UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam Result Expected Soon, Details Here
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
Students can expect the result to be announced in the third week of June, 2025.
The UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 was conducted on May 25 in two shifts.
Candidates who clear the UPSC prelims will advance to the UPSC Mains exam.
UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2025: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to release the result for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025 soon. Once released, candidates will be able to check their result on the official website of UPSC, upsc.gov.in.
While the commission is yet to make any official announcement, students can expect the result to be announced in the second week of June, 2025.
UPSC CSE exam is conducted annually to recruit individuals for various civil services in the Indian government, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other important services.
UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2025: How To Download Your Result?
Visit the official website, upsc.gov.in.
On the homepage, look for the "What's New" or "Examinations" section
Click on the link titled "UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025 Result"
A PDF file will open containing the roll numbers of qualified candidates
Use Ctrl + F to search your roll number in the list
Download and save the result PDF for future reference.
UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2025: Exam Structure
The UPSC Prelims are held in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) based format, carrying a total weight of 400 marks for both the examinations.
For each incorrect answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks will be deducted.
No marks are deducted for questions not answered.
The UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 was conducted on May 25 in two shifts for General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT).
Candidates who clear the UPSC prelims will advance to the UPSC Mains exam which is expected to be scheduled for August 2025.
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UPSC Key: Piprahwa Gems, POSH Act, and Arya Samaj marriages
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 2, 2025. If you missed the August 1, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. What's the ongoing story: The Piprahwa Gems, Buddhist relics which in 1898 were taken by an Englishman from their resting place in India, have been brought back to the country, the Ministry of Culture announced on Wednesday. This return was made possible by 'an exemplary case of public-private partnership,' Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday. Key Points to Ponder: • What are Piprahwa gems, and what is their cultural significance? • Where did Buddha attain Nirvana? • What are the famous Buddhist stupas in India? • What are stupas? • What is the significance of Buddhism? • What is the Buddhist circuit? Key Takeaways: • In May, a collection of 349 gemstones came up for auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong. These were a part of a larger collection of antiquities unearthed in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé, an English estate manager, at a Buddhist stupa in Piprahwa, a village in UP's Siddharthnagar district, near the border of Nepal. • Viceroy Elgin donated the sacred bones and ashes in the collection, believed to be of Lord Buddha himself, to Siamese King Rama V. Much of the remaining collection, including caskets, a coffer, and various jewels, were sent to the Imperial Museum (now Indian Museum) in Kolkata, where they remain till date. • But a part of the collection was passed down for generations in the Peppé family. In 2013, they came in possession of Chris Peppé who decided to put the antiquities up for auction. Sotheby's listed an estimated selling price of over $100 million. • On May 5, the Ministry of Culture served a legal notice to Sotheby's and the Peppé family, demanding the 'immediate cessation' of the auction, and repatriation of the relics to India. The Archaeological Survey of India too requested the Consulate General of Hong Kong to immediately stop the auction. • Pressure from New Delhi prompted Sotheby's to halt the auction, originally slated for May 7. But India's legal claim over the Piprawaha gems fell in a grey area. This is because the relics were excavated by Peppé on land allocated to him by the British government, and privately held for 127 years by his family, making it difficult to prove the illegality of their possession. Also, the gemstones were taken out of India long before India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 came into being. • In the end, the collection of 349 gemstones was acquired by Indian industrialist Pirojsha Godrej for an undisclosed amount. While unconventional, this allowed the government to not have to make a commercial transaction for the antiquities, which would have raised ethical issues. • Godrej has agreed to loan a 'large portion' of the collection to the National Museum for a period of five years, and display the entire collection for three months upon its arrival, Shekhawat said. Do You Know: • Buddhism is a significant world religion today, influencing many with its teachings. Originating in the 6th century BCE