US joins Russia to vote against UN resolution on Ukraine war; India and China abstain
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
• General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
What’s the ongoing story: For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the US voted with the Russians in an attempt to block a draft resolution by Ukraine at the UN that called for a “de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution” of the war against Ukraine.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What draft resolution “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” says?
• ‘The US had always voted with the Europeans in the last three years of the Russia-Ukraine war’—What happened this time?
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• ‘Shift in the US marks a major departure from its position signalling a break from Europe’—discuss
• ‘The US-Russia alignment in the UN on the Ukraine war resolution’—Know geopolitical implications of this shift
• ‘India’s abstention in UN resolutions on the Ukraine war’— How does it align with India’s foreign policy principles?
• Evaluate the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution.
Key Takeaways:
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• The resolution was passed with the Europeans and the G7 (minus the Americans) voting in favour of the draft resolution. India abstained along with China, one of Russia’s closest allies since the war broke out.
• The final score: 93 countries, including major European countries like Germany, UK, France and the G7 (minus the US) voted in favour; 18, including Russia, US, Israel and Hungary voted against; and 65, including India, China and Brazil, abstained. That’s lower than previous votes, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia’s aggression.
• So far, the US had always voted with the Europeans in the last three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, and this shift in the US marks a major departure from its position signalling a break from Europe.
• US President Donald Trump has made that clear in his recent statements, and the direct talks with Russia in Riyadh — where both Ukraine and Europe were not present.
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• India’s abstention is not a surprise, since it has abstained from the UN resolutions on Russia-Ukraine war in the past. India’s voting was a manifestation of its diplomatic tightrope walk, with strategic partners on both sides.
• That has been Delhi’s position showcasing neutrality that it doesn’t want to take sides. Significantly, Delhi has chosen to maintain its neutrality despite US shifting its position.
• The 193-member UN General Assembly voted Monday on the draft resolution “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” tabled by Ukraine and its European allies.
Do You Know:
• The 193-member UN General Assembly voted Monday on the draft resolution “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” tabled by Ukraine and its European allies.
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• The resolution called for a “de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine, marked by enormous destruction and human suffering, including among the civilian population, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law”.
• India was among the 65 UN Member States that abstained on the resolution. Brazil, China, South Africa — four of the BRICS countries abstained. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Syria, Ethiopia, Argentina also abstained.
• Among the 18 who voted against the draft resolution included, Russia, US, North Korea, Belarus, Hungary, Israel, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Mali, Marshall Islands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Sudan among others.
• The resolution comes on the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressing that the war in Ukraine stands as a “grave threat” not only to the peace and security of Europe but also to the very foundations and core principles of the United Nations.
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• The US also tabled a brief rival resolution, “The path to peace,” that mourns the tragic loss of life throughout the “Russian Federation-Ukraine” conflict. A draft amendment tabled by France sought to replace “the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” in the US-tabled text with “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation”. The resolution, as amended, was adopted with 93 votes in favour, 8 against and 73 abstentions. The US abstained in the final vote on its own resolution. India abstained on the US-tabled resolution as well.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍US pressures Ukraine to kill its UN resolution demanding Russian forces to withdraw
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. The Security Council of UN consists of 5 permanent members, and the remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of (2009)
(a) 1 year
(b) 2 years
(c) 3 years
(d) 5 years
In shadow of US tariff, India back to table for trade talks with UK, EU
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
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Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: As US President Donald Trump moves to upend the world trade order with tariff threats against allies and rivals alike, New Delhi Monday re-started negotiations for two long-stalled, big-ticket trade deals with Britain’s new Labour Party-led administration — just days ahead of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to India for trade talks.
Key Points to Ponder:
• A free trade agreement (FTA), a bilateral investment treaty, and a separate social security pact with UK—Know its key objectives
• Why does the trade deal with the UK assume enormous significance?
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• What is European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)?
• Why Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a contentious issue between India and European Union (EU)?
• What are the key challenges India faces in negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the UK and the EU?
• Discuss the impact of India’s potential trade agreements with the UK and the EU on its domestic industries.
Key Takeaways:
• After an eight-month pause due to general elections in India, the UK and European parliamentary elections, New Delhi and London announced plans to restart trade talks for a free trade agreement (FTA), a bilateral investment treaty, and a separate social security pact during UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds’s visit that began Monday.
