Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 14 August 2025

Content

1. A war game-changer in a battle for influence in Asia
2. Africa is challenging China’s mining hegemony
3. The Freedom We Need

A war game-changer in a battle for influence in Asia

Background: How Warfare is Changing

• Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020): Drones played a decisive role, shifting the nature of modern conflict.
• Operation Sindoor (India-Pakistan, 2024): Showcased UAVs/UCAVs moving beyond reconnaissance → to precision strike capability.
• Global trend: Drones are now central to warfare — cost-effective, precise, low-risk (no pilots in danger).

Relevance : GS 3(Science and Technology) ,GS 2(International Relations)

Practice Question : “Drone warfare has transformed from being a tactical tool to a strategic instrument in global geopolitics.” Discuss India’s preparedness and challenges in leveraging drones for its security and foreign policy.(250 Words)

India’s Current Drone Capabilities

• Imports in Use:
  • Israeli drones:
    • Heron (surveillance, medium-altitude long-range).
    • Harop (loitering munition, i.e., “kamikaze drone”).
  • U.S. deal: 31 MQ-9B Reapers (SkyGuardian & SeaGuardian models) ordered in 2024 — for maritime domain awareness & strike capacity.
• Indigenous efforts:
  • Rustom-II / Tapas-BH (still developmental).
  • Some small quadcopters and tactical drones, but mostly for surveillance.
• Problem:
  • Limited high-altitude long endurance drones.
  • Lack of domestic production ecosystems → dependence on imports.

India’s Needs (Strategic Gaps)

• Geography-driven needs:
  • High-altitude drones → for Himalayas (LAC with China, LoC with Pakistan).
  • Long-range maritime drones → for Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
  • Small, cheap drones → for precision strikes and swarm attacks.
• Operational needs:
  • Reconnaissance + strike integration.
  • Payload capacity (missiles, sensors).
  • Resilience against electronic warfare & anti-drone systems.

Global Drone Market Landscape

• U.S.:
  • MQ-9B is advanced, but U.S. lags in drone exports (only 8% market share, 2023).
  • Restricted by MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) in selling advanced drones.
• China:
  • Export powerhouse, especially in Africa, Middle East, and Asia.
  • Cheap, mass-produced drones.
  • India cannot rely on Chinese drones (geopolitical adversary).
• Türkiye:
  • Success with Bayraktar TB2, Akinci.
  • Affordable, combat-proven, popular in Ukraine and Africa.
  • But India-Türkiye relations are adversarial → risky supplier.
• Israel:
  • Strong defence ties with India, but limited production capacity (distracted by West Asia conflicts).
• Europe:
  • Potential partners (France, Italy, UK) but expensive systems.

India’s Strategic Choices

• Short-term:
  • Continue imports from U.S. & Israel.
  • Ensure critical tech transfer in deals.
• Medium-term:
  • Strengthen joint ventures with Israel, Europe, U.S.
  • Focus on indigenous UAV ecosystem: sensors, propulsion, AI-based navigation.
• Long-term:
  • Position India as a UAV supplier to the Indo-Pacific, leveraging common needs (maritime security, border surveillance).
  • Compete with Türkiye & China in drone diplomacy.

Indo-Pacific Angle (India-Centric Opportunity)

• Countries needing drones: Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea.
• Common problem: Countering China’s “grey-zone warfare” (coast guard, militia, fishing fleets).
• India’s opportunity:
  • Develop UAVs suited for maritime domain awareness & high-altitude terrain.
  • Export drones → strengthen Quad partners & Indo-Pacific allies.
  • Block Türkiye from expanding influence in the region.

Challenges for India

• Domestic bottlenecks:
  • DRDO’s slow pace, delays in Rustom-II.
  • Bureaucratic red tape & over-reliance on public sector.
  • Private sector innovation underutilised.
• External dependence:
  • Engines, sensors, AI software often imported.
  • Tech transfer limitations from U.S. & Israel.
• Counter-drone warfare:
  • Need to simultaneously develop anti-drone systems (radar, jammers, laser weapons).

India’s Way Forward

• Policy:
  • Treat UAVs/UCAVs as core to Atmanirbhar Bharat defence push.
  • Fast-track clearances for private players (IdeaForge, NewSpace, etc.).
• Technology:
  • Invest in indigenous engines, batteries, AI navigation, stealth coatings.
  • Swarm drone R&D for asymmetric warfare.
• Diplomacy:
  • Use drone exports as defence diplomacy tool in Indo-Pacific.
  • Build tech-sharing networks with Quad & ASEAN nations.
• Strategy:
  • Integrate drones into joint force doctrines (Army-Air Force-Navy).
  • Balance offensive UAVs with counter-drone capabilities.

