🔷 Post-Maoist Governance Challenges

Internal Security & Tribal Welfare

• As Maoist influence recedes, policy focus is shifting from counter-insurgency operations to the challenges of establishing durable post-Maoist governance.
• The state’s traditional two-pronged approach combined security operations to contain violence with development initiatives to address poverty.
• The insurgency has been most intense in Fifth Schedule areas, which have high Adivasi (tribal) populations and are constitutionally designed for special governance protections.
• Despite constitutional promises like Tribal Advisory Councils (TACs) and special Governor's powers to prevent land alienation, these safeguards failed systemically. The Mungekar Committee (2009), for instance, noted that Governors rarely used their discretionary powers to protect Adivasi interests, creating a governance vacuum.
• The Planning Commission's Expert Committee (2008) observed that these regions suffered from extreme poverty due to systemic governance failures, not resource scarcity.
• Land and forest alienation, especially after the economic liberalisation of the 1990s, has been the most severe grievance among tribal communities.
• The Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996, which promised to empower Gram Sabhas over land and resources, was poorly implemented, with its core consent provisions routinely violated.
• Maoists capitalized on these governance failures by establishing parallel structures like 'Janatana Sarkars' (people’s governments) that provided basic services and swift justice.
• Due to a concerted security and development push, the number of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts has been reduced from 126 in 2014 to just 11 in 2025.

This topic is crucial for GS-3 (Internal Security) and GS-2 (Governance), as it directly links administrative and governance failures to the rise of insurgency. For Mains answers, use this analysis to argue that sustainable peace requires deep governance reforms and the effective implementation of constitutional safeguards like PESA and FRA, not just security presence.

🔷 Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025

Education Reform

• The Union Government has introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025, to overhaul India's higher education regulatory framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The bill proposes to create a single integrated regulatory body by subsuming the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
• Three specialised councils will be established under the VBSA:
  • Viksit Bharat Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council): For regulatory oversight, governance compliance, and coordination.
  • Viksit Bharat Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council): For institutional and programme-level accreditation.
  • Viksit Bharat Manak Parishad (Standards Council): For setting academic standards and ensuring harmonisation of benchmarks.
• Professional programmes such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, law, pharmacology, and veterinary sciences are excluded from the bill's purview and will remain under their existing regulators.
• A key reform is the separation of funding from regulation. The grant disbursal powers of the UGC will be removed and handled separately by the Ministry of Education.
• The bill includes strong enforcement mechanisms, with penalties ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh and provisions for the closure of institutions for repeated violations.

This is a landmark legislative reform in education, a key topic for UPSC Mains GS-2. For Mains answers, be prepared to critically analyze the pros and cons of subsuming multiple regulators into one. Contrast the VBSA's framework, particularly its inclusion of state representation, with the earlier, more centralized Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, 2018, to demonstrate analytical depth.

🔷 India’s Strategic Pivot to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

International Trade

• India is renewing its emphasis on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), shifting their purpose from being purely trade-liberalisation tools to instruments of geopolitics and supply-chain security.
• This shift is driven by several global factors. Key among them are a strategic realignment in a multipolar world due to US-China rivalry, the decline of WTO-led multilateralism, and the imperative to build resilient "China Plus One" supply chains. Domestically, India also aims to unlock its vast services and investment potential.
• Recent significant agreements include the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
• Concerns with past FTAs persist, including widening trade deficits. For example, with the ASEAN bloc, India's imports grew by 234.4% while exports grew by only 130.4% between FY 2009 and FY 2023. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in partner countries also limit India's export gains.
• India's recommended future FTA strategy includes incorporating stronger safeguards, robust Rules of Origin, and focusing on "WTO-Plus" areas like digital trade and green technologies.

This topic interconnects Economy (GS-3) and International Relations (GS-2). In your answers, use the specific ASEAN trade deficit data (imports up 234.4%, exports up 130.4%) as evidence to argue why India's 'new' FTA strategy, focusing on geopolitics and 'WTO-Plus' areas, is a necessary evolution from its past approach.

🔷 PFRDA's Updated Investment Guidelines for Government Pension Funds

Banking & Regulation

• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has released a Master Circular on Investment Guidelines for government-sector pension schemes, including the National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
• The circular specifies the maximum investment limits for various asset classes to streamline compliance and strengthen risk management.

