Musk’s DOGE gains access to Treasury payment systems
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
What’s the ongoing story: In a major victory for billionaire Elon Musk led Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE has been granted permission to have full access to the US Treasury Department’s payment system, New York Times reported.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What does the acronym DOGE stand for in the context of Elon Musk’s recent governmental role?
• Which U.S. government official approved DOGE’s access to the federal payment system?
• What will be the implications of granting a private entity, led by Elon Musk, access to the U.S. federal payment system.
• Know the role of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the U.S. government.
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• What are the ethical considerations and potential conflicts of interest arising from Elon Musk’s dual role as a private entrepreneur and a government official with access to sensitive federal systems?
• Evaluate the potential national security concerns associated with granting DOGE access to the federal payment system, considering Elon Musk’s international business engagements.
• What are the checks and balances within the U.S. governmental framework that are designed to prevent misuse of power when private individuals are granted significant authority within federal systems?
Key Takeaways:
• Trump’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is chaired by Elon Musk and is tasked to identify fraud and waste in the government. The department had reportedly sought full clearance and access to the Treasury department’s system which is used to roll out federal funds.
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• Musk led DOGE team’s efforts to achieve full access to the system were resisted by a career civil servant at the Treasury department named David Lebryk, who was earlier placed on leave this week and thereafter retired on Friday after the dispute, according to reports.
• The Times reported that, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Musk’s team access to the system. The Treasury department’s system sends more than $6 trillion per year in payments on behalf of federal agencies and stores information of millions of Americans who receive Social Security payments, tax refunds and other grants and relief from the US government.
• US Senator from Oregon, Ron Wyden, a Democrat confirmed that Musk’s team at DOGE has received access to the Treasury department’s system.
• The New York Times reported that it wasn’t immediately clear if Musk’s team had blocked any payment related after gaining access to the system.
Do You Know:
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• The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), officially named the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is a temporary entity under the United States DOGE Service, previously known as the United States Digital Service.
• Despite its title, DOGE is not a federal executive department, as establishing one would require approval from Congress. Its main goal is to reduce wasteful spending and remove unnecessary regulations, though the executive order that created it defines its role as modernizing federal technology and software to enhance governmental efficiency and productivity.
• DOGE was introduced in November 2024 by then President-elect Donald Trump for his second term.
• Established by executive order on January 20, 2025, DOGE is a temporary organization scheduled to conclude on July 4, 2026. It operates from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with approximately 20 employees stationed there and additional teams working within federal agencies.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
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📍Musk, Indian-origin Ramaswamy to head body to trim US govt: What is DOGE
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
1. The federal payment system to which DOGE has been granted access handles which of the following?
A) Military operations
B) Distribution of Social Security benefits
C) Environmental regulations
D) Educational policies
FRONT PAGE
Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico & China, spurs trade war
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
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What’s the ongoing story: President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, drawing swift retaliation and an undeniable sense of betrayal from the country’s North American neighbors as a trade war erupted among the longtime allies.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What are the reasons behind India’s exclusion from President Trump’s initial tariff measures, despite prior criticisms of its tariff structure.
• Discuss the implications of India’s exclusion for future India-U.S. trade relations.
• What will be the impact of the U.S. imposing tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada on global trade dynamics?
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• How India’s trade strategy in future will adapt in response to these recent tariff impose developments?
• Discuss the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the U.S. in the context of recent tariff impositions.
• What strategies should India employ to navigate potential trade negotiations with the U.S.?
• Assess the role of bilateral trade negotiations in mitigating tariff disputes between nations. Use the example of India and the U.S. to illustrate your points.
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• Examine the broader implications of protectionist trade policies, such as tariffs, on emerging economies like India.
• How can India safeguard her economic interests in an increasingly protectionist global environment?
Key Takeaways:
• Despite repeatedly criticising India’s tariff structure, Trump’s first executive order on February 1 to impose trade tariffs did not mention India, signalling that bilateral trade negotiations may be on the cards later this month when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US.