in the Indian subcontinent, Buddhism, along with other Śramanic sects emerged as a result of growing discontent towards ritualistic and hierarchical aspects of the Brahmanical tradition. • The date of the Buddha's life and death has long been a subject of debate among scholars. The canonical texts in Pali, especially the Pitakas (Sutta and Vinaya), contain his hagiography (writing about the lives of saints). One can also find information about Buddha and his life in texts like Mahavastu, Buddhacharita, and others. • Buddhism was founded by the Buddha, who was born as Siddhartha. He was the son of king Suddhodana, a leader of the Sakya clan of Kapilavastu (located in modern day Nepal). According to various narrations, Maya gave birth to Siddhartha in a grove at Lumbini while en route to her natal home. • The Piprahwa relics were discovered during the excavation of an ancient Buddhist stupa in Uttar Pradesh's Piprahwa, near the India-Nepal border. They hold immense religious and cultural importance for the Buddhist community. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍How Buddhism shows the path to nirvana 📍Seven Buddhist practices for cultivating inner peace and better living Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) Which one of the following statements is correct? (UPSC CSE 2021) (a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora River. (b) Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal River. (c) Pandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada River. (d) Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari River. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India and Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues What's the ongoing story: The Allahabad High Court last week directed the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate how 'fake Arya Samaj Societies' that solemnise marriages without verifying the age of the bride and the groom, and in violation of the state's anti-conversion law, 'have flourished throughout the State'. Key Points to Ponder: • Who founded the Arya Samaj? • What is Arya Samaj Mission? • What is the Arya Samaj Marriage? • What is the Special Marriage Act? • What are the Arya Samaj's contributions to Indian society? • Why is Dayanand Saraswati called the maker of modern India? Key Takeaways: • While hearing a case in which a Muslim man is accused of kidnapping, forcibly marrying, and committing statutory rape on a minor Hindu girl, Justice Prashant Kumar said that many marriages in the state, including those officiated by the Arya Samaj, bypass mandatory procedures under the UP anti-conversion law and marriage registration rules. The accused had claimed to have got married at an Arya Samaj temple. • The Arya Samaj was formally established by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 as a Hindu revivalist movement. It gained prominence in northern India, especially Punjab (including present-day Pakistan), in the late 19th century. • Among other things, the Arya Samaj made the very first attempts to convert persons from other faiths or ideologies to its version of Vedic, monotheistic Hinduism through a process it called 'shuddhi' (purification). • One of the ways it facilitated this was by having a progressive view of inter-caste and even interfaith marriages. In effect, till the Special Marriage Act, 1954 came into force, the Arya Samaj provided the only way for a Hindu to marry out of caste or religion and to still retain their caste. • The Arya Samaj was formally established by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 as a Hindu revivalist movement. It gained prominence in northern India, especially Punjab (including present-day Pakistan), in the late 19th century. • Among other things, the Arya Samaj made the very first attempts to convert persons from other faiths or ideologies to its version of Vedic, monotheistic Hinduism through a process it called 'shuddhi' (purification). • One of the ways it facilitated this was by having a progressive view of inter-caste and even interfaith marriages. In effect, till the Special Marriage Act, 1954 came into force, the Arya Samaj provided the only way for a Hindu to marry out of caste or religion and to still retain their caste. • The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — which covers not just Hindus but also Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs — recognises Arya Samaj marriages. Those belonging to other religions simply need to convert to Hinduism before the wedding. • However, several Arya Samaj organisations complete this conversion ritual expeditiously. This means that Arya Samaj weddings are fast, often not taking more than a couple of hours. This, along with the ease of paperwork and relaxed requirements, make Arya Samaj weddings popular among eloping or runaway couples, who often belong to different castes or religions. • A petition on whether Arya Samaj marriages must comply with the requirements of the Special Marriage Act has been pending before the Supreme Court since 2022. • In 2022, the Supreme Court orally observed that the Arya Samaj has 'no business' issuing marriage certificates, while the Delhi High Court last year directed an Arya Samaj temple to use verified witnesses to ensure that marriages performed by the temple were genuine. Do You Know: • Dayanand Saraswati was born on February 12, 1824, in Morbi, Kathiawar, Gujarat. In 1875, he founded the Arya Samaj to counter social inequities. Arya Samaj is said to have played a crucial role in social awakening through its emphasis on social reforms and education. This was a monotheistic Hindu order that rejected the ritualistic excesses and social dogmas of orthodox Hinduism and promoted a united Hindu society on the basis of Vedic teachings. • Among his various beliefs included a rejection of idolatry and the overly ritualistic traditions of Hinduism, support for women's education, denunciation of child marriage, and an opposition to untouchability. 