• The trade deal with the UK, talks for which began in 2022, assumes significance as it would be India’s first full-fledged agreement with a Western country, facilitating deeper economic integration with a major global services sector leader. It is also considered crucial as it could serve as a template for trade deals with larger Western trade partners such as the European Union.
• On 27th February 2025, amid growing tension in the trans-Atlantic relationship between US and Europe, the EU College of Commissioners is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further strengthen bilateral relations based on “growing convergences”.
• India and the EU are also expected to conduct bilateral ministerial meetings and engage in a trade and technology council, which was launched to resolve issues such as the contentious Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Do You Know:
• With the growth trajectory being different in both the countries, the potential business opportunities were much different and, therefore, India had requested the UK to consider a social security pact.
• India has Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with countries like Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Korea, and the Netherlands.
• Meanwhile, nine rounds of talks have happened between India and EU, with the 10th round of negotiations set to take place from March 10-14 in Brussels. In the ninth round, discussions covered a range of issues, including goods, services, investment, government procurement, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and technical trade barriers, the Commerce Ministry had said in a statement last month.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍India, UK step up trade talks amid global tariff uncertainty, aim to double trade in a decade
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
2.Which of the following is true regarding Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)?
a) FTAs eliminate all forms of trade barriers, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
b) India has signed FTAs with both the UK and the EU.
c) FTAs are legally binding agreements between two or more countries to reduce trade restrictions.
d) The World Trade Organization (WTO) prohibits FTAs among member nations.
CAG flags ‘dodgy pollution OKs, faulty air monitors, parking funds’
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
What’s the ongoing story: AIR QUALITY monitoring stations located near trees and roads, which possibly skews readings; Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) being issued at the same time for two vehicles, and in some cases within a minute of each other; and no account of money collected in taxes to build parking facilities in the city — these are among the findings of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on measures taken to control air pollution in Delhi,
Key Points to Ponder:
• What recent CAG report ‘Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi, 2021’ highlights?
• What are the Key findings of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on measures taken to control air pollution in Delhi?
• ‘Funds allocated for urban infrastructure projects, such as parking facilities, are essential for sustainable urban development’—Know the implications of misallocation or underutilization of such funds, as highlighted in the recent CAG report on Delhi.
• Propose strategies to ensure proper utilization of allocated resources particularly in urban infrastructure projects, such as parking facilities
• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and Article 148 of the Constitution
• Independence of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-Provisions
• What do you understand by “Comptroller”?
• What do you understand by “Auditor General”?
• Compare CAG of India with that of CAG of United Kingdom
Key Takeaways:
• The report, Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi, 2021 will be tabled in Delhi Assembly in the ongoing session. It is among the 14 CAG reports that the BJP has accused the AAP of “suppressing” during its tenure.
• According to sources, the CAG report states that a September 2020 audit of 13 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee shows that all were close to “trees on multiple sides”, which is against Central norms.
• Sources familiar with the contents of the report said, “It states that Central Pollution Control Committee guidelines make it clear that trees may also be sources of particulate matter in the form of detritus, pollen or insect parts.”
• In its reply in October 2021, the Department of Environment said necessary action will be taken to comply with the norms. The audit report, it is learnt, also flags inadequacy and inaccuracies in issuing PUCCs, which determine whether a vehicle is fit to run on the roads.
• The other area which the report looks into is the utilisation of parking charges. Adequate parking spaces discourage road-side parking and reduce road congestion, and is a key step in air pollution mitigation.
Do You Know:
• Articles 148 to 151 in part 5 of the Constitution are on the appointment, duties, and audit reports of the auditor general, who is appointed by the President.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971, determines the CAG’s service conditions and prescribes the duties and powers of their office. Several other statutes grant powers to the CAG.
• Article 151 provides for laying CAG reports in Parliament or state legislatures but no time limit is specified. This is why governments often do not lay CAG audit reports on time.
• A CAG report becomes public only after it is laid in the House. The Public Accounts Committee examines the selected reports and seeks a response from the government. The PAC also asks the government to take action on the recommendations and submit an Action Taken Report. Since 2019, the PAC has submitted 152 reports to Lok Sabha till July last year. These include scrutiny of CAG audit reports and action taken by the government on them.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍What are constitutional, statutory, and non-statutory bodies?
