Content
- India Plans to Strengthen Nuclear Deterrence and Drone Warfare Capabilities
- Beas River Inflow and Release of Excess Water
- Rajasthan Coaching Centres Regulation Bill, 2025
- Why Punjab Keeps Flooding
- ICIMOD Report on Himalayan Nations’ Clean Energy Potential
India plans to strengthen nuclear deterrence, drone warfare capabilities
Why in News
- India released the Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR-2025), a 15-year defence modernisation blueprint.
- Focus areas: credible nuclear deterrence, counter-drone warfare, loitering munitions, electronic warfare, and self-reliance in defence.
- Represents a strategic shift towards integrated deterrence combining nuclear resilience, electronic warfare, and unmanned platforms.
Relevance : GS III (Defence & Security – Nuclear strategy, drone warfare, electronic warfare, defence R&D, Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence)
Basics
- TPCR-2025: A long-term capability plan for India’s armed forces, guiding acquisitions, R&D, and industry partnerships.
- Objective: Ensure preparedness against evolving threats (nuclear, chemical, biological, radiological, and drone warfare).
- Key principle: Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in defence → reduce import dependence and promote indigenous production.
Detailed Examination
Sustaining Nuclear Deterrence
- Credible Minimum Deterrence: Focus on survivability of second-strike capability.
- Planned Measures:
- Advanced delivery platforms (land, air, sea).
- Nuclear command-and-control infrastructure.
- Mobile decontamination units + radiation detection tools.
- Unmanned ground vehicles for CBRN reconnaissance.
- Strategic Implication: Reinforces deterrence posture against nuclear adversaries (China, Pakistan).
Drone & Unmanned Warfare
- Loitering Munitions: AI-enabled drones with precision strike + reusable warhead systems.
- Long-Range Stealth Drones: Range up to 1,500 km; altitude 60,000 feet.
- Capabilities: EW payloads, nuclear/chemical detection, precision surveillance.
- Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs): For battlefield reconnaissance and artillery guidance.
- Strategic Implication: Expands strike reach, enhances intelligence gathering, lowers human risk.
Counter-Drone Measures
- Emerging Threat: Hostile drone swarms from state and non-state actors.
- Proposed Solutions:
- Adaptive jamming systems.
- Electronic denial bubbles with 15 km radius.
- Strategic Implication: Protects bases, formations, and infrastructure from low-cost asymmetric threats.
Electronic Warfare & Integrated Deterrence
- Electronic Warfare (EW): Greater emphasis on jamming, cyber-electronic defence, and battlefield dominance.
- Integrated Deterrence Concept: Nuclear resilience + EW dominance + unmanned strike systems.
- Strategic Implication: Moves beyond traditional nuclear deterrence to holistic, tech-enabled deterrence.
Atmanirbhar Bharat & Defence Industry
- Alignment with Indigenous Push:
- Focus on Indian R&D, startups, and DRDO-private sector collaboration.
- Reduces foreign import reliance.
- Boosts India’s defence export potential.
- Strategic Implication: Enhances autonomy, strengthens economic base of defence sector.
Challenges Ahead
- Technology Gaps: AI, stealth drone tech, EW systems require heavy investment.
- Funding: Modernisation vs. welfare trade-offs.
- Geopolitical: China’s rapid drone/EW buildup and Pakistan’s asymmetric strategies.
- Implementation: Long timelines risk delays, bureaucratic hurdles.
Strategic Significance
- For India’s Security: Enhances nuclear survivability, shields against CBRN threats, and prepares for drone warfare.
- For Regional Balance: Counters China’s UAV dominance and Pakistan’s low-cost drone threats.
- For Global Standing: Positions India as a modernising, tech-driven military power aligned with 21st-century warfare.
Beas river inflow and release of excess water:
Why in News
- Beas river in Himachal Pradesh recorded its highest-ever inflow of 11.70 BCM between July 1–Sept 5, 2025.
- Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) was forced to release excess water downstream due to limited storage capacity.
- Result: Concerns over flooding in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
- Incident highlights the challenge of extreme rainfall + dam management in the Himalayan region.
