Why in news?

Health authorities in Australia have advised citizens vaccinated for rabies in India to check whether they require replacement doses, following concerns about counterfeit rabies vaccines.

Similar advisories have been issued by the United Kingdom and the United States.

This episode highlights critical issues of drug supply chain integrity, regulatory enforcement, and public confidence in vaccines—especially significant for India, which bears a high rabies burden and plays a key role in global vaccine supply.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Rabies: Transmission and Prevention
• Background: Concerns Over Abhayrab Vaccine
• Company’s Response and Identification of Counterfeit Batch
• Why Abhayrab Is Central to the Concern?
• Expert Reassurance on Public Health Impact
• Recent Rabies Cases and Vaccine Failure Concerns

Rabies: Transmission and Prevention

• Rabies is a viral infection transmitted through the saliva of infected animals.
• Human infection can occur through bites, scratches, or saliva contact with open wounds, commonly involving dogs, cats, monkeys, and bats.
• Symptoms range from fever, headache, and nausea to excessive salivation, hydrophobia (fear of water), hallucinations, and partial paralysis.
• Importantly, rabies is preventable through timely post-exposure vaccination, which is why prompt medical treatment after animal exposure is essential.
• India’s Rabies Burden
  • According to India’s National Rabies Control Programme, 6,644 clinically suspected human rabies cases and deaths were reported between 2012 and 2022, though this is believed to be an under-estimate.
  • The World Health Organisation estimates 18,000–20,000 rabies deaths annually worldwide, with one-third to two-thirds occurring in children under 15 years.
  • India alone accounts for nearly 36% of global rabies deaths, highlighting the public health significance of vaccine safety and regulatory oversight.

Background: Concerns Over Abhayrab Vaccine

• Health authorities in Australia, the UK, and the US have issued advisories urging citizens who received rabies vaccinations in India to verify whether they require replacement doses.
• The alerts point to possible circulation of counterfeit rabies vaccines in India since 2023.
• The advisories stem from concerns that fake batches of Abhayrab, a rabies vaccine manufactured by the Human Biologicals Institute (a key division of PSU Indian Immunologicals), may be in circulation.
• The issue has triggered international alarm because rabies is almost 100% fatal once symptoms appear, making vaccine efficacy critical.

Company’s Response and Identification of Counterfeit Batch

• Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) stated that in January 2025, it detected one counterfeit batch (#KA24014) with altered packaging.
• The company informed Indian regulators and law enforcement immediately.
• It maintains that no other counterfeit batches have been found.
• Nature of the Counterfeit: Packaging Diversion, Not Fake Vaccine
  • Investigations revealed that:
    • Counterfeit products were detected in Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Patna.
    • Raids were conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra.
    • Tests conducted at the Central Drug Testing Laboratory, Kasauli, found the seized vaccines to contain the genuine product.
  • Experts clarified that the issue involved tampered outer packaging, allegedly used to divert government-supplied vaccines into the open market, rather than fake or substandard vaccine contents.

Why Abhayrab Is Central to the Concern?

• Abhayrab is among the most widely used rabies vaccines in India, holding around 40% market share.
• IIL is the largest rabies vaccine producer globally, supplying vaccines for over 25 years.
• Company officials warned that international advisories could fuel vaccine hesitancy, particularly in rural areas where Abhayrab may be the only available option.

Expert Reassurance on Public Health Impact

• Experts in India sought to allay fears:
  • In India, patients usually receive five doses of rabies vaccine after an animal bite.
  • Even if one dose were ineffective, protection is likely ensured through remaining doses and rabies immunoglobulin.
• WHO-Recommended Vaccination Protocol
  • As per World Health Organisation guidelines:
  • Unimmunised persons: At least three intramuscular doses or Two intradermal doses, plus immunoglobulin on day zero.
  • Previously immunised persons: Only two booster doses are required.

Recent Rabies Cases and Vaccine Failure Concerns

• In Kerala, a spike in rabies deaths was reported in 2022, raising public concern as several deceased individuals had reportedly received rabies vaccines.
• This led to suspicions of vaccine failure or ineffective vaccines.
• Findings of the Union Health Ministry Committee
  • A committee constituted by the Union Health Ministry investigated the cases and ruled out vaccine failure as the primary cause.
  • It concluded that deaths occurred due to:
    • Improper wound washing after animal bites
    • Non-administration of rabies immunoglobulin in Category 3 bites
      • Category 3 bites include multiple bites or scratches breaking the skin, or situations where broken skin is licked by an animal, which carry the highest risk of infection.
  • The committee highlighted limited availability of rabies immunoglobulin and vaccines as a major systemic challenge, which compromised timely and complete post-exposure prophylaxis.

Why in news?

INSV Kaundinya, the Indian Navy’s stitched sailing vessel built using traditional shipbuilding techniques, has begun its maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat, to Muscat, Oman. The voyage symbolically retraces ancient maritime routes that once linked India with the wider Indian Ocean world.

Constructed with wooden planks stitched using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, the vessel reflects an indigenous shipbuilding tradition prevalent along India’s coasts. This technology enabled Indian mariners to undertake long-distance voyages to West Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia long before modern navigation methods.

The project was executed under a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, as part of India’s broader effort to revive and showcase its indigenous knowledge systems and maritime heritage.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• INSV Kaundinya: Revival of an Ancient Indian Vessel
• INSV Kaundinya: A Ship Built Without Engines or Metal
• Symbolism Embedded in INSV Kaundinya’s Design
• Reviving Ancient Maritime Highways

INSV Kaundinya: Revival of an Ancient Indian Vessel

• INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship inspired by a 5th century CE vessel depicted in the paintings of the Ajanta Caves.
• It represents an effort to recreate India’s early maritime traditions using historically authentic methods.
• Traditional Construction and Craftsmanship
  • After the keel laying in September 2023, the ship was built using the traditional stitching technique by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran.
  • Wooden planks forming the hull were stitched together with coir rope, coconut fibre, and sealed using natural resin.
  • The vessel was launched in February 2025 at Goa.
  • Navy formally inducted the naval sailing vessel in May 2025 at the Karwar Naval base, in Karnataka.
• Indian Navy’s Role and Interdisciplinary Design
  • The Indian Navy played a central role by overseeing the vessel’s design, technical validation, and construction.
  • With no surviving blueprints or physical remains, the design was extrapolated from two-dimensional artistic depictions.
  • The project required an interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeological interpretation, naval architecture, hydrodynamic testing, and traditional craftsmanship.
• Dimensions, Crew, and Tankai Method
  • INSV Kaundinya is about 19.6 metres long, 6.5 metres wide, with a draft of 3.33 metres.
  • Powered solely by sails, it is operated by a crew of around 15 trained sailors.
  • Construction follows the indigenous Tankai method, where the hull is stitched first and ribs are added later—completely avoiding the use of metal.

INSV Kaundinya: A Ship Built Without Engines or Metal

• INSV Kaundinya is a non-combat sailing vessel constructed entirely using a stitched shipbuilding technique dating back to at least the 5th century CE.
• Wooden planks are stitched together with coir rope made from coconut fibre and sealed with natural resins, cotton, and oils.
• This flexible hull design allows the vessel to absorb wave energy—an essential feature for ancient sailors navigating the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
• Hydrodynamic testing and stability studies were carried out with assistance from academic institutions, including IIT Madras, to ensure seaworthiness for open-ocean voyages.

Symbolism Embedded in INSV Kaundinya’s Design

• INSV Kaundinya’s structure incorporates culturally rich elements that reflect India’s ancient maritime heritage.
• Her sails carry motifs of the Gandabherunda and the Sun, symbolising power and continuity, while the bow features a sculpted Simha Yali, a mythical guardian figure associated with strength and protection.
• A symbolic Harappan-style stone anchor placed on the deck evokes the subcontinent’s early seafaring traditions.
• Named after Kaundinya, the Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, the vessel stands as a living representation of India’s long history of maritime exploration, trade networks, and cultural exchange, underscoring the civilisational depth of India’s engagement with the seas.

Reviving Ancient Maritime Highways

• The Porbandar–Muscat route retraced by INSV Kaundinya was once a vital maritime corridor for trade in spices, textiles, and ideas across West Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
• By sailing this route again, the vessel demonstrates the sophistication of ancient Indian shipbuilding and reaffirms India’s identity as a historic maritime civilisation.

Why in the News?

• The Supreme Court has paused its earlier judgment accepting a restrictive definition of the Aravalli Hills and has proposed a re-examination through a high-powered expert committee.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Aravallis (Geographical & Ecological Significance, Legal Background)
• News Summary (Supreme Court’s Orders, Implications)

About the Aravalli Mountain Range

• The Aravalli Mountain Range is one of the oldest surviving fold mountain systems in the world, with geological origins dating back nearly 1.5 billion years.
• Stretching over 690 km, the range runs from Gujarat through Rajasthan and Haryana to Delhi, forming a crucial natural barrier in north-western India.
• Ecologically, the Aravallis play a vital role in:

• Preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert
• Regulating regional climate and rainfall patterns
• Recharging groundwater aquifers
• Acting as a green buffer against air pollution, particularly for the Delhi-NCR region

• The hills host tropical dry deciduous forests, support diverse flora and fauna, and sustain rural livelihoods.
• Despite their importance, the Aravallis have faced severe degradation due to mining, urbanisation, and infrastructure expansion, making legal and policy protection critical.
• Over the years, multiple court orders and expert committees have attempted to define and protect the Aravallis, but ambiguities in their legal definition have remained a major challenge.

Legal Background to the Aravalli Definition Issue

• Environmental protection of the Aravallis has largely evolved through judicial interventions rather than a single comprehensive statute. Courts have relied on:

• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• Forest conservation principles
• Earlier Supreme Court rulings restricting mining activities

• However, the absence of a scientifically precise and uniform definition of what constitutes the Aravalli range has led to disputes over which areas qualify for environmental protection.
• In November 2025, the Supreme Court upheld a government expert panel’s definition that restricted the Aravallis to:

• Hills with an elevation of 100 metres or more
• Hill clusters, slopes, and hillocks located within 500 metres of each other

• This definition significantly narrowed the geographical scope of the protected area.

News Summary

• In December 2025, the Supreme Court kept its own November judgment in abeyance, citing serious environmental and regulatory concerns. Key developments include:

• The Court directed that no irreversible administrative or ecological actions should be taken based on the restrictive definition until further review.
• Fresh or renewed mining leases in the Aravalli region were prohibited without prior approval of the apex court.
• Widespread public concern was noted that the 100-metre elevation rule could exclude a large number of ecologically significant hills, particularly in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
• The Court observed that if lower hill ranges were excluded, it could create a “significant regulatory lacuna”, enabling unregulated mining and environmental degradation.

