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Piyush Goyal discusses India-Asean trade pact review with Malaysia
The discussion took place during a meeting between Goyal and his Malaysian counterpart, T Zafrul Aziz. Malaysia is also India's permanent coordinator from Asean on economic matters.
Asean comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Both ministers also discussed the need to fast-track talks to ensure 'fair trade' practices and advance discussions on a comprehensive trade pact between India and individual ASEAN nations.
The meeting assumes significance as the pace of the review of the India-Asean trade deal has been slow. In August 2023, both sides had announced the aim to complete the review of the existing agreement in goods between the two regions by 2025.
India has for more than half a decade flagged the need for an urgent review of the trade agreement, as imports from Asean nations grew at a much faster pace compared to exports from India. The Indian industry has also been seeking fair and equal market access across all Asean nations.
In the past, Goyal had called the trade deal between India and Asean 'ill-conceived' and 'unfair' to the Indian industry. In an interview with Business Standard last year, the minister had said that India may consider taking retaliatory measures if non-trade barriers imposed by the Asean grouping are not addressed as part of the ongoing review of the trade deal.
The idea behind the review was also to modernise the agreement and upgrade it with changing times, as the trade deal was signed over a decade ago. Both sides also want the agreement to be more user-friendly and trade-facilitative, considering that the utilisation rate of regional trade agreements has been low.
During FY25, India exported goods worth $38.96 billion, down 5.7 per cent year-on-year, while imports grew by 5.6 per cent to $84.16 billion, according to government data.
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UPSC Key: Global Plastics Treaty, IMEC and India's rising farm exports
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 11, 2025. If you missed the August 10, 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, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Salient features of the Representation of People's Act, Constitution of India — features, significant provisions and basic structure. What's the ongoing story: The Election Commission on Saturday informed the Supreme Court that it was not required by law to publish a list of electors whose names have been removed from the electoral rolls of Bihar, opposing a petitioner's plea for it to release the names and details of the 65 lakh electors who did not make it to the draft published on August 1. Key Points to Ponder: • Read about the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Representation of the People Act, 1950. • Why is the Election Commission revising electoral rolls in Bihar, and when have revisions happened previously? • What are the constitutional and legal mandates empowering the ECI to carry out SIR? • Read about the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. • Compare the SIR measures in Bihar with Assam NRC exercise. • What can be the implications of shifting the onus of voter registration from the State to citizens, especially in states with high poverty and migration? • What are the challenges and implications of requiring birth date/place proof for different age cohorts during roll revision? • What measures should be taken to balance electoral integrity with inclusivity? Key Takeaways: • In its reply to the Association for Democratic Reforms' application, the EC said the draft roll had been published on the basis of the enumeration forms received and that 'no inquiry' had been done at this stage. • ADR had on August 5 filed an application seeking directions to EC to publish not just the names, but the reasons for deleting 65 lakh electors at the draft stage. Under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of rolls in Bihar, which ADR and others have challenged in the court, the EC announced that out of 7.89 crore electors, 7.24 crore had made it to be draft roll, with the remaining found to be dead, permanently migrated, enrolled in multiple places or untraceable. • In its reply filed late Saturday night, the commission cited the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which say that a copy of the draft roll is to be made available for inspection outside the Electoral Registration Officer's office and the ERO is required to make each part of the draft accessible to the public in the respective areas, and give two copies to each recognised party. • 'That it is an admitted position that the Respondent has complied with the aforestated obligations. It is submitted that the statutory framework does not require the Respondent to prepare or share any separate list of names of people not included in the draft electoral rolls, or publish the reasons for non-inclusion of anyone in the draft electoral rolls for any reason,' the EC said. • It added that neither the law nor the guidelines provide for preparation or sharing of any such lists. It added that those whose names have not been included in the draft roll, can submit a Form 6, which is the EC's form for registration of new electors, by September 1. Do You Know: • Paving the way for a nationwide exercise, the Election Commission announced on 24th June a 'special intensive revision' of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar, where all existing electors who were not on the rolls in 2003 will have to again provide documentation proving their eligibility. • Article 324(1) of the Constitution gives the ECI the power of 'superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of' elections to Parliament and state legislatures. • Under Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ECI 'may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit'. • Summary revisions take place every year, and a special summary revision is carried out before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. Intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Revision of Bihar electoral rolls: Why, how Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 