Why in news?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit India for two days — his first official trip since taking office in July 2024. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend the Global Fintech Summit in Mumbai.

The visit is reciprocal, following Modi’s trip to the UK in July when the two nations signed the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The pact, which enjoys bipartisan support in the UK, reflects the strength and stability of India–UK relations.

Starmer and Modi have agreed to work toward the early completion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement, continuing the negotiations initiated under Boris Johnson in 2022.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India–UK: Reliable Partners in an Uncertain World
• India–UK ‘Living Bridge’ Strengthens Bilateral Partnership
• Economic Cooperation: Expanding Trade and Job Opportunities
• Defence Cooperation: Strengthening Strategic Collaboration
• Education: Building Knowledge and Talent Bridges
• Research and Innovation: Advancing Science and Sustainability Together
• Culture: Strengthening Creative and Cultural Collaboration
• Connectivity: Expanding Links Between India and the UK

India–UK: Reliable Partners in an Uncertain World

• Amid global instability fuelled by US President Donald Trump’s disruptive policies, India and the UK have emerged as reliable, predictable partners.
• Experts note that the FTA is only the foundation of a much deeper partnership.
• Despite facing political challenges at home, Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to play an active global role — notably by rallying European and democratic allies, including Australia, Canada, and Japan, to form a Coalition of the Willing after Ukraine’s tense meeting with Trump.
• This reinforces the UK’s leadership in global diplomacy.

India–UK ‘Living Bridge’ Strengthens Bilateral Partnership

• The Indian diaspora, making up 2.6% of the UK’s population, plays a vital role in academia, business, politics, and innovation, owning over 65,000 UK-based companies that drive jobs and economic growth.
• This dynamic community serves as a “living bridge” connecting the two nations.
• The India-UK relationship was recently elevated to a new level through two major diplomatic milestones.
• In May 2025, the two Prime Ministers announced the conclusion of the India-UK FTA (Free Trade Agreement) and the Double Contribution Convention, a pact aimed at simplifying social security contributions for professionals.
• This momentum was solidified in July 2025 during PM Modi's visit to the UK with the formal signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the long-term strategic blueprint Vision 2035 document, and a new Defence Industrial Roadmap.
• The Vision 2035 plan focuses on economic growth, education and skill development, technological innovation, and defence cooperation, charting a comprehensive path for the future of India–UK relations.

Economic Cooperation: Expanding Trade and Job Opportunities

• The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) unites the world’s 5th and 6th largest economies, with bilateral trade in goods and services reaching USD 56 billion in 2024.
  • Trade is projected to double by 2030.
• The FTA gives Indian businesses better market access in key sectors like textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, etc. while over 650,000 people are employed by Indian and British companies in each other’s countries.
• The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) allows duty-free access to 99% of Indian exports, supporting MSMEs and job creation.
• It also promotes growth in IT, finance, education, and professional services, creating high-skill employment.
• Additionally, the Double Contribution Convention offers a three-year exemption from UK social security for Indian workers on temporary assignments, benefiting over 75,000 professionals and reducing costs for employers.

Defence Cooperation: Strengthening Strategic Collaboration

• India and the UK have launched a Defence Industrial Roadmap to promote co-design and co-production of defence equipment, addressing growing domestic needs and exploring global export opportunities.
• A major focus area is the development of jet engine technology.
• The partnership also spans joint military exercises, port calls, technological collaboration, exchange of defence experts, training, and defence education, deepening strategic and security cooperation between the two nations.

Education: Building Knowledge and Talent Bridges

• Education is a key pillar of India–UK relations, with around 170,000 Indian students currently studying in the UK.
• Several UK universities, including the University of Southampton, are establishing campuses in India, marking a milestone under the New Education Policy.
• A 2022 MoU on mutual recognition of academic qualifications ensures that UK degrees are officially recognised in India.
• Programmes like the Chevening Scholarships and the Young Professionals Scheme create study-to-work pathways, allowing 3,000 young professionals from each country to live and work in the other for up to two years.

Research and Innovation: Advancing Science and Sustainability Together

• India and the UK hold a Science and Innovation Council (SIC) meeting every two years to strengthen collaboration in research, technology, and innovation.
• The UK is India’s second-largest research partner, with a joint programme worth £300–400 million.
• A 2023 MoU expanded cooperation in quantum technology, clean energy, pandemic preparedness, and machine learning.
• The two nations are also setting up an India–UK Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre to promote industrial decarbonisation and the use of green hydrogen as a renewable energy source, reinforcing their shared commitment to a sustainable future.

Culture: Strengthening Creative and Cultural Collaboration

• India and the UK have updated their Film Co-production Framework, enabling producers to access incentives in both markets and boosting jobs in film, VFX, and post-production while helping stories reach global audiences.
• A new Cultural Agreement promotes the growth of creative industries, supporting festivals, music labels, and artistic projects that create local employment for artists and technicians.

Connectivity: Expanding Links Between India and the UK

• India and the UK are deepening people-to-people connectivity through improved services and transport links.
• New Indian Consulates in Manchester and Belfast now provide passport, OCI, and consular support to Indian communities in Northern England and Northern Ireland, extending access beyond traditional centres like London and Birmingham.
• Air connectivity has also expanded. IndiGo will launch Delhi–Manchester services from November 15, and Air India continues robust operations connecting multiple Indian cities to London airports.

Why in news?

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics went to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis for demonstrating that quantum tunnelling — where particles cross barriers they shouldn’t be able to — can occur not only in subatomic particles but also in macroscopic superconducting circuits.

Their pioneering work proved that quantum phenomena, once thought to exist only at the atomic and subatomic scale, can also occur in man-made electrical circuits visible to the naked eye. It paved the way for technologies that could transform computing, sensing, and communication.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Quantum Tunnelling and Energy Quantisation Made Visible
• Bridging the Quantum and the Everyday World
• Applications: From Quantum Chips to Sensors

Quantum Tunnelling and Energy Quantisation Made Visible

• The Nobel laureates — John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis — demonstrated two of quantum physics’ defining principles, tunnelling and energy quantisation, in a macroscopic electric circuit.
• The Josephson Junction: Heart of the Discovery
  • At the core of their experiments lies the Josephson junction, a device where two superconductors are separated by a thin insulating barrier.
  • The researchers asked whether the phase difference — a measurable electrical property — across this junction could behave like a single quantum particle.
  • By sending current through the circuit, they observed that when it was small, electrons (in Cooper pairs) were trapped, producing no voltage.
    • Cooper pairs are pairs of electrons bound together by an attractive force, mediated by lattice vibrations called phonons, that occurs at low temperatures in superconducting materials. 
    • These pairs, which have opposite spins and total zero spin, behave as a single quantum unit called a boson and can flow through the material without resistance, enabling superconductivity. 
  • But sometimes, the current “tunnelled” through the barrier, suddenly flowing freely and generating a measurable voltage.
  • This confirmed macroscopic quantum tunnelling — a quantum leap happening in an entire electrical circuit.
• Solving the Fragility Problem
  • Early efforts to detect quantum tunnelling failed because of environmental noise and microwave interference.
  • The Berkeley team, led by Clarke, solved this by using special filters, shielding, and ultra-cold, stable setups to isolate the circuit.
  • When cooled to near absolute zero, the system behaved exactly as quantum theory predicted — the rate of tunnelling became independent of temperature, confirming it wasn’t due to thermal noise but a true quantum process.
• Revealing Quantum Energy Levels
  • The team then looked for quantised energy states, a hallmark of quantum behaviour.
  • By shining microwaves of varying frequencies on the junction, they saw that when the frequency matched the energy gap between two levels, the circuit “escaped” more easily from its trapped state.
  • This showed that the circuit absorbed and emitted discrete packets of energy, behaving like a macroscopic atom.
  • For the first time, scientists saw quantum behaviour in a system visible to the naked eye.
• Blueprint for Quantum Control
  • These experiments proved two key ideas:
    • Macroscopic electrical circuits can exhibit quantum properties when isolated from noise.
    • Their behaviour can be described using standard quantum mechanics.
  • The work also established methods for controlling and reading macroscopic quantum states using bias currents and microwaves — techniques that became the foundation for superconducting qubits and quantum measurement systems.

Bridging the Quantum and the Everyday World

• For years, scientists questioned how large a system could be and still exhibit quantum effects. Normally, quantum behaviour disappears when many particles interact.
• But the Nobel laureates — John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis — proved that with superconducting materials, extreme cooling, and precision engineering, even a visible electronic chip can display clear quantum phenomena.

Applications: From Quantum Chips to Sensors

• The laureates’ findings underpin many modern quantum technologies:
  • Superconducting qubits: Circuits that act like artificial atoms and are the basis of quantum computers by Google, IBM, and others.
  • Quantum sensors: Devices capable of detecting tiny magnetic fields or gravitational variations, useful in medical diagnostics and geophysical exploration.
  • Quantum amplifiers: Boost faint signals without adding noise, vital for space exploration and dark matter detection.
  • Metrology: Josephson junctions now define electrical standards like the volt and ampere with quantum-level precision.
  • Microwave-to-optical converters: Link quantum processors to optical fibre networks for quantum communication.
• Turning Fragility into Functionality
  • Ultimately, these devices are powerful because even minute external changes cause large, measurable shifts in the circuit’s quantum state.
  • The laureates’ work transformed this sensitivity — once a limitation — into a defining feature, creating tools that bridge quantum theory and real-world technology.

Why in the News?

• Indian private capital is being urged to refocus on domestic investment as experts highlight that sustained economic growth now depends on strengthening internal demand, job creation, and innovation amid rising global uncertainties.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About Indian Capital (Introduction, Need for Refocus, Strengthening Domestic Base, Innovation Ecosystem, Road Ahead, etc.)

The Evolving Role of Indian Capital

• Indian private capital has been a cornerstone of the nation’s economic progress, from building industries in the post-independence era to leading the globalisation wave after 1991.
• Liberalisation allowed Indian firms to expand abroad, acquire global assets, and compete internationally. However, this global focus must now recalibrate.
• With rising geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and shrinking export demand, global markets are no longer as stable or rewarding as before.
• In this context, Indian capital must redirect its focus toward domestic investment to fuel internal growth, create jobs, and sustain India’s ambition of becoming a $10 trillion economy by 2036.

The Need to Refocus on Domestic Investment

• India’s growth story today is largely being driven by public investment, while private sector capital expenditure remains sluggish.
• The government’s capital outlay rose from Rs. 3.4 lakh crore in FY20 to Rs. 10.2 lakh crore in FY25, growing at an impressive 25% annually. Yet, private investment as a share of GDP has remained stagnant, hovering around 22-23%.
• Interestingly, Indian corporations have increased their outward foreign direct investment (FDI) at a faster rate, growing by over 12% annually in the last five years, while global FDI has slowed.
• This reflects a continued tendency among Indian firms to seek opportunities abroad rather than within India.
• However, global economic fragmentation, coupled with India’s strong domestic fundamentals, robust infrastructure push, demographic dividend, and policy stability, makes domestic reinvestment a far more viable and strategic option.

Strengthening the Domestic Economic Base

• Driving Inclusive Growth through Wage Expansion
  • Corporate profits in India are at a 15-year high, yet real wage growth has remained stagnant. This imbalance between profits and wages has constrained household demand, weakening one of the key engines of sustained growth.
  • As per recent estimates, real wages are projected to rise by only 6.5% in FY26, even as productivity and profits climb higher. The growing trend of contractualization in the formal sector further limits wage bargaining power.
  • For India’s growth to be inclusive and self-sustaining, businesses must ensure steady wage growth and job creation, especially in labour-intensive sectors like manufacturing, textiles, and services.
  • Higher wages expand domestic demand, creating a virtuous cycle of consumption and investment, something India urgently needs amid a slowing global trade environment.
• Boosting Private Investment and Innovation
  • Private investment has historically been the backbone of India’s industrialisation. However, in recent years, risk aversion, corporate deleveraging, and global uncertainties have led to a cautious investment stance.
  • Yet, the policy environment is now among the most favourable in decades:
    • The corporate tax rate has been reduced to 22% (15% for new manufacturing firms).
    • The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme covers 14 sectors, offering Rs. 1.97 lakh crore in incentives.
    • Significant improvements have been made in logistics, digital infrastructure, and ease of doing business.

• Indian firms must seize these conditions to increase domestic capex, not just in core industries but also in emerging sectors such as green energy, semiconductors, electric mobility, and digital technologies.

Strengthening India’s Innovation Ecosystem

• India’s research and development (R&D) spending remains low at 0.64% of GDP, compared to 2-3% in advanced economies like the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.
• The private sector contributes only about 36% of India’s total R&D expenditure, while governments and public institutions account for the rest.
• In contrast, in developed nations, over 70% of R&D spending is funded by private enterprises.
• To remain globally competitive, Indian companies must significantly increase their R&D investments in manufacturing, AI, biotechnology, and green technologies.
• The success of economies like South Korea and China demonstrates that private innovation, supported by public policy, can transform a developing economy into a high-tech manufacturing hub.

Aligning Private Capital with National Priorities

• India’s long-term growth will depend on how well private capital aligns with national economic objectives.
• The government has already built the foundation through infrastructure upgrades, fiscal discipline, and investment-friendly reforms. Now, the private sector must:

• Reinvest domestically in manufacturing and innovation instead of pursuing offshore acquisitions.
• Partner with public programs like the National Infrastructure Pipeline and green transition initiatives.
• Support regional development by investing in emerging states and tier-2 cities to decentralise economic growth.

