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UPSC Key: Battery technology, Illegal immigration and Purchasing Power Parity

UPSC Key: Battery technology, Illegal immigration and Purchasing Power Parity

Indian Express2 days ago

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for May 29, 2025. If you missed the May 28, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here
FRONT PAGE
In last 6 months, at least 770 from Delhi alone deported to Bangladesh as part of crackdown
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: In just about a month since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 people, Delhi Police has, in a concerted capital-wide drive, identified 470 people as illegal Bangladeshi migrants and another 50 as foreigners who have overstayed, air-lifted them from Hindon air base to Agartala in Tripura, and deported them via the land border to Bangladesh.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the meaning of illegal immigration?
• What does deportation mean?
• Analyse the security implications of illegal immigration in India.
• Who are migrants?
• What data on migration says?
• What are the Push and Pull factors of migration?
• What can be the implications of the India deporting illegal immigrants?
• Discuss the potential reasons behind the Govt of India's decision to deporting illegal immigrants?
Key Takeaways:
• A Delhi Police officer said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had directed them late last year to undertake a verification exercise to identify and detain illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya.
• Between November 15, 2024, and April 20, 2025, around 220 illegal migrants and 30 overstaying foreigners were caught by Delhi Police, data available with the MHA shows. They were handed over to the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO), taken by rail and road to eastern states, and sent to Bangladesh via land borders.
• But after Pahalgam, there has been some urgency. 'Over the last one month, around 3-4 special flights went from the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad to Agartala to drop all illegal migrants,' a police officer said. Cumulatively, over the last six months, about 700 illegals have been sent back to Bangladesh, he said.
• Initially, directions were given to Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) of all 15 districts to conduct verification drives and detain illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya. 'Then, a team of the first battalion of Delhi Police and FRRO officials travelled via trains taking the detained illegal migrants to West Bengal. They then took the bus and handed over all illegal migrants to the Border Security Force (BSF), and finally deported them to Bangladesh,' a source aware of the operations said.
Do You Know:
• States HAD been given 30 days to verify credentials of suspected illegals from Bangladesh and Myanmar. If the documents were not verified, these people were to be deported. Now, new MHA instructions are to plug loopholes in grant of identification papers.
• After the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the Union Home Ministry is learnt to have asked Delhi Police to intensify detection and deport all illegal migrants at the earliest. 'Around five makeshift holding centres were built by Delhi Police; they were told to coordinate with the FRRO, and drop the illegal migrants in a special plane to Agartala airport and West Bengal,' the source said.
• According to data with the MHA, of the 34,265 people suspected to be illegal Bangladeshi migrants and reviewed by Delhi Police, documents of 33,217 people were found to be genuine. Document verification of 278 people is still under process.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Scan databases before giving IDs: Govt to states
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
📍'Refugees should not be turned back to the country where they would face persecution or human right violation'. Examine the statement with reference to the ethical dimension being violated by the nation claiming to be democratic with open society. (2021)
GOVT & POLITICS
Centre fixes MSP for 14 kharif crops, most hike for ragi, jowar
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination: General Studies III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices
What's the ongoing story: The Centre Wednesday announced minimum support prices (MSP) for 14 crops for the 2025-26 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), with moong seeing the lowest and ragi the highest increase. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Key Points to Ponder:
• MSP (minimum support price) and effectiveness of MSP implementation-discuss
• Which are the Crops Covered under MSP?
• Kharif and Rabi Crops-Compare and Contrast
• What is the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)?
• How does Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) benefit farmers?
• What are the key features of Modified Interest Subvention Scheme?
• How MSP is calculated (paid out costs, labour etc.) and Crops covered under the MSP
• The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP)-Know in Detail
• The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) and Minimum support prices (MSP)-Connect the dots
• How Government fix MSPs of crops before every planting season?
• What are the demands by Farmers in the context of MSP in the recent scenario?
• 'Right to MSP'-is it possible to implement and if not, then what are the issues and Challenges?
