General Studies Paper-3

Context: India’s population has reached an estimated 146.39 crore by April 2025, according to the United Nations report titled “State of the World Population 2025: The Real Fertility Crisis.”

India’s Status as per the 2025 Report

• Current Population Status: India is the world’s most populous country with 146.39 crore people, surpassing China (141.61 crore).
  • The population is expected to peak at 170 crore before beginning to decline in approximately 40 years.
• Decline in Fertility Rate: TFR is now 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1.
  • Among the states that had fertility rates higher than national average were Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.9), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), Jharkhand (2.26), and Manipur (2.2).
• Demographic Composition:
  • Working-age population (15–64 years): 68%
  • Children (0–14 years): 24%
  • Youth (10–24 years): 26%
  • Elderly (65+ years): 7% (expected to rise)

What is the Real Fertility Crisis?

• The real fertility crisis lies not in overpopulation or underpopulation, but in the inability of individuals to achieve their reproductive goals.
• It calls for reproductive agency—the freedom to make informed choices regarding sex, contraception, and family planning.

Reasons for Population Decline

• Access to Reproductive Healthcare: Contraceptive use and maternal health services have expanded.
• Female Education & Empowerment: Increased female literacy and workforce participation delay childbirth.
• Urbanization: Urban lifestyles reduce family size due to cost and space constraints.
• Economic Uncertainty: Rising cost of living and job instability discourage large families.

Significance of the Population decline

• Population Stabilization: A TFR of 2.0 indicates India is approaching population stabilization, which can ease pressure on natural resources, public services, and the environment.
• Improved Maternal health: Fewer childbirths per woman, coupled with delayed age of marriage, lead to reduced maternal mortality, better child care, and healthier families.
• Women Empowerment: Lower fertility rates reflect higher education levels, workforce participation, and greater autonomy among women, leading to better social and economic outcomes.

What are the concerns?

• Ageing Population: A rise in the elderly population will increase the dependency on the working population, demanding increased focus on pension, healthcare, and social welfare systems.
• Potential for Skewed Sex Ratios: In certain areas, fertility reduction without tackling gender bias can exacerbate sex-selective practices, leading to imbalanced sex ratios.
• Demographic Imbalance: States with vast fertility differences, potentially leading to interstate migration, cultural shifts, and resource strain in low-TFR states.

Concluding remarks

• India stands at a demographic crossroads. The decline in fertility is a testament to social progress in education, healthcare, and gender empowerment.
• However, as the focus shifts from population control to reproductive rights and demographic balance, India must prepare for a future that balances economic productivity, social support systems, and individual reproductive choices.

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The first State and Union Territory Engagement Workshop under National One Health Mission (NOHM) was conducted, charting a collaborative path forward for strengthening India’s integrated One Health approach.

About

• The workshop was chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders.
• Key Highlights:
  • The workshop underscored syndromic surveillance and mock drills like Vishanu Yuddh Abhyaas for preparedness.
  • Gujarat and Kerala, nominated to the mission’s governance committee, presented their progress in building One Health infrastructure.
  • The launch of a Youth Engagement Program to harness the energy and innovation of the country’s youth through hackathons and digital campaigns.
  • One Health Dashboard: A central dashboard was launched to monitor and map state and central initiatives.

What is the One Health Approach?

• One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.
• It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.

National One Health Mission

• The National One Health Mission (NOHM) exemplifies the Government of India’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge science in real-world settings to anticipate and mitigate public health risks.
• The key pillars of the NOHM are:
  • Technology enabled integrated surveillance across sectors.
  • National network of Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories (for testing high-risk or unknown pathogens).
  • Collaborative and integrated R&D for medical countermeasures including vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for human-animal-wildlife-livestock health.
  • Data integration across sectors.
  • Training and capacity building in all spheres related to One Health.

Challenges in Operationalizing One Health

• Intersectoral Coordination: Fragmented institutional silos between human, animal, and environmental health bodies.
• Lack of Trained Workforce: Shortage of epidemiologists, zoonotic disease experts, and data scientists at the district level.
• Infrastructural Disparities: States vary in surveillance capabilities and digital health integration.
• Data Privacy & Sharing: Ensuring secure and effective real-time data flow between sectors remains a concern.