• International trade experts said that India has already begun lowering tariffs to favour US exports in a bid to avoid Trump’s tariffs. Duties on items primarily exported by the US, such as motorcycles with an engine capacity below 1,600cc, ground installations for satellites, and synthetic flavouring essences, among others, were slashed in the Union Budget 2025-26 presented on Saturday.
• Meanwhile, exporters said that the current 10 per cent tariffs imposed on Chinese goods would create an opportunity for more Indian goods to enter the US market.
• According to an analysis by Oxford Economics, India was the fourth-largest beneficiary of the trade diversions that occurred between 2017-2023 after Trump launched a tariff war with China in his first term.
• However, a trade war that drives up inflation in the US market may not be in India’s interest, as America is India’s largest trade partner and foremost export market. On Sunday, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on American goods such as beer, wine, household appliances, and sporting goods.
Do You Know:
• According to Investopedia, Protectionism refers to government policies that restrict international trade to help domestic industries. Protectionist policies are usually implemented with the goal of improving economic activity within a domestic economy but can also be implemented for safety or quality concerns.
• Former trade officer and head of the think tank GTRI, Ajay Srivastava, said that the Union Budget has introduced significant tariff reductions on multiple products, many of which benefit American exports. Among the key tariff reductions, India lowered the duty on fish hydrolysate for the manufacture of aquatic feed from 15 per cent to 5 per cent, a move that directly impacts US exports worth $35 million. Another notable tariff cut affects Ethernet switches, where duties have been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, Srivastava said.
• While Trump announced the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to halt “illegal immigration” and stop “poisonous fentanyl and other drugs” from flowing into the US, the tariff targets were based on the size of the US trade deficit.
• According to the Research and Information System (RIS), China is the largest contributor to the US trade deficit with an overall share of 30 per cent. Mexico and Canada hold the second and third positions with shares of 19 per cent and 14.5 per cent, respectively. In 2023, China had a trade surplus of $317 billion with the US, while Mexico and Canada had surpluses of $200 billion and $153 billion, respectively.
• India contributes only 3.2 per cent to America’s overall trade deficit and is the ninth-highest contributor. As such, India may be on the top of Trump’s tariff hit list, but trade policy researchers suggest that India could be vulnerable in certain finished goods product categories, particularly pharmaceutical exports.
• The pharmaceutical sector, followed by the gems and jewellery sector, are the largest trade segments where India enjoys a significant trade surplus. Pharma products comprised the largest share of 21.9 per cent of the $20 billion worth of final consumer goods that India exported to the US in 2023. Precious metals, with a 9.6 per cent share, and shrimps and prawns, with a 6.6 per cent share, occupied the second and third spots.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍THE FIRST SALVO
EXPRESS NETWORK
The Budget and its politics: Pivot to middle class, clear eye on Bihar, outreach to farmers
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Government Budgeting.
What’s the ongoing story: Underlines the pivot to middle class that has been apparent in the Delhi poll campaign, and has a clear eye on Bihar, which votes next
Key Points to Ponder:
• What exactly defines the middle class in an economic context?
• Discuss the socio-economic significance of the middle class in India’s development.
• How Union budget and taxation policies impacts India’s middle class?
• The Indian middle class has been a major driver of consumption and economic expansion. Discuss the role of government policies in sustaining and expanding the middle class.
• How does urbanization and the digital economy impact the aspirations and lifestyle of India’s middle class? Discuss with examples.
• Analyze the political importance of the middle class in India’s electoral landscape. How do government budgets and welfare policies target this segment?
Key Takeaways:
• Sitharaman’s Budget breaks with the past to provide significant tax relief to the salaried middle classes. The zero income tax slab up to an income of Rs 12 lakh per annum covers the widest section of the salaried middle class in the country.
• While tax slabs have been revised to provide for zero tax up to Rs 4 lakh, 5% from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, and 10% from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, the government has provided a rebate to ensure that those earning up to Rs 12 lakh, unless capital gains tax is chargeable from them, would pay no income tax.
• With Bihar going to polls later this year, and with state-based parties Janata Dal (United) and LJP (Ram Vilas) among crucial NDA allies, Sitharaman mentioned Bihar six times in her speech, apart from separate mentions of Mithilanchal (north Bihar) and of destinations associated with the Buddha, which fall largely in Bihar and eastern UP areas neighbouring the state.
