Dec 03 – UPSC Current Affairs – PM IAS – Plover Minds Institute LLP

1. Need for Nuclear Power in Space (NPS)

Syllabus

GS-3: Science and Technology: Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Space. Awareness in the fields of Space.

Context

The escalating ambition for deep-space missions, crewed travel to Mars, and establishing permanent lunar bases necessitates high-power, long-duration energy sources that traditional solar panels cannot reliably provide.
This has renewed global interest in Nuclear Power in Space (NPS) technologies, including Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs), Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs), and fission reactors for propulsion and surface power.
Recent discussions have focused on the need for updated international safety protocols and India’s potential role in developing these cutting-edge, yet controversial, systems.

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Technological Dimensions

RTGs (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators): These systems, used since the 1960s (e.g., Voyager, Curiosity, Perseverance), convert heat from the natural decay of radioisotopes (like Plutonium-238) directly into electricity. They are reliable, maintenance-free, and essential for missions where sunlight is weak (Outer Solar System) or during long lunar nights.
Fission Reactors: These generate much higher power (kilowatts to megawatts) and are critical for deep space electric propulsion or powering human outposts. The US Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) demonstration is a step toward this.
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) / Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP): NTP uses a nuclear reactor to heat a hydrogen propellant to very high temperatures, offering significant fuel efficiency and cutting travel time to Mars by up to 50%. This is vital for reducing astronaut exposure to space radiation.

Economic & Strategic Dimensions

Cost Efficiency: While initial development is expensive, NPS offers superior cost-to-power ratios over the operational lifespan for deep-space and long-duration missions compared to repeated resupply or large solar arrays.
Strategic Capability: NPS is an enabler of national prestige and strategic autonomy in space. Nations possessing this capability (currently primarily the US and Russia) dictate the pace and scope of future deep-space exploration. India’s pursuit aligns with its ambition to be a leading space power.

Safety & Environmental Dimensions

Launch Accident Risk (Critical Concern): The primary safety concern is the potential release of radioactive material (e.g., Pu-238) into the atmosphere in the event of a launch failure or orbital decay. This necessitates extremely robust encapsulation and containment systems.
Radiation Shielding: On-board radiation from fission reactors or RTGs requires heavy shielding to protect both astronauts and sensitive equipment, which adds to the mission’s mass and cost.
Space Debris: The disposal or placement of reactors in high, stable orbits (like graveyard orbits) after their operational life is a long-term environmental challenge.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	India’s Space Programme: ISRO’s focus on reliable launch vehicles, coupled with the long-term goal of crewed missions (Gaganyaan), indirectly pushes the need for indigenous NPS development. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) must be a key partner.
Positives of NPS	High Power Density: Provides compact, powerful energy irrespective of distance from the Sun. Long Duration: Enables multi-decade missions. Propulsion: Faster transit times reduce astronaut cosmic radiation exposure.
Negatives of NPS	Safety Risks: Potential for accidental release of radioisotopes. Public Perception: High sensitivity and public opposition to nuclear material use, especially in space applications. Complexity: Requires highly specialised fissile material production and handling.

Examples

NASA’s Curiosity & Perseverance Mars Rovers: Both are powered by Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (MMRTGs), enabling them to operate through dust storms and Martian nights for many years.
The Cassini-Huygens Mission: Used RTGs to power its long journey to and operations around Saturn.
Russia’s TOPAZ Reactor: A space-based nuclear reactor tested in the 1980s, demonstrating the feasibility of space fission power.

Way Forward

Integrated Policy Framework: India must establish a unified inter-agency framework involving ISRO, DAE, and the DRDO to strategically develop, test, and safely deploy space nuclear systems.
Safety and Transparency: Prioritise the most advanced safety measures, including robust, fire-resistant casings, and adhere to the highest international safety standards. Public engagement and transparency are crucial to build trust.
International Collaboration: Actively engage with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) to help draft modern, comprehensive safety standards for NPS to ensure global responsible use.
Focus on Indigenous Fuel: Develop indigenous capabilities for producing Pu-238 (which has a long half-life of 87.7 years) to ensure the independence of future RTG-based missions.
Start Small: Begin with low-power RHUs for heating critical instruments, then move to RTGs for deep-space probes, before tackling the complexity of full-scale fission reactors.

Conclusion

NPS represents the next frontier in enabling complex, long-duration human and robotic space exploration, vital for achieving strategic goals on the Moon and Mars. For India, mastering this technology is crucial for maintaining self-reliance in space and securing its position among the top space-faring nations. The focus must be on risk mitigation, robust safety, and international consensus to ensure its peaceful and responsible application.

Mains Practice Questions

“Nuclear Power in Space (NPS) is a double-edged sword—a technological necessity for deep-space exploration and a source of profound environmental risk.” Critically analyse this statement in the context of India’s long-term space ambitions. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Discuss the various forms of Nuclear Power in Space (NPS) and explain why India needs to invest heavily in its indigenous development, detailing the associated technological and regulatory challenges. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

2. Weakening of India’s Natural Carbon Sink

Syllabus

GS-3: Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Climate change.

