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15 topicsGS-1: 2GS-2: 3GS-3: 10
0/15 done
GS-2Scheme

1.Fast Track Special Courts Extension (Judicial Reforms)

PIB
Illustration for Fast Track Special Courts Extension (Judicial Reforms)

What & Where

FTSCs = specialised courts for rape & POCSO trials, conceived to cut trial time.

Centrally Sponsored Scheme since Aug 2019; Cabinet cleared continuation to Mar 2026.

761 courts across 30 States/UTs, including 414 exclusive POCSO benches.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Legal & Policy

  • Provision: death penalty for child rape under 2018 amendment spurred FTSC creation.
  • Extension: Cabinet nod Nov 2023 grants three-year life till FY 2025-26.
  • Jurisdiction: limited to IPC rape sections & POCSO offences.

Performance Gaps

  • Pendency: projections show 21-30 years to clear backlog in several states.
  • Convictions: only 8,909 of 2.68 lakh trials ended in conviction.
  • Disposal lag: Delhi disposed 1,049 of 4,369 cases by May 2023.

Infrastructure Issues

  • Courts often only redesignated rooms; scarce staff & technology hamper speed.
  • Judges: deputed from regular courts, shortage worsened by 23 % vacancies.
  • Case management: frequent adjournments and evidence delays stall timelines.

Related Initiatives

  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao promotes gender equity and protection.
  • JJ Act 2015 strengthens child care, rehabilitation & offence handling.
  • Child Abuse Prevention & Investigation Unit assists police probe quality.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Admin MinistryDept of Justice, Law & Justice
Legal triggerCriminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018
SC suo-motu orderAug 2019 basis for scheme
Scheme funding100% Centre capex, 60:40 recurring (UTs 100%)
Operational FTSCs761 (Nov 2023)
Exclusive POCSO courts414
States/UTs onboard30
Cases disposed>1.95 lakh
Pending POCSO cases2.43 lakh (31 Jan 2023)
Avg cases cleared/FTSC/yr28 vs target 165
Lower-court vacancy23 % (2022)
GS-3Economy

2.India Surpasses Billion-Tonne Coal Output (Coal Sector)

PIB
Illustration for India Surpasses Billion-Tonne Coal Output (Coal Sector)

What & Where

Coal: combustible sedimentary rock; India classifies deposits into Gondwana (Peninsular) and Tertiary (NE & J-K) belts.

FY 2024-25: India topped 1 billion t output, securing global 2nd rank behind China.

Core coal corridors: Damodar, Mahanadi, Godavari valleys and Shillong plateau basins.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Historical Milestones

  • 1774 Raniganj opened; marks start of commercial coal in Asia.
  • 1972–73 twin nationalisations consolidated public control over coking and non-coking mines.
  • 2024-25 billion-tonne output hailed as energy-security landmark.

Geological Categories

  • Gondwana coal: 250–300 my old, bituminous to sub-bituminous, high calorific, states Jharkhand-Maharashtra belt.
  • Tertiary coal: 15–60 my old, mainly lignite/peat, moisture-rich, Assam-Meghalaya-Arunachal arc.
  • Grade spectrum: Anthracite (80–95 %C) > Bituminous > Sub-bituminous > Lignite (40–55 %C).

Industry Structure

  • Coal India Ltd: Maharatna PSU, ~77 % national output, subsidiaries SECL, MCL, NCL etc.
  • SCCL: joint Telangana-Centre firm, prime southern supplier with 23+ underground and opencast mines.
  • Post-2020 reforms: private & captive blocks auctioned, diversifying production base and investment.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
First commercial mine1774, Raniganj (Damodar)
Coking coal nationalised1972, Coking Coal Mines Act
Non-coking coal nationalised1973, Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act
FY 24 production by CIL773.81 MT
FY 24 production by SCCL70.02 MT
India’s global output rank2nd after China
Billion-tonne milestoneFY 2024-25
Largest coal-reserve stateJharkhand
Highest-grade anthracite locusJammu & Kashmir
SECL Gevra mine world rank2nd largest (WorldAtlas 2024)
SECL Kusmunda mine rank4th largest (WorldAtlas 2024)

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

CDS_GK, GS1 2010PYQ 1

Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India?

