Why in the News?

• The Union government has notified a revised cadre allocation policy for the IAS, IPS and IFoS, replacing the earlier zonal system with a new grouping structure.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Cadre Allocation (Background, Zonal System, Grouping Structure, Objectives, Rotational Policy, Significance, etc.)

Background of Cadre Allocation in All India Services

• Cadre allocation is a critical administrative process that determines the State or Joint Cadre in which officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) serve.
• The system aims to balance two key objectives:
  • Ensuring national integration through inter-State exposure and
  • Respecting regional familiarity by allowing limited home-state representation.
• Since 2017, cadre allocation has been governed by a zonal system, where States were grouped into five zones.
• Candidates were required to rank zones and cadres within them.
• Over time, several State governments and aspirants raised concerns about uneven cadre distribution, lack of transparency, and rigid allocation outcomes.

Introduction of the New Grouping Structure

• The revised policy replaces the zonal arrangement with four alphabetical groups of State and Joint Cadres.
• According to the notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), all cadres have been arranged alphabetically and distributed into four groups to simplify and standardise the allocation process.
• New Group Composition

• Group I: AGMUT, Andhra Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh
• Group II: Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh
• Group III: Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu
• Group IV: Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

• This structure replaces the earlier five-zone model that had geographical clustering, which often resulted in repeated regional concentration of officers.

Objectives of the Revised Policy

• The revised cadre allocation framework seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• Greater Transparency: Alphabetical grouping removes ambiguity associated with zonal preferences.
• Fair Distribution of Officers: States had flagged skewed vacancy allocation under the earlier system.
• Enhanced National Integration: Wider inter-State exposure aligns with the original philosophy of All India Services.
• Administrative Efficiency: A simplified structure enables faster and more predictable allocation outcomes.

Determination of Vacancies

• Under the new policy, cadre-controlling authorities will determine vacancies annually:

• IAS: Department of Personnel and Training
• IPS: Ministry of Home Affairs
• IFoS: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

• Vacancies will be calculated based on the cadre gap as on January 1 of the year following the Civil Services Examination.
• States must submit their vacancy requisitions by January 31; failing which, late submissions will not be considered. Vacancy details will be publicly notified to ensure transparency.

Insider and Outsider Allocation Rules

• The policy reiterates strict norms for insider and outsider allocation:

• Insider candidates (home State cadre) will be allocated strictly based on merit rank and vacancy availability.
• Willingness to serve in the home State is now a mandatory condition for insider eligibility.
• Vacancies for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be treated as part of the unreserved category in cadre rosters.

• This aims to curb discretionary interpretation and ensure merit-based allocation.

Rotational Cycle System

• A key procedural reform is the introduction of a rotational cycle system.
• Each cycle covers 25 candidates in merit order, corresponding to the total number of State and Joint Cadres.

• Higher-ranked candidates within a cycle get priority.
• Remaining candidates move to the next cycle.
• Outsider allocation follows insider placement, with priority given first to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD).

• This system is intended to introduce predictability and objectivity into cadre placement.

Significance for Civil Services Administration

• Reduces litigation and grievances related to cadre allocation.
• Strengthens cooperative federalism by addressing State concerns.
• Improves officer exposure to diverse administrative and socio-political environments.
• Aligns recruitment with governance efficiency, an important theme in public administration reforms.

Why in News?

• The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), India’s premier retirement fund body, is undertaking a new phase of digital and institutional reforms—EPFO 3.0.
• These reforms aim to simplify access, enhance portability, prepare for expanded social security coverage under the Labour Codes, and build upon earlier changes under EPFO 2.0, aimed at easing withdrawals and claim settlements.
• EPFO is in the final stages of floating a tender for IT platform implementation and has shortlisted firms like Wipro, Infosys, TCS. EPFO 2.0 nearing completion, and only pension, claim, and annual accounts modules pending.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• EPFO
• EPFO 3.0 - Key Reforms Proposed
• EPFO 2.0 - Ongoing and Completed Reforms
• Challenges and Way Forward
• Conclusion

EPFO:

• Nature of body: It is a premier Indian statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, established in 1952 to provide social security to the organized workforce.
• Functions: It manages compulsory, contributory provident fund, pension, and insurance schemes—specifically EPF 1952, EPS 1995, and EDLI 1976—ensuring retirement savings and financial security for employees.
• Active members and corpus: It currently has nearly 8 crore active members and maintains a corpus of around Rs 28 lakh crore.
• Coverage: EPFO coverage is mandatory for establishments with 20 or more employees, with coverage now extending to all establishments having 20 or more employees, regardless of the industry, under the new Social Security Code.

