The Hindu — UPSC Analysis
Saturday, 20 June 2026
Bengaluru City Edition · Curated for Prelims & Mains | GS I · II · III · IV
📋 Today's Topics
- Right to Walk on Footpaths a Fundamental Right: SCGS2 · GS1
- Delhi HC Upholds Telegram Ban Under Section 69AGS2
- 'Defection as Merger': The Tenth Schedule Hollowed OutGS2
- India's Cheapest Power Is Here — The Grid Must Catch UpGS3
- From Drone Purchases to Drone PartnershipsGS3
- The Pressures of Counting India: Census 2027GS2 · GS1
- 'Abhigyan', NAFIS & the Privacy QuestionGS2 · GS3
- Great Nicobar Project & Environmental OpacityGS3
- Glacial Lakes Expand in Arunachal: GLOF RiskGS1 · GS3
- Three-Language Policy & Nagaland's Linguistic ComplexityGS2
- Jio IPO, Sovereign AI & Satellite AmbitionsGS3
- India–Pakistan Engagement & the 'Frankenstein State'GS2
- Economy · Security · IR — Quick RoundupGS2 · GS3
- Quick Prelims Revision (MCQ Bank)Prelims
- FAQsRevision
Right to Walk on Secure Footpaths a Fundamental Right: Supreme Court
Context
The Supreme Court declared the freedom to walk on demarcated, well-maintained footpaths a fundamental right that has priority over motorised vehicles. The ruling (authored by Justice P.S. Narasimha) came in a case seeking higher compensation for a five-year-old boy crushed by a tanker lorry while walking to school in Karnataka.
Background & Key Facts
- Constitutional basis: the Court rooted the right in Article 21 (life) and in the freedoms under Article 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b) and 19(1)(c) — walking embodies "expressional, congregational and associational" dimensions.
- Enforceable duty: "If a road exists, there must then be a duty to ensure that a footpath is demarcated and maintained for the walkers" — recognising duty-bearers (governments and local bodies).
- The problem: most cities lack continuous, unobstructed footpaths; where they exist, they are encroached by parking, vendors, utilities, debris and road-widening.
- Call for a statutory framework: in the absence of a national pedestrian-rights law, responsibility is split across municipal laws, town-planning statutes and street-design guidelines.
A 'nudge', not a guarantee: An editorial warns the judgment may bring no real change if it remains a tool for post-tragedy compensation; success depends on moving state funds toward pedestrian infrastructure.
Risk of conflict: It may clash with the Street Vendors Act, 2014 (which protects vendors under Article 19(1)(g)); a state could misuse it to "cleanse" streets, gentrifying public space and criminalising the urban poor's survival.
Culture vs law: Like COTPA (smoking) and Swachh Bharat (littering), rights-based legislation succeeds only when paired with consistent social messaging and the state fulfilling its own duty (here, building footpaths).
- Enact a clear statutory framework for pedestrian rights with identified duty-bearers and funding.
- Invest in continuous, unobstructed, accessible footpaths as core urban infrastructure.
- Balance pedestrian rights with vendors' livelihoods under the Street Vendors Act (links to SDG 11).
Article 21 / 19(1)(a)(b)(c) Street Vendors Act, 2014 COTPA 2003 Expansion of Article 21
MCQ: Right to Walk & Article 21
Consider the following statements:
- The Supreme Court has progressively expanded the scope of Article 21 to include several derived rights.
- The right to freedom of movement throughout the territory of India is guaranteed under Article 19(1)(d).
- The Street Vendors Act, 2014 protects street vendors' right to trade under Article 19(1)(g).
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Delhi HC Upholds Telegram Ban Under Section 69A
Context
The Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's temporary ban on Telegram, finding the action proportionate and justified given the platform's alleged use by organised cheating networks linked to the NEET (UG) 2026 controversy — and dismissed Telegram's challenge to the June 16 emergency blocking order.
Background & Key Facts
- Procedure upheld: the Court held the government followed the procedure under Section 69A of the IT Act and recorded adequate reasons for invoking emergency powers.
- 'Whole platform' interpretation: rejecting Telegram's argument that only specific content can be blocked, the Court held the Act's broad definition of "information" includes software/computer programmes — Telegram is a "computer resource", so a platform-wide block is permissible.
- Least-restrictive test: channel-specific takedowns had failed (operators created mirror channels, backup groups and successor accounts), so "nothing short of a platform-level measure" would protect exam integrity in the critical period.