Context

India has committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070. A significant part of this strategy relies on enhancing and preserving its terrestrial and blue carbon sinks (forests, tree cover, wetlands, mangroves).
Recent assessments and scientific studies indicate that the pace of carbon sequestration by India’s natural sinks, particularly its forests, is showing signs of slowing or ‘weakening’ due to increased pressures from climate change, land use changes, and forest degradation.
This poses a significant challenge, as the assumed stability of the natural sink capacity could lead to an overestimation of India’s remaining carbon budget and derail mitigation efforts.

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Ecological and Climate Dimensions

Impact of Climate Stressors: Increased frequency and intensity of events like prolonged droughts, extreme heat waves, and unseasonal rains stress forest ecosystems. Stressed vegetation sequesters less $\text{CO}_2$ and becomes more susceptible to pests and disease, leading to lower biomass accumulation.
Forest Fires: Climate change-induced dry conditions fuel more frequent and intense forest fires. Fires not only halt sequestration but also release large amounts of stored carbon back into the atmosphere, turning a sink into a potential source.
Forest Type Shift: Warming temperatures can cause shifts in vegetation composition, potentially replacing highly efficient carbon-storing climax species with less efficient, faster-growing species.

Policy and Measurement Dimensions

Measurement Challenges: India’s national reporting on forest cover (e.g., Forest Survey of India reports) often focuses on area of cover, which may not fully reflect the quality and carbon stock within that cover. Open forests or plantations may be counted, but they sequester far less carbon than dense natural forests.
REDD+ Framework: The international mechanism of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) offers a framework, but its implementation in India needs more rigorous, ground-level biomass measurement rather than relying solely on satellite mapping.
Exclusion of High-Value Sinks: Policy often overlooks other critical sinks: Mangroves (blue carbon), wetlands, and healthy agricultural soils. These hold high-density, long-term carbon stocks.

Socio-Economic Dimensions

Anthropogenic Pressures: Increasing population pressure and industrialisation lead to relentless demand for land, resulting in forest fragmentation, encroachment, and illegal logging, which degrade the quality of the sink.
Dependence of Forest-Dwellers: Forest-dwelling communities often bear the cost of conservation without adequate compensation or inclusion in decision-making. Sustainable management requires empowering them as custodians of the forests.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	National Afforestation Programme (NAP): Focuses on ecological restoration of degraded forests. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): Utilises funds for afforestation to compensate for forest land diverted for non-forest use. Green India Mission (GIM): Aims to increase forest cover and improve quality, with an emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Positives of Carbon Sink (Ideal)	Natural & Low-Cost Mitigation: Forests offer a natural, scalable, and relatively low-cost method of removing $\text{CO}_2$ from the atmosphere. Co-Benefits: Provides ecosystem services like biodiversity, water regulation, and livelihoods.
Negatives/Challenges	Non-Permanence Risk: Carbon stored in forests is vulnerable to release due to fire, disease, or illegal logging. Over-Reliance: Treating the sink as a guaranteed offset encourages inaction on deep, industrial emissions cuts. Time Lag: It takes decades for newly planted forests to reach peak sequestration potential.

Examples

Western Ghats Hotspots: Areas experiencing increased outbreaks of pests like the shisham defoliator (in specific dry regions) or changes in rainfall patterns, leading to tree mortality and reduced carbon uptake.
Sunderbans Mangroves (Blue Carbon): These highly effective carbon sinks are facing rapid erosion and degradation due to rising sea levels and intense cyclones, jeopardising their capacity to sequester carbon.
Himalayan Forests: Warming is causing the treeline to shift upwards and increasing the frequency of summer forest fires, fundamentally altering the high-altitude sink capacity.

Way Forward

Holistic ‘ARM’ Approach:
- Avoid: Strict protection of high-carbon stock areas (old-growth forests, dense primary forests) from diversion and degradation.
- Restore: Focus on ecological restoration using native, climate-resilient species in degraded areas, prioritising biodiversity-rich forests over monoculture plantations.
- Measure (Quantification): Implement a national system for LiDAR-based biomass mapping and soil carbon monitoring to accurately quantify the actual Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE).
Policy Prioritisation: Elevate Blue Carbon (coastal mangroves and seagrasses) and Soil Carbon in agricultural policy (e.g., through incentives for zero-tillage farming) as durable, high-density carbon stores.
Community Integration: Strengthen the role of Joint Forest Management (JFM) committees and provide secure tenure and incentives to local communities to act as effective forest guardians.
Climate-Smart Forestry: Invest in research on tree species and forest management techniques that are resilient to future climate scenarios (e.g., drought-tolerant, fire-resistant varieties).

Conclusion

India’s Net Zero goal cannot be achieved by solely relying on a potentially unstable natural carbon sink. While afforestation is vital, the core strategy must pivot towards deep, industrial emissions reduction complemented by aggressive protection and restoration of high-quality, resilient ecosystems. Only a policy based on accurate quantification and community stewardship can ensure the sink remains a reliable asset in India’s climate strategy.

