Legacy IAS
Bengaluru • UPSC Civil Services Coaching
UPSC Mains-Oriented
Daily News Analysis
Daily News Analysis
The Hindu
Friday, February 27, 2026 — Bengaluru Edition
Curated for Prelims & Mains 2026
📋 Table of Contents
- SC Bans NCERT Class 8 Textbook — Judicial Independence & Contempt GS-II
- DGCA Revises Air Ticket Refund Norms GS-III
- Karnataka Kick-starts Government Recruitment — 56,432 Posts GS-II
- India-Israel Ties Upgraded to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ GS-II IR
- Gauhati HC Issues Notice to Assam CM for ‘Hate Speech’ GS-II
- Income Mobility Analysis 2014–2025: Deprivation & Affluence GS-III
- Critical Minerals Shift to India’s Strategic Centre GS-III
- AI & LLMs Disrupting India’s Software Services Industry GS-III
- U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks — Shifting Goal Posts GS-II IR
- New GDP Data Series — Base Year Change to 2022-23 GS-III
- Protectionism is Stifling Growth — Merkel at Manmohan Singh Lecture GS-II IR
- I&B Minister: Online Platforms Must Take Responsibility for Content GS-II
- Open Correctional Institutions — SC Directs States to Fill Vacancies GS-II
- Afghanistan Attacks Pakistan After Deadly Strikes GS-II IR
Article 01
SC Bans NCERT Class 8 Textbook — Contempt Action Over ‘Corruption in Judiciary’ Chapter
📌 Issue in Brief
- The Supreme Court ordered a blanket ban on an NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook containing references to “corruption” in the judiciary.
- A three-judge Bench led by CJI Surya Kant called it a “deep-rooted conspiracy” and a “calculated move” to portray the judiciary as a venal institution. Contempt action was initiated against the NCERT Director and the Secretary of the Department of School Education.
- The Solicitor-General offered an unconditional apology on behalf of the Centre.
📖 Static Background
- Article 129 & 215 — Supreme Court and High Courts as Courts of Record with power to punish for contempt.
- Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Defines civil and criminal contempt; Section 2(c) covers criminal contempt (scandalizing the court).
- NCERT — Autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, established in 1961; prepares national curriculum frameworks and textbooks.
- Article 19(1)(a) vs. Article 19(2) — Freedom of speech balanced against contempt of court restrictions.
- NCF 2023 (National Curriculum Framework) — Basis for the new textbook revision.
📊 Key Dimensions
| Arguments FOR Court’s Action | Concerns / Counter-view |
|---|---|
| Judiciary’s institutional dignity must be protected from motivated attacks | Academic freedom and critical thinking in education may be chilled by blanket bans |
| Impressionable young minds should not be exposed to biased narratives | Factual discussion of challenges (backlog, vacancies, corruption) is part of civic education |
| Selective reference without acknowledging judiciary’s contribution is misleading | Suo motu contempt for textbook content raises free speech concerns |
| Accountability of NCERT officials is warranted for oversight failure | Separation of powers — should judiciary review textbook content directly? |
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Judicial overreach vs. legitimate concern: While protecting institutional integrity is valid, blanket banning of textbooks raises concerns about pre-censorship and its chilling effect on academic discourse.
- Contempt power scope: The use of contempt for textbook content pushes the boundaries of what constitutes “scandalizing the court” — the 2006 amendment allowing truth as defence was meant to balance this.
- Accountability gap: The case exposes weak editorial review mechanisms within NCERT — multi-layered approvals failed to flag content.
- Ethical dimension: Transparency vs. institutional dignity — can the judiciary advocate for both while suppressing critical evaluation of itself?
- Global comparison: In democracies like the UK and USA, school curricula discuss judicial shortcomings as part of civic education without triggering contempt proceedings.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Establish a multi-stakeholder review board for NCERT textbooks including educationists, retired judges, and civil society representatives.
- Distinguish between constructive criticism (which strengthens institutions) and motivated defamation (which undermines them).
- Strengthen internal judicial accountability mechanisms — in-house inquiry, judicial standards bills — to build legitimacy.
- Revisit the scope of contempt law in light of the Prashant Bhushan case (2020) observations on free speech.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- NCERT — Autonomous body, established 1961, under Ministry of Education
- Article 129 — SC as Court of Record; Article 142 — Complete justice power
- Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Section 2(b): Civil contempt; Section 2(c): Criminal contempt
- Suo Motu — Court acts on its own cognizance without a petition
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
“The power of contempt is necessary for the dignity of the judiciary, but its overuse can stifle free speech and academic inquiry.” Critically examine this statement in the context of the recent NCERT textbook controversy.
