UPSC Key: Bihar SIR, E1 plan, and Alaska Summit

Indian Express

11 hours ago

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 15, 2025. If you missed the August 14, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
What's the ongoing story: The Supreme Court, in an interim order Tuesday, directed the Election Commission of India to make available online a searchable list of approximately 65 lakh voter names omitted from the draft electoral roll for Bihar with reasons for deletion such as death, migration, duplication etc.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is the purpose of introducing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar?
— 'Transparency will help create voter confidence'. How?
— Through this ruling the SC has underlined a citizen's fundamental right to know why he or she has been deleted from the voter list. How is it significant?
— What is the purpose of Form 6?
— What key reforms are implemented by the Election Commission to strengthen the electoral process?
— What is the role and function of the Election Commission?
Key Takeaways:
— 'Since this action can have some civil consequences of depriving a citizen or a person of the right to franchise, a fair procedure is required,' Justice Surya Kant, heading the bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, observed.
— The bench said the list of deletions be made searchable and directed the EC to give wide publicity on its website. It asked the EC to file a status report by August 19 and said it would monitor the issue again on August 22, the next date of hearing.
— This essentially enables individuals and political parties to check if a voter from the constituency has been removed from the rolls, and whether this exclusion is justified.
— It asked the EC to give wide publicity to the exercise through public notices in vernacular and English dailies with maximum circulation in Bihar, and be broadcast on Doordarshan and All India Radio.
— The Supreme Court, he said, upheld the Commission's powers and rejected the prayer for a return to paper ballot.
From Explained: Push for transparency – What Supreme Court's order on Bihar SIR says
— The ECI had said that those whose names have not been included in the draft roll can submit Form 6, the ECI's form for registration of new electors, by September 1.
— Incidentally, Form 6 allows Aadhaar, both as proof of identity and residence for enrolment. The Electoral Registration Officer verifies the information submitted in Form 6, and enrols a new voter.
Do You Know:
— With the state set to head to polls in November, the ECI announced the Bihar SIR late in June. It said that demographic changes in the last 20 years meant that current electoral rolls contained many 'repeated entries', and 'the situation [warranted] an intensive verification drive to verify each person before enrolment as an elector'.
— The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent, independent, and constitutional authority responsible for conducting free and fair elections in the Union and the States of India.
— The ECI is empowered to supervise, oversee, and manage elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice President of India. Since the ECI does not oversee elections to state-level urban bodies like municipalities and panchayats, there is a separate State Election Commission.
— The Constitution has the following articles (Articles 324–329) to empower the Election Commission and provide insight into the potential roles and functions of the commission.
— Article 325: No individual to be excluded from electoral rolls on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or any of them.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Citizenship is in Parliament's domain, but ECI can include citizens and exclude non-citizens as voters: SC
📍Election Commission of India: Composition, powers and functions
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(1) Consider the following statements: (2017)
1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.
2. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.
What's the ongoing story: S&P Global Ratings on Thursday upgraded its assessment of India to BBB from BBB-, with a stable outlook, saying India is 'among the best performing economies in the world'.
Key Points to Ponder:
— How significant is this upgrade?
— What is fiscal consolidation and why is it important for a country?
— What are the major global rating agencies?
— The rating upgrade will lead to more foreign capital inflows into India. – What do you understand by this?
— What is headline retail inflation?
— According to S&P, what is the combined fiscal deficit of the Central and state governments?
— As per Union Budget 2025-26 what is target set by the Centre for capital expenditure?
Key Takeaways:
— The upgrade by the American rating agency – the world's largest – comes 18 years after it had last raised its India assessment in January 2007 to BBB- in the rating scale.
— S&P rates countries based on its assessment of five key areas: institutional, economic, external, fiscal, and monetary. BBB rating indicates 'adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions', as per the rating scale of the agency.
— The S&P analysts took a far more sanguine view of the 25 per cent tariff on India that US President Donald Trump had announced first, and later doubled to 50 per cent because of New Delhi's import of Russian arms and energy. While some economists estimated the tariffs to pull growth down by up to 50 basis points, S&P analysts said the effect on the Indian economy will be 'manageable'.