📍CAG of India writes: As our democracy matures, my role is becoming more vital
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
3. In India, other than ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and for intended purpose, what is the importance of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)? (2012)
1. CAG exercises exchequer control on behalf of the Parliament when the President of India declares national emergency/financial emergency
2. CAG reports on the execution of projects or programmes by the ministries are discussed by the Public Accounts Committee.
3. Information from CAG reports can be used by investigating agencies to press charges against those who have violated the law while managing public finances.
4. While dealing with the audit and accounting of government companies, CAG has certain judicial powers for prosecuting those who violate the law.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍“The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play.” Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise. (2018)
Finance over-rules Rural, calls for merger, budget cuts in 3 key units
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: The Department of Expenditure (DoE) has asked the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to absorb two autonomous bodies under its charge while cutting the annual outlay of a third to just a fraction of its previous allotment in the Union Budget — despite requests from the ministry to reconsider, The Indian Express has learnt.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA)?
• What is National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS)?
• Why DoE has asked for the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) and National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society
(NRLPS) to be merged with MoRD?
• Discuss the implications of merging two autonomous wings within the Ministry of Rural Development on the administrative efficiency and implementation of rural schemes.
• Evaluate the potential challenges and benefits of the government’s decision to restructure the Ministry of Rural Development by merging its autonomous bodies.
• Analyse the strategies proposed by the Ministry of Rural Development to achieve the goal of poverty-free villages by 2025.
Key Takeaways:
• According to records, the DoE has asked for the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) and National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS) to be merged with MoRD by March-end, saying it “may be difficult” to release any more funds for the two autonomous bodies.
• At the same time, the DoE has slashed the budget of MoRD’s National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), which is based in Hyderabad and functions mainly as a think tank, to Rs 1 lakh for the financial year 2025-26 from Rs 73.68 crore in revised estimates of the 2024-25 fiscal and Rs 75.69 crore in 2023-24.
Do You Know:
• National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA): The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency provides technical support for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It is also a special purpose vehicle for distributing financial assistance from NABARD to states to bridge fund gaps in targets set by MoRD. In the financial year 2022-23, for instance, MoRD allocated Rs 2,765 crore to NRIDA as grant-in-aid for “Interest payment to NABARD Loan” under the rural housing scheme and Rs 47 crore as grant-in-aid for “salaries and general”.
• National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS): The National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society was established to provide professional and technical support to Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Records show MoRD provided Rs 60.71 crore as recurring grant to NRLPS in five years from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
• National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR): The National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, which is facing a sharp budget cut, is an “apex institute for training and research in rural development”, according to MoRD. Its activities are focused on training, capacity building, research and policy advocacy. It also runs academic programmes, including a Diploma in Rural Development Management and Tribal Development Management, and functions as a think tank for MoRD.
• The fourth autonomous body Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF), which has not been affected by the cut, was created during the financial year 2013-14. It works in partnership with Central and state governments, and NGOs, for the rural poor, focusing mainly on tribal areas in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Rural Development Department keen to rationalise pay for its consultants
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. How does the National Rural Livelihood Mission seek to improve livelihood options of rural poor? (2012)
1. By setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries and agribusiness centres in rural areas
2. By strengthening ‘self-help groups’ and providing skill development
3. By supplying seeds, fertilisers, diesel pump-sets and micro-irrigation equipment free of cost to farmers
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
GOVT & POLITICS
PM: Tea industry, its workers will give pace to Assam’s progress
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
What’s the ongoing story: In honour of Assam’s oldest industry and the workers who made it flourish, over 8,600 women and men from the state’s “tea tribes” performed their traditional ‘jhumoir’ (also spelt ‘jhumur’ or ‘jhumair’) dance in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the heads of mission and ambassadors of over 60 countries.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Who are the tea garden workers in Assam?
• What is the Jhumur dance?
• What is the issue of the per day wage of tea garden workers?
• What are all of Northeast India’s well-known tribal folk dances?
• Examine the role of cultural events in fostering international relations, with special reference to Assam’s efforts in hosting global delegates.
Key Takeaways:
• The ‘jhumoir’ performance, which entailed months of preparations and practice, was organised by the state government to mark 200 years of the tea industry in Assam. Speaking at the event, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the event was to honour the tea garden worker community.