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: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Deadlocks and divisions over scope and ambition of the draft text of first-ever Plastics Treaty marred negotiations, as they moved into the second and final week. Key Points to Ponder: • What are the different categories of plastics? • Why is a global plastic treaty required? • What is on the negotiating table? • What is India's position? • Discuss the challenges faced by global leaders in drafting a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. • What is the role of major petrochemical-producing countries in the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations? • What is the significance of the Global Plastic Treaty in the context of international environmental agreements? • Read about the Plastic Waste Management Rule 2021 Key Takeaways: • India on Saturday aligned itself with oil producing nations such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and opposed separate provisions on supply or measures to regulate primary polymers. Further, it also opposed inclusion of any phase-out lists for plastic products. • Around 190 countries have assembled in Geneva for what is seen as a make-or-break round of negotiations to achieve a global treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. • Speaking for India, Vir Vikram Yadav, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board said to the chair of the negotiations that the treaty's focus should be on addressing plastic pollution only, and it should not overlap with existing multilateral environmental agreements and mandate bodies like WTO and WHO. • The draft text of the treaty currently runs into 35 pages and contains nearly 1,500 brackets denoting the disagreements over the text and import of the language. This text is put together with the help of 'contact groups' which see representatives of countries discuss Articles of the treaty in detail. • Despite the vast gulf between country positions, Inder Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said that the treaty 'was within grasp', and even as the negotiations were not easy, they could deliver. • In Busan too, India had backed production cuts, however, this time it has explicitly backed Arab countries, and taken a position on omitting any lists of products that should be phased out. This is significant as India has already passed domestic regulation to ban single-use plastic products such as balloon sticks, cutlery, straws, and certain packaging, which is of high littering potential. • The Like-Minded countries India has aligned with have consistently opposed steps to cut plastic production, use of chemicals of concern in production in the treaty. Meanwhile, the European Union, Mexico, many African countries, Australia have pushed for 'high ambition', such as including production cuts and addressing the entire life-cycle of plastic production rather than focussing on plastic waste management. • The formal deadline to achieve a global treaty, akin to the Paris climate treaty, ended in failure in Busan, Korea, last December. However, talks have carried on after it was decided to resume where things stalled in Busan. Do You Know: • In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) initiated a process to develop a legally binding treaty on plastics pollution by the end of 2024. The fifth and final round of discussion on a legally binding treating for curbing plastic pollution ended without any agreement. Although the treaty was not finalised. • The Plastic Waste Management Rule 2021 banned the use of single-use plastics covering 19 categories in 2022. Single-use plastic refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc. • According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there are 7 categories of plastics on the basis of their recyclability. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why the world needs a global plastic treaty 📍Why global plastic treaty talks collapsed Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2025) 1. Cigarette butts 2. Eyeglass lenses 3. Car tyres How many of them contain plastic? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three (d) None (3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2024) Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution. Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base. Which pone of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora. What's the ongoing story: Earlier this week, India's National Security Council Secretariat hosted envoys and officials from the United States, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Jordan and the European Union, to discuss progress on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Key Points to Ponder: • What is the India-Middle-East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEC)? • What are the corridor's ambitions? • What are the benefits associated with IMEC? • Read about the Hamas-Israel conflict. • What are the challenges faced by the IMEC? • What is India's Middle East policy? • What is the significance of IMEC for India? Key Takeaways: • The IMEC was announced during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi in 2023 'to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.' The IMEC comprises two corridors — India-Gulf and Gulf-Europe. • Its eastern leg will carry container traffic from India's western ports to the UAE, from where high speed freight railway will carry goods across the Arabian peninsula (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan) uptil the port of Haifa in Israel. • The second leg will see cargo being shipped from Haifa to ports in Greece and Italy, from where Europe's well-established train networks will take goods to their final destinations across the continent. • Overall, the IMEC is expected to cut shipping time from India to Europe by about 40% when compared to the Red Sea route. But since being announced, progress has been limited. • Years of conflict along ideological and geopolitical lines (Qatar-GCC, Iran-Saudi Arabia, Arab states-Israel) had given way to normalisation agreements and rapprochements that prioritised regional economic growth. The Arab normalisation with Israel, which Saudi Arabia was set to join, was yielding enough geo-economic gains for Arab