Way Ahead

• Decentralised Planning: States should localize the One Health model based on regional risks (e.g., zoonotic hotspots).
• Institutional Mechanisms: Permanent state-level One Health Cells and convergence with existing bodies like State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs).
• Public Awareness: Leverage campaigns and youth engagement to increase awareness of One Health.
• The states/UT’s should consider creating their own One Health dashboards and websites and link it with the central dashboard/website.

General Studies Paper-1

Context: PM pays tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on the occasion of his Martyr’s Day.

About Bhagwan Birsa Munda

• Early Life:
  • Born on 15th November 1875 in Ulihatu of the erstwhile Bengal Presidency.
  • An Indian freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero from the Munda Tribe.
  • Learned teachings from a Vaishnav monk.
• Founder of New Religion “Birsait”:
  • He believed in One God.
  • Munda and Oraon community people joined the sect & challenged British conversion activities of tribals.
  • He preached strong Anti-British sentiment through religion.
  • Also, referred to as ‘Dharti Abba or Father of Earth’ by his followers.
• Outcomes of the Munda Rebellion:
  • In 1895, Birsa Munda was arrested for rioting and imprisoned for 2 years.
  • In 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested again and died of cholera in captivity, at the age of just 25.

Munda Rebellion

• A tribal movement led by Munda against the British Raj.
• Also referred to as ‘Ulgulan’ or the ‘Great Tumult,’ to establish Munda raj.
• The rebellion aimed at challenging the colonial land revenue system, Zamindari system, and forced labor imposed on the tribals.
• The movement’s primary grievances were the introduction of the Zamindari system, which displaced tribals from their land, and the exploitation by outsiders or Dikus who took control of tribal lands and resources.
• Birsa Munda and his followers used guerrilla warfare tactics to target symbols of British power, such as police stations, government buildings, and landlords’ establishments.
• Outcomes of the Rebellion:
  • The British government introduced the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908, to prohibit the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals (Dikus).
  • Lenient attitude of Britishers towards tribals & maintaining their faith & beliefs.

Conclusion

• Bhagwan Birsa Munda remains a guiding figure for the tribal communities, especially in Jharkhand, and continues to inspire the fight for tribal rights and social justice in India.

General Studies Paper-1

Context: The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2025.

International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2025

• It brings together governments, organizations, institutions, the media, and infrastructure stakeholders to strengthen the global discourse on disaster and climate-resilient infrastructure.
• It is being hosted in Europe for the very first time.
• It is aligned with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva, and third U.N. Oceans Conference (UNOC3).
• The theme, ‘Shaping a Resilient Future for Coastal Regions,’ highlights the vulnerability of coastal areas and islands to natural disasters and climate change.
• Recent events like Cyclone Remal in India and Bangladesh, Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean, Typhoon Yagi in South-east Asia, Hurricane Helene in the United States, Typhoon Usagi in Philippines and Cyclone Chido in parts of Africa.
• Such disasters caused damage to lives and property.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled India’s experiences with past disasters, such as the 1999 super-cyclone and the 2004 tsunami, noting the country’s progress in building cyclone shelters and a tsunami warning system.
• He praised the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’s (CDRI) work with 25 Small Island Developing States and welcomed the African Union’s involvement.
• He outlined five key priorities: integrating disaster resilience in education, creating a global digital repository of best practices, ensuring innovative financing for developing nations, supporting Small Island Developing States, and strengthening early warning systems.
  • African Union joins India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure at international conference on disaster infrastructure

General Studies Paper-3

Context: As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) will see a new base from next year onwards.

About

• In 2024, MoSPI has set up a 26-member Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics to decide the base year for GDP data.
• Biswanath Goldar has been appointed as its chairman.
• For GDP, the new series is scheduled to be released on February 27, 2026 with financial year 2022-23 as base year.
• For IIP, 2022 -23 has been tentatively identified as the revised base. IIP on revised base would be released from 2026-27.
• For CPI, 2024 has been identified as the revised base year as the item basket and the weightage of the items would be decided based on the NSO’s Household Consumer Expenditure Survey (HCES) conducted in 2023-24.
• The new CPI series is expected to be published from the first quarter of 2026.

What is Base Year?

• A base year is a benchmark year used for comparison in economic and statistical calculations.
• It provides a reference point against which current values of indicators like GDP, CPI, and IIP are measured to track real changes over time.
• Significance:
  • It allows us to remove the effect of inflation and see real growth.
  • Helps in creating index numbers (like CPI = 100 in base year).
  • Ensures that the data reflects the current structure of the economy, consumption patterns, and prices.

