Archit Dongre (AIR 3) breaks down his UPSC preparation strategy – Strong Foundation with VisionIAS
, who ranked
third
in the
UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024
, is among the best performers in all India. His achievement shows a path defined not only by intelligence but also by clarity of thought, disciplined effort, and a consistent approach over all stages of the exam.
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Archit, a student of the
VisionIAS Classroom Foundation Course,
recently spoke with candidates at
during a
Topper's Talk
event. He revealed in this insightful discussion important techniques that influenced his exam readiness.
Topper's Talk | Archit Dongre | AIR 3 | UPSC CSE 2024 | Classroom Foundation Course
Leap of faith: From corporate career to civil services
A careful review of Archit's long-term goals helped him to define his path to civil services. Working in the IT industry, he discovered he was attracted to the larger influence and variety of public service. Following a first effort that barely missed the
cutoff, he persisted with fresh intensity and obtained
All India Rank (AIR) 153
in his second effort, joining the
Indian Police Service (IPS).
Driven to help more broadly and armed with insightful knowledge, he gave it another go and came out with
All India Rank 3.
Underlying this consistent performance was a well-crafted UPSC preparation path anchored in foundation-building, time management, and frequent assessment.
VisionIAS Classroom Foundation Course: Developing strong fundamentals
Archit credits the disciplined learning and thorough support he received at VisionIAS for a major component of his success. The basics he needed to succeed were regular classroom sessions, planned test series, and tailored mentoring feedback.
'Fundamental concepts and clarity will come from your Foundational Class Notes' - Archit Dongre (AIR-3) at the VisionIAS Toppers' Talk
Key insights from Archit's Topper Talk: UPSC preparation strategies
●
Time management and discipline are not negotiable:
Whether your aspirations are full-time or you balance your job with preparation, careful time management is absolutely essential. If working, strategically schedule study times: early mornings, late evenings, and maximise weekends.
Consistent, high-quality study hours should take centre stage. For GS, a set schedule including optional answer writing, even physical exercise, helps build momentum.
●
Master Prelims with foundation, practice & revision:
Prelims sometimes call for the ability to confidently and accurately attempt a wider range of questions. Although
educated guessing
is important, it has to be based on thorough practice on rigorous
and strong conceptual knowledge.
Equally crucial is the extensive
post-test analysis
, in which the strategy is refined and gaps are found to indicate actual improvement. Using high-intensity simulations like
, which improve mental readiness to negotiate uncertainty, helps exam temperament. At last,
's analysis reveals UPSC's main areas of concentration, thus guiding more intelligent and coordinated preparation.
●
Fuel your optional choice with real interest
: Allow your main compass to be of real interest when choosing your optional subject.
Archit chose philosophy since he really enjoyed it, which gave him a natural drive to delve deeply and commit long study hours.
●
Embrace consistent answer writing early on:
Practice answer writing early and do not wait for the completion of the UPSC syllabus. Start early—even with limited subjects—and develop consistency by means of daily classroom assignments. Emphasise logical structuring of answers, comprehension of the question's demand, and use pertinent statistics and diagrams.
While using reference to toppers' copies can help further improve content depth and presentation, regularly practising with PYQs helps match your writing with UPSC's expectations.
●
Manage multiple resources with clarity:
Archit underlined the need to follow a few primary sources in a time when plenty of new materials and continuous additions keep coming. His approach was simple: depend mostly on foundation class notes for conceptual clarity; add standard book or classroom UPSC study materials; and include current affairs without overwhelming.
●
Strategic revision and note-making:
Revise old topics as you learn new ones in a cyclical sequence. Revise the pertinent UPSC syllabus carefully before mock tests. Especially for the last weeks, make brief, need-based notes to enable frequent, quick revisions. This method sharpens recall and increases retention.
●
Get a resilient attitude and make wellness your top priority:
Since UPSC is a marathon and requires constant mental strength, find delight in the learning process, keep the course by scheduling intentional breaks to prevent burnout.
With 40–45 minutes of daily exercise and a good diet, keep yourself physically fit, since both directly affect output. Along with disciplined self-study, a supportive peer group helps to increase drive and reinforce learning.
●
Approach the interview with genuineness and DAF-centric preparation:
Your interview preparation is modelled by your DAF, or detailed application form. Get ready completely on every one of the points your DAF mentioned.
Although personality develops over time, committed practice through simulated interviews helps to improve presentation techniques and confidence. It's always better to be honest, even if you don't know the answer. The real confidence comes from being honest and prepared.
