GS PAPER 1
Prelims Fact
Two students from the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala – Ashir Kariyattil and Mohammed Nabin – have developed ‘Eden Wrap’, a biodegradable and edible food wrapper aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable packaging.
Key Features of Eden Wrap:
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Science & Technology Relevance:
- Biotechnology Application: Use of bacterial cellulose and bio-emulsifiers
- Microbial Engineering: Application of bacteria for material production
- Green Innovation: Combines waste reduction, food preservation, and sustainable packaging
Institutional Support:
- Mentorship: From faculty at Dept. of Microbiology
- Potential Collaboration: With CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research)
- Start-up Support: Funded through competition winnings
Environment & Sustainability Angle:
- Replaces plastic wrappers, reducing non-biodegradable waste
- Promotes circular economy and green entrepreneurship
- Aligns with UN SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
UPSC Mains Practice Question
Ques :Consider the following statements about ‘Eden Wrap’:
- It is developed using plant-based cellulose.
- It has anti-microbial properties due to added essential oils.
- It decomposes naturally within one month.
- It was developed with direct funding from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Which of the above statements are correct?
(A) 1, 2 and 3
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 4 only
(D) All four
Ans : B)
GS PAPER 2
International Relations
At the Defence Services Staff College Convocation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted how current global disruptions, techno-strategic shifts, and economic coercion are reshaping the global order, warfare, and national security strategies.
Key Themes & Insights:
- Erosion of Global Order & Rise of Economic Warfare
- Weaponisation of trade and finance, dominance of supply chains and disruptive tech monopolies, and opaque data flows are weakening multilateralism.
- Global institutions are giving way to unilateralism and self-help strategies, leading to a fractured international order.
- Key Global Challenges Identified
- De-globalisation, intense nationalism, resource scarcity, human migration, food security, climate change, and future pandemics are creating systemic shocks.
- These contribute to instability and recalibration of geopolitical alignments.
- Transformation of Warfare through Emerging Technologies
- AI, robotics, autonomous systems, drones, quantum computing, and blockchain are reshaping the nature of war.
- Conflicts (like Russia-Ukraine) show dominance of non-traditional warfare tools:
- Drones causing more losses than artillery/tanks
- Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites enhancing ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
- Multi-Domain Warfare: The New Normal
- Future wars will span land, sea, air, space, cyber, undersea, and information domains.
- Non-kinetic tools like cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic coercion will be used to achieve strategic goals without firing a shot.
- 🇮🇳 National Security Imperatives for India
- Persistent threats from the northern (China) and western (Pakistan) borders
- Compounded by proxy warfare and cross-border terrorism
- Need for critical thinking officers equipped to anticipate techno-strategic shifts
- Defence Reform Agenda – Vision 2025
- 2025 to be observed as “Year of Reforms” in defence sector
- Emphasis on:
- Technological modernisation
- Defence acquisition & procedural reforms
- Integrated multi-domain operations
UPSC MainsPractice Question
Ques :Economic and technological coercion are emerging as key tools of global influence. In this context, discuss how India can prepare its defence and strategic policy to ensure national security in a multi-domain conflict environment.(250 words)
GS PAPER 3
Enviroment and Ecology
Indoor air pollution (IAP) has emerged as a critical yet underdiscussed public health concern in India. While outdoor pollution dominates the policy discourse, urban dwellers spend over 70-90% of their time indoors, making Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) equally significant.
Key Issues Highlighted:
- Sources of Indoor Air Pollution (IAP):
- Indoor sources:
- Solid fuel combustion (in rural areas)
- Smoking, mosquito coils, incense sticks, chemical cleaners, poor-quality paints
- Vapours from building materials and furnishings
- Biological agents: mould, dampness
- Outdoor-infiltrated pollutants:
- Outdoor air pollution penetrates poorly insulated buildings, making it hard to distinguish between indoor and outdoor sources — especially in Indian cities.
- Kalpana Balakrishnan notes the challenge of pollution heterogeneity due to open-air building designs in India.
- Health Impacts of Poor IAQ:
- Short-term: Eye, nose, throat irritation; headaches; dizziness; fatigue
- Long-term: Respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer
- A 2021 study highlights IAP as a public health issue but notes lack of extensive data in India.
Can Better Design Help?