Mains Practice Questions

“A weakening carbon sink complicates India’s climate action and requires a strategic shift from area-based afforestation targets to quality-based ecosystem restoration.” Elaborate, giving reasons for the weakening trend and suggesting policy interventions. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Analyse the role of ‘Blue Carbon’ ecosystems and soil carbon in strengthening India’s overall carbon sequestration strategy. What are the key challenges in mainstreaming these in national climate policy? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

3. Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Meeting

Syllabus

GS-2: International Relations: India and its neighbourhood relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context

The recent meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) framework highlights its increasing importance as a platform for regional maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The CSC was initially established in 2011 between India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and has now expanded to include Mauritius, Bangladesh, and Seychelles as permanent members/observers.
The Conclave’s focus has evolved from purely maritime surveillance to a comprehensive security mechanism addressing traditional and non-traditional threats in the critical waterways of the Central and Southern IOR.

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Geopolitical Dimensions

Countering Extra-Regional Influence: The CSC provides a cooperative framework for littoral states to manage their security independently, without reliance on powers outside the region. This is crucial as a response to the growing influence and presence of China’s naval and research vessels in the IOR, which creates security dilemmas for India’s neighbours.
India’s Vision SAGAR: The Conclave is a cornerstone of India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy, demonstrating India’s role as a net security provider and its commitment to collective regional stability and capacity building.
Alignment with QUAD: While separate from the QUAD (India, US, Japan, Australia), the CSC complements its objectives by focusing on the smaller, crucial maritime states that control key Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs).

Security and Cooperation Dimensions

Five Pillars of Cooperation: The CSC has formalised cooperation around five key pillars, which facilitate comprehensive security efforts:
1. Maritime Safety and Security: Joint patrolling, search and rescue.
2. Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation: Information sharing on terror financing and cross-border movements.
3. Combating Trafficking and Transnational Crime: Specifically focusing on narcotics, arms, and human trafficking.
4. Cyber Security: Building capacity to resist cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.
5. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR): Coordinated response to natural disasters, leveraging Indian capabilities.
Information Fusion: The framework facilitates the sharing of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) data, helping member states monitor the vast expanses of the IOR and respond quickly to threats like piracy or illegal fishing.

Institutional and Expansion Dimensions

Consensus-Building: The Conclave operates on consensus, ensuring that regional solutions are mutually agreed upon, thereby fostering a sense of ownership among smaller member states.
Inclusion of New Members: The formal inclusion of nations like Bangladesh, Mauritius, and Seychelles expands the Conclave’s operational reach across the Bay of Bengal, the Equatorial IOR, and the Western Indian Ocean, creating a more comprehensive security grid.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	Vision SAGAR: This overarching policy guides India’s maritime cooperation with the CSC member states, focusing on capacity building, training, and supplying patrol vessels. Neighbourhood First Policy: The CSC operationalises this policy by prioritising regional security cooperation.
Positives of CSC	Regional Autonomy: Empowers IOR states to manage their security challenges collectively. Cost-Effective: Shared resources and information reduce individual defence burdens. Stability: Creates a predictable security environment essential for trade and economic growth.
Negatives/Challenges	Chinese Shadow: Member states face pressure/incentives from China, potentially hindering unanimous security decisions. Asymmetry: India’s size and capabilities can sometimes create an asymmetrical relationship, raising concerns among smaller neighbours about Indian dominance. Resource Constraints: Smaller member states have limited naval and aerial assets, impacting their contribution to joint operations.

Examples

Joint SAR Operations: CSC members have successfully conducted coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in shared maritime zones.
Coastal Radar Chains: India has helped Sri Lanka and Maldives establish a network of coastal surveillance radar systems to enhance MDA, which are integrated with the CSC’s information-sharing mechanisms.
Table-Top Exercises: Regular conduct of tabletop and field exercises among security forces to practice joint responses to scenarios like oil spills, terrorism, and mass migration.

Way Forward

Deepen Operational Integration: Move beyond intelligence sharing to more frequent and complex joint patrols, anti-piracy operations, and naval exercises that test the interoperability of member state forces.
Focus on Non-Traditional Threats: Prioritise cooperation on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and marine pollution, which are immediate livelihood and environmental security threats for the island nations.
Enhance Capacity Building: India must continue to offer customised training, transfer of maritime technology, and supply of patrol vessels and surveillance aircraft on favourable terms to ensure the CSC is truly a partnership of equals.
Institutionalise the Secretariat: Establish a permanent, professionally-staffed CSC Secretariat (possibly in Sri Lanka or the Maldives) to ensure continuity, policy formulation, and consistent follow-up on decisions.

Conclusion

The Colombo Security Conclave has matured into a vital mechanism for establishing a rules-based and cooperative security order in the Central and Southern IOR. It effectively balances regional autonomy against external pressures. By enhancing operational depth and focusing on shared non-traditional security challenges, the CSC can solidify its position as the foremost IOR security architecture, promoting safety and prosperity for all its members and supporting India’s ambition of a stable, secure IOR.

Mains Practice Questions

“The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a crucial framework for operationalising India’s Vision SAGAR and managing regional security in the IOR.” Discuss the evolution of the CSC and analyse its effectiveness in addressing the ‘Five Pillars’ of security cooperation. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
How does the expansion of the CSC to include nations like Bangladesh and Seychelles contribute to a more comprehensive Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for India? What are the key challenges posed by China’s growing presence in the region for the Conclave? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

4. Gene-Edited (GE) Crops and Agricultural Innovation

Syllabus

GS-3: Science and Technology: Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. Biotechnology; Intellectual Property Rights.
GS-3: Agriculture: Technology missions; issues relating to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices.

