UPSC Key: International Atomic Energy Agency, Lunar Polar Exploration mission and Indigenous Missile Systems

Indian Express

15-05-2025

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for May 15, 2025. If you missed the May 14, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here
FRONT PAGE
First time, Pak says willing to discuss Indus terms
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
What's the ongoing story: Days after India notified Pakistan that it was placing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance with 'immediate effect' following the Pahalgam terror attack, Islamabad has — for the first time — signalled its willingness to discuss Delhi's concerns about the treaty, The Indian Express has learned.
Key Points to Ponder:
• 'India notified Pakistan that it was placing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance'-what does this mean?
• 'To keep in abeyance' and 'to suspend'-what is the main difference between the two?
• What is the Indus Waters Treaty, and why does it matter?
• How vulnerable is Pakistan?
• How Pakistan depends critically on the Indus?
• Can India block the Indus River flows to Pakistan?
Key Takeaways:
• Pakistan's Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, is understood to have recently responded to India's formal intimation of the Union Cabinet's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance, and offered to, on behalf of his government, discuss the specific terms India objects to.
• Sources aware of the development said, Murtaza, however, questioned the basis of the decision, pointing out that the treaty itself did not have any exit clause.
• Murtaza's offer to discuss India's objections is especially significant because despite two prior notices — in January 2023 and again in September 2024 —requesting a 'review and modification' of the IWT, Pakistan had not expressed its explicit willingness so far. It is only after India placed the treaty in abeyance with immediate effect after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, that Pakistan seems to have signalled its willingness.
• Pakistan's willingness to engage on the Indus Waters Treaty is being discussed within the government now that hostilities have paused after four days of military confrontation.
• India is keen to utilise the water in the river, by building dams and reservoirs to store water, and utilise it for power generation too. Islamabad's engagement is aimed at stalling such plans, since any construction would change the status quo on the ground.
• Since then, Operation Sindoor, a counter-strike launched by India hitting terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan, and air bases in the country, has come to a pause after the two countries agreed to cease all military action by land, air and sea from 5 p.m. on May 10. But New Delhi has remained firm on maintaining all coercive diplomatic measures, the most important being the suspension of the IWT.
Do You Know:
• It is understood that if and when negotiations begin on modifications to the treaty, India will insist that these be a completely
bilateral exercise with no involvement of any third party. Accordingly, it is unlikely that India would agree to the World Bank's — or anyone else's — assistance in brokering revisions.
• Among the clauses that India is keen to modify is the dispute-resolution mechanism under the IWT. Currently, both countries and the World Bank seem to have different understanding or interpretation of how treaty disputes should be resolved. India would like this to be laid out in black and white — preferably as a graded resolution system — rather than having two forums (a court of arbitration and a neutral expert) address the same issue, as has happened with the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.
• The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. It has 12 Articles and eight Annexures (from A to H). As per its provisions, all the water of the 'Eastern Rivers' — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — shall be available for the 'unrestricted use' of India; Pakistan, meanwhile, shall receive water from the 'Western Rivers' — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Encourage direct India, Pak communication: US walks back on mediation
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct? (2021)
(a) Chenab
(b) Jhelum
(c) Ravi
(d) Sutlej
IAEA: No radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pak
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
What's the ongoing story: The global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that there has been 'no radiation leak' from any nuclear facility in Pakistan after the escalated military engagement with India.
Key Points to Ponder:
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—Know about the same
• What does the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) do?
• Is India an IAEA member?
• Nuclear power in Pakistan-what you know about the same?
• What is the India Pakistan agreement 1988?
• How IAEA ensures nuclear safety globally?
• What is misinformation and disinformation?
• Misinformation and disinformation—Compare
• How do misinformation and disinformation during military operations pose a challenge to international peace and security?
Key Takeaways:
• The Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog's reply, to a query from The Indian Express, ties in with the earlier response by the Indian Air Force that India has not hit any target in Pakistan's Kirana Hills, which is reported to house some nuclear installations.
• 'We are aware of the reports you are referring to. Based on information available to the IAEA, there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan,' an IAEA spokesperson told The Indian Express on Tuesday in response to a query on whether any nuclear incident or spill has been brought to the notice of the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre.
• Incidentally, at a US State Department press briefing in Washington DC on May 13, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott, too, was asked a specific question on this subject.