From a working professional to IPS and ultimately securing AIR 3, Archit Dongre's UPSC preparation path reflects the power of strategic planning, consistent effort, and real passion.
His UPSC strategy was based on structure, introspection, and a delight in learning rather than on shortcuts. Archit's timeless UPSC guidance—stay disciplined, enjoy the process, and never stop evolving—applies whether you're just starting or honing your road map.
✅ FAQs: Archit Dongre UPSC AIR 3, 2024
1. How did Archit Dongre take the decision to pursue UPSC?
Answer:
After reviewing his long-term objectives, he quit his IT job, joined the VisionIAS foundation course and cracked UPSC in his third attempt with AIR 3 after securing AIR 153 in his second.
2. How did Archie Dongre prepare for the preliminary exam?
Answer:
He focused on conceptual clarity, practised PYQs and mocks like Abhyaas to develop exam temperament, and improved through detailed post-test analysis.
3. How did he approach the preparation of optional subjects?
Answer:
Archit's sincere interest in philosophy led him to pursue it, which supported extended periods of concentrated study and a deeper comprehension.
4. How did he write his Mains answer?
Answer:
He started writing answers early, used diagrams and statistics, organised them logically, and improved the content with daily practice and PYQs.
5. How did he balance his well-being and revision?
Answer:
To stay consistent, he prioritised mental fitness through exercise, breaks, and peer support, used cyclical revision, and took brief notes.
To know more about the courses of VisionIAS, please visit:
.
Disclaimer - The above content is non-editorial, and TIL hereby disclaims any and all warranties, expressed or implied, relating to it, and does not guarantee, vouch for or necessarily endorse any of the content.
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Trump believes he has the personality and the leverage to get Putin to agree to whatever he wants. • But Russia's President is unlikely to agree to any deal unless he is given guarantees that Ukraine will never become a member of NATO and will not receive any security guarantees from the West. Moreover, Putin will insist that the territories his forces have captured, including Crimea, be recognised as Russian. Do You Know: • The US President does not see Ukraine as a part of NATO, a grouping that he personally doesn't appear to be too invested in. Trump and members of his administration had also indicated that they were not averse to Ukraine ceding territory to Russia to end the war. • Trump does not consider the war in Ukraine to be a legacy that he has to continue. Given that Ukraine is not that strategically important to the US, Trump does not see the war as a path to achieving American dominance in world affairs. In fact, he was trying to push Ukraine into accepting these demands, as his public bust-up with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House made clear. • The Ukrainian President has been calling up various European leaders and trying to get himself invited to the Trump-Putin meeting. He is worried that Putin may be able to persuade Trump to accept some of the positions that Russia has been voicing from the beginning of the war — which the American President himself does not appear to be fundamentally against. • India is caught in Trump's attempt to exert leverage on Russia. His 'extra' tariffs have put India in a difficult position. To use a phrase used by former National Security Adviser J N Dixit, India will need to do a 'complicated Bharatnatyam dance' to extricate itself from this situation. • The US is our largest trading partner. It is also one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus that offsets, at least partially, the deficit we have with China and Russia. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Trump to meet Putin in coming days, Kremlin says What Trump's 50% tariff means for India Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: On August 6, US President Donald Trump announced that imports from India to the country will attract an additional 25% tariff, as a penalty for buying Russian energy. Along with the existing 25% rate, it results in 50% tariffs, making India the nation facing the highest tariffs from the US. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Trump's grouse against India? • How will slapping on tariffs reduce the trade deficit? • Where does a trade deal figure in this picture? • Is Trump singling out India? • Does that mean Trump is a champion of free-trade? • Should India retaliate by putting tariffs on imports from the US? • What can India do? Key Takeaways: • In response, India has stated the US President's actions are 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable'. Experts suggest that these tariffs could result in India's annual economic output (measured by the gross domestic product or GDP) falling by more than half a percentage point. • The move to slap additional tariffs seems to be driven not so much by a desire to punish India for importing energy from Russia (the formal reason), but rather as a negotiating tool to force India towards signing a trade deal that suits the US. The fact is that several other countries, such as China and the European Union, and the US continue to import goods and energy from Russia. • According to Trump, it is because of such barriers to entry that India enjoys a trade surplus against the US (or, put differently, the US suffers from a trade deficit with India). A trade deficit with India implies that the total value of goods imported by the US from India is larger than the total value of goods exported from the US to India. • At the heart of Trump's insistence on tariffs is the desire to eliminate the trade deficit and have balanced trade relations. • A tariff is essentially a tax on domestic consumers when they import goods from outside the country. When the US slaps a tariff