'Gandhi himself gave the highest importance to Swamiji's campaign of abolishing untouchability,' said Murmu. • He also emerged as an early proponent of cow protection, who first published Gokarun·aˉnidhi , a pamphlet in 1881, which circulated his concerns against cattle slaughter. He later on went to establish a committee for the protection of cows called Gaurakshini Sabha in 1882. He has given economic reason for cow protection arguing that a cow was more beneficial to people alive, as opposed to it being dead, since it gave milk and eased agricultural labour. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Who was Dayanand Saraswati 📍Knowledge Nugget: Why is Dayanand Saraswati, the 'maker of modern India', important for UPSC? UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Which among the following events happened earliest? (UPSC CSE 2018) (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj. (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan. (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath. (d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment. What's the ongoing story: OVER 30 remarks crediting himself for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, referring to India as a 'dead economy,' dropping the 25% tariff bombshell and a Russia penalty even as talks are on — US President Donald Trump's diatribe was met Friday by diplomatic pragmatism from the Ministry of External Affairs. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the status of the India-USA trade deal? • Why has America imposed tariffs on India? • What are the areas of cooperation between India and the US? • Know about the recent trade deals that India has signed with other countries • What are the products exported and imported by India from America? • What is the rationale behind imposing tariffs on other countries? • What are the challenges faced by the Indian economy? • 'The bulk of India's population is still engaged in the rural and farm sectors is the failure to boost manufacturing'. Analyse. Key Takeaways: • Underlining that the India-US partnership has 'weathered several transitions and challenges,' the MEA said that New Delhi will remain 'focused on the substantive agenda' even as it flagged that its friendship with Russia was 'time-tested.' • This response came the day Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on dozens of countries including 25 per cent for goods from India. • Asked about India-US defence ties in the wake of reports of India refusing to consider F-35 fighter jets, the MEA spokesperson said, 'We have a strong defence partnership with the U.S. which has been strengthening over the last several years. There is potential for this partnership to grow further under the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century.' • Responding to Trump's talk of a penalty on India for buying energy from Russia, Jaiswal said: 'In securing our energy needs, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets, and by the prevailing global circumstances.' • On Trump's tirade against India-Russia ties and that they are both 'dead economies', the MEA spokesperson said: 'Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership.' • On Trump's anger at India buying Russian defence equipment, he said, 'The sourcing of our defence requirements is determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments.' • There are two possible impulses that guide Trump's responses, according to Delhi's analysis. • First, his negotiating style to browbeat and bully the adversary by imposing high tariffs and try and get the deal on his own terms. This has been seen with China, where he imposed 145 per cent tariffs and then dialled down to 35 – after talks in Geneva. • Second, some in the Indian establishment feel that the US President has not taken very kindly to Delhi fact-checking Trump's claims on brokering a ceasefire. Not only has PM Narendra Modi conveyed this in the phone call with Trump on June 17, but Indian ministers and officials have repeatedly denied the claim. • While India does depend on Russia for the defence supplies, much of it is because of the legacy from the Soviet Union era. Although the dependency is about 60 to 70 per cent, India has, in the past few years, steadily diversified its defence purchases from countries including the US. • The diplomatic challenge is three-fold, sources said: how long can Delhi stand its ground against the US; whether India can engage with Trump's inner circle; and whether they can overcome the distrust fuelled by the Trump's comments in the long term. Do You Know: Explained: Health of India's economy • On July 30, United States President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on India, as well as an unspecified 'penalty' for buying military equipment and energy from