states to overlook the Palestine question and perhaps even explore minilateral arrangements with Israel (on the lines of the I2U2 with India). • This rare geopolitical window allowed India and its Middle Eastern, American, and European partners to envision a new corridor between India and Europe. • From the perspective of trade facilitation and accessibility, the IMEC was meant to address several issues that continue to persist till date, including no corridor-wide tariff standardisation and low financial integration among corridor partners, lack of corridor-wide insurance, and widely differing port capacities. The ambitious cross-Saudi/UAE railway meant to transit goods between the corridor's sea-legs was also significantly under-developed. • However, these presented benign modality and sustainability challenges which could be mitigated through commitment and investment from all stakeholders. Indeed, in September 2023, participants explicitly agreed to meet within sixty days 'to develop and commit to an action plan with relevant timetables.' • Less than a month later, the Middle East plunged into an unprecedented conflict that continues till date, and the intended stakeholder meeting never occurred. • The underlying economic logic of the IMEC remains. However, its challenges have evolved from reconcilable to fundamental. The single most important issue is Israel's increasingly unpopular war on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,000 people thus far. • The direct downstream impact of Israel's seemingly endless war is the worsening of even those challenges which could be mitigated through reconciled trade practices between stakeholders. • While the western leg of the corridor is unlikely to materialise in the near future, the IMEC's eastern leg benefits from the strategic partnerships that India has forged with the Arab states. Do You Know: • The economic underpinnings of the IMEC remain firm. The EU is India's largest trading partner with bilateral trade in FY 2023-24 at $137.41 billion, and non-oil trade between India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia has increased significantly in recent years. The IMEC itself was meant to be more than a trade corridor. Its implementing partners would lay cables for 'electricity and digital connectivity', pipes for 'clean hydrogen export', to 'increase efficiencies, reduce costs, enhance economic unity, generate jobs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.' Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor: Significance and Prospects for India UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (4) With reference to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), consider the following statements: 1. It is a connectivity project to develop infrastructure to enhance trade among India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean region and Europe. 2. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the IMEC was signed in 2023 in New Delhi during the G-20 summit. 3. The IMEC comprises two corridors — India-Gulf and Gulf-Europe. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Economy. Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment, Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints. What's the ongoing story: India exported goods valued at $437.4 billion during 2024-25, which was 0.1% higher than the $437.1 billion in the previous financial year ended March 31, 2025. During April-June 2025, total exports, at $112 billion, were 1.7% up over the $110.1 billion for April-June 2024. Key Points to Ponder: • What are the factors driving the recent surge in India's farm exports? • How do government policies and monsoon patterns affect India's farm exports? • What are the reasons behind the divergent growth patterns of India's merchandise exports and agricultural exports? • What is the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's food price index? • How do the protectionist policies of the countries impact India's agricultural export basket? • What can be the impact of President Trump's 50% prospective tariffs on Indian goods? • What steps should be taken to enhance India's agricultural export competitiveness? • What measures should be taken to balance domestic food security and agricultural export competitiveness? • What are India's import trends? Key Takeaways: • Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, on Friday, said he was 'quite confident that India will do more exports this [fiscal] year than last year'. This was notwithstanding the likely disruptions to global trade from US President Donald Trump's tariff attacks, including the slapping of a 50% duty on Indian goods. • What's interesting, though, is the performance of India's agricultural produce exports. These registered 6.4% growth, from $48.8 billion in 2023-24 to $51.9 billion in 2024-25. Contrast that with the country's overall merchandise exports, which has witnessed virtually flat growth and with the 2022-23 peak of $451.1 billion unlikely to be crossed this fiscal. • The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index (base year: 2014-16=100) rose from an average of 96.4 points in 2019-20 to 140.6 points in 2022-23. • The decline in 2023-24 was largely attributable to it being a drought year and the Narendra Modi-led government banning or restricting shipments of a host of commodities – from wheat, rice and sugar to onion – in response to rising domestic food inflation. • Those curbs have been gradually relaxed, with an easing of inflationary pressures owing to a monsoon-aided agricultural production rebound in 2024-25. A second consecutive above-normal monsoon this year should enable the Modi government to also lift the export restrictions on sugar India's net exports of the sweetener collapsed from $5.5 billion in 2022-23 to $771.3 million in 2024-25. • Almost all major export items have recorded impressive growth during the first quarter of this fiscal: Marine products, non-basmati rice, buffalo meat, coffee, tobacco and fruits & vegetables, both fresh and processed. • The coming months may well see exports come under pressure, especially due to President Trump's 50% prospective tariffs on Indian goods from August 27. The maximum impact of it would be on marine products, where the US has a 