Context

The identification of two promising Gene-Edited (GE) rice lines (Samba Mahsuri and MTU-1010) for potential release in India signals a major step toward embracing precise agricultural biotechnology.
These crops were edited using tools like CRISPR-Cas9 to enhance traits such as yield, and tolerance to environmental stresses like drought and salinity, crucial for ensuring food security under climate change.
Unlike traditional Genetically Modified (GM) crops which often introduce foreign DNA, GE typically involves minor, targeted edits to the plant’s own genome, making them potentially more acceptable from a regulatory and public perception standpoint.

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Technological and Scientific Dimensions

CRISPR-Cas9 Technology: This acts as “molecular scissors,” allowing scientists to precisely cut and edit DNA sequences. It is faster, cheaper, and more accurate than older genetic engineering methods. GE products are often classified as SDN-1/2 (Site-Directed Nuclease), where no foreign gene is inserted.
Addressing Climate Resilience: GE technology allows for the rapid development of crops that can withstand erratic weather patterns—e.g., rice varieties that can tolerate submergence or prolonged dry spells, or wheat that can thrive in higher temperatures. This is vital for sustaining yields in climate-vulnerable regions.
Nutritional Enhancement: GE can be used for biofortification, such as increasing vitamin or mineral content (e.g., Golden Rice, although this is GM, GE offers a faster route for similar goals), combating “hidden hunger” in vulnerable populations.

Regulatory and Legal Dimensions

Regulatory Ambiguity: India’s current regulations, primarily under the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), were designed for GM crops (which contain foreign DNA). The challenge lies in creating a separate, streamlined regulatory pathway for GE crops (SDN-1/2) that recognises their lower risk profile, avoiding the lengthy and costly trials mandatory for GM.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Clarity is needed on patenting GE techniques (like CRISPR) versus the resulting crop varieties. Indian patent law must balance the need to reward innovation with ensuring access to technology for public research and small farmers.
Public Interest Litigation (PIL): The threat of PILs and injunctions often delays the field trials and ultimate release of GE crops, demonstrating the need for robust public communication and scientific advocacy.

Socio-Economic Dimensions

Farmer Benefits: GE crops promise higher, more stable yields, reducing crop losses and increasing farm income. This can contribute to the goal of doubling farmers’ income.
Seed Sovereignty: A key public concern is that GE technology could increase the dependence of Indian farmers on a few large national or multinational seed companies, potentially compromising seed sovereignty.
Affordability: The high development costs must translate into affordable seed prices for small and marginal farmers to ensure equitable access to the technology.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	National Agricultural Research System (NARS): ICAR and state agricultural universities are actively pursuing GE research. The government’s push for agricultural self-sufficiency and the PM-KISAN scheme implicitly supports innovations that boost farm productivity. Recent guidelines exempting SDN-1/2 crops from GM regulations show regulatory intent to support GE.
Positives of GE Crops	Precision and Speed: CRISPR allows rapid introduction of desirable traits, cutting breeding time significantly. Fewer Regulatory Hurdles: Potentially easier approval compared to GM due to the absence of foreign DNA. Stress Tolerance: Crucial for adapting Indian agriculture to severe climate change impacts.
Negatives/Challenges	Public Skepticism: Persistent public concern, often confusing GE with GM, about safety and impact on the environment and health. Ethical Concerns: Issues surrounding the manipulation of natural life forms and long-term ecosystem effects (though lower than GM). Access and Equity: Risk of concentrating seed technology and profit among a few large firms.

Examples

High-Yield, Salt-Tolerant Rice: The specific research on Samba Mahsuri and MTU-1010 rice lines using GE techniques to survive high-saline soils (common in coastal areas) and drought conditions.
Waxy Corn: GE has been used internationally to alter the starch composition of corn for industrial uses, showcasing precise trait modification.
Disease-Resistant Bananas: Global efforts use GE to create bananas resistant to diseases like Fusarium wilt, which threatens global production.

Way Forward

Clear, Risk-Proportional Regulation: Establish a separate, transparent, and science-based regulatory framework for GE crops (especially SDN-1 and SDN-2) that is risk-proportional and reduces regulatory timelines while ensuring safety.
Public Awareness and Trust: Launch national campaigns, led by credible scientific bodies (ICAR, DBT), to clearly differentiate GE from GM and communicate the safety and necessity of these tools for food security.
Public-Sector Dominance: Prioritise funding for public agricultural research institutions to develop and disseminate GE seeds cost-effectively, reducing dependence on multinationals.
Global Alignment: Adopt regulatory best practices from nations like Japan, Argentina, and the US that have successfully differentiated and streamlined approvals for SDN-1/2 products.

Conclusion

Gene-Edited crops offer India a powerful, precise, and necessary tool to rapidly climate-proof its agriculture and ensure nutritional security for its population. The focus must now shift from regulatory hesitation to implementing clear, science-backed governance and ensuring that this innovation serves the small farmer through affordable and accessible seed technology developed by public sector institutions.