Russia. A day later, Trump posted on social media that he did not care if India and Russia 'take their dead economies down together'. • So, is India's economy 'dead'? While Trump, who seems annoyed with India's hard bargaining in the talks for a trade deal, need not be taken literally, it stands to reason that one absolutely necessary attribute of a dead economy must be an absence of economic growth. • The Table alongside contains data for gross domestic product (GDP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a selection of countries over the past 30 years from 1995. • They have been selected in the context of Trump's comments, and the recent trade pacts signed between his administration and countries such as Pakistan, the UK, and the EU (of which Germany is the biggest economy). Japan has been included because it is one of the world's biggest economies. • The data throw up a picture that is obviously contrary to Trump's contention that India, or even Russia, are 'dead' economies. • Column 3 shows the number of times the GDP of each country has grown over the past 30 years. The top three countries are China, India, and Russia in that order. • While the US has now become four times its 1995 size, its closest trade partners like the United Kingdom have grown by less than 3 times, and Germany has failed to even double its economy. • Japan's GDP in 2025 is lower than what it was in 1995, which would, by this metric, qualify it to be not just a 'dead' but perhaps a decaying economy. • In contrast, India's economy is today almost 12 times its size in 1995. • Columns 4 and 5 show there are only three economies that have grown in size relative to the US: China, India, and Russia. India was less than 5% the size of the US economy in 1995, but in 2025 it is almost 14%. • By contrast, all of America's friends and trading partners have shrunk in size relative to the US. • Do the above numbers mean India's economy has no problems? While India is by no means a 'dead' economy — far from it — it does have several ailments. • While India's overall GDP has grown, its growth rate has lost a step since 2011-12, and failed to replicate the spurt of fast growth — averaging 8%-9% — that was witnessed before the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09. Since 2014, India's growth rate has hovered around 6%. • One sign of weakness in the economy is the fact that there are many sectors that India wants to protect when it comes to international trade. India's farm economy is plagued with distress, with the bulk of the farmers living at subsistence levels. • The reason why the bulk of India's population is still engaged in the rural and farm sectors is the failure to boost manufacturing. Official data show that since 2019-20, manufacturing has registered a slower growth rate (CAGR of 4.04%) than even agriculture and allied activities (4.72%). • A stark skills mismatch means that unemployment in India rises to very high levels with rising educational attainment. And female participation in the economy is among the lowest in the world — even when it is rising, the quality of work is of the poorest quality with low and stagnant wages. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India's economic growth is not inclusive. It is a concentrated accumulation of wealth Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (3) With reference to the Indian economy after the 1991 economic liberalization, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020) 1. Worker productivity (Rs per worker at 2004 – 05 prices) increased in urban areas while it decreased in rural areas. 2. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce steadily increased. 3. In rural areas, the growth in non-farm economy increased. The growth rate in rural employment decreased. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 and 4 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 4 only Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard. (UPSC CSE 2023) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies What's the ongoing story: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced that the election for the post of Vice President, which fell vacant with the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, would be held on September 9. Key Points to Ponder: • Who conducts the election of the Vice-President (VP)? • What is the eligibility for being elected as VP? • What are the role and responsibilities of the VP? • Who constitutes the electoral college for the election of the VP? • How is it different from the electoral college in the election of the President? • Know about the constitutional provisions related to the VP • What does the constitution say about the mid-term vacancy of the position of the VP? Key Takeaways: • As per the schedule announced by the EC, the notification would be issued on August 7, starting the period for filing nominations. The last date for filing nominations is August 21. The polling and counting would be held on September 9. • The electoral college for the election will comprise 782 members of Parliament – 233 elected members of Rajya Sabha (five seats are currently vacant), 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha and 542 elected members of the Lok Sabha (one seat is vacant), the EC said. • Voting is held by secret ballot, using the system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote. Each