EPFO 3.0 - Key Reforms Proposed:

• Centralised core banking solution:
  • Introduction of a nationwide, centralised system akin to banking operations.
  • Members can access accounts and resolve issues at any EPFO office across India.
  • It seeks to enhance portability for migrant and inter-state workers.
• New user-friendly portal:
  • Revamped EPFO website with improved navigation. Integration of AI-backed language translation tools using BHASHINI (MeitY initiative).
  • It will facilitate access in vernacular languages, improving inclusivity
• Preparation for labour codes implementation:
  • EPFO is likely to administer social security funds for unorganised workers. Separate fund envisaged for gig and platform workers.
  • It addresses expansion in scale and scope of EPFO operations.

EPFO 2.0 - Ongoing and Completed Reforms:

• Liberalising withdrawal norms:
  • It will streamline the withdrawal categories from 13 to 3 – essential needs (illness, education, marriage); housing needs; and special circumstances.
  • Minimum unemployment period for premature final settlement increased from 2 months to 12 months.
• UPI-linked withdrawal facility:
  • Under the UPI facility, members can withdraw funds using the BHIM app.
  • They will also be able to separately view their available balance, the balance eligible for withdrawal and the minimum 25% balance.
  • The withdrawal amount could be initially capped at Rs 25,000 per transaction.
• Self-correction of personal details:
  • Members are allowed to correct personal details without employer/EPFO approval.
  • Applicable to name, date of birth, gender, marital status, dates of joining/leaving, etc.
  • For UANs issued before 1 October 2017, employers can make corrections without EPFO approval.
  • Impact: About 32.23 lakh profile corrections completed till December 2025.

Challenges and Way Forward:

• Managing scale expansion: With inclusion of unorganised workers. Leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like UPI and BHASHINI.
• Ensuring data security and cyber resilience: In centralised systems. Phased implementation of EPFO 3.0 with strong IT governance.
• Digital literacy gaps: Among workers. Capacity building of EPFO staff and awareness among beneficiaries.
• Smooth transition from legacy systems: Coordination with States for effective rollout of Labour Codes.

Conclusion:

• EPFO 3.0 marks a significant shift towards a portable, inclusive, and technology-driven social security ecosystem.
• By adopting centralised banking solutions, AI-enabled multilingual access, and simplified rules, EPFO is aligning itself with the goals of ease of living, labour mobility, and universal social security.
• It makes it a critical reform from the perspective of governance, digitalisation, and labour welfare.

Why in news?

Under the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016–2030), India aims to eliminate malaria by 2030, with an interim goal of stopping indigenous transmission nationwide by 2027.

By the end of 2025, sustained surveillance and interventions had yielded major gains, with 160 districts across 23 States and Union Territories reporting zero indigenous malaria cases between 2022 and 2024—marking a significant step toward nationwide elimination.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• How Malaria Prevalence and Elimination Are Assessed?
• India’s Current Status in the Fight Against Malaria
• India’s Strategy for Eliminating Malaria
• Key Challenges in India’s Malaria Elimination Drive
• The Road Ahead for Malaria Elimination in India

How Malaria Prevalence and Elimination Are Assessed?

• The World Health Organization (WHO) measures malaria elimination by assessing whether local transmission of all human malaria parasites has been interrupted nationwide for at least three consecutive years, supported by a robust surveillance and response system.
• Based on this criterion, 47 countries or territories had been officially certified malaria-free by the WHO as of mid-2025.