• The Bench proposed constituting a high-powered expert committee to:

• Reassess whether “regulated” or “sustainable” mining in newly excluded areas could still harm ecological integrity
• Evaluate the short-term and long-term environmental impacts of the restrictive definition
• Examine whether the 500-metre clustering rule creates a structural paradox, where ecologically contiguous hills remain unprotected due to technical gaps

• The Court emphasised that any final definition must be based on exhaustive scientific and geological assessment, ensuring holistic protection of the entire mountain system rather than fragmented pockets.

Environmental and Policy Implications

• Over-reliance on technical definitions can undermine ecological objectives
• Mining regulation must balance economic activity with inter-generational environmental equity
• Judicial oversight remains critical in the absence of comprehensive legislative clarity
• For policymakers, the issue underscores the need for scientifically grounded, ecosystem-based approaches rather than narrow physical thresholds.

Context:

• India is accelerating its clean energy transition to meet climate commitments (NDCs), reduce import dependence, and position itself as a global renewable energy and green hydrogen hub.
• Recent gains in domestic solar manufacturing and clean energy investments signal momentum, but deep structural challenges persist across manufacturing, finance, grid infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

Key Developments:

• Solar manufacturing - From import dependence to domestic capacity:
  • For years, India relied heavily on Chinese solar imports. In 2024, domestic firms added 25.3 GW of module manufacturing capacity, nearly doubling national capacity.
  • The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme catalysed private investment, and signalled India’s intent to move up the global value chain.
  • Adoption of TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) cells reflects a shift toward higher-efficiency, higher-value innovation.
• Structural contradictions in solar supply chain:
  • Despite capacity expansion, India imported about 66 GW of solar modules and cells in 2024, while exports marginally declined.
  • Upstream integration is weak - only 2 GW wafer capacity commissioned, compared to nearly 80 GW downstream module capacity.
  • Absence of polysilicon and wafer manufacturing risks dependency substitution, not elimination, highlighting the missing middle of manufacturing.
• Clean energy investment boom with financial stress:
  • $3.4 billion FDI attracted in the first nine months of FY2025 (over 80% of power sector inflows).
  • Competitive auctions pushed tariffs to record lows, making renewables among the cheapest electricity sources
  • However, DISCOM financial distress (unpaid dues), post-auction contract renegotiations in some states, undermine contractual sanctity and investor confidence.
• Grid and transmission constraints:
  • Nearly 60 GW of renewable capacity is stranded due to inadequate transmission infrastructure.
  • Issues include - Grid congestion, curtailment without compensation, etc.
  • Consequences:
    • Difficulty in financial modelling.
    • Higher risk premiums.
    • India’s renewable financing costs are about 80% higher than advanced economies.
• National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) - Strategic promise, economic hurdles:
  • India currently consumes about 5 million tonnes of grey hydrogen.
  • Target under NGHM: 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. Pilot projects in steel, refining, transport (hard-to-abate sectors).
  • Challenges:
    • Current costs of $4.1–$5.0 per kg is projected to be around $2.4 per kg by 2030, which remains uncompetitive without subsidies, carbon pricing, and regulatory mandates.
    • Infrastructure gaps in storage, transport, and end-use.
    • Chicken-and-egg problem - No demand without supply certainty, no supply without assured demand.

Challenges and Way Ahead:

• Weak upstream solar manufacturing (polysilicon, wafers): Promote end-to-end solar value chain integration.
• Regulatory uncertainty and contract renegotiation: Ensure contractual sanctity to protect investor confidence.
• Transmission bottlenecks and uncompensated curtailment: Synchronise transmission expansion with renewable capacity addition. Establish clear curtailment compensation frameworks.
• Green hydrogen’s cost and demand uncertainty: For green hydrogen -
  • Adopt realistic timelines.
  • Create demand through mandates, incentives, and carbon markets.
  • Invest in shared infrastructure for storage and transport.

Conclusion:

• India’s clean energy transition reflects both ambition and complexity.
• While manufacturing gains, low tariffs, and green hydrogen vision signal leadership potential, unresolved structural bottlenecks threaten sustainability.
• Addressing grid, financial, and supply-chain weaknesses—while safeguarding policy credibility—will determine whether India emerges merely as a large clean energy market or as a global model for energy transition in the developing world.

Context

• As 2025 draws to a close, India’s economic progress is often judged by headline indicators such as GDP rankings, export growth, and global partnerships.
• Beneath these visible outcomes lies a sustained and less conspicuous reform effort that has reshaped governance, regulation, and institutional credibility.
• Reform Express 2025 represents a cumulative process of removing bottlenecks, modernising laws, and creating predictable systems.
• Rather than disruptive policy shocks, this phase has relied on consistency and trust-based governance to strengthen India’s long-term growth foundations.

Economic Credibility and the Case for Reform

• India crossed $4.1 trillion in nominal GDP, becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy.
• More telling was the sovereign credit rating upgrade to BBB after nearly two decades, signalling confidence in the durability of India’s macroeconomic framework.
• In a global environment marked by political volatility, stable leadership has made reforms credible.
• Credible reforms reduce uncertainty, align incentives, and encourage private investment.
• When procedures are transparent and time-bound, discretion narrows, competition improves, and investment translates into jobs and productivity gains.

Key Foundational Reforms for India’s Next Growth Phase

• Trade Expansion and Digital Facilitation
  • India’s exports reached $825.25 billion in 2024–25, growing over 6% annually.
  • This expansion has been supported by digital trade infrastructure that simplifies processes and improves access to information.
  • Platforms such as Trade Connect and Trade Intelligence and Analytics have reduced friction for exporters by integrating approvals, data, and market intelligence.
  • These initiatives reflect a shift from control-oriented regulation to facilitative governance that enhances competitiveness.
• Strategic Trade Agreements and Global Integration
  • India’s trade diplomacy in 2025 focused on commercially meaningful agreements.
  • The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom expanded duty-free access and clarified services and skilled mobility pathways.
  • Agreements with Oman and New Zealand strengthened India’s presence in strategic and high-value markets.
  • Together, these partnerships deepened integration into global value chains while maintaining policy discipline and reciprocity.
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Digital Public Infrastructure
  • India’s startup ecosystem expanded to over two lakh government-recognised startups, generating more than 21 lakh jobs.
  • Digital public infrastructure played a central role in this growth.
  • The Open Network for Digital Commerce processed hundreds of millions of orders, while the Government e-Marketplace enabled micro and small enterprises to access public procurement at scale.
  • India’s rise to 38th place in the Global Innovation Index reflected the impact of simplified regulations and digital systems on innovation outcomes.
• Legislative Simplification and Regulatory Modernisation
  • Trust-based governance became a defining feature of Reform Express 2025. Parliament repealed 71 obsolete laws, reducing regulatory clutter.
  • The consolidation of 29 central labour laws into four labour codes simplified compliance while expanding social security coverage.
  • Capital market reform progressed through the introduction of the Securities Markets Code Bill, strengthening enforcement, investor protection, and grievance redress mechanisms at a time of growing retail participation and global capital flows.

Infrastructure and Energy Reform

• Infrastructure, Logistics, and Industrial Policy
  • Logistics reform focused on reducing costs and improving reliability.
  • New maritime laws replaced outdated frameworks with modern governance tools, dispute resolution mechanisms, and safety norms.
  • Recognising shipping as a strategic sector, the government approved a ₹69,725 crore shipbuilding package, including a Maritime Development Fund.
  • This approach reflected industrial policy with ecosystem focus, encouraging private investment while building domestic capacity across shipyards, engineering, and services.
• Energy Reform and Long-Term Investment
  • Energy reforms addressed long-cycle investment risks. Amendments to oil and gas legislation emphasised stability of terms, clearer approvals, and single-lease frameworks.
  • The Open Acreage Licensing Policy expanded exploration, particularly offshore, while the National Deep Water Exploration Mission strengthened domestic capabilities.
  • Simultaneously, the Nuclear Energy Mission and the SHANTI Bill advanced low-carbon baseload capacity, enabling regulated private participation in advanced nuclear technologies to support energy security and industrial growth.

Conclusion

• Reform Express 2025 demonstrates a consistent reform logic: clean up outdated statutes, reduce compliance burdens, digitise governance, strengthen market institutions, and de-risk long-term investment.
• Rather than relying on headline-driven interventions, India’s transformation has been built through cumulative, interconnected reforms.
• By lowering the burden on entrepreneurs and improving institutional trust, productivity is allowed to compound.
• The quiet persistence of these reforms has laid the foundation for sustained growth and enhanced resilience in an increasingly uncertain global economy.

Why in the News?

• Recent analysis of digital political advertisements during Assembly elections has highlighted major gaps in India’s election rules in regulating third-party and surrogate campaigners.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Election Campaign Ecosystem (Background, Legal & Regulatory Framework, Shadow Campaigns, Demographic Reach, Accountability Gaps, Implications, etc.)

India’s Election Campaign Ecosystem: A Structural Shift

• India’s election regulations were designed for a campaign environment dominated by political parties and individual candidates.
• However, the contemporary electoral ecosystem has undergone a structural transformation.
• Political messaging and voter persuasion are increasingly mediated through digital platforms, social media, campaign consultancies, influencers, and interest groups that operate outside formal party structures.
• This shift has weakened the effectiveness of existing election rules, which continue to focus primarily on parties and candidates, even as the real drivers of electoral influence have diversified.

Existing Legal and Regulatory Framework

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) regulates election expenditure and political advertising mainly through the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and a set of model codes and guidelines.
• Key regulatory mechanisms include:

• Mandatory disclosure of election expenditure by candidates and political parties under Section 77 of the Act.
• Pre-certification of political advertisements by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC).
• Restrictions on political advertisements during the final stages of polling.

• However, these provisions largely assume that political messaging originates from formally recognised actors, leaving limited oversight over indirect or third-party campaigning.

Emergence of Shadow Campaigns

• Shadow campaigns refer to political communication efforts carried out by third-party actors such as digital marketing firms, ideological groups, influencers, or surrogate pages that are not officially linked to political parties or candidates.
• An analysis of digital political advertisements during Assembly elections revealed that third-party actors often outspend official parties and candidates and achieve significantly higher visibility online.
• Despite spending similar amounts, third-party advertisers generated far more impressions, demonstrating greater cost efficiency and reach.
• This indicates that influence in digital elections depends not just on spending but also on who controls message dissemination.