MP casts a vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. All votes carry equal value. • To be declared elected, a candidate must reach a required minimum number of votes — called the quota. This is calculated by dividing the total number of valid votes by two and adding one (fractions, if any, are ignored). • If no candidate crosses the quota in the first round, the one with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the remaining candidates based on second preferences. The process continues until one candidate crosses the quota. • Dhankhar's surprise resignation came just hours after he presided over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He submitted his letter to resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, citing health reasons. Do You Know: • Jagdeep Dhankhar assumed office as the 14th Vice President in August 2022. He is only the third Vice-President in India's history to resign before completing his term, after V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman —both of whom stepped down to contest presidential elections and were succeeded by Gopal Swarup Pathak and Shankar Dayal Sharma, respectively. • There is no direct provision in the Constitution on who performs the duties of the Vice-President if the office falls vacant before the expiry of his/her term or when the Vice-President is discharging the duties of the President. • However, the Constitution does have a provision on what happens if the chairperson of the Council of States falls vacant: the Deputy Chairman or any other member of the Rajya Sabha authorised by the President can perform the chairperson's duties. • Any citizen of India who is at least 35 years of age and a registered voter in a state or Union Territory can be a candidate for the post. At least 20 MPs need to propose the nomination and 20 other MPs need to second it. As per Article 66 (2), the Vice-President cannot be a member of either House of Parliament or of the Legislature of any state. • Article 67 says that the Vice-President will hold office for a term of five years from 'the date on which he enters upon his office'. However, according to the same provision, the Vice-President can continue to hold power 'notwithstanding the expiration of his term' until his 'successor enters upon his office'. • The Vice-President may leave mid-term by submitting a resignation letter to the President, and can also be removed from office by a resolution in the Rajya Sabha, passed by a majority of its members at that time and agreed by the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why is the election of the Vice-President important for your UPSC exam? 📍Vice-President: The post, the provisions, and the past UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (4) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2013) 1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not members of that House. 2. While the nominated members of the two Houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice-President. 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 UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Discuss the role of the Vice-President of India as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. (UPSC CSE 2022) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. What's the ongoing story: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a petition seeking application of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, known as the POSH Act, to political parties, saying it falls in the domain of the policymakers. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the POSH Act? • Why was it enacted? • Who comes under the purview of the POSH Act? • What constitutes 'workplace, employer, and employee' under the Act? • Do political parties fall under its purview? • What is the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)? Who are the members of this committee? • What is the role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this? • What are the challenges faced by women in the workplace? • What are the Vishaka guidelines? Key Takeaways: • 'The prayer made in the petition is exclusively within the competence of the legislature or within the domain of policy of the executive. As such, we are not inclined to entertain,' Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai, presiding over a two-judge bench, told senior advocate Rekha Gupta, who pressed for the court's intervention. • The counsel told the bench, also comprising Justice K Vinod Chandran, that 'an important issue like this, they (legislators) are not acting upon, the vacuum is still continuing'. • CJI Gavai suggested, 'There must be not less than 25-30 MPs who are women. Ask them to present a private bill.' • The counsel said that she was not seeking a direction to Parliament to legislate but only interpretation as to what constitutes 'workplace, employer and employee' under the Act because a Kerala High Court judgment says it will not apply to political parties. • The court said, in that case, she should challenge the high court order. The counsel said she would do so and sought permission to withdraw her petition. • The court allowed this and gave her 'further liberty to take such steps as are advisable in law'. • The POSH Act requires both public and private workplaces to set up an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to hear complaints