CDS_GK, GS1 2022PYQ 2

Which one of the following is the first and the oldest Government-owned coal mining company in India?

GS-1Mapping

3.Namibia Mapping Overview (Country Mapping)

The Hindu
Illustration for Namibia Mapping Overview (Country Mapping)

What & Where

Namibia — south-western African state fronting the Atlantic Ocean; capital Windhoek.

Milestone — Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn as first female President; Africa’s 2nd directly elected female head of state after Liberia.

Terrain — Coastal Namib Desert, interior Central Plateau, eastern Kalahari; highest point Brandberg 2 573 m.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Political Milestone

  • Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: long-time SWAPO leader, now Namibia’s 4th president.
  • Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf set the continental precedent in 2005.

Physical Geography

  • Rivers: Only northern/ southern borders host perennial flow.
  • Desert belt: Namib among world’s oldest, runs entire coastline.

Agriculture

  • Northern Ovambo floodplains provide most arable land and subsistence output.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
CapitalWindhoek
Ocean frontageAtlantic
Neighbouring countriesAngola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa
Permanent riversKunene, Okavango, Zambezi, Mashi, Orange
Highest peakBrandberg Mountain – 2 573 m
Topographic zonesNamib Desert / Central Plateau / Kalahari
Main food cropsMillets, maize, sorghum, vegetables (north)
First African nation with directly elected woman headLiberia
Namibia’s presidency 2024Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Continental rank by female elected heads2nd
GS-1Mapping

4.Suriname Mapping Overview (Country Mapping)

DD News

What & Where

India–Suriname partnership: India supplies USD 1 million machinery to boost Suriname’s passion-fruit industry.

Suriname: small nation on South America’s northern Atlantic coast, bordered by French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana.

Terrain: swampy coastal plain, rolling Zanderij savannas, southern highlands; rivers flow north to Atlantic.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Economic Angle

  • Machinery worth USD 1 million dispatched by India under development partnership.
  • Goal: expand passion-fruit cultivation, mechanised processing, farmer incomes.
  • Initiative showcases India’s South–South cooperation in Latin America–Caribbean.

Borders & Location

  • Northern Atlantic coastline grants direct maritime access.
  • Land borders: east French Guiana, south Brazil, west Guyana.
  • South hosts Sipaliwini Savanna adjoining Brazil.

Relief & Hydrography

  • Juliana Top, 1,230 m, highest point within Wilhelmina Mountains.
  • Four north-flowing rivers—Courantyne, Coppename, Suriname, Maroni—drain to Atlantic.
  • Coastal swamps give way to Zanderij savannas and southern highlands rainforest belt.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Partnership componentUSD 1 million machinery
Target sectorPassion fruit cultivation/processing
Northern boundaryAtlantic Ocean
Border eastFrench Guiana
Border southBrazil
Border westGuyana
Highest peakJuliana Top – 1,230 m
Peak rangeWilhelmina Mountains
Major riversCourantyne, Coppename, Suriname, Maroni
Coastal landformNew Coastal Plain swampland & polders
GS-3Editorial

5.Financing Gap in Forest Conservation (Forest Finance)

Down to Earth
Illustration for Financing Gap in Forest Conservation (Forest Finance)

What & Where

UNDP 2023 report audits global finance flows shaping tropical forests in Amazon, Southeast Asia, Congo Basin.

Highlights processes: conservation funding gap, subsidy misalignment, REDD+ under-pricing, debt-driven forest exploitation.

Spotlights community finance models like Mesoamerican Territorial Fund delivering superior on-ground protection.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Economic Angle

  • Subsidies for palm oil, soy, logging dwarf conservation budgets by sixfold.
  • High debt pushes nations like DRC to prioritise timber, mineral extraction.
  • Low REDD+ pricing cannot match profits from land conversion.