- Design-Driven Solutions for Healthier Indoor Spaces:
- Passive ventilation:
- Open windows and doors when safe; ensure cross ventilation
- Incorporate skylights, corridors, and daylight pathways
- Material choices:
- Reduce use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde
- Use toxin-free paints, safe cleaners, and natural furnishings
- Air filtration:
- Install HEPA filters, air purifiers in closed or air-conditioned environments
- Prioritize zoning and crowd control in shared indoor spaces
- Green design:
- Use of indoor plants and surrounding greenery
- Sunlight exposure to support healing and reduce pathogen survival
- Sumita Vasudevan of APRObuild highlights a post-COVID shift toward filtered air and health-centric architecture.
- Policy and Urban Planning Implications:
- Regulatory Gaps:
- Unlike outdoor air, no uniform national standards exist for indoor air quality.
- Limited awareness in urban planning and construction codes.
- Affordable Integration of Green Design:
- Earlier cost constraints of green architecture are diminishing.
- Green features can now be retrofitted in older buildings or integrated at minimal marginal cost in new constructions.
- Public Infrastructure Implications:
- Must prioritize IAQ in public buildings (schools, hospitals, offices).
- Government should incentivize “healthy buildings” in real estate and urban planning.
- Regulatory Gaps:
- Passive ventilation:
UPSC Mains Practice Question
Ques :While outdoor air pollution is a visible challenge, indoor air pollution is a silent crisis. Discuss how urban design and policy can help address indoor air quality concerns in India. (250 words)
GS PAPER 4
History , Social Issues and Social Justice
April 11 marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (1827–1890), a pioneering social reformer whose ideas continue to challenge caste orthodoxy, gender injustice, and religious supremacy in India.
Key Themes & Contributions:
- Challenge to Caste System & Orthodox Religion
- Phule faced caste-based humiliation at a Brahmin wedding at age 21, which led him to dedicate his life to social reform.
- In Gulamgiri (Slavery), he equates Brahminical dominance with American slavery, stating that Indian Shudras faced even harsher oppression.
- “Only slaves can understand what it is to be a slave and what joy it is to be delivered from the chains of slavery.” — Gulamgiri
- Revolution in Education
- 1848: Phule and Savitribai Phule started the first girls’ school in India.
- Established 18 more schools in the next 3 years and night schools for workers and women.
- Advocated for compulsory primary education for children of farmers and labourers.
- “Primary education of the masses should be made compulsory up to a certain age.”
- Satyashodhak Samaj (1873)
- Founded as an alternative to upper-caste dominated reform movements like Brahmo and Arya Samaj.
- Promoted equality, truth-seeking, and rationalism, rejecting divine sanction of caste.
- Social vs Political Nationalism
- Clashed ideologically with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar.
- Phule saw British rule as an opportunity to uplift lower castes, unlike Tilak who viewed it as oppressive.
- Despite differences, Phule bailed out Tilak and Agarkar from jail — showing principled commitment to justice.
- Rationalism and Religious Critique
- Influenced by Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason and Christian missionary work.
- In Sarvajanik Satya Dharma, rejected all religious texts that promote sectarianism or supremacy.
- Championed equality, rationalism, and a universal humanistic religion.
- “How can some be ‘sacred’ generation after generation? Are they not born and do they not die like everyone else?”
- Agrarian and Economic Thought
- In Shetkaryanche Asud, Phule advocated:
- Scientific farming techniques.
- Use of military for civil construction like dam building.
- Redistribution of grazing lands and local water rights to villagers.
- Called for abolition of the oppressive Forest Department, advocating farmer-centric governance.
Critical Evaluation
- Relevance Today:
- Caste discrimination, gender inequality, and lack of access to education still persist.
- His model of constructive engagement, rather than violent revolution, offers sustainable paths to reform.
- Balanced Perspective:
- While some criticize Phule’s cooperation with colonial rule, it must be contextualized as a strategic choice for social upliftment.
- His vision of equality challenges even contemporary notions of religious and caste identity.
UPSC Mains Practice Question
Ques :Jyotiba Phule’s social revolution was rooted in rationality, equality, and justice. Discuss the relevance of his ideas in contemporary Indian society.(250 words)
In News : Taiwan Strait
China launches aggressive military drills in Taiwan Strait.
About Taiwan Strait
- The Taiwan Strait is a strategically significant and geopolitically sensitive body of water separating mainland China from the island of Taiwan.
- Approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) wide at its broadest point and narrowing to about 130 kilometers (81 miles), it connects the South China Sea to the East China Sea.
- The strait is relatively shallow, with depths averaging around 70 meters (230 feet), and encompasses the Pescadores (Penghu) Islands, which are administered by Taiwan.
- The strait was named Formosa (“Beautiful”) by Portuguese navigators in the late 16th century; although it is still known in the West by its European name, the Chinese and now most Westerners use the name Taiwan Strait.