Article 02
DGCA Revises Air Ticket Refund Norms — Extends Free Cancellation Window to 48 Hours
📌 Issue in Brief
- The DGCA revised air ticket refund norms, extending the free cancellation/modification window from 24 to 48 hours.
- Airlines are now solely responsible for processing refunds even for tickets booked through travel agents/third-party portals.
- Full refund allowed in medical emergencies — passenger or co-traveller hospitalised during travel period.
📖 Static Background
- DGCA — Directorate General of Civil Aviation, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation; regulator of civil aviation in India.
- Aircraft Act, 1934 & Aircraft Rules, 1937 — Governing framework for civil aviation.
- Previous norms had 24-hour cancellation window; no clarity on agent-booked ticket refunds — leading to passenger losses (e.g., Go First, Jet Airways collapses).
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — Passengers’ right against unfair trade practices.
📊 Key Dimensions
🔄 Flowchart: Refund Process Under New Norms
Passenger books ticket (airline website / agent / portal)
→
48-hour look-in window (free cancel/amend)
→
Medical emergency? Full refund (cash or credit shell)
→
Airline solely responsible for refund processing
| Feature | Old Norms | New Norms |
|---|---|---|
| Free cancellation window | 24 hours | 48 hours |
| Refund responsibility | Unclear (agent/airline) | Airline solely responsible |
| Medical emergency refund | Limited provisions | Full refund or credit shell |
| Advance booking requirement | Not specified clearly | 7 days (domestic) / 15 days (international) |
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Positive: Enhances consumer rights and addresses the chronic issue of refund delays — especially relevant after Go First and Jet Airways collapses.
- Gap: Norms apply only to tickets booked through airline websites — third-party portals not legally bound, though expected to “mirror” provisions.
- Implementation challenge: Medical emergency refunds require review by airline’s medicine specialist or DGCA-empaneled expert — may lead to delays and disputes.
- Airline industry concern: Increased refund obligations could affect cash flow for budget carriers already operating on thin margins.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Extend binding refund obligations to third-party booking platforms through appropriate amendments.
- Create an Aviation Ombudsman for speedy dispute resolution on refund matters.
- Digitise medical emergency verification through Aadhaar-linked health records (ABHA) to speed up claims.
- Align with global best practices — EU’s Regulation 261/2004 provides comprehensive passenger rights.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- DGCA — Under Ministry of Civil Aviation, headed by Director General
- New free cancellation window: 48 hours
- Refund responsibility lies with airlines, not travel agents
- Aircraft Act, 1934 — Primary legislation for civil aviation
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-III, 10 Marks)
Discuss the significance of DGCA’s revised air ticket refund norms in strengthening consumer protection in the aviation sector. What further reforms are needed?
Article 03
Karnataka Govt. to Fill 56,432 Posts — Recruitment Process Kick-starts
📌 Issue in Brief
- Karnataka State Cabinet decided to issue notifications within 30 days to fill 56,432 posts across departments.
- Notifications will follow 50% reservation (32% OBC, 15% SC, 3% ST) instead of the 56% matrix to avoid legal hurdles.
- The decision follows protests by unemployed youth in Dharwad over delayed recruitment.
📖 Static Background
- Article 16(4) & 16(4A) — Power of the State to make provisions for reservation in appointments.
- Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) — 50% cap on reservations (unless extraordinary circumstances).
- Articles 335 — Efficiency of administration to be considered alongside SC/ST claims.
- Karnataka has been trying to implement a 56% reservation model, which exceeds the 50% Mandal cap, inviting judicial scrutiny.
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Delayed recruitment is a pan-India issue — vacancies across Central and State governments run into millions, contributing to youth frustration.
- Reservation recalibration to 50% shows the State’s pragmatic approach to avoid judicial stay — but it reduces SC/ST quota from 24% (17%+7%) to 18% (15%+3%), potentially angering these communities.
- Political economy: Delayed recruitments serve as a rallying point for opposition — the BJP used this in Dharwad protests against the ruling Congress.
- Structural concern: Focus should be on reforming recruitment agencies (KPSC, etc.) for faster, transparent, technology-driven processes.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Establish a time-bound recruitment calendar — annual recruitment cycle as recommended by multiple committees.
- Implement Common Eligibility Test (CET) at state level for rationalising multiple exams.
- Use digital platforms and AI for application processing, verification and shortlisting.
- Link to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) — government as an employer of last resort.
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
Chronic delays in government recruitment processes contribute to youth unrest and undermine governance. Analyze the structural causes and suggest reforms to expedite public sector recruitment.
Article 04
India-Israel Ties Upgraded to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ — PM Modi’s Visit
📌 Issue in Brief
- PM Modi’s 24-hour visit to Jerusalem resulted in upgrading India-Israel ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership”.
