Topic 1: The Launch of Census 2026 & the Digital Population Register
Relevant Syllabus
- GS Paper I: Population and associated issues; Poverty and developmental issues; Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
- GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services.
Context
On January 21, 2026, the Government of India officially commenced the long-awaited Census 2026, the first-ever “Digital Census” in the country’s history. Postponed from 2021 due to the pandemic and subsequent technical upgrades, this exercise is pivotal as it integrates the National Population Register (NPR) with a self-enumeration portal. Beyond a mere head-count, Census 2026 is critical for the upcoming Delimitation exercise (scheduled post-2026), which will redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on updated population data, carrying immense consequences for India’s federal balance.
Main Body: A Multidimensional Approach
- Political & Federal Dimension (The Delimitation Dilemma):
- Seat Redistribution: The 84th Constitutional Amendment (2001) froze the number of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census until 2026. This Census will provide the basis for redrawing boundaries.
- The North-South Divide: Southern states (e.g., Kerala, Tamil Nadu), which successfully implemented population control, fear a loss of political representation compared to Northern states (e.g., UP, Bihar) where population growth remained high. This creates a crisis for “Cooperative Federalism.”
- Representation of Women: The implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (33% women’s reservation) is legally tied to the publication of this Census data.
- Socio-Economic Dimension (Targeted Governance):
- Granular Data: For the first time, data on “Digital Access,” “Remote Working,” and “Migration Patterns” (post-COVID) will be captured. This allows for a shift from “Broad-brush” schemes to “Hyper-local” interventions.
- Caste Census Debate: While the 2026 Census focuses on SC/ST data, the demand for a comprehensive Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) persists to update the OBC sub-categorization data, which hasn’t been revised since 1931.
- Urban Dynamics: Data on “Census Towns” (rural areas with urban characteristics) will help in better fund allocation under the AMRUT and Smart Cities missions.
- Technological Dimension (The Digital Leap):
- Self-Enumeration: The “Census-on-Mobile” app allows citizens to fill their own data, reducing the burden on state machinery and improving data accuracy.
- Data Sovereignty: Managing the data of 1.4 billion people requires robust cybersecurity. The integration of AI for data cleaning and processing is expected to reduce the “results lag” from years to months.
- Legal and Privacy Dimension:
- Data Protection: The exercise will be the first major test for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. Citizens are concerned about the “function creep” where Census data might be used for surveillance or exclusionary purposes in the NPR/NRC context.
Positives
- Real-time Accuracy: Digital entry eliminates manual coding errors and allows for instant validation of data (e.g., age-schooling correlation).
- Cost Efficiency: While the initial tech setup is expensive, the long-term cost of paper, logistics, and storage is significantly reduced.
- Evidence-Based Policy: Provides the “Denominator” for all major indicators (GDP per capita, Maternal Mortality Rate, etc.), making India’s progress reports more credible globally.
Negatives
- The Digital Divide: Vulnerable populations (tribals, elderly, migrant laborers) may struggle with self-enumeration, leading to under-counting if the physical visit mechanism is not robust.
- Privacy Risks: The “Digital Population Register” creates a centralized database that, if breached, poses a massive national security and privacy risk.
- Social Friction: The link between the Census and the potential implementation of the NRC (via NPR) remains a point of deep social and political polarization.
Government Provisions & Frameworks
| Policy / Act | Objective | Key Features |
| The Census Act, 1948 | Legal basis for the Census. | Makes it mandatory for citizens to provide info; ensures data confidentiality (cannot be used as evidence in court). |
| Citizenship Rules, 2003 | Basis for the NPR. | Provides the legal framework for the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens. |
| DPDP Act, 2023 | Protect citizen data. | Mandates “Data Fiduciaries” (the Govt) to protect personal data and use it only for specified purposes. |
| PM-GatiShakti | Infrastructure Planning. | Uses Census spatial data to plan multimodal connectivity and utility grids. |
| E-Census Portal | Digital Interface. | Multi-language support for self-enumeration; OTP-based authentication for security. |
Way Forward
- Federal Consensus: The Centre must engage with Southern states through the Finance Commission to ensure they are not “penalized” with reduced funds or seats for their success in population management.
- Hybrid Approach: Ensure that physical enumerators (teachers, Anganwadi workers) are adequately trained to assist those on the wrong side of the digital divide.
- Transparent Processing: Release “Primary Census Abstracts” within 6 months to ensure the data is used for immediate policy corrections.