Key Takeaways:
• In percentage terms, ragi recorded a maximum hike of 13.89 per cent to Rs 4,886 per quintal in KMS 2025-26 as against Rs 4,290 per quintal in the last season. Like ragi, another millet crop, jowar also saw almost a double-digit hike in percentage terms in its MSP.
• The MSP of jowar (hybrid) and jowar (Maldandi) has been fixed at Rs 3,699 and Rs 3,749 per quintal, respectively, which is almost 10 per cent higher as compared to the last Kharif season. The MSP of bajra has been fixed at Rs 2,775 per quintal, which is 5.71 per cent higher compared to the last season's Rs 2,625 per quintal.
• In recent years, the government has been promoting millet crops, including ragi and jowar, and has declared them as Shree Anna. Ragi accounts for just 0.51 per cent of the gross cropped area of the country and is mainly grown in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Major jowar producing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
• Moong, a pulse crop, saw the lowest hike of just 0.99 per cent—to Rs 8,768 per quintal in KMS 2025-26 from Rs 8,682 per quintal during the last season. Moong is grown in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
• Like moong, paddy has also seen a low hike in MSP. The MSP for paddy (common) and paddy (Grade A) has been fixed at Rs 2,369 and 2,389 per quintal, respectively, which is just 3 per cent higher compared to the last season. The reason for the low hike in MSP for paddy is that the government has record stock of rice in the Central Pool.
• In a separate decision, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the continuation of the Interest Subvention (IS) component under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) for the financial year 2025-26, and approved the required fund arrangements. Under MISS, short-term credit is provided to farmers at an 'affordable interest rate' through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC). 'No changes have been proposed in the structure or other components of the scheme,' said an official statement.
Do You Know:
• The concept of Minimum Support Price (MSPs) was first proposed throughout the 1960s. The government declares minimum support prices for a total of 23 crops throughout each farming season. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for a commodity refers to the price at which the government is obligated to purchase the produce from farmers in the event that the market price falls below this threshold. Consequently, Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) serve as a baseline for market prices, guaranteeing that farmers obtain a specific minimum compensation to cover their cultivation expenses and potentially generate some profit. The Minimum Support Price (MSPs) fulfil an additional policy objective. By utilising these measures, the government provides incentives for the cultivation of specific crops, thus assuring the maintenance of an adequate supply of essential food grains in India.
• In general, Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) have a significant influence on determining the price standards for agricultural products, extending beyond the specific commodities for which they are officially declared. The announcement of Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) is determined by the Union government, hence signifying that it is a decision made by the government. However, the government mostly relies on the recommendations put out by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) when making its decisions.
• While recommending MSPs, the CACP looks at the following factors:
— The demand and supply of a commodity;
— Its cost of production;
— The market price trends (both domestic and international);
— Inter-crop price parity;
— The terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture (that is, the ratio of prices of farm inputs and farm outputs);
— A minimum of 50 per cent as the margin over the cost of production; and
— The likely implications of an MSP on consumers of that product.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍A GOLDILOCKS MOMENT
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. Consider the following crops:
1. Cotton
2. Groundnut
3. Rice
4. Wheat
Which of these are Kharif crops?
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 2, 3 and 4
2. Which of the following factors/policies were affecting the price of rice in India in the recent past? (UPSC GS1, 2020)
(1) Minimum Support Price
(2) Government's trading
(3) Government's stockpiling
(4) Consumer subsidies
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
THE IDEAS PAGE
Good news in single digits
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies I: Poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• General Studies II: Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
What's the ongoing story: C Rangarajan and S. Mahendra Dev writes: Our analysis shows that most of the poor are concentrated around the poverty line — this makes poverty more manageable.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Poverty?
• How poverty is defined by different international institutions??
• What has the Multidimensional Poverty Index stated about India's poverty levels?
• Classifications of poverty-Know in Detail
• Poverty estimation in India-How Poverty is defined in India?
• Alagh Committee (1979) Lakdawala Committee (1993), Tendulkar Committee (2009), Rangarajan committee (2012) and their poverty estimation.