- 15+ MoUs signed in AI, agriculture, culture, education, and geophysical exploration. Agreement to facilitate 50,000 Indian workers in Israel over 5 years.
- Modi said India’s security is “directly linked” to West Asian stability; both sides agreed to advance IMEC and I2U2 projects.
- Concerns: Only oblique reference to Palestinian sovereignty; no mention of 72,000+ casualties in Gaza since October 2023.
📊 Key Dimensions
India-Israel ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ — Dimensions
Defence & Security
- Israel is India’s 2nd largest arms supplier
- Joint development of missile systems (MRSAM, Barak-8)
- Counter-terrorism cooperation
Technology & Innovation
- AI cooperation MoU
- Geophysical exploration (minerals + AI)
- Agri-tech: desert farming, drip irrigation
Economic Corridors
- IMEC — India-Middle East-Europe Corridor
- I2U2 — India-Israel-UAE-USA grouping
- FTA negotiations instructed to expedite
Geopolitical Risks
- Arab world relations may be strained
- India’s historically calibrated regional balance at risk
- Visit amid US-Iran tensions adds complexity
🔍 Critical Analysis
- De-hyphenation: India has successfully de-hyphenated its Israel and Palestine policies since 1992, but this visit leans visibly towards Israel without a balancing Palestine outreach.
- Timing: Israel faces growing international isolation — India’s high-profile visit provides diplomatic legitimacy to Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections.
- Arab world concerns: Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar) — critical for India’s energy security, remittances ($100 bn+), and diaspora (9 million+) — expect India to maintain balance.
- IMEC viability: Regional tensions (Israel-Saudi normalization stalled) make the corridor’s implementation uncertain.
- Ethical dimension: Silence on civilian casualties raises questions about India’s moral authority and its claim to represent the Global South.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Follow up with a visit to Palestine (as done after the 2017 visit) to demonstrate balanced engagement.
- Use India’s UNSC non-permanent membership and G20 credentials to advocate for two-state solution.
- Diversify defence procurement — reduce over-dependence on Israeli platforms.
- Leverage IMEC as a peace dividend — tie corridor progress to regional conflict resolution.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- I2U2 — India, Israel, UAE, USA (focus: water, energy, food security, transport)
- IMEC — India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (announced at G20 New Delhi 2023)
- India recognised Israel in 1950; full diplomatic relations from 1992
- Yad Vashem — Israel’s official Holocaust memorial museum
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
Analyze India’s evolving relationship with Israel in the context of its broader West Asian strategy. How can India balance its strategic partnership with Israel and its historical commitment to the Palestinian cause?
Article 05
Gauhati HC Issues Notice to Assam CM for Alleged ‘Hate Speech’ Against Muslims
📌 Issue in Brief
- Gauhati High Court issued notice to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for alleged hate speech against Muslims (referred to as ‘miya’ community — a pejorative term for Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam).
- Petitioners (Congress, scholar Hiren Gohain, CPI-M) cited video evidence of the CM symbolically shooting at people wearing skull caps, threats to manipulate voter lists, and calls for economic boycott.
- Court observed statements showed a “fissiparous tendency”.
📖 Static Background
- Article 19(1)(a) — Freedom of speech and expression; Article 19(2) — Reasonable restrictions (public order, incitement to offence).
- Sections 196, 197, 299 BNS (formerly 153A, 295A, 505 IPC) — Promoting enmity between groups, wanton vilification of religion, statements conducing to public mischief.
- Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan v. UOI (2014) — SC asked Election Commission to regulate hate speech but stopped short of declaring it unconstitutional for politicians.
- Preamble — Secular, democratic republic; Article 14, 15, 25 — Equality and non-discrimination on grounds of religion.
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Constitutional morality vs. political rhetoric: A Chief Minister, bound by oath of office (Article 164), has a higher duty to uphold constitutional values than an ordinary citizen.
- Hate speech jurisprudence: India lacks a comprehensive anti-hate-speech legislation — scattered provisions across BNS, IT Act, and RP Act are insufficient.
- NRC-CAA context in Assam: The issue intersects with the identity politics around the NRC updation and perceived “illegal immigration” — deepening communal fault lines.
- Institutional concern: HC’s intervention is significant, but enforcement against sitting CMs remains a persistent challenge.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Enact a comprehensive anti-hate-speech law as recommended by the Law Commission (267th Report, 2017).
- Strengthen ECI’s power to deregister parties whose leaders repeatedly engage in hate speech.
- Establish rapid judicial mechanisms for hate speech during and outside election periods.
