{GS2 – MEITY} India AI Governance Guidelines **
- Context (TH | PIB): The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the India AI Governance Guidelines for regulating Artificial Intelligence in India.
- The guidelines promote a flexible, innovation-friendly AI framework suited to India’s socio-economic context. It was unveiled under the IndiaAI Mission.
- India-AI Mission, launched in 2024 under MeitY, is a strategic initiative to make India a global hub for “Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India.”
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Key Components of the Guidelines
- Guiding Principles: Seven Sutras guide it—trust, people-centricity, responsible innovation, fairness & equity, accountability, understandability by design, safety, resilience, & sustainability.
- Governance Pillars: Six pillars for AI development—Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Policy and Regulation, Risk Mitigation, Accountability, and Institutions.
- Action Plan: The multi-phase plan details priorities across short, medium, and long terms, including creating new governance institutions and amending current laws as necessary.
- Practical Framework: These serve as guidance for developers, industry, and regulators to ensure transparent and accountable AI deployment.
- Institutional Framework: The guidelines establish three new AI-specific institutions while integrating existing regulators, advisory, and standards bodies for coordinated implementation.
- AIGG: The AI Governance Group will serve as a permanent, high-level inter-agency body dedicated to coordinating policies across ministries.
- TPEC: The Technology and Policy Expert Committee will function as a multidisciplinary advisory forum offering technical and policy guidance.
- AISI: AI Safety Institute will act as the main technical organisation for testing, evaluation, certification, and setting standards for AI systems.
Read More About AI
{GS2 – MoRTH} Road Accidents in India **
- Context (IE): The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has published its provisional 2024 report on road accidents in India.
About Road Accidents in India Report
- ‘Road Accidents in India’ is the annual national report on road accidents and fatalities published by the Transport Research Wing (TRW) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
- Data Source: The report analyses accident and fatality data submitted by Police Departments of all States and Union Territories.
- Standardised Format: It follows data formats developed by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia-Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) project.
Key Findings of the Provisional Report 2024
- National Overview: India reported 4.73 lakh road accidents and 1.70 lakh fatalities across 35 states and UTs in 2024, excluding West Bengal.
- States with Decline: Nine states and UTs, including Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Goa, Jharkhand, and Nagaland, recorded decreases in both accident numbers and fatalities.
- High-Incidence: Tamil Nadu remained the most accident-prone state for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Highest Fatalities: Uttar Pradesh reported the maximum accident deaths at 24,118 deaths in 2024, and the highest accident-to-fatality ratio of 52.37%.
- Improved Performers: Kerala recorded the lowest accident severity, while Telangana achieved the sharpest drop in fatality rate from 33.44% to 30.59%.
Road Safety in India
- According to World Road Statistics by the International Road Federation, India records the highest number of road accident deaths globally, followed by China and the United States.
- Major Causes: Overspeeding causes more than 68% of road accident deaths in India; other causes include poor road design, wrong-side driving, and not wearing safety gear.
- Policy Measures: Includes adopting a 4E strategy; Education, Engineering, Enforcement, and Emergency Care; implementing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 and the e-DAR project.
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Read More > Road Safety in India
- Context (TH): The Delhi High Court (2024) ordered the Centre to operationalise the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 (NPRD) and establish a ₹974 crore National Fund for Rare Diseases (NFRD).
- Since 2023, over 50 children have died as therapies were stopped once the ₹50 lakh ceiling was reached.
Current Status of Rare Diseases in India
- Recognised Disorders: India accounts for one-third of the global rare disease incidence, with over 450 rare genetic diseases, affecting an estimated 70–96 million citizens (ICMR 2023).
- Major Rare Diseases: Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Gaucher’s disease, and Whipple’s disease.
- Centres of Excellence: 12 CoEs, including AIIMS Delhi, ICH Chennai, have approved treatment protocols.
- Drug Access: 95 % of orphan drugs are imported, raising annual therapy costs to ₹3–5 crore per patient.