Policy & Regulation

  • Proposal: redirect harmful subsidies via World Bank and similar multilateral channels to forest-positive ventures.
  • Debt-for-nature swaps, Tropical Forest Forever Facility suggested for predictable long-term cash flows.
  • Mandatory deforestation-risk accounting emerging, e.g., EU deforestation-free supply chains rule.

Social Concerns

  • Indigenous groups receive just 1 % of climate finance despite custodianship of one-third global forests.
  • Funds like Podáali and Mesoamerican Territorial demonstrate higher carbon retention and biodiversity outcomes.
  • Agribusiness-led clearing triggers displacement and land conflicts across Amazon and Southeast Asia.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Annual finance needed to stop deforestationUS $460 billion
Spend ratio conservation : deforestation industries1 : 6
Government harmful subsidiesUS $500 billion/yr
Developing-world sovereign debtUS $11 trillion
REDD+ payment rangeUS $5–10 per tCO₂
True mitigation costUS $30–50 per tCO₂
Climate finance reaching Indigenous stewards≈1 %
Proven community fund exampleMesoamerican Territorial Fund
GS-3Environment

6.UN Water Development Report 2025 (Global Water Report)

UN
Illustration for UN Water Development Report 2025 (Global Water Report)

What & Where

UN Water Development Report 2025 “Water Towers: Mountains and Glaciers” – annual UN-Water flagship assessing global water/sanitation

Focus: mountains & glaciers as “water towers” feeding rivers, aquifers, billions of people worldwide

Geographic scope: global highlands; emphasizes transboundary basins dependent on Himalayan, Andes, Alpine, Arctic ice

Quick Facts for MCQs

Environmental Impact

  • Glacial-mass loss; reduced dry-season river flow; heightened downstream drought vulnerability
  • Mountain ecosystem destabilisation; landslide and GLOF frequency rise
  • Water-quality degradation from increased sediment, pollutant concentration as flow diminishes

Legal & Policy

  • Call for mountain-specific water policies embedded in national climate plans
  • Emphasis on IWRM adoption across international basins housing headwater glaciers
  • Advocacy for community-led monitoring within UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 framework

Finance & Technology

  • Recommendation: dedicate adaptation finance windows to cryosphere protection projects
  • Need for high-resolution satellite, in-situ sensors to track glacier mass balance
  • Promotion of nature-based storage (wetlands, soil moisture) complementing grey infrastructure

International Cooperation

  • Urges upstream-downstream benefit-sharing agreements, especially in Himalaya, Andes, Central Asia
  • Supports UNESCO-led transboundary aquifer & river-basin dialogue platforms
  • Encourages data-sharing protocols to reduce glacier-related disaster risk

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Release cycleAnnual
2025 Report titleWater Towers: Mountains and Glaciers
Lead publisherUNESCO WWAP for UN-Water
Key warningAccelerating glacial retreat raising water-scarcity risk
Core prescriptionIntegrated Water Resources Management & transboundary cooperation
World Water Day date22 March
World Water Day 2025 themeGlacier Preservation
First mootedUNCED Rio 1992
UNGA formalisation1993 Resolution
Financing askInnovative climate-adaptation funding for mountain regions
GS-3Environment

7.Stockholm Water Prize 2025 (Water Prize)

Down to Earth
Illustration for Stockholm Water Prize 2025 (Water Prize)

What & Where

Stockholm Water Prize: annual global award for outstanding water science, management, protection

Venue: Stockholm, Sweden; presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf during World Water Week (August)

Geography: Managed by Stockholm Water Foundation with Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Quick Facts for MCQs

Award Governance

  • Ceremony integrates with global World Water Week deliberations
  • Transparent nomination; inclusivity promotes diverse disciplinary entries
  • Royal patronage enhances international prestige

Laureates Overview

  • Winners span individuals & organisations with water conservation breakthroughs
  • Contributions range: lake pollution science (1991) to flood-climate analytics (2025)
  • Multidisciplinary scope reinforces SDG 6 water-related targets

Climate & Flood Research

  • Blöschl pioneered observation-based methods connecting rainfall patterns to flood probabilities
  • Work improves early-warning systems, infrastructure design under climate change scenarios
  • Research adopted across continents for national flood risk mapping