- Promote constitutional values education — linked to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
“Hate speech by public functionaries undermines the secular fabric of the Constitution.” In light of the Gauhati High Court’s observations on the Assam CM’s statements, discuss the need for a comprehensive anti-hate-speech law in India.
Article 06
Income Mobility in India (2014–2025): Analysing Cycles of Deprivation and Affluence
📌 Issue in Brief
- An editorial analysis using CMIE Consumer Pyramids data reveals that downward income mobility nearly doubled from 14% (2015) to 26.8% (2025) relative to 2014 positions.
- Rural India worst hit — nearly 29% of rural households worse off by 2025. Urban India fares better but is hardly reassuring.
- Caste dimensions: OBC and SC households experienced sharpest downward mobility; SC households face persistent narrowing of upward pathways.
- Religious groups: Muslim households see weaker upward mobility compared to Hindus; Sikh and Christian households show stronger upward trends.
📊 Key Dimensions
| Indicator | 2015 | 2025 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downward mobility (All India) | 14% | 26.8% | ⬆ Worsening |
| Same income group | 70%+ | Below 50% | ⬇ Sharp decline |
| Upward mobility | 14.1% | 23.5% | ⬆ Gradual (but trails downward) |
| Rural downward mobility | — | ~29% | Severe |
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Inequality hardens into immobility: Higher income dispersion at district level is associated with greater downward mobility — inequality is not spurring aspiration but hardening economic boundaries.
- COVID-19 impact persists: The 2019 turning point followed by pandemic disruption created lasting scars — especially for the informal sector and agriculture.
- Caste as a fault line: Data reaffirms that occupational segmentation, unequal asset access, and social discrimination continue to shape economic outcomes.
- Policy failure indicator: More households slipping down than climbing up contradicts claims of broad-based inclusive growth.
- Data source limitation: CMIE data, while valuable, covers primarily consumption-oriented households and may underrepresent the extreme poor.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Move beyond headline GDP growth — focus on employment-intensive sectors (manufacturing, construction, services).
- Strengthen social protection floors — universal basic income experiments, expanded MGNREGA, urban employment guarantee.
- Invest in human capital — public health, quality education, skilling (linked to SDGs 1, 4, 8, 10).
- Address discrimination as a structural barrier to mobility — not just welfare, but affirmative action in private sector, anti-discrimination legislation.
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-III, 15 Marks)
“When inequality hardens into reduced mobility, frustration replaces aspiration.” In the context of recent data on income mobility in India, discuss the policy interventions needed to restore upward economic mobility across social groups.
Article 07
Critical Minerals Shift to India’s Strategic Centre — Budget 2026 & NCMM
📌 Issue in Brief
- India’s critical minerals policy has moved from the margins to the strategic mainstream — Union Budget 2026 prioritises execution after years of policy building.
- India now has a list of 30 critical minerals, a National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with ₹16,300 crore outlay, and eased exploration rules for junior miners.
- Key challenge: China controls up to 90% of global mineral processing capacity for several critical minerals.
📊 Key Dimensions — Three Priority Areas
🧠 Mind-Map: India’s Critical Minerals Strategy
India’s Critical Minerals — 3 Pillars
1. Demand Creation
- Remove import duties on processing capital goods
- Boost EV, battery, solar, wind deployment
- Third-order effects on processing & mining
2. AI-First Exploration
- NCMM targets 1,200 exploration projects by FY31
- Tax deductions for 9 critical minerals
- Extend seismic AI tools to mineral discovery
3. Geopolitical Leverage
- Rare earth corridors in coastal States
- ₹7,280 cr scheme for sintered rare earth magnets
- Partnerships: Australia, EU, Japan, UK, US
Existing Capabilities
- High-purity copper, graphite, rare earth oxides
- Skills from chemicals, pharma, textiles sectors
- Need: scaling + deeper refining
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Ambition-execution gap: Mining takes decades — India’s policy momentum is laudable but timelines are compressed compared to geological realities.
- China’s chokehold: Even if India discovers minerals, processing dominance remains with China — midstream capacity is the real bottleneck.
- Technology transfer hesitancy: Western allies possess advanced processing tech but remain cautious about transfers — India must offer regulatory certainty and market access.
- Environmental concerns: Mining of critical minerals (especially rare earths) generates radioactive waste and requires strict environmental safeguards — not addressed adequately.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Prioritise midstream processing capacity over upstream exploration in the short term.
- Accelerate international partnerships — UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory, India-EU FTA provisions.
- Ensure environmental and social safeguards — link to SDGs 9, 12, 13 (Industry, Responsible Consumption, Climate).