• Public capital has carried India’s growth momentum so far, but for long-term sustainability, private capital must take the lead. By investing at home, Indian businesses can not only secure better returns but also help strengthen the country’s socio-economic foundation.

The Path Ahead

• India’s economy is at a crucial inflection point. With steady GDP growth above 7%, strong foreign reserves, and rising infrastructure investment, the country is well-positioned for an economic leap.
• However, to maintain this trajectory, domestic private investment must accelerate and complement public spending.
• Focusing on domestic markets will not only reduce vulnerability to external shocks but also enhance self-reliance, employment, and innovation.
• The private sector’s contribution to inclusive, sustainable growth will determine whether India’s economic rise remains resilient in an uncertain global environment.

Context:

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first official visit to India on October 8–9, 2025, reciprocating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to London earlier that year, signifies a major milestone in India–UK strategic and economic relations.
• The visit comes at a time of global geopolitical flux, trade disruptions, and shifting security alliances.

Strengthening Bilateral Economic Cooperation:

• Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA):
  • The centrepiece of the renewed partnership, CETA, aims to enhance bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually, targeting a total trade value of £90 billion ($120 billion) by 2030.
  • It promises major benefits for Indian sectors such as textiles, footwear, toys, marine products, engineering goods, and chemicals.
  • This comes as India faces US tariff hikes and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
• Global fintech collaboration: Both leaders will address the sixth Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, underlining collaboration between the London and Mumbai financial hubs, focusing on fintech innovation and financial linkages.

Geopolitical and Strategic Dimensions:

• Complementary strengths and shared vision:
  • The India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – Vision 2035 provides a 10-year roadmap focusing on trade, innovation, education, defence, health, and sustainable development.
  • Both nations collaborate on global initiatives such as the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
• Defence and security cooperation:
  • Ongoing bilateral defence consultations and joint exercises like Konkan 2025 exemplify growing military synergy.
  • The goal is to move towards co-development and co-production in defence manufacturing, strengthen cybersecurity cooperation, and enhance real-time intelligence sharing.
  • The UK’s Integrated Review 2023 and the Strategic Defence Review 2025 recognise India as a key global security partner and support India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Migration, Mobility and People-to-People Linkages:

• Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (2021): Full implementation remains incomplete, but once realised, it would facilitate professional movement, streamlined visas, and faster extradition processes.
• Indian diaspora in the UK:
  • A critical pillar of bilateral ties, the British Indian community own 65,000 companies in the UK and have the highest average earnings and highest employment levels (75%).
  • They are valued in every sector — business, industry, academia and science, politics, literature and the arts — acting as a bridge of goodwill between the two nations.

Challenges, Sensitivities and Way Forward:

• Challenges: Despite shared democratic values and mutual interests, vested interests and domestic political narratives occasionally attempt to derail the partnership through misinformation and political friction.
• Way Forward:
  • Sustaining momentum: Requires diplomatic sensitivity, policy consistency, and public diplomacy.
  • Fast-track CETA implementation: To realise trade and investment potential.
  • Deepen defence-industrial collaboration: Through technology transfers and joint production.
  • Migration and Mobility Partnership: Ensure full operationalisation.
  • Enhance cooperation in emerging domains: AI, green energy, and resilient infrastructure.
  • Leverage diaspora networks: For innovation, education, and entrepreneurship.

Conclusion:

• Keir Starmer’s India visit reaffirms the strategic depth and economic potential of the India–UK partnership amid global uncertainty.
• The Vision 2035 roadmap provides a clear framework for transforming ties from transactional to transformative.
• By focusing on mutual trust, inclusive growth, and global cooperation, both nations can shape a new era of partnership—anchored in shared values, resilient economies, and a collective vision for a secure, sustainable, and multipolar world order.

Context

• Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, has long been a cornerstone of India’s national philosophy, transcending economic strategy to embody a deeper sense of identity and resilience.
• From the earliest decades after independence to the present era of global uncertainty, India’s progress has been shaped by its capacity to draw strength from within.
• Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this vision has been revitalised as a defining principle of governance, guiding the nation toward greater independence across multiple sectors.
• Yet, as the global economic landscape evolves, India now faces a new frontier in its self-reliance journey: achieving financial independence by mobilising its own wealth to sustain its growth.

Historical Foundations of Self-Reliance and The New Frontier

• Historical Foundations of Self-Reliance
  • The pursuit of Atmanirbharta has repeatedly enabled India to transform crises into capabilities.
  • The Green Revolution of the 1960s secured food independence amid famine. The liberalisation and technological foresight of the 1990s positioned India as a global leader in information technology.
  • More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India demonstrated scientific and manufacturing self-reliance through the rapid development of indigenous vaccines.
  • Each episode underscores a recurring truth, that India’s greatest leaps have occurred when it turned inward for solutions.
  • Self-reliance has been not an isolationist impulse but a dynamic, adaptive strategy that converts adversity into advancement.
• The New Frontier: Financial Self-Reliance
  • Today, the challenge lies not in food or technology but in finance.
  • Since 2000, India has attracted over a trillion dollars in foreign direct investment, a testament to global confidence in its economy.
  • However, shifting global conditions, declining investment flows, rising costs of capital, and geopolitical fragmentation, have exposed the vulnerability of relying on external funds.
  • As the world retreats from globalisation, India must cultivate a financial model rooted in domestic strength.
  • This entails harnessing the wealth already held within the nation, enabling Bharat to fund Bharat.

Gold: A Hidden Reservoir of National Wealth

• Among India’s untapped resources, gold stands out as both a cultural and economic powerhouse.
• Indian households collectively own approximately 25,000 tonnes of gold, a reserve valued at $2.4 trillion, surpassing half of the nation’s GDP.
• Despite this abundance, India continues to import nearly 87% of its gold demand, making the metal a persistent contributor to the trade deficit.
• This paradox reflects an opportunity: to convert dormant household assets into active financial capital.
• However, any effort to monetise gold must respect its deep cultural roots.
• Coercive measures would undermine trust; instead, a voluntary, transparent, and technology-driven approach is essential.
• By drawing from international best practices, investing in assaying infrastructure, developing gold-based financial products, and digitising transactions, India can successfully integrate private gold reserves into the formal economy.

The Pathway to Gold Monetisation

• Infrastructure: Expanding hallmarking and purity-testing centres to ensure credibility and accessibility across India.
• Logistics: Nurturing partnerships between banks and certified collection centres to manage the physical and financial flows of gold securely.
• Digitalisation: Enabling citizens to monitor their metal balances through user-friendly platforms, thereby enhancing transparency.
• Above all, trust is the cornerstone. Policies must eliminate bureaucratic frictions, such as unnecessary taxes and customs scrutiny, and guarantee straightforward returns to depositors.
• If executed effectively, the cost of funds raised through gold monetisation could be lower than international borrowing rates, providing a sustainable, domestic source of capital for national development.

Conclusion

• India’s journey toward Atmanirbharta has always been marked by the transformation of challenges into triumphs.
• By developing trust, innovation, and collective participation, India can build an economy that not only grows but does so on its own terms.
• The vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat is thus both pragmatic and profound: a nation confident enough to fund its future from the wealth of its own people.

Why in news?

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first of this year’s awards, has been jointly given to Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell of the USA, and Shimon Sakaguchi of Japan, for their groundbreaking discoveries on the human immune system.

Their work represents two interconnected phases — Sakaguchi’s earlier research laid the foundation, while Brunkow and Ramsdell’s later findings complemented and completed it, together advancing understanding of immune regulation and tolerance.

The Medicine Prize traditionally opens the Nobel season, followed by those for Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economics.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• The Discovery: Key Cells That Prevent the Body from Attacking Itself
• The Immune System and the Discovery of Regulatory T Cells
• Shimon Sakaguchi’s Discovery of Regulatory T Cells
• Brunkow and Ramsdell Linked the FOXP3 Gene to Immune Regulation
• How the Nobel-Winning Discoveries Are Transforming Medicine

The Discovery: Key Cells That Prevent the Body from Attacking Itself

• The 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine laureates — Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi — were honoured for discovering the mechanism of peripheral immune tolerance.
• Their research revealed regulatory T cells, the body’s “immune security guards,” which prevent immune cells from attacking healthy tissues.
• This breakthrough has been crucial to understanding autoimmune diseases and developing targeted therapies for immune-related disorders and cancers.
  • For years, scientists were puzzled by how the immune system fights infections without harming the body’s own cells.
  • By the 1980s, they understood central tolerance, where self-reactive T cells are eliminated. But this couldn’t explain all immune regulation.
  • In 1995, Shimon Sakaguchi provided groundbreaking evidence for a special class of T cells, later called regulatory T cells, which act as “police” preventing other T cells from attacking healthy tissues.

The Immune System and the Discovery of Regulatory T Cells

• The immune system protects the body from thousands of microbes daily, distinguishing between harmful invaders and the body’s own healthy cells.
• When this identification fails, it leads to autoimmune diseases or organ transplant rejection.
• T cells are central to this defence: helper T cells detect threats, while killer T cells destroy them.
• Traditionally, scientists believed the thymus gland ensured immune tolerance by filtering out self-attacking T cells — a process called central tolerance.
• However, the 2025 Nobel laureates — Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi — discovered an additional layer of control.
• This control involved regulatory T cells, which act as immune system “security guards”, preventing other T cells from attacking the body’s own tissues.
• This breakthrough transformed the understanding of immune regulation and opened new paths for treating autoimmune and transplant-related disorders.

Shimon Sakaguchi’s Discovery of Regulatory T Cells

• In the mid-1990s, Shimon Sakaguchi challenged prevailing scientific views by proposing that certain specialised T cells act as “security guards” of the immune system, preventing excessive immune reactions.
• Through experiments on mice without a thymus, into which mature T cells were later injected, he identified a unique class of cells — now known as regulatory T cells — that suppress other T cells attacking the body’s own tissues.
• Although initially overlooked due to skepticism from earlier unconvincing studies, Sakaguchi’s insight later became a cornerstone of modern immunology, redefining how the body maintains self-tolerance.

Brunkow and Ramsdell Linked the FOXP3 Gene to Immune Regulation

• Working independently from Sakaguchi, Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell studied sick male mice and traced their condition to a mutation linked to a rare human autoimmune disorder called IPEX.
• Both the mouse disease and IPEX were caused by defects in the FOXP3 gene.
• Subsequent research confirmed that the FOXP3 gene is crucial for the development of regulatory T cells — the same immune “security guards” that Sakaguchi had discovered earlier.
• Together, their complementary findings explained how the immune system maintains self-tolerance and laid the scientific foundation for the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

How the Nobel-Winning Discoveries Are Transforming Medicine?

• The discoveries of regulatory T cells and the FOXP3 gene have revolutionised immune-regulation research, opening new therapeutic pathways for several major diseases.
• In cancer, scientists are exploring ways to block regulatory T cells that shield tumours from immune attacks, helping the body’s defences target cancer cells more effectively.
• In contrast, for autoimmune diseases, treatments aim to enhance regulatory T cell activity to suppress harmful immune responses that damage healthy tissues.
• These insights are also improving organ transplant success, helping prevent rejection by fine-tuning the immune system’s response.
• Overall, the discoveries have laid the groundwork for precision immunotherapy and targeted treatment innovations.

Why in news?

As Delhi braces for its annual winter air pollution spike, the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management has been reactivated. Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the DSS uses numerical models to identify and estimate daily contributions of different pollution sources — including vehicles, industries, dust, and farm fires — to particulate matter levels (PM2.5 and PM10).

It also projects how various emission-control measures could impact air quality. While recent rain and winds have temporarily kept pollution levels low, officials warn that cooler temperatures, shifting wind patterns, and increasing stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana are likely to worsen air quality in the coming weeks.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What’s Choking Delhi’s Air: Farm Fires or Traffic
• How the DSS Tracks and Forecasts Delhi’s Pollution
• DSS Accuracy Questioned Amid Outdated Emissions Data

What’s Choking Delhi’s Air: Farm Fires or Traffic?

• According to Decision Support System (DSS) data, farm fires have so far contributed minimally to Delhi’s pollution.
• On October 5, stubble burning accounted for only 0.22% of PM2.5 levels, and on October 6, it contributed nothing at all, based on VIIRS satellite data that track active fire counts.
  • VIIRS, or Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, is a set of instruments aboard polar-orbiting weather satellites that produce data streams that monitor changes in surface vegetation, including fires.
• Though paddy harvesting has started in Punjab, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) reported no residue burning events across six states on October 6, and only 210 fires since September 15 — far below previous years.
• At present, transport emissions are the biggest source of Delhi’s pollution.
• Other contributors include residential sources (4–5%) and industries (3–5%), underscoring that urban emissions, not farm fires, currently dominate Delhi’s air pollution.

How the DSS Tracks and Forecasts Delhi’s Pollution?