- Psychological Trauma: 62 % of caregivers report depression and burnout (MoHFW review 2024).
- Financial Catastrophe: 78 % of rare-disease families incurred catastrophic health expenditure (> 25 % of income); 41 % sold assets (NHP 2024).
Challenges Faced in Tackling Rare Diseases
- Administrative Paralysis: 0 % fund disbursal under NFRD since the notification (MoHFW 2024).
- High Treatment Cost: Average therapy cost equals 80× India’s per-capita income.
- Low Public Spending: India’s total health expenditure is 1.3 % of GDP (NHA 2024).
- Data Deficiency: National rare-disease registry covers only ≈ 1,500 patients vs millions estimated.
- Weak Coordination: Only 5 States have operational State Nodal Offices (MoHFW review 2024).
Policies and Schemes for Tackling Rare Diseases in India
- National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021: Core framework by MoHFW for diagnosis and treatment.
- National Fund for Rare Diseases: ₹974 crore fund to finance high-cost therapies.
- Customs & IGST Exemption (2022): Full tax exemption on imported orphan drugs and medical devices.
- Patient Registry (ICMR–NIMS): National database for tracking patients and improving research.
- State Rare-Disease Cells: Formed in Kerala, Karnataka and Delhi for decentralised implementation.
Way Forward
- Immediate Fund Release: Operationalise the ₹974 crore NFRD with direct transfer to CoEs.
- Create a National Mission: Launch a dedicated Rare Disease Mission under MoHFW with a ring-fenced annual budget and measurable treatment outcomes, modelled on India’s National Cancer Grid.
- Legislative Backing: Enact a Rare Diseases (Prevention and Treatment) Act, ensuring statutory entitlement and continuity of care.
- Indigenous Drug Production: Extend PLI Scheme to orphan-drug and gene-therapy R&D to reduce imports, similar to South Korea’s Orphan Drug Development Programme.
- Empower States: Incentivise competitive federalism by ranking states on rare-disease readiness, similar to NITI Aayog’s Health Index approach.
- Judicial Monitoring: The Supreme Court should mandate quarterly progress reporting to prevent policy paralysis, ensuring constitutional compliance under Article 21.
- Integrate Early Screening: Add newborn genetic testing under Ayushman Bharat for early detection and prevention, like Japan’s “Health Japan 21” model.
{GS2 – IR} India and Luxembourg to Deepen Space Cooperation
- Context (DDN): India and Luxembourg have agreed to expand cooperation in space, science, and technology during a high-level meeting in New Delhi.
- Space Collaboration: Luxembourg’s space-finance ecosystem and innovation hubs will support Indian start-ups in securing investment and research partnerships in Europe.
- Satellite Launches: ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has successfully launched multiple Luxembourg satellites under commercial space agreements.
- Space Legislation: Luxembourg became the first country in 2017 to pass a law allowing commercial mining and the use of space resources.
About India-Luxembourg Relations
- Diplomatic Relations: India and Luxembourg established formal diplomatic relations in 1948 and celebrated 75 years of partnership in 2023.
- Foreign Investment: Cumulative FDI inflows from Luxembourg exceeded US$5 billion by 2024, making it the fifth-largest EU investor and 15th overall.
- Financial Gateway: Luxembourg acts as a gateway for India’s financial services to enter European markets. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange was the first to list Masala Bonds.
- Trade Dynamics: India generally records a trade deficit in goods (€37.96 million in 2023) but maintains a surplus in services (€67 million in 2022).
- Industrial Partnership: Luxembourg has played a major role in modernising India’s steel sector. Its company Paul Wurth’s blast furnace technology is widely implemented in Indian plants.
About Luxembourg
- Location: Luxembourg is a small, landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany.
- Its capital, Luxembourg City, is known as “Gibraltar of the North“ due to heavy fortifications.
- Political System: It is the world’s only grand duchy, functioning as a constitutional monarchy under a Grand Duke.
