The Strait of Hormuz is a critical UPSC topic linking GS-II (International Relations, India’s foreign policy) and GS-III (Energy security, Indian economy). India imports ~90% of crude oil, and any disruption to this strait directly affects inflation, Current Account Deficit, and GDP growth. It is also linked to India’s strategic autonomy — balancing ties with the US, Israel, and Iran simultaneously. For Mains, expect questions on energy security, geopolitical risks, and India’s diplomatic options.

The DRI (Disaster Risk Index) = Hazard × Exposure × Vulnerability. The 16th Finance Commission adopted this multiplicative formula — a shift from the 15th FC’s additive approach. The key controversy is that ‘Exposure’ was measured as total state population (scaled 1–25), which favours populous states like UP and Bihar over genuinely exposed states like Odisha and Kerala. This is a structural flaw that punishes states that have invested in disaster preparedness but have smaller populations.

Yes. Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office in the same manner as a Judge of the Supreme Court — i.e., by an address passed by both Houses of Parliament by a special majority (majority of total membership + two-thirds of members present and voting). This is a very high threshold, which is why the Opposition’s impeachment motion (with 193 MPs) was unlikely to succeed but served as a strong political signal about institutional credibility concerns.

The Kessler Syndrome (proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler) refers to a scenario where the density of objects in low Earth orbit is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade — each collision generates debris that causes further collisions, eventually rendering the orbital shell unusable for generations. For UPSC, this is relevant for GS-III Science & Technology (space debris, space sustainability) and for questions on international governance of the global commons. It is increasingly asked in context of Outer Space Treaty limitations.

The Eight Core Industries index covers eight sectors with ~40.27% weight in IIP. Normally, the two indices move together. When they diverge (as in February 2026 — IIP at 5.2% while Eight Core at 2.3%), it signals that non-core sectors (like diverse manufacturing, capital goods, consumer goods) are performing well even as energy and basic materials sectors are weak. For UPSC, this teaches the importance of disaggregated economic analysis — headline numbers can mask underlying structural trends. Consumer non-durable contraction is a key sub-indicator for assessing real household income and rural demand.

SAMADHAN is India’s comprehensive anti-LWE doctrine: Smart Leadership, Aggressive Strategy, Motivation and Training, Actionable Intelligence, Dashboard-based KPIs, Harnessing Technology, Action on Finance, No access to Weapons/Supplies. Combined with GPS-tracked security patrols, satellite phones in interior areas, new security camps functioning as Integrated Development Centres, and financial network disruption by NIA/ED, the strategy reduced LWE-affected districts from 126 (2014) to just 2 (Bijapur and Sukma, 2026). However, IED threat and governance deficits remain — sustainable peace requires addressing root causes like land rights (FRA 2006) and tribal self-governance (PESA 1996).

The Hindu provides contemporary examples that can be used as “current content” in Mains answers. Specifically: (1) Use data points as evidence — e.g., “As per IIP data for Feb 2026, consumer non-durables contracted 0.6% for the second consecutive month, indicating rural demand stress.” (2) Use expert opinions — e.g., M.K. Narayanan’s analysis on Iran’s Shia resistance dimension. (3) Use policy initiatives — e.g., SAMADHAN doctrine, IN-SPACe framework. (4) Link to constitutional articles, Acts, and committees. A good answer integrates static knowledge + current examples + critical analysis + way forward — all of which daily newspaper analysis like Legacy IAS provides.