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Established1991, Stockholm Water Festival
Awarding bodiesStockholm Water Foundation + Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
PresenterKing Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
FrequencyAnnual, World Water Week (Aug)
Nomination ruleAnyone may nominate; self/close-relative barred
SelectionPrize Committee shortlists; Foundation Board final approval
First laureateDavid W. Schindler, Canada, 1991
2025 laureateGünter Blöschl, Vienna University of Technology
Core recognitionFlood risk assessment & climate-flood link research
Field breadthScience, engineering, policy, environmental advocacy
GS-3Environment

8.International Day of Forests 2025 (Forest Conservation)

PIB
Illustration for International Day of Forests 2025 (Forest Conservation)

What & Where

International Day of Forests; UNGA-recognised 21 March observance (since 2012) to spotlight sustainable forest management.

Forest (India); Godavarman SC 1996 treats term by dictionary meaning, covering all reserved, protected and unclassed categories.

India forest geography; cover 21.76 % GA, Lakshadweep tops share 91.33 %, Madhya Pradesh largest absolute area.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Ecological Impact

  • Carbon-sequestration; Indian forests store 861 Gt globally, moderate floods, recharge aquifers feeding 245 million Western Ghats residents.
  • Biodiversity; habitat for Asian elephants (~30 k) and wild crop relatives like Assam wild rice.
  • Water-security; forested watersheds supply most urban drinking water, cut disaster losses.

Economic & Livelihood

  • Dependence; 30-40 million pastoralists source fodder, shade improving 4 billion livestock productivity.
  • MGNREGA; funds afforestation, wage employment in rural forest fringes.
  • PM Van Dhan; VDVKs of 300 tribal SHG members each add value to Minor Forest Produce.

Legal & Policy

  • Forest Conservation Act 1980; central clearance mandatory for non-forestry diversion.
  • Green India Mission; expand/improve 10 m ha cover, raise income of 3 million households.
  • National Agroforestry Policy 2014; CAFRI-led rollout of Quality Planting Material, climate-resilient farm-trees.

Global Pledges

  • REDD+; performance-based payments for avoided deforestation, enhancement of carbon stocks.
  • New York Declaration 2014; voluntary aim to end global deforestation by 2030.
  • Paris Agreement Art 5; urges Parties to conserve and enhance forest sinks.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
WFD-2025 themeForests and Food
India forest+tree cover25.17 % GA
Net cover rise (2021-23)1,445.81 km²
Forest carbon stock India7,285.5 Mt (+81.5 Mt)
Global CO₂ uptake by forests~30 % annual fossil emissions
Terrestrial biodiversity share80 % resides in forests
Mangrove cover India4,991.68 km² (-7.43 km²)
Indigenous & rural reliant1.6 billion people
Indian forestry jobs>30 million persons
Sacred groves India>1 lakh sites
Tigers sheltered3,167 (NTCA 2022)
Major cities on forest watersheds>85 % globally
Bonn Challenge target 2030350 million ha restoration
CAMPA purposeAfforestation via diverted-land funds

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

CDS_GK, GS1 2023PYQ 1

There is an increase in forest cover area of India between 2011 and 2021. However, there is a decrease in forest cover area of India during the same period in

CDS_GK, GS1 2005PYQ 2

Consider the following statements:

GS-3EnvironmentQuick Bite

9.World Sparrow Day Awareness (House Sparrow)

LiveMint
Illustration for World Sparrow Day Awareness (House Sparrow)

What & Where

World Sparrow Day – annual global awareness day on 20 March, focused on conserving the house sparrow.

Conceived by Nature Forever Society (India) & Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France); first celebrated 2010.

Core species: House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), among world’s most widespread birds, present on two-thirds of landmasses.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Conservation Significance

  • Awareness drive: highlights rapid urban decline of house sparrows and need for urban biodiversity safeguards.
  • Platform role: unites citizens, NGOs, policymakers around small-bird friendly habitats and pollution control.