- Telegram's defence: it had removed 900+ unlawful NEET links using AI and manual moderation and argued it was unfairly singled out — but the Court found the emergent NEET circumstances justified the intervention.
Proportionality applied: The Court accepted that the measure was the least restrictive available in the specific emergent context, distinguishing it from an indefinite blanket ban.
Precedent concern: A judicially endorsed reading that "information" covers an entire platform could broaden future blocking powers — raising Article 19(1)(a)/(g) concerns for crores of lawful users.
Platform accountability: The ruling pressures intermediaries to design out fixable abuse vectors (e.g., backdating via the edit feature) rather than rely on after-the-fact takedowns.
- Keep blocking orders narrowly tailored, time-bound and subject to transparent review.
- Strengthen platform cooperation and metadata accuracy to defeat fraud channels.
- Secure exam-paper integrity at source to reduce reliance on platform bans (links to SDG 16).
Section 69A, IT Act 'Computer resource' Proportionality test Blocking Rules 2009
MCQ: Section 69A
With reference to blocking of online content under Indian law, consider the following statements:
- Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 permits blocking only of specific URLs and not of an entire platform.
- The definition of "information" under the IT Act includes computer software and programmes.
- Orders under Section 69A are subject to procedural safeguards under rules framed in 2009.
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'Defection as Merger': The Tenth Schedule Hollowed Out
Context
A wave of defections is sweeping India's elected representatives. Six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs — exactly two-thirds of the party's LS strength — seek to align with the Eknath Shinde faction, using the "merger" route under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law). The TMC has seen a parallel rebellion (20 of 28 LS MPs aligning with the NDA-backed NCPI).
Background & Key Facts
- Tenth Schedule basics: a member can be disqualified for voluntarily giving up party membership or defying a whip in a division.
- 2003 amendment: the 91st Amendment removed the earlier "split" provision (which allowed one-third to defect) and retained only the "merger" exception — no disqualification if two-thirds of legislators merge with another party.
- Court's caveat: the Supreme Court has held that a valid merger cannot be of the legislature party alone — it must involve the parent party as well.
- Pending adjudication: with the Court holding back judgments on related constitutional questions, presiding officers keep "waving through" stretched merger claims.
- Cumulative effect: crossovers strengthen the ruling NDA in both Houses; the two-thirds threshold for constitutional amendments is kept high to ensure wide consensus.
Law rendered redundant: "Engineered splits are now dressed up as mergers", letting groups defect without disqualification — for all practical purposes the Tenth Schedule has become "redundant and irrelevant".
Speaker as bottleneck: Indefinite delays by presiding officers (and pending SC verdicts) defeat the law's intent — echoing the need for a neutral, time-bound adjudicator.
Democratic harm: Bypassing the high amendment threshold through defections is "an affront to representative democracy and the spirit of the Constitution".
- Time-bound adjudication of defection cases by an independent authority (as recommended by various committees) rather than the Speaker.
- Judicial clarity that a "merger" must include the parent party, closing the engineered-merger loophole.
- Strengthen intra-party democracy and accountability to voters (links to SDG 16).
Tenth Schedule 91st Amendment (2003) Merger exception (two-thirds) Kihoto Hollohan case
MCQ: Anti-Defection Law
With reference to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, consider the following statements:
- The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 deleted the provision exempting a 'split' from disqualification.
- Disqualification does not apply where two-thirds of a party's legislators agree to a merger.
- The decision of the Presiding Officer on disqualification is subject to judicial review.
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India's Cheapest Power Is Here — The Grid Must Catch Up
Context
India is leaving tens of gigawatts of cheap solar and wind power stranded — not because projects aren't ready, but because the grid isn't. Upgrading the existing grid and adding storage could unlock the equivalent of nearly 1,000 GW of clean energy without acquiring new land for transmission.
Background & Key Facts
- Cost edge: solar and wind are now India's cheapest power (45 GW+ added in 2025); paired with low battery costs, India can deliver firm clean power at ~₹3.5/kWh.
- The bottleneck: 50 GW+ of clean capacity is stranded — projects come online in 12–18 months, but transmission takes 3–5 years (land acquisition, multi-agency approvals).
- Scale: ~250 GW renewables today, 100 GW under construction; ~2,000 GW needed by 2050 — among the world's largest transmission build-outs (40% grid expansion over the next decade, $100bn+).