Demographic Reach and Influence Patterns

• Digital advertising data shows that both official and third-party political advertisements are primarily consumed by younger voters, particularly those aged 13-34.
• However, third-party campaigns display a more evenly spread reach across age groups, including older demographics.
• This broader reach allows third-party actors to shape narratives across voter segments that traditional party messaging may not effectively penetrate, increasing their strategic importance in elections.

Financial Entanglements and Accountability Gaps

• A major concern highlighted by the analysis is the financial relationship between political parties and third-party campaigners.
• In some cases, advertisements appearing on official party social media pages were funded by external entities.
• Such expenditure may not be fully reflected in official election expenditure statements submitted to the ECI. As a result:

• The true financial footprint of digital campaigning may be understated.
• Electoral influence can be exercised without clear attribution or accountability.

• This creates a bi-directional relationship where third-party actors not only amplify political messaging but also directly finance it, blurring the line between authorised and unauthorised expenditure.

Legal Contradictions and Enforcement Challenges

• Judicial precedents, including Supreme Court rulings, have emphasised that no individual or entity should publish political advertisements for the benefit of a party or candidate.
• Despite this, enforcement remains weak in the digital domain.
• Current ECI guidelines apply restrictions mainly during the immediate pre-poll period and are often limited to print media, while digital campaigns build influence over months.
• Third-party actors have continued campaigning even on polling day, exposing the limitations of time-bound regulatory approaches.

Implications for Electoral Transparency and Fairness

• The persistence of shadow campaigns poses serious challenges to electoral integrity:

• Opaque funding channels undermine transparency.
• Unequal digital reach distorts the level playing field.
• Voters are influenced by actors beyond the scope of electoral accountability.

• Unless regulatory obligations are extended to include all significant stakeholders in digital campaigning, these gaps will continue to erode trust in democratic processes.

Context

• Relations between Iran and India extend beyond conventional diplomacy, drawing strength from millennia of civilisational continuity.
• Long before modern political borders, both societies emerged from a shared Indo-Iranian civilisation, rooted in common linguistic, cultural, and spiritual traditions.
• This historical affinity has endured political change and now intersects with contemporary strategic, economic, and security interests.
• In a shifting global order marked by multipolarity, Iran and India are well positioned to transform their ancient bond into a forward-looking partnership.

Historical and Civilisational Foundations

• The earliest connections between Iran and India originated in the Indo-Iranian world, whose legacy is evident in the parallels between the Avesta and the Rigveda.
• These texts reflect shared mythologies, ethical values, and cosmological views that shaped early social organisation.
• Despite later migrations and political divergence, this common heritage sustained a sense of cultural kinship.
• One of the most enduring manifestations of this relationship was the prominence of the Persian language in India.
• For centuries, Persian functioned as a medium of administration, diplomacy, and intellectual life across the subcontinent.
• This interaction fostered the development of the Indian Style (Sabk-e Hendi) in Persian poetry, blending Persian literary form with Indian philosophical depth.
• The work of Mirza Abdul-Qadir Bedil Dehlavi epitomised this synthesis, leaving a lasting imprint on Persian literary tradition and Indo-Iranian cultural exchange.

Transition to Modern Strategic Realities

• While historical memory provides depth and legitimacy, contemporary relations are shaped by pragmatic considerations.
• As global power structures evolve and Asia gains prominence, Iran and India increasingly share strategic objectives, including regional stability and foreign policy autonomy.
• A central pillar of this engagement is energy security cooperation.
• India’s rapidly growing economy requires sustained access to hydrocarbons, while Iran’s vast oil and gas reserves position it as a natural partner.
• This complementarity reflects a mutually beneficial relationship grounded in economic necessity rather than sentiment alone.

Key Aspects of India-Iran Relations

• Connectivity, Trade, and Geoeconomic Cooperation
  • Transport and connectivity initiatives represent one of the most consequential dimensions of bilateral cooperation.
  • India’s involvement in developing Iran’s Chabahar Port highlights the strategic importance of alternative trade routes that reduce dependence on traditional maritime corridors.
  • Iran’s geographical position further enhances its role in the International North-South Transport Corridor, linking South Asia to Russia and Northern Europe through a shorter and more cost-effective route than the Suez Canal.
  • Together, Chabahar Port and INSTC elevate Iran’s role as a Eurasian transit hub while expanding India’s access to continental markets.
• Security Cooperation and External Challenges
  • Beyond economics, Iran and India face common security challenges, particularly the spread of extremism and terrorism across West and South Asia.
  • Quiet but sustained security and counterterrorism cooperation has therefore become an essential component of bilateral relations.
  • External pressures and geopolitical rivalries have at times constrained engagement.
  • Nevertheless, India has generally navigated these complexities through strategic pragmatism, balancing global partnerships while safeguarding national interests.
  • For both countries, developing alternative financial mechanisms and reducing vulnerability to external constraints remain important objectives.

Prospects for Future Cooperation

• To ensure long-term sustainability, the relationship must diversify beyond traditional energy trade. Expanding collaboration in knowledge-based sectors offers significant potential.
• India’s strengths in information technology and innovation complement Iran’s advances in nanotechnology, medical sciences, and research-intensive industries.
• Such cooperation can gradually transform the relationship into an innovation-driven future partnership, capable of generating shared growth and technological self-reliance.

Conclusion

• Iran and India represent two historical expressions of a deeply interconnected civilisation.
• Their relationship, shaped by ancient cultural bonds and reinforced by modern strategic needs, possesses exceptional resilience.
• As the two nations commemorate seventy-five years of diplomatic relations, they face a critical opportunity to translate historical goodwill into concrete cooperation.
• By aligning cultural affinity with economic, security, and technological collaboration, Iran and India can forge a partnership that strengthens regional stability, enhances prosperity, and reflects both their shared past and collective future.

Context

• India stands at a defining juncture in its economic and technological journey; with a large population, expanding economy, and global aspirations, it appears poised for leadership.
• Yet, this promise is constrained by a chronic and structural deficit in research and development.
• Without correcting this weakness, the vision of a Viksit Bharat risks remaining rhetorical rather than real. 

The Scale of the Deficit: A Stark Numerical Reality

• India is home to roughly 17.5% of the world’s population but contributes only about 3% of global research output.
• This mismatch highlights the inability to convert demographic strength into knowledge leadership.
• Patent data reinforces the concern. Although India ranked sixth globally in patent filings in 2023, its share of worldwide applications remained below 2%.
• When adjusted for population, India’s ranking drops sharply, revealing limited diffusion of innovation across society.
• The most revealing indicator is R&D expenditure. India’s Gross Expenditure on R&D has stagnated around 0.6–0.7% of GDP and is declining proportionally as the economy grows.
• This contrasts sharply with China, the United States, and Israel, which treat R&D as a strategic national priority.
• The comparison with Huawei is particularly stark: the company’s R&D spending alone exceeds India’s total public and private R&D expenditure.
• This illustrates how concentrated, mission-driven investment drives technological leadership, a scale India has yet to achieve.

Structural Weaknesses in the Innovation Ecosystem

• Weak Role of the Private Sector
  • The numerical gap reflects deeper systemic problems. One of the most critical is the weak role of the private sector. In mature innovation economies, industry leads R&D spending.
  • In India, the government remains the dominant funder, while private industry contributes barely over a third.
  • Corporate investment is shaped by risk aversion, a preference for incremental improvements, and reliance on imported technologies rather than indigenous development.
• Disconnect Between Academia and Industry
  • Universities produce millions of graduates, but research often remains theoretical and detached from market needs.
  • Technology transfer mechanisms, commercialisation pathways, and collaborative projects are underdeveloped.
  • Unlike the United States, where firms routinely fund university research to create market-ready innovations, Indian companies rarely engage academia in this manner.
  • As a result, promising ideas fail to cross the valley of death between laboratory and marketplace.
• Brain Drain
  • While India trains large numbers of scientists and engineers, many of the most capable seek opportunities abroad due to better funding, infrastructure, and career prospects.
  • Domestically, researchers face bureaucratic delays, unpredictable funding flows, and limited access to world-class facilities.
  • Slow approval processes and staggered fund releases undermine ambitious, long-term research programmes.

The Path Forward

• Reimagining India’s R&D Strategy
  • Correcting these failures requires a fundamental shift in national priorities. The most urgent step is to raise R&D spending to at least 2% of GDP within the next five to seven years.
  • This must be backed by significant public investment and strong incentives to raise private sector participation to at least half of total R&D spending.
  • The recently announced Research, Development and Innovation Fund is a positive step, provided it is deployed efficiently and focused on frontier technologies.
  • India must also abandon fragmented research efforts in favour of national missions.
  • Strategic domains such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced materials, and green energy demand sustained funding, clear objectives, and alignment with national security and economic sovereignty.
  • These areas will determine long-term competitiveness rather than short-term gains.
• Universities and Research
  • Universities must evolve from teaching-centric institutions into research-driven centres of excellence.
  • This requires expanded funding for doctoral programmes, competitive research faculty positions, and modern infrastructure.
  • Structured industry-academia collaboration, through sponsored research chairs, joint laboratories, and incubation centres, must become the norm rather than the exception.
  • Alongside this, India must foster a stronger intellectual property culture. Simplified patent procedures, stronger enforcement, and financial incentives for commercially successful patents would encourage innovation across academia and industry.
  • Innovation must be rewarded, protected, and commercialised at scale to generate economic value.

Conclusion

• India possesses the intellectual capacity and ambition to emerge as a global innovation leader. However, ambition without sustained R&D investment is strategically hollow.
• The contrast with global innovation leaders and even single multinational corporations exposes a systemic failure to prioritise knowledge creation.
• The coming decade is decisive. With political will, structural reform, and cultural change, India can convert its demographic advantage into technological power.
• Without it, the goal of a developed and sovereign nation may drift far beyond 2047.

Context:

• Free and fair elections are a core feature of India’s constitutional democracy. However, persistent inequalities in political funding have undermined the level-playing field among political parties.
• Despite multiple reform attempts—most recently the striking down of the Electoral Bonds Scheme (2018) by the Supreme Court—India’s political finance system continues to be dominated by corporate money.
• This raises concerns of quid pro quo (between the corporates and such parties), institutionalised corruption, and unequal political participation.

Core Issue - Unequal Political Funding:

• Unequal access to private donations distorts electoral competition and political participation.
• Better-resourced parties gain disproportionate advantages in campaigning, visibility, and organisational reach.
• Weak regulation, poor enforcement, and lack of political will have allowed the money–politics nexus to persist.