• What do you understand by the term 'head-count ratio'?
• What do understand by Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) and Government Final Consumption Expenditure (GFCE)?
• What is poverty line basket?
• What does the basket of goods include?
• Poverty Alleviation Programs in India by Government of India
• What is the current 'level' of poverty in India?
• Why are poverty numbers important?
• What is the household expenditure and consumption survey?
• Who releases the household consumption expenditure survey?
• Which committee recommended monthly per capita consumption expenditure?
• Pre-Independence Poverty Estimation vs Post- Independence Poverty Estimation-What changed?
• The erstwhile Planning Commission formed a number of expert groups to determine the number
Key Takeaways:
C Rangarajan and S. Mahendra Dev writes:
• The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey for 2022-23 and the 2023-24 reports by the National Statistics Office (NSO) enable us to arrive at estimates of poverty and inequality for recent years. Several researchers have drawn up estimates using the 2022-23 survey. Very few have, however, used the 2023-24 survey. We look at trends in head count ratio, the depth of poverty and trends in inequality from 2011-12 to 2023-24.
• The poverty lines (monthly per capita consumption expenditure) based on the methodology of the Rangarajan Committee for rural areas are Rs 972 in 2011-12, Rs. 1,837 in 2022-23 and Rs 1,940 in 2023-24. The poverty lines for urban areas are Rs1,407 in 2011-12, Rs 2,603 in 2022-23 and Rs 2,736 in 2023-24. In other words, for a family of five living in an urban area, the poverty line in 2023-24 will be Rs 13,680. The estimated total (rural and urban) poverty ratios declined from 29.5 per cent in 2011-12 to 9.5 per cent in 2022-23 and to 4.9 per cent in 2023-24. Poverty declined significantly between 2011-12 and 2023-24 (2.05 percentage points per annum), though the rate of decline was slightly less compared to the period 2004-05 to 2011-12 (2.2 percentage points per annum).
• The World Bank recently released a Poverty & Equity Brief for over 100 developing countries. It says India has significantly reduced poverty over the past decade. Extreme poverty (living on less than $2.15 per day in purchasing power parity terms) declined from 16.2 per cent in 2011-12 to 2.3 per cent in 2022-23 — more than 170 million were lifted above conditions of extreme poverty in this period. The number of people below the poverty line criteria for lower-middle-income countries — $3.65 per day — fell from 61.8 per cent to 28.1 per cent.
• Poverty declined significantly between 2022-23 to 2023-24. In a year, it fell from 9.5 per cent to 4.9 per cent. What can this achievement be attributed to? Poverty is determined by factors such as GDP growth, prices and safety nets. GDP growth increased from 7.6 per cent in 2022-23 to 9.2 per cent in 2023-24 — an increase of 1.6 percentage points in one year.
• The head count ratio is criticised on the ground that it does not measure the 'depth' of poverty. It is seen, however, that more than 50
per cent of the poor lie between the third and fourth quarter of the poverty line. This is true for both the years — 2011-12 and 2022-23. In fact, in 2022-23, 56 per cent of the rural poor and total poor fall in this segment. In a similar vein, a large section of the non-poor are just above the poverty line — between 115 and 125 per cent of this yardstick.
Do You Know:
• Poverty can be defined as a condition in which an individual or household lacks the financial resources to afford a basic minimum standard of living. Economists and policymakers estimate 'absolute' poverty as the shortfall in consumption expenditure from a threshold called the 'poverty line'. The official poverty line is the expenditure incurred to obtain the goods in a 'poverty line basket' (PLB). Poverty can be measured in terms of the number of people living below this line (with the incidence of poverty expressed as the head count ratio). The 'depth' of poverty indicates how far the poor are below the poverty line.