Need for the Change of the Base Year?

• It is usually changed every 7–10 years to reflect:
• New consumption patterns;
• Changes in economic structure;
• Introduction of new goods and services.
• Ensures data remains relevant and accurate.
• This will give a clearer picture about the state of the economy which will help the government to design its economic policies.

Economic Datasets

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): GDP is the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s domestic territory during a specific period (usually a quarter or a year).
  • It is calculated by adding up all the expenditures made in the economy, including expenditures by Indians in their individual capacity, expenditures by governments, expenditures by private businesses, etc.
  • This provides a picture of the demand side of the economy.
  • Current base year used 2011–12.
• Released By: National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• Index of Industrial Production (IIP): IIP measures the volume of production in the industrial sector, including mining, manufacturing, and electricity.
  • It is a volume-based index, not value-based like GDP.
  • Indicates industrial activity, helping assess the short-term economic momentum.
  • Published monthly and the base year currently is 2011–12 (revision to 2022–23 is underway).
  • Released By: NSO, MoSPI.
• Consumer Price Index (CPI): CPI measures the average change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services over time — i.e., it tracks retail inflation.
  • Tracks cost of living and purchasing power.
  • Includes items like food, housing, clothing, transport, etc.
  • It is published monthly, the current base year: 2012 (to be revised to 2024).
  • Released By: NSO, MoSPI.

Conclusion

• By updating the base years—GDP and IIP to 2022–23 and CPI to 2024—India aims to capture recent shifts in consumption patterns, industrial output, and price structures.
• These changes will ensure that the data used for economic analysis and policy formulation is more accurate, relevant, and reflective of contemporary conditions.
• This, in turn, will enhance the effectiveness of government planning, policymaking, and monitoring of the country’s economic progress.

General Studies Paper-2

Context: India is carefully balancing its trade relations with Türkiye (Turkey), ensuring that economic advantages are not compromised despite geopolitical concerns.

About India-Turkey Relations

• Historical and Early Diplomatic Engagements: India and Turkey share a long history of diplomatic and cultural exchanges, dating back to the Ottoman era.
  • The first exchange of diplomatic missions between the Ottoman Sultans and the Muslim rulers of the subcontinent dates back to the years 1481-82.
  • The Sufi Philosophy of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi found a natural resonance Bhakti movement in India.
• Political Engagement: Both have maintained formal diplomatic ties since 1948.
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited India for the G20 Summit in 2023.
  • Both nations focused on trade, investment, defense, and security cooperation.
  • Turkey has participated in multilateral forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and ASEAN meetings, where officials from both nations have engaged in dialogue.
• Trade and Economic Relations: The Bilateral Trade Agreement between India and Turkey was signed in 1973.
  • It was followed by an Agreement on setting up an India–Turkey Joint Commission on Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCETC) in 1983.

Current Trade Statistics

• India has a trade surplus of $2.73 billion with Turkey, primarily driven by engineering goods, electronics, and chemicals.
• In FY25, India’s exports to Turkey totaled $5.72 billion, with engineering exports accounting for over 50% of the total.
• Turkey had increased petroleum product imports from India following the Ukraine war, but it has seen a significant decline in FY25.
• However, Turkey’s exports to India remain limited to fruits, nuts, gold, and marble.
• Defense and Security Cooperation: Türkiye has expressed interest in defense collaboration, including joint military exercises and technology exchange.

Concerns & Challenges in India-Turkey Relations

• Geopolitical Challenges: Turkey’s support for Pakistan, including military supplies, has led to security clearance cancellations for Turkish firms operating in India.
  • Additionally, Turkey has historically backed Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, further straining diplomatic ties.
• Security & Infrastructure Issues: India recently revoked security clearance for Çelebi Airport Services India citing national security concerns.
  • It reflects India’s growing scrutiny of Turkish firms involved in critical infrastructure.
  • Additionally, concerns over Turkish drones used by Pakistan in military conflicts have strained relations.

India’s Response

• India has been actively engaging with Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia to counterbalance Turkey’s influence and military expansion in South Asia.