Corporate Donations and Party-wise Skew:

• Direct corporate donations (FY 2013–14 to FY 2023–24):
  • For example, the incumbent political party (BJP) received nearly 84.65% of all declared direct corporate donations.
  • Its donations were four times more than all other national parties combined.
• Electoral trusts: For example, BJP received around 71.67% of total funds routed through electoral trusts. This indicates a clear financial asymmetry in favour of the ruling party.

Electoral Trust Scheme - Performance and Concerns:

• Introduced in 2013 to formalise corporate political donations.
• FY 2013–14 to 2023–24 data:
  • Among the top ten trusts, Prudent Electoral Trust dominates.
  • It received ₹33,330.54 crore (86.38%) of total trust contributions. 75% of its donations went to the BJP.
• FY 2024–25 data:
  • The trust received ₹2,668.49 crore.
  • Donated ₹2,180.71 crore to BJP and ₹216.34 crore to Congress.
• Inference: Political funding via trusts is highly concentrated—both in terms of donors (few trusts) and beneficiaries (incumbent party).

Transparency Deficit in Electoral Trusts:

• What is known? Names of donor companies and recipient parties (via filings to ECI and IT Department).
• What is not known?
  • Which company donated to which party.
  • Method and rationale of fund disbursal by trusts remain opaque.
• Reform suggestion:
  • Electoral trusts should reflect the name of the company or corporate group that established them.
  • Public disclosure of donors–donees mapping is essential for democratic accountability.

Quid Pro Quo and Supreme Court Observations:

• Political funding in India is heavily dependent on corporates donating to ruling parties at Centre or states.
• This creates a quid pro quo (“something for something”) relationship.
• SC (Electoral Bonds Case, 2024):
  • “The reason for political contributions by companies is as open as daylight.”
  • “Contributions made by companies are purely business transactions made with the intent of securing benefits in return.”
  • Thus, the apex court called quid pro quo an instance of “institutionalised corruption”.

Campaign Finance and Rising Cost of Elections:

• No legal cap on political party expenditure (only on candidates).
• Unlimited party spending has led to:
  • Highly professionalised campaigns.
  • Escalating election costs.
  • India becoming one of the most expensive electoral democracies, surpassing even the US.

Public Funding of Elections - Historical Debate:

• Constituent Assembly (1948) deliberations: Elections are a state affair, not a private one. Public funding was seen as a way to prevent unfair advantage to wealthy candidates. Several committees and experts have supported state funding of elections.
• Preconditions suggested:
  • Internal democracy within political parties
  • Transparency in party functioning
  • Bringing parties under RTI
  • Regulation or ban on private donations

Lessons from the Past:

• Corporate donations were banned (1969–1985).
• The absence of alternative lawful funding:
  • Led to opaque, illegal practices
  • Rise of “briefcase politics”
• Indicates that bans without systemic reform can worsen corruption.

Challenges and Way Forward:

• Disparity in access to funds among political parties: Design a comprehensive political finance framework that
  • Ensures equitable access to funding
  • Diversifies sources of political finance
  • Strengthens transparency and disclosure norms
• Concentration of economic and political power: Strengthen institutional oversight by ECI and judiciary.
• Opaque funding channels: Introduce calibrated public funding alongside reforms.
• Lack of expenditure limits for parties: Cap political party expenditure.
• High entry barriers: Reduce financial entry barriers ( for new or less-resourced candidates) to political contestation.

Conclusion:

• India’s democracy bears the cost of distorted political funding through weakened electoral competition and compromised public interest.
• Without urgent reforms to address inequality, elections risk becoming contests of money rather than mandates of the people.
• Ultimately, when political finance remains skewed and opaque, it is the citizens who pay the price for their democracy.

Why in news?

As the world enters 2026 after a turbulent 2025, India faces a critical diplomatic moment. Global geopolitics was reshaped by wars, elections, sanctions, and leadership shifts.

India’s foreign policy choices in 2026 will determine its global standing, regional stability, and strategic autonomy.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Backdrop: 2025 as a Global Reset Year
• India–U.S. Relations Under Trump 2.0
• India–Pakistan: An Uneasy Pause
• Neighbourhood Diplomacy Challenges
• West Asia: Fragile Calm, Strategic Stakes
• Ukraine War and Russia Factor
• China and Russia: Strategic Outreach
• Multilateral Diplomacy in 2026
• Key Diplomatic Tests for India in 2026
• Conclusion: Repair, Rebuild, Rebalance

Backdrop: 2025 as a Global Reset Year

• 2025 witnessed the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, reshaping global trade, security, and alliance politics.
• Wars in Ukraine and Gaza, renewed great-power rivalry, and erosion of trust in multilateral institutions marked the year.
• Global politics increasingly moved towards transactionalism, tariffs, and coercive diplomacy.
• India’s Position
  • India navigated a year of conflicting pressures:
    • Managing ties with the U.S. amid tariff threats.
    • Sustaining energy and defence links with Russia.
    • Maintaining stability in its neighbourhood.
  • Despite tensions, India avoided strategic isolation.

India–U.S. Relations Under Trump 2.0

• Initial optimism following Trump’s re-election faded quickly.
• Trump accused India of “unfair trade practices” and imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports.
• Pressure mounted on India to reduce Russian oil imports.
• Trade talks stalled.
• While military and strategic cooperation continued, economic friction dominated.
• 2026 will test whether the relationship stabilises or deteriorates further.

India–Pakistan: An Uneasy Pause

• A terror attack in Pahalgam led India to launch Operation Sindoor.
• Military escalation was avoided, but relations remain tense.
• Pakistan faces internal consolidation of power under Asim Munir, raising concerns over military dominance.
• Key Concern for India - Fragile ceasefire; Persistent terror infrastructure; Risk of sudden escalation.

Neighbourhood Diplomacy Challenges

• Nepal: Regime Change and Instability
  • Protests and generational political churn.
  • Formation of an interim government.
  • Revival of monarchist sentiments and stronger army role.
  • India must recalibrate engagement carefully.
• Bangladesh: Political Turmoil
  • Renewed unrest after killing of youth leader.
  • Student protests and fragile interim administration under Muhammad Yunus.
  • Elections due in 2026 amid law-and-order concerns.

West Asia: Fragile Calm, Strategic Stakes

• Gaza War Pause
  • Temporary pause after intense conflict.
  • Direct Indian interests due to:
    • Energy security
    • Indian diaspora
    • IMEC corridor prospects
  • India’s Role - Advocates restraint, humanitarian aid, and regional stability; 2026 may offer limited diplomatic revival but risks remain high.

Ukraine War and Russia Factor

• War Without Resolution
  • No clear end despite peace talks.
  • Trump pushes for ceasefire, but core disputes persist.
• India’s Position - Continued engagement with Russia; Participation in Ukraine discussions while preserving strategic autonomy; Russian oil imports remain critical for inflation control.

China and Russia: Strategic Outreach

• India engaged both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin through SCO and bilateral channels.
• China remains the primary long-term challenge despite tactical engagement.
• Despite talks, 60,000+ troops remain deployed on both sides of LAC.
• Disengagement remain incomplete.
• Re-engagement with China: Cautious Reset
  • Trade links expanded but mistrust remains.
  • India balances economic pragmatism with security concerns.
  • 2026 diplomacy requires avoiding escalation without conceding core interests.

Multilateral Diplomacy in 2026

• BRICS and Quad
  • India must balance participation in BRICS with its role in the Quad.
  • Both forums reflect India’s strategic autonomy.
• G20 Under U.S. Presidency
  • Trump’s approach may dilute multilateralism.
  • India must protect G20 gains achieved during its presidency.
• Europe and Africa: Renewed Focus
  • Europe
    • India seeks stronger economic and strategic ties.
    • Hosting visits from EU leadership expected.
  • Africa
    • India’s goodwill remains strong.
    • Next India–Africa Forum Summit
    • Countering China’s growing footprint remains a challenge.

Key Diplomatic Tests for India in 2026

• Trade
  • Finalising or salvaging trade deal with the U.S.
  • Managing tariff pressures.
• Energy Security
  • Sustaining Russian oil imports amid pressure.
  • Maintaining Middle East stability.
• Technology and AI
  • Hosting global AI summit.
  • Showcasing India’s tech leadership.

Conclusion: Repair, Rebuild, Rebalance

• 2026 is not about grand resets but careful repair:
  • Repairing strained alliances.
  • Rebuilding neighbourhood trust.
  • Rebalancing relations among rival power blocs.

Why in news?

India’s approach to energy security has steadily evolved from dependence on a few traditional suppliers to a more diversified and opportunistic sourcing strategy. Once heavily reliant on Saudi Arabia and West Asia for nearly two-thirds of its crude imports, India has progressively broadened its oil basket to balance geopolitical risks with cost advantages.

In recent years, Russia has emerged as a major supplier, reflecting New Delhi’s pragmatic diplomacy—leveraging global disruptions to secure discounted crude while maintaining ties across rival blocs.

Overall, India’s oil policy now prioritises flexibility, diversification, and economic prudence over fixed geopolitical alignments.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• West Asia as the Backbone of India’s Oil Imports
• Iran Sanctions and the Reshaping of India’s Crude Basket
• Iran Sanctions, Temporary Revival, and India’s Diversification Push
• Russia Emerges as India’s Largest Crude Supplier

West Asia as the Backbone of India’s Oil Imports

• Before 2005, India’s energy security rested overwhelmingly on West Asia, which supplied over 70% of its crude oil, led by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and the UAE.
• Although India gradually diversified its sources between 2005 and 2015—adding African suppliers like Nigeria and Angola and limited volumes from South America—West Asia remained dominant.
• Despite this gradual broadening, more than 60% of the crude oil imported in 2011-12 came from seven West Asian nations:
  • Saudi Arabia (About 17% of the overall basket),
  • Iran (11.3%), Iraq (10.5%),
  • Kuwait (7%),
  • United Arab Emirates (9%),
  • Oman (3.4%) and
  • Qatar (3.3%).
• African oil, mainly from Nigeria and Angola, formed a distant second, accounting for about one-fifth of total imports.

Iran Sanctions and the Reshaping of India’s Crude Basket

• India’s long-standing oil ties with Iran faced a major disruption after international sanctions tightened around Tehran.
• In June 2010, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran over concerns about its expanding nuclear programme.
• This was followed in 2011 by unilateral sanctions from the United States, including restrictions on Iran’s Central Bank and threats to penalise foreign banks purchasing Iranian crude.
• Under mounting external pressure, India began scaling down imports from Iran. As a result, Iran’s share in India’s crude oil basket declined sharply—from a double-digit level earlier to 7.1% in 2012–13, 5.8% in 2013–14, 5.7% in 2014–15, before a marginal rise to 6.2% in 2015–16.
• This phase marked a crucial turning point in India’s energy diplomacy, highlighting how geopolitical sanctions directly constrained sourcing choices despite economic considerations.