Conclusion
Census 2026 is not just a statistical exercise; it is a constitutional necessity that will redefine India’s political and economic geography for the next quarter-century. If handled with transparency and federal sensitivity, it will be the bedrock of “Viksit Bharat 2047.” If not, it risks deepening the North-South and Digital-Physical divides.
Practice Mains Question
“The 2026 Census is uniquely positioned at the intersection of technological advancement and federal sensitivity. Discuss the potential challenges in conducting a digital census and its implications for the upcoming delimitation exercise.” (250 words)
Topic 2: The SC Ruling on Marital Rape and the New Criminal Code (BNS)
Relevant Syllabus
- GS Paper I: Role of women and women’s organization; Social empowerment.
- GS Paper II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections.
Context
On January 21, 2026, the Supreme Court of India concluded a series of historic hearings regarding the “Marital Rape Exception” in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—which replaced the IPC. Under the BNS, Exception 2 to Section 63 still states that sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife (the wife not being under eighteen years of age) is not rape. The Court is deliberating on whether this exception violates Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution. This judgment is expected to be the most significant milestone in Indian feminist jurisprudence since the Vishakha guidelines.
Main Body: A Multidimensional Approach
- Legal Dimension (The Doctrine of Coverture):
- Colonial Legacy: The exception is rooted in the Victorian-era “Doctrine of Coverture,” where a woman’s legal identity was merged with her husband’s upon marriage. The SC is examining if this is compatible with modern Indian constitutionalism.
- Contradiction in Law: While the Domestic Violence Act (2005) recognizes “sexual abuse” within marriage, the BNS excludes it from the definition of “rape.” This creates a legal paradox where an act is “abuse” but not a “crime” under the penal code.
- The Rights-Based Dimension (Article 21):
- Bodily Autonomy: The Puttaswamy judgment established that privacy and bodily integrity are fundamental rights. The Court is analyzing if marriage constitutes a “blanket consent” that waives a woman’s right to say ‘no.’
- Right to Equality: By providing protection to unmarried women but denying it to married women against the same act of non-consensual sex, the law arguably creates an arbitrary and discriminatory classification.
- Sociological Dimension (The “Sanctity of Marriage”):
- Preservation of the Institution: The Government’s stance has often been that criminalizing marital rape might lead to the “collapse of the institution of marriage” and become a tool for harassment against husbands.
- Social Reality: Data from the NFHS-5 showed that a high percentage of women experience domestic violence, including forced sexual acts. Criminalization provides these women with a “legal voice.”
- Procedural Dimension (The Evidence Challenge):
- The “He-Said-She-Said” Problem: Unlike cases involving strangers, proving “lack of consent” in a long-term intimate relationship is legally complex. Critics argue it might lead to a low conviction rate and a high rate of “false cases.”
Positives
- Dignity: Empowers married women by recognizing them as independent individuals with rights over their own bodies.
- Deterrence: While difficult to prove, the existence of the law acts as a deterrent and changes the “power dynamic” within patriarchal households.
- Global Alignment: India would join over 150 countries (including the UK and Nepal) that have already criminalized marital rape.
Negatives
- Potential for Misuse: Concerns regarding the weaponization of the law during divorce or alimony proceedings (similar to the debates surrounding Section 498A).
- Judicial Overreach: Some argue that this is a “policy matter” and should be left to the Parliament rather than being “legislated” from the bench.
- Investigative Burden: The police are currently ill-equipped to handle the sensitivities of intra-marital sexual assault investigations.
Government and Legal Framework
| Provision / Act | Status | Key Feature |
| Section 63 (Exception 2), BNS | Under Challenge | Excludes marital sex from rape if wife is >18. |
| Domestic Violence Act, 2005 | Active | Provides civil remedies (protection orders) for sexual abuse within marriage. |
| Section 376B, IPC (Now BNS) | Active | Criminalizes sex with a “separated” wife without consent (punishment is lower than rape). |
| Justice Verma Committee | Recommendation | Suggested removing the marital rape exception in 2013 (rejected by the then govt). |
| NFHS-6 (Projected Data) | Statistical Tool | Crucial for the SC to understand the prevalence of forced sex in marriages. |
Way Forward
- Legislative Nuance: Instead of a blanket strike-down, the Parliament could introduce a “Graded Punishment” model for marital rape, distinguishing it from stranger rape in terms of sentencing.
- Marital Counselling: Strengthening the family court and counseling ecosystem to address marital discord before it escalates to criminal behavior.
- Sensitivity Training: Massive sensitization of the judiciary and police to handle these cases without a “victim-blaming” or “compromise-seeking” mindset.