Four 'Clean-Energy Superhighway' Opportunities
| Lever | How it works | Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Storage at the same nodes | Batteries let day-time solar lines also serve evening/night peaks (utilisation up 2–3×) | ~400 GW |
| Coal corridors carry clean power | Locate RE near under-loaded coal plants to use idle transmission | ~100 GW |
| Existing substations | Plug new RE into existing substations, coupled with batteries | ~100 GW |
| Reconductoring (HTLS conductors) | High-temperature, low-sag conductors nearly double capacity on the same towers | Doubles the above |
Together these can unlock over 1,000 GW within the existing transmission footprint, deployable in months, not years.
Build smart, not just more: New lines alone won't suffice; advanced conductors designed to work with storage can carry 4–5× more clean power for modest extra cost — every kilometre must be "future-proofed".
Avoiding the West's trap: In the U.S. and parts of Europe, the inability to connect cheap renewables has become the worst bottleneck; India's unified national grid is a structural advantage.
- Mandate/expand storage pairing with solar at the State level in planning and procurement.
- Reward advanced transmission technologies that cost slightly more upfront but add system-wide capacity.
- Coordinate renewable-energy zones with optimised transmission corridors (links to SDG 7, SDG 13).
HTLS conductors Battery storage One Nation One Grid Reconductoring RE zones
MCQ: Grid & Renewables
Consider the following statements:
- High-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors can increase the power-carrying capacity of existing transmission lines.
- Co-locating battery storage with solar plants can raise the utilisation of existing transmission connections.
- India operates a single synchronised national electricity grid.
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From Drone Purchases to Drone Partnerships
Context
The government's planned $2 billion drone procurement from domestic manufacturers reinforces indigenous manufacturing and signals a shift from large, sophisticated platforms (fighter jets) to smaller, cheaper, "attritable" systems — demanding new procurement practices.
Background & Key Facts
- Drone economics: recent conflicts (Iran-U.S., Russia-Ukraine) show the utility of cheap 'micro'/'nano' drones produced in vast numbers; intercepting them is far costlier than the drones themselves.
- Civil-military overlap: Ukraine's FPV drones retrofitted with warheads show innovation in defence drones is tied to civilian drone tech — needing iterative, collaborative R&D (the Chinese industry-academia-military model is cited).
- The relevance challenge: tactical drones bought today can be obsolete in 2–3 years; enemy electronic-warfare units adapt jammers to a new drone's signal in 6–8 weeks (Ukraine switched radio links to fibre-optic cables in response).
- Indian frameworks: the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) allows commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) purchases and streamlined upgrades; the Defence Procurement Manual allows financial buffers for repairs/upgrades.
- Key gap: buyer-seller relationships remain "fundamentally transactional" — unsuited to a domain where products need continuous iteration.
Service, not hardware: A "managed service contract" model — like procuring computers with maintenance/updates/replacement — would give industry demand predictability and the forces assured upgrades and surge capacity.
Speed over red tape: Rapid modifications must outpace bureaucratic timelines to keep tactical drones relevant against evolving EW threats.
- Shift from one-off purchases to long-term partnership/managed-service contracts with drone makers.
- Deepen industry-academia-military R&D collaboration for continuous innovation.
- Prioritise sustained capability over one-off delivery in procurement architecture (links to SDG 9).
UCAVs / FPV drones Electronic warfare Defence Acquisition Procedure COTS Atmanirbharta in defence
MCQ: Drones & Defence
Consider the following statements:
- FPV (first-person-view) drones have been used as low-cost loitering munitions in recent conflicts.
- 'Commercial-off-the-shelf' (COTS) procurement allows the armed forces to acquire ready-made commercial systems.
- Electronic warfare includes the use of jammers to disrupt a drone's communication links.
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The Pressures of Counting India: Census 2027
Context
The first phase of the Population Census 2027 — Houselisting and Housing Operations (HLO) — is under way, relying on ~33 lakh enumerators (mostly government teachers) to survey an estimated 1.4 billion people. Field workers report heat, connectivity, safety and supervisory-pressure challenges.
Background & Key Facts
- Several firsts: India's first fully digital Census, first to collect caste data, and first to allow self-enumeration; originally due in 2021, postponed by COVID-19, so India runs six years behind the decennial schedule.
- Two phases: HLO captures housing, amenities and assets; Population Enumeration (February 2027) will count caste, religion and individual-level data. Honorarium: ₹25,000 per enumerator.