Biodiversity & Distribution

  • Species-spread: sparrows native across three continents, later introduced to Americas, Australia, NZ by Europeans.
  • Urban-indicator: sparrow presence often reflects healthy insect populations and moderate noise, radiation levels.

Threat Factors

  • Pollution: air, noise and electro-magnetic radiation impair nesting and chick survival.
  • Urbanisation: glass façades, lack of eaves, manicured gardens remove traditional nesting, foraging sites.
  • Climate-stress: rising temperatures and altered rainfall reduce insect prey and water availability.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Observance date20 March
First edition2010
Founding bodiesNature Forever Society (IN) + Eco-Sys Action Foundation (FR)
2022 theme“I love sparrows”
Total sparrow species27 (house + 26 others)
Main continentsAsia, Africa, Europe
House sparrow scientific namePasser domesticus
Distribution gapsChina, Indochina, Japan, E. Siberia, E. Australia, tropical Africa
GS-3SpeciesQuick Bite

10.Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary (Vulture Sanctuary)

The Hindu
Illustration for Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary (Vulture Sanctuary)

What & Where

Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary; India’s first vulture sanctuary; lies in Ramadevara Betta Hill Range, Ramanagara, Karnataka

Core fauna includes Indian Long-Billed, Egyptian, White-Backed vultures; rocky cliffs, scrub forests, open farmlands

Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps indicus); medium bulky scavenger over India-Pakistan-Nepal savannas near settlements

Quick Facts for MCQs

Legal & Policy

  • Notification under Wildlife Protection Act; ESZ buffers mining, construction, loud tourism
  • ESZ norms restrict plastic, chemical use within prescribed radial distance

Biodiversity Value

  • Vultures expedite carcass removal; curb disease spread, feral dog proliferation
  • Presence of three Gyps species indicates intact carrion food chain

Threats & Conservation

  • Diclofenac residues in cattle carcasses primary mortality driver
  • Sanctuary cliff nesting sites, drug ban enforcement, awareness drives aiding gradual population rebound

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Sanctuary notification year2012
Eco-Sensitive Zone declared2017
StateKarnataka
Vulture species presentIndian Long-Billed, Egyptian, White-Backed
Indian Long-Billed IUCN statusCritically Endangered
Population decline estimate97–99 percent
Main threat agentVeterinary diclofenac poisoning
Habitat preferenceOpen landscapes, savannas near villages
GS-3Editorial

11.India’s Geospatial Intelligence Push (Geospatial Tech)

DH
Illustration for India’s Geospatial Intelligence Push (Geospatial Tech)

What & Where

Geospatial intelligence; satellite imagery + positioning + analytics for border security, resource management, disaster response.

NavIC/IRNSS; 7-satellite Indian regional navigation covering India and ~1 500 km beyond.

Siwei commercial constellation; China’s new high-resolution pair strengthens BeiDou-backed surveillance near Indian frontier.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Security Dimension

  • Dependence risk; foreign GPS vulnerable as seen in Russian jamming during Ukraine conflict.
  • Indigenous NavIC offers assured PNT for military operations and missile guidance.
  • Chinese multispectral + infrared edge widens surveillance gap along LAC.

Policy & Governance

  • 2022 Policy eased licensing, enabled private mapping above 1 m resolution.
  • Multiple ministries create overlap between Gati Shakti, SVAMITVA; need single nodal body.
  • Proposed Geospatial Development Authority to streamline approvals, data access.

Technological & Industrial

  • Capability gap; India lacks sub-0.3 m optical imaging and real-time analytics.
  • Startups Dhruva Space, Pixxel, SatSure driving cubesats, hyperspectral data, agri insights.
  • Funding push urged; AI-driven processing and high-res satellites identified as priority investments.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
India’s navigation systemNavIC (IRNSS), 7 satellites
Coverage radiusIndia + ≈1 500 km
National Geospatial Policy2022, liberalised data
Budget 2025-26Rs 100 crore to National Geospatial Mission
Chinese geospatial spend≈ $1.4 trillion plan
Latest Chinese launch2 Siwei high-res EO satellites
Indo-US missionNISAR joint SAR Earth-observation
Key land digitisation schemePM SVAMITVA
Startup showcasePixxel hyperspectral minisats
Private agri-analytics firmSatSure