General Studies Paper-2

Context: India is closely monitoring Chinese infrastructure projects on the Brahmaputra River, particularly hydropower developments, due to their potential impact on downstream regions such as Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Brahmaputra River System

• The Brahmaputra River originates in the Kailash ranges at 5,150 m elevation, flows 2,900 km in total, including 916 km in India.
• It originates as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet .
• Its basin spans across Tibet (China), Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh.
• In India, it covers Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Sikkim.
• It enters India near Gelling in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The river, which is called Siang in Arunachal, is joined by many tributaries in Assam as it flows down the plains before entering Bangladesh, where it is called Jamuna.
• Tributaries: Key right-bank tributaries include the Lohit, Dibang, Subansiri, and Teesta.
• Left-bank tributaries include the Burhidihing and Kopili.
• River-Linking Projects:
  • Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga Link: Connects Brahmaputra to Ganga via Sankosh & Teesta.
  • Jogighopa-Teesta-Farakka Link: Links Brahmaputra via Jogighopa Barrage to Farakka on Ganga.
  • Host Riverine Island: It hosts Majuli, the world’s largest river island, and Umananda, the smallest river island in the world, both located in Assam.

How Could Chinese Dams Affect the Brahmaputra in India?

• Hydrological Impact: The Chinese dams may alter natural water flow patterns, affecting seasonal water availability.
  • Example: Medog Hydropower Project (proposed 60,000 MW) near the ‘Great Bend’ of the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.
  • A sudden release of water or temporary water retention can exacerbate floods or worsen dry spells in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, especially during the lean season.
• Ecological Disruptions: Reduced sediment flow, altered flood regimes, and biodiversity loss.
  • Example: The Kaziranga National Park, home to the one-horned rhinoceros, depends on regular flooding of the Brahmaputra for ecological regeneration.
• Strategic & Geopolitical Risk: Gives China a perceived upper hand in water diplomacy; potential tool for coercion. Like during the 2017 Doklam standoff, China withheld hydrological data on the Brahmaputra, which it is obligated to share under a bilateral agreement.
• Economic Consequences: Uncertainty in water flow can affect irrigation, agriculture, and hydropower generation downstream.
  • Example: Any disruption in Subansiri and Siang tributaries, where India has planned large hydropower projects (e.g., Lower Subansiri Hydro Project), can delay infrastructure timelines or reduce output.
• Inter-State Tensions in India: Unpredictable flow from upstream may aggravate water-sharing conflicts between Indian states.

China’s Contribution Vs India’s Share

• Multiple expert studies (e.g., by PK Saxena and Teerath Mehra) indicate that China contributes only 22–30% of Brahmaputra’s annual discharge.
• 70–78% of the river’s flow is generated within India, primarily due to monsoonal rainfall and tributary inflows in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• Hydrologically, China’s control over the river’s headwaters has limited influence on its overall flow in India.
• Even to address water scarcity, two river-linking projects have been proposed: the Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga Link and the Jogighopa-Teesta-Farakka Link.

Way Forward

• India should conduct detailed scientific studies and develop an adaptive strategy to assess the impact of Chinese projects on the Brahmaputra.
• It must strengthen diplomatic efforts to access hydrological data and establish data-sharing protocols with China for early warnings and disaster preparedness.
• India can use forums like BIMSTEC, SCO, and Quad to internationalize the issue and press for sustainable and equitable transboundary river management.

General Studies Paper-2

Context: As of now, 6.19 crore pregnant women have been examined under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA).

About Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

• Launched in June 2016, it is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It was designed to provide assured, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care (ANC) services free of cost to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month, particularly during the second and third trimesters.
• The PMSMA aligns with the broader goals of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• This has led to a significant improvement in India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 80 per lakh live births in 2021-23—a notable reduction of 50 points.

Extended PMSMA (E-PMSMA)

• About: Launched in 2022 to ensure tracing and tracking of High-Risk Pregnant (HRP) women till a safe delivery is achieved by provisioning financial incentivization for the identified HRP women.
• Features: Name-based line listing of HRPs.
  • Provision of additional PMSMA Session (Max 4 times in a month).
  • Individual tracking of HRP up to a healthy outcome (till 45th day after delivery).
  • SMS alert to beneficiary as well as to the ASHA for registration of HRP & follow-up visits.