Iran Sanctions, Temporary Revival, and India’s Diversification Push

• The easing of sanctions on Iran in 2016, after compliance with the United Nations Security Council–approved nuclear agreement, briefly revived India–Iran energy ties.
• India increased crude imports from Iran to 12.7% in 2016–17, restoring Tehran’s position as a major supplier.
• However, this recovery was short-lived. After Donald Trump assumed office and reimposed US sanctions in 2017, Iran’s share in India’s oil basket declined again to just over 10% in 2017–18 and 2018–19.
• By 2019–20, India drastically reduced Iranian crude purchases by 91.8%, reflecting both sanctions pressure and a conscious diversification strategy.
• New Delhi increasingly sourced oil from the United Arab Emirates and the United States, reducing vulnerability to single-source shocks.
• At present, India’s oil import profile is far more diversified: 40–45% from the Middle East, 8–10% from Africa, and 10–12% from the Americas.

Russia Emerges as India’s Largest Crude Supplier

• A major shift in India’s oil import basket occurred in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February that year.
• The conflict triggered sweeping sanctions on Moscow by the European Union and the United States, forcing Russia to redirect its crude exports at discounted prices.
• India and China—among the world’s largest oil consumers—continued buying Russian oil, guided by economic considerations rather than sanction regimes.
• Sharp Rise in Russian Oil Share
  • According to India’s Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), Russia became the largest contributor to India’s crude basket starting FY 2022–23.
  • Russia’s share jumped from less than 2% in 2021–22 to 21.6% in 2022–23, rising further to 35.9% in 2023–24 and 35.8% in 2024–25.
  • Currently, around one-third of India’s total crude imports come from Russia.
  • Importantly, Indian refineries were technically “well-suited” to process Russian crude, easing the transition.
• Economics of Discounted Russian Crude
  • The surge was supported by favourable pricing.
  • The price of Russian Urals crude fell from $79.41 per barrel in April 2022 to $66.49 per barrel in March 2025, improving refinery margins.
  • During this period, the shares of traditional suppliers such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE declined only marginally, indicating diversification rather than displacement.
• Why Russian Oil Is Hard to Replace?
  • As per analysts, cutting Russian oil imports would be “difficult, costly, and risky” for India.
  • Replacing Russian crude would require rapid sourcing from multiple suppliers at higher costs due to increased freight charges and weaker discounts.
  • Such substitution could compress refinery margins, raise retail fuel prices, fuel inflation, trigger political backlash, and strain refinery balance sheets and credit lines.

Why in the News?

• India’s progress towards the “Health for All” goal has come under scrutiny amid funding constraints, rising disease burdens, antimicrobial resistance and recent pharmaceutical quality failures.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India’s Health Landscape (Emerging Context, Financing & Budgetary Constraints, Infra Gaps, Pharma Quality & Regulatory Oversight)

India’s Health Landscape: The Emerging Context

• With a population of nearly 146 crore, India’s public health system faces complex and overlapping challenges.
• The disease profile has shifted significantly over the last decade, marked by a sharp rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and cancers, alongside the continued presence of infectious diseases like tuberculosis and emerging viral outbreaks.
• Climate change has further intensified health risks through heat stress, air pollution and extreme weather events, increasing morbidity and healthcare demand.
• At the same time, India’s expanding pharmaceutical industry and growing role as a global medicine supplier have raised concerns over drug quality regulation, underscoring the need for stronger governance frameworks to protect public health.

Public Health Financing and Budgetary Constraints

• One of the most persistent bottlenecks in achieving Health for All is under-investment in healthcare.
• India’s public health expenditure has consistently remained below 2% of GDP, despite the National Health Policy setting a target of 2.5% of GDP.
• For 2025-26, the Union health allocation stood at 99,859 crore, representing an increase over the previous year but still insufficient to meet population-level needs.
• The funding stress has been exacerbated by external factors, including the withdrawal of certain international funding streams that previously supported programmes in HIV/AIDS, maternal health and population services.
• As a result, both Union and State governments have had to absorb additional fiscal pressure, often leading to uneven capacity across regions.

Infrastructure Gaps and Environmental Health Concerns

• Although post-pandemic investments improved diagnostic capacity and hospital bed availability, infrastructure gaps persist, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
• The demand–supply mismatch is further worsened by severe air pollution, especially in northern India during the winter months.
• Poor air quality has reduced life expectancy, increased respiratory illnesses, and disproportionately affected children, elderly citizens and those with pre-existing conditions.
• Without sustained environmental health interventions and long-term urban air quality management, these health stressors risk overwhelming already stretched public health systems.

Tuberculosis Control and Antimicrobial Resistance

• India’s decision to advance its tuberculosis elimination target to 2025 has not yielded the desired outcomes.
• While diagnostic capacity has improved through indigenous molecular tools such as TrueNat, challenges persist due to inconsistent detection rates and the growing burden of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB.
• A related and more systemic threat is antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Global surveillance data indicate that resistance levels in India are significantly higher than global averages, particularly for serious bacterial infections treated in hospital settings.
• Factors such as over-the-counter antibiotic access, self-medication, incomplete treatment courses, pharmaceutical waste contamination and weak regulatory enforcement continue to fuel AMR.
• Although policy frameworks exist, effective implementation remains uneven across States.

Pharmaceutical Quality and Regulatory Oversight

• Recent incidents involving contaminated medicines have exposed serious regulatory lapses within India’s pharmaceutical quality control ecosystem.
• The deaths of children due to toxic cough syrup consumption in Madhya Pradesh highlighted failures in manufacturing oversight, testing and enforcement.
• Such episodes not only undermine domestic health outcomes but also weaken India’s credibility as a global supplier of affordable medicines.
• Ensuring rigorous quality standards, strengthening drug regulators and enforcing accountability are essential for safeguarding public trust and advancing India’s ambition of being the “pharmacy of the world”.

Why in News?

• More than six years after opting out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019, India has effectively secured most of the economic benefits of the grouping without formally joining it.
• The recent conclusion of the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) marks a significant milestone—India now has FTAs with all RCEP members except China.
• This reflects a calibrated trade strategy balancing market access, strategic autonomy, and economic security.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is RCEP?
• Why India Opted Out of RCEP (2019)?
• The ‘RCEP Minus China’ Strategy
• India–China Trade Framework
• Why RCEP Would Have Been Riskier?
• India’s FTAs with RCEP Members
• Key Highlights of India–New Zealand FTA
• Challenges and Way Ahead
• Conclusion 

What is RCEP?

• RCEP is the world’s largest trading bloc, comprising -
  • 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
  • Plus Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand
• It covers nearly 30% of global GDP and population, and aims at tariff liberalisation, supply chain integration, and trade facilitation.

Why India Opted Out of RCEP (2019)?

• Key reasons:
  • China factor: Fear of near duty-free access for Chinese goods flooding Indian markets.
  • Manufacturing asymmetry: China’s superior manufacturing competitiveness.
  • Trade deficits: Concerns over widening deficits, especially with ASEAN and China.
  • Inadequate safeguards:
    • Weak protection for sensitive sectors (agriculture, MSMEs, manufacturing)
    • Limited flexibility in tariff liberalisation timelines
• Official stand: The Indian PM stated that RCEP in its existing form did not reflect agreed guiding principles, and failed to address India’s “outstanding issues and concerns”.

The ‘RCEP Minus China’ Strategy:

• Core idea: Bilateral FTAs with 14 of 15 RCEP members, exclude China from a full-fledged FTA, and retain tariff sovereignty and policy space.
• Expert view:
  • Described as “smart risk management”, delivers market access without systemic vulnerability.
  • Superior to both joining RCEP, and signing a direct FTA with China.

India–China Trade Framework:

• APTA: India and China are part of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), which is a preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with limited tariff concessions on select items.
• Significance: Prevents blanket tariff elimination, limits exposure to Chinese imports. 

Why RCEP Would Have Been Riskier?

• Integrated structure of RCEP diluted country-specific safeguards, and limited control over rules of origin.
• Indirect entry of Chinese goods via ASEAN and other RCEP members.
• No phased liberalisation tailored to India’s sensitivities.

India’s FTAs with RCEP Members:

• Pre-2014 agreements:
  • ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) – 2010
  • India–South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) – 2010
  • India–Japan CEPA – 2011
  • Issue: AITIGA led to a sharp rise in India’s trade deficit with ASEAN.
  • Status: Renegotiation underway, limited progress so far.
• Post-2014 developments:
  • India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) – 2022 – Early-harvest deal, and ongoing talks to expand scope.
  • India–New Zealand FTA – Negotiations concluded December 2025.

Key Highlights of India–New Zealand FTA:

• Zero-duty market access for Indian exports.
• Investment commitment of $20 billion.
• Strengthens India’s presence in the Pacific and Indo-Pacific trade architecture.
• Completes India’s bilateral coverage of RCEP (except China).

Challenges and Way Ahead:

• Persistent trade deficits with ASEAN countries: Slow renegotiation of legacy FTAs like AITIGA. Rebalance existing FTAs - Stronger safeguards, reciprocity-based market access.
• Domestic competitiveness: MSMEs and manufacturing still need productivity enhancement. Strengthen domestic manufacturing - Align with Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Geopolitical pressure: Strategic plurilateralism - engage selectively without compromising autonomy.
• Global supply chain realignments: Supply chain resilience - Leverage FTAs for diversification away from China-centric chains.

Conclusion:

• India’s post-RCEP trajectory demonstrates a mature and pragmatic trade strategy.
• By pursuing an ‘RCEP minus China’ approach, India has preserved tariff and policy autonomy.
• The India–New Zealand FTA completes this strategic arc, reinforcing India’s position as a selective, interest-driven participant in global trade, rather than a passive signatory to mega trade blocs.
• This approach aligns well with India’s long-term goals of economic resilience, strategic autonomy, and sustainable integration into global value chains.

Why in news?

The Indian economy in 2025 has faced a mixed and uncertain phase. Even as the government rolled out policy measures supportive of growth, their impact has been partly offset by domestic challenges and adverse global conditions, making the economic recovery uneven and fragile.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What Went Right for the Indian Economy in 2025
• Trade Agreements That Strengthened India’s Economic Outreach in 2025
• U.S. Trade Tensions Undermined India’s Economic Momentum in 2025
• Outlook for the Indian Economy: Cautious Growth with Data Reforms Ahead

What Went Right for the Indian Economy in 2025?