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

GS1 2025PYQ 1

GPS-युक्त स्वदेशी ऑग्मेन्टेड नेविगेशन (GAGAN) के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

GS1 2018PYQ 2

With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements:

GS-3S&TQuick Bite

12.Nanoparticle Security Ink Innovation (Anti-counterfeiting Tech)

The Hindu

What & Where

Nanoparticle security ink: Sr₂BiF₇ matrix doped with Er³⁺, Yb³⁺; emits multi-color fluorescence for anti-counterfeiting.

Synthesis via low-cost coprecipitation; currently adapted to screen printing, offset printing under research.

Targeted for Indian banknotes/passports printed at Nasik, Dewas, Mysuru, Salboni presses.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Material Science

  • Fluorescence: Distinct colors under UV/NIR enable tiered authentication.
  • Nanoparticle uniformity ensures consistent ink flow and print clarity.
  • Environmental stability allows long shelf-life on circulating notes.

Manufacturing Process

  • Coprecipitation: Metal salts precipitated using NaOH/ammonia, then filtered and dried.
  • Post-processing yields homogeneous nanoparticle dispersion suitable for ink formulation.
  • Scalability: Low-cost reagents favor mass production for national needs.

Security Dimension

  • Multispectral emission complicates counterfeit replication and simple photocopy attempts.
  • NIR 980 nm feature remains hidden from public view but machine readable.
  • Future integration with offset printing aimed at high-security passports and high-denomination notes.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Composition core matrixSr₂BiF₇
Dopant ionsEr³⁺, Yb³⁺
Synthesis routeCoprecipitation
Key fluorescence colorsBlue, Magenta, Orange-red
Excitation wavelengths365 nm, 395 nm, 980 nm
Printing method testedScreen printing
Currency presses (States)Nasik(MH), Dewas(MP), Mysuru(KA), Salboni(WB)
Governing entitiesSPMCIL & BRBNMPL
GS-2Misc

13.Raisina Dialogue 2025 Summit (Geopolitics Conference)

The Hindu

What & Where

Raisina Dialogue – flagship annual geopolitics & geo-economics conference, New Delhi; launched 2016.

Organised by Ministry of External Affairs + Observer Research Foundation (think-tank).

10th edition 2025: theme “Kālachakra – People, Peace and Planet”; chief guest – New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Security Dimension

  • Quad leaders flagged China’s assertive moves across Indian Ocean Region; sought cooperative deterrence.
  • Philippines urged India to join “Squad” (US-Japan-Australia-Philippines) for South China Sea counter-balancing.
  • India reiterated goal: peaceful, rules-based maritime trade conduit, capacity-building for small island nations.

Economic Angle

  • Minister cautioned against tariff, sanction, finance-based weaponisation of trade; pressed for trust-centric supply chains.
  • Partner screening now weighs reliability, transparency, strategic alignment; salient in ongoing US, EU, UK talks.

Digital Sovereignty

  • India insists on stringent data-flow, AI governance clauses in trade pacts; seeks domestic control over big-data assets.
  • Regulatory architecture for AI, cross-border data embedded into current economic diplomacy toolkit.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Launch year2016
2025 edition number10th
Core venueNew Delhi, Raisina Hill area
Primary organiserMinistry of External Affairs
Knowledge partnerObserver Research Foundation
2025 theme“Kālachakra – People, Peace and Planet”
2025 chief guestChristopher Luxon, PM of New Zealand
Comparable foraMunich Security Conf.; Shangri-La Dialogue
ORF natureDelhi-based, non-profit policy think-tank
Focus domainsGeopolitics, Geo-economics

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

CAPF_GAI, CDS_GK 2025PYQ 1

वर्ष 2025 में निम्नलिखित में से किसके तत्वावधान में आयोजित की गई बैठक का विषय 'दुश्मान युग के लिए सहयोग (Collaboration for the Intelligent Age)' था?

