Tools

• Jamaat-e-Islami’s consolidation of power has been accompanied by violence and unrest as methods of control.
  • Mobocracy: Crowds surround offices, officials, and judges until demands are met.
  • Institutional Capture: Jamaat-aligned appointees are replacing incumbents across bureaucracy and academia.
  • Media Suppression: Attacks on journalists and outlets have surged; offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were recently attacked, and some journalists detained without trial.

Economic Unravelling and India Ties

• The turmoil has disrupted long-standing economic cooperation with India, built over decades under Sheikh Hasina.
• An economy that grew 6.5–7% annually for 15 years has slowed sharply: growth has halved, factories are closing, unemployment is rising, private investment has stalled, and inflation is high.

Tarique Rahman’s Return: Political Impact After 17 Years

• Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has returned after 17 years in exile and is widely seen as a frontrunner if elections are held soon.
• However, with the Awami League barred from contesting, any poll in the current climate would likely fall short of being free or fair.
• Rahman’s return is expected to trigger a surge of public support, partly driven by sympathy for his ailing mother.
• Still, an electoral victory is not assured, given shifting alliances and internal party dynamics.
• Rahman’s homecoming does not materially alter the fundamentals: a constrained electoral field, a fragmented BNP, and an emboldened Jamaat.
• Popular enthusiasm may be high, but structural realities limit Rahman’s room to reshape outcomes in the near term.

Rising Anti-India Rhetoric in Bangladesh

• Anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh is not new. Even during 1971, around 20% of the population opposed the Liberation War and India’s role.
• This strand has endured over decades alongside mainstream politics.
• Parallel to this undercurrent, India–Bangladesh relations have been anchored by deep economic cooperation and people-to-people links—including tourism, medical travel, education, and trade—creating mutual stakes beyond politics.
• India’s First Priority: Reassure the Bangladeshi People
  • India should signal goodwill toward the people of Bangladesh, not regimes alone.
  • New Delhi has already demonstrated this by continuing aid and trade, keeping communication channels open, and recently agreeing to export 50,000 metric tonnes of rice.
  • Maintaining strategic restraint while engaging all principal actors remains key.
• India’s Second Priority: Push for Inclusive Elections
  • New Delhi should insist on free, fair, and inclusive elections that allow participation by all parties, including the Awami League.
  • Only an inclusive process can restore legitimacy and stability; exclusion risks prolonging violence and volatility.

Why the India–Bangladesh Relationship Matters Deeply?

• For Bangladesh, cooperation with India was central to its economic success under Sheikh Hasina.
• India has consistently been the first responder in times of need and a reliable partner due to geographic proximity, competitive pricing, shared history, and strong people-to-people ties.
• While the current regime is engaging Pakistan, China, and Turkey, none can replicate the scale, speed, or depth of support India provides.
• Vital for India’s Security Interests
  • For India, Bangladesh is pivotal primarily due to security considerations.
  • The two share a 4,000+ km porous land border and a maritime boundary, making cooperation essential.
  • In the past, Pakistan-backed terror networks and Northeast insurgent groups used Bangladeshi territory as a haven—an issue the Hasina government actively helped address.
• Growing Strategic Risks Since August 2024
  • Since August 2024, Pakistan’s state and military have reportedly re-established pre-1971 command-and-control linkages with Bangladesh, seeking deeper military embedding, including near the India–Bangladesh border.
  • This raises concerns about regional security spillovers.

About Himalayan Red Fox:

• The Himalayan Red Fox, a subspecies of the widespread red fox (Vulpes vulpes), is one of the most adaptable predators of the high-altitude landscapes.
• Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes montana
• Distribution:
  • It is native to the Himalayan mountain range in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet.
  • It has a wide distribution in the Indian Himalayan region, including the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Habitat:
  • They are known to occupy a variety of habitats, including alpine meadows, grasslands, forests, and agricultural lands.
• Features:
  • It is a medium-sized mammal, with males being slightly larger and heavier than females.
  • The coat of the Himalayan red fox is typically rusty-red in color, with white underparts and a distinctive white-tipped tail.
  • It is a solitary and nocturnal
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Key Facts about Pangong Tso:

• Pangong Tso, or Pangong Lake, is a long, narrow, endorheic (landlocked) lake in the Ladakh Himalayas.
• It is the world’s highest saltwater lake.
• It is also known to change colors, appearing blue, green, and red at different times.

About Vitamin C:

• Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin.
• Function:
  • It is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of body. It is used to:
    • Form an important protein called collagen, used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
    • Heal wounds and form scar tissue.
    • Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth.
    • Aid in the absorption of iron.
  • It is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals.
  • It helps make several hormones and chemical messengers used in the brain and nerves.
• The body doesn't make vitamin C. It comes from the diet.
• Sources:
  • Vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables.
  • Good sources include citrus, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and greens.
  • Some juices and cereals have added vitamin C.
• Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so some of its nutritional benefits can be lost during cooking. Raw foods are more beneficial as dietary sources.
• Vitamin C is not stored in body, so deficiency can happen quickly.
• Sometimes, vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy.
  • Scurvy symptoms and signs can include anemia, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, limb pain, swelling, and sometimes ulceration of the gums and loss of teeth.