Do You Know:
• Jhumoir – performed by women while men play traditional musical instruments – is a popular traditional dance which has a central place in festivals celebrated by “tea tribes”, comprising 17% of Assam’s population.
• The “tea tribes” or tea garden communities of Assam are multi-cultural and multi-ethnic communities of the descendants of tea garden workers – originally mostly from present-day Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal – who had settled in Assam in the 19th century to work in the tea gardens the British had set up.
• The tea tribe community — comprising 17 per cent of the state’s population — is a deciding factor in almost 40 Assam assembly seats out of the 126. The community is spread over 800 tea gardens plus several unorganised small gardens of Assam — living mostly in residential quarters adjacent to gardens.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍PM Modi to attend ‘biggest ever’ jhumur event in Guwahati today: All about the tribal dance
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. Consider the following pairs: (2014)
1. Garba : Gujarat
2. Mohiniattam: Odisha
3. Yakshagana : Karnataka
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
A. 1 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
EXPRESS NETWORK
‘Incorrect, scandalous’: Trust objects to SG submission on halal certification
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies I: Secularism
• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various
What’s the ongoing story: The halal certification process “is part of every Indian consumer’s right to be informed in relation to edible products or the other products which he or she is using in his or her day-to-day life” and “cannot be confined to merely non-veg food items and only for export purposes”, the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust told the Supreme Court.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What does ‘halal’ mean?
• Can non-meat products also be halal?
• What are halal certificates? Who issues them?
• How does Halal certification influence the trade and regulatory practices of India?
• Analyse the economic implications of Halal certification on the Indian food and non-food industries.
Key Takeaways:
• The Trust, which filed a rejoinder affidavit in response to the counter affidavit by the Centre in the matter related to the ban on halal-certified products in Uttar Pradesh, termed the submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta “completely incorrect and scandalous”.
• During the last hearing on January 20, 2025, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the court, “So far as Halal meat etc is concerned, nobody can have any objection. But your Lordships would be shocked, as I was shocked yesterday, even cement used is to be halal-certified. Sariyas (iron bars) have to be halal-certified… Water bottles which we get are required to be halal-certified…” “Even atta (wheat flour), besan (chickpea flour) have to be halal-certified… How can besan be halal or non-halal?” the senior law officer said, adding that halal certification agencies have made “few lakh crores” through such certification.
• Referring to this, the Trust in its affidavit dated February 22, 2025, said that the SG’s submissions were “widely reported… to malign and target the petitioners to allege that the process of halal certification is being misused. Many media organisations set up debates on this issue to vilify and denigrate the entire process. The… submissions became fodder for creating a narrative against the very concept of halal and its certification process.”
Do You Know:
• Halal is an Arabic word that loosely translates to ‘permissible’ in English. In the Quran, the term ‘halal’ is contrasted with the term ‘haram’ — meaning ‘forbidden’ — and is used to designate the categories of lawful (and allowed) and unlawful (and forbidden).
• The term is particularly associated with Islamic dietary laws to refer to food that is procured, processed, and traded in compliance with Islamic belief. It is similarly to the ‘kashrut’ dietary rules followed by orthodox Jews, who only consume food that is ‘kosher’, i.e. permitted in Jewish law.
• The term may also be used in the context of personal care products, packaging materials, animal feed, etc.
• India does not have an official regulator for the certification of halal products. Rather, there are various halal certifying agencies that provide companies, products, or food establishments halal certifications. Their legitimacy lies in their name-recognition among Muslim consumers as well as recognition from regulators in Islamic countries.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍The halal certification ban in Uttar Pradesh, and the case in SC so far
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍How the Indian concept of secularism is different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. (2016)
India proud of its contributions to UN peacekeeping: Jaishankar
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies I: Role of women and women’s organization
• General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
What’s the ongoing story: India strongly believes peacekeeping is an effective instrument in maintaining international peace and security and is committed to supporting the Global South in building such capacities, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Monday.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The conference on ‘Women in Peacekeeping – A Global South Perspective’-Know the key highlight
• “Women’s participation in UN Peacekeeping enhances mission effectiveness and builds trust with local communities.” Analyse this statement with relevant examples.