• The promises made for the state in the Budget include setting up of a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar as part of ‘Purvodaya’ (rise of eastern India), to provide a fillip to food processing activities, enhance income of farmers, and skill youth. Other promises are a Makhana Board for Bihar, greenfield airports in the state, and expansion of the Patna airport.
• The Budget addressed farmers, but with a focus on hundred districts with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average credit parameters, and with the aim of encouraging crop diversification, post-harvest storage, credit provision and irrigation. The Budget said that this scheme – named Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana – would help 1.7-crore farmers.
• Sitharaman also announced an increase in subsidised Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan limit to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 5 lakh, a ‘Rural Prosperity and Resilience’ programme to address rural unemployment, and promotion of research for developing high-yield, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient seeds.
Do You Know:
• The economic concept of “middle class”, on which abundant literature exists, is that a genuine middle class should provide a certain quantum of consumption that is stable and resilient because of how the income to consume is generated (the nature of occupation); and should have enough surpluses after routine expenditure to help them weather economic downturns and be able to bounce back without having to contract their consumption too much for too long. This is where many of the so-called middle class households in India do not qualify.
• For a middle class to be a long-term, high-commitment investment thesis for businesses, in addition to the stability and resilience of its consumption, there needs to be a strong foundation that enables continuous improvement in income levels, leading to more and better quality consumption as well.
• A genuine middle class household is one where the consumption behaviour steadily shifts upwards from price sensitivity to benefit sensitivity. This, in turn, stimulates another virtuous cycle of powerful, diverse and better quality supply responses.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Experts Explain | Who makes up India’s middle class: a reality check
📍Experts Explain | A stunted middle class: Role of the manufacturing, informal sectors
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. Along with the Budget, the Finance Minister also places other documents before the Parliament which include ‘The Macro Economic Framework Statement’. The aforesaid document is presented because this is mandated by (2020)
(a) Long standing parliamentary convention
(b) Article 112 and Article 110(1) of the Constitution of India
(c) Article 113 of the Constitution of India
(d) Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003
THE EDITORIAL PAGE
Stopping short of the farm
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• General Studies III: Government Budgeting.
What’s the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati, Raya Das Writes: Budget makes some progress in addressing agricultural challenges. But approach remains incremental rather than transformational
Key Points to Ponder:
• According to the All-India Debt and Investment Survey of 2019, what percentage of cultivator households in India owned tractors?
• What is the primary reason small and marginal farmers in India find it challenging to adopt mechanization?
• What percentage of Indian agricultural households are classified as small and marginal farmers?
• Know the implications of India’s negative Producer Support Estimate (PSE) on the agricultural sector.
• Discuss the challenges faced by small and marginal farmers in adopting mechanization.
• What policy interventions can the government implement to facilitate mechanization among farmers?
• Evaluate the impact of post-harvest losses on India’s food security and farmers’ livelihoods.
• Examine the role of budgetary allocations in addressing the issues of mechanization and post-harvest losses in Indian agriculture.
Key Takeaways:
Ashok Gulati, Raya Das Writes:
• The big question from the agriculture segment of the Union Budget for FY26 is whether it can bring in climate resilience, and augment the productivity and incomes of farmers and farm labourers.
• There are several initiatives announced for agriculture that are likely to help the farming community. The special focus on 100 districts to augment agri-productivity, promote sustainable farming practices and crop diversification, extending credit access through Kisan Credit Cards from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, starting a Pulses Mission to attain atma nirbharta in tur, moong and urad, etc, are all steps in the right direction. So is the setting up of a Makhana Board in Bihar.
• The budget allocated for agriculture and farmers’ welfare, as well as for allied sectors, put together is Rs 1.49 trillion. This marks roughly a 4 per cent increase over the previous year’s budget.
• The biggest scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture is PM-Kisan, the allocation for which has been at Rs 60,000 crore since 2019. In real terms, it has been declining. The opportunity to dovetail this income transfer with the direct transfer of the fertiliser subsidy, which is bigger than the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, has been missed.