— The government has over the last several years aggressively pursued the three global agencies — S&P, Moody's Ratings, and Fitch Ratings —for higher ratings that, in its opinion, better reflect the country's fundamentals
— While still at the lowest investment-grade rung, the upgrade brings India one step closer to the coveted 'A' category of ratings, which is an indicator of higher creditworthiness to investors globally.
— The rating upgrade will lead to more foreign capital inflows into India and be a 'major positive rub on currency exchange rate'. 'This can also cause the overall borrowing costs for the government as well as private sector to go down.'
— While India's GDP growth has edged lower recently — the 6.5 per cent rate recorded in 2024-25 was the lowest in four years, with growth in the current fiscal also seen at the same level, as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) — S&P said the economic expansion was now 'normalising toward a more sustainable level with good momentum'.
— On the inflation front, S&P said the RBI's record of inflation management had been burnished by headline retail inflation staying broadly within the 2-6 per cent target range.
— According to S&P, the combined fiscal deficit of the Central and state governments is seen at 7.3 per cent of GDP in 2025-26, which it expects to decline to 6.6 per cent by 2028-29.
— Even as the fiscal deficit declines, the quality of government expenditure is seen improving, continuing the trend of the last half decade over which the funds allocated for creation of new infrastructure has increased.
— As per Union Budget 2025-26, the Centre has targeted a capital expenditure of Rs 11.21 lakh crore for the current fiscal, up from the Rs 3.36 lakh crore spent in 2019-20.
— In terms of debt, S&P expects India's net Central plus state debt to decline to 78 per cent of GDP by 2028-29 from 83 per cent in 2024-25, bringing it closer to pre-pandemic levels.
— The Centre has targeted a reduction in its debt-to-GDP ratio to 49-51 per cent by 2030-31 from 57.1 per cent in 2024-25. States do not have a debt target. Rating agencies view government debt on a consolidated basis – Centre plus states.
Do You Know:
— Madan Sabnavis writes: The upgrade of India's rating to BBB from BBB (-) by S&P is significant for two reasons. First: It was long overdue. On several forums, it has been argued that India deserves a higher rating given its consistent high level performance on all scores before and after the pandemic.
— Second: The timing is appropriate. It vindicates the view that India is one of the best performing large economies in the world. And this has been the story for the last three to four years.
— The main areas of delight have been the following. First, India's growth has been stable and the path for the year is well placed.
— Second, fiscal consolidation has been carried out quite aggressively. The fact that there was no large scale largesse during the pandemic has made it easier.
— Third, inflation has largely been under control which is important as it guarantees stability. Fourth, monetary policy has been streamlined and has effectively navigated the growth-inflation tradeoff.
— Fifth, the external sector has been an epitome of resilience as seen in the strong balance of payments and the buildup of forex reserves.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍India's rating upgrade comes at the right time
UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India. (UPSC CSE 2022)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment; Disaster and disaster management
What's the ongoing story: At least 50 people were killed and more than 100 were injured on Thursday after a cloudburst struck the remote village of Chositi in Paddar area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. More than 50 people are missing.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is cloudburst?
— What is the difference between Cloudburst and flash floods?
— How did the interplay between extreme weather events and fragile Himalayan topography lead to increased disasters in the region?
— What is the role of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) during rescue operations?
— What are the reasons for cloudbursts in hilly regions?
Key Takeaways:
— The incident took place during the Machail Mata pilgrimage, for which Chositi is the last area where yatris can park their vehicles before resuming their journey on foot.
— Rescue operations by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), security forces, police, and locals are underway.
— The Army has moved five columns, comprising 60 personnel each, and medical detachments to carry out relief and rescue operations, the White Knight Corps said.
— When the cloudburst occurred, a large number of them were either standing in the nullah or sitting inside the langer set up nearby, locals said, adding that within seconds, many got washed away as the nullah suddenly saw a massive rise in water level.