of 50% on imports from India, US consumers find Indian imports 50% more costly. As prices go up, the demand for such goods falls, and US consumers will stop importing from India, choosing a cheaper alternative from some other country or simply not buying that product all together. Do You Know: • Tariffs can also be used as a threat, as indeed they are being used right now, to force India to strike a trade deal and achieve the goal of eliminating the trade deficit in two other ways. • One, is by increasing US exports to India by forcing India to open up its domestic markets to goods imported from the US. A rise in imports from the US will also bridge the trade deficit. Two, forcing the Indian government and its associated entities to buy more goods — say defence equipment or crude oil — to close up the trade deficit. • Trump has imposed tariffs even on countries with which the US enjoyed trade surpluses such as the UK and Australia. The fact is that Trump believes that only balanced trade — that is, zero trade deficit — is fair trade. A trade deficit, in his worldview, implies that the other country (India, for instance) is cheating the US. • As a result, even if there was complete free trade between the US and the other countries, if the US suffers a trade deficit, Trump can be expected to slap tariffs. What makes this ideological, albeit misplaced, stance of Trump troublesome is that no two countries naturally achieve balanced trade. More often than not, any country has trade deficits with some countries and trade surpluses with others. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Trump's 50% tariff announcement could have 0.6% impact on India's GDP growth, says Goldman Sachs For any queries and feedback, contact 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. 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 ... Read More
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Ad valorem duty, Phone Tapping and Sylheti
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 7, 2025. If you missed the August 6, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Trump doubles India tariff to 50%, opens 21-day window Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Ramping up pressure ahead of the expected arrival in India of US trade negotiators on August 25, President Donald Trump Wednesday doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent, but opened a 21-day window before the additional tariff of 25 per cent kicks in. Key Points to Ponder: • What do you mean by ad valorem duty? • What you understand by the term tariff of 50 per cent or tariff of 25 per cent? • What reasons did the U.S. government cite for imposing the additional tariffs on India? • In response to rising U.S. tariffs, how India is considering to respond? • What can be the economic implications of the 50% tariff for India's GDP? • What are the diplomatic and policy challenges facing India in navigating the 21 day window offered for negotiations with the U.S.? • How India's energy diplomacy and dependence on Russian oil complicate its trade relations with the U.S.? Key Takeaways: • A White House statement said the US will impose 'additional 25 per cent ad valorem duty' above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1 to 'deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia's actions in Ukraine'. This tariff is deemed necessary and appropriate due to India's 'direct or indirect import of Russian Federation oil', which the President judges will more effectively address the national emergency, the executive order said. • The additional tariff dramatically raises pressure on India as most of its competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and now China are at lower tariffs. However, exporters said that the US tariff-related uncertainty is already disrupting trade. About half of India's total exports of $80 billion are, however, in the exemption list that include products such as pharma and electronics goods. • While the fresh order takes the total US tariffs to its highest on any country globally, it also offers a fresh window for discussion. Last Saturday, The Indian Express reported that key economic ministries had been asked for inputs to sweeten the trade deal stuck on India's resistance to US demand for access to the Indian agriculture market. • Hours before the announcement of additional tariff, Trump, while responding to a question from news agency ANI on US import of Russian chemicals and fertilisers, said: 'I don't know anything about it. I'd have to check, but we'll get back to you on that.' Do You Know: • While Delhi has called the targeting of India over the purchase of Russian oil 'unjustified and unreasonable' and vowed to take 'all necessary measures' to safeguard its 'national interests and economic security', Indian exporters are in a fix, scrambling to retain access to the US, their most valuable export market, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of India's total outbound shipments. • Reacting to higher than expected US tariffs, Indian exporters said they are not in a position to absorb such high tariffs. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president, S C Ralhan, said: 'This (US) move is a severe setback for Indian exports, with nearly 55 per cent of our shipments to the US market directly affected. The 50 per cent reciprocal tariff effectively imposes a cost burden, placing our exporters at a 30-35 per cent competitive disadvantage compared to peers from countries with lesser reciprocal tariff,' he said. • CITI Chairman Rakesh Mehra said, 'The US tariff announcement of August 6 is a huge setback for India's textile and apparel exporters as it has further complicated the challenging situation we were already grappling with and will significantly weaken our ability to compete effectively vis-a-vis many other countries for a larger share of the US market.' • Incidentally, China is the largest buyer of Russian oil, at about 2 million barrels per day, followed by India (just under 2 million barrels a day) and Turkey. The US had agreed to lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 per cent from 145 per cent in May. • New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that in 2024 alone, China bought $62.6 billion of Russian oil – more than India's $52.7 billion. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍To secure US trade deal, key ministries told to list what they can bring to talks table 📍Agri a stumbling block in talks, but India-US trade in sector sees surge PM likely to be in China for SCO meet, his first visit in 7 yrs Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's Interests. What's the ongoing story: Preparations are underway to schedule a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China where leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will gather for the Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, sources said Wednesday. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • What kind of a grouping is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • Know the members and observer countries in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation • Map Work-Mark Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries with their capital • When did India become permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • What is the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for India? • Under what circumstances did India enter the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? • How does membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation help India? • How does global geopolitics play out for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and India? • How does it play out in the India-Pakistan or India-China relationship? • Why PM Modi's China visit is significant? • How India-China ties have improved recently? • How India-China engagement at the SCO summit intersects with India's broader strategic interests? Key Takeaways: • On the sidelines of the Summit, if the visit materialises, Modi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a meeting that will take place amid rising tensions with the US over trade tariffs and purchase of Russian oil. • The two leaders last met on October 23, 2024 on the margins of the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan, setting the stage for the disengagement of troops at two friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and resumption of patrolling. • The Prime Minister's visit, which sources said is still being planned, will be his first to China in seven years – the last visit was in 2018. The military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020 following Chinese incursions. The disengagement process was completed in November 2024, days after the meeting in Kazan. • The two countries have since sought to repair ties, resuming the Mansarovar Yatra, visas for Chinese tourists and looking at revival of direct flights. But these efforts took a hit in May when India came across evidence of active Chinese assistance to the Pakistan military during the hostilities that followed Operation Sindoor. Do You Know: • Incidentally, Modi's last visit to China in 2018 was also for a Summit of the SCO leaders in Qingdao in June that year. Xi travelled to India in October 2019, months before the Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh. • According to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's website, 'the SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its predecessor was the mechanism of the Shanghai Five.' • In 2002, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed at the meeting of the Council of Heads of States in St. Petersburg, which entered into force on September 19, 2003. It is a statute that stipulates the goals, principles, structure and major areas of activities of the organization. The goals of the SCO are: —To strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness between the Member States; —To encourage the effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc; —To jointly ensure and maintain peace, security and stability in the region; and —To promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit? Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent the use of soft power like sports and cultural exchanges could help generate goodwill between the two countries? Discuss with suitable examples.(UPSC CSE GS2, 2015) Top-secret letters by telecom providers blew lid off 'illegal surveillance' during BRS regime Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance Main 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: On December 6, 2023, a routine letter from a telecom service provider reached Telangana's Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) office in Hyderabad. Called a reconciliation letter in official parlance, it was marked 'top secret' and addressed to the then DIG of SIB. Key Points to Ponder: • How are phones tapped in India? • Who can tap phones? • What laws govern this? • Who authorises phone tapping? • Indian Telegraph Act, 1885-Historical Background and Present Relevance • Reforms needed or Revoking Indian Telegraph Act 1885? • Phone Tapping and Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 • Legality of Phone Tapping and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution • Authenticity of An Intercepted Conversation as an Evidence-know in brief • How anti Naxal surveillance has been the misused for political ends? Key Takeaways: • The accused in the case are former SIB chief and IPS officer T Prabhakar Rao, Deputy Superintendent of Police D Praneeth Rao, Additional Superintendents of Police M Thirupathanna and N Bhujanga Rao, former Superintendent of Police P Radhakishan Rao, and a TV channel owner, A Shravan Kumar Rao. • While the Supreme Court had given Prabhakar Rao protection from arrest