- EU Membership: Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and one of its three official capitals (alongside Brussels and Strasbourg).
- Economy: It has the second-largest investment fund sector in the world after the U.S. and one of the highest GDP per capita.
- Green Finance: Luxembourg launched the world’s first green bond platform and remains a global leader in sustainable and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) finance.
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{GS2 – IR} India–UAE Cultural Cooperation
- Context (IE): At the 2nd Joint Steering Committee Meeting of the India–UAE Cultural Council, both nations agreed to deepen cultural, educational, and youth cooperation.
India–UAE Cultural Cooperation Highlights
- Cultural Landmark: India House to be built in Abu Dhabi as a hub for art, yoga training, and heritage exhibitions, symbolising the creative bond between the two nations.
- Yoga Recognition: To formalise Yoga as a competitive sport, first in the Gulf via UAE Yoga Committee.
- Archival Linkages: Plans for cooperation between National Archives of India and UAE’s archival institutions to document shared maritime and cultural history.
- Youth, Education, Tourism: Roadmap for student mobility and co-branded tourism events.
About Yoga
- Philosophical Foundation: Rooted in the six orthodox schools (Darshanas) of Hindu philosophy, especially Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (2nd century BCE), which codified Ashtanga Yoga (Eightfold Path).
- Global Recognition: United Nations declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga (IDY) in 2014.
- Cultural Heritage Status: Recognised by UNESCO (2016) as part of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, acknowledging yoga’s universal value.
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Read More> Importance of UAE for India
{GS3 – IE} New Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Norms for Exporters
- Context (IE): A government panel involving the Commerce Ministry, NITI Aayog, and exporters is drafting new SEZ norms to allow limited domestic sales and “reverse job work” amid low SEZ utilisation.
- Reverse Job Work: A policy that allows manufacturing units within an SEZ to perform job work (manufacturing services) for companies in the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA).
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Current Status of SEZs in India
- Exports: SEZ exports reached $172 billion in FY25, contributing ≈30 % of India’s total exports.
- Coverage: About 276 operational SEZs; domestic sales currently capped at 2 % of total output.
- Declining Utilisation: Gems & jewellery units dropped from ≈500 (2018) to ≈360 (2022).
- FDI Weakness: FDI inflows to SEZs remain under 3 % of India’s total.
- R&D Deficit: Only 4 of 14 SEZ units surveyed invested in R&D, signalling low innovation capacity.
- Legislative Delay: The proposed Development of Enterprise and Services Hub (DESH) Bill remains pending; reforms are now being explored through the executive route.
Consequences of Outdated SEZ Norms in India
- Export Losses: U.S. tariffs and policy rigidity have cut SEZ export growth to < 4 % YoY (FY24-25).
- Idle Capacity: Nearly 25–30 % of SEZ production capacity is underutilised during seasonal demand dips.
- Competitiveness Decline: Vietnam’s zones attract 3× more FDI due to liberal domestic-linkage rules.
- Fiscal Loss: Over 35 SEZ units have applied for de-notification since 2023, leading to an estimated ₹2,800 crore annual shortfall in customs duties and income-tax revenue (MoC&I 2025).
- Employment Risk: The gems and jewellery SEZ sector employ around 1.05 lakh artisans, and declining U.S. orders have caused job losses exceeding 12,000 positions in FY 2024-25 (GJEPC 2025).
Challenges Faced by SEZs in India
- Limited Market Access: SEZ units cannot sell freely in the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA), restricting capacity use during export slowdowns
- High External Dependence: Nearly 40 % of SEZ exports cater to the U.S. market; new tariff barriers of 10–25 % on gems, jewellery, and textiles have eroded profit margins (DGFT 2025).
- Withdrawal of Incentives: Post-2019 removal of Section 10AA tax holidays and imposition of MAT @ 15 % + DDT @ 20 % led to a 25 % fall in new SEZ registrations (CAG 2024).