• Discuss the major challenges faced by women in UN peacekeeping operations.
• Examine India’s role in promoting women’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions.
• How has India contributed to gender inclusivity in global peacekeeping efforts?
• In the context of international security, evaluate the significance of gender-sensitive peacekeeping approaches in conflict zones.
Key Takeaways:
• Speaking at the inaugural session of the ‘Conference for Women Peacekeepers from the Global South’, he also said India has also been at the forefront of deploying women in peacekeeping operations, which makes it more diverse and inclusive.
• The conference — the two-day event is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security — brought together women peacekeepers from 35 countries to explore the evolving role of women in peacekeeping operations and discuss strategies to enhance their participation.
Do You Know:
• According to UN Peacekeeping website, Women are deployed as police, military and civilian personnel within peacekeeping missions. They work across all areas, from the protection of civilians to political and civil affairs, planning, logistics, and communications.
—In 2022, 7.9 per cent of military, police, justice and corrections personnel in field missions were women, a marked increase from just 1 per cent in 1993.
—Women made up 5.9 per cent of military contingents, 14.4 per cent of police contingents, and 43 per cent of justice and corrections government-provided personnel in UN Peacekeeping missions.
—As of March 2022, 30 percent of civilian personnel in peacekeeping operations were women, and there are more women leading our field missions than ever before.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
Shirke family ‘to protest’ against historical inaccuracies depicted in Chaava movie
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: History of India
What’s the ongoing story: A descendant of the historic Shirke family of Maharashtra on Monday said that members of the family might take to the streets in protest against the inaccuracies shown in the film Chhava.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Who was Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?
• What is the ‘Chhava’ controversy about?
• Who were Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke?
• Analyse the role of cinema in shaping historical narratives and public perception
• Discuss the ethical and legal challenges in portraying historical figures in films.
Key Takeaways:
• The Shirke family has alleged that two of their ancestors, Maratha commanders Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke, were shown in the film as having betrayed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, leading to his capture by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• “Our reputation has been deeply affected. The whole of India thinks of us as gaddar (traitors). If the filmmakers continue to ignore us, we will take to the streets in protest. The Shirke family numbers are in lakhs in Maharashtra,” said Deepak Raje Shirke, a member of the family.
• The novel, Chhava, by the late Sivaji Sawant, was published in 1979 and, without any basis, accused Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke of betrayal. Elders from our family had registered their objection to the novel as well. In 2009, we filed an RTI with the Directorate of Archives and they responded that there was no evidence to support the contention of the Shirkes’ betrayal,” Deepak said.
• According to Deepak Raje Shirke, the diary of Francis Martin, a French officer who served as an envoy in the Maratha court, revealed that it were the scribes of the court who had betrayed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. “It is sad that people think of Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke as khalnayak,” he said.
Do You Know:
• Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He came to power following a bloody succession battle with his half-brother Rajaram in 1681. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (1618-1707) was a contemporary and his plan to extend his empire towards the Deccan often resulted in clashes with the Marathas
While Sambhaji was able to defend many famous forts against Mughal forces for some years, he was captured by them in 1689 and eventually put to death.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍‘Chhava’ controversy: Why some have objected to film on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6. What was the immediate reason for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India and fight the Third Battle of Panipat? (2010)
(a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore
(b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg Khan invited him to invade Punjab
(c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujarat, Aurangabad, Sialkot & Pasrur)
(d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab up to the borders of Delhi to his kingdom
THE IDEAS PAGE
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure
What’s the ongoing story: Yogendra Yadav writes: The stage is set for another round of political debate on the three-language formula (TLF).
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the three language formula?
• What’s the debate with the three language formula?
• In the context of the debate over Hindi and multilingualism, evaluate the role of education policies in promoting linguistic inclusivity in India.
• Examine how multilingualism can be leveraged to strengthen national unity while respecting regional identities.
• How can language policies ensure inclusivity in a diverse society?
Key Takeaways:
Yogendra Yadav writes:
• Here is the basic rationale for TLF: India is not just plurilingual, in that Indians speak different languages. India is multilingual in that most of the communities and individuals in our country use more than one language. Therefore, our education system must be geared towards survival and promotion of the multilingualism that is constitutive of Indian identity.