35% share in India's exports. In some products such as frozen shrimps and prawns, more than $1.9 billion out of the $4.5 billion worth of exports in 2024-25 went to the US. • India exports more farm produce than it imports. While the country had an overall deficit of $282.8 billion in its overall merchandise trade account during 2024-25 (as imports, at $720.2 billion, exceeded exports of $437.4 billion), it was the other way for agriculture. In its case, there was a surplus of $13.4 billion, from exports ($51.9 billion) being higher than imports ($38.5 billion). • However, it can be seen that the agricultural trade surplus has more than halved from $27.7 billion in 2013-14. The reason: Imports going up at a faster pace than exports. • Unlike exports, India's farm imports are limited to a few commodities. More than two-thirds of the value of imports in 2024-25 were from vegetable oils, pulses and fresh fruits (table). Fresh fruits included almonds, pistachios, walnuts and other tree nuts (worth $1.7 billion, out of which $1.1 billion was from the US), in addition to apples, grapes/raisins, kiwis, figs, pears and dates. • India's pulses imports scaled a new high of 7.3 million tonnes, valued at $5.5 billion last fiscal. This came as the Modi government slashed import duties, in the wake of the El Niño- drought of 2023-24 whose effects extended up to the end of 2024. Imports of pulses have been less this year, thanks to a bumper domestic crop. • On the other hand, imports of vegetable oils – basically palm, soyabean and sunflower – continue to go up, with domestic production unable to match increasing demand. A similar trend is visible in cotton and natural rubber: Their production has actually dipped from their highs reached in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively, forcing more imports to meet domestic consumption requirements. For now, India remains a net exporter of agricultural produce. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍'No one will purchase': Andhra shrimp farmers fear they could get priced out of US market 📍For India and US, agricultural trade could be a win-win option Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (UPSC CSE 2023) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health. What's the ongoing story: K. Srinath Reddy writes- 'The accurate diagnosis of a health disorder should precede the selection and judicious administration of effective therapies. Such a diagnosis is usually based on well-recorded medical history, careful clinical examination, and a set of laboratory tests that confirm or alter the initial diagnosis. Such tests can often project the likely course of the disease. Lack of access to diagnostic tests can result in a delayed or incorrect identification of the disorder, leading to mistimed or misdirected therapeutic approaches.' Key Points to Ponder: • Read about the National Health Policy of 2017. • What is the significance of universal health coverage? • What is the National List of Essential Diagnostics (NLED)? • Why was the NLED revised? • What are the new tests in the 2025 list compared to the one released six years ago? • What do the new tests mean for public health? • What are the non-communicable diseases (NCDs)? Why do they demand greater attention? • What is the significance of accessible diagnostic services in achieving universal health coverage? • What are the challenges faced by rural and urban poor populations in accessing quality diagnostic facilities? • What is the significance of the NLED in improving early detection and management of communicable and non-communicable diseases? Key Takeaways: • 'Universal health coverage (UHC), to which India committed in the National Health Policy of 2017 and also as a signatory of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), requires high levels of service coverage and financial protection.' • 'Outpatient care accounts for over 60 per cent of the out-of-pocket expenditure for patients and their families. This involves personal expenditure on drugs, diagnostics, and transport. Health insurance policies only cover expenses incurred during hospitalisation. Absence of reliable diagnostic facilities in close-to-home public healthcare facilities reduces levels of both service coverage and financial protection.' • 'While India's private sector provides a wide array of diagnostic services, they are not within the easy reach of the urban poor or vast segments of the rural population. Despite the private sector trying to reach the last mile through point-of-care diagnostic devices and mobile clinics, many parts of rural India are dependent on diagnostic services in the public healthcare system.' • 'The objectives of UHC are well served only if the diagnostic facilities are available close to home — at the Ayushman Aarogya Mandir (Health and Wellness Centre at the sub-centre level) and the Primary Health Centre.' • 'While deciding on the nature and range of diagnostic services to be provided at each level of care, attention has to be paid to the changing list of priority health problems over time. As demographic, socio-economic, environmental and nutrition transitions are occurring across India, rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) demand greater attention, alongside the stubbornly persisting infectious diseases. Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes now join tuberculosis and malaria in qualifying for early and accurate diagnostic assessment.' • 'There have been remarkable advances in the diagnostic armamentarium of modern medicine. Advances in molecular diagnostics and imaging have vastly increased diagnostic precision. Some of these can be applied even in primary care settings.' • 'While employing diagnostic tests across a health system, cost-effectiveness has to be taken into account as well.' • 'The National List of Essential Diagnostics (NLED), revised recently by the ICMR, after the first iteration in 2019, takes into account epidemiological and technological transitions in the country. There is also an earnest effort to enhance the scope of diagnostic services at the frontlines of primary care.' • 'Rapid diagnostic tests for sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, Hepatitis B, and syphilis will now be available at the