Relevance : GS I (Geography – Rivers, Himalayan hydrology) + GS III (Disaster Management – Floods, hydropower management, inter-state water governance, climate resilience)
Basics
- Beas River: Originates from Beas Kund (Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh), tributary of Sutlej.
- Bhakra Dam: Built on Sutlej; capacity >9 BCM; receives Beas water via Beas-Sutlej Link Project.
- Pong Dam: Built on Beas; storage capacity ~6.9 BCM; primary flood moderation + irrigation dam.
- BBMB: Manages water release, flood control, power distribution for Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal.
Detailed Examination
Historical Context
- 2023: Punjab floods due to Beas inflow of 9.52 BCM.
- 2025: 11.70 BCM inflow → unprecedented in 37 years.
- Indicates a trend of increasing intensity of extreme rainfall events linked to climate change.
Causes of Current Situation
- Extraordinary Rainfall in catchment of Beas + Sutlej.
- Sedimentation & silt accumulation reduced live storage capacity of dams.
- Delay in desilting and capacity augmentation.
- Inter-state coordination issues between Himachal, Punjab, Haryana over release timings.
Consequences
- Flood risk downstream: Punjab plains face inundation.
- Agricultural damage: Crops in Punjab & Haryana vulnerable.
- Hydropower disruption: Excess inflow stresses dam safety protocols.
- Disaster Management Pressure: State administrations forced into emergency flood responses.
Management & Preparedness
- BBMB emphasized dams prevented worse flooding by storing initial surge.
- States informed in advance through IMD forecasts & GloFAS (Global Flood Awareness System).
- Flash flood alerts issued in Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan.
Larger Concerns
- Climate Change Impact: Increased frequency of extreme rainfall in NW India.
- Himalayan Fragility: Sedimentation, erosion, and landslides reducing dam efficiency.
- Governance Challenge: Interstate disputes over reservoir management + water release.
- Urbanization & encroachments: Reducing flood absorption capacity in plains.
Way Forward
- Regular desilting & capacity augmentation of Bhakra & Pong dams.
- Integrated Basin Management approach for Beas-Sutlej system.
- Real-time flood forecasting systems with AI & satellite inputs.
- Climate-adaptive dam operation protocols → dynamic release policies.
- Strengthening interstate coordination under BBMB with transparent rule-based water release schedules.
Strategic Significance
- For Food Security: Punjab-Haryana belt critical for India’s grain supply → floods threaten national food buffer.
- For Hydropower: Beas-Sutlej link vital for energy production.
- For Disaster Preparedness: Shows urgency of balancing development + ecological resilience in Himalayas.
Rajasthan Coaching Centre Regulation Bill (2025)
Why in News
- The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025 on September 3, 2025.
- It aims to regulate coaching centres, ensure a safe environment for students, and address rising cases of suicides, exploitation, and mental health issues in coaching hubs like Kota and Sikar.
- Rajasthan is often called India’s “coaching capital”, hosting lakhs of aspirants for competitive exams (IIT-JEE, NEET, UPSC).
Relevance : GS II (Governance – Education policy, regulatory framework, mental health, child welfare, state legislation) + GS I (Society – Education, stress among youth, equity issues)
Basics
- Purpose of the Bill:
- Registration, monitoring, and regulation of coaching centres.
- Ensure minimum standards, transparency, and accountability.
- Provide career guidance and psychological counselling for students.
- Prevent exploitation (misleading ads, excessive fees, academic pressure).
- Enforcement: Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control & Regulation) Authority.
- Applicability: To all coaching centres with >50 students (earlier draft had 100 students).
Detailed Examination
Background & Context
- Rising student suicides:
- 105 suicides in Kota & Sikar in last 5 years (2018–2023).
- 23 deaths in 2023 alone – highest ever.
- Mental health burden: High academic stress, isolation, financial pressure.
- Economic stakes: Coaching industry worth ₹60,000 crore; ~10 lakh students enrolled in Rajasthan.
- Judicial push: Rajasthan HC and Parliamentary Standing Committee (2025) called for regulation.
Key Provisions of the Bill
- Mandatory Registration with district-level authority (DM, SP, education & health officials).
- Eligibility Conditions:
- Minimum physical area, facilities, qualified teachers.
- No student enrollment below 16 years.