• The Decision Support System (DSS), developed by IITM Pune, operates on a 10-km horizontal grid to generate five-day forecasts and insights on Delhi’s air quality.
• It quantifies:
  • how emissions from Delhi and 19 neighbouring districts affect the city’s air;
  • the share of eight key emission sectors (like transport, industries, and households) in Delhi’s pollution;
  • the impact of biomass burning in nearby states; and
  • how emission-control measures could influence severe pollution events.
• The DSS also uses climatological fire and emission data to predict short-term pollution levels.
• However, it currently runs only during winter, limiting year-round tracking.
• The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has recommended continuous operation and advanced modelling to make it more effective.

DSS Accuracy Questioned Amid Outdated Emissions Data

• Experts have raised concerns over the accuracy of the DSS due to its reliance on a four-year-old emissions inventory from 2021, which affects the precision of source-wise pollution estimates.
• According to IITM officials, a new emissions inventory is being prepared to improve forecasting accuracy.
• Environmental researchers stressed that updated, real-time data are vital for implementing targeted pollution-control measures.
• Last year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had temporarily suspended the DSS over data reliability issues, but it remains the only active system providing source-wise pollution analysis for Delhi.
• IITM maintains that once the new dataset is integrated, the DSS’s estimates will become significantly more accurate and reliable.

Context:

• The U.K.’s proposed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill allows physician-assisted dying for mentally competent adults with less than six months to live, pending House of Lords approval. This marks a major ethical and legal step aligning with trends in several Western nations.
• In contrast, India recognizes only passive euthanasia through Supreme Court rulings, avoiding active euthanasia due to cultural sensitivities, institutional limitations, and socio-economic realities.
• This article highlights how India, while refraining from adopting active euthanasia like the U.K., must reform its passive euthanasia framework.
• It explores the ethical, legal, and procedural challenges that make current provisions inaccessible and proposes digital, institutional, and educational reforms to ensure dignity in dying while safeguarding against misuse.

India’s Ethical Conservatism on Euthanasia: Law in Principle, Barriers in Practice

• While passive euthanasia is legally recognised in India, stringent procedures—advance directives, dual medical boards, and occasional judicial oversight—render it practically inaccessible.
• Families often make end-of-life decisions informally, exposing doctors to legal risk and undermining the law’s humane intent.
• In contrast, the U.K.’s progressive model rests on robust healthcare and institutional safeguards.
• India’s fragmented system, coupled with social and religious sensitivities, makes active euthanasia risky, potentially coercing the vulnerable.
• Though Article 21 ensures the right to die with dignity, it does not extend to a right to be killed.
• Hence, India’s cautious stance reflects ethical prudence aligned with its socio-economic realities.

Strengthening India’s Passive Euthanasia Framework through Digital and Ethical Reforms

• Instead of moving toward active euthanasia, India should improve its passive euthanasia system by making it more humane, transparent, and efficient.
• Experts agree that the current process is overly complicated.
• A national digital portal linked with Aadhaar could allow patients to easily create, update, or revoke advance directives, with doctors verifying mental capacity and intent online.
• Hospital ethics committees—comprising senior doctors, a palliative care specialist, and an independent member—should be empowered to approve life-support withdrawal within 48 hours, while exceptional cases undergo higher review.
• Rather than relying on slow and ineffective ombudsman models, India could adopt a decentralised oversight mechanism using hospital-based digital dashboards and independent medical auditors.
• To prevent misuse, essential safeguards like a seven-day cooling-off period, psychological counselling, and palliative care reviews must be retained.
• Such reforms would balance compassion with caution and align India’s end-of-life care system with global best practices.

Ensuring Dignity in Dying: The Road Ahead for India

• India must extend its constitutional promise of dignity in life to dignity in dying by making passive euthanasia truly workable.
• Rather than adopting the U.K.’s active euthanasia model, India should focus on digital reforms, empowering hospital-based ethics committees, and creating efficient yet non-burdensome oversight mechanisms.
• These measures align with Indian values, protect against misuse, and give patients greater autonomy.
• Equally important is integrating end-of-life ethics and legal education into medical training, ensuring doctors are equipped to handle such sensitive decisions.
• Public awareness campaigns should also promote open discussion on advance care planning.
• Only through trust, awareness, and compassionate implementation can India make its end-of-life care system both humane and effective.

Conclusion

• India’s focus should remain on refining passive euthanasia through digital systems, ethical oversight, and awareness, ensuring end-of-life care is compassionate, accessible, and consistent with constitutional dignity.

Why in the News?

• The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the constitutional validity of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) under the Finance Act, 2004, following a petition alleging that the levy amounts to double taxation and violates fundamental rights.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About STT (Introduction, Objective, Rationale, Structure & Applicability, Impact, etc.)
• News Summary (About the Petition, Key Grounds of Challenge, Implications, etc.)

About Securities Transaction Tax (STT)

• STT is a direct tax levied on the purchase and sale of securities listed on recognised stock exchanges in India.
• Introduced through the Finance Act of 2004, STT was designed to simplify taxation on securities trading and curb tax evasion in the capital market.
• It is administered by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Ministry of Finance.

Objective and Rationale

• Before 2004, profits from stock market trading were taxed under capital gains, but tax evasion was rampant due to underreporting of transactions.
• STT was introduced to create a transparent and traceable mechanism for collecting taxes on market transactions.
• The idea was to impose a small, upfront tax at the point of transaction, ensuring tax compliance and generating consistent revenue for the government.
• Essentially, STT acts as a Transaction-Based Tax (TBT), collected automatically when a security is traded, making it difficult to evade.
• This has improved tax buoyancy from capital market activities and reduced speculative trading in the long term.

Structure and Applicability

• STT applies to transactions executed on recognised stock exchanges involving:

• Equity shares of listed companies.
• Derivatives, including futures and options.
• Equity-oriented mutual funds (purchase and sale of units).
• Equity-oriented ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds).

• The rates of STT vary depending on the type of transaction and whether it is a purchase or sale.
• STT is automatically deducted by the stock exchange and deposited into the government’s account, ensuring administrative simplicity and minimal scope for evasion.

Impact on Investors and Traders

• While STT has streamlined the taxation process and improved compliance, its impact varies across investor categories:

• Long-term investors view STT as manageable, given that it simplifies reporting and exempts them from certain documentation.
• High-frequency traders and day traders, however, argue that STT increases transaction costs and reduces profit margins, particularly for intraday or derivative trading where profit spreads are minimal.
• Unlike Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), STT is non-refundable, even if the trader incurs losses. This makes it punitive for loss-making transactions, as the tax applies to all trades, irrespective of profit or loss.

• Despite these concerns, STT has been a steady revenue contributor, generating over ₹30,000 crore annually for the central exchequer in recent years.

News Summary

• Recently, the Supreme Court of India decided to examine the constitutional validity of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) under the Finance Act, 2004.
• The Court issued a formal notice to the Union Government, specifically the Ministry of Finance, seeking its response to the petition.

Key Grounds of the Challenge

• Violates Fundamental Rights: The tax allegedly infringes on the fundamental rights to equality (Article 14), the right to trade or practice a profession (Article 19(1)(g)), and the right to livelihood and dignity (Article 21).
• Constitutes Double Taxation: The petitioner argues that market participants already pay Capital Gains Tax on profits from trading, and paying STT on the same transaction constitutes double taxation.
• Arbitrary and Unjustified: The plea highlights that STT is imposed irrespective of profit or loss. A trader operating at a loss must still pay STT, making it punitive in nature and equivalent to taxing the act of the profession itself.
• Lacks Refund Provisions: Unlike TDS, which is adjusted or refunded at the end of the financial year, STT offers no such provision for refund, even in the case of losses or no gains.
• The petition also pointed out that while STT was initially introduced as a deterrent to tax evasion, its continued imposition without adjustment mechanisms has led to unfair tax burdens on retail and professional traders alike.

Background and Judicial Context

• The STT has been in force since 2004 and has faced criticism from sections of market participants, though previous challenges were dismissed as policy matters.
• This fresh petition, however, brings constitutional arguments into focus, prompting the Supreme Court to scrutinise its fairness and proportionality under Article 265, which states that no tax shall be levied or collected except by authority of law.
• If the court finds merit in the arguments, it could potentially redefine the legal basis of transaction-based taxes in India.

Possible Implications

• A ruling against the tax could affect government revenue streams and compel a redesign of securities taxation.
• Alternatively, the Court could uphold STT but recommend procedural reforms, such as introducing refund or offset mechanisms similar to TDS.
• The verdict will likely set a precedent for how transactional taxes are treated under the constitutional framework of economic equality and fairness.

Why in News?

• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has amended Schedule-I of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.
• This is to ensure a minimum proportion of funds is allocated for water conservation and harvesting works across rural India.
• The amendment aims to address India’s deepening groundwater crisis and promote sustainable rural livelihoods.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background - Understanding Schedule-I of MGNREGA
• The Latest Amendment
• Likely Benefits of the Decision
• Significance for Rural India
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Background - Understanding Schedule-I of MGNREGA:

• MGNREGA provision: Every state government shall introduce a scheme to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed employment in a financial year to every rural household, based on demand.
• Schedule-I: Lists permissible public works and defines the scheme’s minimum features.
• Amendment power: While changes to the Act need Parliament’s approval, the Centre can amend the Schedule via notification (issued by the Ministry of Rural Development [MoRD]) — done nearly 24 times since 2005.

The Latest Amendment:

• The amendment inserts a new proviso mandating minimum expenditure on water-related works at the block level, depending on groundwater status.
• Earlier, 60% of district-level works (in terms of cost) had to create productive assets directly linked to agriculture and allied activities through development of land, water and trees.
• Now, the focus has shifted from district-level to block-level implementation.
• Proportion of expenditure on water works: Categories as per -
  • For over-exploited rural blocks (groundwater extraction>100%), minimum 65% of MNREGA funds for water-related works.
  • For critical rural blocks (90–100%) - 65%
  • For semi-critical (70–90%) - 40%
  • For safe (≤70%) - 30%
• Reference of (above) categorisation:
  • The Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB) Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment Report (2024) serves as the reference for categorisation.
  • As per CGWB’s report, there are total 6,746 blocks, out of which -
    • Over-exploited blocks are 751 (11.13%)
    • Critical: 206 (3.05%)
    • Semi-critical: 711 (10.54%)
    • Safe: 4,951 (73.39%)
    • Saline: 127 blocks

Likely Benefits of the Decision:

• Out of the Rs 86,000 crore allocated for MGNREGS in FY 2025–26, about Rs 35,000 crore is expected to be directed toward water-related works.
• The states with the highest number of over-exploited and critical blocks will gain the most funds - Rajasthan (214), Punjab (115), Tamil Nadu (106), Haryana (88), Uttar Pradesh (59).

Significance for Rural India:

• Encourages climate-resilient rural infrastructure.
• Aligns MGNREGA with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Atal Bhujal Yojana.
• Reduces groundwater stress through community-based interventions.
• Promotes employment generation in water management sectors.

Way Forward:

• Integrated planning: Convergence with schemes like PM Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) and watershed programmes.
• Capacity building: Training for Gram Sabhas and local engineers for scientific water management.
• Monitoring and transparency: Use of GIS mapping and real-time dashboards for implementation tracking.
• Sustainability focus: Promote recharge structures, afforestation, and soil-water conservation.

Conclusion:

• The amendment marks a strategic shift in India’s rural employment and water management framework.
• By linking MGNREGA works to groundwater sustainability, the government seeks to tackle one of India’s most pressing environmental challenges while strengthening rural livelihoods and climate resilience.
• Effective execution at the block and Gram Panchayat levels will be crucial for realising these objectives.

Context

• In societies seeking swift progress, the temptation to find a scapegoat for structural failures is strong and in contemporary India, this tendency has found its latest target in the judiciary.
• For many within the ruling establishment, the courts have become convenient symbols of inefficiency and obstruction, institutions that supposedly stand in the way of India’s ambitions to become a Viksit Bharat, or developed nation.
• Yet, this narrative, often repeated by influential policymakers, distorts the judiciary’s role within a constitutional democracy and misdiagnoses the deeper causes of India’s developmental challenges.

Blaming the Judiciary: A Convenient Narrative

• Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, recently described the judicial system as the single biggest hurdle to India’s progress.
• His claim, made at the Nyaya Nirman conference, is emblematic of a broader rhetoric that simplifies complex governance issues into a tale of judicial obstruction.
• While Sanyal’s call for introspection within the justice system is not entirely misplaced, his critique rests on sweeping generalisations that ignore the judiciary’s structural constraints and the government’s own complicity in creating them.

Flawed Criticisms and Misplaced Blame

• Sanyal’s argument falters at several points. For instance, his reference to the failure of pre-suit mediations under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 misattributes legislative inefficacy to judicial enforcement.
• The provision mandating mediation was not devised by the courts but enacted by Parliament; judges merely apply what legislators enact.
• Blaming the judiciary for the shortcomings of poorly drafted laws obscures the real issue: the persistent problem of imprecise and reactive law-making in India.
• Similarly, Sanyal’s so-called 99-to-1 problem, that regulations are overcomplicated to prevent misuse by a minority, misunderstands the source of legal complexity.
• The judiciary does not create this problem; rather, it inherits it from a legislative process prone to overregulation and vagueness.
• The courts often serve as the last line of defence when ambiguous laws collide with administrative arbitrariness.