- Skill & R&D Gap: Only 28 % of SEZ firms have access to technology-training modules (ICRIER 2024).
- Low FDI & Brand Linkages: SEZs attracted barely 3 % of total FDI inflows (2023-24) versus Vietnam’s 11 %, reflecting weak global promotion (DPIIT 2024).
- Negative Trade Balance Risk: Imports of raw materials like gold and diamonds rose 12 % YoY, while exports stagnated at 3 %, causing deficit trade positions in select SEZs (ICRIER 2024).
Way Forward
- Reverse Job-Work Policy: Permit SEZs to undertake domestic subcontracting under fair-duty adjustment like China’s dual-use SEZ model.
- Duty-Neutral Framework: Create an equal tax structure for inputs used by both SEZ and DTA units, as in Malaysia’s Free-Trade Zone policy.
- R&D and Skill Incentives: Launch SEZ Innovation & Skill Mission offering tax rebates for technology upgradation and design training.
- Digital Integration: Link SEZ operations with the National Single-Window System for faster approvals.
- Strengthen FDI Environment: Conclude investment-protection pacts and branding campaigns similar to Vietnam’s Industrial Parks Strategy 2022.
- Sustainable Incentives: Replace blanket tax holidays with performance-based incentives tied to exports, jobs, and domestic-value addition.
Read More > Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Rules, 2025
{GS3 – Envi} Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 **
- Context (IE): The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Environment Ministry has recommended uniform penal provisions for violations of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam.
- The FAC observed inconsistent penalties for similar offences due to a lack of common guidelines.
- What Constitutes Violation: Use of forest land for non-forestry purposes such as de-reservation, lease, clear-felling, or construction without prior central approval.
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Key Recommendations by FAC
- Apply penal CA on an equal extent of forest area used in violation, ensuring consistency across states.
- Combine penal CA with penal NPV for proportional and fair enforcement.
- State governments must submit detailed reports on violations to regional offices or MoEFCC headquarters, naming officials responsible.
- Penal Compensatory Afforestation (CA): Refers to additional afforestation ordered beyond normal compensatory afforestation for restoring the forest ecosystem lost due to illegal use.
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- Penal NPV Concept: Introduced following SC directions (Aug 2017); allows up to 5× Net Present Value penalty for illegally diverted forest areas. NPV quantifies ecological services lost from deforestation.
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About Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980
- The Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, earlier called the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, was enacted to regulate the diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes.
- It mandates prior approval of the Central Government before any forest land is used for mining, industry, agriculture, or infrastructure.
- The Act provided that any aggrieved person may file an appeal to the National Green Tribunal against the decision of the State Government or any authority.
- The Act empowered the Central Government to constitute the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) to advise the Government regarding forest conservation.
- After the 2023 amendment, it introduced new provisions for land-use rationalisation, penal Net Present Value (NPV), and Van Adhiniyam Rules, 2023, aligning forest conservation with developmental needs.
Read More> Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
{GS3 – Envi} Solar Waste Management in India
- Context (TH): A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimates that India could generate ~11 million tonnes of solar waste by 2047, mainly from crystalline-silicon solar modules.
Key Findings of the Report
- To handle projected waste, nearly 300 specialised recycling plants would be required nationwide.
- Material recovery (silicon, copper, aluminium, and silver) could create a circular-economy opportunity worth ₹ 3,700 crore by 2047.
- If recycling becomes efficient, recovered materials could supply 38% of raw material requirements for solar manufacturing and avoid 37 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
Concerns Highlighted in the Report
- India’s solar recycling ecosystem is still in its nascent stage; only a few recyclers operate commercially.
- Recycling is economically unviable today, as recyclers incur losses of ₹10,000-₹12,000 per tonne, while buying back waste modules accounts for two-thirds of recycler costs.
- Without policy support, most panels may end up in landfills, creating environmental hazards.
Policy Recommendations by CEEW
- Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022 and panel manufacturers should collect and recycle end-of-life modules.