Mains Practice Questions

“Gene Editing (GE) provides a faster and potentially safer route than Genetic Modification (GM) to achieve food security and climate resilience in India.” Critically analyse this statement, highlighting the regulatory bottlenecks GE crops face. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Discuss the ethical concerns and socio-economic challenges, such as seed sovereignty, associated with the adoption of high-tech agricultural biotechnology like CRISPR-Cas9 in India. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

5. WHO Guidelines on GLP-1 Drugs for Obesity

Syllabus

GS-2: Health: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.
GS-3: Science and Technology: Application of science in everyday life.

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued conditional guidelines on the use of GLP-1 (Glucagon-like Peptide-1) Receptor Agonist drugs (e.g., Semaglutide, Liraglutide) for the treatment of obesity, reflecting their high efficacy but also global concerns regarding accessibility, safety, and cost.
Obesity is now recognised globally by the WHO as a chronic, relapsing disease requiring long-term management, moving away from viewing it as merely a lifestyle issue.
The guidelines signal a global recognition of these drugs’ potential to transform obesity treatment while urging caution and comprehensive health policy integration.

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Scientific and Health Dimensions

Mechanism of Action: GLP-1 agonists mimic a natural gut hormone, GLP-1, that regulates appetite and insulin release. They increase satiety (feeling full) and slow gastric emptying, leading to significant and sustained weight loss (often 15-20% of body weight).
Cardiometabolic Benefits: Beyond weight loss, these drugs have shown significant benefits in improving associated conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, and reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Side Effects and Risks: Common side effects include gastrointestinal issues (nausea, diarrhoea). More serious, though rare, concerns include potential links to pancreatitis, gall bladder issues, and a specific type of thyroid tumour (Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, observed in animal studies).

Socio-Economic and Access Dimensions

Exorbitant Cost: The primary barrier globally, and especially in India, is the high price. A typical monthly dose can cost thousands of rupees, making it inaccessible to the vast majority of the population and placing a huge strain on non-insured healthcare budgets.
Equity and Social Justice: The high cost risks turning obesity treatment into a privilege only for the wealthy, exacerbating health inequalities and potentially leading to a black market for the drugs.
Insurance Coverage: Governments and private insurers in India are hesitant to cover these drugs due to the chronic nature of obesity and the associated lifelong costs, demanding evidence of long-term cost-effectiveness.

Policy and Health System Dimensions

Conditional Recommendation: WHO’s “conditional” rating is due to uncertainty about long-term safety, high cost, and the need for health systems to be prepared to monitor patients meticulously over years.
Infrastructure Strain: Proper administration requires a holistic approach: regular monitoring, dietary counselling, and exercise programs. The Indian public healthcare system lacks the specialised multidisciplinary teams (endocrinologists, nutritionists, bariatric psychologists) required for effective long-term management of obesity patients on GLP-1s.
Counterfeit Drugs: The high demand and restricted access create a huge risk of counterfeit or substandard GLP-1 drugs entering the market, posing a severe threat to patient safety.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS): This focuses on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), under which obesity management should ideally be integrated. The Ayushman Bharat scheme coverage needs to expand its focus to include comprehensive NCD management, including weight loss pharmacotherapy.
Positives of GLP-1s	High Efficacy: Provides a non-surgical option for significant and sustained weight loss. Reduced Co-morbidities: Improves diabetes, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. Quality of Life: Enhanced mobility, mood, and overall quality of life for patients.
Negatives/Challenges	Affordability: The high price makes them inaccessible to the poor and middle class. Sustainability: Treatment withdrawal often leads to weight regain. Supply Chain: Potential global shortages due to high demand, impacting access for Type 2 Diabetes patients who also need these drugs.

Examples

Semaglutide (Brand Name Ozempic/Wegovy): The most widely discussed GLP-1 drug, demonstrating up to 15% weight loss over 68 weeks.
NFHS-5 Data: The National Family Health Survey-5 indicates that 24% of women and 23% of men in India are overweight or obese, underscoring the massive potential patient pool and the health system burden.
Global Shortages: The widespread use of these drugs for cosmetic weight loss has led to global supply issues, impacting their availability for their original indication: Type 2 Diabetes.

Way Forward

Genericisation and Price Control: Indian pharmaceutical companies should be encouraged to develop generic versions of these drugs immediately upon patent expiry to crash prices and ensure widespread availability.
Integrated Care Model: Adopt a multidisciplinary, lifelong care model for obesity within the public health system, where medication is supported by compulsory nutritional counselling and behavioural therapy.
Robust Surveillance: Implement a strong national pharmacovigilance program specifically for GLP-1 drugs to track and quickly report any long-term or serious adverse effects in the Indian population.
Subsidies and Inclusion: The government should consider targeted subsidies for low-income patients who meet strict medical criteria for obesity and NCD co-morbidities.

Conclusion

GLP-1 agonists are a revolutionary leap in treating obesity, but their introduction in India must be carefully managed. The focus cannot be on quick fixes but on creating a sustainable, equitable, and safe ecosystem where the drugs are accessible and integrated into a holistic NCD care model, ensuring that the innovation serves public health, not just private profit.

Mains Practice Questions

“While GLP-1 agonists offer a powerful tool against the rising tide of obesity in India, their high cost risks exacerbating health inequity.” Discuss the socio-economic and health system challenges associated with their large-scale adoption and suggest measures for equitable access. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Analyse the WHO’s ‘conditional recommendation’ for GLP-1 drugs. What implications does this have for India’s public health policy regarding the management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

6. India-Russia Partnership Beyond Defence

Syllabus

GS-2: International Relations: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interest¹s.