The Government as the Largest Litigant and Myths About Workload and Vacations

• The Government as the Largest Litigant
  • The inefficiency of India’s justice system cannot be analysed in isolation from the behaviour of its largest litigant, the government itself.
  • Union and State authorities frequently clog court dockets with frivolous or avoidable litigation.
  • Ministries pursue appeals against routine orders, tax departments challenge minor decisions, and public enterprises engage in contractual disputes that could easily be resolved administratively.
  • Ordinary citizens, teachers, pensioners, and public servants, are compelled to litigate for basic entitlements that should be delivered as a matter of course.
  • The resulting backlog is less a failure of judicial lethargy than a reflection of bureaucratic irresponsibility and the absence of litigation discipline within government machinery.
• Myths About Workload and Vacations
  • Another popular misconception concerns the supposed indolence of judges. Critics often cite short court hours and long vacations as evidence of inefficiency.
  • This perception, however, ignores the invisible labour that underpins judicial work.
  • Judges routinely hear between 50 to 100 cases a day, requiring extensive preparation, research, and deliberation outside formal court hours.
  • Vacations, far from being leisure periods, often serve as time to write reserved judgments and manage pending caseloads.
  • Considering the crushing volume of cases and persistent vacancies, Indian judges work under some of the most demanding conditions in the world.

Broader Problems Faced by Indian Judiciary

• Structural Flaws in Law-Making
  • Much of the burden on the judiciary arises not from inefficiency but from legislative and administrative incoherence.
  • Recent criminal law reforms, which merely rebranded colonial-era codes as sanhitas without substantive innovation, exemplify the government’s penchant for cosmetic change.
  • Likewise, the proposed Income-Tax Act of 2025, marketed as a simplification effort, merely substitutes one set of technical ambiguities for another.
  • Replacing legally entrenched terms like notwithstanding with irrespective may appear modern, but it generates fresh uncertainty and invites new rounds of litigation.
  • Such instances reveal that the roots of legal confusion lie in imprecise drafting, not in judicial interpretation.
• The Real Crisis: Under-Resourced Courts
  • Acknowledging the judiciary’s limitations is essential, but criticism must be grounded in reality.
  • Judicial delays are undeniable, yet they stem from chronic underfunding, outdated infrastructure, and inadequate staffing, issues squarely within the executive’s control.
  • Vacancies in the lower judiciary, where most citizens encounter the justice system, remain alarmingly high.
  • These courts bear the brunt of procedural inefficiency, operating with minimal resources while shouldering an overwhelming share of India’s litigation load. Reform, therefore, must begin with capacity building, not vilification.

Conclusion

• The narrative that India’s judiciary is the single biggest hurdle to development is both misleading and dangerous.
• It diverts attention from the deeper structural flaws in governance, legislation, and administration.
• The courts are imperfect, yes, but they mirror rather than create the inefficiencies that plague India’s institutions.

Why in the News?

• The government has renewed its focus on strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration, and Lok Adalats to address India’s growing judicial backlog and promote faster, cost-effective justice delivery.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About ADR (Introduction, Concept & Constitutional Basis, Lok Adalats, Mediation, etc.)

Introduction

• India’s justice delivery system faces an unprecedented backlog, with more than 4.5 crore cases pending across various courts, as per the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
• This rising pendency has raised serious concerns about accessibility, timeliness, and efficiency of justice.
• In response, the government has been emphasising the strengthening of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, such as arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and Lok Adalats, as a means to promote faster, cost-effective, and socially inclusive justice delivery.
• Recently, the Union Law Ministry reiterated the government’s focus on legal reforms rooted in India’s civilisational ethos, drawing inspiration from the doctrine of Panch Parmeshwar, which embodies collective consensus in dispute resolution.
• The revival of ADR mechanisms thus signifies a blend of traditional wisdom and modern legal frameworks to ease the burden on India’s overworked judiciary.

The Concept and Constitutional Basis of ADR

• ADR refers to a range of mechanisms that enable disputing parties to resolve conflicts outside formal court systems. It includes arbitration, mediation, conciliation, negotiation, and Lok Adalats.
• The constitutional foundation of ADR is enshrined in Article 39A of the Indian Constitution, which mandates the State to ensure equal access to justice and provide free legal aid.
• The statutory backing for ADR is found in Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), 1908, which explicitly empowers courts to refer disputes for settlement through arbitration, mediation, or Lok Adalats.
• The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, amended several times, most recently in 2021, further strengthens ADR by providing a legal framework for arbitration and conciliation proceedings.
• Under this law, civil and compoundable offences (such as theft, trespass, or adultery) can be resolved through binding awards within a maximum period of 180 days, ensuring time-bound justice.
• The Indian Arbitration Council, created under the 2021 amendment, standardises processes and enhances institutional arbitration quality.

About Lok Adalats

• One of the most effective ADR mechanisms in India is the Lok Adalat, established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Guided by the principle of access to justice for all, Lok Adalats provide free, informal, and speedy resolution of disputes, particularly for economically weaker sections.
• The first Lok Adalat was held in Gujarat in 1999, and since then, several forms have emerged, Permanent Lok Adalat, National Lok Adalat, and e-Lok Adalat, to expand reach and efficiency.
• A key feature of Lok Adalat judgments is their finality; decisions are binding, and no appeal lies against them.
• However, dissatisfied parties retain the right to approach regular courts, ensuring checks against arbitrariness.
• These forums help settle disputes before litigation, thereby preventing case inflow into regular courts and easing judicial workloads.

Mediation as a Tool for Social Transformation

• According to former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, mediation is not merely a legal tool but a platform for social change.
• It aligns social norms with constitutional values, allowing individuals and communities to resolve disputes through mutual understanding rather than adversarial litigation.
• Mediation’s key advantage lies in its flexibility and interpersonal approach. It allows parties to communicate directly, maintain relationships, and reach mutually acceptable solutions.
• The recent institutionalisation of pre-litigation mediation under the Mediation Act, 2023, has further expanded ADR’s reach by making it mandatory for certain civil and commercial disputes.
• This approach not only reduces pendency but also fosters community harmony and social cohesion.

The State of India’s Judicial Backlog

• The India Justice Report (2024) paints a worrying picture of India’s judicial backlog. With over 5 crore cases pending, courts are under severe stress, especially at the district level, where vacancy rates exceed 20%.
• High Courts face a 33% judge vacancy, and many States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh have some of the highest pendency levels.
• Judges in States such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala reportedly handle workloads of over 4,000 cases each, making timely disposal nearly impossible.
• In several High Courts and subordinate courts, a significant number of cases have been pending for over 10 years.
• This structural imbalance between case inflow and disposal rate underscores the urgent need for robust ADR mechanisms to divert manageable disputes from the formal court system.

Importance of Strengthening ADR

• Strengthening ADR offers three-fold benefits to India’s justice system:

• Reducing Pendency and Delays: ADR diverts civil and commercial disputes away from the courts, allowing judges to focus on complex and high-stakes cases.
• Promoting Access and Inclusivity: Mechanisms like Lok Adalats and community mediation bring justice closer to citizens, especially in rural and marginalised areas.
• Enhancing Global Confidence: Efficient ADR frameworks can boost India’s global image as an investor-friendly destination by ensuring quicker commercial dispute resolution.

Why in News?

• The Union Health Ministry has intensified regulatory measures following reports of adulterated cough syrup leading to child deaths in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• The move underscores India’s efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical quality standards under the revised Schedule M norms of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Key Developments
• Revised Schedule M Norms
• Government’s Directives
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Key Developments:

• Trigger event:
  • Over 10 children died in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after consuming cough syrups.
  • Investigations ruled out infectious diseases, and out of 10 samples tested, one—Coldrif cough syrup—was found with diethylene glycol (DEG) beyond permissible limits.
• Regulatory action taken:
  • Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department ordered an immediate stop to production of Coldrif.
  • Inspection by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended cancellation of the manufacturing license.
  • Criminal proceedings initiated against the concerned unit in Kancheepuram.

Revised Schedule M Norms:

• About Schedule M: Schedule M defines the minimum standards for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for pharmaceutical products in India under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules, 1945, aligning with international standards.
• Revised norms:
  • Notified in (Jan) 2024, the revised norms introduce a comprehensive Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS), Quality Risk Management (QRM), and Product Quality Review (PQR).
  • Key updates also cover mandatory computerised storage systems, equipment and process validation, more specific rules for hazardous drug products, etc.
  • It aims to improve product quality, safety, and international harmonisation, with phased implementation timelines based on manufacturer turnover.
• Implementation deadline: December 31, 2025.

Government’s Directives:

• Strict compliance: Licenses of non-compliant drug manufacturers will be cancelled.
• Enhanced surveillance: All States/UTs to ensure timely reporting of adverse drug reactions and deaths.
• Integrated monitoring: Use of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) for community-level reporting.
• Rational use of cough syrups: Awareness promoted among doctors and parents, especially for children, since most coughs are self-limiting.
• Inter-state coordination: Strengthened cooperation for early detection and joint action.

Way Forward:

• Strengthening drug regulation: Ensure uniform enforcement of Schedule M norms across States.
• Capacity building: Training drug inspectors, upgrading labs, and digital monitoring systems.
• Industry compliance: Support pharmaceutical units in infrastructure upgrade for GMP compliance.
• Public awareness: Promote safe drug usage and discourage irrational consumption of cough syrups.
• International image: Restoring trust in Indian pharma exports by aligning with WHO standards.

Conclusion:

• The Coldrif incident highlights recurring lapses in drug quality monitoring in India.
• The Union Health Ministry’s push for strict compliance under revised Schedule M is a crucial step to safeguard public health, particularly children.
• A coordinated approach will be essential to prevent future tragedies and strengthen India’s pharmaceutical reputation globally.

Context

• India, one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world, faces a growing spectrum of climate-related threats, from heatwaves and extreme rainfall to cyclones, floods, and landslides.
• Over the past decade, India has significantly expanded its disaster risk reduction (DRR) framework, guided by the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (2016) and operationalised through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• This evolution reflects a strategic shift from a reactive, post-disaster focus toward a holistic system encompassing prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and resilience building.

A Paradigm Shift in Financing Disaster Risk Reduction

• A landmark development in India’s DRR framework came with the 15th Finance Commission’s 2021–26 recommendations, which integrated financial planning with technological and institutional innovations.
• The Commission allocated ₹2.28 lakh crore ($30 billion) over five years, marking a decisive shift from post-disaster relief toward a balanced approach covering the entire disaster management cycle.
• The allocation model was carefully structured: 30% for preparedness and mitigation, divided into 10% for capacity building and 20% for mitigation measures, and 70% for post-disaster response and reconstruction.
• This represented a significant institutional recognition that long-term resilience requires investment not just in recovery, but in risk prevention and systemic strengthening.

Building a Process Chain for Nature-Based DRR

• To implement this framework effectively, the government established a budget-to-project process chain with five priority areas:
  • Evaluating and prioritising India’s multi-hazard challenges;
  • Integrating scientific mitigation and reconstruction concepts into public finance;
  • Avoiding duplication with existing programmes;
  • Strengthening inter-ministerial and Centre-State coordination; and
  • Developing light-touch regulatory mechanisms for efficiency.
• By the final year of the Commission’s award period, clear procedures, standards, and appraisal systems were in place.

Strengthening Preparedness and Capacity Building

• At the heart of the pre-disaster phase lies India’s investment in preparedness and capacity development.
• A major portion of this funding, ₹5,000 crore, has been devoted to modernising fire safety systems.
• Meanwhile, two massive volunteer groups, Apda Mitra and Yuva Apda Mitra, comprising 2.5 lakh trained individuals, have been established to enhance community-level response capacity.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has also expanded its role, introducing geo-spatial training labs, faculty-led research, and a standardised 36-stream course on disaster management.
• These initiatives aim to mainstream disaster education down to the panchayat level, ensuring that preparedness becomes an integral part of local governance.

Mitigation through Nature-Based and Technological Innovations

• India’s mitigation strategy now increasingly relies on nature-based solutions (NbS) and scientific interventions to address the long-term effects of climate change.
• Projects worth ₹10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) are being implemented across states, following the successful National Cyclone Mitigation Programme (2011–2022), which reduced coastal vulnerability through cyclone shelters, embankments, and early warning systems.
• The NDMA’s ongoing mitigation agenda emphasises:
  • Revitalising water bodies and green spaces to reduce urban flooding;
  • Using remote sensing and automated weather stations for glacial lake monitoring;
  • Applying bio-engineering solutions for slope stabilisation in landslide-prone regions;
  • Rejuvenating “beels” (natural water bodies) along the Brahmaputra; and
  • Creating fire breaks and reviving water systems to prevent forest fires.
• These measures collectively signal a move toward ecosystem-based disaster risk management, which strengthens both environmental sustainability and community resilience.

Enhancing Early Warning and Community Awareness

• India’s advancements in early warning systems have significantly reduced disaster-related casualties.
• The Common Alerting Protocol, which issues regionally tailored multimedia alerts, exemplifies the country’s progress in inclusive communication.
• Furthermore, educational initiatives, mock drills, school safety programmes, and public servant training through institutions like the NDRF Academy, National Fire Service College, and NIDM, ensure that awareness and preparedness penetrate all levels of society.

International Leadership and Cooperation

• India’s DRR strategy also extends to the global stage.
• As the founder of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and an active leader in platforms such as the G20, SCO, BIMSTEC, and IORA, India not only learns from international best practices but also contributes its own innovations.
• These collaborations demonstrate India’s ambition to be a knowledge hub for climate resilience, leveraging both public and private expertise to de-risk its complex hazard landscape.

