Yes, but the Supreme Court has laid down stringent conditions. A reconvert must: (1) provide clear proof of the original SC caste, (2) show credible and bona fide evidence of reconversion to the original religion (Hinduism/Sikhism/Buddhism), and (3) demonstrate that members of the original caste have genuinely accepted and assimilated the person back into the community. Failure to establish even one condition makes the reconversion claim unsustainable for SC benefit purposes.

The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, submitted its report in 2007. It recommended extending Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, arguing that caste-based social disabilities persist even after religious conversion. The government has not accepted this recommendation. It is frequently cited in UPSC questions on reservation policy, social justice, and minority rights.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which approximately 21% of global petroleum trade passes daily (~17 million barrels/day). India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil needs, with a significant share coming from Gulf nations whose oil is shipped through this strait. Any disruption directly impacts India’s fuel prices, fertiliser availability (critical for agriculture), LPG supply, and the broader macroeconomy through inflation and rupee depreciation. India’s 9+ million diaspora in the Gulf and billions in remittances are also at risk during conflicts.

Biologics are large, complex molecules produced by living cells (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, insulin, CAR-T therapy). They are expensive and difficult to manufacture. Biosimilars are “generic” versions of biologics manufactured after the original’s patent expires — they are highly similar but not identical due to the complexity of biological production. India is a global leader in biosimilars production. For UPSC: biosimilars are relevant for GS-III (pharma sector, IPR, health), GS-II (healthcare policy, CDSCO regulation), and the BioPharma SHAKTI initiative in Budget 2026-27.

Article 51A(g) is a Fundamental Duty that enjoins every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife. The Supreme Court has progressively interpreted this as applicable to corporate entities conducting business in India — arguing that the right to conduct business comes with the responsibility to restore ecological damage caused. This has been used to mandate environmental CSR spending as a constitutional obligation (not merely a statutory one under Section 135 of the Companies Act). For UPSC: this is a key intersection of GS-III (Environment), GS-II (Polity/Governance), and GS-IV (Ethics/Corporate Accountability).

IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) was established in 2020 under the Department of Space. It serves as a single-window nodal agency to promote, regulate, and authorise non-governmental entities (private companies, State governments) to conduct space activities in India, including using ISRO facilities. Assam’s AssamSAT initiative — the first State-level satellite procurement — falls within the IN-SPACe framework, demonstrating the “federalisation” of India’s space sector. This is relevant for GS-III (Science & Technology), GS-II (Federalism/Centre-State relations), and Prelims (space institutions).

The Bonn Challenge is a global, voluntary effort launched in 2011 to restore 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030. India pledged to restore 26 million hectares by 2030. However, progress has been slow — as of 2026, only 9.8 million hectares have been restored, with private corporate contributions accounting for a mere 2%. This gap is relevant for questions on India’s climate commitments, forest governance, biodiversity, and the role of CSR in environmental restoration.

The CPI published by Transparency International measures the perceived level of public sector corruption — not actual recorded bribery incidents. It is based on 13 independent expert assessments covering public procurement integrity, regulatory enforcement, judicial effectiveness, and institutional safeguards. A low CPI score does not necessarily mean more bribery happens — it indicates weaker institutional safeguards, lower transparency, and less effective oversight mechanisms. For UPSC: candidates must distinguish between perception-based indices (CPI) and legal/criminal data (FIRs, convictions under PCA). Both are policy-relevant but measure different dimensions of corruption.