India’s Current Status in the Fight Against Malaria

• India has made substantial progress in reducing malaria burden over the past decade.
• According to the World Malaria Report 2025, the country officially exited the WHO’s “High Burden to High Impact” (HBHI) group in 2024, reflecting sustained improvements in high-endemic States.
• Malaria cases declined by about 80% between 2015 and 2023, and India is on track to meet the WHO Global Technical Strategy (2016–2030) target of a 75% reduction in incidence by 2025, having already achieved over 70% reduction by 2024.
• Despite this progress, India still accounted for 73.3% of the estimated 2.7 million malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2024.
• Localised transmission, population movement, and cross-border importation continue to pose challenges.

India’s Strategy for Eliminating Malaria

• India is pursuing malaria elimination through a structured national strategy guided by two key policy frameworks:
  • National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016–2030), which sets the long-term vision and phased targets, and
  • National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Malaria Elimination (2023–2027), which operationalises these goals.
• The NSP prioritises transforming malaria surveillance into a core intervention, ensuring universal access to timely diagnosis and treatment through a “test, treat, and track” approach, and strengthening prevention via effective vector control.

Key Challenges in India’s Malaria Elimination Drive

• One major challenge is migration from malaria-endemic neighbouring States, which raises the risk of reintroduction in areas that have achieved low or zero transmission.
• Urban settings present a distinct set of difficulties due to population density, mobility, and complex living conditions.
• According to India’s National Strategic Plan, malaria elimination requires special focus on urban, forest, tribal, border, hard-to-reach areas, large infrastructure project zones, and migrant populations.
• Regional and Cross-Border Transmission Risks
  • The World Malaria Report 2025 acknowledges significant progress in the WHO South-East Asia Region but notes that challenges persist.
  • Plasmodium vivax, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of regional malaria cases, continues to hinder elimination due to its relapse potential.
  • Localised transmission in India and Nepal, driven by cross-border movement, underscores the need for targeted sub-national and regional coordination.
• Rising Drug and Insecticide Resistance
  • A growing concern is antimalarial drug resistance.
  • The WHO has warned of partial resistance to artemisinin derivatives—the backbone of current malaria treatment, along with signs of declining efficacy of partner drugs.
  • In response, India is strengthening drug and insecticide resistance monitoring and emphasising strict compliance with the 14-day radical treatment for Plasmodium vivax cases.

The Road Ahead for Malaria Elimination in India

• India has reached an advanced stage in its malaria elimination journey, with 34 States and Union Territories recording an Annual Parasite Incidence of less than one in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Only Tripura and Mizoram remain above this threshold, highlighting that the challenge is now geographically concentrated.
• Experts emphasise that the next phase hinges on data accuracy and robust surveillance. They stressed the need for mandatory reporting of even suspected malaria cases, particularly by private healthcare practitioners.
• Urban malaria remains a key concern. Rapid urbanisation, expanding infrastructure, and water storage practices in cities like Chennai create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Addressing this will require not only government action but also strong community and household-level participation to prevent mosquito breeding in clean water sources.
• As India targets zero indigenous malaria cases by 2027 and prevention of re-establishment thereafter, strengthening surveillance systems, improving diagnostic capacity, and intensifying control measures in high-burden districts will be crucial to overcoming these challenges and sustaining elimination gains.

Why in news?

The Reserve Bank of India has advised the Indian government to encourage BRICS countries to collaborate on using digital currencies for cross-border payments. Such a move could reduce transaction costs, speed up settlements, and lower dependence on the US dollar.

However, in the near term, it also poses risks related to financial stability, regulatory coordination, cyber security, and differences in digital infrastructure among BRICS members, which would need careful management.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• RBI’s Push for BRICS CBDC-Based Cross-Border Payments
• Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
• Benefits of Using Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
• Risks and Challenges of Using CBDCs for Cross-Border Payments

RBI’s Push for BRICS CBDC-Based Cross-Border Payments

• The Reserve Bank of India has reportedly proposed that India use its BRICS chairmanship in 2026 to encourage member countries to adopt their Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) for cross-border payments.
• Though not officially announced, the RBI is said to have conveyed this idea to the Ministry of Finance.
• The proposal envisages a common payments framework covering not only the five founding BRICS members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—but also newer members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, with more countries likely to join in the future.

About Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

• CBDCs are legal tender issued by a central bank in fully digital form.
• In India, the RBI’s e-rupee is an example, functioning just like the physical rupee but existing only digitally.
• CBDCs are stored in separate digital wallets, not bank accounts, and transactions occur directly between wallets, with records maintained on a blockchain-based digital ledger.
• Unlike payment systems such as UPI, which transfer money between bank accounts, CBDCs move value itself from one wallet to another.
• They also differ from private cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are decentralised, unregulated, and not backed by any authority.
• CBDCs, by contrast, are centrally issued, regulated, and backed by the central bank, with a fixed value—for instance, one e-rupee is always equal to one rupee.

Benefits of Using Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

• Greater Transparency and Traceability - CBDCs operate on blockchain technology, which creates an immutable and transparent digital ledger.
  • Once recorded, transactions cannot be altered or deleted, making illicit activities like money laundering and black-money flows easier to detect, especially in cross-border payments.
• Programmable Money with Policy Use-Cases - CBDCs can be programmed for specific purposes.
  • They may be restricted by time (expiry dates), location, merchant category, or type of transaction.
  • Additional details such as payer and payee identities can also be embedded, further enhancing accountability and targeted use.
• Curbing Illicit Cross-Border Flows - Cross-border transactions are a major channel for illegal money movement.
  • The transparency and traceability of CBDCs provide authorities with stronger tools to monitor and regulate such flows compared to traditional payment systems.
• Geopolitical and Strategic Advantages - CBDCs can help India navigate international payment challenges arising from sanctions and exclusion from the dollar-dominated SWIFT system, as seen in trade with countries like Iran and Russia.
  • A CBDC-based framework offers a more sustainable alternative to settling trade purely in national currencies and could strengthen cooperation within groupings such as BRICS.

Risks and Challenges of Using CBDCs for Cross-Border Payments

• The adoption of CBDCs for cross-border payments faces significant hurdles.
• Harmonising legal, regulatory, and technical frameworks across multiple countries is complex and time-consuming, meaning tangible benefits may take years to materialise.
• A more immediate risk lies in the geopolitical response, particularly from the United States.
• Past statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest that efforts by BRICS to reduce reliance on the dollar could invite retaliatory measures, including higher tariffs.
• A shift toward CBDC-based payments could therefore expose India to additional trade penalties, potentially compounding existing tariff pressures.
• India will need to carefully balance these economic and strategic costs against the long-term advantages of adopting CBDCs for international payments.

About Gandak River:

• The Gandak River, also known as the Narayani and Gandaki, is one of the major rivers in Nepal and a left-bank tributary of the Ganges in India.
• It is mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata.
• Course:
  • It originates to the north of Dhaulagiri Mountain in Tibet near the Nepal border.
  • After flowing through Tibet, it crosses Nepal, where it is also known as Narayani, to enter the Indian Territory.
  • The river enters India from Valmikinagar in the West Champaran district of Bihar. The entry point of the river is at the Indo–Nepal border and is known as Triveni.
  • In India, it flows southeast, across the upper Gangetic plain in eastern Uttar Pradesh and northwestern Bihar.
  • Gandak joins Ganga near Patna in Vaishali district of Bihar.
• It is bounded on the north by the Himalayas, south by the River Ganga, east by the Burhi Gandak Basin and on the west by the Ghagra Basin.
• Due to the steep slope and loose soil in the upper catchment, Gandak carries a lot of silt and other deposits to the Indian side, resulting in a continuous shifting course of the river.
• While flowing through the Nepal Himalayas, it forms the Kali Gandaki gorge, one of the deepest river gorges in the world.
• Two important protected areas, Chitwan National Park in Nepal and the adjacent Valmiki Tiger reserve in India, have been established in the basin.
• Major Tributaries: Daraudi, Seti, Madi, Marsyandi, and Budhi Gandaki.