Conclusion

• India’s evolving approach to disaster management represents a transition from reactive relief to proactive resilience.
• By aligning fiscal policy with science, community engagement, and ecosystem restoration, the nation is building a sustainable, locally grounded, and globally connected DRR framework.
• As climate change intensifies, India’s comprehensive model, combining policy, technology, and nature-based innovation, offers not only protection for its citizens but also a template for other developing nations facing similar challenges.

Context

• As the world’s most populous nation and one of its youngest, India possesses an unprecedented opportunity to harness its demographic dividend.
• Estimates by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) project that India will add around 133 million individuals to its working-age population over the next quarter century, constituting nearly 18% of the incremental global workforce.
• However, this window of advantage is finite; the working-age population is expected to peak around 2043.
• To convert this potential into sustained economic growth, India must prioritise employment generation through coherent, long-term policy frameworks that promote inclusion, productivity, and resilience.

Employment Generation as the Foundation of Inclusive Growth

• Employment creation is not merely an economic necessity but also a moral and social imperative.
• Quality jobs have the power to lift millions out of poverty, narrow regional and social disparities, and democratise the benefits of growth.
• In a consumption-driven economy like India’s, robust employment serves a dual role: it strengthens aggregate demand and enhances macroeconomic stability.
• Employment, therefore, is both an outcome and a driver of economic progress.
• Yet, despite numerous government schemes, ranging from skill development to social security, India lacks a unified, national employment framework.
• Current approaches remain fragmented and reactive, often addressing symptoms rather than structural causes.

Proposed Policy Framework

• Towards an Integrated National Employment Policy
  • An Integrated National Employment Policy (INEP) would consolidate existing programs, coordinate between the Centre and States, and align employment objectives with industrial, trade, education, and labour policies.
  • The proposed governance model is multi-layered: an Empowered Group of Secretaries would oversee implementation, while District Planning Committees would address local labour market realities.
  • The INEP would set time-bound targets and identify high-employment-potential sectors, ensuring that skilling and educational reforms keep pace with technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics.
• Sectoral Focus: Engines of Employment Growth
  • To translate policy into tangible outcomes, there is a need for several labour-intensive sectors that can drive large-scale job creation: textiles, tourism, agro-processing, real estate, and healthcare.
  • The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, already employing over 250 million people, emerges as a linchpin in this strategy.
  • Comprehensive support for MSMEs, including access to finance, technology, and markets, can develop growth with jobs.
  • Simultaneously, the gig economy as an emerging frontier of employment.
  • With current participation between 8–18 million workers and projections of 90 million by 2030, the gig sector could become a cornerstone of India’s labour market if appropriately regulated.
• Enhancing Job Quality and Inclusion
  • Employment quantity must be matched by quality; Better wages, safer working conditions, and reliable social security are prerequisites for sustainable livelihoods.
  • Affordable housing near industrial zones, for example, can improve worker mobility and productivity.
  • Furthermore, regional balance in employment can be achieved by targeting underdeveloped districts, promoting rural internships, and expanding remote work opportunities in smaller towns.
  • Particular emphasis is placed on increasing female labour force participation, which remains a persistent challenge.
  • There is urgent need for a multi-pronged approach: incentivising women’s employment through the Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, formalising community health and childcare roles such as Anganwadi and ASHA workers, and investing in childcare and eldercare infrastructure.
  • Beyond policy, societal attitudes that constrain women’s economic participation must be actively addressed through awareness and behavioural change campaigns.

The Data Imperative

• The absence of reliable statistics impedes effective policymaking and evaluation.
• To address this issue, the government should establish a dedicated task force to improve data methodologies, extend coverage to the informal and rural workforce, and minimise time lags between data collection and publication.
• Data transparency is not merely as a technical issue but as a foundation for accountability and responsive governance.

Conclusion

• Employment generation is not an isolated policy challenge but the central pillar upon which equitable and resilient growth rests.
• If India can successfully integrate employment priorities across economic, educational, and technological domains, it will not only harness its demographic dividend but also redefine its global competitiveness.
• India needs a comprehensive blueprint for transforming India’s employment landscape, anchored in long-term policy coherence, sectoral dynamism, social inclusion, and evidence-based governance.

Why in news?

Six major private sector companies — Reliance Industries, Tata Power, Adani Power, Hindalco Industries, JSW Energy, and Jindal Steel & Power — have formally expressed interest in setting up small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) projects under the ‘Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMRs)’ initiative by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

Around 16 sites across six states — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh — have been identified for these projects. The SMRs will be built and operated under NPCIL’s supervision, with the public sector retaining operational control and ownership, while private firms receive beneficial rights over the generated electricity for captive use.

The private partners will fully finance the projects, including capital and lifecycle costs, and reimburse NPCIL for its role in project execution and decommissioning. In exchange, they will secure long-term, reliable power supply for their energy-intensive industrial operations.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• SMRs – The Future of Compact Nuclear Power
• Global Momentum and Technological Interest
• Nuclear Power for the AI and Data Revolution
• Commercial Viability and Ongoing Challenges
• India’s SMR Ambitions: A New Chapter in Nuclear Innovation
• India’s SMR Technology Mix: Balancing Innovation and Self-Reliance
• Legislative Reforms to Unlock India’s Nuclear Sector

SMRs – The Future of Compact Nuclear Power

• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), typically ranging from 30 MWe to 300 MWe per unit, are emerging as a promising solution to make nuclear power commercially competitive amid growing delays in large-scale nuclear projects worldwide.
• With roughly one-third the capacity of conventional reactors, SMRs can still generate substantial low-carbon electricity, making them ideal for energy-intensive industries such as steel, aluminium, and cement.
• They also offer the flexibility to be installed at decommissioned thermal power plant sites, helping India reuse existing infrastructure while advancing its clean energy goals.

Global Momentum and Technological Interest

• The global SMR ecosystem is steadily expanding, with two operational projects so far:
  • Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit (two 35 MWe modules, operational since May 2020) and
  • China’s HTR-PM demonstration project, grid-connected in December 2021 and commercially operational by December 2023.
• Leading international players such as Holtec International (USA), Rolls-Royce SMR (UK), NuScale’s VOYGR SMR, Westinghouse Electric’s AP300, and GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300 are actively developing and marketing SMR technologies.

Nuclear Power for the AI and Data Revolution

• Globally, technology giants including Google and Microsoft are exploring nuclear power, including SMRs, to meet the massive and round-the-clock electricity demands of data centres driving the AI boom.
• While renewables remain their primary energy choice, intermittency issues—such as the lack of sunlight or wind—and insufficient grid-scale storage have limited scalability.
• SMRs, offering clean, reliable, and continuous power, could bridge this critical gap, complementing renewables in future power grids.

Commercial Viability and Ongoing Challenges

• Despite their potential, SMRs remain largely unproven commercially, with high costs, complex regulatory hurdles, and public concerns over nuclear safety posing challenges to widespread adoption.
• Questions persist over whether these compact reactors can achieve economies of scale or attract sustained private investment.
• Yet, India’s recent policy shift—allowing private participation under NPCIL supervision in its proposed ‘Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR)’ initiative—signals a significant step toward harnessing SMRs’ promise while cautiously managing associated risks.

India’s SMR Ambitions: A New Chapter in Nuclear Innovation

• BSMR project marks India’s strategic move to enter the manufacturing and innovation value chain of small modular reactors (SMRs).
• India aims to leverage SMRs not only to advance its clean energy transition but also to position itself as a global technology leader, using nuclear innovation as a pillar of its foreign policy and industrial diplomacy.
• New Delhi envisions SMRs as a technology of promise capable of driving industrial decarbonisation while offering baseload power essential for grid stability.
• Technological Limitations and the PHWR Challenge
  • Despite India’s proven capability in building small 220 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), its existing reactor technology is increasingly seen as outdated.
  • The PHWR design, based on natural uranium and heavy water, contrasts with the Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) systems that now dominate global nuclear power.
    • These PWRs, which use light water as both coolant and moderator, have become the international standard for efficiency, safety, and scalability.
  • This technological gap underscores the need for India to upgrade its nuclear reactor designs to remain globally competitive and fully harness the promise of SMRs.

India’s SMR Technology Mix: Balancing Innovation and Self-Reliance

• To address its technological limitations and align with global standards, India is developing a diverse mix of small modular reactor (SMR) designs under the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
• The lineup includes three prototypes — the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR, 200 MWe), the Bharat Small Reactor (BSR, 220 MWe), and a smaller SMR-55 (55 MWe) unit.
  • The BSR continues India’s legacy of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology.
  • However, both the BSMR and SMR-55 are based on Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) or light-water designs, aligning India’s nuclear technology with the global mainstream.
• SMR in Union Budget 2025–26
  • A major announcement in the Union Budget 2025–26 was the launch of a Nuclear Energy Mission dedicated to advancing R&D of SMRs.
  • The government has earmarked ₹20,000 crore for this initiative, with the goal of developing and commissioning at least five indigenously designed SMRs by 2033.

Why in news?

During Vijaya Dashami celebrations at the Bhuj Military Station in Gujarat, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a strong warning to Pakistan, stating that “any misadventure in the Sir Creek sector will invite a decisive response.”

Referring to the strategic location, he remarked that “the road to Karachi passes through the Creek,” signalling India’s readiness to counter any provocation.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• The Sir Creek Dispute: A Legacy of Colonial-Era Boundaries
• Why Sir Creek Matters: Strategic and Economic Stakes for India and Pakistan

The Sir Creek Dispute: A Legacy of Colonial-Era Boundaries

• Sir Creek is a narrow, less than 100 km-long tidal estuary located between Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch (India) and Sindh (Pakistan).
• It forms the westernmost border between the two countries, but control over it remains unresolved due to conflicting interpretations of maritime boundaries.
• 
• Colonial Roots of the Dispute
  • The origins of the dispute trace back to pre-Independence India, when the Maharaja of Kutch ruled the region.
  • Differing interpretations of colonial-era maps and agreements led to overlapping territorial claims after Partition, sowing the seeds of the present conflict.
  • India claims that the boundary should lie along the mid-channel of Sir Creek, effectively dividing the creek and adjacent marshlands equally.
    • This claim is supported by a 1925 map and the Thalweg principle, which defines the border along the deepest navigable channel of a waterway.
  • Pakistan, however, cites a 1914 resolution between the Rao of Kutch and the Sindh government, asserting that the eastern bank of the creek marks the boundary—giving it greater access toward Gujarat’s coastal region.
  • Pakistan also disputes India’s reliance on the Thalweg principle, arguing that Sir Creek is non-navigable and hence exempt from that rule.
• An Unresolved Boundary
  • Despite multiple rounds of talks, the Sir Creek dispute remains unsettled, largely because resolving it would directly influence the maritime boundary and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) claims in the Arabian Sea.

Why Sir Creek Matters: Strategic and Economic Stakes for India and Pakistan

• Though small in size, Sir Creek lies at the heart of an unresolved border dispute between India and Pakistan.
• Its strategic location and economic potential make it vital for both nations, preventing a lasting settlement despite decades of dialogue.
• Strategic Importance: A Gateway to Karachi and Beyond
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underscored Sir Creek’s strategic value, calling it critical to Pakistan’s defence of Karachi, the country’s economic and naval hub.
  • Following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has strengthened its military presence in the region by constructing bunkers, radars, and forward bases capable of launching drones and infantry operations.
  • India has responded by maintaining a strong defensive deployment to deter any misadventure.
  • Beyond military concerns, Sir Creek poses a terrorism risk — the 2008 Mumbai attacks exposed vulnerabilities in coastal surveillance, as the attackers infiltrated India via sea routes from Pakistan.
• Economic Importance: Energy, Fishing, and Maritime Rights
  • Sir Creek’s economic value further complicates the dispute.
  • The region is believed to contain untapped oil and gas reserves, which could be crucial for both economies.
  • For India, currently diversifying away from Russian oil, such reserves represent a strategic energy alternative.
  • The creek also supports rich fishing grounds, sustaining communities in Gujarat and Sindh.
  • However, the absence of a defined boundary leads to frequent arrests of fishermen who unintentionally cross into each other’s waters, creating humanitarian and diplomatic tensions.
• Impact on Maritime Claims
  • The definition of the Sir Creek boundary directly affects the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of both nations in the Arabian Sea.
  • EEZs, extending 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a country’s coast, determine control over marine resources and seabed minerals.
  • Hence, settling the Sir Creek dispute is not merely a territorial issue—it is key to defining sovereign maritime rights and accessing significant energy and resource wealth in the northern Arabian Sea.

Why in news?

Recently, a tragic crowd crush at a political rally by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district claimed 41 lives.

Following the incident, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the formation of a one-member commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to investigate the causes of the disaster.

