Daily News Analysis for UPSC Civil Services Exam Preparation
India imported a record 16.9 million tonnes of vegetable oils, nearly 6 million tonnes of pulses and 1.1 million tonnes of raw cotton in 2025-26, and a strengthening El Niño with a weak southwest monsoon now threatens to push these agricultural imports even higher in the current year. Rainfall in June 2026 was 38% below normal and kharif sowing of pulses, oilseeds and cotton has fallen sharply. This article explains what El Niño is, how it affects the Indian monsoon and kharif-rabi crops, why India depends on imports of edible oils, pulses and cotton, the cushioning factors like record foodgrain stocks, the government's likely policy response, and the long-term missions to cut import dependence — with UPSC Prelims facts, MCQs and Mains practice questions.
The debate over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), 1960 has intensified, with India keeping the treaty in abeyance since the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan raising the issue at international forums, and Pakistan yet to respond to India's formal notices of 2023 and 2024 seeking modification and renegotiation. Analysts argue that river systems are dynamic and the 1960 treaty is inadequate for contemporary challenges like climate change, groundwater, and water quality. This article explains the treaty's allocation design, the abeyance and arbitration developments, global treaty practices, the Mekong comparison, and the case for and against renegotiation for UPSC Prelims and Mains.
The Supreme Court has reiterated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is not the final authority to determine citizenship, and that deletion of a name from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) does not result in automatic loss of citizenship status. The remarks came while hearing a plea on West Bengal, where over 33.5 lakh appeals against deletions are pending before 19 Appellate Tribunals and deleted voters are allegedly being denied welfare benefits. This article explains the SIR exercise, the Bihar SIR judgment, the ECI's powers, constitutional citizenship provisions, the Citizenship Act framework, and the appellate mechanism for UPSC Prelims and Mains.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off India's first hydrogen-powered train on the 89-km Jind–Sonipat section in Haryana, making India one of a select group of nations operating zero-emission hydrogen rail technology. With 10 coaches carrying up to 2,600 passengers, it is described as the world's most powerful and longest hydrogen train. This article explains the train's features, how hydrogen fuel cell propulsion works, the DEMU retrofit design, the Hydrogen for Heritage scheme, the National Green Hydrogen Mission, global comparisons, and the significance for Indian Railways' decarbonisation, for UPSC Prelims and Mains.
The Government of India is working on a new contributory pension scheme under the EPFO 3.0 reform programme to extend retirement security to unorganised and formal sector workers currently left out of the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS). The scheme proposes a Target Retirement Sum (TRS) that converts accumulated savings into a pension at age 60, with options of an annuity or a systematic withdrawal plan. This article explains the proposed scheme, the TRS concept, the existing EPFO and EPS-95 framework, the defined contribution model, the Code on Social Security 2020, comparisons with NPS and PM-SYM, the Singapore model, and key data for UPSC Prelims and Mains.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with a budgetary outlay of ₹62,500 crore, a five-year follow-on to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones that ended in March 2026. Beyond boosting local production and domestic value addition, the scheme's most striking feature is an additional 3% incentive for design and R&D aimed at building an Indian smartphone brand that can compete globally. This article explains the MPMS structure, the PLI scheme's legacy, why India lacks a homegrown smartphone brand, the concept of moving up the value chain, technological sovereignty, and the challenges ahead — from the UPSC Prelims and Mains perspective.
The Reserve Bank of India has introduced the concept of Specified Non-Financial Assets (SNFA) — immovable properties that banks acquire when borrowers default — through amendments to its Resolution of Stressed Assets Directions, 2025. The new framework bars banks, small finance banks, and NBFCs from selling such assets back to the defaulting borrower or its related parties, mandates disposal primarily through public auctions on SARFAESI Act principles, and prescribes conservative valuation norms. This article explains what SNFAs are, the full framework of acquisition, valuation, and disposal, the NPA and SARFAESI background, the statutory basis in the Banking Regulation Act, and why these norms matter — from the UPSC Prelims and Mains perspective.
The Union Cabinet has approved Semicon 2.0, the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0), with a total outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore to build India's semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem on six pillars. Media reports indicate the Centre will not subsidise land acquisition or technology transfer costs under the new scheme, with states expected to take the lead on land, and capital subsidies for silicon fabs reduced from 50% to 40%. This article explains what semiconductors are, the achievements of ISM 1.0, the six pillars of Semicon 2.0, the revised incentive structure, the role of states, India's chip targets for 2029 and 2035, and the challenges ahead — all from the UPSC Prelims and Mains perspective.
The Ladakh administration has announced steps to extend the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council framework to all seven districts, instead of limiting such councils to Leh and Kargil. While the administration presents the proposal as democratic decentralisation suited to Ladakh’s difficult geography, the Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance fear that multiple district councils could dilute the powers of a proposed Union Territory-level representative body being discussed under an Article 371-type framework.
The Gujarat government has announced the Viksit Gujarat Data Centre Policy 2026-29, targeting investments of about ₹6 lakh crore and the creation of 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of data centre capacity — claimed to be the highest in the country. The policy offers tax and duty exemptions, power and water guarantees and building-norm relaxations, mandates that 51% of electricity for core operations come from green energy, and seeks to develop Dholera as a global data centre city. This article explains what data centres and hyperscale AI data centres are, the policy's incentives, the Reliance-Meta Jamnagar project, India's data centre landscape, and the associated energy, water and policy challenges.
China test-fired a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile from the South China Sea into the Southern Pacific Ocean on 6 July 2026 — its first-ever SLBM launch into international waters and only its second ballistic missile test in international waters since 1980. The missile, believed to be the JL-2 or JL-3, flew over the Philippines and landed in the South Pacific nuclear-free zone, drawing protests from the US, Japan, Australia and Pacific island nations. This article explains ballistic missile basics, the JL missile family, China's nuclear triad and evolving nuclear strategy, the Treaty of Rarotonga, and the implications for India's nuclear deterrent and the Indo-Pacific.
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the companion Double Contribution Convention (DCC) entered into force on 15 July 2026, operationalising India's first comprehensive free trade agreement with a major developed economy. The UK has eliminated tariffs on 99% of Indian tariff lines, while India has cut duties on around 90% of products, including first-ever FTA concessions on cars and Scotch whisky. This article explains what CETA is, its negotiation journey, sector-wise gains and concessions, the DCC for professionals, the new self-declaration rules of origin, the steel quota arrangement, the CBAM concern, and CETA's place in India's FTA strategy.