Key Facts about Gharial:

• It is a freshwater crocodile.
• Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus
• The name ‘gharial’ comes from the Hindi word ghara, meaning pot or vessel, referring to the bulbous snout tip of adult males, which resembles an inverted pot.
• Distribution:
  • Historically, the gharial's range spanned rivers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
  • Today, only fragmented populations remain in Nepal and northern India.
  • The Gharial reserves of India are located in three States: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
  • In India, the National Chambal Sanctuary holds about 90% of the surviving gharials.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

About Vitamin B1:

• Also known as thiamine or thiamin, vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin, as are all vitamins of the B complex.
• Benefits:
  • Thiamine helps convert carbohydrates into energy, allowing our cells to function optimally.
  • It is also involved in supporting the nervous system, promoting healthy brain function, and aiding in the metabolism of proteins and fats.
  • Vitamin B1 helps prevent complications in the:
    • nervous system
    • brain
    • muscles
    • heart
    • stomach
    • intestines
  • It is also involved in the flow of electrolytes into and out of muscle and nerve cells.
• Thiamine occurs naturally in specific diets, is added to food products, and is available in dietary supplements.
• Brown rice, whole grains, pork, poultry, soybeans, nuts, peas, dried beans, and fortified or enriched grain products such as bread, cereals, and infant formulas are rich sources of thiamine.
• Humans need a continuous supply of vitamin B1 because the body does not store it in significant amounts.
• Vitamin B1 Deficiency:
  • A deficiency in thiamine can lead to a condition known as beriberi, which can cause symptoms like weakness, fatigue, nerve problems, and heart issues.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: This severe form of thiamine deficiency is often associated with alcohol abuse and can lead to symptoms such as: 

• Confusion and memory loss.
• Difficulty with balance and coordination.
• Visual disturbances, including double vision or eye muscle weakness.

About Tailings:

• Tailings are the leftover materials from the processing of mined ore.
• They consist of finely ground rock, unrecoverable or uneconomic metals, chemicals, organic matter, and effluent from the extraction process.
• They usually take the form of a liquid slurry made of fine mineral particles, created as mined ore is crushed, ground, and processed.
• Effective tailings management is integral to the safe and sustainable production of metals and minerals.
• Tailings can be stored in a variety of ways; which way depends on numerous factors, for instance, the local topography, how much rainfall an area gets, whether there is regular or irregular seismic activity recorded, the type of mineral being mined, and how close the mine is to populated areas.
• There is no one-size-fits-all solution; each tailings facility (also commonly known as a tailings storage facility) is unique.
• Dams, embankments, and other types of surface impoundments are by far the most common storage methods used today.

India's First Tailings Policy for Critical Minerals:

It sets guidelines for exploration of critical minerals from primary as well as secondary sources like mine dumps and tailings of existing mines.

• The new policy is developed on the idea that a few commodities currently mined in India as primary ore may have scope for recovery of companion metals or elements from the tailings, anode slimes, pot linings, and slags.
  • For example, a copper mine may have Selenium, Tellurium, Molybdenum, Cobalt, Rhenium, Gold, and Silver as companion elements.
  • Similarly, Zinc is found along with Germanium, Silver, Cadmium, and Indium.
• Critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements (REE), etc., are vital for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and are essential for India’s economic growth.

About Asiatic Wild Dog:

• The Asiatic wild dog, also called Dhole, is a wild Asian carnivore of the dog family (Canidae).
• Scientific Name: Cuon alpinus
• Other Names: Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red wolf, red dog, and mountain wolf.
• Distribution:
  • They are found throughout Central, Eastern and Southeastern Asia.
  • In India, they are found in three clusters across India, namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, the central Indian landscape, and Northeast India.
  • The Western and Eastern Ghats are stronghold regions for dholes.
• Habitat: They inhabit dense jungles, steppes, mountains, scrub forests, and pine forests.
• Features:
  • It is a sleek, reddish-brown, medium-sized
  • This species tends to live in groups.
  • They are great communicators and use an eerie whistle to communicate with each other.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered

About Pandoh Dam:

• It is an embankment dam constructed on the Beas River in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Under the Beas Project, the dam was completed in the year 1977, and it was built with the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation.
• Being a part of a run-of-the-river power design, this dam diverts the water of the Beas River to generate power at the Dehar Power House before being discharged into the Sutlej
• The dam has also created the Pandoh Lake.
• The dam is under the Bhakra Beas Management Board.