Conclusion
The SC’s decision on marital rape will decide if the “private sphere” of the bedroom is exempt from the “public shield” of the Constitution. As India moves towards a “UCC” (Uniform Civil Code) and modernizes its laws, the removal of the marital rape exception is seen by many as the final step in granting Indian women full legal personhood.
Practice Mains Question
“The ‘Marital Rape Exception’ represents a conflict between the traditional sanctity of marriage and the modern constitutional right to bodily autonomy. Examine the legal and social implications of criminalizing marital rape in India.” (250 words)
Topic 3: Notification of India’s First “Tailings Policy” for Critical Minerals
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Science and Technology; Economic Development.
- Context: On January 21, 2026, the Ministry of Mines notified the Tailings Policy, a framework to recover critical minerals like Gallium and Germanium from mining waste (tailings).
Multidimensional Analysis
- Resource Efficiency: Mining waste traditionally causes environmental hazards (leaching, dam failures). This policy turns “waste into wealth” by identifying secondary sources of minerals essential for semiconductors and EVs.
- Strategic Autonomy: Currently, India is 100% dependent on imports for several critical minerals. Recovering them from existing mine dumps reduces the “import-induced vulnerability.”
- Environmental Impact: By processing tailings, the policy helps in the remediation of old mining sites, reducing the toxic footprint of the mining industry.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Promotes a “Circular Economy” in the extractive sector; creates new business opportunities for tech startups in mineral processing.
- Negatives: High technological cost of secondary extraction; risk of releasing concentrated toxins during the reprocessing of old waste.
Related Initiatives
- Critical Minerals Mission: Announced in Budget 2024 to secure the supply chain for high-tech manufacturing.
- KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd): Focusing on acquiring overseas mineral assets.
- Way Forward: Incentivize the private sector to develop “Green Leaching” technologies that extract minerals without further harming the local water tables.
- Practice Question: “How does the 2026 Tailings Policy bridge the gap between India’s industrial ambition and its mineral scarcity? Discuss with reference to the Circular Economy.” (250 words)
Topic 4: G4-Class Geomagnetic Storm & Aditya-L1 Early Warning
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper III: Science and Technology- awareness in the fields of Space; Disaster Management.
- Context: A G4-class (Severe) geomagnetic storm hit Earth on January 21, 2026. Data from ISRO’s Aditya-L1 (placed at the L1 point) provided a crucial 45-minute warning, allowing for “Grid Hardening” protocols.
Multidimensional Analysis
- Infrastructure Protection: The storm posed a threat to the national power grid and high-frequency communication. The warning allowed the National Load Despatch Centre to de-load high-voltage transformers to prevent permanent damage.
- Space Asset Management: Satellite operators (including ISRO and private players) put sensitive equipment into “safe mode” to avoid electrical surges in low-earth orbit.
- Aviation Safety: Long-haul polar flights were rerouted to avoid radiation exposure and GPS “scintillation” errors that can disrupt landing systems.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Proves the operational success of Aditya-L1 as a sentinel for space weather; minimizes economic loss from potential blackouts.
- Negatives: Highlights the extreme fragility of our modern, silicon-dependent infrastructure to natural space events.
Related Initiatives
- Project NETRA: ISRO’s network for space object tracking and analysis.
- National Space Weather Program: A multi-agency framework for monitoring solar impacts on India.
- Way Forward: Integrate “Space Weather Resilience” into the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP).
- Practice Question: “With the increasing reliance on digital and satellite-based infrastructure, space weather has emerged as a non-traditional security threat. Discuss the significance of the Aditya-L1 mission in this context.” (150 words)
Topic 5: India-Japan Strategic Dialogue 2026: AI & Critical Minerals
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper II: Bilateral groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
- Context: The 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue concluded on Jan 21, 2026. Key outcomes included the launch of an AI Dialogue and a Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals.
Multidimensional Analysis
- Economic Security: Both nations are seeking to “De-risk” from Chinese supply chains. The JWG will focus on joint exploration of rare earth elements in third-party countries (like Vietnam and Australia).
- Defense Technology: The dialogue emphasized the integration of Japanese robotics with Indian software for “Autonomous Unmanned Systems” for border surveillance.
- Connectivity: Reviewed the progress of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the bullet train project, aligning them with the IMEC framework.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Strengthens the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”; creates a technological firewall against unilateral disruptions in the Indo-Pacific.
- Negatives: Implementation of joint projects remains slow due to regulatory hurdles on both sides.
Related Initiatives
- Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI): A trilateral (India-Japan-Australia) effort to diversify trade.
- Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue): The broader strategic umbrella for these bilateral talks.
- Way Forward: Expedite the “India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)” review to include digital trade and AI ethics.