• 'Has (the) US sent a team to Islamabad or Pakistan following reports that there have been leaks of nuclear radiation in some of the secure Pakistani sites?' To this question at the briefing, Pigott said: 'I have nothing to preview on that at this time.'
• On Monday, Air Marshal A K Bharti, DG Air Operations, had said that India has not hit any target in Pakistan's Kirana Hills.
• In response to a specific question at a press briefing, Air Marshal Bharti said, 'Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installations. We did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills. I did not brief in my briefing yesterday.'
• The Mushaf air base in Sargodha was targeted by India during Operation Sindoor. Sargodha, one of Pakistan's biggest air bases, is near Kirana Hills. The Sargodha air base is also said to be strategically important given that it is used by F-16 fighter jets.
• Director-General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had told a media briefing in Rawalpindi on May 10 that India had carried out airstrikes on three Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases: Nur Khan, Murid, and Shorkot.
Do You Know:
• Established in 2005, the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre is the focal point for coordination of international assistance in emergency preparedness and response to radiation incidents and emergencies — regardless of their cause or severity.
• As is customary, on January 1, 2025, too, India and Pakistan had exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the list of 'nuclear installations and facilities', covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installation and Facilities between the two countries.
• This Agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under this Agreement on January 1 of every calendar year. This was the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.
• Misinformation is false or inaccurate information getting the facts wrong. Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead intentionally misstating the facts.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍What India said on 'nuclear leakage' in Pakistan after Operation Sindoor
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under 'IAEA safeguards' while others are not? (2020)
(a) Some use uranium and others use thorium
(b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies
(c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises
(d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned
3. In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the 'Additional Protocol' with the 'International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'? (2018)
(a) The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards.
(b) The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA.
(c) The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
(d) The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG.
`3,706-cr chip assembly plant near Noida cleared
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
What's the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet has approved a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn to set up a chip assembly and packaging unit in Uttar Pradesh, making it the sixth project to receive approval under the government's ambitious Rs 76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is India Semiconductor Mission 2025?
• Why is India focusing on semiconductor manufacturing?
• What factors may contribute to potential challenges in the domestic semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem?
• What makes Semiconductors the most important commodities in the global market right now?
• What is the supply chain for semiconductors?
• What are the steps in the semiconductor supply chain?
• Which nation holds the distinction of being the primary source of semiconductors on a global scale?
• What is semiconductor?
• What is the most basic component of a semiconductor chip?
• Where does India stand in the semiconductor industry?
• The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to promote electronics manufacturing-Know the important schemes
• What are the current challenges of the semiconductor industry in India?
Key Takeaways:
• The plant will attract an investment of Rs 3,706 crore, with around Rs 1,500 crore coming from the government's kitty as part of incentives under the chip manufacturing scheme. This plant will manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, PCs, and other devices which include a display. The facility will be designed for 20,000 wafers per month, and will have an output capacity of 36 million units each month.
• This is Foxconn's second attempt at making a foray into India's local chip production push. In 2022, the company had applied for a semiconductor manufacturing plant along with Vedanta, however, that joint venture fell apart a year later in 2023 after the two could not find a viable technology partner.
• The plant will be set up near Jewar airport at the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first chip plant that will come up in the state under the centre's India Semiconductor Mission. Four plants – including a fab and three assembly units – are coming up in Gujarat and one assembly and packaging plant is under construction in Assam.
• Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the plant will start rolling out chips in 2027. It will be able to meet around 40 per cent of India's local demand for such chips, and the rest would be used by Foxconn in its foreign manufacturing facilities as well.
• When Foxconn, which also assembled Apple iPhones in India, had first applied to build a fabrication plant in the country nearly three years ago along with Vedanta, it was hailed as a major marker of initial success for the Centre's chip push.
• However, since that initial hiccup, the government has managed to attract five chip manufacturing and assembly facilities in the country. The country has so far attracted investment worth $18 billion under the first phase of the India Semiconductor Mission.
Do You Know:
• In December 2021, the government had rolled out a Rs 76,000 crore chip incentive scheme, under which the Centre offered half the amount of a plant's capital expenditure costs as subsidy. The proposals cleared on Thursday will all receive 50% of their capex costs from the Centre. Then there are schemes like the production linked incentive (PLI) plan for smartphone and laptop manufacturing, where again, the government is offering a subsidy to companies on the basis of their sales bills.