The Chief Minister also stated that new regulations for managing public gatherings would be framed after the commission submits its report.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India’s Evolving Framework for Crowd Management
• State-Level Measures for Crowd Management in India
• Scientific Approach to Crowd Control

India’s Evolving Framework for Crowd Management

• India has strengthened its crowd management mechanisms through updated national guidelines and institutional training.
• In June 2025, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) issued Comprehensive Guidelines on Crowd Control and Mass Gathering Management, focusing on scientific and preventive strategies for police and law enforcement agencies.
• Similarly, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) continues to implement its 2020 framework, which recommends advance risk assessment, detailed site layouts, pre-defined entry and exit routes, real-time monitoring, and clear communication systems.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has also introduced specialised training modules on managing large gatherings as part of its capacity-building initiatives.
• Following the February 2025 crowd crush at a New Delhi railway station, the Indian Railways updated safety manuals at around 60 major stations, adding provisions such as holding areas, dispersal zones, and crowd monitoring systems.
• However, these measures remain largely advisory rather than legally binding, leaving implementation inconsistent across states and agencies.

State-Level Measures for Crowd Management in India

• Several States have begun enacting specific laws to manage large gatherings following recent crowd disasters.
• After the June 2025 stampede at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Karnataka government introduced the Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025.
• This law covers political, cultural, and religious events, assigning accountability to organisers and empowering district magistrates to cancel or redirect events, regulate loudspeakers, and impose fines or imprisonment for violations.
• Similarly, Uttar Pradesh’s State Disaster Management Authority issued the Guidelines for Managing Crowd at Events of Mass Gathering, 2023, institutionalising measures for religious and cultural congregations.
• Institutional and Training Initiatives
  • The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management has developed training materials offering technical guidance on calculating venue capacity, exit planning, volunteer coordination, and fire and first aid preparedness.
  • Following a July 2025 stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple, the Uttarakhand government mandated updated safety protocols at major temples and ordered the removal of encroachments near shrines to improve crowd movement and emergency access.
• Event-Specific and Local Protocols
  • The Maharashtra government introduced a Bill empowering the Nasik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority to establish temporary townships and bypass certain urban planning norms to accommodate large gatherings.
  • In addition, local enforcement agencies have circulated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve inter-departmental coordination, medical preparedness, and fire safety.
  • For instance, after the Bengaluru incident, Karnataka Police issued a detailed SOP for managing crowds at public events.
• Administrative Measures and Challenges
  • Across various districts, police authorities have directed organisers of major religious and political events to submit crowd management plans, limit attendance, set up barricades, deploy medical teams, and divert traffic.
  • However, most of these directions remain administrative orders rather than statutory mandates, often issued reactively after specific tragedies — such as the Haridwar, Karur, Bengaluru, and Prayagraj incidents.
  • The absence of uniform legal backing continues to hinder consistent enforcement of crowd safety protocols across States.

Scientific Approach to Crowd Control

• Scientific crowd control focuses on regulating crowd density and movement patterns to prevent crushes and stampedes.
• Studies show that danger increases sharply when density exceeds five persons per square metre.
• To prevent this, organisers should avoid bottlenecks, slopes, and counter-flows, which create pressure buildups and destabilise movement.
• The use of drones and ground-linked computer systems for real-time density monitoring is considered a best practice — and failing to deploy such technologies is seen as a major safety gap.
• Safety Practices for Individuals
  • In dense or moving crowds, individuals should move diagonally toward less crowded edges instead of pushing against the flow.
  • Since most deaths result from compressive asphyxia rather than trampling, people are advised to keep forearms across the chest to protect breathing space and maintain balance with staggered footing.
  • If knocked down, rolling to the side, shielding the head and neck, and standing up quickly can help avoid further injury.
  • People should also stay away from rigid barriers like fences and walls where pressure can build dangerously, and avoid stopping to retrieve dropped items or take videos, as even short pauses can trigger turbulence in the crowd.
• Organisational Best Practices
  • Event organisers should ensure continuous monitoring by trained crowd managers, establish one-way movement routes, provide multiple exits, and display clear signage for crowd direction.
  • Public address systems must be used to relay safety instructions, and on-site medical facilities should be available for quick response to emergencies.
  • Together, these measures form the scientific foundation of effective and safe crowd management at mass gatherings.

Why in news?

After more than five years, India and mainland China are set to restart direct flights by the end of October 2025. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that both nations have agreed to resume air services under the upcoming winter schedule, which begins on October 26.

The resumption will depend on the commercial readiness of designated airlines and compliance with operational requirements, marking a key step toward restoring normal connectivity disrupted since 2020.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India-China Flights Set for Revival Amid Diplomatic Thaw
• India-China Direct Flights: From Suspension to Resumption
• Direct Flights to Boost Connectivity and Competition
• Chinese Airlines Held Majority of Pre-Pandemic India-China Traffic

India-China Flights Set for Revival Amid Diplomatic Thaw

• The resumption of direct air connectivity between India and China comes amid improving bilateral ties, even as India’s relations with the US face minor strains.
• Following the MEA’s announcement, IndiGo became the first airline to confirm operations, with daily Kolkata–Guangzhou flights starting October 26.
• The carrier also plans future routes from Delhi, while Air India is preparing to launch Delhi–Shanghai flights by year-end.
• Chinese airlines, which dominated the route before the pandemic, are expected to re-enter the Indian market soon.
• The absence of direct flights since 2020 has led to inflated airfares and long travel times, as passengers relied on transit hubs in Southeast Asia.
• With direct routes returning, airlines anticipate strong demand — especially from business and trade travelers — and expect to regain significant passenger traffic previously diverted to foreign carriers.

India-China Direct Flights: From Suspension to Resumption

• Direct air connectivity between India and China was suspended at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted international travel worldwide.
• However, while other countries gradually restored air routes, flights between India and China remained grounded due to deteriorating bilateral ties following the 2020 Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff.
• India’s reluctance to resume direct services stemmed from ongoing border tensions and diplomatic friction, even as China consistently pressed for their reinstatement.
• Early Signs of Thaw and Diplomatic Engagements
  • With bilateral relations showing signs of improvement in 2024–25, the two sides began to explore ways to normalise travel.
  • The first major breakthrough came during Foreign Secretary’s visit to Beijing in January 2025, where both nations agreed “in principle” to resume direct flights.
  • This momentum continued in August, when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi led to an agreement to restart air services “at the earliest” and ease visa procedures for tourists, businesspersons, journalists, and other travellers.
• Ongoing Negotiations Through 2024
  • Throughout 2024, the issue of flight resumption featured in multiple rounds of discussions between Indian and Chinese foreign and aviation officials.
  • Despite limited progress, both sides continued engagement.
• Final Diplomatic Push in Late 2024
  • Momentum built toward the end of 2024, when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi met in Rio de Janeiro on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
  • Their discussions followed a key breakthrough — a border patrolling arrangement, signalling de-escalation along the LAC.
  • Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met at the BRICS Summit in Russia, effectively paving the way for direct flight resumption — a symbolic and practical step toward normalising India-China ties.

Direct Flights to Boost Connectivity and Competition

• Both Indian and Chinese airlines are poised to benefit significantly from the resumption of direct air connectivity between the two countries after a five-year hiatus.
• Before the pandemic, direct flights accounted for over 45% of all India-China passenger traffic — a market both sides now aim to reclaim and expand.
• The suspension of direct routes, combined with strict visa norms, had forced passengers to rely on connecting flights through hubs in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.
• As a result, airlines from these regions captured the market, with Hong Kong remaining the top transit point due to its separate visa regime.
• Currently, India-China passenger traffic stands at less than half of 2019 levels, but demand remains robust, especially for business and trade-related travel.
• With the return of direct flights, passengers will benefit from greater convenience, reduced travel time, and lower fares as competition intensifies among Indian, Chinese, and third-country carriers.
• The renewed connectivity is expected to not only revitalise air travel but also strengthen bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Chinese Airlines Held Majority of Pre-Pandemic India-China Traffic

• Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese carriers dominated direct air traffic between India and China, operating nearly 70% of the total flights.
• Beijing’s strong push for resuming direct air connectivity and easing visa restrictions stems from this pre-existing advantage.
• However, industry analysts believe the balance may shift once flights resume.
• India’s aviation landscape has evolved — Air India, now privatised and financially stronger, is aggressively expanding its international footprint, and IndiGo is prioritising global routes.
• This could enable Indian airlines to reclaim a larger share of the India-China travel market.

Why in the News?

• The Supreme Court’s directive has mandated all in-service teachers in non-minority schools to clear the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) within two years.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About TET (Introduction, Understanding of TET)
• SC Judgement (Key Highlights, State Concerns, Legal & Constitutional Dimensions, Broader Implications, etc.)

Introduction

• The Supreme Court’s recent directive mandating that all in-service teachers for Classes 1 to 8 in non-minority schools must clear the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) within two years has sparked widespread concern among States.
• Tamil Nadu, in particular, has filed a review petition warning that the ruling could trigger a crisis of “empty classrooms,” as lakhs of unqualified teachers face disqualification or forced retirement.
• The issue has opened a deeper debate on balancing the constitutional right to quality education with the practical realities of India’s vast school system.

Understanding the Teachers’ Eligibility Test

• The Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) was introduced as a key quality benchmark under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
• Conducted by both the Central and State governments, it serves as a minimum qualification for appointment as a teacher in elementary schools (Classes 1-8).
• The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), under Section 23(1) of the RTE Act, mandates passing the TET to ensure national standards in teacher quality.
• The rationale behind this test is to strengthen teacher competency and bring consistency in the recruitment process across States.
• However, the challenge arises with its retrospective implementation for teachers already in service before the RTE came into effect.

Key Highlights of the Supreme Court Judgment

• In its September 1, 2025 judgment, a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that all in-service teachers in non-minority schools who have more than five years of service left must clear the TET within two years or face compulsory retirement.
• Teachers with less than five years of service are exempted but will need a TET qualification if they seek promotion.
• While acknowledging that the decision may appear “harsh,” the Bench emphasised that ensuring qualified teaching personnel is central to the constitutional mandate of Article 21A, which guarantees the right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14.
• Additionally, the judgment referred to a larger Bench the question of whether minority educational institutions, currently exempt from the RTE Act under the 2014 Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust case, should also be brought under its purview to prevent misuse of minority status to bypass teacher qualification norms.

State Concerns and the Risk of Classroom Vacancies

• Tamil Nadu, which employs over 4.49 lakh teachers in government and aided schools, has highlighted that nearly 3.9 lakh of them are not TET-qualified.
• Implementing the Supreme Court order, therefore, risks mass teacher disqualification, potentially crippling the State’s school education system and affecting millions of students.
• The State argues that the ruling creates a direct conflict with Article 21A, as it could simultaneously uphold quality standards while undermining the availability of teachers and disrupting classroom learning.
• Other States are likely to follow Tamil Nadu in seeking judicial review, given the magnitude of potential disruption.

Legal and Constitutional Dimensions

• The controversy primarily revolves around Section 23 of the RTE Act.
• While Section 23(1) empowers the NCTE to set minimum teacher qualifications, Section 23(2) allows the Central government to relax these qualifications for up to five years if States face a shortage of trained teachers.
• Tamil Nadu argues that this flexibility clause was introduced precisely to address transitional issues in States where teachers were appointed before the introduction of TET.
• It contends that applying TET retrospectively to already-appointed teachers goes beyond legislative intent and violates the principle of proportionality.
• The State’s review petition further suggests alternative methods, such as in-service training, capacity-building programs, and refresher courses, as more balanced ways to enhance teaching standards without destabilising the education system.

Broader Implications for Teacher Policy and Education Quality

• The judgment underscores a national policy dilemma: how to reconcile the need for qualified teachers with the practical realities of teacher shortages, especially in rural and remote areas.
• While TET aims to improve education quality, enforcing it rigidly on in-service teachers, many of whom have decades of experience, raises equity and livelihood concerns.
• Education experts have warned that an abrupt implementation could lead to a wave of teacher retirements, reducing teacher-student ratios, particularly in public schools already struggling with staffing shortages.
• Moreover, the call to reconsider the exemption of minority institutions from the RTE Act could reshape the landscape of school regulation in India by standardising teacher qualification requirements across all types of institutions.

Balancing Educational Rights and Practical Realities

• At the heart of the issue lies the constitutional balance between quality education and access to education.
• Article 21A of the Constitution guarantees both the right to education and the expectation that such education must meet reasonable quality standards.
• The Supreme Court judgment, while motivated by the need for uniform teacher standards, risks undermining the accessibility aspect of this right if not implemented pragmatically.
• States, therefore, seek a phased or alternative approach, focusing on training rather than disqualification, to prevent classroom paralysis.
• The outcome of the review petitions will likely redefine the contours of India’s teacher qualification framework and the interplay between federal authority, quality benchmarks, and education as a fundamental right.

Why in News?

• Despite India’s high burden of road traffic accidents and ICU-related deaths, organ donation rates remain low.
• A recent national survey highlights systemic gaps in brain death certification, training, and awareness among physicians, directly hampering deceased organ donation.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Organ Donation in India
• Reasons Behind the Low Donation Rate
• Survey Findings on Brain Death Certification
• Government Steps to Boost Organ Donation in India
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Organ Donation in India:

• Overview:
  • While India ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants (over 18,900 in 2024), the country's organ donation rate remains critically low, particularly for deceased donations.
  • Though India reports 1,60,000 road traffic deaths annually, only 1,000–1,200 deceased organ donations occur per year.
  • This means, India is heavily reliant on living donors for most transplants, especially for kidneys (for which, overall 13,476 transplants performed in 2024) and liver (4,901 transplants).
• Statistics:
  • Living vs. deceased donors: In 2024, India recorded just 1,128 deceased donors compared to over 15,000 living donors. Over 700 of these deceased donors came from just six southern states.
  • Donor-per-million rate: India's donation rate is less than 1 donor per million population, far behind developed countries like Spain (~48 per million) and the US (~36 per million).
  • Supply-demand gap: With over 63,000 people needing a kidney transplant and 22,000 needing a liver, the demand for organs vastly outstrips the supply, and thousands die each year while waiting.