• Six official committees have so far estimated the number of people living in poverty in India — the working group of 1962; V N Dandekar and N Rath in 1971; Y K Alagh in 1979; D T Lakdawala in 1993; Suresh Tendulkar in 2009; and C Rangarajan in 2014. The government did not take a call on the report of the Rangarajan Committee.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Poverty debates in India
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3. As per the NSSO 70th Round 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households', consider the following statements: (2018)
1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
4. In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because (2019)
(a) poverty rates vary from State to State
(b) price levels vary from State to State
(c) Gross State Product varies from State to State
(d) quality of public distribution varies from State to State
ECONOMY
Indian players double down on Na-ion chemistry as China tightens Li-ion stranglehold
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
What's the ongoing story: A super-fast charging sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery that can charge up to 80 per cent in just six minutes and claims to last over 3,000 charge cycles, nearly comparable with the more ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries. This is a breakthrough claimed by a research team at the Bengaluru-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is a sodium-ion battery?
• What is a lithium-ion battery?
• Sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery and lithium-ion battery-compare and contrast
• What are the advantages is associated with sodium-ion batteries over lithium-ion batteries?
• Which metal is a critical component in sodium-ion battery cathodes?
• Why is India focusing on sodium-ion battery technology?
• Lithium reserves in India are largely found in which states?
• Know the strategic importance of sodium-ion battery technology for India's energy and industrial security.
Key Takeaways:
• Beijing controls the global lithium-ion battery supply chain as well as the world's lithium refining capacity used for battery storage and electric cars, and now has two of the biggest li-ion battery makers — CATL and BYD.
• Developed by a JNCASR team led by Prof. Premkumar Senguttuvan and Ph.D. scholar Biplab Patra, the new battery is based on a 'NASICON-type' chemistry, a class of polyanionic materials with a known structure in electrochemical materials, but with a significantly enhanced performance claim using novel material engineering. Unlike conventional sodium-ion batteries that suffer from sluggish charging and short lifespans, this new battery uses a smart mix of chemistry and nanotechnology to demonstrate a significantly lower charge time and more charge cycles.
• There is more promising work in the sodium ion battery tech that is happening in India. In February this year, Pune-based KPIT Technologies and Trentar Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd, a company targeting the electrical mobility and energy storage space, announced a collaboration on sodium-ion battery technology.
• While lithium is the more common element being used in rechargeable battery manufacturing, the stranglehold of China in this sector is a cause for worry, especially given Beijing's willingness to weaponise its dominance over particular technologies. Its Li-ion dominance notwithstanding, Chinese companies are also stepping up their play in the sodium ion chemistry. CATL, the world's biggest battery maker that supplies Li-ion batteries to Tesla and GM, has said it will mass-produce by the end of 2025 its patented 'Naxtra' sodium-ion battery packs that would enable an electric vehicle to travel up to 500 km on a single charge.
Do You Know:
• Given that lithium-ion batteries are made of scarce and expensive elements such as cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium, technology companies worldwide have been looking for alternatives. Sodium offers multiple advantages: it is way more abundant than lithium and can be extracted from seawater at relatively lower costs, unlike lithium, where availability is concentrated in a few countries and mining includes hard-rock excavations in regions other than the Li-triangle comprising Argentina, Bolivia and Chile; and sodium is more environmentally friendly and can be transported at zero volt, making it safer, unlike lithium, which is less environmentally friendly and must be always stored with a minimum charge, increasing fire risks.
• Also, a sodium-ion battery uses aluminum, which is cheaper than copper used in the lithium-ion battery tech. Sodium-ion batteries also have a higher operating temperature range and are hence safer, given that these can be used in more extreme temperatures without the risk of thermal runaway.
• But the sodium chemistry has its problems too: given that this battery technology is still in its nascent stage, and very few companies operate in this segment, leading to higher costs. Sodium-ion based batteries have limitations of flexibility as they cannot be turned into various shapes like prismatic, cylindrical, and these are less energy dense and have less storage capacity compared to lithium-based batteries. Sodium-ion batteries also typically have a much lower cycle life as compared to the cycle life of commercial lithium iron phosphate batteries, which could be upwards of 8,000 times.