Context

The traditional India-Russia ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ has historically been anchored in defence trade and nuclear energy cooperation (e.g., BrahMos, S-400, Kudankulam).
In the face of intensifying US and Western sanctions on Russia, India has sought to broaden and diversify the relationship into non-defence sectors like the Arctic, space, connectivity, and trade, ensuring the durability of the partnership despite geopolitical turbulence.
The challenge for both nations is to sustain the strategic depth of their ties while navigating complex Western opposition and finding mechanisms for payment bypassing the dominant dollar system.

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Geopolitical and Strategic Dimensions

Balancing Act: For India, the relationship is vital for strategic autonomy and diversification of military imports, acting as a crucial counterbalance to the growing US-China rivalry. It also supports India’s need for affordable, proven military technology.
Russian Pivot to Asia: Sanctions have forced Russia to look east. India provides a stable, large, and strategically important partner in Asia, helping Russia mitigate its isolation from Western markets and technology.
Arctic Cooperation: India’s push for Arctic presence (e.g., the Himadri station) aligns with Russia’s ownership of the vast Arctic region. Cooperation is sought in energy exploration and navigation through the increasingly accessible Northern Sea Route (NSR), offering an alternative trade corridor.

Economic and Trade Dimensions

Rupee-Rouble Mechanism: The biggest economic challenge is establishing a stable, efficient mechanism for transactions that bypass US dollar scrutiny and sanctions. The current trade imbalance (heavily favouring Russia due to oil imports) makes the Rupee-Rouble mechanism complex, requiring Russia to find substantial avenues to invest its accumulated Rupee holdings.
Energy Security: Russia has become a top supplier of crude oil to India, offering significant discounts post-sanctions. This enhances India’s energy security and contributes to managing inflation.
Non-Defence Trade: Focus is being shifted to sectors like fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, civil aviation, and diamonds to reduce reliance on the defence pillar.

Connectivity and Multilateral Dimensions

International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC): Russia is a key partner in INSTC, which links India to Central Asia and Europe via Iran. Strengthening this corridor is crucial for reducing transit time and cost compared to the Suez Canal.
BRICS and SCO: The partnership is foundational to multilateral groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where both countries align on the vision of a multi-polar world order and non-interference in sovereign affairs.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	Make in India in Defence: The partnership is moving from ‘Buy’ to ‘Make in India’ components, with joint ventures like BrahMos being a prime example. Arctic Policy: India’s national policy on the Arctic directly seeks Russian partnership for research and resource access. PLI Scheme: Incentivising Russian firms to manufacture certain non-defence goods in India.
Positives of Diversification	Resilience to Sanctions: A broader economic relationship is less vulnerable to defence-related sanctions. Energy Security: Assured and discounted supply of hydrocarbons. Technology Transfer: Collaboration in new-age fields like AI, FinTech, and space navigation.
Negatives/Challenges	Trade Imbalance: Massive imbalance post-Ukraine conflict, complicating payment mechanisms. Western Pressure: India faces constant pressure from the West (e.g., under CAATSA) regarding defence procurements. Lack of Trust in Rupee: Russia’s difficulty in utilising large Rupee reserves internationally limits the viability of non-dollar trade.

Examples

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: Russia continues to be the key supplier of technology and fuel for the plant, representing a critical civilian energy cooperation.
Joint Venture BrahMos Missile: A highly successful example of co-development and co-production, now being exported to third countries.
Northern Sea Route (NSR): Indian companies are exploring investments in Russia’s Far East, leveraging the potential of the NSR for trade and resource extraction (e.g., coking coal, LNG).

Way Forward

Streamlining Payment Solutions: Urgently develop a robust, permanent non-SWIFT payment mechanism that can handle the volume of trade, perhaps using a third-party currency like the UAE Dirham or China Yuan temporarily, while seeking a permanent solution.
Focus on Far East and Arctic: Incentivise Indian public and private sector investment in the resource-rich, underdeveloped Russian Far East, particularly in mining and logistics infrastructure related to the Arctic.
Civilian Technology Transfer: Move beyond simple trade to long-term agreements on the co-development and co-production of civilian technologies (e.g., pharmaceuticals, rail technology, IT) under the ‘Make in India’ framework.
Deepening People-to-People Ties: Revive cultural and educational exchanges to strengthen the non-governmental foundation of the partnership, which has traditionally been strong.

Conclusion

The India-Russia partnership, while facing unprecedented geopolitical headwinds and economic challenges related to sanctions, remains a pillar of Indian foreign policy. Diversifying the relationship beyond defence into energy, connectivity (INSTC, NSR), and non-dollar trade mechanisms is essential for both nations to ensure the resilience and strategic relevance of their historical ties in a rapidly changing world order.

Mains Practice Questions

“India’s engagement with Russia has been compelled to diversify beyond defence and nuclear energy due to global geopolitical shifts.” Discuss the new frontiers of cooperation between India and Russia, and analyse the challenges presented by Western sanctions on bilateral trade. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
How significant is the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to the economic relationship between India and Russia? What steps must be taken to operationalise this corridor fully? (10 Marks, 150 Words)

7. Low Acceptance of PM Internship Scheme Offers

Syllabus

GS-2: Governance: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors. Role of Civil Services in a democracy.