sub-centre level. Collection of samples for dengue testing will also be done at the sub-centre level. As climate change is rapidly increasing the geographic and seasonal span of mosquito-borne diseases, this is an essential measure.' • 'Beyond the supply of testing equipment to primary and secondary healthcare settings, there is a need to build technical capacity for performing tests and interpreting results. We need to train more laboratory technicians while enabling frontline health workers to perform point-of-care diagnostic testing.' Do You Know: • The National List of Essential Diagnostics — first released in 2019 — is a list of all the tests that must be available at different levels of health facilities, such as sub-centres, primary health centres or district hospitals. One of the key changes in the second iteration of the list is the inclusion of several rapid diagnostic and biochemical tests at lower levels of health centres, keeping in mind the expanding infrastructure over the years. • The government's healthcare delivery mechanism provides primary care through sub-centres, primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and community healthcare centres (CHCs), secondary care through sub-district hospitals, tertiary care through district hospitals and super-speciality care through medical colleges. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍ICMR recommends tests for TB, hepatitis at PHCs: How will this improve public health? Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What's the ongoing story: Uttam Prakash and Rohit Mani Tiwari write- 'The International Labour Organisation's Director-General recently lauded India's 'cash and non-cash' social protection schemes. The ongoing ILO-Phase II survey for India reveals that its schemes reach over 100 crore beneficiaries. This milestone is the cumulative result of numerous schemes launched by both the central and state governments. According to one estimate, there are over 34 major social protection schemes, 24 pension schemes and several independent welfare initiatives by states.' Key Points to Ponder: • What are welfare schemes? • What are the reasons behind the overlapping social welfare schemes of states and the Centre? • What do you understand by the 'One Nation, One Social Security governance'? • Why is optimising various scattered schemes important? • What are the challenges associated with the various government schemes? • How will consolidating various schemes of the Centre states yield long-term dividends? • How can an integrated national strategy and framework be useful to provide universal social assistance and develop basic capabilities of citizens? • Read about the International Labour Organisation and reports released by it. Key Takeaways: • 'The ILO's World Social Protection Report (2021) initially estimated India's coverage at 24.4 per cent, only later adjusting it to 48.8 per cent after the government highlighted the extent of state-level programmes. If even the ILO gets messed up with data, imagine what citizens face when looking for their scattered entitlements.' • 'The pressing challenge is optimising scattered schemes. This includes eliminating duplications, identifying the right beneficiaries, and investing in capacity building and market-ready skill sets for our working population to grow the pie, rather than compete over its pieces. A related challenge is the need to reimagine direct transfers not as isolated, consumptive payouts, but as self-multiplying instruments, where one entitlement has the potential to unlock access to others.' • 'The G20 New Delhi Declaration calls for 'sustainably financed universal social protection coverage'. 'One Nation, One Social Security governance' presents a promising path forward. It can address current inefficiencies to make the best of the scarce fiscal resources, while sparing citizens the pain of running between various units of the government.' • 'For instance, E-Shram registrations are meant for unorganised workers, and EPFO registrations largely cover formal employment. They compete with each other and create problematic boundaries when there is an overlap. Specified eligibility conditions and lack of interoperability often deny simple benefits envisaged by the legislators. A closer look at many state government schemes shows they often repackage existing benefits under new names, offering little differentiated value.' • 'A 'one government' approach moves away from silos, shifting the focus to collective outcomes. It is time to put the Digital India Stack, Aspirational Districts Programme to best use and build on the experiences from programmes like PM-Gati Shakti.' • 'As a caution, any move towards a unified social security governance model must be federated, flexible, and incentive-driven, with the autonomy to factor in unique social realities. Through bold political consensus, this transition can become one of India's most transformative governance reforms since Independence.' Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: India has billed its ambitious push for E20 petrol — 20 per cent ethanol blended fuel — and a progressive move towards E27 to be a green leap forward. For car owners, especially those driving older models, the transition is proving to be a leap of faith instead, amid growing concerns around falling mileage and potential engine damage. Key Points to Ponder: • What is ethanol? • What is ethanol blending? • Read about the National Policy on Biofuel 2018. • What is the Ethanol Blending Program (EBP)? • What is the Significance of Ethanol Blending? • What are the issues and challenges associated with ethanol blending? • What are the disadvantages of the use of higher ethanol mixes in non-flex fuel cars? Key Takeaways: • Sections of increasingly vocal vehicle owners are now saying they weren't given a choice in this fuel transition or made aware of the potential ramifications of increased blending. A decades-long push for blended fuel in Brazil may have a template for how India could move forward. • Brazil's widespread use of flex-fuel vehicles, strong government mandates, visible price incentives, and robust consumer education helped mainstream higher ethanol blends like E20 and above. The real question is whether India can learn from these