• The team at JNCASR engineered a novel material for the anode and optimised it in three critical ways — shrinking the particles to nanoscale, wrapping them in a thin carbon coat, and improving the anode material by adding a small amount of aluminium. These tweaks,the scientists say, made sodium ions move faster and more safely, enabling both speed and durability.
• Beyond just cost, these sodium-ion batteries could potentially power everything from electric vehicles and solar grids to drones and rural homes, making clean energy accessible where it's needed the most, a Department of Science and Technology statement said. The technology has been tested and validated through high-end methods, including electrochemical cycling and quantum simulations. What makes it especially exciting is that it not only supports rapid charging but also avoids the fire and degradation risks of traditional batteries.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍India's foray into the EV battery market lacks some key ingredients
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements: (2025)
I. Cobalt
II. Graphite
III. Lithium
IV. Nickel
How many of the above usually make up battery cathodes?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four
EXPLAINED
Size of economy: India vs others
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
What's the ongoing story: Recently, Niti Aayog CEO declared that India had overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The IMF in its recent WEO report said what?
• As per recent IMF data, India has become the world's fourth-largest economy by surpassing which country?
• What is India's nominal GDP as projected for 2025 (FY26)?
• The term 'nominal GDP' refers to what?
• India's position as the third-largest economy in the world is based on what measures?
• What does the term 'Purchasing Power Parity' signify in economic terms?
• Why India's PPP GDP is higher than its nominal GDP?
• Why is India ranked as the third-largest economy globally under the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) model?
• Distinguish between nominal GDP and PPP-adjusted GDP.
• Discuss the significance of India surpassing Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy.
Key Takeaways:
• Over the weekend Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam declared that India had overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world. He based this claim on data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• This claim reportedly led to two fairly divergent reactions.
—First, a wave of self-congratulation among Indians who take this particular detail as a clinching argument that the government of the day has brought about a fundamental improvement in India's economy.
—Second, an examination of the claim and a counter-assertion, again based on IMF data, that India is still the fifth-largest economy, not the fourth.
• India is the third largest economy in the world, and, the fact is, it has been that way since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led UPA days. CHART 1 India's GDP (dark green line) breaking away from the rest of the bunch. India became the third largest economy in 2009, when it, curiously enough, overtook Japan.
• There is one more pertinent break in this chart: It comes in 2016 when China overtakes the US as the largest economy in the world. The year 2016 is crucial as it was the year when the US first elected Donald Trump and what has followed since is a dedicated US policy to contain China's growing economic might not just under Trump but also under President Biden.
Do You Know:
• In nominal GDP terms (CHART 2), the Indian economy has made giant strides in overtaking some of the biggest economies. Of course, the Indian economy gets the credit for growing at around 6% to 7% on an average since 2004.
But to get a complete picture one must also look at the trajectory of the economies India has overtaken or is in the process of overtaking.
Barring the US and China, almost all western developed economies largely stagnated since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Japan is an extreme case: Its annual GDP in 2025 is projected to be lower than what it was in 1995 — 30 years ago.
It is much easier for any government to claim credit on nominal GDP terms. But in PPP terms, even though India has improved in its level over the years, its rank or relative position has not changed.
India was the third largest economy long before the current government took charge. Using the PPP metric affords no political mileage.
• If Indians look beyond petty points-scoring across the political divide, it will become clear that the Indian economy has a long, long way to go before even attempting to fake prosperity.
CHART 3 brings this out by mapping the per capita nominal GDP.
India overtook the UK in 2021 in aggregate nominal GDP terms but look at what has happened to per capita GDP.
In 2021, India's nominal per capita GDP was $2,250 and UK's per capita GDP was $46,115 — that's more than 20 times India's.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Cultivating a global farm
For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
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Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives.
Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing.
Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA).
Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level.