• While agriculture’s share in overall GDP has been declining over the decades, reaching approximately 17.7 per cent in recent years, its share in the workforce, after a secular decline, reversed, and it increased from 42.5 per cent in 2018-19 to 46.1 per cent in FY24. This has depressed the real wages in the farming sector, where 55 per cent of employment is of farm labourers, who are at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
• The budget’s emphasis on releasing 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops is welcome. However, without adequate investment in R&D and extension, productivity gains may not translate into higher farm incomes.
Do You Know:
Ashok Gulati, Raya Das Writes:
• Agriculture’s challenges are deeply intertwined with global price dynamics. India continues to face shortages in pulses, oilseeds, and key raw materials for agri-processing industries like cotton and maize, leading to rising import dependence. The budget does little to address these shortages structurally.
• Expanding the area under pulses in rice-fallow regions and incentivising private-sector participation in oilseed production could help bridge this gap. But the structural challenge remains: Farming in India is still heavily dependent on rice and wheat, largely due to MSP-centric procurement policies that crowd out high-value crops like pulses, oilseeds and horticulture. The shift to a crop-neutral incentive structure is imperative to drive sustainable diversification.
• Post-harvest losses remain a significant issue. Around 8.1 per cent of fruits and 7.3 per cent of vegetables are lost in the post-harvest value chain, amounting to 37 per cent of total post-harvest losses of Rs 1.53 trillion annually. Higher investments in cold chains, processing facilities, and logistics are needed to reduce such losses.
• The government has taken steps to encourage private investment in storage and marketing infrastructure, but more needs to be done. The allocation under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has increased from Rs 600 crore in FY25 to Rs 900 crore in FY26, which can improve the post-harvest value chain in India.
• While the Union Budget 2025-26 makes some progress in addressing agricultural challenges, the overall approach remains incremental rather than transformational. A paradigm shift is needed — one that moves away from subsidy-heavy interventions towards investment-driven growth, greater private sector participation, and technology-led efficiency improvements.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍After budget, what India’s economy needs amid global uncertainties
MY WORKPLACE, YOUR HOME
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies I: Social empowerment
• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
• General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
What’s the ongoing story: Neetha N Writes: The asymmetric relationship between employer and employee, where the workplace is the former’s private space and the latter’s workplace is an issue that makes the sector qualitatively different. Supreme Court order on law to regulate the sector offers some hope
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the percentage of domestic workers in India?
• Is there any law for domestic workers in India?
• Discuss the key challenges in ensuring the rights and welfare of domestic workers in India.
• Analyse the role of the Indian judiciary in protecting the rights of domestic workers. Provide examples of landmark judgments in this regard.
• Examine the impact of the absence of a comprehensive legal framework for domestic workers in India. How does it compare with international standards such as ILO Convention No. 189?
• What are the socio-economic implications of providing legal protection and welfare benefits to domestic workers in India?
Key Takeaways:
Neetha N Writes:
• Domestic workers and those who work towards the well-being of this vulnerable segment of the workforce have found hope with the Supreme Court’s direction on January 29 to the Union government to look into a law to regulate the sector.
• The bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the government to form an inter-ministerial committee to “consider the desirability of recommending a legal framework for the benefit, protection and regulation of the rights of domestic workers”.
• The committee is to give its report in six months to the government based on which the latter is directed to decide on a law for domestic workers.
• As background to this direction, the court noted that the poor and vulnerable conditions of domestic workers are largely due to the lack of appropriate regulations.
• The court also highlighted some past attempts to regulate the sector and the exclusion of these workers from many labour legislation, including the Minimum Wages Act and the Equal Remuneration Act. While acknowledging existing state-specific regulations, the bench noted the importance of having national-level legislation that is binding on all state governments.
Do You Know:
• According to official statistics, there are 4.75 million domestic workers in India, three million of whom are women, the International Labour Organisation, along with others are firm that the real number is much more, ranging from a wide 20 to 80 million.