strategies to boost E20 acceptance and effectiveness. • Over the past five decades, Brazil has worked to create a viable alternative to petrol by using more sugarcane-based fuels in the mix. Brazil's ethanol programme, which kicked-off in the 1970s, was in response to the uncertainties of the oil market. • At nearly every petrol pump in Brazil now, people have an option to either choose between blended petrol, which typically includes 18-27 per cent ethanol, and E100, which is pure hydrous ethanol. • Alongside that, Brazilians also got carmakers to usher in 'flexible fuel' cars that run on either ethanol or petrol and allow the consumer to fill up with whichever option is cheaper – often ethanol, which is cheaper by 25-35 per cent compared to blended gasoline. This was done concomitantly with as fuel blends were increased from E10. • In fact, all the while Brazil was focusing on blended fuel and ethanol, it implemented its policy in a phase wise manner, to ensure that people who had bought vehicles prior, did not feel at a disadvantage, given their vehicles may face greater harm by blended fuel. • In contrast, India lacks flex fuel cars or vehicles, while there are concerns that filling E20 fuel in regular internal combustion engine vehicles older than 2023, could see quicker damage owing to factors like corrosion — ethanol has a higher water content — and a substantial drop in performance and fuel economy. • Among Indian car owners, particularly, the E20 mandate, with no disclosures and choice available at petrol pumps, is being seen as a government diktat. • The use of higher ethanol mixes in non-flex fuel cars has its disadvantages. These cars are hard to start on winter mornings because ethanol burns at a higher temperature than petrol. While a fuel with 10 per cent ethanol makes little difference to a car's performance, anything above that is said to cause problems in engines that aren't specifically built for it. • The mixture can corrode metal engine parts because of its higher water content. This is especially true for older engines and the ones used on two wheelers, where high grade aluminum or steel casts are not used for the engine block. Do You Know: • Ethanol is produced by fermentation of residues of crops like corn and sugarcane. The ethanol after fermentation is mixed with petroleum, which dilutes the latter and reduces the emissions. Ethanol-10 or E10 is the most common blend in which 10 per cent composition is Ethanol. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Ethanol+petrol: How to blend more and blend better Titled 'Maximum period for which an under trial prisoner can be detained', section 436-A Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), that an undertrial prisoner cannot be held in prison for a period exceeding the maximum period of punishment for his offence. Release in such a circumstance is a statutory obligation, and thus automatic. The section also states that a person who has spent at least half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for his particular offence may be released, provided the offence does not carry the penalty of death. In this situation, however, the release of the undertrial is not automatic but subject to the court's discretion after it hears the public prosecutor. Section 436-A was inserted in the CrPC in 2006, due to concerns that many undertrials were being detained for periods well beyond the maximum stipulated for their offence. You are invited to the next Express with Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow at Manohar Parrikar-IDSA and Managing Editor of Strategic Analysis in conversation with Amitabh Sinha, Editor, Climate and Science, The Indian Express. Date:- June 13, 2025 l Time:- 6:00 P.M.|Place:- Zoom Topic- Indus Waters Treaty Join Now: Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
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First Post
9 minutes ago
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How India should respond to Pakistan's nuclear sabre-rattling
The Indian language of denial and its grammar should be straightforward: if Pakistan or China aggresses, it will be defeated read more The Pakistani briefing to the world maintains that the principal objective of Pakistan's nuclear weapons capability is to deter Indian conventional as well as nuclear aggression. In case deterrence fails, then its aim is to deny India victory in war. But the world remains unconvinced because Pakistan has not adopted the No First Use (NFU) policy. A former director general of Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai, had more candidly listed four parameters for use of nuclear weapons: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India attacks Pakistan and conquers a large part of its territory (space threshold) India destroys a large part of Pakistan's military forces/ assets (military threshold) India strangulates Pakistan economically India destabilises Pakistan politically or through internal subversion. This gives Pakistan a large menu of flexibility, a carte blanche to react with the nuclear option as per its determination. Or, to give a practical example, Pakistan would have reached for the nuclear button, under General Kidwai's parameters, had it been subjected by India to a 1993- or the 26/11-type terror attack. To this should be added Pakistan's declared policy of 'Full Spectrum Deterrence', which covers threat perception at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. This was in evidence during the Balakot crisis in February 2019, when the Pakistani army spokesperson repeatedly stressed that it was ready to bring into play its 'Full Spectrum Deterrence'. The danger with such a declaration is that it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This kind of bravado is doubly dangerous when two countries lie next to each other. In the other possible confrontations, for instance, between the US and Russia, the US and China or the US and North Korea, the country under nuclear attack would have a few minutes warning of a missile heading its way because of the physical distance between them. Since India and Pakistan have zero distance between them, the luxury of the vital few minutes warning will not be available to them in a nuclear situation. Add to this the fact that there are mobile platforms at play and tactical nuclear weapons, which can be deployed with army units close to the border. The use of either of these would reduce the warning time to seconds, turning this South Asian theatre into an inferno. In May 2017, the US's director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, released its Worldwide Threat Assessment report. Among other aspects, the report addresses Pakistan's nuclear threat: '(A)dvances in Pakistan's nuclear capabilities could risk further destabilization along the India-Pakistan border…'Pakistan's pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons potentially lowers the threshold for their use…Increasing numbers of firefights along the Line of Control…might exacerbate the risk of unintended escalation between these nuclear-armed neighbours.'' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is not all. On an even graver note, it warns, 'Even a small nuclear war between India and Pakistan could trigger a nuclear winter that could send the planet into a mini ice age and starve an estimated 1 billion people.' A billion! Once again, it is about a billion people! WARTIME: The World in Danger. Author: Rajiv Dogra. Rupa Publications. Shift in Strategy Pakistan and India have survived at least five nuclear scares since 1987, giving both sides the misplaced confidence that they will survive the next one as well. This leads to a lessening of political restraints on the militaries of both countries and increases greater nuclear brinksmanship. The attitude that somehow the next crisis, too, shall pass, misses the basic point that on all previous occasions, it was the intervention of powers like the US that brought them back from the brink. The situation is different now. The US is a tired superpower, keen on staying away from other people's squabbles, and other powers like China may have the motivation to watch the situation unfold. Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, flawed as they are, may not be effective on their own. Therefore, the course of the next India-Pakistan shooting war could be different. A former Pakistani Air Force officer maintains, 'Pakistan, relatively a small country with a deep sense of insecurity, developed nuclear weapons mainly to deter military aggression from India, and therefore nuclear weapons continue to play the central role in Pakistan's military strategy.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It could still be argued that in the event of a nuclear attack, there would only be a graduated escalation through limited strikes of tactical nuclear weapons on India's forces. But where is the guarantee that this would be so? Contrarily, the first-strike nation, be it Pakistan or China, might launch a massive first strike. Its aim could comprehensively be to eliminate India's command and control systems, destroy its nuclear retaliatory capability, reduce the conventional offensive capability and strike at important industrial targets and some major population centres. In fact, their strategic calculus could be such that India may not get a second chance. The possible use of sophisticated cyberattacks to cripple a country's command and control system, and disable missile launches, raises serious concern about the reliability of the second strike option. Either of these possibilities would place India in a nightmarish state. Over time, these dreads have been increasing. In March 2015, after Pakistan tested the Shaheen III missile, Pakistan's National (nuclear) Command Authority adviser, Khalid Kidwai, said the 2,750 km capability of the Shaheen III missile is meant to reach India's strategic bases at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 'The purpose,' he said, 'is to deny India a second-strike capability.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's first-use option has never been put to serious question internally. Rather, many of its political leaders have added their weight to the strategic voices in favour of using the first-strike option. With the army, the fundamentalists and the politicians as well in unanimous mode, there is a triad of powerful voices within Pakistan that could make the decision-making in a war situation readily aggressive. In anticipation, there is recognition in India that a response to first use requires a very effective early warning system and a high degree of efficiency. This is even more necessary when the adversary is as opaque as China or as unpredictable as Pakistan. Rather than move in a cautionary direction, Pakistan has, in recent times, lowered the threshold of nuclear use options. There is also some speculation to suggest that Pakistan's non-deployed, de-mated nuclear arsenal may be reconfigured to be deployed and ready to use. Worryingly, as a Pakistani expert Sadia Tasleem maintains, both its short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and sea-based systems may involve delegated control over warheads, 'The country's ongoing arms buildup, continuing fissile material production, and investment in sea-based second-strike capabilities suggest a shift toward a complex deterrence posture…Pakistan might… move away from the non-deployment of its weapons. Its evolving sea-based capabilities, as well as its short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), may also necessitate a shift from centralized to delegated command and control.