Mains General Studies Paper III

The Indian Army has kicked off urgent procurement of advanced radars to strengthen its air defence against low-flying drones and swarms, learning key lessons from Operation Sindoor in May 2025. During this short border clash with Pakistan, hundreds of enemy drones slipped through older detection systems, pushing the Army to issue Requests for Information for up to 45 enhanced low-level radars and 48 fire control systems. This move aims to plug gaps along northern and western borders, boosting overall readiness in a time of rising aerial threats from neighbors.

The Indian government has set up a special committee to make Quality Control Orders (QCOs) simpler and less strict. This will help over 6 crore micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) import affordable raw materials without long delays or high costs. The move comes after MSMEs complained that current rules block cheap imports and raise their production expenses. The committee, led by former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, will give monthly suggestions to cut red tape while keeping product safety intact.

For the first time outside the COVID-19 years, India's power sector saw a 1% drop in CO2 emissions during January to June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, as per a latest analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) for Carbon Brief. This milestone in the sector, which contributes nearly 40% of India's total greenhouse gas emissions, signals a potential early peak in power-related emissions by 2030, supporting the country's push towards 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. The dip comes amid record renewable additions and milder weather, highlighting progress in India's clean energy transition.

During the closing session of the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025 in Kolkata on September 17, 2025, India's top military leaders announced the creation of the country's first three joint military stations and the merger of the Army, Navy, and Air Force education branches into a single Tri-Services Education Corps. These steps, directed by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, aim to boost jointness among the services amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for swift reforms to prepare the armed forces for future challenges, including the ongoing drive towards integrated theatre commands.

The Indian Navy has taken delivery of 'Androth', the second of eight indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs) from Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata on September 13, 2025. This step is important right now because it helps boost the Navy's ability to detect and fight submarines in shallow coastal waters, especially with growing threats from China's naval activities in the Indian Ocean and Pakistan's new submarines. It also shows India's progress in making its own defence equipment, cutting down on imports and supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat goal.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given approval to the updated Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 on September 14, 2025, which replaces the old 2009 version. This step is important now because it helps make the process of buying everyday items like spares and ammunition faster and simpler for the army, navy, and air force. It focuses on making India self-reliant in defence needs, especially when the country is spending about ₹1 lakh crore this year on such purchases, and it supports the government's push for quick decisions and home-grown innovation in a time of modern wars and global supply issues.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued an office memorandum exempting mining projects for atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from mandatory public consultations under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. This step, reported by The Indian Express on September 11, 2025, responds to requests from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), aiming to expedite clearances for minerals vital to national security, defence equipment, and atomic energy programs amid India's heavy import dependence. The move aligns with recent policy shifts to boost domestic production but has raised questions about environmental transparency and community involvement.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been steadily reducing its investments in US Treasury securities as part of a broader strategy to diversify its foreign exchange reserves, with holdings dropping to $227.4 billion in June 2025 from $242 billion a year earlier. This move, which includes boosting gold reserves, comes amid escalating US-India trade tensions under President Donald Trump's administration, which has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports, potentially prompting further reductions in US debt holdings to mitigate risks.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been conducting crucial simulation missions in Bengaluru using a static mock-up simulator to prepare astronaut-designates for India's maiden human spaceflight under the Gaganyaan programme. These simulations, allowing astronauts to experience spacecraft-like conditions for extended periods, are part of the final preparations ahead of the first uncrewed test flight (G1) scheduled for December 2025, featuring the humanoid robot Vyommitra. This development underscores India's push towards self-reliance in space exploration, with the crewed mission now targeted for 2027.

Amid apprehensions that businesses might not fully pass on the benefits of recent GST rate reductions to consumers, the Union Finance Ministry has directed its field formations to compile detailed monthly price data on a range of common-use items before and after the new rates take effect on September 22, 2025. This move follows the GST Council's decision to simplify the tax structure into a two-slab system, aiming to ensure transparency and prevent profiteering as part of the broader GST 2.0 initiative.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders on September 8, 2025, called by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He spoke out against connecting trade rules to things outside of business, like politics or sanctions. This was said while talking about recent US decisions to add high taxes on goods from India and Brazil. The meeting happened because of growing worries about unstable world trade, and Jaishankar stood in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leaders from China, Russia, and others also took part to discuss ways to make global economy fairer for everyone.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned on September 7, 2025, following a series of electoral setbacks for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), including a major loss in the July upper house elections that stripped the ruling coalition of its parliamentary majority. The announcement comes shortly after finalizing a crucial trade deal with the United States, involving $550 billion in Japanese investments in exchange for reduced tariffs, highlighting the intersection of domestic political turmoil and international economic pressures amid global trade tensions.