- Legal duty: Section 8(2) of the Census Act, 1948 makes residents legally bound to answer; FIRs were filed against a resident harassing an enumerator (Delhi) and over denial of entry (Bengaluru).
- Digital divide: per the NSS 80th-round telecom survey, 83.3% of rural and 91.6% of urban households had internet access; poor connectivity forces paper-then-upload in rural areas. The Census 2027 Houselist App has a 2.9 rating.
- Data-editing pressure: some enumerators reported being asked to revise field data (latrine access, treated tap water, LPG as main fuel) to match scheme-progress narratives via the CMMS portal.
Real-time data, real-time pressure: Digital monitoring (CMMS) enables transparency but also enables supervisory pressure to "correct" inconvenient findings — undermining the very purpose of door-to-door enumeration.
Worker safety & capacity: Female enumerators relied on family members for safety; private-school teachers were roped in amid shortages (courts in U.P. and Maharashtra granted relief), exposing staffing strain.
Stakes for policy: Welfare targeting has relied on 2011 data for 15 years; data integrity in 2027 is critical for evidence-based policy.
- Safeguard data integrity with independent audits and protection for enumerators reporting pressure.
- Deploy enumerators in pairs and ensure safety, training and offline data-capture for low-connectivity areas.
- Build public awareness to improve cooperation and self-enumeration uptake (links to SDG 16, SDG 17).
Census Act, 1948 Registrar General & Census Commissioner Houselisting (HLO) Self-enumeration / caste census CMMS portal
MCQ: Census 2027
Consider the following statements regarding the Census in India:
- The Census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948 by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- The 2027 Census will be the first to be conducted fully digitally and to collect caste data.
- The Census subject falls under the State List of the Seventh Schedule.
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'Abhigyan', NAFIS & the Privacy Question
Context
Police across the country will soon use portable fingerprint scanners linked to a national database of 1.3 crore criminal suspects and convicts, enabling on-the-spot identity checks. The Abhigyan app (developed by NCRB) was launched by the Home Minister.
Background & Key Facts
- The system: Abhigyan links to the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), which stores prints of the accused, convicts and prisoners; a match takes ~35 seconds and works on field officers' smartphones (two-step authentication).
- Legal basis: the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 provides the basis for collecting measurements.
- The caveat: Section 3 of the Act appears to limit mandatory recording of measurements to those convicted, arrested, or ordered to give security for good behaviour — it does not mention random testing of individuals without any link to an offence.
- Current setup: NAFIS checks are presently available at 1,556 workstations in police stations/district HQs; the app extends this to the field.
Efficiency vs privacy: Instant field identification strengthens policing, but "routine" street-level biometric scans of "suspicious individuals" sit uneasily with the Act's text and with the Puttaswamy privacy/proportionality standard.
Scope creep risk: Without clear safeguards, random testing could exceed the Act's intent, raising concerns of arbitrary stops and data retention.
Justice angle: The Home Minister stressed enriching the database from crime scenes and time-bound prosecution — but database expansion heightens data-protection responsibilities.
- Restrict field use strictly to categories permitted by the 2022 Act; bar random, suspicionless testing.
- Build privacy safeguards — purpose limitation, retention limits, audit trails and oversight.
- Pair the tool with strong data-protection compliance under the DPDP Act (links to SDG 16).
NAFIS / NCRB Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 Puttaswamy (privacy) Biometric data
MCQ: Biometrics & Policing
Consider the following statements:
- NAFIS is a centralised database of fingerprint records maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau.
- The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 provides for collection of measurements of convicts and arrested persons.
- The right to privacy was recognised as a fundamental right in K.S. Puttaswamy v Union of India.
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Great Nicobar Project & 'Extraordinary' Environmental Opacity
Context
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh termed the Environment Minister's latest defence of the Great Nicobar Island Project "disappointing", alleging an "extraordinary level of non-transparency" in withholding reports, studies and environmental-safeguard plans.
Background & Key Facts
- The project: a ₹81,000-crore plan (including a transshipment port) expected to involve felling close to a million trees and construction on a leatherback turtle nesting site.
- NGT clearance: on 16 February 2026, an NGT bench cleared the project, citing its "strategic importance" and finding "no good ground to interfere".
- Tribal concern: the Shompen — a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) — and their rights are central to the criticism.