- Create a strategic mineral reserve akin to strategic petroleum reserves.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- NCMM — National Critical Mineral Mission, ₹16,300 crore, launched January 2025
- India has a list of 30 critical minerals
- Lithium was declassified from atomic minerals list in August 2023
- Monazite sands — source of rare earths; import duties reduced
- CEEW — Council on Energy, Environment and Water (think tank)
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-III, 15 Marks)
Critical minerals are central to India’s energy transition and strategic autonomy. Discuss the challenges India faces in securing critical mineral supply chains and the measures taken under the National Critical Mineral Mission.
Article 08
AI & LLMs Disrupting India’s IT Services — Transformation or Job Losses?
📌 Issue in Brief
- AI services revenue in India projected at $10–12 billion in FY26, but this coincides with layoffs, automation, and vulnerability of entry-level roles.
- Industry experts debate: BPO/KPO jobs (repetitive, well-defined) are definitely vulnerable; IT services roles are being transformed but not fully replaced.
- Shift from labour arbitrage (growth by adding people) to intelligence arbitrage (GenAI-enabled growth without matching headcount increase).
- India largely consuming AI built elsewhere — not building foundational models at scale.
📊 Key Dimensions
| Dimension | Impact |
|---|---|
| BPO/KPO sector | Highly vulnerable — agentic AI can replace 4000-person call centres with 10–15 staff for retraining/exceptions |
| IT Services (coding) | AI assists SDLC — reduces hours per task; squad of 8–10 → 3–5 people. But context engineering, domain knowledge, human interaction remain critical |
| Revenue model | Shifting from time-and-material → squad-based → outcome-based pricing; revenue per engineer increases |
| India’s AI position | Consumer, not creator — limited investment in foundational models, compute infrastructure, research |
| ‘Just transition’ gap | No unemployment benefits, weak reskilling (Skill India not credit-based), algorithmic management concerns |
🔍 Critical Analysis
- “AI washing” phenomenon: Companies using AI as a pretext for cost-cutting and layoffs that are actually driven by traditional margin pressures.
- Demographic dividend at risk: India’s IT sector employs 5+ million directly — large-scale displacement without social safety nets could trigger a crisis.
- Skill mismatch: Education system produces coders, but the market now needs context engineers, domain experts, and AI trainers.
- Environmental footprint: AI’s data centre growth increases electricity and water consumption — climate impact often ignored in the AI hype cycle.
- Regulatory gap: No framework for algorithmic accountability, worker surveillance, or AI-driven layoff transparency.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Legislate unemployment insurance for formal sector workers — linked to EPFO contributions.
- Reform Skill India — make it credit-based and industry-certified; focus on AI, context engineering, prompt engineering.
- Invest in sovereign AI capabilities — foundational models, compute infrastructure (linked to IndiaAI Mission).
- Consider reduced working hours as AI increases per-worker productivity.
- Enact AI transparency regulations — algorithmic accountability, worker notification before AI-driven restructuring.
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-III, 15 Marks)
The shift from ‘labour arbitrage’ to ‘intelligence arbitrage’ in India’s IT sector poses both opportunities and risks. Discuss the need for a ‘just transition’ framework for the technology workforce in the age of AI.
Article 09
U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks — ‘Significant Progress’ Amid Shifting American Goals
📌 Issue in Brief
- Third round of indirect U.S.-Iran talks concluded in Geneva, mediated by Oman. Oman’s FM called it “significant progress”; technical talks to follow in Vienna.
- The U.S. has deployed its largest military build-up in West Asia since 2003 (two carrier strike groups, fighter jets, advanced missile defence).
- Trump’s shifting objectives: From supporting Iranian protesters → demanding nuclear deal → demanding “zero enrichment” → claiming Iran’s programme was already “obliterated.”
- Iran insists it won’t develop nuclear weapons (citing Supreme Leader’s fatwa) but will not give up enrichment capabilities.
📊 Key Dimensions
🔄 Timeline: Trump’s Shifting Iran Objectives
Jan 2, 2026: “Locked and loaded” — support protesters
→
Jan 29: Shift to nuclear deal demands
→
Feb 6: Indirect talks begin in Muscat
→
Feb 22: “Zero enrichment” demand
→
Feb 26: Geneva talks — “significant progress”
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Incoherent U.S. strategy: Trump has oscillated between regime change rhetoric, nuclear disarmament demands, and claims of having already destroyed Iran’s programme — creating negotiation confusion.
- India’s stake: India imports ~60% of its oil from West Asia; any conflict disrupts energy security, trade routes, and 9 million diaspora.
- Oman’s mediation: Oman’s neutral stance and historical role as U.S.-Iran intermediary is critical — reflects small-state diplomacy effectiveness.
- JCPOA legacy: The 2015 nuclear deal (from which Trump withdrew in 2018) showed that multilateral frameworks can work — but unilateral withdrawal destroyed trust.