Context

The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) was launched with the laudable objective of infusing young talent, new ideas, and energy into the bureaucratic processes and policy-making of central government ministries and departments.
However, recent data has highlighted a concerning trend: a low acceptance rate of internship offers, suggesting a significant mismatch between the program’s design and the expectations and needs of high-quality young graduates.
The analysis points to structural flaws in the scheme’s implementation that need immediate attention to ensure it attracts and retains the desired talent pool.

Main Body in Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Design and Financial Dimensions

Inadequate Stipends: A major deterrent is the insufficient stipend offered, especially when posting are in expensive metros (Tier-1 cities) like Delhi or Mumbai. The amount often fails to cover basic living expenses (rent, food, transport), making the scheme financially unviable for students without parental support.
Lack of Standardisation: The lack of a uniform and guaranteed stipend, benefits, or logistical support across all ministries creates uncertainty and inconsistency, deterring top talent who often have more lucrative private sector alternatives.
Duration Mismatch: Some internships are short (e.g., 2-3 months), which offers limited scope for meaningful project involvement, while others are too long without a clear career path incentive.

Experiential and Mentorship Dimensions

Shadowing vs. Substantive Work: Interns frequently report being relegated to clerical or administrative ‘shadowing’ tasks rather than meaningful project work that leverages their specialised skills. This leads to disillusionment and poor learning outcomes.
Poor Mentorship Quality: The success of any internship hinges on the quality of mentorship. Overburdened or uninterested government officials often provide minimal guidance, reducing the experience to a resume entry rather than a skill-building opportunity.
Lack of Formal Recognition: The absence of a formal, guaranteed certificate or letter of recommendation detailing substantive work done diminishes the value of the internship on a CV compared to structured private sector programs.

Administrative and Systemic Dimensions

Slow Recruitment Cycle: Government recruitment processes, including those for internships, are often protracted and slow, missing the academic calendar window when students are actively seeking summer or semester placements.
Siloed Approach: The scheme often fails to effectively match the specialised academic background of the intern (e.g., Data Science, Public Policy) with the specific needs of the department, leading to a mismatch of skills and assignments.
Lack of Exit Feedback Loop: There is often no formal, mandatory mechanism to collect feedback from interns upon completion or rejection of offers, preventing the ministry from identifying and correcting systemic flaws.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	PM’s Internship Scheme: Aims to connect policy-making with youth. Aspirational Districts Programme: Many interns could be highly effective if deployed to grassroot policy implementation in these districts. Capacity Building Commission (CBC): Should play a role in developing the mentorship skills of government officials participating in the scheme.
Positives of PMIS (Ideal)	Infusion of Fresh Ideas: Brings outside-the-box thinking and academic rigour to bureaucratic processes. Talent Pipeline: Creates a future pool of motivated individuals interested in joining the civil service/public policy domain. Transparency: Demystifies government functioning for the youth.
Negatives/Challenges	Low Acceptance: Wastes administrative effort and discredits the program. Lack of Impact: Unsubstantive work means the government fails to leverage young talent effectively. Equity Issue: Only those from financially secure backgrounds can afford the low stipend in costly cities.

Examples

Private Sector Stipends: Compare the PMIS stipend to high-profile internships at IIMs/IITs or large corporations, which often offer competitive stipends plus accommodation/travel, highlighting the financial gap.
Success Stories in Policy: Programs where interns were involved in drafting reports for NITI Aayog or specific scheme monitoring that resulted in policy changes often act as motivating examples, demonstrating the potential of the scheme.

Way Forward

Revise Stipend and Benefits: Immediately revise the stipend to be commensurate with the cost of living in the posted city, or provide subsidised accommodation and travel vouchers.
Structured Mentorship Program: Introduce mandatory, formal training for all government officials acting as mentors, focusing on guiding interns to deliver defined, impactful Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Formal Credit and Recognition: Partner with educational institutions to grant academic credit for the internship and provide a robust, standardised, and quantifiable Letter of Performance/Recommendation.
Decentralisation and Hybrid Work: Explore utilising hybrid or remote work models, especially for policy analysis or data-heavy projects, allowing interns to work from their home cities and reducing financial burden.
Expedited and Transparent Cycle: Synchronise the application and selection process with the academic calendar of major institutions to ensure timely offers.

Conclusion

The PM Internship Scheme is strategically vital for connecting the youth with governance, but its low acceptance rate indicates it is currently failing to attract the desired talent. To succeed, the program must be urgently re-engineered into a substantive, financially viable, and professionally rewarding opportunity that offers genuine exposure to high-level policy-making, making it competitive with private sector alternatives.

Mains Practice Questions

“The low acceptance rate of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme highlights a failure to align government opportunities with the expectations of the youth.” Analyse the structural and financial reasons for this failure and suggest comprehensive reforms. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
In what ways can a well-designed internship program enhance the capacity and quality of India’s civil services? Discuss the role of mentorship quality in achieving these outcomes. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

8. Bioremediation as a Solution for India’s Pollution

Syllabus

GS-3: Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.
GS-3: Science and Technology: Application of science in everyday life.