- Transparency gaps: six-monthly compliance reports unpublished since March 2024; conservation/mitigation plans by the Wildlife Institute of India and Zoological Survey of India remain unavailable; the High-Powered Committee report on the port's coastal-regulation status is contested.
Strategy vs scrutiny: The critique argues strategic rationale is "no justification for opacity" — transparency demands "in no way" obstruct strategic objectives.
Ecological stakes: Felling of nearly a million trees and construction on a critical turtle-nesting ecosystem raise serious biodiversity and coastal-regulation concerns.
Rights of the vulnerable: The Shompen PVTG's free, prior and informed consent and survival are at stake in an ecologically sensitive island ecosystem.
- Publish EIAs, compliance reports and WII/ZSI conservation plans for public scrutiny.
- Strengthen independent monitoring of environmental safeguards and PVTG rights.
- Balance strategic infrastructure with ecological and tribal protection (links to SDG 14, SDG 15, SDG 16).
Great Nicobar Project Shompen (PVTG) Leatherback turtle National Green Tribunal EIA / CRZ
MCQ: Great Nicobar & Environment
Consider the following statements:
- The Shompen are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group of the Nicobar Islands.
- The leatherback is the largest of all living sea turtles.
- The National Green Tribunal was established under a statute enacted in 2010.
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Four Glacial Lakes Expand in Arunachal: GLOF Risk
Context
A satellite-based assessment of five glacial lakes in Tawang district (Arunachal Pradesh) found that four have expanded over the past decade — one rapidly — adding fresh evidence to concerns over Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the eastern Himalaya.
Background & Key Facts
- The assessment: by geospatial firm Suhora Technologies (a report, not peer-reviewed), examining lakes in the Mago Chu basin classified by the NDMA as "high-risk"/"very high-risk", using ICEYE, PlanetScope and LISS-IV imagery (2016–June 2026).
- Fastest-growing: Sanhapo Lake grew from ~78.07 ha (2019) to ~88.81 ha (mid-June 2026) — flagged as highest priority for hazard modelling and early-warning systems.
- Expert caveat: IISc glaciologist Anil Kulkarni notes expansion "warrants attention" but is not evidence of imminent disaster; "mere increase in area" is not a single criterion — moraine-dammed lakes, landslides, avalanches and rockfalls all matter.
- Precedent: the October 2023 South Lhonak Lake breach in Sikkim triggered floods that killed dozens and destroyed the Chungthang hydropower dam.
Climate signal: Lake expansion reflects glacial retreat and meltwater storage — a marker of Himalayan warming and rising disaster risk.
Monitoring vs mitigation: India's ability to identify dangerous lakes has improved via satellites and modelling, but translating science into practical risk reduction remains the major challenge.
Cascading hazards: GLOFs threaten downstream populations and hydropower infrastructure, demanding integrated early-warning and land-use planning.
- Continuous monitoring of high-risk lakes and detailed hazard modelling, especially pre-monsoon.
- Install GLOF early-warning systems and regulate downstream construction.
- Strengthen NDMA-led risk reduction and climate adaptation in the Himalaya (links to SDG 11, SDG 13).
GLOF Moraine-dammed lakes South Lhonak Lake (2023) NDMA LISS-IV imagery
MCQ: GLOFs
Consider the following statements regarding Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs):
- They can occur when a natural moraine dam holding back a glacial lake fails.
- Avalanches, landslides or icefalls entering a lake can trigger destructive waves.
- The 2023 Sikkim flood disaster was associated with a breach of the South Lhonak Lake.
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Three-Language Policy & Nagaland's Linguistic Complexity
Context
Principals of 19 CBSE-affiliated schools in Nagaland wrote to the Union Education Minister conveying difficulties in implementing the compulsory three-language framework (including the introduction of Sanskrit) given the State's unique socio-linguistic context.
Background & Key Facts
- The framework: a compulsory third language from Class 6, with at least two being native Indian languages.
- Linguistic diversity: Nagaland has 17+ major recognised tribes and dozens of sub-tribes, each with a distinct language/oral tradition; there is no single native tongue shared by all Nagas — English serves as the practical lingua franca.
- Classroom reality: a single classroom can hold children from 30+ linguistic backgrounds (Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha, Konyak, Chang, Phom and others).
- The ask: a special linguistic exemption or flexible framework, plus a State scheme to depute trained language teachers to CBSE schools.