- Iran’s red lines: Nuclear fatwa + enrichment rights + no discussion on missiles/militias = narrow negotiating space.
🛤️ Way Forward
- India should maintain strategic autonomy — engage both sides diplomatically; offer mediation if credible.
- Diversify energy sourcing — accelerate renewable energy transition to reduce West Asian dependence.
- Revive multilateral framework — IAEA-led verification with UNSC backing, rather than bilateral brinkmanship.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- JCPOA — Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (2015); U.S. withdrew in 2018
- IAEA — International Atomic Energy Agency, HQ: Vienna
- Oman — Mediator in U.S.-Iran talks; capital: Muscat
- U.S. Special Envoy for West Asia: Steve Witkoff
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
Analyze the strategic implications of the ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions for India’s energy security and its foreign policy in the West Asian region.
Article 10
New GDP Data Series — Base Year Changed to 2022-23 for More Accurate National Accounts
📌 Issue in Brief
- India’s new national accounts data series (to be released on Friday) changes the base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
- Incorporates GST data more comprehensively, uses ASUSE and PLFS data annually (instead of extrapolation), and improves measurement of private corporate, household, and government sectors.
- Key upgrade: Activity-wise revenue allocation for multi-sector companies (instead of allocating entire GVA to dominant sector).
📊 Key Dimensions
| Feature | Old Series (2011-12) | New Series (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Base year | 2011-12 | 2022-23 |
| Multi-sector companies | Entire GVA to dominant sector | Activity-wise revenue share allocation |
| Household sector | Extrapolated from old surveys | Direct estimation via ASUSE + PLFS annually |
| Government sector | Limited coverage | Includes housing services to employees; expanded local body coverage |
| GST data | Used only in quarterly data, partially | Used for regional output, private company GVA, identifying active firms |
| Banking data | Limited sources | STRBI (RBI) for public + private banks |
| NBFCs | Proxy-based estimates | Actual financial data from MCA |
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Positive: More accurate GDP measurement — especially for the household/informal sector that constitutes ~45% of GVA but was poorly measured.
- GST as data goldmine: GST network data can bridge the formal-informal economy gap in measurement — a genuine improvement.
- Base year politics: Changing base years can lead to optical changes in growth rates — historical comparisons must be made cautiously.
- Continuing limitations: The informal economy, though better captured via ASUSE, still involves significant estimation — especially for agriculture and self-employment.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Ensure transparent methodology documentation — publish sub-committee reports and allow academic scrutiny.
- Move towards real-time GDP estimation using digital footprints (GST, UPI, satellite imagery).
- Complement GDP with well-being indicators — Green GDP, Human Development Index, Multidimensional Poverty Index.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- GDP = Market value of all final goods & services produced within a country in a given period
- GVA (Gross Value Added) = GDP − net taxes on products
- ASUSE — Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises
- PLFS — Periodic Labour Force Survey (by NSSO/MoSPI)
- STRBI — Statistical Table Related to Banks in India (RBI publication)
- New base year: 2022-23 (previous: 2011-12)
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-III, 10 Marks)
Discuss the significance of revising the base year for national accounts and the methodological improvements introduced in the new GDP data series. How do these changes improve the accuracy of economic measurement in India?
Article 11
Merkel at Manmohan Singh Lecture: Protectionism Stifles Growth, Multilateralism Under Threat
📌 Issue in Brief
- Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered the inaugural Dr. Manmohan Singh Memorial Lecture, warning that the global “order of cooperation” has been supplanted by “might makes right.”
- She blamed Russia for overturning territorial principles and the U.S. for weakening the UN and multilateralism.
- Welcomed the India-EU FTA (finalized January 2026) and warned that unregulated AI poses a threat to democratic governance.
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Post-liberal international order: The shift from rules-based multilateralism to power-based order has implications for India — a rising power that benefits from predictable international rules.
- India-EU FTA significance: After 18 years of negotiations, the FTA could make the EU India’s largest trading partner — but agricultural exclusion limits market access.
- AI regulation gap: China sets its own AI rules; the U.S. resists regulation — India must chart a middle path balancing innovation and safety.
- Singh’s legacy: The 1991 liberalisation and the India-EU FTA initiation in 2006 demonstrate the importance of long-term economic vision.
🛤️ Way Forward
- India should lead efforts to reform multilateral institutions (UN, WTO, IMF) — not abandon them.
- Use India-EU FTA as a template for plurilateral trade agreements with other democratic blocs.
- Develop a national AI governance framework — drawing from EU’s AI Act while preserving innovation space.