Do You Know:
— A cloudburst is an extreme weather event. In simple words, it refers to intense rainfall occurring over a short duration within a small area. It is called an extreme weather event because the frequency of cloudbursts has increased due to global warming across the world.
— The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines it as unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm (or 10 cm) per hour over a geographical region of approximately 20 to 30 square km. Significant amounts of rainfall such as this can result in floods.
— Frequently, flash floods are accompanied by landslides, which are sudden movements of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope. It is common in mountainous terrains, where there are conditions created for it in terms of the soil, rock, geology and slope.
— In December last year, the Lok Sabha passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 that amended the existing Disaster Management Act, 2005.
— The Act provided a statutory body for disaster management – National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget: Why Cloudbursts and Flash Floods matter for your UPSC exam
📍Why is Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) important for UPSC exam?
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(2) Which of the following statements with regard to cloudburst is/are correct? (UPSC CDS 2017)
1. It is defined as sudden localized very heavy downpour with cloud thunder and lightning.
2. It mostly occurs in the hilly areas.
3. It results into very high intensity of rainfall, i.e., 250 mm-300 mm in a couple of hours.
4. It occurs only during the daytime.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1, 2, and 3
(b) 1, 3, and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 2 only
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (2021)
📍The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.' Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation. (2016)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora
What's the ongoing story: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet soon in Anchorage, Alaska, for a closely watched summit, expected to focus on the war in Ukraine. Putin's trip marks the first visit by an elected Russian leader to Alaska, a territory that the United States purchased from Moscow in 1867 for $7.2 million.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Where is Alaska located?
— Who sold Alaska to the USA and in which year?
— What is the objective of the Alaska Summit?
— What is the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy?
— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia?
— What is India's stand in the Russia-Ukraine war?
Key Takeaways:
— According to USA Today, the meeting is scheduled to start at 11:30 am Alaska time (3:30 pm ET), which will be midnight in India on August 16.
— This will be the first in-person meeting between the leaders of the US and Russia since June 2021, when Putin met then President Joe Biden in Geneva. The meeting did not go well, and Russia invaded Ukraine eight months later.
— Putin will be the first Russian leader to visit Alaska, which was sold to the US in 1867 for $7.2 million. He last visited the US in 2015 to attend events at the United Nations.
— The meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will be Putin's first with Trump after he returned to the White House this January. The two leaders met in person on six occasions during Trump's first term (2017-21), the last meeting being the one on June 28, 2019 at the G20 leaders' summit in Osaka, Japan.
— For Putin, the meeting will be a victory from the moment he lands in Alaska. He has been declared an outcast by the West, and he will be on American soil at a time he has charges of war crimes against him.
— Zelenskyy's immediate objective is a ceasefire, a stop to the attacks on Ukrainian cities and the killings of Ukrainians.
Do You Know:
— The war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year since Russia's full-scale invasion, will dominate the discussions. Trump has described the meeting as 'setting the table' for a possible follow-up that could include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
— There has to be movement on two fronts — the Russia-Ukraine war and the Indo-US trade deal. Negotiations are underway on both fronts and Delhi is closely following the meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 to discuss a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
— Modi has already spoken to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the last few days. A resolution to the conflict is in India's interest, sources said, and it has been conveyed to both leaders.
— Trump has floated a 'land swap' deal requiring both Russia and Ukraine to cede territory to one another — an idea firmly rejected by Kyiv. 'Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,' Zelenskyy declared in an August 9 video posted on X.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍India underlines 'substantive agenda' to mend strained ties with US over tariffs, Russia oil
📍An Expert Explains: Russia-Ukraine war
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (UPSC CSE 2020)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora
What's the ongoing story: Israeli settlement building, a point of contention at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has come back into focus after Israel's far-right finance minister revived a plan that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Map location: Israel, West Bank, East Jerusalem
— What is India's stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict?
— What is the role of international agencies in this conflict?
— How major crises are responding to the recent escalation in the region?
— What is the two-state solution?