• According to Neetha N, Domestic work is a feminised occupation, with migrants from marginalised communities constituting a considerable proportion. Wage rates and other non-wage benefits vary across the tasks performed by the worker and the nature of employment. There is variation in wages across employers for a given task even in the same locality. Low wages, unfair working conditions (such as the absence of any leave and denial of rest and food), the obligation to attend to additional tasks, increased workload without additional compensation and so on are the key features that mark the sector.
• India is yet to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers. The judiciary has intervened in the past in favour of the documentation and registration of placement agencies. Though some follow-up was done, it didn’t make much difference to the working conditions of domestic workers.
• It is often asked why a specific segment of the workforce, like domestic workers, needs separate legislation when the new labour codes are more inclusive. The Code on Wages (2019), unlike the Minimum Wages Act, by definition covers the sector. But anyone who recognises the intricacies, complexities and hierarchies of the occupation which intersects with gender, caste, and class will back a separate legislation.
• The recent attempts in the direction of the states of Kerala and Delhi could surely be looked at for learning. Domestic workers’ unions and organisations across the country bring with them rich experiences of ground realities that need to be taken into account while framing any law for the sector. A legislation to regulate the sector may not result in an immediate betterment of working conditions.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Domestic worker draft policy for minimum wages, social security
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can the care economy be brought into a monetized economy through women empowerment? (2023)
THE IDEAS PAGE
But baby may not drill
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
What’s the ongoing story: Vikram S Mehta Writes: Trump’s inaugural pronouncement that America had “the largest amount of oil and gas in the world” and the “liquid gold under its feet” would make it “a rich nation again”, combined with the revocation of the electric vehicle mandate and the executive order withdrawing America from the Paris climate accord (Libya, Iran and Yemen are the three other non-signatories), signalled his “shock-and-awe” intent to derail the green agenda.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the challenges faced by the U.S. administration in increasing domestic oil production despite policy initiatives aimed at boosting output.
• Analyse the economic implications of increased oil production on global oil prices and the potential impact on domestic oil companies’ profitability.
• Evaluate the role of international alliances and geopolitical considerations in shaping a country’s energy production policies, with reference to the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
• Assess the environmental and economic trade-offs involved in prioritizing fossil fuel production over renewable energy sources in national energy policies.
Key Takeaways:
Vikram S Mehta Writes:
• The market reacted predictably. International oil and gas prices softened and the shares of clean energy companies fell. Will this pronouncement lead to a substantive change in the international energy market or might it be no more than “a tale…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”? I argue that it will most likely be the latter.
• On petroleum, my logic is built around the fundamentals of exploration and production. This is a high-risk, capital- and technology-intensive activity with a long lead time. Its success hinges on navigating three interlocking uncertainties
• First, the uncertainty over whether a given geologic structure contains hydrocarbons. Technological advancement in mapping underground geologic structures and interpreting rock formations has reduced this uncertainty significantly. Second, whether these hydrocarbons can be located. Here, too, innovations related to well location and drilling have allowed for greater accuracy and productivity. Third, whether the reserves, once located, can be produced profitably.
• Petroleum companies usually take more than four years to move from exploration success to the creation of development infrastructure to the commencement of production. The length of this process depends on permitting procedures, field location (offshore/onshore; plains/hilly; remote/well-connected) and geology, but even under the most favourable of combinations, these companies would be hard pressed to monetise their investments during the tenure of a presidential term. This point will explain (in part at least) why companies may not respond to President Trump’s decision to lift the ban on drilling in environmentally sensitive areas like the Arctic seas.
• As regards the green agenda, America’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement does cast a cloud over sustainability. It will choke the flow of American funds for climate change. This is, however, a rerun of an earlier play. And like last time, its impact will be managed.
Do You Know:
• In his first speech as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump reiterated one of his presidential campaign slogans — “drill, baby, drill” — indicating that he will push for more oil and gas production, and consumption in the US. President Trump also said he would declare a “national energy emergency” to boost US oil and gas production and bring prices down.
• History of ‘drill, baby, drill’: The slogan was coined in 2008 by Michael Steele, the US politician who served as the first African-American lieutenant governor of Maryland and chair of the Republican National Committee.