• The year began on a positive note for the Indian economy with a series of growth-supporting policy moves.
• In February, PM Modi and US President Trump announced plans to work towards a India–U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement by the fall of 2025, raising expectations of improved trade and investment flows.
• The same month, Union Finance Minister presented Budget 2025, which reduced income tax rates and slabs, easing the tax burden for most taxpayers. The move was widely seen as a boost to disposable incomes and consumer demand.
• In September, the GST Council simplified the indirect tax structure by scrapping the 12% and 28% GST slabs and shifting most items to lower slabs—from 12% to 5%, and from 28% to 18%—helping reduce prices and improve consumption sentiment.
• Further, in November, the Centre announced the implementation of the four Labour Codes, expanding social security coverage to contract and gig workers and ensuring benefits such as higher minimum wages, strengthening worker welfare and formalisation.
• Overall, these measures signalled a policy push towards demand revival, tax rationalisation, and labour protection in 2025.

Trade Agreements That Strengthened India’s Economic Outreach in 2025

• 2025 marked a strong year for India’s trade diplomacy, with several major agreements concluded, implemented, or pushed close to completion.
• India–UK Trade Deal: The United Kingdom–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, grants India duty-free access to most UK markets and improves mobility provisions for Indian professionals and workers.
• India–EFTA Agreement Comes into Force: The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association—covering Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein—entered into force on October 1, 2025.
  • Beyond trade concessions, EFTA countries committed $100 billion in investments over 15 years, a target officials believe may be met earlier.
• India–Oman CEPA: In December, India signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Oman, further expanding India’s footprint in West Asia.
• India–New Zealand FTA: India and New Zealand concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement, under which 100% of Indian exports will receive duty-free access, alongside a $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years from New Zealand.
• India–EU Talks Near Finish Line: According to Piyush Goyal, negotiations with the European Union are in their final stages, though it remains uncertain whether a deal will be concluded before the end of 2025.
• Overall, 2025 underscored India’s push to diversify trade partners, secure market access, and attract long-term investment through ambitious trade agreements.

U.S. Trade Tensions Undermined India’s Economic Momentum in 2025

• The biggest setback for India’s economy in 2025 came from trade frictions with the United States.
• Tariff Shock After Early Optimism
  • After a positive start in February, when India and the U.S. announced plans for a bilateral trade agreement, President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs in April.
  • India initially faced a 26% tariff, later paused for 90 days to allow negotiations.
• Breakdown of Trade Talks
  • Negotiations stalled over key issues, especially U.S. demands for market access in India for agricultural and dairy products.
  • As no agreement was reached, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on India on July 31, followed by an additional 25% penalty tariff a week later for India’s imports of Russian oil, taking the total to 50%.
• Impact on Indian Exports
  • The steep tariffs severely hurt labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, and engineering goods, where the U.S. is a major export destination.
  • While New Delhi announced an Export Promotion Mission to provide cheaper credit and help exporters tackle non-tariff barriers, details of the support measures have not yet been released.

Outlook for the Indian Economy: Cautious Growth with Data Reforms Ahead

• The year ahead is expected to be a mixed phase for India’s economy.
• On the downside, the Reserve Bank of India has projected 7.3% GDP growth for 2025–26, implying a notable slowdown in the second half of the year after strong growth averaging 8% in the first half.
• In addition, global trade tensions and tariff-related uncertainties are likely to persist for several more months, weighing on exports and external demand.
• On the positive side, India is set for a long-awaited upgrade of key macroeconomic indicators.
• The base years and methodologies for GDP, the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be revised.
• These updates are expected to provide more accurate, contemporary, and reliable measurements of economic activity, inflation, and industrial performance.

Why in news?

Recently, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment to strengthen conservation of the Great Indian Bustard, focusing on preventing bird deaths caused by collisions with overhead power lines linked to renewable energy projects.

Acting on recommendations from an expert committee, the Court demarcated priority conservation areas for the critically endangered species and laid down a mechanism to reroute or manage overhead power lines in these zones.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background: What the Supreme Court Was Examining?
• Measures Ordered by the Supreme Court
• Conservation Measures Directed by the Supreme Court

Background: What the Supreme Court Was Examining

• A retired bureaucrat & environmentalist approached the Supreme Court of India seeking urgent protection for Great Indian Bustard (GIB).
• The petition flagged rising fatal collisions with renewable energy transmission lines in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Poor frontal vision and heavy body make GIBs highly vulnerable to overhead wires.
• Key Supreme Court Directions (2021–2024)
  • 2021 order - Ban on new overhead power lines across ~99,000 sq km of GIB habitat; Assessment of undergrounding high-voltage lines; Mandatory bird diverters
  • March 2024 modification
    • Withdrawal of blanket ban on overhead lines; Following concerns raised by the Ministry of Power, MNRE, and MoEFCC over feasibility and sector-wide impact.
• Balancing Conservation and Clean Energy
• Court acknowledged the need to balance:
  • Climate commitments and renewable energy expansion, and
  • Protection of a critically endangered species
  • Held that undergrounding alone is insufficient for conservation.
• It constituted an expert committee of wildlife and power-sector specialists.
• Basis of the Final Judgment
  • Expert committee recommendations guided the Court’s latest ruling.
  • The judgment introduced targeted safeguards for the GIB while accommodating India’s renewable energy goals.

Measures Ordered by the Supreme Court

• Acting on recommendations from an expert committee, the Supreme Court of India approved a package of measures across three pillars:
  • redrawing conservation zones;
  • voltage-based mitigation for power lines (rerouting or undergrounding);
  • creation of dedicated powerline corridors to reduce collision risk.
• Revised Priority Conservation Areas
  • Rajasthan: Priority areas expanded from 13,163 sq km to 14,013 sq km.
  • Gujarat: Priority areas increased from 500 sq km to 740 sq km.
  • These zones represent core habitats and breeding areas identified by the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
  • Contestation: Petitioners opposed the exclusion of 657 sq km (eastern Rasla–Degray Oran), arguing it is a vital wintering and stopover corridor between Pokhran and Desert National Park.
  • Critical sites prioritised include: Desert National Park; Salkha–Kuchri; Sanu–Mokla–Parewar; Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) and its buffer/eastern periphery; Dholiya; Khetolai; and Chacha.
• Dedicated Powerline Corridors
  • Rajasthan: New powerline corridors up to 5 km wide, placed ≥5 km south of Desert National Park, to carry rerouted overhead lines.
  • Gujarat: Dedicated corridors of 1–2 km width to evacuate power from wind/solar projects in coastal Kutch.
  • Route optimisation mandate: Where multiple green-energy pooling stations terminate at a common grid station, authorities must converge routes into a common stretch wherever feasible.
• Project Restrictions in Priority Areas
  • No new overhead power lines within revised priority areas except via designated corridors (lines ≤11 kV exempt).
  • No new wind turbines in priority areas.
  • No new solar parks/plants >2 MW, and no expansion of existing solar parks, within priority areas.
• Voltage-Based Mitigation (Undergrounding & Timelines)
  • Rajasthan:
    • Immediate undergrounding of 80 km of 33 kV lines (of 104 km identified earlier).
    • All burying/rerouting to start immediately and finish before 2028.
  • Gujarat:
    • Immediate undergrounding of 79.2 km of 33 kV lines in priority areas.
    • 64.9 km of 66 kV lines earmarked for immediate undergrounding.
    • WII-identified 250 km of critical lines to be buried within 2 years.
• Bird Flight Diverters: Evidence-Based Pause
  • The Court did not issue blanket directions on installing bird flight diverters.
  • Instead, it directed the committee to assess their effectiveness in reducing collision mortality and submit findings to the Centre.

Conservation Measures Directed by the Supreme Court

• The apex court endorsed a mix of general and State-specific measures to strengthen conservation of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), alongside the ongoing Project GIB.
• Measures for Rajasthan
  • Grassland Restoration and Consolidation - Priority on restoration, conservation, and consolidation of grassland ecosystems, the GIB’s primary habitat.
  • In-situ Habitat Management
    • To support survival in the wild, the Court directed:
    • Enclosure improvements to secure breeding and foraging areas
    • Predator management, including control of free-ranging dogs and reptiles that prey on eggs
    • Food and water management to stabilise resources
    • Community engagement to reduce human-wildlife conflict and support local stewardship
• Measures for Gujarat
  • ‘Jump-Start’ Breeding in the Wild
    • Adoption of a ‘jump-start’ method: transferring fertile eggs from Rajasthan to Gujarat.
    • Technique involves swapping an infertile egg with a fertile one, enabling the female to incubate and raise the chick in natural conditions.
  • Technology-Enabled Monitoring
    • GPS tagging of birds to track movements and support the jump-start breeding process and post-release monitoring.

Why in the News?

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

What’s in Today’s Article?

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

Why India Imports So Much Gold?

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

Steps Taken by the Union Government to Curb These Imports

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

News Summary

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

Context

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

The Polluter Pays Principle and Its Legal Foundations

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

Proportionality and the Limits of Farmer Liability

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

Transboundary Air Pollution and International Precedents

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

From Polluter Pays to Government Pays: The Indian Experience

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

The Role of an Activist Judiciary and Its Limitations

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

Conclusion

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

Context

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

Expansion of Medical Education and the Shift Towards PPPs

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

Unequal Risk Sharing and Incentive Distortions

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

Impact on Access, Equity, and the Public Health System

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

Structural Weaknesses and Governance Constraints

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

Quality, Sustainability, and the Future of Medical Education

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

Conclusion

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

Context:

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

Key Features of the SHANTI Act:

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

Reform of Civil Nuclear Liability - A Breakthrough:

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

Regulatory and Institutional Concerns:

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

Pricing of Nuclear Power - A Major Policy Challenge:

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

Way Forward - Market-Based Nuclear Expansion:

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

Conclusion:

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

Why in news?

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

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

What’s in Today’s Article?

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

Urban Malaria: A New Challenge

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

Why Anopheles stephensi Is a Serious Threat?

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

Persistent High-Burden Pockets

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

India’s Progress So Far

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

Strategic Frameworks Guiding Elimination

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

The Road Ahead: 2030 Malaria-Free India

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

Why in news?

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

What’s in Today’s Article?

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

Forces Driving the Current Turmoil in Bangladesh

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

Mobocracy and Media Control as Tools

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

Economic Unravelling and India Ties

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

Tarique Rahman’s Return: Political Impact After 17 Years

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

Rising Anti-India Rhetoric in Bangladesh

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

Why the India–Bangladesh Relationship Matters Deeply?

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

Why in news?