until August 5, Praneeth Rao, Thirupathanna, Bhujanga Rao and Radhakishan Rao were arrested and are out on bail. A Shravan Kumar Rao is lodged in a Central prison in Hyderabad in connection with a different case. • The BRS, which was earlier called Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), was in power in the newly formed state of Telangana for 10 years starting 2014. BRS leader and two-time Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao also held the state intelligence portfolio. It was when the BRS lost elections to the Congress on December 3, 2023, that the case against the six blew open. On December 4, a day after the election results were announced, SIB chief Prabhakar Rao resigned from his official post. • According to investigators, in the destroyed and formatted electronic devices, some of which were recovered from the Musi river in Hyderabad, were 'political profiles of BRS opponents generated through intelligence gathered illegally using SIB's resources or the state's resources'. • Under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, surveillance in the interest of public safety, in case of a public emergency or in cases of incitement against the state is allowed with due authorisation. According to investigators, in this case, the designated authority for authorisation was Prabhakar Rao, and the review committee comprising the Chief Secretary, Secretary of the General Administration Department and the Law Secretary followed his lead. • The allegations of illegal phone tapping first surfaced on March 10, 2024, when an Additional Superintendent of Police of the SIB lodged a complaint at Hyderabad's Punjagutta police station, accusing DSP Praneeth Rao of using illegal means to gather intelligence and then destroying the evidence. Do You Know: • In the era of fixed-line phones, mechanical exchanges would link circuits together to route the audio signal from the call. When exchanges went digital, tapping was done through a computer. Today, when most conversations happen through mobile phones, authorities make a request to the service provider, which is bound by law to record the conversations on the given number and provide these in real time through a connected computer. • In the states, police have the powers to tap phones. At the Centre, 10 agencies are authorised to do so: Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, National Investigation Agency, R&AW, Directorate of Signal Intelligence, and the Delhi Police Commissioner. Tapping by any other agency would be considered illegal. Phone tapping in India is governed by the The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. • Section 5(2) says that 'on the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety', phone tapping can be done by the Centre or states if they are satisfied it is necessary in the interest of 'public safety', 'sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence'. • Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2007, says phone tapping orders 'shall not be issued except by an order made by the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of Government of India and by the Secretary to the State Government in-charge of the Home Department in the case of a State Government'. The order has to conveyed to the service provider in writing; only then can the tapping begin. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Telangana phone tapping case: 2 more senior police officers held IN PARLIAMENT Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill clears House 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: Rajya Sabha Wednesday passed the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, by voice vote, amidst protests by the members of the Opposition demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in poll-bound Bihar. Key Points to Ponder: • The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025-know its key features • India's Maritime Sector-what you about the same? • The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025 seeks to replace which pre independence legislation? • What is the significance of replacing the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925 with the new Bill? Key Takeaways: • The House was adjourned for the day, just half an hour after the afternoon proceedings began, soon after the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill was passed. • When the members of the Opposition tried to raise a point of order, the Chair, Bhubaneswar Kalita, said he would allow a point of order only when there was order in the house. He then asked all the members to return to their seats. • Lok Sabha passed the Bill, which replaces the 1925 Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, in March this year. The Bill aligns India's maritime law with international conventions and seeks to modernise provisions governing the transport of goods by sea. • The Bill, which replaces the 1925 Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, aligns India's maritime law with international conventions and seeks to modernise provisions governing the transport of goods by sea. Do You Know: • The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024. The Bill seeks to replace the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925. The Act establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from a port in India to another port in India or any other port in the world. The Act is in conformance with the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading of August 1924 (Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments to it. • The Bill empowers the central government to: (i) issue directions for carrying out provisions of the Bill, and (ii) amend the schedule specifying rules applicable to bills of lading. A bill of lading refers to a document issued by a freight carrier to a shipper. It contains details such as the type, quantity, condition, and destination of goods being carried. The rules outline the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities of goods carriers. • The bill adopts the Hague-Visby Rules, a globally accepted maritime standard also followed by countries like the United Kingdom. By replacing complexity with clarity, the legislation is expected to simplify maritime trade laws, reduce litigation risks, and enhance transparency and commercial efficiency in cargo movement by sea. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Lok Sabha passes Bill to simplify maritime regulations for shippers THE IDEAS PAGE Absence is abdication Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People's Act. What's the ongoing story: S Y Quraishi Writes: In the wake of controversial electoral roll revision, a boycott would be an abdication and a political blunder. Key Points to Ponder: • What you know about Special Intensive Revision (SIR)? • What is the controversy about Special Intensive Revision (SIR)? • Under which provision does the Election Commission of India (ECI) conduct a 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of electoral rolls? • What is the primary objective of the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of electoral rolls? • How does Special Intensive Revision (SIR) impacts the credibility of elections? • What challenges are associated with maintaining accurate and inclusive electoral rolls in India? • How the SIR of electoral rolls can affect marginalized and migrant populations in Bihar? • What is the role of the Supreme Court in overseeing election matters and its response to petitions against the SIR? Key Takeaways: S Y Quraishi Writes: • In the festival of democracy that elections represent, participation is both a right and a responsibility. Yet, from time to time, political actors withdraw from this arena, hoping that their absence will make a louder statement than their presence. • The tactic of boycotting elections — either by political parties or segments of the electorate — has become a recurring feature across democracies, old and new. But history offers a sobering lesson: Election boycotts rarely succeed. Instead, they often backfire, weakening opposition forces and strengthening incumbents. • Calls for boycotting the upcoming elections in Bihar have gained ground in recent weeks, driven by serious apprehensions about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ordered by the Election Commission (EC). • Critics allege that the SIR is being used as a tool for mass deletion of voter names, disproportionately affecting the poor, minorities and migrants. Reports of a lack of transparency in verification processes have fuelled public distrust. While concerns about electoral integrity must be addressed seriously — and urgently — by the EC, the call for a boycott as a political response deserves deeper scrutiny. • India, too, has witnessed its share of election boycotts — Punjab's 1992 assembly elections, for example. With the Shiromani Akali Dal boycotting, turnout plunged to as low as 13 per cent in some districts, and Beant Singh won on the votes of a tiny fraction of the electorate. The boycott handed Congress an easy victory and left democracy poorer for the lack of real competition. Do You Know: • The nomenclature 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) indicates that the ECI is exercising its discretionary powers under Section 21(3) of the 1950 law, which permits it to revise electoral rolls 'in such manner as it thinks fit'. For this exercise, the ECI has adopted a hybrid approach — combining door-to-door field verification that is characteristic of an intensive revision with elements of a summary revision, such as the reliance on existing electoral rolls to distribute enumeration forms. • According to the EC's June 24 order, all electors of Bihar had to submit enumeration forms by July 25 to make it to the draft roll to be published on August 1. From August 1 to September 1, the electors would have to submit documents, from a list of 11 specified by the EC in its order, to establish their eligibility. These documents would then be scrutinised and the final roll published on September 30, as per the schedule. • For those on the 2003 electoral roll, when the last intensive revision was done, the EC order says the extract of the roll would do. The 11 documents include caste certificate, matriculation/ educational certificate, passport and birth certificate, but not the widely held Aadhaar, Voter ID and ration card. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Bihar special roll revision: Volunteers will help electors get govt documents, says EC Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme: 📍Examine the need for electoral reforms as suggested by various committees with particular reference to 'one nation – one election' principle. (2024) Nuclear dialogue, sans politics Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations. What's the ongoing story: Arun Prakash Writes: Since 1998, the Subcontinent has seen a few sporadic attempts at evolving confidence-building measures and nuclear risk reduction measures. But these are not enough, and a sustained dialogue is essential. Key Points to Ponder: • The 1999 Lahore MoU primarily aims what? • According to the article, what is described as not enough without sustained dialogue? • How the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima serves as a platform to reassess nuclear norms and risk in the Indo Pacific region, especially post Operation Sindoor? • 'Sustained dialogue is essential in the nuclear domain for South Asia'-discuss • How does the role of historical memory and symbolic anniversaries like Hiroshima's influences modern nuclear policy discourse in India? • In light of the article, how can renewed nuclear conversations contribute to preventing escalation in future India Pakistan crises? Key Takeaways: Arun Prakash Writes: • Lost in the thrust and