• Speaking with Carbon Brief in March 2024, Steele said he had used the phrase to promote US independence from Middle Eastern oil. While addressing the Republican National Convention in 2008, he told the crowd: “Let’s reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil, and promote oil-and-gas production at home. Let me make it very clear: Drill, baby, drill – and drill now.”
• The US has come a long way from being reliant on oil from the Middle East and currently, does not have any dearth of fossil fuels. In fact, as of now, the country is the largest producer of oil in the world, and is a net exporter of fossil fuels. Since 2016, production of American oil has gone up by 70%.
• According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US’s crude oil production reached an annual record of 13.2 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2024. The production is set to slightly increase this year, reaching 13.5 million b/d, EIA said.
• Similarly, LNG exports have gone from almost zero in 2016 to the US becoming the global lead.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍‘Drill, baby, drill’: Slogan’s history, why Trump uses it so often
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
3. Which of the following factors are contributing to the reluctance of U.S. oil companies to increase production, despite governmental encouragement?
1. Fear of repeating past overproduction leading to bankruptcies.
2. Current oil prices being too low to justify expansion.
3. Anticipation of stricter environmental regulations.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3
EXPRESS NETWORK
DRDO carries out 3 consecutive tests of Very Short-Range Air Defence system
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
What’s the ongoing story: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted three successive flight-trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. These tests were carried out against high-speed targets flying at very low altitude.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is a Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)?
• Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile system-Know in detail
• Discuss the significance of the successful trials of the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) by DRDO in enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities.
• Analyse the technological advancements incorporated in the VSHORADS missile system and their potential impact on India’s air defence strategy.
• Evaluate the role of indigenously developed defence systems like VSHORADS in achieving self-reliance under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
• Know about Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Key Takeaways:
• VSHORADS is a fourth generation technically-advanced miniaturised Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD), indigenously designed and developed by DRDO’s Hyderabad-based premier facility Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry partners.
• During all the three flight-tests on Saturday, the missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets which had a reduced thermal signature to mimic low flying drones. These targets were flown at different flying conditions.
• The flight-tests were carried out in final deployment configuration where two field operators carried out the full operation sequence of weapon readiness, target acquisition and missile firing.
Do You Know:
• The development trials of the missile were carried out at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan in October last year and showcased repeatability of hit-to-kill capability of the weapon system in various target engagement scenarios covering approaching, receding and crossing modes. The DRDO said that the missile system has the capability to meet the needs of all the three branches of the armed forces — Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
• During the development phase of the VSHORADS missile, two production agencies were engaged in the development-cum-production partner (DcPP) mode. In the development trials in October last year, the missiles produced through DcPPs were successfully used, paving the way for early user trials and production in a short time. Similarly, two successful trials were conducted in February 2024 and in September 2022.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍India successfully flight tests VSHORADS missile
ECONOMY
GST rate rationalisation, simplification in the works; Centre-states talks underway
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development and Indian Polity and Governance
Mains Examination:
• General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
• General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
What’s the ongoing story: Even as the government announced rationalisation of income tax rates in the Budget, there is also work going on to simplify and rationalise the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Goods and Services Tax (GST) and How does it work?
• What are the benefits of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India?
• Goods and Services Tax (GST)-Issues and Challenges
• GST Council and Article 279A of the Constitution-Key Provisions
• GST Council and Members-Know in detail
• What is the role of GST Council?
• Discuss the significance of GST rate rationalisation in India’s tax structure.
• Examine the role of the GST Council in India’s federal structure.
• How does the collaborative approach between the Centre and states impact the effectiveness of GST implementation and reforms?
• Assess the proposal to eliminate the 12% GST slab?
Key Takeaways:
• Discussions between Centre and states have taken place to undertake not just GST rate rationalisation but also simplify the structure, with a particular focus on doing away with the 12 per cent slab, The Indian Express has learnt.
• The ministerial panel formed under GST to oversee rate rationalisation is learnt to have held threadbare discussions on the items in each of the key slabs — zero, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent — and whether the items need to be moved to a higher or lower slab. But, even after the detailed exercise, the 12 per cent GST slab was proposed to be retained by the panel, along with the other three key slabs. This was flagged in internal discussions as being inconsistent with the objective of reducing the number of slabs, sources said.