• An expert group of linguists and educators — including D P Pattanayak and Ramakant Agnihotri — concluded that “The three-language formula is not a goal or a limiting factor in language acquisition, but rather a convenient launching pad for the exploration of the expanding horizon of knowledge and the emotional integration of the country.”
• The Union government has withheld a substantial grant under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme from Tamil Nadu for its non-compliance with the National Education Policy (NEP).
• The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, has refused to accept this diktat on the ground that his party is opposed to the TLF. The state has always taught two languages — Tamil and English. Insisting on a third language, he says, is a pretext to impose Hindi.
Do You Know:
• TLF is the official name for a policy that schoolchildren should be taught three languages. The 1968 compromise suggested the following: “Hindi, English and modern Indian language (preferably one of the southern languages) in the Hindi speaking states and Hindi, English and the Regional language in the non-Hindi speaking States.”
• This compromise was arrived at when the chief ministers of the country sat together to work out a language policy in the wake of anti-Hindi protests in the South. First mooted by the Radhakrishnan Commission in 1948-49 and accepted by the first education commission, the Kothari Commission, the formula was incorporated in the first and second Education Policy formulated by the Congress governments in the 1960s and 1980s.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget: What makes Tamil Nadu’s recent protest against NEP relevant for UPSC Exam?
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
7. With reference to India’s linguistic diversity, consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution of India recognizes Hindi as the national language.
2. The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists all the official languages of India.
3. The Official Languages Act, 1963, provides for the continued use of English for official purposes along with Hindi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
EXPLAINED
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies
What’s the ongoing story: Capping or even reducing the consumption of urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MOP) has become a strategic imperative of sorts for India.
The primary reason: All these fertilisers are imported, whether directly or as inputs for domestic manufacturing.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The “Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme” aims what?
• Discuss the reasons behind farmers’ dependence fertilizers like urea, DAP, and potash and suggest policy measures to promote balanced fertilization.
• The Government of India has been promoting alternatives like Nano Urea, organic fertilizers, and bio-fertilizers to reduce dependence on conventional fertilizers—Examine the feasibility and effectiveness of these alternatives in ensuring sustainable agriculture.
Key Takeaways:
• MOP is wholly imported from countries such as Canada, Russia, Jordan, Israel, Turkmenistan and Belarus, as India has no mineable potash reserves. In urea, India’s production meets over 85% of its consumption demand, but the plants mostly run on liquefied natural gas imported from Qatar, US, UAE or Angola.
• DAP is imported in the form of finished fertiliser (mainly from Saudi Arabia, China, Morocco, Russia and Jordan) as well as raw material (rock phosphate from Jordan, Morocco, Togo, Egypt and Algeria; sulphur from UAE, Qatar and Oman) and intermediate chemicals (phosphoric acid from Jordan, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia; ammonia from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Indonesia).
• Import dependence – made worse by the rupee’s depreciation – apart, a second reason for limiting urea, DAP and MOP usage is that they are high-analysis fertilisers: Urea and MOP contain 46% nitrogen (N) and 60% potash (P) respectively. DAP has 46% phosphorous (P) plus 18% N.
Do You Know:
• A good example is 20:20:0:13 or ammonium phosphate sulphate (APS). A complex fertiliser with 20% N, 20% P, 0% K and 13% sulphur (S), it has emerged as an effective substitute for DAP, despite having less than half of the latter’s P content.
DAP is manufactured by importing merchant-grade phosphoric acid with 52-54% P content and reacting it with ammonia (the source of N). The end-product has 18% N and 46% P.
• APS has become India’s third largest-consumed fertiliser after urea and DAP. It has overtaken single super phosphate (SSP), previously the most popular alternative to DAP. SSP, which contains 16% P and 11% S, is manufactured by reacting rock phosphate directly with sulphuric acid.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Why the discovery of potash reserves in Punjab is significant
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
8. With reference to chemical fertilizers in India, consider the following statements: (2020)
1. At present, the retail price of chemical fertilizers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
2. Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
3. Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertilizer, is a by-product of oil refineries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
The historic Tea Horse Road, connecting India and China through Tibet
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations
What’s the ongoing story: China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Sunday (February 23) posted on X about the historic Tea Horse Road which spanned more than 2,000 km, and connected China to India via Tibet. “The Ancient Tea-Horse Road witnesses the exchanges and interaction between China and India throughout the long river of history,” he wrote.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the Tea Horse Road?