Qualification, Degrees / other achievements:
Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
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  • Time of India

Indian-American Congressman criticises Trump administration's freeze on student visa interviews

Live Events Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has criticized the Trump administration 's decision to freeze student visa interviews and consider strict social media screening for international students . He called it a "reckless decision" that could damage the country's economy and national security, as per a report by The Times of also said that shutting international students out is a "strategic blunder" that weakens US global competitiveness. "I strongly oppose the Trump Administration's reckless decision to freeze new student visa interviews and consider sweeping, undefined social media vetting for international students. International students help drive cutting-edge research, fuel our universities, and build the industries of tomorrow," said Krishnamoorthi to TOI."These young people are not only scholars and innovators—they are vital to America's economic strength and national security. By developing the next generation of technologies and the good-paying jobs that come with them, they help ensure the United States remains a global leader," he remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new visa interviews for student applicants. The Trump administration is also considering requiring students to undergo expanded vetting of their social media activity.(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)In a separate move, Trump suggested that Harvard University should cap the number of foreign students it admits at 15 percent. He claimed that the current figure, around 31 percent, includes students from "very radicalised" regions.(With inputs from TOI)

India Air Chief's comments on delays in major defence projects call for introspection on issues plaguing manufacturing
India Air Chief's comments on delays in major defence projects call for introspection on issues plaguing manufacturing

Indian Express

time36 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

India Air Chief's comments on delays in major defence projects call for introspection on issues plaguing manufacturing

Speaking on May 29 at the CII's Annual Business Summit in his first public interaction post-Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh made several pertinent points about the Indian defence industry. Pointing at perennial delays in every major defence project, he questioned why those involved in developing military hardware, particularly fighter jets, 'promise something which can't be achieved'. Admitting that, although the Indian Air Force (IAF) had been reliant on imported aerial platforms, 'atmanirbharta' was now an imperative. Pointing at the cruciality of air power in contemporary warfare and expeditionary missions, he called upon the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the private sector to take up the challenge. Quoting Winston Churchill, he asked the private sector '…to do a very special thing…(in what could be) their finest hour', invest at least 10 per cent of earnings in R&D, start designing and developing in India, and importantly, honour the contractual commitments given to the Armed Forces. There are a number of reasons why we have lagged in fielding hi-tech weapon systems. First, modern fighter aircraft are complex platforms and require seamless integration and smooth, synergistic functioning of a number of high-performance, cutting-edge technologies. These include incredibly efficient, strong, lightweight, modern jet engines capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, giving high power, great speed, as well as manoeuvrability. This requires advanced metallurgy (including single crystal technology, which just a few nations possess) and tight advanced manufacturing processes. The aircraft must also incorporate 'stealth' to some extent or the other, meaning it should present as small a radar cross-section as possible. This is achieved through an intricate blend of various materials, shapes, and radar-absorbing technologies. The airframe must be strong, manoeuvrable, yet stable. Its avionics, computing, navigation and flight control systems must maximise assistance to the pilot in his mission, while the systems on board should be fully integrated with the various weapons (missiles, guns, guided bombs, etc) for precision delivery. Thereafter, the entire platform must perform flawlessly in an environment replete with radars and anti-aircraft weapons of diverse types. In sum, the complexity of a modern fighter aircraft cannot be overstated, and its indigenous production is directly contingent not only on the availability of cutting-edge/emergent technologies but also on an advanced military-industrial complex. There are four requisites for developing and/or obtaining cutting-edge, future-ready technologies. First, obtain technology through transfer. No original equipment manufacturer/country will transfer technology in which it invested decades of R&D efforts and tons of money to rectify flaws and to finally derive that refined, efficient military platform unless paid huge offsetting amounts. Yet, rather than start R&D from scratch, some cutting-edge technologies should be bought, imbibed and assimilated internally, and then utilised as a threshold point from where to take off. Second, institutions of higher education that produce innovation as well as cerebral, highly-skilled alumni. For this, these institutions should be liberal and free-thinking, not weighed down by political/religious