One-size-fits-all strain: A uniform language framework sits awkwardly with regions lacking a dominant regional language — implementation needs flexibility.
Federal-cultural sensitivity: Education is a Concurrent subject; language policy in linguistically complex States must respect local socio-linguistic realities and tribal identities.
Capacity gap: Even where willing, schools lack trained teachers for additional languages.
- Allow flexible, context-sensitive language frameworks for linguistically complex States.
- Invest in teacher availability and training for the languages offered.
- Uphold cooperative federalism and mother-tongue/multilingual learning principles of the NEP (links to SDG 4).
Three-language formula NEP 2020 Education (Concurrent List) Eighth Schedule languages
MCQ: Language & Education
Consider the following statements:
- Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule.
- The three-language formula was first recommended by the Kothari Commission.
- All languages spoken in Nagaland are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
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Jio IPO, Sovereign AI & Satellite Ambitions
Context
Jio Platforms filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI for an IPO of ₹35,000–40,000 crore — likely India's biggest-ever IPO. At the RIL AGM, Mukesh Ambani also unveiled plans for a sovereign AI backbone and a satellite constellation.
Background & Key Facts
- The IPO: a fresh issue of 27 crore shares (2.5% dilution); ₹27,500 crore to repay subsidiary debt; bigger than the proposed NSE IPO (~₹30,000 cr) and Hyundai India (~₹28,000 cr). Jio Platforms served 524.4 million customers as of March.
- Sovereign AI: Reliance will build "India's sovereign AI backbone at Jamnagar", powered by clean energy; first 120 MW by end-2026, with advanced NVIDIA GB300 GPUs (compute equivalent to 75,000+ H100 GPUs, scalable to 2 lakh-plus H100-equivalents).
- Satellite: Jio is evaluating a sovereign Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation, partnering global providers while building its own ground stations — amid competition from Starlink and Project Kuiper.
- Digital economy context: India's digital economy is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by FY2031.
Tech sovereignty push: Domestic AI compute and a sovereign satellite constellation address strategic dependence — but raise questions of market concentration in digital infrastructure.
Capital deepening: A mega-IPO can broaden retail participation and deepen capital markets, while debt reduction strengthens balance sheets.
Compute & energy: Linking AI data centres to clean energy is significant given AI's high power demand and India's climate goals.
- Encourage competitive, plural digital-infrastructure markets alongside scale champions.
- Strengthen sovereign-AI and space-connectivity capabilities with clear regulation (spectrum, data).
- Ensure clean-energy-powered compute aligns with net-zero goals (links to SDG 9).
DRHP / IPO Sovereign AI Low Earth Orbit (LEO) SEBI GPUs / compute
MCQ: Capital Markets & Tech
Consider the following statements:
- A Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) is filed with SEBI by a company planning an IPO.
- Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operate at much lower altitudes than geostationary satellites.
- 'Sovereign AI' refers to a nation's capability to develop and control AI infrastructure domestically.
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India–Pakistan Engagement & the 'Frankenstein State'
Context
At the UN, India called Pakistan a "Frankenstein state" that gets shocked when its "own monster bites back", accusing it of hosting, training and deploying terrorists. Separately, a Parliamentary Standing Committee questioned the Foreign Secretary on whether India is considering reviving people-to-people ties with Pakistan.
Background & Key Facts
- UN exchange: India's First Secretary rejected Pakistan/OIC's raising of J&K, citing a "sitting Defence Minister who boasts of hosting, training and deploying terrorists as state policy".
- RSS & Track-II: after RSS leaders advocated keeping a window open for people-to-people ties, the panel (headed by Shashi Tharoor) asked whether the government would encourage such ties; the Ministry said it desires "normal neighbourly relations" but only "in an atmosphere free of violence and terrorist activity".
- Ongoing channels: 4,600 Indian pilgrims visited Pakistan this year; weekly DGMO calls across the LoC continue; the ceasefire has "largely held".
- SCO question: the Ministry was non-committal on whether PM Modi would attend the SCO summit in Pakistan next year.
- China contrast: people-to-people ties with China are "strengthening"; more Kailash Mansarovar Yatra visas expected.
Engagement under conditions: India's posture links any normalisation strictly to the cessation of cross-border terrorism — a consistent red line.
Track-II's limits: Officials expressed low confidence that non-governmental diplomacy can shift Pakistan's stance.