• India's chip incentive plans are focused on boosting all three aspects of the semiconductor ecosystem – packaging units called ATMP facilities; assembly and testing projects called OSAT plants; and full-scale foundries that can manufacture chips.
• Semiconductors are highly complex products to design and manufacture, that provide the essential functionality for electronic devices to process, store and transmit data. No other industry has a similar level of investment in both R&D (22% of annual semiconductor sales to electronic device makers) and capital expenditure (26%), according to a report commissioned by the Semiconductor Industry Association, thereby making semiconductor fabrication an extremely capital intensive business with high entry barriers.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍How India's first semiconductor fabrication plant can help plug in to global value chain
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. Which one of the following laser types is used in a laser printer? (2008)
(a) Dye laser
(b) Gas laser
(c) Semiconductor laser
(d) Excimer laser
EXPRESS NETWORK
Top court seeks expert opinion on blood donation bar on trans persons
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
What's the ongoing story: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Centre to seek expert opinion on the bar on transgender people and gay persons from donating blood, pointing out that it could lead to stigma.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Which guidelines are being challenged in the Supreme Court for banning certain groups from donating blood?
• What is National Blood Transfusion Council's Guidelines, 2017?
• Why transgender people and gay persons are barred from donating blood?
• What are the constitutional implications of the 2017 blood donation guidelines that ban transgender persons and other groups from donating blood?
• The balance between public health concerns and individual rights in the context of blood donation policies-Discuss
• What did the Apex Court say in NALSA & Navtej rulings?
• What are the international rules that govern blood donation by gay and transgender people?
Key Takeaways:
• The National Blood Transfusion Council's guidelines say that trans people, gay persons and sex workers, among others, are 'at risk' for HIV and Hepatitis B or C infections.
• The bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh was hearing a plea challenging the guidelines.
• 'Aren't we creating a kind of segregated group? By these methods, stigma, biases and prejudices are all enhanced,' Justice Singh told Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who was appearing for the government.
• Justice Singh said: 'What is worrying me… are we going to brand all transgenders as risky and thus indirectly stigmatise these communities? Unless you can show with some medical evidence there is some kind of link between transgenders and these diseases. You can't say all transgenders are involved in these kinds of activities, even normal persons engage in such activities…' ASG Bhati said: 'If such donations are on a one to one basis, there's no difficulty. For example, relative, family member or a friend. This is blood that will go to the blood bank.'
• The law officer said there is an application for intervention by Thalassemia patients. 'They are completely dependent on donated blood. If your lordships look at it from the perspective of the public health requirement of the nation and the reality of the nation, you will appreciate that the purpose is not to identify or stigmatise anyone in any manner, it is to take the best possible scientific and medical evidence that is available today…'. She added that the decision was borne out of scientific temper.
Do You Know:
• The governing body of NBTC, in its 26th meeting on June 1, 2017, approved the Guidelines to bring in a Blood Transfusion Service which offers a 'safe, sufficient and timely supply of blood and blood components to those in need.' The guidelines were designed to promote best practices in Blood Transfusion Sercives to ensure donations from the 'lowest risk donors possible'.
• In the present case, clauses 12 and 51 of the Guidelines are being challenged as 'violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India to the extent they exclude transgender persons, men having sex with men and female sex workers from being blood donors'.
• Clause 12 of the Guidelines is titled 'Risk Behavior' falls under the 'Blood Donor Selection Criteria', and mandates that the donor be free from any determinable disease transmissible by blood transfusion and 'not be a person considered at risk for HIV, Hepatitis B or C infections', such as transgender and gay people, female sex workers, injecting drug users, persons with multiple sexual partners or any other high risk, determined by the medical officer deciding their fitness for blood donation.
• Further, Clause 15 permanently defers those 'at risk for HIV infection', including gay and transgender people, from donating blood. Permanent deferral refers to blood donors who will never be allowed to donate blood
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Trans and gay people, women sex workers can't donate blood: What the Centre said in SC
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Examine the scope of Fundamental Rights in the light of the latest judgement of the Supreme Court on Right to Privacy. (2017)
Chandrayaan-5 mission: India, Japan to enter design phase
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
What's the ongoing story: Indian and Japanese space agencies working on the Chandrayaan-5 mission, aimed at deeper exploration of the Moon's surface, mainly for water, will soon commence the preliminary design phase of the lander and the rover.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission?