• The guidelines have broadened the investment options for pension funds, now including Gold & Silver ETFs, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), and AAA-rated Municipal Bonds.

Regulatory updates from bodies like PFRDA, SEBI, and RBI are direct syllabus points for banking and regulatory body exams. The specific investment limits are high-potential facts for MCQs.

🔷 Dieback Disease Threatens Neem Trees

Ecology & Plant Pathology

• The Forest College and Research Institute (FCRI) in Telangana has initiated a scientific investigation into the Dieback disease, which has caused the death of thousands of neem trees.
• The disease is caused by a fungal pathogen belonging to the genus Phytophthora.
• The first report of this disease in India was in the 1990s near Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• It spreads primarily through the movement of contaminated soil and mud, free water, and direct root-to-root contact between plants.
• The disease poses severe ecological and economic threats, including the potential for a 100% loss in fruit production for infected trees. Critically, there is no known cure for the disease.

Diseases affecting ecologically and economically significant trees like Neem are important for the Environment and Agriculture sections. The scientific name of the pathogen, its mode of transmission, and the location of the first outbreak are classic factual points for preliminary exams.

🔷 Air Pollution: A National Public Health Emergency

Public Health Crisis

• Air pollution in India has evolved from a seasonal crisis into a persistent, year-round national public health emergency.
• A recent report by the Centre for Air Quality and Clean Air Research (CREA) found that 150 out of 256 surveyed cities violated national PM 2.5 standards in 2025.
• India's official Air Quality Index (AQI) is flawed, with a maximum threshold of 500. This often underrepresents extreme pollution events where levels can exceed 1,000.
• The health impact is severe, as quantified by recent data:
  • University of Chicago's Air Quality Life Index (AQLI): Current PM 2.5 levels in Delhi are estimated to reduce a person's life expectancy by more than eight years.
  • State of Global Air Report 2025: Air pollution was responsible for approximately two million deaths in India in 2023.
• PM 2.5 exposure damages multiple body systems, causing cardiovascular problems, respiratory illnesses (especially in children), nervous system damage (increasing dementia risk), and poor maternal and newborn health outcomes.
• Source-assignment studies confirm that year-round structural factors like vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and construction dust are the primary causes, not just seasonal events like stubble burning.

This is a core topic for GS-3 (Environment) and a frequent subject for essay papers. The ability to quote specific reports (CREA, AQLI) and data points on health impacts adds significant value to mains answers and demonstrates a data-driven understanding of the issue.

🔷 India’s First Indigenous Clinical Trial for a Brain Stent

Medical Technology

• India has conducted its first-ever dedicated domestic clinical trial for an advanced brain stent, named the GRASSROOT Trial.
• The device evaluated was the indigenously developed Supernova stent, manufactured by Gravity Medical Technology.
• Its purpose is to treat severe strokes through mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure that physically removes blood clots from blocked brain arteries.
• The multi-centre trial was led by AIIMS, New Delhi. Its success led to the Supernova stent becoming the first-ever stroke device in India to receive regulatory approval based solely on domestic clinical data.
• This achievement is a significant milestone for national initiatives like 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in the critical healthcare sector.

This marks a significant achievement in indigenous medical R&D and self-reliance. Questions in prelims can be asked about the name of the trial (GRASSROOT), the device (Supernova), or its importance for the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' mission in healthcare technology.

🔷 7th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi

Multilateralism

• The 7th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) was held at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme "Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet."
• India was represented by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh.
• During the assembly, the "Global Environment Outlook – Seventh Edition (GEO-7)" report was released, highlighting the severe impacts of climate change and pollution.
• India successfully sponsored and adopted a resolution on "Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires."
• A significant achievement for India was Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Tamil Nadu, receiving the UNEP Champions of the Earth Award 2025, which is the UN's highest environmental honour.
• Matthew Samuda, a minister from Jamaica, was elected as the President of the upcoming UNEA-8.

UNEA is the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment, making its outcomes critical for both International Relations and Environment sections. Awards like 'Champions of the Earth' won by Indian officials are highly relevant facts for prelims.