of sexual harassment. The plea contended that when it comes to political parties, 'the presence of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to address sexual harassment is inconsistent'. • Citing UN Women (2013) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (2016) studies, it said psychological and sexual harassment in political spaces is not isolated but systemic. It added that political work is a form of employment or engagement and must be recognised as such under the Act to ensure protection and accountability. Do You Know: • The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed in 2013. It defined sexual harassment, lay down the procedures for a complaint and inquiry, and the action to be taken. It broadened the Vishaka guidelines, which were already in place. • The Vishaka guidelines were laid down by the Supreme Court in a judgment in 1997. This was in a case filed by women's rights groups, one of which was Vishaka. They had filed a public interest litigation over the alleged gangrape of Bhanwari Devi, a social worker from Rajasthan. In 1992, she had prevented the marriage of a one-year-old girl, leading to the alleged gangrape in an act of revenge. • Section 3(1) of the POSH Act states that 'No woman shall be subjected to sexual harassment at any workplace'. This immediately tells us how the POSH Act will apply — at the workplace, and only when the aggrieved party is a woman. • The definition of 'workplace' in the POSH Act is expansive. It includes organisations, institutions, and so on in the public sector which are 'established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government', as well as organisations in the private sector, hospitals, nursing homes, sports venues, houses, and even covers locations visited by an employee 'during the course of employment'. • The Representation of People Act, 1951 (RP Act), governs how to register a political party. Under Section 29A 'Any association or body of individual citizens of India calling itself a political party' must make an application for registration with the ECI. This application must provide details including the name of the party, the State where its head office is situated, the names of office bearers, details of local units, and number of members. • The application must also contain a memorandum of rules and regulations, and must contain a provision stating that the party 'shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India'. However, the POSH Act hangs its hat on protecting women from sexual harassment in the 'workplace', which can be difficult to determine for a political party. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Could the POSH Act apply to political parties? 📍Explained: What is POSH, the law against sexual harassment in India? Mains Question Covering similar theme: What is the significance of the POSH Act? What is the role played by the judiciary in ensuring the protection of women from sexual harassment? Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment What's the ongoing story: 'The day is not far when the entire state of Himachal Pradesh may vanish,' said the Supreme Court Friday as it sounded the alarm on the deteriorating environmental situation in the Himalayan state that has frequently borne the brunt of natural disasters. Key Points to Ponder: • What are the challenges faced by the Himalayan states? • Why is it a matter of concern? • Look at the recent natural disasters that have occurred in the Himalayan states • How is unchecked tourism are cause of concern? • What is the debate around development and environmental conservation? • What are the important Supreme Court judgments on environmental protection? • What is the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)? Key Takeaways: • Flagging a range of issues in the ecologically sensitive region, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed the registration of a case in the public interest and sought the Himachal Pradesh government's response within four weeks. • The bench was hearing a hotel group's challenge to a Himachal Pradesh High Court order that restricted constructions in an area declared as a green zone by the state's Town and Country Planning Department in June. • Refusing to interfere with the High Court's decision, the top court said it 'would like to say something in the larger interest of the state of Himachal Pradesh and its inhabitants'. • According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,539 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 20. So far, 94 people have died and 36 are missing in rain-related incidents while 1,352 houses have been fully or partially damaged. • The court went on to list a number of serious concerns in the Himalayan state — the 'visible' and 'alarming' impact of climate change; deforestation; hydropower projects reportedly causing water shortages and landslides; unchecked tourism affecting the ecological balance and straining resources; and relentless construction of four-lane roads, tunnels and multi-storey buildings to cater to the increasing footfall. • Communities living near hydro-electric projects frequently report water scarcity, landslides, and even structural cracks in their homes, the bench said. • The bench said all Himalayan states need to collate resources and expertise to ensure their development plans are cognisant of environmental challenges. • 'All that