• What is the main objective of India's Chandrayaan 5 mission?
• Why Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission is significant?
• What are the scientific objectives of the LUPEX mission?
• What are technological challenges associated with lunar polar exploration?
• Discuss the contributions of ISRO and JAXA in the Chandrayaan-5 mission.
Key Takeaways:
• 'The instrument selections have been done, the engineering model testing is almost done and both India and Japan are entering the preliminary design phase,' according to Asoh Dai, Project Manager, LUPEX, at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
• Chandrayaan-5, also known as LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration), is a joint project between ISRO and JAXA to study water and water-ice both on the lunar surface and the subsurface. Weighing 6.5 tonnes, it is proposed to lift off on a Japanese rocket, H3, sometime in 2027-28.
• Using the rover, JAXA teams plan to trace areas on the Moon with presence of water, sample the nearby soil or regolith by drilling into the surface. The onboard instruments will measure the water content and its quality and perform other in-situ observations.
• The Cabinet approved Chandrayaan-5 in March this year, more than a year after India became the first country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon's south pole with Chandrayaan-3. The proposed Chandrayaan-4 mission will be a return sample mission: samples dug from the Moon will be brought to Earth for ISRO to study the mineral composition of the lunar surface.
Do You Know:
• ISRO is developing Chandrayaan-5's lander whereas JAXA is building the 350-kg rover. There will be seven scientific instruments onboard, some contributed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA is developing the mass spectrometer and NASA the neutron spectrometers — both are currently in the design phase.
• Spectrometers are specialised scientific instruments that aid in performing in-situ (at the site) experiments requiring calculation of the energy and mass of samples. These experiments help understand the evolution of the composition of hydrogen and other elements.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍ISRO & JAXA Forge a Lunar Partnership: LUPEX Mission set to soar
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍What is India's plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (2019)
EXPRESS NETWORK
Former Defence Secy Ajay Kumar made chairman of UPSC
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
What's the ongoing story: The government on Tuesday appointed former defence secretary Dr Ajay Kumar as the chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), filling the vacancy caused by former chairperson Preeti Sudan's retirement on April 29.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Who appoints the chairman of Union Public Service Commission?
• What is Article 316 of the Constitution of India?
• Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution says what?
• What are the functions performed by UPSC?
• 'The Constitution visualises the UPSC to be the 'watch-dog of merit system' in India'-Discuss
• What are the provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the UPSC?
Key Takeaways:
• An order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said, 'The President is pleased to appoint Dr Ajay Kumar as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) under Article 316 (1) of the Constitution of India. The tenure of Dr Ajay Kumar will commence from the date he enters upon the office of Chairman, UPSC.'
• Members of the commission have a term of six years or till they attain the age of 65 years.
• Kumar, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, retired as defence secretary in 2022. His term as UPSC chairman would be till October 2027, when he turns 65.
• During his tenure as defence secretary, the government created the Chief of Defence Staff post in 2020 and launched the Agniveer scheme in 2022.
• An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kumar went on to complete his PhD in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
• The profile adds that Kumar is credited with implementing key Digital India initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, including UPI, the world's largest digital payment system; Aadhaar, the world's largest biometric digital identity system; myGov, a government e-marketplace; Jeevan Pramaan; and several others.
Do You Know:
• Appointment and term of office of members (Article-316)-The Chairman and other members of a Public Service Commission shall be appointed, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, by the President, and in the case of a State Commission, by the Governor of the State:
• A member of a Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains, in the case of the Union Commission, the age of sixty-five years.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Article-316. Appointment and term of office of members
CJI Gavai takes charge
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
What's the ongoing story: Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Key Points to Ponder:
• How the Chief Justice of India is appointed?
• Who appoints the Chief Justice of India?
• A person to be appointed as a Chief Justice of India should have certain qualifications-what are those qualifications?
• The Constitution has prescribed a minimum age for appointment as a Chief Justice of India-True or False?
• What is the system followed for recommending and appointing Chief Justice of India?
• The Constitution has made certain provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of a Judges-Know in detail
• Jurisdiction And Powers Of Chief Justice of India-Know in detail
• Executive Vs Judiciary for appointment of judges in higher judiciary-Know in detail
• What is the role of the government in the decision-making process for the shortlisting of judges?