- Operational Rules:
- Weekly day-off mandatory.
- Class hours capped to prevent exploitation.
- Accurate disclosure of success rates, fees, faculty credentials.
- Penalties:
- ₹50,000 fine (1st offence), ₹2 lakh (2nd), up to cancellation of registration.
- Grievance redressal cells at district level for student complaints.
- Counselling services: Compulsory psychological & career guidance.
Significance
- For Students: Reduces pressure, ensures transparency, supports mental health.
- For Parents: Prevents financial fraud, misleading advertising.
- For State Economy: Safeguards the reputation of Kota & Sikar as coaching hubs.
- For Governance: First major state-level attempt to regulate a highly unregulated but influential sector.
Criticism of the Bill
- Loopholes:
- Does not adequately address suicides → counselling provisions seen as weak.
- Fear of red-tapism and inspector raj affecting coaching business.
- Restrictions like no student below 16 years may clash with reality of early IIT/NEET prep.
- Industry Concerns: May burden smaller centres, impact local economy.
- Political Criticism: Opposition claimed govt avoided addressing accountability of big coaching centres and systemic exam pressures.
Larger Issues Reflected
- Education Pressure-Cooker Model: Overemphasis on IIT/NEET creates unsustainable stress.
- Mental Health Neglect: Lack of trained counsellors in institutions.
- Commercialisation of Education: Coaching industry exploits aspirations, sometimes misleads students.
- Equity Concerns: High coaching fees marginalise poorer aspirants → raises questions of level-playing field.
Way Forward
- National Framework: Similar regulations required across India’s coaching hubs (Delhi, Hyderabad, Patna).
- Integration with School System: Reduce dependency on parallel coaching economy by strengthening CBSE/state syllabi + exam reforms.
- Holistic Support Systems: Mandatory counsellors, helplines, parent engagement.
- Accountability & Data Transparency: Annual reports on student well-being, dropout rates, and suicide prevention outcomes.
- Regulation vs Freedom Balance: Ensure oversight without stifling innovation or creating bureaucratic hurdles.
Why Punjab keeps flooding
Why in News
- Punjab has declared a flood-like situation in all 23 districts due to one of the worst floods in recent memory.
- Data: 1,920 villages inundated, 3.81 lakh people affected, 1.17 lakh hectares farmland destroyed, and at least 43 deaths.
- Rivers Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, along with tributaries and seasonal streams, caused major overflow following heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and J&K.
Relevance : GS I (Geography – River systems, alluvial plains, climate change impact) + GS III (Disaster Management – Flood preparedness, hydropower, inter-state coordination, climate adaptation)
Basics
- Geographical Context:
- Punjab is drained by three perennial rivers – Ravi, Beas, Sutlej – plus smaller tributaries (Ghaggar, Choe streams).
- Alluvial plains + low-lying areas = high flood susceptibility.
- Punjab = land of five rivers → fertile but flood-prone.
- Major Structures:
- Bhakra & Pong dams (on Sutlej, Beas) and Thein dam (on Ravi).
- Managed by BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) under Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
Detailed Examination
Natural Causes
- Heavy Monsoon Rains: Above-normal rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Uttarakhand; August 2023–24 saw exceptional rainfall → direct river overflow.
- Topography: Low-lying fertile alluvial plains act as natural flood basin.
- Tributaries & Seasonal Rivers: Ghaggar & choes add sudden water surges during rains.
- Soil & Agriculture: High cultivation, canal network → reduced natural absorption.
Governance & Institutional Issues
- BBMB Limitations:
- Focused on power generation, not flood control.
- Delayed water release warnings → districts unprepared.
- No early flood alert system despite repeated crises.
- Dam Management Problems:
- Pong & Bhakra dams reached critical levels; sudden release of water worsened downstream flooding.
- Coordination gaps between Centre, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K.
- Lack of Preparedness:
- Punjab lacks a dedicated flood control authority.
- No systematic monitoring of siltation in reservoirs → reduced storage capacity.
Socio-Economic Impact
- Human Cost: >3.8 lakh people displaced, 43+ deaths.
- Agriculture: 1.17 lakh ha of farmland damaged → wheat, rice, sugarcane affected.