ideologies, and staffed with good faculty. Speaking at the Delhi School of Economics' Diamond Jubilee in August 2014, Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, had, inter alia, advised that India's education system must be revamped. Yet, the NEP notwithstanding, our education system and curriculum remain archaic. The National Employability Report Engineers Annual Report 2019 stated that a large percentage of engineers did not possess enough skills to work in IT companies. The government's Economic Survey 2024 opines that only 51.25 per cent of India's graduates are deemed employable, pointing at a wide chasm in skills required for the 21st century. Third, provide adequate R&D funding. In 2023, the US spent approximately $784 billion on R&D, China $723 billion, Japan $184 billion, Germany $132 billion, the UK $88 billion, and India $71 billion. Companies like Huawei of China and Apple of US spend billions of dollars on research. In contrast, most Indian industries, operating on thin margins, are faced with a Hobson's choice of maximising profits, expanding into new fields or investing in R&D. They thus need credible R&D funding from the government. Fourth, an advanced, civil-military industrial base. While India has many islands of tech-industrial excellence, for indigenous production of a system as complex as a fighter aircraft, the derived innovations/technologies need to be further developed and then coalesced within an advanced military-industrial base comprising many disciplines with technological cross-overs within those industries. China's state-supported civil-military integration model merits a study in this regard. The critical role of educational institutions, R&D funding and an advanced industrial base in the development of emergent/future-ready technologies is evident from just two reports. One, the 2021 report by the Office of the US Under Secretary of Defence entitled 'A 21st Century Defence Industrial Strategy for America'. This outlines how the US's edge in innovation and manufacturing has declined since the end of the Cold War on account of decreasing innovation, a decline in educational institutions, a paucity of skilled workers, low R&D investments in high-tech, etc. This tends to validate the claim made to the South China Morning Post in October 2024 by Lu Yongxiang, former vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of expert advisory board for 'Made in China 2025', that China will overtake the US in hi-tech and advanced military manufacturing within a decade as 'overall, the decline of the US manufacturing industry ….become an irreversible trend.' The second is the July 2023 National Security Scorecard by commercial data company Govini. It evaluated 12 technologies critical to national security and found that in all 12, 'the USA is falling behind China in the core science.' Another reason is that militaries, being large, complex organisations and required to function in high-stakes environments with order, efficiency, and coordination, are often very bureaucratic. This stifles innovation and change by promoting a culture of conformity while emphasising adherence to established norms. General Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Eric Schmidt, chairman Special Competitive Studies Project, outline in Foreign Affairs (September/October 2024) 'America isn't Ready for Wars of the Future' because it persists with legacy structures, platforms and doctrines, but has yet to incorporate autonomous weapons, military AI, drones, etc. Nearer home, the US began using armed drones (for example, the Predator, Reaper) from 2002 onwards to kill militants/terrorists in Pakistan's west — yet, it took nearly 18 years, that is, the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan war, for us to truly appreciate and situate the role of UCAVs in modern warfare. While DRDO picks up some of the best technical brains from India's universities, merely knowing science doesn't automatically translate into advanced, military sub-systems/systems. To truly understand, develop and manufacture such systems, the DRDO also needs scientifically-qualified military personnel with immense combat experience. In contrast, the Indian Navy's in-house WESEE (Weapons & Electronic Systems Engineering Establishment) has achieved far greater technological success and self-reliance. Perhaps, the IAF too needs to look at a WESEE kind of set-up which cooperates comprehensively with the private sector. Presently, the IAF operates 31 combat squadrons against an authorised strength of 42 squadrons, with the 36 4.5-generation Rafale being the most advanced combat jets in its inventory. The air power deficit stands aggravated by an ageing fleet and delays in key indigenous projects, particularly the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-2, at a time when China already has two variants of fifth-generation fighters in service and is trialling two new sixth-generation fighters, and Pakistan is fast-tracking acquisition of 40 Chinese J-35 stealth fighters. Speaking at the same event as the Air Chief, the DRDO chief Samir Kamat stated that the first prototype of India's indigenous, fifth-generation AMCA will be rolled out by late 2029, with five out by 2031. The words of the Air Chief, therefore, merit attention. It remains to be seen how we refine our education system, inspire innovation, and develop a military-industrial base with coherent manufacturing strategies that function under an empowered bureaucracy with de facto policymaking capabilities, but bereft of political meddling. The writer is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army

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