• Earlier in internal discussions regarding GST rate rationalisation, a proposal has been discussed to merge the 12 per cent and the 18 per cent slabs to create a new 15 per cent slab, and have only a three-slab structure.
• However, merging the two slabs did not gain broad consensus because the revenue loss from shifting the items from the 18 per cent slab to 15 per cent would be far greater than the gains from raising the GST rate on the items in the 12 per cent slab to 15 per cent.
• A higher rate than 12 per cent was also flagged as a point of concern for some of the items linked to pharmaceuticals that could then see a higher levy with a new rate of 15 per cent.
Do You Know:
• Reducing items in the 18 per cent slab is also not simple as around 70-75 per cent of the GST revenue comes from the items in the 18 per cent slab, while 12 per cent rate accounts for just 5-6 per cent.
• Currently, the GST has a multi-tier structure —zero, 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent — with additional levy of compensation cess over and above the highest rate of 28 per cent on sin and luxury items.
• The GST Council in its 55th meeting held in Jaisalmer last month had held discussions on lowering rates on several items. However, it decided to defer a key decision to lower the tax rate on health and life insurance premiums. The GoM on rate rationalisation had sought more time to discuss the proposal to tweak rates on as many as 148 items, which.is expected to come up for discussion in the next meeting of the GST Council.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍GST rate rationalisation: GoM not keen on tweaking current slabs for now, seeks more data
EXPLAINED
How the Uttarakhand UCC regulates live-in relationships
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Indian Constitution—significant provisions etc.
• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: The Uttarakhand government Monday (January 27) rolled out the Uniform Civil Code Rules for regulating live-in relationships which requires, among other things, the couple to fill a 16-page form and obtain a certificate from a religious leader showing they are eligible to marry, if they so choose.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand-What you know so far?
• What is a live-in relationship?
• Who can enter into a live-in relationship?
• How does the UCC regulate live-in relationships?
Key Takeaways:
• The Uttarakhand UCC makes it compulsory to register all live-in relationships. This applies to Uttarakhand residents living in the state as well as those living elsewhere in India. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that a law regulating live-in relationships is necessary to avoid domestic crimes outside of marriage.
• Part 3 of Uttarakhand’s UCC deals with live-in relationships. The law essentially requires individuals to submit “a statement of live-in relationship” within a month of entering such a relationship. It also requires them to submit a statement of “termination of relationship.”
• The law states that the registration is only for the “purposes of record keeping” and also that the Registrar will forward these statements to the local police stations where the couple lives, and in case one of them is less than 21 years of age, to their parent or local guardian.
• For live-in couples, the code stipulates either online or offline registration. For online registration, citizens need to register with their Aadhaar. An OTP will be sent to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
• For offline registration, the couple may approach the registrar of their jurisdiction (in the place of the shared household) with the requisite registration form and supporting documents. The application will be verified by the registrar within 30 days of its receipt. If it is rejected, an appeal can be sent within 30 days.
Do You Know:
• The Code defines live-in relationships as a relationship in the “nature of marriage” between a man and a woman cohabiting in a shared household, and requires compulsory registration of live-in relationships through a “statement of live-in relationship”.
• A live-in relationship may be terminated by either of the parties to the live-in relationship by submitting a “statement of termination”.
Failure to register a live-in relationship within one month of entering into the relationship has been criminalised, with punishment up to
three months in jail or fine not exceeding Rs 10,000.
• The Registrar may require the parties to submit the statement of live-in relationship, through a notice, on his/ her own motion or on a complaint filed by a third party.
• The Uttarakhand UCC describes a live-in relationship as a relationship between a man and a woman, “who cohabit in a shared household through a relationship in the nature of marriage.”
• The term “shared household” is defined as one “where a man and a woman, not being minors, live under one roof in a rented accommodation or in a house owned jointly or by any one of them or any other accommodation.”
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍16-page form to priest certificate: Uttarakhand UCC rules for live-in
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