we want to convey today is that it is high time that the state pays attention to what we have observed and starts taking necessary action at the earliest in the right direction. The Union of India also owes an obligation to see that the ecological imbalance in the state does not get further disturbed and natural calamities do not occur.' Do You Know: • Worried over frequent natural calamities, the Himachal Pradesh government would seek assistance from the Indian institutes of technology (IITs) in Mandi and Roorkee, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other expert agencies to study the causes of such repeated disasters in the hill state. • In the last decade, India's Himalayan states — Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan — have experienced increasingly extreme weather events. • This rising trend is not accidental. Scientists attribute it to global climate change, which fundamentally alters regional weather systems. The implications are profound: More intense storms, unpredictable rainfall, rapid glacier melting, and increased flooding. • One of the fundamental effects of global warming is increased atmospheric moisture. As the Earth's average temperature rises due to elevated greenhouse gases, the atmosphere can hold more water vapour, approximately 7 per cent more per degree Celsius increase. This extra moisture means that when conditions are right, rainfall becomes heavier and more intense. • In the Himalayas, this translates to more frequent and severe cloudbursts — sudden, localised heavy rainfalls that can dump hundreds of millimetres of water in hours. These events often result in flash floods, devastating downstream communities with little warning. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why is Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) important for UPSC exam 📍Himachal floods: How can Himalayan region safeguard its people, heritage, ecosystems from climate change? Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (5) Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in (UPSC CSE 2013) (a) desert margins, liable to strong wind action (b) low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to flooding (c) scrublands, liable to spread of weed growth (d) None of the above Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 'Climate Change' is a global problem. How India will be affected by climate change? How Himalayan and coastal states of India will be affected by climate change? (UPSC CSE 2017) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress 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
India.com
13 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet UPSC topper Taruni Pandey, quit MBBS, cracked UPSC with just 120 days preparation and no coaching, her AIR was..., she is now...
IAS Taruni Pandey (File) UPSC Success Story: The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is arguably one of the toughest recruitment tests in India, and requires years of preparation and dedicated coaching classes to prepare aspirants for the formidable examination. However, there a few who, on the back of their sheer dedication and singular focus, are able to achieve the impossible by acing the tough exam with just a few months of self-study and zero coaching. One such inspirational story is that of UPSC topper IAS Taruni Pandey, who quit her MBBS studies to pursue her dream of becoming a civil servant, an achieved that goal with just four months of dedicated preparation. Who is IAS Taruni Pandey? Born in middle-income household in Chittaranjan, West Bengal, but raised in Jamtara, Jharkhand, Taruni Pandey had an education-oriented and studious environment at home as both her parents are government employees. Growing up, Taruni was always an exceptional student in school and desired to become a doctor. After her schooling, Taruni Pandey earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English literature from IGNOU, and later pursued her dream of becoming a doctor, but fate had something else in store for her as health issues forced her to quit her MBBS studies during her second year, and prompting the young woman to explore new career avenues. How a tragic event inspired Taruni Pandey for UPSC? A crucial moment, which changed Taruni's perspective on life, and inspired her to become an IAS officer, came when her brother-in-law, a CRPF captain, was martyred in action. The event took a toll on her, but also served as an inspiration as she witnessed IAS officers and top bureaucrats coming forward to help her family. Taruni made up her mind and immediately engrossed herself in preparation for UPSC CSE by relying on self-study, online resources such as YouTube, and her own notes. Unlike majority of aspirants, Taruni Pandey did not opt for coaching classes and instead trusted her own study plan to crack the tough exam. What was her All-India Rank (AIR)? After just four months or 120 days of preparation, Taruni Pandey was ready to appear in the 2020 UPSC Prelims, but COVID-19 outbreak derailed her plans. This was a major setback as Taruni realized that her next UPSC attempt would be her last because of the age limit for Open Merit or general category candidates. However, Taruni's hard work and dedication bore fruit when she aced the UPSC CSE in 2021 with an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 14, and achieved her dream of becoming an IAS officer.
