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UPSC Key: Rio de Janeiro Declaration, Captive Elephant Database Project and Agentic AI

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for July 7, 2025. If you missed the July 6, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE BRICS leaders condemn J&K attack: On terror, zero tolerance 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: In a declaration adopted at the ongoing summit in Rio de Janeiro late on Sunday night, the BRICS leaders condemned the Pahalgam terror attack 'in the strongest terms', and called for 'combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens'. Key Points to Ponder: • BRICS 2025-what are the key takeaways? • Rio de Janeiro Declaration-what are the key highlights? • The Prime Minister of India put forward four key suggestions to enhance cooperation among BRICS nations-what are those? • What is the significance of BRICS condemning the April 22 Pahalgam attack? • Do you think that BRICS is an effective platform for India to raise its concerns about cross-border terrorism? • How do conflicting strategic interests among BRICS nations affect the grouping's unity in combating terrorism? • How do domestic security incidents like the Pahalgam attack influence India's multilateral diplomacy? Key Takeaways: • While the declaration did not take any names, the cross-border terror reference is seen to be aimed at Pakistan. • Addressing the BRICS session on peace and security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pahalgam was a 'direct attack on the soul, identity and dignity of India'. He said 'giving silent consent to terrorism, supporting terror or terrorists' for 'personal or political gain' should not be acceptable under any circumstances, and 'there should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists'. • 'We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, during which 26 people were killed,' the BRICS declaration said, referring to the Pahalgam attack. • 'We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism,' it said, amplifying the Indian government's message as conveyed by the multi-party political delegations sent to world capitals earlier. • 'We call for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework. We call for concerted actions against all UN designated terrorists and terrorist entities,' the resolution said. • In the past, China has blocked attempts to sanction Pakistan-based terrorists and terrorist groups at the UN. • In his speech, Modi said: 'Terrorism has become the most serious challenge for humanity today. Recently, India faced an inhuman and cowardly terrorist attack. On April 22, the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was a direct attack on the soul, identity and dignity of India. Do You Know: • The BRICS declaration also called for a 'comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council's memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including BRICS countries.' • The BRICS grouping includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. • PM Modi emphasised the need to improve the systems to boost credibility when advocating for reformed multilateralism. He also highlighted the importance of demand-driven decision-making, long-term financial sustainability, and maintaining a healthy credit rating. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍PM Modi's 4 key suggestions to enhance cooperation among BRICS nations Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Compare the significance of IBSA and BRICS in the context of India's multilateral diplomacy. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2012) 'Copy-paste', wrong elephant's photo on cover: Ministry asks WII to redo report Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: 'Copy-pasting' from 'previous reports or published sources'; an African elephant's photograph on the cover instead of an Asian one; inconsistencies in data — flagging these and other issues, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is learnt to have asked the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to re-submit its annual progress report on the Captive Elephant Database Project. Key Points to Ponder: • Why ministry criticised the Wildlife Institute of India's elephant report? • The Asian elephant is currently listed under which categories in the IUCN Red List? • What you know about 'Project Elephant'? • What Current Data on Elephants says in India's context? • What is difference between Asian elephant and African elephant? • What is the role of Wildlife Institute of India in conservation efforts? • What is the Constitutional Provisions for Wildlife in Indian Constitution? • Why Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972? • What are the Salient Features of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972? • How many bodies are established under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 Key Takeaways: • In a letter to the WII on April 25, the ministry's Project Elephant Division expressed dissatisfaction with the report. • In the letter addressed to WII Director Virendra Tiwari, Assistant Inspector General of Forests Suneet Bhardwaj said the report, submitted by WII scientist Dr Samrat Mondol along with a state-wise report, did not meet 'expected benchmarks'. • In its letter, the ministry listed 20 suggestions to help the institute take corrective measures to revise and resubmit the report. It said Mondol, the project investigator, was asked to provide a comprehensive justification for the shortcomings. • The ministry said the project has been ongoing for over four years, and there is an expectation for a 'more structured and clearly presented document'. 