🔷 Exercise Ekatha 2025

Defence Exercise

• Exercise Ekatha is an annual bilateral maritime exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
• The 2025 edition marked the 8th iteration of the exercise, which was first established in 2017.
• Key activities conducted during the exercise include combat diving, boarding operations to interdict suspicious vessels, live firing drills, and asymmetric warfare tactics.
• The exercise holds strategic significance in enhancing interoperability and maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, reinforcing India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.

Bilateral and multilateral military exercises are a recurring topic in the Prelims of UPSC and other competitive exams. The name of the exercise, the participating countries, and its nature (e.g., maritime, air, army) are key facts to remember.

🔷 Param Vir Chakra Awardees’ Portraits Displayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Gallantry Awards

• On Vijay Diwas (16th December), portraits of all 21 Param Vir Chakra (PVC) awardees were unveiled at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The portraits are displayed in a newly inaugurated gallery named 'Param Vir Dirgha'.
• This new display has replaced earlier portraits of British officers, symbolizing a conscious effort by India to shed its colonial legacies and honour its own national heroes.
• The Param Vir Chakra, instituted in 1950, is India's highest military gallantry award, conferred for acts of exceptional valour during wartime.
• Gallantry awards are divided into two categories:
  • Wartime: Param Vir Chakra (highest), Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra.
  • Peacetime: Ashok Chakra (highest), Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra.

This event links a contemporary government action to military history, national symbolism, and the theme of decolonisation. The hierarchy and classification of gallantry awards are a staple topic for defence-related and civil service examinations. The term 'Param Vir Dirgha' is a potential direct question.

🔷 MGNREGS and the Proposed VB-G RAM G Bill

Rural Employment

• The proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill seeks to replace the existing MGNREGS.
• Its most contentious proposal is a mandatory 60-day suspension of rural employment works during peak agricultural seasons, justified by claims of farm labour shortages.
• However, empirical data on rural wages and labour participation directly contradicts the farm-labour-shortage narrative:
  • Nominal rural wage growth has been modest (between 3.6% and 6.4% annually) and has often lagged behind inflation, leading to a decline in real wages. This does not indicate a labour-scarcity-driven wage spike.
  • A sharp increase in the rural female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)—from 24.6% in 2017-18 to 47.6% in 2023-24—has significantly expanded the available labour supply, putting downward pressure on wages.
• This rise in female LFPR is attributed to welfare schemes like Ujjwala Yojana (LPG) and Har Ghar Jal (tap water), which have reduced women's unpaid care burdens, freeing up their time for paid work.

This topic involves a critical analysis of a flagship government welfare scheme and a proposed legislative change, making it prime material for GS-2 (Welfare Schemes) and GS-3 (Indian Economy, Inclusive Growth, Labour Markets).

🔷 Raj Kumar Goyal appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)

Appointments

• Raj Kumar Goyal, a retired 1990-batch IAS officer, has been sworn in as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).
• His appointment was accompanied by the swearing-in of eight new Information Commissioners, including Jaya Varma Sinha and Swagat Das, bringing the commission to its full strength.
• The CIC is appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a three-member selection committee.
• The selection committee is composed of the Prime Minister (as Chairperson), the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• The Central Information Commission is a statutory body established in 2005 under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
• Following the RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019, the tenure of the CIC is prescribed by the central government. It is currently set at three years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.

Appointments to key statutory bodies like the CIC are frequently asked in the Prelims of various competitive exams. The composition of the selection committee is a particularly important and commonly tested detail.

🔷 Telangana State News

State Administration

• The final phase of gram panchayat elections in Telangana concluded peacefully, recording a high voter turnout of over 85%.
• While the polls are conducted on a non-party basis, they are widely viewed as a test of popularity for the major political parties in the state.
• Separately, the Telangana state government has formally approved the formation of a third electricity distribution company (DISCOM).
• This adds to the two existing DISCOMs: Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd (TGSPDCL) and Telangana State Northern Power Distribution Company Ltd (TGNPDCL).

Local body elections and significant administrative restructuring decisions, such as the creation of a new DISCOM, are core current affairs topics for state-specific public service commission exams like TGPSC.