- Practice Question: “The India-Japan partnership has transitioned from being investment-led to technology-led. Analyze the implications of the 2026 AI Dialogue for the Indo-Pacific region.” (250 words)
Topic 6: Indigenization of Artillery: The 105mm Light Field Gun (LFG)
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper III: Science and Technology- indigenization of technology; Security challenges and their management in border areas.
- Context: On January 21, 2026, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the indigenous 105mm Light Field Gun would give the 21-gun salute during the 2026 Republic Day, replacing the British-era 25-pounders entirely.
Multidimensional Analysis
- Operational Utility: The 105mm LFG is highly mobile and specifically designed for high-altitude terrains like Tawang and Ladakh. It can be heliborne, providing rapid fire support in remote valleys.
- Defense Exports: The same facility in Nagpur (Solar Defence) flagged off the first tranche of Guided Pinaka rockets to Armenia on the same day, marking a significant win for “Make in India” defense exports.
- Aatmanirbharta: By producing medium-caliber ammunition locally, India is reducing its dependence on Eastern European suppliers for the “consumables” of war.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Reduces the defense import bill; ensures supply chain security during prolonged conflicts.
- Negatives: Integration of indigenous systems into existing regiments requires extensive retraining and logistical shifts.
Related Initiatives
- Positive Indigenization Lists: Issued by MoD to ban the import of certain defense items.
- iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence): Engaging startups to build tech for the armed forces.
- Way Forward: Focus on the “Export of Systems” (like the LFG) to friendly nations in the Global South to establish India as a regional security provider.
- Practice Question: “Defense indigenization is not just about manufacturing but about strategic autonomy. Discuss the significance of the 105mm LFG in India’s ‘No-Import’ policy.” (150 words)
Topic 7: Trieste Roadmap for IMEC and the Ship-to-Rail Transit Trial
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings; Effect of politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
- Context: The Trieste Summit (Italy) finalized the IMEC Roadmap on Jan 21, 2026. A successful trial moved cargo from Mundra to Haifa via the “Land-Bridge” across the Arabian Peninsula.
Multidimensional Analysis
- Geopolitical Resilience: Despite instability in the Red Sea, the trial proves that the “Multimodal” route is a viable alternative to the Suez Canal, reducing transit time by 40%.
- Trade Integration: The roadmap includes the “Virtual Trade Corridor”, a blockchain-based digital customs system that was successfully tested during this trial.
- Energy Corridor: Beyond cargo, the roadmap lays the groundwork for a green hydrogen pipeline from the Middle East to Europe, with India as a key technology partner.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Diversifies India’s export routes; strengthens the “I2U2” (India, Israel, UAE, USA) grouping.
- Negatives: Political sensitivity regarding the Israel leg of the journey; high infrastructure costs for missing rail links in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Related Initiatives
- PGII (Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment): The G7-led initiative backing IMEC.
- Sagarmala Project: Modernizing Indian ports to support international corridors like IMEC.
- Way Forward: Formalize a “Transit Treaty” between all IMEC signatory nations to ensure standard tariff rates and security.
- Practice Question: “The IMEC is often described as a ‘Modern Silk Road.’ To what extent can it act as a credible alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?” (250 words)
Topic 8: World Bank Approves $286 Million for West Bengal Health Reforms (WBHSRP)
- Relevant Syllabus: GS Paper II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; GS Paper III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and MSP (Rural Development).
- Context: On January 21, 2026, the World Bank approved a loan for the West Bengal Health System Reform Program, focusing on equitable access and life expectancy.
Multidimensional Analysis
- Public Health Infrastructure: The project targets “Primary Healthcare” in remote districts, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) which is a major cause of rural poverty.
- Digital Health: A significant portion of the fund is for the Integrated Health Information System, aligning state data with the National Digital Health Mission.
- Institutional Reform: Focuses on performance-based financing for district hospitals, incentivizing quality of care over mere quantity of patients.
Positives & Negatives
- Positives: Addresses the “urban-rural divide” in healthcare; focuses on preventive care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
- Negatives: Increasing state debt; concerns over the “monetization” of health data when using World Bank-prescribed digital frameworks.
Related Initiatives
- Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY): The national insurance scheme that this state reform will complement.
- National Rural Health Mission (NRHM): The broader framework for rural health strengthening.
- Way Forward: The state must ensure that the “last-mile” delivery of health services is supported by a trained cadre of community health workers (ASHAs).
- Practice Question: “Institutional reforms in the health sector are more critical than infrastructure spending alone. Evaluate this statement in the context of the World Bank-aided WBHSRP.” (150 words)