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This shift in strategy will further complicate the situation. Delegated command and control of tactical weapons means that it is up to a relatively young brigadier to take the decision about lobbing a nuclear shell across the border. What then is the guarantee that the hot blood of an indoctrinated middle-aged army officer will keep flowing with equanimity in a war situation, and that his angry finger will not move impulsively towards the trigger? As two well-regarded Pakistani scholars put it: 'Even the finest diplomacy may not work in the midst of a storm strong enough to knock over the pieces on the South Asian nuclear chessboard. With an emboldened army in Pakistan sooner or later seeking once again to push India to the brink—this time determined to escalate rather than back down if things go badly—staving off nuclear warfare on the subcontinent may be a race against time.' That Pakistan may not back down in the next one may also be due to its assessment that bad generalship had plagued the Indian Army during the Kargil War, and that India's military wisdom had taken over a month to mobilise troops for Operation Parakram. The issue then, for India, or for any other country placed in such a dire situation, is of preservation and the best way of preventing the unthinkable. For that to happen, the resolve of a democratic country must be firm and appear to be so for the adversary. Successful deterrence relies on being able to demonstrate a military threat that is credible and realistic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Indian language of denial and its grammar should be straightforward: if Pakistan or China aggresses, it will be defeated. Either of them will not achieve its military or political objectives under any circumstances. Should there be an escalation, the costs will be far greater than any benefit. What this means is a pre-emptive option that sidesteps the NFU question. It may or may not involve the use of nuclear assets, but it clearly aims at striking at the enemy's offensive facilities. The above article is an edited extract from Rajiv Dogra's book 'War Time' (Rupa Publications). The article gains renewed relevance in the wake of Field Marshal Asim Munir's nuclear sabre-rattling in the United States. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
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First Post
9 minutes ago
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Trump tariffs to impact 55% of Indian exports to US: Govt tells Parl ‘will secure national interest'
Majority of Indian exports to the US have been hit by tariffs. Reuters The government on Monday told Parliament that more than half of the country's shipments to its largest export market will face sharply higher duties after Washington's latest trade move. About 55 per cent of India's merchandise exports to the United States are subjected to a reciprocal tariff rate of 25 per cent from August 7, 2025. This follows US President Donald Trump's decision last week to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, effectively doubling total duties to 50 per cent for most products. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary confirmed in a written reply that the estimate factored in the 25 per cent tariff Washington had already imposed earlier. He stressed that the Department of Commerce was in constant touch with exporters, industry representatives and other stakeholders to gauge the likely damage and to shape an appropriate response. Tariffs linked to Russian oil purchases The trigger for the escalation, US officials have said, was India's continued purchase of Russian oil despite repeated warnings from Washington. Trump's administration described the move as a punitive measure, targeting a key trade partner over what it sees as a breach of geopolitical discipline. Industry watchers have noted that the new levy pushes India into the same high-tariff bracket as Brazil, with both countries now facing 50 per cent duties on most exports to America. Many of India's competitors in the US market will be much better placed: Myanmar's duties stand at 40 per cent, Thailand and Cambodia at 36 per cent, Bangladesh at 35 per cent, Indonesia at 32 per cent and China and Sri Lanka at 30 per cent. Even Malaysia's 25 per cent and Vietnam's 20 per cent look comparatively modest. Government pledges to 'secure national interest' In its statement to Parliament, the government stressed upon the fact that it attaches the highest importance to protecting the interests of farmers, entrepreneurs, exporters and MSMEs. The government assured that all necessary steps would be taken to secure national interest in the face of the tariff shock. Consultations with affected sectors are underway, with the aim of mitigating losses and identifying alternative market opportunities. The Commerce Department has been tasked with collecting feedback from exporters to assess how factors such as product differentiation, contractual obligations and demand cycles will influence the eventual impact. Exporters warn of severe setback The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) called the US decision 'extremely shocking' and warned that it could inflict significant damage on sectors such as textiles, marine products and leather goods. FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said the higher duties would make Indian products between 30 per cent and 35 per cent less competitive than those from countries with lower tariff rates, a PTI report said earlier. Sahai noted that several export orders had already been paused while American buyers reconsidered sourcing plans in light of higher landed costs. For MSME-dominated sectors, he argued, absorbing the sudden escalation was not viable given already thin margins, and many risked losing long-standing clients. Trade volumes and economic stakes The dispute comes against the backdrop of a large and growing trade relationship. According to government estimates, goods trade between the two economies—the world's largest and fifth-largest—was worth about $87 billion in the last fiscal year. Other data put total bilateral trade in 2024–25, including services, at $131.8 billion, with India exporting goods worth $86.5 billion and importing $45.3 billion from the United States. Economists said that given the size of the US market for Indian exporters, the new duties could dent overall export growth and put additional pressure on the current account. The affected sectors, they added, would need either quick relief through negotiation or support in diversifying their markets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A search for solution New Delhi has signalled that it will continue to explore diplomatic and trade avenues to address the situation, but exporters have warned that without rapid intervention, shipments will slow, and market share could erode quickly. Whether the standoff leads to a negotiated solution or ushers in a prolonged period of higher trade barriers will determine how much of India's export basket can be salvaged from the impact of this steep tariff escalation.