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
“In a world where might makes right, multilateralism is the recourse of the rising power.” Discuss India’s stake in preserving the rules-based international order and the role of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement in this context.
Article 12
I&B Minister: Online Platforms Must Take Responsibility for Content & Share Revenue
📌 Issue in Brief
- I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked online platforms to take responsibility for hosted content, act proactively against cybercrimes, and ensure fair revenue sharing with original content creators including conventional media.
- He flagged deepfakes and synthetically generated content as major threats to institutional trust and democratic processes.
- Warning: If voluntary action is not taken, legal mandates (as done by other countries) would follow.
📖 Static Background
- IT Act, 2000 & IT Rules, 2021 (amended 2023) — Safe harbour for intermediaries under Section 79 subject to due diligence.
- Digital India Act (proposed) — Meant to replace the IT Act with a comprehensive digital governance framework.
- Global precedents: Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code (2021); EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act; Canada’s Online News Act (C-18).
- Article 19(1)(a) and 19(2) — Balance between platform freedom and content regulation.
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Platform accountability vs. censorship: Holding platforms responsible for content risks over-moderation and chilling free speech — careful calibration needed.
- Revenue sharing: Legitimate concern — platforms profit from news content without compensating publishers. But Australia’s experience showed Meta simply blocked news rather than pay.
- Deepfake regulation: India lacks specific legislation on synthetic media — the IT Rules amendments are inadequate for AI-generated content at scale.
- Consent requirement: Requiring consent before using someone’s face/voice in synthetic content is progressive but enforcement is extremely challenging.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Fast-track the Digital India Act with specific provisions on platform accountability, deepfakes, and algorithmic transparency.
- Establish a media revenue-sharing framework — modelled on Australia’s code but with safeguards against platform retaliation.
- Create a Digital Content Regulatory Authority as an independent body (not government-controlled).
- Mandate AI-generated content watermarking and labelling requirements.
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 10 Marks)
Critically examine the challenges in making online platforms accountable for the content they host, while preserving freedom of speech and expression in India.
Article 13
SC Directs States to Fill Vacancies in Open Correctional Institutions (OCIs)
📌 Issue in Brief
- SC directed States and UTs to develop a time-bound protocol for filling vacancies in OCIs and open barracks.
- The court held that prisons are institutions of correction where dignity, self-respect, and social reintegration are constitutional necessities, not aspirational ideals.
- Under-representation of women in OCIs highlighted — States directed to develop protocols for restructuring OCIs for female prisoners.
- A high-powered committee headed by former SC judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat constituted for OCI reform.
📖 Static Background
- OCIs (Open Correctional Institutions): Minimum-security prisons where inmates can work, live semi-independently, and rehabilitate — India has very few functional OCIs.
- Article 21 — Right to life includes right to live with dignity (applicable to prisoners).
- Prison is a State subject (State List, Entry 4) — leading to vast disparities in prison conditions across States.
- NCRB Prison Statistics 2024: India’s prisons are 130%+ overcrowded; undertrials constitute 75%+ of prison population.
- Model Prison Manual, 2016 — Recommends open prisons for reformative justice.
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Reformative vs. retributive justice: India’s prison system remains overwhelmingly punitive — OCIs represent a progressive but grossly underutilized model.
- Gender gap: Women constitute ~4.5% of prison population but are virtually absent from OCI programmes — structural patriarchal biases in the criminal justice system.
- State inaction: Despite multiple SC directions and committee recommendations, OCI expansion has been negligible — States lack political incentive for prison reform.
- International best practices: Scandinavian countries (Norway’s Halden Prison) demonstrate that open, rehabilitation-focused prisons reduce recidivism significantly.
🛤️ Way Forward
- Implement the Justice Amitava Roy Committee (2018) recommendations on prison reforms.
- Expand OCI model to all States with Central funding through Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
- Establish gender-specific rehabilitation programmes in OCIs.
- Link to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and Nelson Mandela Rules (UN Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners).
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 15 Marks)
“Prisons should be institutions of reform, not warehouses of despair.” In light of the Supreme Court’s recent observations on Open Correctional Institutions, discuss the challenges and reforms needed in India’s prison system.
Article 14
Afghanistan Attacks Pakistan After Deadly Strikes — Escalating Border Tensions
📌 Issue in Brief
- Taliban-governed Afghanistan launched large-scale offensive operations against Pakistani military bases and installations along the frontier in retaliation for deadly Pakistani air strikes on Afghan provinces.
- Afghan forces reportedly captured 15+ Pakistani outposts in two hours across multiple provinces.
- Pakistan described the attacks as “unprovoked” and said it was responding with “immediate and effective response.”
🔍 Critical Analysis
- Role reversal: Pakistan, which nurtured the Taliban for decades, now faces a hostile Taliban regime that refuses to curb TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) operating from Afghan territory.