Integration with National Health Policies

• PMSMA complements other existing programs of the government like:
  • Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): Launched to incentivize institutional deliveries through conditional cash transfers. This scheme has benefitted over 11.07 crore women as of March 2025.
  • Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Launched to promote free institutional delivery and neonatal care. More than 16.60 crore beneficiaries have been served since 2014–15.
  • LaQshya: Initiative for improving quality of care in labour rooms.
  • Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN): Launched to strengthen respectful and quality care for pregnant women. 90,015 SUMAN health facilities have been notified across the country by March 2025.
  • POSHAN Abhiyaan: Launched to target the most vulnerable—children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers—by revamping the nutrition services. As of present, there are 6.97 crore Poshan Pakhwadas across the country.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): Launched to promote institutional delivery and ensuring maternal health, the scheme provides direct cash benefits of ₹5,000 to pregnant and lactating women.

General Studies Paper -2

Context: Recently, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted a high-level meeting at 4th edition of the ‘India Central Asia Dialogue’ to explore economic growth opportunities and strengthen India-Central Asia relations.

Key Highlights of the Meeting

• Strengthening Financial Cooperation: EAM highlighted the opening of special rupee vostro accounts by Central Asian banks in Indian financial institutions, facilitating seamless transactions.
  • It included the potential use of India’s UPI for cross-border payments, enhancing financial integration.
• Boosting Trade & Connectivity: The Central Asian leaders stressed the importance of diversifying trade baskets to ensure sustainable and predictable economic interactions.
  • EAM emphasized the need to expand air services and streamline transit procedures, making trade more efficient.
• Commitment from Central Asian Nations:
  • Kazakhstan praised India’s innovation-driven business community, expressing commitment to deepening economic ties.
  • Kyrgyzstan reaffirmed the strategic partnership between India and Central Asia, highlighting the potential for mutual growth.
• Turkmenistan described India as a major and promising partner, recognizing its role in shaping a modern geo-economic architecture in Asia.

About Central Asia

• The five Central Asian Republics (CARS) viz Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
• These countries attained independence on the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
• All the 5 countries are land-locked.
• All the five countries are richly endowed with natural and mineral resources.
• Kazakhstan has huge commercially viable quantities of most minerals like coal, oil, gas, uranium, gold, lead, zinc, iron ore, tin, copper, manganese, chromite, bauxite and several more.
• Turkmenistan contains the world’s fourth largest reserves of natural gas while having significant quantities of cotton, uranium, petroleum, salt and sulfur.
• Uzbekistan is richly endowed with gas, uranium, cotton, silver and gold.
• Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have significant supplies of fresh water.
• Kyrgyzstan has significant reserves of gold, uranium, mercury and lead.
• India’s engagement with Central Asia has evolved into a strategic partnership, focusing on trade, connectivity, security, and cultural exchange.

India-Central Asia Ties

• Early Times: India has several millennia old historical, cultural and civilisational links with Central Asia.
  • Brisk trade of goods, ideas and thoughts took place from India (and China) to Central Asia and beyond over the Silk Road from 3rd century BC to 15th century AD.
  • Buddhism travelled to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Western China from India through the Silk Road.
  • Alexander of Macedonia, Kushans, Babar, Mughals and Sufism are evidence of vigorous links between India and the Central Asian region over the ages.
• Trade & Economic Cooperation: India and Central Asia focus on energy, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and technology.
  • Both have emphasized the need for greater investment and trade facilitation, particularly through Chabahar Port.
• Connectivity & Infrastructure Development: India is actively promoting regional connectivity through initiatives like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and air service expansion.
• Security & Geopolitical Collaboration: Both share concerns over regional security, particularly in counter-terrorism and stability in Afghanistan.
  • The India-Central Asia Dialogue has strengthened cooperation in defense, intelligence sharing, and cybersecurity, ensuring a secure and stable regional environment.
• Cultural & Educational Exchange: Both continue to flourish through student exchanges, tourism, and diplomatic initiatives.
  • Indian universities attract thousands of Central Asian students, fostering strong people-to-people connections.

Strategic Challenges in India-Central Asia Relations

• Trade Barriers & Limited Economic Integration: India’s trade with Central Asia hovers below $2 billion annually—negligible compared to China’s ~$50 billion with the region.
  • Logistical challenges, high tariffs, and regulatory complexities continue to limit trade expansion.
• Connectivity & Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Transit inefficiencies, bureaucratic delays, and geopolitical tensions slow progress.
  • The lack of direct land access to Central Asia further complicates trade routes.
• Security & Geopolitical Challenges: Concerns over regional security, particularly in counter-terrorism and stability in Afghanistan.
  • China’s growing influence in the region and Pakistan’s strategic positioning create diplomatic hurdles.
• Financial & Digital Integration Issues: Regulatory misalignment and limited banking infrastructure in Central Asia pose challenges to seamless financial transactions.