• Why was the Tea Horse Road important?
• Why did the route decline?
Key Takeaways:
• The Tea Horse Road does not refer to a single road but a network of branching paths that began in southwest China and ended in the Indian subcontinent.
• The two main pathways passed through cities like Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan province, and reached Lhasa in Tibet, before entering the Indian subcontinent where they branched into present-day India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. These routes were perilous to travel on, passed through difficult terrain, and reached an elevation of up to 10,000 feet.
Tea Horse Road, 1908 map (Wikimedia Commons)
• The origin of the Tea Horse Road can be traced to the rule of the Tang dynasty in China (618-907 CE). The writings of Buddhist monk Yijing (635-713 CE) — who gave some of the most detailed descriptions of Nalanda university available today — mention products like sugar, textiles, and rice noodles being transported from southwestern China to Tibet and India while horses, leather, Tibetan gold, saffron and other medicine herbs went to China. (Shaochen Wang, ‘The Protection, Designation and Management of Cultural Routes: A Case Study of the Tea & Horse Road in China’, 2021).
Do You Know:
• The main driver for the road is believed to be the demand for tea among Tibetan nomads. One popular legend says tea became popular when a princess who married a Tibetan king in the 7th century brought the beverage as a dowry to the mountain kingdom.
• A National Geographic article gave more practical reasons: “Tibetan royalty and nomads alike took to tea for good reasons. It was a hot beverage in a cold climate where the only other options were snowmelt, yak or goat milk, barley milk, or chang (barley beer). A cup of yak butter tea—with its distinctive salty, slightly oily, sharp taste—provided a mini-meal for herders warming themselves over yak dung fires in a windswept hinterland.”
• With the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, the Tea Horse Road witnessed a gradual decline. Roads were paved and modern construction was undertaken, with only a few trails surviving now. Most notably, porters who would carry loads of up to 150 kg mostly stopped the backbreaking work following Mao Zedong’s land reforms.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍The fabric that connected East to West and wove the myth of the Silk Road
ECONOMY
What’s ailing India’s textile industry and govt’s attempts to improve competitiveness
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.
What’s the ongoing story: India’s textile industry is among the largest in the world, spanning a vast value chain from cotton cultivation to high-end apparel manufacturing.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The Textile industry in India-Know in detail
• What are the key challenges faced by Textile industry in India?
• Despite being a global leader in fibre production, India’s textile industry lags behind in growth and exports—Discuss
• Discuss the role of government policies such as PLI, SITP, and ATUFS in revitalizing the Textile sector.
• How does India’s textile sector compare with that of China and Bangladesh in terms of production, export competitiveness, and infrastructure?
Key Takeaways:
• However, despite its scale, India lags behind countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh in textile exports, which benefit from vertically integrated supply chains, lower production costs, and simpler regulations.
• Despite being a global leader in cotton and synthetic fibre production, India’s textile and apparel industry has recorded sluggish growth in recent years.
• India lags behind China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh in textile exports, largely due to higher production costs. For instance, Vietnam exported apparel worth $40 billion in 2023. These countries benefit from vertically integrated supply chains, allowing them to manufacture garments at far more competitive prices.
Do You Know:
• After China, India is the second largest producer of cotton, accounting for 24% of global production. Cotton cultivation engages around 60 lakh farmers, mostly across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana. The entire cotton textile value chain—from processing raw fibre and spinning yarn to weaving fabric, dyeing, and stitching—employs over 4.5 crore people.
• The size of India’s textile and apparel industry cannot be understated—it contributes 13% to industrial production, 12% to exports, and roughly 2% to GDP. However, manufacturing in the textile and apparel industry has slightly contracted over the past 10 years, according to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍From European emperors to Rajput kings, why Indian textiles are a global treasure
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
9. With reference to the Indian textile industry, consider the following statements:
1. India is the largest producer of cotton in the world.
2. The textile sector in India is one of the largest employment-generating sectors.
3. The government has introduced the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
|
PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (b) 2.(c) 3.(c) 4.(b) 5.(c) 6.(a) 7.(b) 8.(b) 9.(b) |
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