- Durand Line issue: Afghanistan has never recognized the Durand Line as an international border — fuelling perennial border tensions.
- India’s stake: An unstable Af-Pak border benefits India strategically by tying down Pakistan’s military resources, but regional instability also poses terrorism spillover risks and disrupts connectivity projects.
- Refugee crisis potential: Escalation could trigger a new wave of Afghan and Pakistani refugees — with humanitarian and security implications for the region.
- Great power dynamics: Neither the U.S. (distanced from Afghanistan) nor China (limited leverage) can effectively mediate — creating a governance vacuum.
🛤️ Way Forward
- India should maintain limited engagement with Taliban for humanitarian purposes and to protect Indian investments (Chabahar, Salma Dam).
- Support multilateral mediation through SCO or UN channels.
- Strengthen border security and intelligence cooperation to prevent terrorism spillover.
📝 Prelims Pointers
- Durand Line — 2,670 km border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, drawn in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand
- TTP — Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan; operates from Afghan territory
- Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika — Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
📝 UPSC Mains Model Question (GS-II, 10 Marks)
Discuss the implications of the escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan border conflict for India’s security and its regional strategy in South Asia.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Supreme Court banned an NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook that contained references to “corruption” in the judiciary. The three-judge Bench led by CJI Surya Kant called it a “deep-rooted conspiracy” and a “calculated move” to portray the judiciary negatively, and initiated contempt action against NCERT officials. The book was ordered to be seized in all forms — physical and digital.
The DGCA has extended the free cancellation and modification window from 24 to 48 hours after booking. Airlines are now solely responsible for processing refunds even for tickets booked via travel agents or third-party portals. Full refunds are available for medical emergencies where the passenger or co-traveller is hospitalized during the travel period.
During PM Modi’s visit to Jerusalem in February 2026, India and Israel upgraded their bilateral ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership.” Over 15 MoUs were signed in AI, agriculture, education, and geophysical exploration. Both sides agreed to advance IMEC and I2U2 projects and prepare for an early FTA signing.
The NCMM was launched in January 2025 with an outlay of ₹16,300 crore to secure India’s critical mineral supply chains. India has identified 30 critical minerals. For UPSC, this is relevant under GS-III (Economic Development, Security) as it connects to energy transition, defence self-reliance, China’s dominance in mineral processing, and India’s geopolitical partnerships with Australia, the EU, and the US.
India’s IT sector is shifting from “labour arbitrage” to “intelligence arbitrage” — GenAI enables growth without matching headcount increases. BPO/KPO jobs are highly vulnerable, while IT services roles are being transformed. For UPSC, this connects to GS-III (Science & Technology, Employment) and Essay (future of work, just transition, AI ethics). Key concerns include the absence of unemployment insurance, weak reskilling infrastructure, and India’s position as an AI consumer rather than creator.
Changing the base year makes GDP and GVA data more representative of the current economy. Key improvements include activity-wise revenue allocation for multi-sector companies, annual use of ASUSE and PLFS data for households, comprehensive use of GST data for tracking private corporate output, and actual NBFC financial data replacing proxy estimates. This improves the accuracy of measuring India’s real economic output.
CMIE data analysis shows that downward income mobility nearly doubled from 14% (2015) to 26.8% (2025), with rural India and SC/OBC communities worst affected. This is significant for UPSC as it challenges narratives of broad-based inclusive growth and connects to inequality, caste-based deprivation, social mobility, and the need for targeted policy interventions in employment, education, and social protection.
OCIs are minimum-security prisons where inmates can work, live semi-independently, and rehabilitate — representing the reformative model of justice. The SC directed States to fill vacancies in OCIs, noting that prisons must be “institutions of correction” where dignity and social reintegration are constitutional necessities. India’s prisons are 130%+ overcrowded and overwhelmingly punitive, making OCI expansion critical for prison reform.
Three rounds of indirect U.S.-Iran talks (mediated by Oman) have been held, with the latest in Geneva showing “significant progress.” The U.S. has deployed its largest military buildup in West Asia since 2003. Key issues include Iran’s uranium enrichment, U.S. demands for “zero enrichment,” Iran’s insistence on retaining peaceful nuclear technology, and the broader geopolitical tensions involving Israel. Technical talks are scheduled in Vienna next.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the global “order of cooperation” has been replaced by “might makes right,” blaming Russia for overturning territorial principles and the U.S. for weakening multilateralism. She welcomed the India-EU FTA finalized in January 2026, warned about unregulated AI, and credited Dr. Singh with India’s economic liberalization of 1991. She emphasized that protectionism is stifling global growth.