Way Ahead

• Infrastructure and Connectivity: Accelerate Chabahar Port Phase-2 and Chabahar-Zahedan rail link.
  • Expand cooperation on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking Mumbai to Central Asia via Iran and the Caucasus.
• Institutional Strengthening: Create a Central Asia Task Force within the MEA.
  • Regularise the India-Central Asia Dialogue and Leaders’ Summits.
• Trade and Economic Diplomacy: Work towards a Central Asia-India FTA or regional trade pact.
• Energy Cooperation: Explore partnerships in green hydrogen, solar energy, and critical minerals. Re-engage with the TAPI pipeline diplomatically.
• Multilateral Engagement: Propose SCO-led initiatives on cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and health diplomacy.
• Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy: Expand ICCR scholarships, host cultural festivals, and promote Bollywood and yoga diplomacy.
• Establish India-funded centres of excellence in education and technology.

General Studies Paper -3

Context: Discussions are ongoing in India to amend the nuclear liability framework, regulated by the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act (CLNDA), 2010, and the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), 1962.

• It aims to allow private companies to build and operate nuclear energy-generation facilities.

About

• India’s clean energy transition goals and net-zero commitments necessitate ramping up non-fossil energy, including nuclear.
• The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 (CLNDA) assigns liability to suppliers, deterring foreign investment.
• The debate hinges on whether amending this law is necessary or whether the obstacles are deeper and more structural.

Legal Reforms Underway

• Easing Nuclear Liability Law (Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010): Its objective is to limit the liability of equipment vendors in case of a nuclear accident. Key Proposed Changes:
• Monetary Cap: Liability may be capped to the original contract value.
• Time Limit: Introduce a statute of limitations for how long liability applies.
• Amendment to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962: Its objective is to allow private and foreign players to enter nuclear power generation.
  • Current Restriction: Only state-owned entities like NPCIL and NTPC Ltd can operate nuclear plants.
  • Proposed Change: Permit minority equity participation by foreign/private entities in upcoming projects.

Arguments for Amending India’s Nuclear Laws

• Legal Impediment to Foreign Investment: CLNDA creates supplier liability, which is a global anomaly.
  • Companies from the U.S., France, Japan, and even Russia (post-2010) avoid entering the Indian market.
• Supply Chain & Technology Access: Without foreign suppliers, India can’t reach 100 GW due to domestic industrial capacity limits.
  • Amending the law is necessary for technology access, especially with SMRs (Small Modular Reactors), a promising frontier.
• International Precedents – CSC Framework: India is part of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), which emphasizes operator liability, not supplier liability.
  • SMRs and other new technologies should be encouraged via an investor-friendly legal framework.

Arguments Against Amending the Law:

• Misdiagnosing the Real Problem: The issue isn’t primarily legal or investment-related; it’s technological, economic, and political.
  • Expansion assumptions (to 100 GW) are unrealistic; even advanced economies like the U.S. and France have not grown at that pace.
• No Guarantees of Technology Transfer: Experience in defence shows no meaningful tech transfer despite 100% FDI.
  • SMRs are untested at scale; investment and transfer are unlikely without guaranteed returns, which India cannot ensure.
• Over-reliance on Hypotheticals: Policy cannot be made on the assumption that private companies will change behaviour once the law is amended.
  • India’s plan to build five small reactors domestically shows it may be more realistic to scale indigenous designs.
• Sovereignty and Public Safety: Diluting supplier liability may reduce accountability and compromise public interest.
  • India’s unique liability regime was created in the wake of Bhopal and Chernobyl experiences; it’s rooted in justice and deterrence.

Way Ahead

• India’s push to expand nuclear energy to meet its clean energy targets by 2047 faces a key legal obstacle in its liability law.
• While some argue that amending the law is essential to attract foreign investment and technology, others caution that the real issues lie in economic viability, safety, and over-reliance on foreign participation.
• A balanced path may involve nurturing indigenous capabilities, selectively opening up to foreign participation under tight regulatory frameworks, and ensuring public safety is not compromised.