The Print
10 hours ago
- The Print
Why worry about water or jobs? In New Bharat, everybody wants to be an influencer
This is the new Bharat: addicted, online, and strangely calm to its quiet collapse. 'Paani nahin hai, naukri nahin hai… par phone hai. Aur us par timepass karne ke liye waqt hi waqt,' I muttered. No water, no job, but there's a phone and endless time to kill on it. It was a sight both unsettling and clarifying. On a blistering afternoon, heavy with humidity, a group of boys and mothers stood silently along a pavement—empty cans, dented buckets, plastic jugs at their feet—waiting for the water tanker. There was no commotion, no conversation, just a strange stillness that comes not from discipline, but from resignation. Just heads bowed to their phones scrolling, swiping, escaping into lives more curated and colourful than their own. Also Read: Indians biggest consumers of AI-generated news & most comfortable with it—Reuters Institute report Influence over income In New India, Indians are reportedly spending an average of five hours daily on their phones, primarily on social media, gaming, and video streaming. And it isn't leisure anymore. It's identity. It's economy. The ambition today, whether it's a toddler or young adult, isn't to become a civil servant, doctor, engineer, or teacher. It is to go viral. In a country where unemployment is at a historic high, the national anxiety isn't about jobs — it's about reach. Aspirations have shifted from employment to engagement, from careers to content. It's no longer about building a life, but building a following, to trend. As job creation stagnates, the generation has turned to visibility for validation. Today's youth wants views, likes, and subscribers. Not power, but popularity. Not contribution, but clout. Not nation-building, but narrative-building. Even UPSC aspirants, once held up as the embodiment of India's intellectual grit, are now daily vloggers. 'A day in my life as a UPSC student' videos include 5 am alarms, lemon water, reading The Hindu, and skincare routines. If the exam fails, the breakfast still gets monetised. Even ambition now comes with a referral code. This is not satire — it's economy. Dadis and Nanis have become wellness influencers with their nuskas, guided by tech-savvy grandchildren. Turmeric milk, cold-pressed oil, chanting for clear skin. They're charming, wholesome, algorithmically gold. Even the at-home mother is no longer invisible. She is now the home aesthetic queen. Her hair-wash day is edited like a film trailer. Her tadka is content. Her candle-lit dinner with her husband is a captioned moment of gratitude. She's a 'momfluencer'. Middle-aged men once chasing sarkari naukris now host podcasts. Even rickshaw pullers might run a YouTube channel. Because in today's India, if you can't be employed, you can still be seen. And crucially, these aren't just hobbyists or bored teens. They're professionals — doctors, consultants, coders, bankers, journalists. The digital hustle is mainstream. So mainstream, in fact, that influencers now have their own tax bracket. The government may not know how to generate jobs, but it knows how to tax performance. Today, everyone's online, everyone's performing. This is no longer just content. It's a belief system. One reel at a time. Also Read: Child influencers on Instagram aren't cute. The race for likes robs them of innocence A new culture of distraction Meanwhile, society frets about sanskars — values lost, respect eroded. But sanskars haven't disappeared; they have simply been outsourced to the algorithm. Today's unemployed are not idle. They're uploading. Hustling to go viral. Performing for an audience they can't see, but desperately want to impress. Eleven years on, the government that came riding on hope and the promise of 'newness' has certainly delivered something new — not progress, but a shift. A new mood. A new vocabulary. A culture where words like optics, reach, and influence matter more than truth, clarity, or consequence. Bharat today is not a nation of thinkers or builders. It is a stage where the applause is silent, the imagined audience endless. That moment on the pavement—young boys and mothers, parched, waiting for water that may never arrive, eyes locked on their phones—wasn't unusual. That's the unsettling part. There was no protest, no urgency. No jobs, no outrage. Just stillness. And brightly lit screens. The new Bharat is fully online, curated and restless to perform. In it, ambition doesn't rise. It refreshes. The quiet dignity of waiting for something better has been replaced by the anxious thrill of being seen. And yet, in this constant thrum of likes and loops, you can feel it — a subtle corrosion. Not of economy, but of imagination. Not of politics, but of purpose. So I leave you, too, in the end, to wonder — when the feed goes quiet, when the likes stop coming, when the flicker fades from the screen and the noise dissolves into silence, what will any of us do? When there is no scroll to chase, no audience to perform for, no curated life to escape into — what will remain of us? And more importantly, what will we return to? Shruti Vyas is a journalist based in New Delhi. She writes on politics, international relations and current affairs. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