- Support recyclers through EPR certificate trading, tax incentives, and R&D to improve the recovery of silicon and silver.
- Create a centralised solar inventory to track waste hotspots and improve transparency in material data.
- Form a Circular Solar Taskforce under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to coordinate policy, finance, and industry efforts.
{Prelims – PAN} Nauradehi to Become India’s Third Cheetah Reintroduction Site*
- Predator Dynamics: For the first time, translocated cheetahs in Nauradehi will share habitats and compete with other apex predators (e.g., Indian wolves, Bengal tigers, crocodiles, etc.)
About Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
- Nauradehi is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, spanning 1,197 sq km across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts.
- Topography: The sanctuary lies on a plateau in the upper Vindhyan range, with elevation ranging between 400 and 600 metres.
- Forest Type: It is classified as Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest, dominated by teak along with Amla, Tendu, Mahua, and Sal.
- Dual Basins: About one-fourth drains into the Narmada basin, while the remaining three-fourths flow into the Yamuna basin via the Kopra, Bamner, and Bearma rivers.
- Key Fauna: The Indian wolf is the keystone species; Others include Bengal tiger, leopard, dhole, hyena, sloth bear, and the rare bird Spotted Grey Creeper.
- Ecological Connectivity: It forms a critical wildlife corridor between Panna and Satpura TRs and indirectly connects Bandhavgarh TR via the Rani Durgavati WLS.
India’s Cheetah Reintroduction Program
- Project Cheetah is a Central Government initiative to restore cheetah populations in India, where they were declared extinct in 1952.
- Launched in 2022, it is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project.
- Primary Site: Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh was the first site to receive eight cheetahs from Namibia in 2022 and twelve from South Africa in 2023.
- Expansion Site: Gandhi Sagar WLS was later developed to expand habitat availability, with two male and one female cheetah relocated here from Kuno in 2025.
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{Prelims – S&T} Brightest and Most Distant Black Hole Flare
- Context (FE): Astronomers recently detected the most distant and brightest black hole flare ever observed in the universe.
- Observation: The flare was first seen in 2018 at the Palomar Observatory in California, and later confirmed in 2023 at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii.
- Luminosity: It emitted light equivalent to 10 trillion suns and originated from Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) J2245+3743, located about 10 billion light-years away.
- Event Type: The flare resulted from a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) where a massive star (around 30 times the Sun’s mass) was torn apart by the gravity of a supermassive black hole.
- Time Dilation: As the universe expands, the flare’s light waves stretch during travel, making the entire event appear slower when observed from Earth.
- Significance: The discovery helps scientists in understanding how supermassive black holes formed and influenced the early galaxies.
Read More > Black Holes
{Prelims – S&T} Encephalomyocarditis Virus (EMCV)
- Context (IE): The only male African elephant at Delhi Zoo died due to the rare rodent-borne encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV).
- Encephalomyocarditis virus is a positive-sense, non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus.
- It is a zoonotic virus that causes myocarditis and encephalitis (inflammation of the heart and brain) in mammals; it sometimes causes mild flu-like illness in humans.
- Host: Rodents, such as rats and mice, are natural hosts that carry the virus without showing symptoms.
- Transmission: Through the faecal-oral route via consuming food or water contaminated with infected rodent excreta or by ingesting infected rodent carcasses.
- Susceptible Species: Domestic pigs (especially piglets), African elephants, and non-human primates.
- Treatment: There is no specific treatment or commercial vaccine; management relies on rodent control, hygiene, and strict zoo-level biosecurity practices.
{Prelims} One Liners
- In News – Malaysia to Accept UPI (TOI): Malaysia has become the 9th country to accept UPI transactions for Indian travellers, following Bhutan (first), France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE, and Qatar.
- Sports – 100 Years of Hockey (NOA): India is celebrating the centenary of Indian Hockey on November 7, 2025, to commemorate the founding of the Indian Hockey Federation in Gwalior in 1925.