SCO dilemma: Multilateral obligations (SCO) may test India's bilateral red lines on Pakistan.
- Maintain a calibrated posture: openness to normal relations conditioned on a terror-free environment.
- Sustain humanitarian/religious channels and military hotlines to manage escalation.
- Leverage multilateral forums while protecting core security interests (links to SDG 16).
SCO OIC DGMO hotline / LoC Track-II diplomacy Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
MCQ: India's Neighbourhood
Consider the following statements:
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) includes both India and Pakistan as members.
- The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
- DGMO-level talks are a military channel of communication between India and Pakistan across the Line of Control.
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Economy · Security · IR — Quick Roundup
World Bank $1.5 bn for India's Reform Plan (GS3 — Economy)
- The World Bank approved $1.5 billion under Development Policy Financing to support private-sector-led job creation; it can aid ~11 million youth entering the labour market yearly over two decades, building on tax simplification and trade-integration reforms.
MPC Holds Repo at 5.25% (GS3 — Economy)
- Minutes show the MPC viewed the West Asia conflict as the most significant risk to India's outlook (energy, shipping, Hormuz uncertainty); it held the repo rate at 5.25% with a neutral stance, noting India entered the crisis "from a position of relative strength".
FATF Vice-President & SEBI Reforms (GS2 / GS3)
- Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal was appointed FATF Vice-President for 2026-27 (under the incoming U.K. presidency).
- SEBI reintroduced open-market share buybacks via exchanges, eased municipal-bond (M-bond) rules, and approved a quick transmission process for securities of the deceased.
Three Indigenous Naval Vessels (GS3 — Security)
- PM Modi will commission Dunagiri, Sanshodhak and Agray (designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau, built by GRSE Kolkata) — combat, hydrographic-survey and anti-submarine-warfare platforms with 75%+ indigenous content.
Sickle Cell & Aarogya Maitri (GS2 — Health/IR)
- President Murmu said India would eliminate sickle cell anaemia before the 2047 target (7 crore people screened under the 2023 National Mission).
- The Palestine envoy sought medical aid under India's Aarogya Maitri project for Gaza and the West Bank, citing acute shortages of essential and cancer medicines.
SC: Fund for Young Lawyers (GS2 — Polity)
- The SC directed creation of a "Young Lawyers' Professional Assistance Fund" in every State/UT, flagging "brain drain" as financially struggling first-generation lawyers leave litigation.
Development Policy Financing Repo rate / MPC FATF GRSE / Warship Design Bureau Aarogya Maitri Sickle cell mission
MCQ: Mixed Current Affairs
Consider the following statements:
- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body that sets standards against money laundering and terror financing.
- The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks against government securities.
- Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic blood disorder that is more prevalent among certain tribal communities in India.
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
📝 Quick Prelims Revision — MCQ Bank
Q1 — Anti-Defection Law
The 'merger' exception under the Tenth Schedule applies when at least what fraction of a party's legislators agree to merge?
- One-half
- One-third
- Two-thirds
- Three-fourths
Q2 — Census
The Census in India is conducted under which legislation?
- The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
- The Census Act, 1948
- The Collection of Statistics Act, 2008
- The Aadhaar Act, 2016
Q3 — GLOF
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) is most directly caused by:
- Excessive monsoon rainfall in the plains
- The sudden failure of a natural dam holding back a glacial lake
- A rise in sea level
- Groundwater depletion
Q4 — Section 69A
Under which Act did the Delhi High Court uphold the temporary blocking of Telegram?
- The Telegraph Act, 1885
- The Information Technology Act, 2000
- The Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867
- The Cinematograph Act, 1952
Q5 — Sea Turtles
Which is the largest of all living sea turtles, associated with nesting concerns at the Great Nicobar Project site?
- Olive Ridley turtle
- Green sea turtle
- Leatherback turtle
- Hawksbill turtle
❓ FAQs
Frequently asked exam-oriented questions — 20 June 2026 edition
On what basis did the Supreme Court declare the right to walk a fundamental right?
How has the 'merger' exception weakened the anti-defection law?
How can India unlock ~1,000 GW of clean energy without new transmission land?
What is NAFIS, and what is the privacy concern with the Abhigyan app?
Why is the Great Nicobar Project controversial?
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Analysis based on The Hindu, Bengaluru City Edition, 20 June 2026. Prepared for academic use. Static background and frameworks added for exam preparation; original article text has been paraphrased, not reproduced.