• What happened to the Supreme Court of India after independence in 1947?
• The Supreme Court of India and Constitutional Provisions-Know in detail
• Articles 124 to 147 in Part V of the Constitution says what?
Key Takeaways:
• CJI Gavai succeeds Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on May 13, and will hold office till November 23, 2025. He is the 52nd Chief Justice of India.
• Born on November 24, 1960, at Amravati in Maharashtra, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge of the high court on November 12, 2005.
• Justice Gavai became a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019, and has been a part of several Constitution benches that delivered landmark rulings.
• He is the first practising Buddhist to be Chief Justice of India.
• The SC collegium in its recommendation elevating Justice Gavai to the Supreme Court had said, 'His recommendation, in no way, is to be misconstrued to mean that three senior-most Judges from Bombay High Court (two of whom are serving as Chief Justices) are less suitable than Justice Gavai. On his appointment, the Supreme Court Bench will have a Judge belonging to the Scheduled Caste category after about a decade.'
• In an informal interaction with journalists on Sunday, Justice Gavai said that the Constitution is supreme and all organs of state are supposed to work within its parameters. 'All three wings of our democracy are supposed to act within the constitutional parameters,' he said.
Do You Know:
• Apart from being an Indian citizen, the person must (a) have been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession or (b) have been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or (c) be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.
• The Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution. It is mentioned in Article 124 that appointment by the President is to be done 'after consultation' with judges of the Supreme Court, as the President may 'deem necessary'.
• Article 217, which deals with the appointment of High Court judges, says the President should consult the CJI, Governor, and Chief Justice of the High Court concerned. Further, the tenure of a CJI is until they attain the age of 65 years, while High Court judges retire at 62 years.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍How is seniority decided in the SC?
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
5. With reference to the Indian judiciary, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, GS1, 2020)
1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with the prior permission of the President of India.
2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
ECONOMY
New monthly PLFS: Additional info on rent income, land possession, remittances
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
What's the ongoing story: As the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) sets out to release Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on a monthly basis starting May along with quarterly reports for both rural and urban areas, the revamped survey will have additional details about education; land possessed and land leased out; and households' usual monthly income from rent, pension, interest and remittances.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)?
• Who publishes Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)?
• What is the Significance of PLFS reports?
• What are the key employment and unemployment indicators used in Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)?
• What latest findings says about Labour Force Participation Rate?
• What do you understand by Labour Force and Labour Force participation rate (LFPR)?
Key Takeaways:
• The revamped PLFS will also see the reporting period being tweaked to a calendar year basis, beginning January 2025 instead of July-June earlier, the Ministry said on Wednesday.
• 'As a part of this continuous endeavour aimed at enhancing the surveys of NSS, the sampling design of PLFS has been revamped from January 2025 to address the requirement of high frequency labour market indicators with enhanced coverage from PLFS,' the Ministry said.
• The first monthly bulletin of PLFS for April is scheduled to be released in May, while the first quarterly bulletin of PLFS covering both rural and urban areas for April-June is slated to be released in August.
• Four additional details regarding usual monthly income of the household from renting of land or building, from interest on savings and investment, from pension received and from remittances received have been incorporated in the revamped PLFS.
• Additionally, two additional questions on land possessed and land leased out as on the date of the survey by the surveyed household, one item of information on the nature of the certifying body from which vocational/technical training received, and five additional education-related items of information have been incorporated.
• The additional education-related details in the new survey include queries on the years of education completed, number of months attended in the last year of education, and secondary education.
Do You Know:
• The Ministry said the annual PLFS results will be brought out based on the calendar year from 2025 onwards, that is, survey period of January–December of a specific year. 'This change in disseminating the PLFS annual results and unit level data will facilitate comprehensive analysis of labour market performance through review of key employment, unemployment indicators and also assist in timely updation of India's labour market statistics in the databases maintained by the international agencies,' it said.
• The revamped PLFS will have a total sample size of 22,692 first stage units (FSUs) (12,504 FSUs in the rural areas and 10,188 in the urban areas) in each year of the two-year panel compared with 12,800 FSUs surveyed in PLFS upto December 2024. Each selected household will be visited four times in four consecutive months – one with first visit schedule and other three with the revisit schedule in the following three months, the Ministry said.