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has completed 100 years, tracing its origins to the Kanpur conference of December 26, 1925. The milestone has renewed attention on how communism took root in India, its ideological influences, organisational evolution, and role in the freedom struggle.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Global Antecedents of Indian Communism
• Three Political Strands Behind CPI’s Formation
• Origin Story: Tashkent vs Kanpur Debate
• Social Reform and Anti-Oppression Stance
• Role in the Freedom Struggle (1925–1947)
• Shaping the Constitution and Mass Mobilisation
• Post-Independence Trajectory

Global Antecedents of Indian Communism

• The roots of communism lie in European political upheavals after the French Revolution (1789) and Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815), which polarised society between defenders of monarchy and advocates of republican change.
• The Industrial Revolution intensified inequalities, creating fertile ground for socialist ideas.
• Karl Marx, writing in 19th-century Europe, argued for a transition from capitalism to socialism.
• While Marx expected socialist revolutions in advanced capitalist societies, the first successful socialist revolution occurred in Russia in 1917, a relatively backward, Tsarist empire.
• The Russian Revolution combined anti-feudal, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist elements, making it especially attractive to colonised countries like India.

Three Political Strands Behind CPI’s Formation

• Indian communism emerged from three distinct but converging strands:
• The MN Roy–Comintern Strand
  • MN Roy, a revolutionary who lived in the US, Mexico, Berlin, and later the USSR, played a pivotal role.
  • He attended the 1920 Comintern (Communist International) meeting as India’s representative.
  • The Comintern assessed how communism could adapt to colonial conditions, influencing Indian communists.
  • There were other groups of diasporic Indian revolutionaries active in Berlin, led by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, and Kabul, led by Raja Mahendra Pratap.
• Independent Left Groups in India
  • Separate Left formations emerged in Lahore (Ghulam Hussain), Bombay (S A Dange), Calcutta (Muzaffar Ahmad), and Madras (Singaravelu Chettiar).
  • These groups operated independently but shared anti-imperialist and socialist goals.
• Worker–Peasant Organisations
  • Trade unions and peasant bodies such as the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), formed in 1920, provided a mass base.
  • These organisations linked socialism with labour and agrarian struggles.

Origin Story: Tashkent vs Kanpur Debate

• 1920, Tashkent
  • Four Indian revolutionaries (including MN Roy and Abani Mukherji) set up a Communist Party under Comintern influence.
  • Aim: liberate India from British rule and establish socialism.
  • However, it lacked support from Indian-based Left groups and the diaspora.
• 1925, Kanpur Conference
  • Indian communist groups organised a national conference in Kanpur, resolving to form the Communist Party of India.
  • Objectives included:
    • Ending British rule
    • Establishing a workers’ and peasants’ republic
    • Socialising the means of production and distribution
• Key ideological divide
  • The CPI(M) later traced its origins to Tashkent (1920), emphasising internationalism.
  • The CPI identified Kanpur (1925) as the foundation, highlighting the Indian component of communism.

Social Reform and Anti-Oppression Stance

• Early Communists opposed not only colonial exploitation but also caste oppression and patriarchy.
• At Kanpur, conference chair M Singaravelu condemned untouchability.
• The CPI became the first organisation to bar members of communal bodies, underscoring its secular and inclusive ethos.

Role in the Freedom Struggle (1925–1947)

• 1925–28: Communists were active in organising workers’ and peasants’ movements.
• 1929: Leaders were arrested in the Meerut Conspiracy Case, accused of organising railway strikes; many were jailed or deported.
• 1930s: Communists worked with the Congress Socialist Party in a United Front against imperialism.
• 1939: The United Front collapsed due to ideological and political differences.
• Post-1945: Communists led major peasant struggles, especially in Bengal and Telangana.

Shaping the Constitution and Mass Mobilisation

• Communist influence was evident in Constituent Assembly debates on land reforms, workers’ rights, and protections for backward classes.
• Movements like the Telangana Rebellion showcased commitment to agrarian justice.
• The CPI mobilised society through organisations such as the All India Trade Union Congress, All India Kisan Sabha, All India Students’ Federation, and the Progressive Writers’ Association, embedding ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice in post-Independence discourse.

Post-Independence Trajectory

• After 1947, Indian communists followed divergent paths:
  • Some adopted armed, insurrectionary strategies.
  • Others chose the parliamentary democratic route, seeking power through elections.
• These differences eventually led to splits within the communist movement, most notably in 1964 (CPI–CPI(M) split).

Why in news?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) to two new regional airlines—Al Hind Air and FlyExpress—bringing the total number of proposed regional carriers to four. Two others, Air Kerala and Shankh Air, received NOCs last year but are yet to secure Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) and begin flights.

While the government is keen to expand domestic aviation in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, the regional airline segment remains high-risk, with a history of more failures than successes.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What an NOC Allows—and How It’s Granted?
• Duopoly Worries After IndiGo Disruption
• Why Regional Airlines Struggle in India?

What an NOC Allows—and How It’s Granted?

• Issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, an NOC lets applicants set up offices, hire staff, and pursue further approvals.
• It’s granted after assessing financial soundness, operational plans, and security clearances, and is typically valid for three years.

Duopoly Worries After IndiGo Disruption

• The announcement of new regional airlines comes weeks after a major operational disruption at IndiGo, which renewed concerns about India’s airline duopoly.
• Together, IndiGo and the Air India group command over 90% of the domestic market, heightening risks from over-concentration.
• In this context, the NoC is being read as a signal to encourage competition, though experts urge caution.
• New Entrants Unlikely to Shift Market Shares
  • While fresh regional players are a positive signal, experts doubt they will significantly dent the dominance of the two majors.
  • The tougher question is whether these startups can survive India’s unforgiving aviation economics.
• The New Regional Players
  • Al Hind Air: Backed by the Kerala-based Al Hind Group; plans a regional commuter model using ATR-72 turboprops.
  • FlyExpress: Plans yet to be detailed publicly.
  • Air Kerala: Envisions an ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) connecting tier-2 and tier-3 cities to major hubs with turboprops; despite an NOC last year, it has struggled to induct aircraft—required for an AOC from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
  • Shankh Air: Promoted by UP-based entrepreneur; aims to operate regional routes within and beyond Uttar Pradesh from the upcoming Noida International Airport, with operations planned in the coming months.

Why Regional Airlines Struggle in India?

• Despite a few successes—Star Air, Fly91, and government-owned Alliance Air—India’s regional aviation space has seen many collapses.
• Past failures include Paramount Airways, Air Pegasus, TruJet, Zoom Air, Air Carnival, Air Costa, Air Mantra, and Air Odisha.
• More recently, Fly Big suspended operations in October.
• Structural Challenges in the Market
  • India is a tough aviation market, especially for small carriers.
  • High price sensitivity, thin profit margins, high debt, and dollar-denominated costs (fuel, leasing, maintenance) favour large airlines with scale, efficient fleets, and deep pockets.
  • Most regional airlines lack the financial resilience to withstand shocks.
• Demand Constraints at Smaller Airports
  • Regional routes often suffer from limited and seasonal demand, while most passenger traffic remains concentrated at major hubs.
  • This makes load factors volatile and route planning risky for small carriers.
• Financing and Revenue Limitations
  • Without backing from a major airline group, regional carriers struggle to access finance and debt, as lenders perceive higher risk.
  • Short-haul routes also face stiff competition from trains and road transport, and offer fewer opportunities for ancillary revenues like belly cargo.
• What Could Improve Viability?
  • There is cautious optimism that a growing, upwardly mobile middle class could improve regional airline prospects.
  • Success will hinge on lean operations, serving genuinely underserved regions, building dominance in specific geographies, and—crucially—strong financial backing to sustain operations through inevitable downturns.

Why in the News?

• The government has linked the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) with the National Population Register (NPR), enabling security agencies to access family-wise data of nearly 119 crore residents.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About NATGRID & NPR
• News Summary (Linking NATGRID & NPR, Significance, Concerns, Way Forward)

Background: National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

• NATGRID is a secure and integrated data-sharing platform developed to assist law enforcement and intelligence agencies in India.
• Conceived after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, NATGRID aims to enable real-time access to multiple government and private databases for faster investigation and intelligence gathering.
• Operationalised in recent years, NATGRID links datasets such as banking transactions, telecom records, travel data, vehicle registration, and identity documents.
• Initially restricted to a limited number of central agencies, access has now been expanded to include State police forces, particularly officers of Superintendent of Police rank and above.
• The core objective of NATGRID is to overcome information silos between agencies and improve coordination in tackling terrorism, organised crime, financial fraud, and transnational criminal networks.

National Population Register (NPR)

• The NPR is a comprehensive database containing demographic and family-wise details of residents in India.
• It was first compiled during the 2011 Census and later updated in 2015 through door-to-door enumeration.
• The NPR includes information such as name, age, gender, address, and family relationships.
• The NPR is considered the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC), although the government has clarified that no decision has been taken to update the NPR during the forthcoming Census exercise.
• Despite this, the NPR remains one of the largest repositories of personal data in the country.

News Summary

• The Union Home Ministry has linked NATGRID with the NPR, allowing authorised police and security agencies to access family-wise details of nearly 119 crore residents through a secure platform.
• This integration enables investigators to trace relationships, household details, and identity linkages while probing criminal or terror-related cases.
• According to officials, upgraded analytical tools within NATGRID, such as “Gandiva”, can perform entity resolution, facial recognition, and multi-source data analysis.
• If a suspect’s image or identity detail is available, the system can match it with databases such as telecom KYC, driving licences, vehicle registrations, and travel records, thereby reducing investigation time.
• Requests on NATGRID are categorised as non-sensitive, sensitive, and highly sensitive.
• Financial records, tax data, and banking information fall under the highly sensitive category, with access subject to additional safeguards.
• Each query is logged, the purpose must be specified, and senior officers provide oversight to ensure accountability.
• The government has encouraged States to make wider use of NATGRID for intelligence-led policing and faster resolution of criminal cases.

Significance for Internal Security

• The integration of NATGRID with NPR significantly strengthens India’s internal security framework.
• By enabling real-time access to verified demographic and relational data, security agencies can identify suspects, dismantle organised crime networks, and track terror financing more efficiently.
• The move also supports coordinated action between central and State agencies, especially in counter-terrorism operations, narcotics control, and financial crime investigations.
• From a governance perspective, it reflects India’s shift towards technology-driven policing and data-based decision-making.

Concerns Related to Privacy and Civil Liberties

• Despite its security benefits, the NATGRID–NPR linkage has raised concerns about data privacy and potential misuse.
• Since agencies can access vast amounts of personal data without necessarily registering a First Information Report (FIR), critics argue that this could weaken procedural safeguards.
• India currently lacks a fully operational data protection law, which makes issues of consent, proportionality, and redress mechanisms especially relevant.
• The government has maintained that strict access controls, audit trails, and hierarchical approvals are in place, but the debate highlights the need to balance national security with individual rights.