- Infrastructure: Roads, bridges, rural housing destroyed.
- Livelihoods: Farmers, migrant workers worst affected.
Larger Concerns
- Recurring Floods: Punjab faced major floods in 1955, 1988, 1993, 2019, and 2023. This shows chronic mismanagement + climate variability.
- Climate Change: Intensification of extreme rainfall events in Himalayan states → sudden inflow into Punjab’s rivers.
- Water Mismanagement: Competing priorities – irrigation, hydropower, drinking water, vs. flood prevention.
Way Forward
- Institutional Reforms:
- Establish Punjab Flood Management Authority with real-time monitoring.
- Restructure BBMB mandate → include flood forecasting + downstream warning system.
- Dam Operations:
- Rule curve-based water release (scientific planning of reservoir levels).
- Regular desiltation of reservoirs to restore capacity.
- Technology Use:
- IMD + ISRO satellite-based early flood warning systems.
- River basin modelling for Ravi–Beas–Sutlej.
- Community Preparedness:
- Strengthen NDMA/SDMA guidelines, local disaster management cells.
- Flood shelters, crop insurance, relocation of vulnerable villages.
- Long-term Measures:
- Climate-resilient infrastructure, embankment strengthening.
- Land-use planning to prevent encroachments on floodplains.
The ICIMOD report on Himalayan nations’ clean energy
Why in News
- ICIMOD report (Sept 5, 2025) launched at Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Week, Bangkok.
- Reveals Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region tapping only 6.1% of vast renewable energy potential.
- Despite 882 GW hydropower potential, only 49% tapped; non-hydro (solar, wind) potential is ~3 TW.
- Highlights climate risks (water variability, glacial lake outburst floods, extreme weather) affecting energy sector.
Relevance : GS III (Energy – Renewable energy potential, hydro & non-hydro resources, regional energy security, climate change adaptation, sustainable development) + GS II (International Relations – Regional cooperation, SAARC/BIMSTEC energy initiatives)
Basics
- Region: 8 nations – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan.
- Hydropower Potential: 882 GW (635 GW in transboundary rivers).
- Other Renewables: Solar + wind potential ~3 TW; total renewable potential >3.5 TW.
- Energy Mix:
- Bhutan, Nepal – 100% electricity from renewables.
- India – 77% fossil-fuel based.
- Bangladesh – 98% fossil-fuel based.
- Pakistan – 76% fossil-fuel based.
- China – 67% fossil-fuel based.
- Traditional Fuels: Biofuels + waste dominate TPES in Nepal (66%), Myanmar (50%), Bhutan (25%), Pakistan (25%).
Detailed Examination
Significance of Findings
- Energy Security: Region could become a clean energy powerhouse with >3.5 TW potential.
- Economic Growth: Green growth, rural electrification, industrial productivity, and job creation.
- Climate Commitments: Supports NDCs, SDGs, Paris Agreement targets.
- Regional Role: India & China – global leaders in clean energy – can drive South-South cooperation.
Challenges & Risks
- Climate Change:
- Alters hydrological regimes → impacts hydropower output.
- Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs): 2/3rd of hydropower projects at risk.
- Extreme weather damages infrastructure.
- Institutional Barriers:
- High capital costs, limited public finance, weak private investment.
- Lack of technology, O&M capacity, and R&D.
- Fragmented policy frameworks; weak regulatory standards.
- Social-Ecological Concerns:
- Displacement of communities, ecological damage.
- Heavy reliance on biofuels → health + air quality crisis.
Way Forward
- Regional Cooperation:
- Use platforms like SAARC Energy Centre, BIMSTEC Energy Ministers Conference.
- Renewable energy trade + technology sharing.
- Disaster Risk Integration:
- Climate-proof hydropower planning.
- Disaster risk mitigation (early warning, resilient infrastructure).
- Diversified Energy Mix:
- Explore “Dam equivalents” – irrigation efficiency, urban water storage, solar/wind integration.
- Policy & Financing:
- Innovative finance via MDBs, green bonds, climate funds.
- New policies factoring air, water, and ecological impacts.
- Capacity Building:
- South-South knowledge transfer, skills training, technology exchange.