- The strait is also one of the most important fishing grounds in China, and more than a hundred economically important fish species are found here.
- The Taiwan Strait is vital for global trade, with nearly 40% of the world’s container ships passing through it annually.
Taiwan Strait History
- The Taiwan Strait has been a focal point of military and political tensions since the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
- Following the retreat of the Nationalist government to Taiwan, the strait became a de facto boundary between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC).
- Notable flashpoints include the Taiwan Strait Crises of 1954–55 and 1958, during which the PRC conducted artillery bombardments of ROC-held islands, prompting U.S. intervention to deter further escalation.
UPSC PrelimsPractice Question
Ques :Consider the following statements regarding the Taiwan Strait:
- The Taiwan Strait connects the East China Sea with the Yellow Sea.
- The strait has historically been a site of military tensions, especially during the 1950s.
- Nearly 40% of the world’s container ships pass through the Taiwan Strait annually.
4.The Pescadores (Penghu) Islands located in the strait are administered by China.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(A) 1, 2 and 4
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 2, 3 and 4
Ans : B)
GS PAPER 5
Editorial Analysis
Context :
- India’s economy is witnessing a rising trend of app-based gig and platform workers, reflecting broader global shifts in employment patterns. In response, recent policy efforts such as integrating gig workers under Ayushman Bharat, registration through e-Shram portal, and proposals for a transaction-based pension system mark a significant departure from traditional models of labour welfare.
- These steps indicate a welcome policy shift. However, they also highlight deep-seated structural flaws within India’s existing social security system that continue to hinder universal and equitable coverage.
A Positive Turn in Labour Policy
- Traditionally, India’s social security programs have been restricted to formal sector workers. Gig workers—who operate across multiple platforms and lack conventional employer-employee relationships—were largely excluded.
- The proposed Universal Account Number system for gig workers, enabling proportional contributions from different platforms, shows a nuanced understanding of the fragmented nature of gig employment. It reflects an important shift towards recognising informal labour within the broader framework of labour rights.
- This movement is particularly significant in a country where over 90% of the workforce is informal, yet access to welfare remains skewed in favour of formal employment.
Persistent Gaps in the Existing Framework
- Despite these policy developments, India’s social security architecture continues to suffer from several systemic weaknesses:
- Incremental and Piecemeal Reforms
- India has yet to ratify the ILO Convention No. 102, which sets global standards for minimum social security. The Social Security Code (2020), while hailed as a reform milestone, suffers from vague provisions, lack of enforceability, and fragmented implementation.
- Over-reliance on Welfare Boards
- Many state-run welfare boards, tasked with delivering benefits to informal workers, suffer from poor governance, underutilisation of funds, and inefficient service delivery. Even in progressive states like Kerala, delays and non-payment of dues to registered workers have been reported.
- Fragmented and Unequal Coverage
- Each category of informal worker—beedi workers, construction labourers, domestic workers, gig workers—has separate eligibility criteria, welfare boards, and benefits. This leads to inconsistencies and inequalities in access to social protection, based more on how a worker is classified than on their actual need or vulnerability.
- Neglect of Older Informal Sectors
- While gig workers receive growing attention, millions in traditional informal sectors remain on the margins of policy focus. This creates a hierarchy within informality, where visibility determines access to benefits, undermining the principle of equity.
Challenges of Short-Term Fixes
- Introducing new schemes or boards for each category of worker might offer temporary relief, but this reactive model doesn’t address the core issues of governance, transparency, and long-term sustainability. The closure of several older welfare boards is a reminder that without structural reform, many such initiatives risk becoming outdated or dysfunctional over time.
The Case for Universal Social Protection
- What India needs is a universal, inclusive, and resilient social security system that can:
- Accommodate all types of workers, regardless of sector or classification
- Be flexible enough to adapt to future labour market shifts
- Ensure portability of benefits across sectors and geographies
- Include clear enforcement mechanisms and accountability structures
- The Social Security Code—though limited—can act as a foundation. States must use the autonomy granted under the Code to innovate and create context-specific, yet scalable models of welfare.
Conclusion
- India’s efforts to include gig workers in its social security net represent a meaningful shift in policy thinking. However, without addressing the deeper systemic challenges—fragmentation, weak implementation, and exclusion of large worker segments—these initiatives may fall short of delivering real transformation.
- A future-ready workforce must be backed by a future-ready welfare system—one that leaves no worker behind, regardless of whether they drive a taxi, deliver food, farm land, or clean homes.