parry of the parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor were PM Narendra Modi's several references to Pakistan's 'nuclear threats' and 'nuclear blackmail'. They reflected a deliberate articulation of India's more assertive security doctrine, representing a calculated move to redefine the deterrence equation in South Asia. That India is prepared to act against terrorism regardless of Pakistan's 'nuclear bluff' is ostensibly intended to enhance India's deterrent credibility. • The three-way China-India-Pakistan nuclear relationship has created a complex web of interlocking deterrence. All three countries are modernising and expanding their nuclear arsenals and delivery systems. • Given the lack of transparency regarding nuclear arsenals and doctrines, and a marked reluctance to engage in a dialogue on measures to mitigate nuclear risk, the ongoing arms race can further destabilise the region, especially in a crisis such as Pahalgam. • August 6, the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, was a reminder of the horrors of a nuclear holocaust. We need to focus on the management of this complex dynamic and on the prevention of accidental or intentional escalation. • Since 1998, the Subcontinent has seen a few sporadic attempts at evolving confidence-building measures and nuclear risk reduction measures (NRRMs), including the 1999 Lahore MoU on measures to prevent accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons, the 2005 Agreement on Pre-Notification of Missile Tests, and the 2007 Agreement to Reduce Nuclear Risks. But these are not enough, and a sustained dialogue is essential. • In the context of NRRMs, serious note needs to be taken of media reports citing open-source intelligence that during Operation Sindoor, some of the Indian missiles that targeted Mushaf air base in Pakistan's Sargodha region and the Nur Khan air base near Rawalpindi had impacted in the close vicinity of either nuclear warhead storages or Pakistan's nuclear command and control nodes. Do You Know: • Hiroshima Day, observed on August 6 every year, marks the tragic anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city, Hiroshima, by the United States during World War II in 1945. • The bombing had been carried out by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, nicknamed 'Little Boy', which exploded about 600 metres above Hiroshima, releasing an intense blast wave, high temperatures and lethal radiation, fatally killing an estimated 70,000-80,000 people instantly and about tens of thousands more dying from injuries and radiation exposure. • The city's infrastructure was destroyed, and survivors, known as Hibakusha, experienced long-term health problems and significant psychological trauma. • This year, in 2025, the day marks its 80th anniversary and will be observed on Wednesday, August 8 with this anniversary considered the last milestone event for many of them, as the number of survivors is rapidly declining, and their average age is now exceeding 86. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Hiroshima Day 2025: Date, history, significance — all you need to know 📍Man survived Hiroshima bombing, took a train out of the city, survived Nagasaki as well; James Cameron is going to make a movie on him EXPLAINED Rise of the herbicides Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers. What's the ongoing story: Crop protection chemicals are commonly known as 'pesticides'. These are basically substances sprayed on crops to protect against insects ('pests') that cause damage, whether directly (by feeding on them) or indirectly (by transmitting disease). Key Points to Ponder: • What is herbicide? • What is the difference between a herbicide and a pesticide? • What is cited as the primary reason for the rising demand for herbicides in India? • Which two pesticide categories are losing market growth momentum compared to herbicides? • What traditional agricultural practice's decline is influencing herbicide demand? • What is the implication of switching to herbicides in terms of labour dynamics on Indian farms? • Know the socio-economic consequences of reduced demand for manual weeding in Indian agriculture. Key Takeaways: • India's organised domestic crop protection chemicals market is valued at roughly Rs 24,500 crore. • Take the white-backed plant hopper, a pest that both feeds on rice plants and also spreads the Fiji virus disease, resulting in their stunted growth. This 'dwarfing' disease has been reported by many paddy farmers in Punjab and Haryana during the current kharif growing season. The vector insect here injects the virus while sucking the sap from mostly young plants. • But crop protection chemicals aren't limited to insecticides. They also include fungicides (to control fungal diseases such as blast and sheath blight in rice or powdery mildew and rusts in wheat) and herbicides (to kill or inhibit the growth of weeds). • The largest segment within that is insecticides (Rs 10,700 crore), followed by herbicides (Rs 8,200 crore) and fungicides (Rs 5,600 crore). As the accompanying chart shows, it is the market for herbicides that's growing at the highest rate – over 10% annually. • Much of that is controlled by multinational companies: Bayer AG (which has an estimated 15% market share), Syngenta (12%), ADAMA (10%), Corteva Agriscience (7%) and Sumitomo Chemical (6%). While Bayer is German, Corteva is from the US and Sumitomo is Japanese, the Basel (Switzerland) and Ashdod (Israel)-headquartered Syngenta and ADAMA respectively are both owned by the Chinese state-owned Sinochem Holdings Corporation. • However, the herbicide segment has Indian players, too, such as Dhanuka Agritech (estimated 6% share) and Crystal Crop Protection Ltd (CCPL: 4%). CCPL recently purchased the rights to Ethoxysulfuron, a herbicide used against broad-leaved weeds and sedges in rice and sugarcane, from Bayer AG for sales in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries. • The