— What is the Oslo Accord?
— What is the E1 plan?
Key Takeaways:
— The land is home to Palestinians who seek a future independent state.
— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist government has backed settlers, and building and settler incursions have ramped up since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 triggered the Gaza war.
— Palestinians have accused heavily armed Israeli settlers of stealing their land and destroying their olive trees, a symbol of Palestinian identity.
— Palestinians say Israeli forces do not protect them from settler violence. The Israeli military says soldiers are often dispatched to deal with any trouble.
— Israel says it has historical and biblical ties to the area that it calls it Judea and Samaria, though most world powers consider all the settlements illegal.
— A 1993 agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), known as the Oslo Accords, was designed to pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip alongside Israel.
— The U.N. and most world powers say settlement building is eroding the viability of that two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory.
— Israel's allies, including France, Britain and Canada, have said they may move to recognise Palestinian statehood in September.
— Israel has expanded and consolidated settlements in the West Bank as it continues its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a UN report that was based on research between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024.
— About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.
— Israel refuses to cede control of the West Bank, a position it says has been reinforced since the Hamas-led militant attack on its territory, launched from Gaza October 7, 2023.
Do You Know:
— Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either.
— The construction on a tract of land east of Jerusalem named E1 has been under consideration for more than two decades, and is especially controversial because it is one of the last geographic links between the major West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem.
— The two cities are 22 kilometers (14 miles) apart by air. But once the E1 settlement project is completed, it will destroy the possibility of a direct route and will force Palestinians traveling between cities to continue taking a wide detour several kilometers (miles) out of their way, passing through multiple checkpoints, a process that adds hours to the journey.
— Development in E1 was long frozen, largely due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. On Thursday, Smotrich praised President Donald Trump and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee as 'true friends of Israel as we have never had before.'
— The E1 plan is expected to receive final approval on Aug. 20, capping off 20 years of bureaucratic wrangling. The planning committee on Aug. 6 rejected all of the petitions to stop the construction filed by rights groups and activists, according to Peace Now, which tracks settlement expansion in the West Bank and filed opposition.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍How Israel's Gaza war has thrown future of IMEC up in the air
📍Conflicts in West Asia: A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict
UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(3) The term 'two-state solution' is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (2018)
(a) China
(b) Israel
(c) Iraq
(d) Yemen
UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍'India's relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.' Discuss (2018)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
What's the ongoing story: A day before the 79th Independence day, the Shipping Ministry inducted Sahyadri, a very large gas carrier (VLGC), which will transport LPG between the Persian Gulf and India, securing a vital energy lifeline.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Where is the Sahyadri mountain range located?
— What is the purpose of VLGC?
— 'The acquisition is a step towards building a self-reliant and globally competitive shipping sector.' What do you understand about this?
— What are the properties of this Sahyadri-VLGC?
Key Takeaways:
— The vessel, named after the mountain range along India's western coast, is now part of the fleet of state-run Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. It is after a gap of eight years that an Indian public sector unit has acquired a VLGC.
— The hoisting was carried out atop the vessel at Hamad port in Qatar on Thursday in the presence of the Indian crew of the ship, who were there to take charge of it.
— Officials said the acquisition is a step towards building a self-reliant, globally competitive shipping sector and reducing dependence on foreign tonnage for strategic cargo.
— Sahyadri meets stringent international safety and environmental standards, said a ministry note.
— 'The South Korea built 225-metre-long, 36-metre-wide carrier can transport up to 82,000 cubic metres of LPG. The induction raises SCI's deadweight tonnage to 5.2 million and its owned fleet to 57 vessels, including crude and product tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, gas carriers and offshore vessels,' it said.
— The acquisition is the first under a July agreement to purchase two VLGCs of the same capacity. The second vessel, to be renamed Shivalik, will join later this financial year.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍How India can become a global maritime power by 2030
The CAG noted that these vehicles, which were not fit for the transportation of minerals, were used in carrying minerals multiple times per day—like a three-wheeler up to 47 times and a motor car up to 122 times.
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