Way Forward

• To ensure public trust, the use of NATGRID must be accompanied by robust legal safeguards, clear accountability mechanisms, and parliamentary oversight.
• The operationalisation of a comprehensive data protection framework will be critical in defining limits on data access and ensuring proportional use.
• For India, the challenge lies in leveraging technology to enhance security while upholding constitutional values of privacy and due process.

Context:

• The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill 2025 was introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
• With the Bill now in the public domain, it has triggered debate on the balance between institutional autonomy and centralisation in higher education governance.
• The Bill operationalises key ideas of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, particularly the principle of a “light but tight” regulatory framework.

Objectives and Vision of the Bill:

• To propel India towards Viksit Bharat @2047, by advancing the decolonisation of the Indian education system.
• It will enhance autonomy, quality, transparency, and global competitiveness of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
• It tries to shift regulation from control-based to facilitative governance.

Key Features of the VBSA Bill 2025:

• Unified higher education regulator:
  • The Bill proposes a single overarching commission by subsuming UGC (1956), AICTE (1987), NCTE (1993), and other education regulators.
  • However, it excludes law and medical education regulators.
  • So, the Bill addresses long-standing fragmentation and regulatory overlap.
• Three-council structure for clarity:
  • The Commission will function through three clearly demarcated councils -
    • Viniyaman Parishad – Regulatory Council
    • Gunvatta Parishad – Accreditation Council
    • Manak Parishad – Standards Council
  • Significance: Clear mandates reduce regulatory ambiguity and discretion.
• Enhanced institutional autonomy:
  • Graded and time-bound autonomy for HEIs.
  • Shift from micromanagement to self-governance.
  • Regulator to play a facilitator, not controller.
  • Single technology-driven window for approvals and compliance.
• Outcome-based evaluation framework:
  • Moves away from input-based UGC norms (infrastructure, faculty count), and focuses on learning outcomes, student skills, employability, societal and real-world impact.
  • It aligns with global best practices and accountability standards.
• Internationalisation of Indian higher education: Enables high-performing Indian universities to establish campuses abroad. Supports India’s aspiration to become a global education hub.
• Transparency and student-centric governance:
  • Mandatory public self-disclosure (online and offline) of academic, operational, and financial details.
  • It ensures robust grievance redressal mechanisms, building trust, fairness, and accountability in the system.

Concerns and Clarifications:

• Concerns:
  • Fear of excessive centralisation, despite assurances of autonomy.
  • Perception of reduced role of states in higher education governance.
  • Implementation challenges in transitioning from multiple regulators to a single body.
• Government’s clarifications:
  • No dilution of institutional autonomy. No adverse impact on funding.
  • States retain powers under their respective Acts, including establishing universities, and curriculum development.

Way Forward:

• Strengthen Centre–State consultation mechanisms.
• Ensuring federal balance and cooperative federalism in education
• Ensure transparent appointments and functioning of councils.
• Capacity-building of HEIs to adapt to outcome-based evaluation.
• Periodic parliamentary and public review of the new regulatory framework.

Conclusion:

• The VBSA Bill 2025 represents a structural and philosophical shift in India’s higher education governance.
• Its success, however, will depend on balanced implementation, safeguarding federal principles, and ensuring that autonomy translates into genuine academic excellence rather than centralised control.

Context

• Cities occupy a central position in global development, shaping economic growth, governance, science, and innovation.
• Despite this prominence, urban progress frequently overlooks the most fundamental element of city life: the people who inhabit these spaces.
• A persistent disconnect exists between the cities that are designed, the cities people aspire to live in, and the cities they actually experience.
• This gap is most visible in the lives of migrants and linguistically diverse residents, revealing a critical weakness in contemporary urban thinking that prioritises systems over lived realities.

Linguistic Exclusion and the Invisible Tax

• Migration into cities often comes with an unspoken expectation of assimilation.
• Language becomes the primary measure of belonging, determining who can fully participate in urban life.
• Those unable to meet this standard are burdened with an invisible linguistic tax, facing daily barriers to communication, recognition, and validation.
• This exclusion goes beyond inconvenience; it affects emotional security and reinforces the idea that belonging must be earned rather than assumed.

Economic Implications of Marginalisation

• Linguistic exclusion quickly translates into economic and social exclusion.
• Navigating employment markets, housing systems, healthcare services, and government institutions becomes disproportionately difficult when official processes remain monolingual.
• These structural barriers frequently push migrants toward informal employment, where exploitation is more likely and opportunities for advancement are limited.
• Cities depend heavily on migrant labour and tax contributions, yet simultaneously restrict access to formal economic pathways.
• This contradiction undermines social cohesion and weakens long-term urban resilience.

The Limitations of Modern Urban Planning

• A fundamental weakness in contemporary urban design lies in flawed urban planning assumptions. Cities are often planned for a static, homogeneous population, despite their increasingly diverse reality.
• Infrastructure, public services, and smart city technologies typically serve established residents who already meet linguistic and bureaucratic norms.
• As a result, innovation benefits a narrow segment of the population while rendering newcomers invisible.
• This problem is intensified when governance and planning bodies lack cultural and demographic diversity, allowing uniform perspectives to dominate decision-making for heterogeneous communities.

Reimagining Cities for All

• Inclusive urban futures require a conceptual shift. Cities must be understood as cities as dynamic ecosystems, capable of adaptation, expansion, and regeneration. Designing better infrastructure alone is insufficient if cultural belonging is ignored.
• Urban planners must anticipate friction between established populations and new arrivals, addressing it proactively rather than reactively.
• Targeted cultural sensitisation training for public-facing staff can improve institutional efficiency, safeguard democratic access, and reduce everyday barriers.
• While such transitions may involve temporary disruption, they are essential for sustainable and equitable development.

Empathy as the Foundation of Urban Futures

• The most critical element missing from urban design is empathy as planning principle.
• Successful cities are not measured solely by technological advancement or economic output, but by the comfort, security, and belonging experienced by their residents.
• A city designed with empathy recognises all inhabitants: those born there, those who have settled over time, and those yet to arrive.
• This approach transforms urban planning from a technical exercise into a social commitment grounded in human experience.

Conclusion

• As cities continue to expand and diversify, the challenge is no longer simply how to build smarter or faster, but how to build fairer and more humane environments.
• Linguistic and cultural diversity should be recognised as strengths rather than obstacles.
• By embedding empathy, inclusion, and adaptability into urban planning and governance, cities can bridge the gap between design and reality, ensuring that progress is defined not only by infrastructure, but by the dignity and belonging of all who call the city home.

Context

• After a politically focused 2024, New Delhi anticipated renewed diplomatic momentum, progress on long-pending trade agreements, and greater regional stability in 2025.
• Engagements with major powers such as the United States, China, and Russia, alongside outreach to neighbouring states, suggested confidence and ambition.
• However, by the end of the year, India faced mounting pressures across economic, energy, global, and regional security domains.
• The trajectory of 2025 exposed structural weaknesses and highlighted the limits of performative diplomacy in a rapidly changing international environment.

Economic and Energy Security Challenges

• India’s most severe setbacks emerged in the economic and energy spheres, particularly in relations with the United States.
• Rather than a reset under the second Trump administration, ties deteriorated sharply.
• High tariffs on Indian exports disrupted labour-intensive sectors, leading to job losses and contract cancellations.
• Immigration restrictions further weakened remittance inflows, a vital support for India’s balance of payments.
• Despite early optimism, major trade agreements with the United States and the European Union remained incomplete, underscoring the gap between diplomatic intent and tangible outcomes.
• Energy security became an equally pressing concern. India’s increased reliance on discounted Russian oil initially strengthened supply resilience, but renewed sanctions pressure forced difficult trade-offs.
• The possibility of reducing Russian imports raised economic and reputational risks, recalling earlier disruptions caused by compliance with sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.
• High-profile engagements with Moscow failed to deliver major agreements in defence, energy, or strategic cooperation, reinforcing the limited returns of symbolic engagement amid rising economic coercion.

Shifting Global Strategic Environment

• The global strategic landscape in 2025 grew increasingly unpredictable.
• The United States’ revised National Security Strategy adopted a more cautious tone toward China and Russia while offering limited articulation of India’s broader global role.
• This shift weakened assumptions about deeper strategic alignment with Washington.
• Discussions of a potential U.S.–China G-2 arrangement intensified concerns over India’s position in the Asian balance of power, particularly as traditional U.S. allies also faced diminished attention.
• Simultaneously, the global response to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza reflected a weakening commitment to the rules-based international order.
• Peace proposals perceived to favour aggressors, combined with China’s push for alternative global governance frameworks, signalled an evolving international architecture.
• For India, these developments highlighted the risks of strategic ambiguity and the need to articulate a clearer vision for global order rather than relying on declining multilateral mechanisms.

Regional Security and Diplomatic Constraints

• India’s immediate neighbourhood became more volatile as the year progressed.
• Terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir demonstrated the persistence of security threats despite years of counterterrorism measures.
• While India’s military responses were tactically effective, they failed to secure strong and sustained international diplomatic backing.
• This gap exposed a recurring challenge: military action alone does not guarantee political legitimacy.
• Regional instability further complicated India’s strategic environment. Political transitions and protests in neighbouring countries reduced predictability and constrained New Delhi’s influence.
• Relations with several regional and extra-regional actors deteriorated, while new defence alignments involving Pakistan altered the regional security calculus.
• Despite active engagement, India struggled to shape outcomes in its immediate periphery, revealing limits to its regional leadership aspirations.

Credibility, Norms, and Foreign Policy Consistency

• A central lesson from 2025 lies in the importance of credibility. India’s external advocacy for democracy, minority rights, and regional stability risks losing force when domestic and regional practices appear inconsistent.
• Normative influence depends on alignment between principles and actions.
• In a world increasingly driven by transactions rather than values, India’s ability to invoke principles rests on normative consistency across both its foreign and domestic policies.

Conclusion

• India’s foreign policy in 2025 was marked by a sharp contrast between early promise and eventual disillusionment.
• External pressures exposed economic and strategic vulnerabilities, while overreliance on symbolism limited diplomatic returns, at the same time, regional instability and global uncertainty constrained India’s strategic choices.
• As New Delhi looks ahead, it must recalibrate its approach by prioritising substance over spectacle, aligning principles with practice, and adopting a realistic assessment of its strategic environment.
• Such adjustments are essential for strengthening India’s credibility and resilience in an increasingly unstable international order.