Reasons Behind the Low Donation Rate:

• Lack of awareness: Widespread lack of public knowledge about organ donation, especially the concept of "brain death," is a major barrier. This leads to misinformation and skepticism.
• Cultural and religious beliefs: Deep-seated social and cultural factors, including beliefs about life after death, create hesitation and prevent families from giving consent for donation, even if the deceased had previously pledged.
• Family refusal: Even with a donor pledge, family reluctance often results in refusal. A 2025 study cited family refusal as a significant factor for over 60% of respondents.
• Weak deceased donation system: Many hospitals lack the infrastructure, trained counselors, and trained intensivists needed to identify potential donors and counsel families effectively.
• Lack of medical training: Example, very few neurosurgeons, neurologists, and critical care specialists are trained during their MBBS studies to certify brain death.
• Geographical disparities: Transplant facilities are concentrated in major cities, and most deceased donation programs are confined to southern and western states.
• High cost of transplant: Most transplants occur in the private sector, and the high costs make them inaccessible for many people with end-stage organ failure.
• Legal and ethical hurdles: Complex legal and ethical issues, including concerns about illegal organ trafficking, can delay or hinder the donation process.

Survey Findings on Brain Death Certification:

• Conducted by AIIMS neurosurgeons, it surveyed 177 doctors involved in organ donation.
• Key findings:
  • Fewer than 50% received formal training in brain death certification during medical school.
  • Only 10% routinely trained their residents in brain death protocols.
  • 96% knew the apnea test (for determining brain death), but nearly 50% failed to screen for drugs or toxins - an essential step in ruling out reversible causes of coma.

Government Steps to Boost Organ Donation in India:

• Institutional reforms:
  • The Indian government has taken several steps to improve organ donation rates through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).
  • These include establishing the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) to provide financial support for infrastructure and setting up regional and state bodies (ROTTOs and SOTTOs).
• Legal reforms: In 2023, the government removed the upper age limit for deceased donor registration and the state domicile requirement.
• Digital initiatives: Include a unique NOTTO-ID system to monitor transplants.

Way Forward:

• Integration in medical education: Mandatory inclusion of brain death certification training in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.
• Capacity building: Regular refresher courses and hands-on workshops for doctors and residents.
• Standardised protocols: Development of uniform national guidelines for brain death certification.
• Institutional reforms: Creation of hospital-level frameworks to streamline processes. Example, the need for hospital-level "green corridors" for smooth organ donation procedures.
• Awareness campaigns: Public and professional sensitisation to improve acceptance and trust in organ donation.

Conclusion: A comprehensive approach combining education, systemic reforms, and awareness can significantly enhance deceased organ donation rates, aligning with India’s healthcare goals and ethical imperatives.

Why in news?

Nearly six decades after the Naxalbari uprising, India’s Maoist insurgency is witnessing deep internal rifts and sustained government pressure. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has pledged to end the insurgency by March next year, intensifying state action.

Amid this backdrop, CPI (Maoist) ideological head Mallojula Venugopal Rao has twice urged the group to consider ending armed struggle to save the party. While Rao insists he has support from senior cadres and grassroots members, other leaders strongly rejected his stance, reaffirming commitment to armed rebellion.

The contrasting positions highlight a weakening movement at odds over whether to persist with armed conflict or adapt to survive.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Decline of the Maoist Movement
• The Possible End of the Maoist Insurgency
• Maoist Insurgency: From Naxalbari to Decline (1967–2025)

Decline of the Maoist Movement

• The Maoist movement has been severely weakened by continuous operations of central armed forces and elite state police units.
• Top leaders like former General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao (Basvaraj) and several Central Committee members have been killed this year, alongside many cadres.
• Maoist strongholds are now restricted to small pockets in Bastar, Dandakaranya, and the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, with dwindling supplies of arms and ammunition.
• Shrinking Recruitment Base
  • Recruitment challenges have deepened the crisis. Non-tribal recruits disappeared over a decade ago, and even tribal youth today are reluctant to join.
  • The growing impact of government welfare schemes, free education, and digital connectivity has reduced the appeal of the Maoist cause.
  • Young people, exposed to modern opportunities, are disinterested in the harsh, uncertain life of a guerrilla fighter.
• Aging Leadership and Surrenders
  • Most surviving Maoist leaders are now elderly and battling serious illnesses.
  • Many find surrendering attractive, given the government’s rehabilitation packages.
  • Several leaders’ wives and partners have already surrendered, reinforcing the trend toward disengagement from armed struggle.
• Ideological Disconnect
  • The inability of Maoist ideology to adapt to social and material changes in its former bastions has eroded its resonance.
  • As tribal communities integrate into mainstream opportunities, the once formidable insurgency now appears to be in irreversible decline.

The Possible End of the Maoist Insurgency

• Despite recent surrender offers from senior Maoist leaders, both the Centre and state governments remain skeptical.
• Past attempts at peace — notably the 2004 talks with Andhra Pradesh under Y. S. Rajashekara Reddy — collapsed quickly due to mistrust, leading to a renewed surge in violence.
• Officials caution that peace overtures may simply be a tactic to buy time and regroup, given the Maoist ideology’s deep commitment to armed struggle.
• Some security officials, however, note a shift in perspective among senior leaders who fear complete annihilation of the movement if current crackdowns continue.
• They believe surrendering and joining the mainstream may now be the only viable path to preserve remnants of the party and its ideology.

Maoist Insurgency: From Naxalbari to Decline (1967–2025)

• The Maoist-Naxal movement began in Naxalbari, West Bengal, on May 18, 1967, when armed peasants attacked landlords and seized land.
• Its ideologue, Charu Mazumdar, framed the “Historic Eight Documents,” calling the Indian state bourgeois and urging a protracted revolutionary war on the model of Mao and Castro.
• The uprising split CPI(M), leading Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal to form CPI(ML) in 1969.
  • CPI(M) had opposed armed struggle.
• However, a strong government crackdown saw leaders killed, arrested, or underground. Mazumdar died in police custody in 1972.
• Spread Beyond Bengal
  • Though it weakened in Bengal, the movement spread to Andhra Pradesh, Srikakulam, and later across central India — Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Bengal.
  • The leadership became Telugu-dominated, mobilising youth and students, particularly from Warangal’s Regional Engineering College in the 1970s, where many went underground to join the armed struggle.
• Organisational Growth (1980s–2000s)
  • In 1980, Kondapalli Seetaramaiah founded CPI(ML) People’s War, strengthening guerrilla warfare tactics.
  • The Maoists engaged in armed violence, extortion, destruction of infrastructure, and forced recruitment, including of children.
  • The insurgency peaked in the 2000s, with the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (2000) and the formation of CPI(Maoist) in 2004 after merging factions like People’s War and the Maoist Communist Centre.
  • By the late 2000s, left-wing extremism affected nearly 180 districts across 92,000 sq km.
• Government Counter-Offensive and Decline
  • Government strategy combining security operations, development, and community engagement steadily weakened the insurgency.
  • By April 2024, only 38 districts remained affected, of which six were deemed districts of concern.
  • According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in 2025 alone, 270 Naxalites were killed, 680 arrested, and 1,225 surrendered.
• The Road Ahead
  • After nearly six decades, the Maoist insurgency stands at a crossroads.
  • Once widespread and feared, it is now confined to shrinking strongholds, weakened leadership, and declining recruitment, marking what could be its final chapter.

Why in news?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed mandatory Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) in electric cars, buses, and trucks to curb road accidents. AVAS will generate artificial sound when EVs move at 0–20 kmph, alerting pedestrians and other road users to their presence.

As per the draft notification, all new EV models manufactured after October 1, 2026, must be fitted with AVAS, while existing models must comply by October 1, 2027. The move addresses safety concerns caused by the near-silent operation of EVs at low speeds, ensuring better audibility and reducing accident risks.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)
• Working of AVAS
• Why India Needs Acoustic Alert Systems in EVs?
• AVAS Rules Exclude Two- and Three-Wheelers for Now

Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)

• AVAS is a safety feature designed to generate an audible warning sound for electric and hybrid vehicles, which are often nearly silent when operating at low speeds.
• It's intended to alert pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users to the vehicle's presence, helping to prevent accidents.

Working of AVAS

• AVAS operates automatically based on the vehicle's driving condition:
  • Activation
    • The system is typically mandated to activate when the vehicle is moving at low speeds, generally from startup up to a threshold like 20 km/h (about 12 mph) or 30 km/h depending on the specific regulations.
    • It also usually activates when the vehicle is in reverse gear, regardless of speed.
  • Sound Generation
    • The AVAS uses an external speaker (often mounted beneath the bodywork) to generate an artificial, continuous sound.
    • This sound is usually designed to resemble that of a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle or a distinct, recognizable warning signal.
  • Speed Synchronization
    • The system is connected to the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) or Controller area network (CAN)-Bus to get real-time data on speed and gear.
    • The pitch (frequency) and sometimes the volume of the generated sound automatically vary in proportion to the vehicle's speed.
    • This change in characteristic helps pedestrians to perceive the vehicle's acceleration, deceleration, and distance.
  • Deactivation
    • When the vehicle exceeds the low-speed threshold (e.g., above 20 km/h or 30 km/h), the AVAS typically deactivates.
    • At higher speeds, the natural noise generated by the vehicle's tires on the road and aerodynamic drag becomes sufficiently loud to alert other road users.

Why India Needs Acoustic Alert Systems in EVs?

• Electric vehicles (EVs) running below 20 kmph produce minimal sound, making them harder to detect and raising the risk of accidents, especially for pedestrians and cyclists.
• To address this safety gap, the MoRTH has proposed Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS), which will generate sound to warn road users of an approaching EV.
• The move comes amid a rapid surge in EV adoption.
• According to MoRTH’s e-Vahan portal, 19.5 lakh EVs were sold in 2024, accounting for 7.44% of all vehicles sold that year.
• India’s EV share has grown from just 0.01% in 2014-15 to 7.31% in 2024-25, with over 56.75 lakh EVs registered by February 2025.
• The government sees AVAS as crucial, especially since EV penetration is expanding beyond metros into suburbs and small colonies, driven by the popularity of e-rickshaws and two- and three-wheelers for last-mile connectivity.

AVAS Rules Exclude Two- and Three-Wheelers for Now

• The draft notification on Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) currently applies only to electric cars, buses, and trucks — not to two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, or e-carts.
• Analysts, however, caution that excluding these vehicles, which often operate in congested urban and suburban areas, could raise accident risks.
• While EVs generate tyre noise at speeds above 20 kmph, they remain nearly silent below this threshold.
• Experts suggest AVAS should cover all categories of EVs, as seen in countries like the US and Japan, to ensure comprehensive road safety.

Why in the News?

• NITI Aayog has proposed an optional presumptive taxation regime for foreign companies to reduce tax disputes, simplify compliance, and attract greater foreign direct investment into India.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Presumptive Taxation (Introduction, Key Features, Rationale Behind Proposal, Challenges, Way Ahead, etc.)

Introduction

• India has emerged as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world, with cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows crossing USD 1 trillion between April 2000 and March 2025.
• However, persistent taxation disputes, particularly around Permanent Establishment (PE) rules and profit attribution, have been a recurring concern for multinational companies.
• To address these issues, NITI Aayog has proposed an optional presumptive taxation regime for foreign companies, aiming to reduce litigation, improve compliance, and encourage higher FDI inflows.

Understanding Presumptive Taxation

• Presumptive taxation is a simplified tax regime where taxable income is calculated as a fixed percentage of gross revenue, rather than through detailed accounting.
• This mechanism reduces the compliance burden, avoids prolonged disputes, and provides certainty to businesses.
• India already uses presumptive taxation in limited sectors such as:

• Electronics manufacturing services: 25% of gross payments are deemed as profit.
• Non-resident cruise operators: 20% of gross receipts deemed as profit.

• NITI Aayog’s proposal seeks to extend this principle across sectors, particularly those involving digital services, technology, and offshore supply, where disputes are more common.

Key Features of NITI Aayog’s Proposal

• The proposed presumptive tax system introduces several reforms designed to simplify taxation for foreign companies:

• Optional Participation - Foreign companies may choose between the presumptive regime and continue under the regular tax framework.
• Sector-Specific Rates - Profit attribution percentages would vary across industries, ranging between 5% and 30%. For example, in technology, 5% of offshore supply and 20% of onshore services could be deemed profitable.
• Safe Harbour Protection - Companies opting for presumptive taxation would not face litigation over the existence of a PE for those activities.
• Reduced Compliance Burden - Firms would not need to maintain exhaustive local books or undergo prolonged audits.
• Flexibility - Companies could revert to the regular regime if their actual profit is lower than the presumptive rate.