'The current version lacks clarity, does not fully align with the standard format of a scientific report, and includes a high degree of textual similarity, which is a matter of concern,' it said. • Stating that the report did not adhere to several fundamental formatting and content-related standards, the ministry said it could not be considered for review unless some critical issues were addressed. Do You Know: • The project aims to prevent the illegal capture and trade of wild elephants by tampering with microchip identification. The Project Elephant division is working with the WII's Elephant Cell to create a genetic database of all captive elephants in the country. The process involves collecting biological samples from elephants and using molecular tools to assign unique genetic IDs. • In 2022, the High Court of Tripura had also passed an order directing the Ministry to conduct proper DNA sequencing of captive elephants along with their offspring to prevent the capture of young elephants from the wild. The DNA sampling is conducted at the WII laboratory. The information is then updated on the app called 'Gajah Soochna'. According to scientists, the database has collated details of over 1,900 elephants. • The project has been going on with scrutiny of the ministry's Captive Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Committee. At its meeting on January 17, 2023, Mondol was asked to expedite the project to complete the database, which will cover around 3,000 captive elephants. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Project Elephant review: Census ph-I completed in N-E, over 3,000 km rly lines mapped to prevent collisions Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 1. With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: 1. The leader of an elephant group is a female. 2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months. 3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only. 4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 4 only c) 3 only d) 1, 3 and 4 only THE IDEAS PAGE Fields of the future Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. What's the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati and Ritika Juneja writes: Prime Minister Modi's slogan — 'Jai Anusandhan' (hail innovation) — is inspiring and is backed by an ambitious Rs 1 lakh crore fund. But real progress needs commercial deployment of advanced biotech: Ht Bt cotton, Bt brinjal, GM mustard, and even GM soy and corn. Key Points to Ponder: • Which crops in India have been genetically modified and are currently under commercial cultivation? • What is CRISPR-Cas9 technology? • 'India's agricultural future depends on the smart adoption of genetic technologies'—Discuss • Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)-Nodal Ministry, Mandate and Role • What are the regulatory issues which have prevented wider adoption of GM technique? • What are the main reasons behind India's cautious approach toward genetically modified crops? • Know the potential of genetic technologies in tackling issues related to climate change, food insecurity, and crop productivity in India. Key Takeaways: • As the July 9 deadline approaches, US negotiators are turning up the heat, urging India to open its agriculture market to genetically modified (GM) crops. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared agriculture and dairy as sacrosanct 'red lines,' warning that accepting GM imports could jeopardise both farmers' livelihoods and food safety. • The only crop that is GM in India is cotton. It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government in 2002 when this bold decision to allow Bt cotton was taken. Today, more than 90 per cent of India's cotton area is under Bt cotton, and its seed is fed to cattle. • The cotton seed oil is consumed by humans, although some scientists suggest that the oil does not carry the protein that the seed has. Earlier, even poultry feed, such as soya and corn, was also imported — this was GM. So, one thing is clear — it would be wrong to claim that GM food has not been in our food chain. It has been there for quite some time, mainly through cattle or poultry feed. • Since 2015, however, India's cotton story has hit a roadblock. Productivity gains have not only flattened but even dipped. The yield has slumped from 566 kg/ha in 2013-14 to around 436 kg/ha in 2023-24 — far below the global average of approximately 770 kg/ha, and way behind China's nearly 1,945 kg/ha and Brazil's around 1,839 kg/ha. This decline is commensurate with a roughly 2 per cent average annual drop in cotton production since 2015, driven largely by pest outbreaks like pink bollworm and whiteflies, tangled regulations, and a prohibition on next-generation cotton seeds such as herbicide-tolerant (HT) Bt cotton. Do You Know: • HT-Bt cotton, engineered to survive glyphosate spraying, never received official clearance in India —trials by Mahyco-Monsanto were suspended over a decade ago, and no approval has followed. Despite this, the seeds have leaked into farms across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab. Industry bodies and surveys estimate that illegal HT-Bt covers 15–25 per cent of cotton acreage. • The rise of illicit HT-Bt cotton underscores a deep disconnect between regulation and reality. While the government blocks commercialisation citing ecological and health concerns, the seeds continue to spread — unchecked and untested. • Since 2015, government intervention in private seed contracts has emerged as a major challenge to innovation in India's cotton sector. The Cotton Seed Price Control Order (SPCO) of 2015 slashed Bt cotton seed royalties dramatically, rendering research and development unappealing. By 2018, trait fees had shrunk to a mere Rs 39 per packet — far too low to entice biotech firms to invest in new seed technologies. • In 2016, additional regulations mandated that GM trait licensors transfer technology within 30 days and capped trait fees at 10 per cent of MSP for five years, with further annual cuts thereafter. By 2020, these restrictions tightened even further, deterring global biotech players from engaging in India's cotton industry. • India was poised to lead the gene revolution and serve as a major seed exporter to Asia and Africa. However, policy inertia — from 2003 to 2021—driven by activist and ideological opposition, deprived farmers of potential gains. Consequently, cotton exports began to decline after 2011-12, and by 2024-25, India turned into a net importer of raw cotton, with net imports valued at $0.4 billion. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍How GM mustard was developed, why the question of its approval has now reached Supreme Court Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? (2021) ECONOMY AI-based warfare in the 'agentic' age & energy as a big constraining factor Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. What's the ongoing story: Even before China's DeepSeek model triggered a frenzy in the AI (artificial intelligence) world, its People's Liberation Army had started to deploy AI across its major warfighting functions under a somewhat gawky banner called 'intelligentised warfare'. Key Points to Ponder: • What does the term 'multi-domain operations' (MDO) in modern warfare refer to? • In AI-based warfare, what is 'agentic AI'? • Which international law or treaty regulates autonomous weapons systems? • How 'agentic AI' redefine conventional military doctrines in the age of multi-domain operations? • What are the implications of deploying autonomous AI weapons in future warfare? • How is India preparing to adapt its military doctrine to this emerging paradigm? • Compare and contrast the AI-based warfare capabilities of India, China, and the USA. What lessons can India learn? Key Takeaways: • Beijing is learnt to be taking a graded approach by starting with applying AI to improve the performance of battlefield equipment such as artillery systems by cutting the interval needed between each shot while improving accuracy, as well as integrating generative AI with military drones to automatically target opponents' radars with better precision as soon as they come on. • The DeepSeek advances could only help China build on its military AI diffusions. • Should that be a cause for worry for India? Yes, say experts, considering that the Chinese are actively aiding Pakistan with its Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing of the Pakistan Air Force that was established in 2020, which now has an elaborate Cognitive Electronic Warfare programme aiming to use AI and machine learning for 'effective analytical and tactical decision-making'. • Gen Singh's emphasis on the importance of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and the need for civil-military fusion translates into the need for a certain expertise on the virtual domains, including the electromagnetic spectrum, and the domains of space and cyberspace. • Fields such as Big Data analysis, machine learning, predictive analysis, and natural language processing need a lot of energy, including vast spinning reserves of grid power. The electricity grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies and countries are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by the huge data centres that drive AI. • India's current energy woes have multiple triggers: a focus on rapid expansion of renewables in the absence of energy storage systems, especially over the last decade, that is now resulting in increasing instability in the country's electricity grid. This issue is compounded by a policy decision from roughly ten years ago to scale down thermal expansion, which provides critical baseload support to the grid during evenings in summer months, when solar generation dips and demand remains high. • SMR-based nuclear projects of the kind that Holtec International is proposing are now being viewed in India's policy circles as solutions to scale up baseload capacity, alongside renewed efforts to draw the private sector back into thermal generation. Do You Know: • On the battlefield use of AI, India's defence establishment was notably an early mover, given that the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) came up in 1986 with the specific objective of developing autonomous technologies in the domains of combat, path planning, sensors, target identification, underwater mine detection, patrolling, logistics, and localisation etc. • 'In the fast-changing landscape of warfare, the first nation to fully incorporate AI into military decision-making will shape the history of the 21st century. Humanity is entering a new era of 'agentic warfare', in which we will see some of the world's strongest armies beaten by rivals that are better at harnessing AI agents—autonomous intelligent systems that can perform a multitude of tasks,' Scale AI's Wang said in a piece dated March 4 that he wrote for The Economist. • The new AI systems, according to Wang, will allow the most technologically advanced armed forces 'to outthink and outmanoeuvre' even very capable opponents by hooking up a military network of sensors, weapons and human decision-makers in a bid to sharply increase the speed at which tactical moves can be proposed, and allow battlefield advantages to be acted upon before humans are even able to survey the situation. • AI is set to rapidly transform the landscape of warfare, with deep tech being deployed for tasks ranging from autonomous weapons systems to intelligence gathering and cybersecurity, according to a research report by Delhi-based Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, an autonomous think tank raised at the initiative of the Ministry of Defence in 2007. • AI use in warfare is also spreading rapidly, with reports suggesting that Ukraine has equipped its long-range drones with AI that can autonomously identify terrain and military targets, using them to launch successful attacks against Russian refineries. Israel has also used its 'Lavender' AI system in the conflict in Gaza to identify 37,000 Hamas targets. As a result, the current conflict between Israel and Hamas has been dubbed the first 'AI war', according to Kristian Humble, an Associate Professor of International Law in the School of Law and Criminology at the University of Greenwich, London. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍AI in the battlefield: How India leveraged new age warfare to thwart Pakistan's aerial attacks EXPLAINED 'Invisible hand' in foreign trade 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: International trade is normally associated with the movement of physical goods loaded onto ships, whether directly as bulk unpackaged cargo or in standard-sized containers. Key Points to Ponder: • What are trade intangibles? • Define the term 'invisible hand' in the context of international trade. • How market forces beyond policy control influence India's trade patterns? • How do currency fluctuations and interest rate changes in developed economies impact India's export-import dynamics? • To what extent do geopolitical tensions act as an 'invisible hand' in altering India's foreign trade strategy? • How logistics and shipping routes function as non-policy 'invisible hands' in determining the competitiveness of India's exports? • How technological advancements and global value chains act as invisible hands in reshaping India's manufacturing and export landscape. Key Takeaways: • In India's case, the 'invisibles' trade – export and import of services plus cross-border private individual money transfers – is today bigger than the 'visible' merchandise trade account in its external balance of payments. • In 2013-14, India's goods exports were about $85 billion more than its receipts from invisibles. In 2024-25, it was the other way round, with invisible receipts roughly $135 billion higher than merchandise exports. While trade deals – including the one now being negotiated with the United States – are mostly focused around seaborne and airborne material cargo, India's foreign trade story in recent times has had more to do with the exports of intangibles. • A break-up of India's gross invisible receipts of $576.5 billion in 2024-25 reveals $387.5 billion coming from exports of services, which have soared from a mere $26.9 billion in 2003-04 and $151.8 billion in 2013-14. • The other major source of invisible income has been private transfers or remittances ($135.4 billion). This is money sent by Indians working and living abroad, be it temporarily or as permanent residents and even foreign citizens. The dollars, pounds and dirhams remitted by them is essentially receipts from export of human resources from India. • The rise in private transfers – from $22.2 billion in 2003-04 and $69.6 billion in 2013-14 – is also huge, although not as steep as services exports. The latter has been powered primarily by the exports of software services – from $12.8 billion in 2003-04 to $69.5 billion in 2013-14 and $180.6 billion in 2024-25. Equally important is the export of miscellaneous 'business, financial and communication services' – from $37.5 billion in 2013-14 to $118 billion in 2024-25. • All these 'invisible' exports have seemingly been relatively immune to the vicissitudes of global business cycles, financial crises, pandemics, geopolitical conflicts or tariffs wars. And they have grown with not much government efforts at sealing bilateral trade agreements or unveiling production-linked incentive schemes. • The ongoing India-US trade talks are largely over the Narendra Modi-led government seeking lower tariffs for the country's exports of textiles, leather, auto components, steel and aluminium products and the Donald Trump administration pushing hard to gain market access for American genetically modified soyabean and corn, ethanol, dairy and other farm produce. Do You Know: • India, on its part, can lay claim to being the 'office of the world'. Its services trade surplus alone was $188.8 billion in 2024-25, with exports at $387.5 billion and imports at $198.7 billion. The large net surplus of $263.8 billion from all 'invisible' transactions, including private remittances, is what helped contain its overall current account deficit to a manageable $23.4 billion in 2024-25. • A tangible asset is an asset that has a finite monetary value and usually a physical form. Tangible assets can typically always be transacted for some monetary value though the liquidity of different markets will vary. Tangible assets are the opposite of intangible assets which have a theorized value rather than a transactional exchange value. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What Is a Tangible Asset? Comparison to Non-Tangible Assets WHY THE E.U. IS PLANNING TO ADD CARBON CREDITS TO ITS CLIMATE GOAL Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests. What's the ongoing story: The European Commission proposed an EU climate target for 2040 that for the first time will allow countries to use carbon credits from developing nations to meet a limited share of their emissions goal. Key Points to Ponder: • What are international carbon credits? • What are the environmental and geopolitical implications of international CO₂ credit markets? • How do carbon credit mechanisms like CDM and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement differ? • 'Carbon trading is not a substitute for domestic emissions cuts'-discuss • What are the role of the EU Emissions Trading System in achieving the bloc's climate goals? • What are the challenges in verifying and monitoring international CO₂ credits? • How the inclusion of international CO₂ credits may impact the credibility of EU's climate commitments? Key Takeaways: • The European Union executive proposed a legally-binding target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, from 1990 levels – aiming to keep the EU on course for its core climate aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050. • But following pushback from governments including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, the Commission also proposed flexibilities that would soften the 90% emissions target for European industries. • The EU has among the world's most ambitious climate targets. So far, its emissions targets have been based entirely on domestic emissions cuts. • Reflecting Germany's public stance, up to 3 percentage points of the 2040 target can be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries through a U.N.-backed market, reducing the effort required by domestic industries. • The carbon credits would be phased in from 2036, and the EU will propose legislation next year to establish quality criteria they must meet and rules on who would buy them. Do You Know: • Climate change has made Europe the world's fastest-warming continent and a severe heatwave this week caused wildfires and disruption across the continent, but Europe's ambitious policies to combat temperature rise have stoked tensions within the 27-member bloc. • Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad – for example, forest restoration in Brazil, and raise funds for such projects. However, some credits have failed to deliver the environmental benefits they claimed. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍EU trade talks: India to red-flag carbon tax, data privacy concerns PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(a) 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