India’s Big Picture Goal

• Move from import-dependent user → to net exporter and innovator in UAVs.
• Seize the Indo-Pacific drone vacuum created by U.S. limitations.
• Use UAV diplomacy to counter China & Türkiye while deepening India’s strategic footprint.
• Make drones the “INS Vikrant moment” of India’s airpower modernisation.

Africa is challenging China’s mining hegemony

Background: China’s rise in Africa’s mining sector

• Africa’s resource wealth: Holds vast reserves of cobalt, lithium, copper, iron ore, and rare earths — critical for EV batteries, electronics, and renewable energy infrastructure.
• China’s dominance over past 2 decades:
  • Secured large-scale mining rights through resource-for-infrastructure deals (e.g., DRC’s Sicomines deal).
  • Controlled ~80% of DRC’s cobalt output.
  • Gained influence via concessional loans, tax exemptions, and tied investments.
• China’s strategy: Access cheap raw materials + ensure supply chain security for its industries → feed its global manufacturing power.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Practice Question : “The mineral wealth of Africa is emerging as both a theatre of geopolitical competition and a test of developmental sovereignty.” Examine this in light of China’s dominance and Africa’s new assertiveness.(250 Words)

Mounting Criticism Against China

• Broken promises:
  • Limited skills transfer to locals.
  • Lack of promised processing facilities.
  • Benefits concentrated in elites, not wider population.
• Economic losses:
  • In 2024, DRC lost $132 million in tax revenue due to exemptions for Chinese firms.
• Governance backlash:
  • DRC renegotiating contracts → raised state ownership in joint ventures from 32% → 70%.
  • Deals cancelled (e.g., Norin Mining’s takeover of Chemaf Resources).
• Corruption scandals: Xinfeng Investments accused of bribery in Namibia.
• Social & labour issues: Reports of poor working conditions and hazardous environments.
• Environmental damage:
  • Zambia: toxic acid spill contaminating Kafue River.
  • Zimbabwe: coal mining near Hwange National Park blocked.
  • Cameroon: protests against Sinosteel’s Lobé-Kribi project (cultural & ecological risks).

Emerging Resistance in Africa

• Civil society activism:
  • Groups like Congo is Not for Sale pushing for contract reviews.
  • Local NGOs mobilizing communities against exploitative practices.
• Policy push:
  • Zimbabwe (2022): Banned export of unprocessed lithium.
  • Namibia (2023): Similar ban on lithium & critical minerals.
  • Aim: ensure local beneficiation and industrialisation.
• Reclaiming sovereignty: Governments demanding transparency, environmental safeguards, fairer revenue sharing.

Global Geopolitical Implications

• China’s slipping dominance:
  • Still the biggest player, but future no longer guaranteed.
  • African countries asserting more bargaining power.
• Reshaping supply chains:
  • Africa moving from raw material exporter → value-added participant in green economy.
  • Impacts EV, battery, renewable energy industries worldwide.
• Space for new entrants:
  • EU, US, India, and others exploring partnerships to diversify away from Chinese dependence.

India-Centric Analysis

• India’s vulnerabilities:
  • Huge dependence on imports for critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths).
  • Currently imports lithium primarily from Australia, Argentina, Chile; cobalt largely from DRC (indirectly via China).
  • This creates a strategic risk, as China dominates refining and supply chains.
• Opportunities for India:
  • Leverage Africa’s resistance to China: Present itself as a credible alternative partner.
  • India’s advantage:
    • Democratic governance model → more acceptable to African civil societies.
    • History of South-South cooperation → goodwill in Africa through developmental assistance, education, medicine, IT capacity-building.
    • Less exploitative image compared to China.
  • Can invest in:
    • Joint ventures in mining & processing plants.
    • Technology and skills transfer programs (Africa values local capacity building).
    • Infrastructure projects with transparency, avoiding China’s opaque debt-trap model.
• Policy moves India can consider:
  • Establish strategic mineral partnerships (like Japan’s JOGMEC model).
  • Push for long-term supply contracts with DRC, Namibia, Zimbabwe, etc.
  • Promote public-private partnerships between Indian firms and African governments.
  • Set up Indian-led mineral processing hubs in Africa.
  • Integrate Africa into India’s critical mineral strategy under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan and Battery Storage Roadmap.

Risks for India

• Competition from West & China: Africa is becoming a new geopolitical battleground.
• African governance challenges: Corruption, political instability, elite capture of resource rents.
• India’s own capacity constraints: Limited financial muscle compared to China; Indian firms less experienced in large-scale resource extraction.
• Need for sustainable practices: If India follows exploitative models, it risks backlash similar to China’s.