CAPF_GAI, CDS_GK 2022PYQ 2

समृद्धि के लिए हिंद-प्रशांत आर्थिक ढाँचा (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) का गठन करते समय, सदस्य देशों ने चार स्तंभों पर भावी समझौता-वार्ता के लिए सामूहिक परिचर्चा शुरू की है। उन स्तंभों में, निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा नहीं है ?

GS-3Security

14.UAVs Transform Modern Warfare (Military Drones)

The Hindu

What & Where

UAVs/drones – remotely-piloted or autonomous aircraft for surveillance, strike, reconnaissance

Flashpoint – two Chinese UAVs spotted near Okinawa, East China Sea

India – rising drone incursions across Pakistan & China borders threaten security

Quick Facts for MCQs

Military Advantages

  • Cost-efficiency – lower purchase, fuel, maintenance than manned jets
  • Persistence – long loiter gives real-time ISR, precision engagement
  • Swarm flexibility – coordinated, AI-guided attacks overwhelm defences

Security Concerns

  • Conflict facilitation – low-risk, deniable strikes tempt frequent use
  • Non-state empowerment – Houthis, ISIL weaponised cheap commercial UAVs
  • Regional escalation – expanding drone trade spurs arms races

India-Specific Gaps

  • Capability lag – China’s AI drones outpace Indian fleet
  • Import dependence – MQ-9B buy vulnerable to supply shocks
  • Cyber risk – border UAV hacking incidents expose EW weaknesses

Counter-Drone Measures

  • Indrajaal upgrades – detection, jamming, hacking in Himalayan conditions
  • Indigenous R&D – AI, swarm tech, high-altitude UAVs via startups & MSMEs
  • Physical intercept – nets or trained eagles to disable hostile rotors

International Examples

  • US-Iran 2019 – RQ-4 drone shot over Strait of Hormuz, no US retaliation
  • Pakistan-based US strikes – triggered militant blowback inside Pakistan
  • Azerbaijan – UAV dominance decisive in Armenian defeat

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
MQ-9 Reaper cost~USD 32 million
F-35 cost>USD 80 million
Main UAV exportersChina, Turkey, Israel
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh edgeBayraktar TB2 & kamikaze drones
Russia in UkraineIranian Shahed-136 loitering munition
Indian anti-drone techIndrajaal (AI-powered)
Raptor interception ideaArmed forces train eagles vs drones

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

GS1 2025PYQ 1

मानव-रहित वायु वाहन (UAV) के संदर्भ में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

GS1 2025PYQ 2

भारत की रक्षा के संदर्भ में, निम्नलिखित युग्मों पर विचार कीजिए :

GS-2Scheme

15.SwaYaan Drone Capacity Scheme (Drone Capacity)

PIB

What & Where

NIDAR = National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application & Research, pan-India competitive R&D platform

Nested under SwaYaan capacity-building programme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Focuses on autonomous drone use-cases in disaster management and precision agriculture

Quick Facts for MCQs

Tech & Schemes

  • Challenge supports autonomous drone prototypes for disaster relief, precision farming
  • Provides cloud credits, software stacks, internships to participants
  • Minor degree programmes, bootcamps, workshops seeded in partner institutes

Human Resource Capacity

  • Hub-and-spoke model ensures nationwide reach via premier tech institutes
  • Goal to create skilled drone workforce aligning with Digital India vision
  • Curriculum covers end-to-end UAS lifecycle from design to deployment

Industry & Start-ups

  • Startup incubation embedded; winners gain market linkage and mentoring
  • Active industry challenges keep academia-industry feedback loop alive
  • DFI acts as sector interface, scaling commercial adoption

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Launch ministryMeitY
Collaborating bodyDrone Federation of India
Parent initiativeSwaYaan – Capacity Building for HRD in UAS
SwaYaan approvalJuly 2022
SwaYaan trainee target42,560 persons
NIDAR student teams100 +
Institutional network30 hubs & spokes (IISc, IITs, IIITs, NITs, CDAC, NIELIT)
Key drone domainsElectronics, GNC simulation, Aeromechanics, Applications, Allied tech

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