• The PLFS will cover key employment and unemployment indicators (labour force participation rate, worker population ratio, unemployment rate) on a monthly basis for rural and urban areas at all-India level in the current weekly status (CWS) and thereby produce quarterly estimates in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
• Usual status (ps+ss) and current weekly status (CWS) measure activity status of persons surveyed based on reference periods of last 365 days and last seven days preceding the date of survey, respectively.
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under MoSPI had launched PLFS in April 2017. Quarterly bulletins provided details of labour force indicators such as LFPR, WPR, unemployment rate. At present, the MoSPI releases rural PLFS data on an annual basis and urban PLFS data on a quarterly basis along with an annual report which combines data for both urban and rural on an annual basis. Other employment surveys such as the survey by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) comes out on a weekly and monthly basis.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍ExplainSpeaking: How to read India's latest employment data
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
6. Increase in absolute and per capita real GNP do not connote a higher level of economic development, if(2018)
(a) industrial output fails to keep pace with agricultural output.
(b) agricultural output fails to keep pace with industrial output.
(c) poverty and unemployment increase.
(d) imports grow faster than exports.
EXPLAINED
Indian tech in Operation Sindoor
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
What's the ongoing story: Besides achieving its immediate military objectives, Operation Sindoor gave a convincing demonstration of the superiority of India's defence capabilities over Pakistan.
Key Points to Ponder:
• How Operation Sindoor exemplifies India's strides towards self-reliance in defence technology?
• What are the strategic significance of deploying indigenous missile systems like Akash and BrahMos during Operation Sindoor?
• How India's satellite navigation and surveillance systems enhanced the precision of military operations?
• How does Operation Sindoor reflect the success of the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector?
• What are the challenges and opportunities in scaling up indigenous defence technologies for future military operations?
Key Takeaways:
• While the spectacular success of India's multi-layered air defence system, which neutralised almost every incoming missile and drone, has been the most-talked about, an array of other systems and technologies, many of them home-grown, have performed admirably to provide a decisive edge to the Indian military.
• Thus far, India has not disclosed the details of the platforms, weapons, sensors, and radars used during Op Sindoor. The Indian Express spoke to a few serving and retired officials and scientists to identify some technological elements that stood out during the four-day operation.
• These experts, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, attributed the success of Op Sindoor to years of investment and research in space technologies, aeronautics, avionics, missile development, and weaponry.
• A remarkable feature of Op Sindoor was the precision with which India hit its targets, many of which lay deep inside Pakistan. Not only was this crucial to achieve the military objective of destroying terrorist bases, it also established to the world that India was behaving responsibly, with every effort made to minimise collateral damage.
• 'The impeccable guidance and navigation technologies were one of the key highlights (of Op Sindoor) The level of precision that was achieved is the best that anyone elsewhere can get,' said a retired director of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility who has worked extensively on missile technologies.
He added: 'This kind of capability is the result of years of indigenous research in the DRDO, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), and other institutions. We have had our share of failures and setbacks during this time'.
For instance, the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles that were likely used, 'have state of the art guidance systems that have been developed over the years,' the retired official said.
Do You Know:
• India's indigenous navigation and guidance system depends on the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) system of satellites, which is complemented by an array of very high-resolution earth observation satellites.
• The Cartosat, RISAT, and EOS series of satellites keep a round-the-clock watch on the subcontinent, and provide vital information and imagery that are useful to the military. Some of these satellites can identify or differentiate between objects as small as 25 to 30 cm in size. NavIC is said to achieve positional accuracy of 10 to 20 cm.
• As a result, these assets make it possible for Indian weapons to achieve a sub-metre targeting precision, which was seemingly achieved during Op Sindoor. And Indian scientists are constantly working to further improve these capabilities. 'Guidance and navigation' was one of the 75 technology priority areas identified after DRDO's Anusandhan Chintan Shivir (research deliberation conclave) in June 2023.
• The Russian S-400 system has come in for a lot of praise in recent days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself acknowledged its importance by posing next to an
• Indian air defence system included newly-inducted SAMAR (Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) systems that can intercept a range of low-flying aerial targets up to a range of 12 km, and the Akash short-to-medium range surface-to-air missile systems.
• This was the first India-Pakistan conflict in which drones and other unmanned systems played such an important role.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Indigenous Akash missiles, pivotal to India's air defence
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Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives.
Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing.
Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA).
Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level.
Qualification, Degrees / other achievements:
Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
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