Way Forward for India

• Adopt a “Responsible Mining Diplomacy” approach:
  • Emphasize fair contracts, transparency, community development, environmental safeguards.
  • Align with Africa’s demand for local beneficiation (help set up processing & downstream industries).
• Use India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) to institutionalise cooperation in critical minerals.
• Encourage Indian PSUs and private players (Hindustan Copper, Vedanta, Adani, Reliance for EV batteries) to invest in Africa.
• Collaborate with Quad partners (US, Japan, Australia) for joint Africa mineral initiatives → reduce Chinese dominance.

Conclusion

• Africa is shifting from being a passive supplier of raw materials to an assertive partner demanding value addition.
• China’s dominance is being challenged by local activism, governance reforms, and environmental concerns.
• For India:
  • This is both a strategic risk (if China consolidates again) and a historic opportunity (to secure critical minerals).
  • India must build equitable, transparent, and sustainable mineral partnerships with Africa → crucial for its EV revolution, renewable energy transition, and Atmanirbhar Bharat strategy.

The Freedom We Need

Context and Background

• Written on the 79th year of Indian Independence.
• Reflects on true meaning of freedom beyond political independence.
• Argument: India now needs freedom of enterprise, innovation, and thought, not just liberation from colonial rule.

Relevance : GS 1(Society ) , GS 2(Social Justice)

Practice Question : “India achieved political freedom in 1947, but true freedom in 2025 must mean liberation of enterprise, education, and thought.” Discuss.(250 Words)

Central Thesis

• India has political freedom, but economic and social structures remain constrained.
• Real freedom today = free enterprise + independent thinking + decentralised opportunity.
• Time has come not just to “liberalise” but to liberate education, industry, and society from excessive state control.

Key Challenges Identified

• Global and domestic turbulence:
  • Fluctuating world economy.
  • Political isolation risks.
  • Internal issues of caste, faith, and regional identity.
  • Rising mental health concerns among youth.
• Colonial hangover in governance:
  • Over-dependence on government control.
  • Suspicion of private enterprise.
  • Over-regulation stifling innovation.

Call for Free Enterprise

• Current time demands bold, confident, adventurous entrepreneurship.
• India must:
  • Liberate education, industry, infrastructure from state stranglehold.
  • Encourage private investment in public goods (roads, bridges, universities).
  • Shed the colonial mindset of restricting initiative.
• Free enterprise isn’t just about profit—it is about human ingenuity breaking barriers.

Redefining Governance & Regulation

• When people dream big, disruptions will occur → need for flexible rules.
• Current bureaucratic structures and taxation laws too rigid → need reform.
• Balance: Some basic ground rules must remain, but radical innovation should not be suffocated.
• Without this, India risks being trapped in mediocrity and red-tapism.

Education and Human Capital

• Education must focus on:
  • Mental agility and physical fitness (not rote learning or narrow specialization).
  • Producing independent thinkers, not indoctrinated citizens.
• Critique: Current education system produces “more sectarian or indoctrinated children.”
• Vision: Education as a springboard for creativity, risk-taking, and problem-solving.

Information & Technology as Core Strength

• India’s IT and digital economy are global strengths.
• To retain autonomy and competitive edge:
  • Invest in computing hardware, storage, networking.
  • Develop indigenous capacity (mini-nuclear stations, small modular reactors).
  • Prevent over-reliance on imports (e.g., semiconductors, energy).
• Strategic self-reliance in tech = national security + innovation.

Cultural and Philosophical Dimension

• India’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP):
  • A culture of seekers, not believers.
  • Focus on inner exploration and consciousness.
  • Contribution to global human advancement is spiritual and intellectual, not just material.
• Warning: Do not reduce India’s culture to dogma or sectarianism → must stay open, inclusive, questioning.

Social Contract & Freedom

• True freedom means:
  • Raising children in a system of safeguards, not rigid control.
  • Allowing youth to experiment, innovate, fail, and grow.
• India is at a transitional stage:
  • No longer an infant democracy.
  • Like an adolescent—restless, energetic, but needs right environment to channel energy.

Strategic Message

• India’s future success = mix of three freedoms:
  • Economic freedom → Free enterprise, private initiative.
  • Intellectual freedom → Independent education system, critical thinking.
  • Cultural freedom → Preserve spirit of seekers, not rigid believers.
• If embraced, India can lead in technology, economy, and human consciousness.
• If ignored, India risks being shackled by outdated systems, protectionism, and overregulation.

Conclusion

• Independence in 1947 gave political sovereignty.
• Independence in 2025 must mean: economic, intellectual, and cultural sovereignty.
• India’s strength lies in being:
  • Entrepreneurial.
  • Technologically agile.
  • Spiritually rich.
• True freedom = ability of individuals to innovate without fear, learn without indoctrination, and dream without constraints.