Context

India faces a colossal challenge in cleaning up polluted rivers (e.g., Ganga, Yamuna), industrial effluent discharge, and massive heaps of legacy waste (landfills), which threaten public health and ecosystems.
Bioremediation, the use of living organisms—primarily microbes, but also fungi and plants—to degrade, transform, or remove pollutants, is emerging as a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional physical or chemical clean-up methods.
The focus is now on scaling up this technology, particularly for challenging pollutants like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants.

Main Body in Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Scientific and Technological Dimensions

Mechanisms of Action: Bioremediation operates through processes like Biodegradation (microbes break down organic contaminants), Bioaccumulation/Biosorption (microbes/plants absorb metals from the water/soil), and Bioventing/Biostimulation (injecting air or nutrients to accelerate native microbial activity).
Pollutant Specificity: Different indigenous or engineered microbes are needed for different pollutants—e.g., specific bacteria for oil spills, fungi for breaking down complex plastics, and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans for heavy metal leaching.
Phytoremediation: The use of plants (hyper-accumulators) like sunflowers, Indian mustard, or certain grasses to extract heavy metals from the soil. This is particularly effective for large, diffuse contamination sites.

Economic and Sustainability Dimensions

Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to expensive ‘dig and dump’ operations or high-energy chemical treatment (like incineration or chemical oxidation), bioremediation offers significantly lower operational costs and requires less complex infrastructure.
Environmental Footprint: It is a ‘green’ technology that is non-disruptive, does not generate harmful by-products (as it converts toxins into harmless substances like water and enhances the natural ecological balance of the site.
Resource Recovery: In some advanced forms of bioremediation, valuable resources like certain metals or energy (biogas) can be recovered from the waste material.

Implementation and Regulatory Dimensions

Site Heterogeneity Challenge: Microbes are highly sensitive to environmental factors like $\text{pH}$, temperature, and pollutant concentration. The lack of standardisation means a solution that works on one section of a river may fail on another, requiring extensive site-specific research.
Regulatory Oversight: India’s regulatory environment for the use of Genetically Engineered Microorganisms (GEMs) is extremely complex and slow. While GEMs offer the most potent and efficient clean-up solutions, fear of ecological consequences has stalled their approval for field use.
Lack of Skilled Manpower: Scaling up requires specialised knowledge in microbial ecology, environmental engineering, and geology, which is often lacking in local municipal bodies and pollution control boards.

Government Schemes, Positives, Negatives

Feature	Description
Government Schemes/Initiatives	National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): Uses bioremediation techniques for in-situ river water treatment. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): The component addressing landfill remediation often employs bioremediation for waste stabilisation and volume reduction. National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme: Promotes anaerobic digestion, a form of bioremediation, for waste-to-energy conversion.
Positives of Bioremediation	In-Situ Application: Can treat contamination without excavating and moving the polluted material. Complete Destruction: Can break down organic contaminants completely, unlike chemical methods that might just transfer the pollutant. Aesthetic Improvement: Can restore the natural look and function of the contaminated site over time.
Negatives/Challenges	Time-Intensive: Can take much longer than chemical methods, sometimes requiring months or years. Limited for Heavy Metals: Less effective in completely removing heavy metals compared to organic pollutants. Monitoring Difficulty: Hard to monitor and control microbial activity in complex, real-world conditions.

Examples

Landfill Remediation (Legacy Waste): Bioremediation is successfully used in several Indian mega-landfills (e.g., in Delhi and Mumbai) to stabilize the waste and reduce its height before final processing.
Oil Spill Clean-up: The use of oil-eating bacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas species) has been successfully demonstrated in Indian waters for cleaning up minor oil spills.
In-Situ River Treatment: Bioremediation (microbial dosing) is being tested in certain severely polluted stretches of the Yamuna and its tributaries to enhance the water’s self-purification capacity.

Way Forward

Establish National Protocols: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) must immediately establish clear, standardised, and simplified national protocols for the use of indigenous microbial consortia and GEMs for different contamination types.
R&D Hubs and Commercialisation: Set up dedicated regional Bioremediation Technology Hubs that link premier research institutions (CSIR, IITs) with industry for field testing and commercialisation of proprietary microbial products.
Skill Development: Introduce specialized Environmental Biotechnology/Bioremediation modules in engineering and science curricula and offer certification programs for municipal workers.
Incentivise Green Clean-up: Provide financial incentives and faster regulatory clearances for industries and municipalities that choose bioremediation over conventional, polluting clean-up methods.

Conclusion

Bioremediation is an indispensable tool for tackling India’s extensive and varied pollution legacy in a sustainable manner. For this green technology to move from laboratory success to large-scale national deployment, the government must address the current challenges of regulatory complexity, standardisation, and skilled manpower development, thereby unlocking its immense potential to clean the nation’s soil and water resources.

Mains Practice Questions

“Bioremediation offers a sustainable and cost-effective pathway for India to address its colossal problem of industrial and legacy waste pollution.” Elucidate the scientific mechanisms of bioremediation and discuss the regulatory and implementation challenges in scaling up this technology in India. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Differentiate between the terms Bioremediation, Bioaugmentation, and Phytoremediation. How can India leverage these technologies to clean heavy metal contamination in its major river systems? (10 Marks, 150 Words)