deal, announced in January 2025, also covered the latter's 'Sunrice' trademark for mixture products containing this active ingredient. Earlier, in December 2023, CCPL had acquired 'Gramoxone', a broad-spectrum herbicide containing the active ingredient Paraquat, from Syngenta for sale in India. Do You Know: • Weeds, unlike insect pests and disease-causing pathogens, don't directly damage or destroy crops. Instead, they compete with them for nutrients, water and sunlight. Yield losses happen because the crops are deprived of these essential resources. Besides growing at their expense, weeds sometimes even harbour pests and pathogens inflicting further harm. • Weed control has traditionally been through manual removal by hand or simple lightweight short-handled tools with flat blades such as khurpi. There are also power weeders with 3-10 horsepower engine capacity that can be run between rows of standing crops to remove weeds in and around those spaces. • Farmers generally spray insecticides and fungicides only when they physical observe and assess the pest population or disease incidence to be significant enough to impact crop yield and quality/marketability. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Biostimulants that aid plant growth, now under the Centre's scrutiny Why Sylheti, spoken by millions in Northeast, is not a 'Bangladeshi language' 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: Amid a roiling controversy triggered by a Delhi Police letter seemingly referring to Bengali as the 'Bangladeshi national language,' a social media post by BJP leader Amit Malviya has sparked an outcry in Assam's Barak Valley. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Sylheti? • What is the history of its speakers? • Which unique script is historically associated with Sylheti, though termed 'esoteric' by some scholars? • The article highlights that Sylheti is spoken in Assam's Barak Valley and which two other Indian regions? • What is the role of mutual intelligibility in determining whether Sylheti is a language or a dialect? • Know the sociolinguistic status of Sylheti vis-à-vis Standard Bengali within Bangladesh. • Why have Malviya's comments touched a raw nerve in Assam? Key Takeaways: • In his defence of the letter, Malviya claimed it was referring to 'a set of dialects, syntax, and speech patterns that are distinctly different from the Bangla spoken in India', and gave the example of 'Sylhelti' as being 'nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis'. • Sylheti is spoken on both sides of the border, in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh as well as the Barak Valley Division of southern Assam. There is also a sizable presence of Sylheti-speakers in neighbouring Meghalaya and Tripura. • The primary argument for referring to Sylheti as a dialect of Bengali — and not a language in its own right — is mutual intelligibility, that is, speakers of both tongues understand each other. However, there is scholarly disagreement on the matter. • 'The claim of mutual intelligibility by some speakers of both Sylheti and Bengali may be more an effect of the speakers' exposure to both languages,' linguists Candide Simard, Sarah M Dopierala, and E Marie Thaut wrote in their paper 'Introducing the Sylheti language and its speakers' (2020). • 'Sylheti-speaking areas of Bangladesh and India are characterised by diglossia, where standard Bengali is the language of education and literacy and Sylheti is the vernacular variety used in everyday interactions,' the linguists wrote. • Speakers on both sides of the border nonetheless have a strong affinity to the Bengali language, and often identify as Bengali themselves. Do You Know: • Tapodhir Bhattacharjee, a former vice-chancellor of Assam University Silchar and a Bengali literary theorist, said that the primary difference between the Sylheti dialect and standardised Bengali is phonetic, while the two are almost identical in morphology and syntax. • While Bhattacharjee recognises that there was once a Sylhet-Nagri script — the existence of a unique system of writing is often seen as a marker of a language — he refers to it as an 'esoteric script'. • Historian Ashfaque Hossain refers to Sylhet as historically being 'a frontier of Bengal'. • The present-day Sylhet Division in Bangladesh, comprising the districts of Habibganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, and Moulvibazar, was made a part of Assam soon after it was split from Bengal in 1874. • Geographically contiguous with Cachar in the Bengali-majority Barak Valley, between 1874 and 1947, Sylhet witnessed a sustained churn over the question of whether it should be a part of Assam or Bengal. 'On one side, this was a matter of Bengali versus Assamese, and on the other, Hindu versus Muslim,' Hossain wrote. • Historian Anindita Dasgupta wrote in 'Remembering Sylhet: A Forgotten Story of India's 1947 Partition', '… the Hindus of Sylhet demanded for a return to the more 'advanced' Bengal, whereas the Muslims by and large preferred to remain in Assam where its leaders, along with the Assamese Muslims, found a more powerful political voice…' • The story of Sylheti migration to parts of present-day Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura, however, is even older. Dasgupta wrote about 'Sylheti Hindu bhodrolok' who were 'economic migrants' across the region. • Malviya's claim of the dialect being 'a shorthand for the linguistic markers used to profile illegal immigrants from Bangladesh' has thus drawn strong reactions not only from the BJP's political opponents in the Barak Valley but from within the party. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Letter from Delhi Police refers to Bangla as 'Bangladeshi language', TMC demands apology For any queries and feedback, contact 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. 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 ... Read More