Rationale Behind the Proposal

• Tackling PE and Profit Attribution Disputes
  • Determining whether a foreign company has a Permanent Establishment in India has often been subjective, especially in the digital economy. Disputes on profit attribution can last 6-12 years, increasing costs for businesses. A presumptive taxation regime provides certainty and sidesteps prolonged litigation.
• Aligning with Global Practices
  • The proposal suggests codifying PE and profit attribution rules in domestic law while aligning them with OECD and UN tax models. This ensures India remains internationally competitive while protecting its source-based taxing rights.
• Enhancing FDI and Ease of Doing Business
  • By offering clarity, predictability, and a reduced compliance burden, the regime is expected to attract higher-quality FDI, particularly in digital and service-based industries.

Industry Reactions

• Experts say that the scheme provides a clear path forward by eliminating ambiguities around PEs, reducing disputes, and lowering the costs of doing business.

• Also,  sector-specific benchmarks allow businesses to plan operations efficiently, offering both clarity and reduced litigation risks.

Challenges in Implementation

• Revenue Concerns - The government must ensure that the regime does not lead to significant revenue leakage.
• Sector-Specific Rates - Determining fair presumptive percentages for multiple industries will be complex.
• Centre–State Coordination - While direct taxes fall under the Centre, some coordination with states will be required.
• Data Privacy Issues - Safe harbour provisions may raise concerns about handling corporate financial data.

Way Forward

• The NITI Aayog report recommends a multi-pronged approach, including:

• Expanding Advance Pricing Agreements (APA) and Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAPs) for quicker dispute resolution.
• Establishing a formal consultation framework with industry bodies before major tax reforms.
• Considering binding arbitration for international disputes.

• The Finance Ministry is expected to examine the proposal and may include it in future budgetary reforms, potentially constituting a working group to draft provisions and consult stakeholders.

Why in News?

• India, as the current president of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), has proposed the development of a new International Governance Index.
• This initiative comes amid India’s declining rankings in several existing global indices, which the government has often criticized for being perception-based and lacking transparency.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
• India’s IIAS Presidency
• Key Developments
• Concerns with Current Global Indices
• India’s Strategic Objectives
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS):

• About:
  • The IIAS is an international non-profit organization created in 1930.
  • It is a Federation of 31 Member Countries (including India, Japan, China, Germany and Saudi Arabia), 20 National Sections and 15 Academic Research Centres jointly collaborating for scientific research on public administration.
• Working relationship with the UN: While the Brussels (Belgium)-based IIAS is not a formally affiliated body of the UN, it actively engages with the UN’s work in public administration.
• India’s participation: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) represents India as a Member State of the IIAS since 1998.

India’s IIAS Presidency:

• Many firsts: This is the first time in the history of IIAS that the election to the post of President was held by ballot process and it is the first time that India has secured the historic mandate for the Presidency (for 2025-2028) of the IIAS.
• DARPG involvement: It is spearheading the proposal, with IIAS President V. Srinivas highlighting the agenda for strengthening scientific strategy in governance measurement.

Key Developments:

• Proposal of International Governance Index:
  • Plans to leverage existing frameworks of the World Bank (WB), OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and UN DESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs).
  • A working group will be formed, and the agenda will be part of the IIAS Annual Conference 2026.
• India’s criticism of existing indices:
  • In its reports, the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has listed India as an electoral autocracy since 2017. The latest report (2025) ranked India 100 out of 179 countries.
  • Freedom in the World Index and EIU Democracy Index placed India at levels comparable to the emergency period.
  • Economic Advisory Council to PM (2022) highlighted lack of transparency in methodologies.
• World Governance Indicators (WGI):
  • It covers over 200 economies with 6 parameters - voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption.
  • The 2023 WGI gives India the percentile rank of -
    • 51.47 for voice and accountability;
    • 21.33 for political stability;
    • 67.92 for government effectiveness;
    • 47.17 for regulatory quality;
    • 56.13 for rule of law and
    • 41.51 for control of corruption.

Concerns with Current Global Indices:

• Subjectivity: Reliance on perception-based data and expert opinions without adequate on-ground presence.
• Transparency issues: Unclear weighting in credit rating agency assessments.
• Bias: Concentration of assessment by Western institutions, raising questions of contextual accuracy.

India’s Strategic Objectives:

• Rebalancing narratives: Challenge dominance of Western-centric governance assessments.
• Bridging North-South divide: Promote inclusivity and balanced representation of developing nations.
• Governance reform agenda: Align with the Indian government’s vision of “maximum governance, minimum government.”

Way Forward:

• Establishing methodology: Ensure evidence-based, transparent, and inclusive metrics for governance.
• International collaboration: Engage with global bodies (World Bank, OECD, UN DESA) for credibility.
• Strengthening domestic research: Encourage Indian think tanks to develop independent indices.
• Promoting inclusivity: Incorporate perspectives from both developed and developing nations.

Conclusion:

• India’s proposal for an International Governance Index under its IIAS presidency reflects its bid to shape global governance discourse and reduce dependence on Western perception-based indices.
• If implemented effectively, this initiative could strengthen transparency, inclusivity, and credibility in global governance rankings, providing a balanced platform for both developed and developing countries.

Context

• While the May 2025 standoff between India and Pakistan unfolded primarily in the air domain, subsequent developments indicate that the focus of their rivalry has shifted toward the maritime theatre.
• Naval manoeuvres, statements from political and military leaders, and visible demonstrations of capability all suggest that the Indian Ocean is becoming a central arena of competition.
• Unlike past crises that remained confined to land and air, the growing salience of the sea reflects both changing force postures and a wider geopolitical context shaped by Chinese and Turkish involvement.

Naval Posturing After the Air Crisis

• Indian Navy’s Preparedness
  • India’s maritime activity since Operation Sindoor reflects a shift toward forward deterrence and a more assertive naval posture.
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s October warning, invoking the 1965 war, signalled a willingness to escalate in response to Pakistan’s infrastructure buildup in Sir Creek.
  • Similarly, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi’s statement that the Navy would be the first to act in future conflicts underscores a doctrinal recalibration toward proactivity at sea.
  • The induction of INS Nistar and joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea illustrate India’s dual focus: strengthening domestic capability while embedding itself more firmly within the Indo-Pacific strategic framework.
• Pakistan’s Naval Posture
  • Pakistan, meanwhile, has responded with its own demonstrations.
  • The launch of the Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine PNS Mangro and the unveiling of the P282 ship-launched ballistic missile showcase an expanding arsenal.
  • Naval dispersal from Karachi to Gwadar, intended to reduce vulnerability, signals strategic adaptation, while overlapping missile tests and live-fire drills maintain operational pressure on India.
  • Together, these moves demonstrate that Pakistan is no longer content to concede maritime inferiority, but rather seeks to complicate Indian operational planning and deny uncontested dominance in the Arabian Sea.

Escalation Risks at Sea

• Unlike aerial skirmishes, naval confrontations present a unique challenge for escalation control.
• Ships and submarines, once deployed, linger in contested waters, making disengagement slower and costlier.
• Memories of India’s decisive naval blockade in 1971 continue to shape Pakistan’s maritime outlook, motivating its pursuit of anti-access/area-denial capabilities and reinforcing its emphasis on deterrence-by-denial.
• The psychological weight of Gwadar and Karachi adds to the volatility. Both are more than logistical hubs, they are strategic pressure points embedded within Pakistan’s national security psyche.
• Any Indian naval action against these sites risks being interpreted as existential, potentially triggering escalation beyond limited aims.
• The prospect of Chinese involvement through the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) further heightens the stakes, narrowing the space for coercion short of war.

The External Dimension

• India and Pakistan’s naval manoeuvres must also be read in a wider geopolitical context.
• China’s presence in Gwadar and Karachi raises the possibility of PLAN involvement in a crisis, eroding India’s traditional dominance in the Indian Ocean.
• Türkiye’s growing role, primarily as a supplier of Babur-class corvettes and naval training, introduces another external actor into the maritime balance.
• For India, joint patrols in the Indo-Pacific and indigenous shipbuilding efforts signal intent to integrate its maritime strategy with broader regional security concerns.
• At the same time, Pakistan’s modernisation trajectory underscores its intent to prevent a repeat of 1971, when its navy was decisively outmatched.
• The interplay of external partnerships thus complicates deterrence, introducing uncertainty into crisis planning on both sides.

Doctrinal Shifts and Strategic Drift

• Both India and Pakistan appear to be adapting their naval doctrines to reflect new realities, yet they remain constrained by precedents from past crises.
• India is under pressure to leverage its naval advantages as a coercive tool, while Pakistan continues to invest in capabilities designed to offset asymmetry.
• However, technological innovations, from hypersonic missiles to unmanned systems, are reshaping the escalatory ladder in ways that traditional assumptions may no longer capture.
• This creates a risk of strategic drift. If decision-making in future crises remains anchored to outdated frameworks, miscalculation becomes more likely.
• At the same time, the continuous presence of naval forces may paradoxically develop mutual awareness, reducing the fog of war through repeated observation and interaction.
• In this sense, the maritime domain may provide both heightened risks and unexpected stabilising effects.

Conclusion

• Naval exercises, missile tests, and capability inductions suggest that both sides are preparing for the possibility of confrontation at sea.
• India retains advantages in numbers and geography, but Pakistan’s modernisation, combined with Chinese and Turkish involvement, is narrowing the gap.
• Ultimately, India faces a choice: whether to treat the maritime theatre as an arena for early signalling in crises, or to hold it in reserve as an escalatory lever.
• Either way, the next India–Pakistan confrontation is unlikely to remain confined to the skies; the Indian Ocean is fast becoming the new frontier of their enduring rivalry.

Context

• India’s clean energy transition has gained global recognition for its rapid scale and ambition. In 2024 alone, the country added 24.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity, becoming the third-largest contributor worldwide after China and the United States.
• This accomplishment, alongside its leadership in creating the International Solar Alliance (ISA), places India at the forefront of the global shift towards renewables.
• However, beneath the success stories lies a significant financial gap that threatens to slow the pace of transformation.
• Without adequate and innovative climate finance mechanisms, India risks falling short of both its national and international climate commitments.

India’s Rising Leadership in Renewable Energy

• India’s clean energy sector has expanded at an impressive rate, making it a central player in the global renewable energy landscape.
• The United Nations Secretary-General’s 2025 Climate Report highlights India, alongside Brazil and China, as a leading developing nation in scaling up solar and wind energy.
• This progress is not merely environmental but also economic.
• By 2023, the renewable energy sector employed over one million people and contributed nearly 5% to India’s GDP growth.
• Off-grid solar solutions alone created 80,000 jobs in 2021, reflecting the sector’s potential for inclusive growth.
• Moreover, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projects that if India follows a 1.5°C-aligned pathway, it could achieve average annual GDP growth of 2.8% through 2050, more than double the G20 average.
• This illustrates the economic case for clean energy, particularly through technologies such as decentralised grids, battery-integrated renewables, and green hydrogen.

The Critical Gap: Financing the Transition

• Despite this remarkable progress, India faces a pressing financial challenge. To remain on track with its climate targets, India requires between $1.5 trillion and $2.5 trillion by 2030.
• These funds are essential not only for scaling renewable energy but also for modernising electricity grids, deploying battery storage, advancing sustainable transport, and ensuring climate-resilient agriculture.
• Current climate finance flows remain inadequate to meet this scale of investment.
• While India’s green finance market has shown growth, with cumulative green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSS+) debt issuance reaching $55.9 billion by 2024, the funding remains concentrated.
• Green bonds, which account for over 80% of this issuance, have primarily benefited large corporations.
• Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), local infrastructure projects, and agri-tech innovators often struggle to access climate finance due to high risks and lack of concessional funding.
• This imbalance underscores the need for diversified strategies that extend beyond large corporate players. 

The Way Forward

• Expanding the Climate Finance Strategy
  • To bridge the financial gap, India must diversify its climate finance instruments and strengthen policy frameworks.
  • Public finance will play a catalytic role. National and state governments can leverage budgetary allocations and fiscal incentives to de-risk green projects, thereby attracting private investment.
  • Blended finance models, which combine public and private funds, represent a powerful tool in this effort.
  • Instruments such as credit guarantees, subordinated debt, and risk-sharing mechanisms can make renewable projects more attractive to private lenders.
  • For instance, performance guarantees could unlock financing for mid-sized clean energy infrastructure in smaller urban centres, where governance and delivery risks may otherwise deter investors.
• Tapping Emerging Avenues: Carbon Markets and Innovation
  • Beyond traditional finance, India must also explore innovative approaches.
  • The launch of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme offers an opportunity to mobilise new funding streams, provided it is managed transparently and equitably.
  • Similarly, financing for adaptation and loss-and-damage measures must gain greater attention, ensuring vulnerable communities are not left behind.
  • Technology-driven solutions can also strengthen India’s climate finance framework.
  • Blockchain could improve transparency in tracking funds, while Artificial Intelligence can enhance risk assessments for green portfolios.
  • Tailored blended finance models that reflect India’s diverse social and economic realities will be critical in ensuring that the transition remains inclusive and scalable.

Conclusion

• India has demonstrated global leadership in renewable energy deployment and job creation, while also contributing meaningfully to international climate cooperation.
• Yet, the journey ahead depends on closing the enormous climate finance gap.
• By diversifying financial instruments, unlocking institutional capital, and embracing innovative tools such as carbon markets and AI-driven assessments, India can not only meet its climate commitments but also drive inclusive, sustainable economic growth.