Sources: The Hindu December 8,2025(Exam Point of View)
1. International
Relations (GS Paper II)
Topic: India-Russia
Relations – Strategic Autonomy
·
Context: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited New Delhi for the annual summit,
marking 25 years of the strategic partnership between India and Russia.
·
Key Outcomes:
Economic Roadmap: Adoption of an
economic roadmap to 2030 launched during PM Modi’s Moscow visit.
Trade Goals: The goal is to
reach $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, though this is challenging
without increasing oil imports.
Agreements: Signed a labour
mobility agreement and an MoU to set up a urea plant in Russia.
Strategic Silence: No new
agreements were announced in sensitive areas like defense hardware, nuclear
power, or space to avoid upsetting Western partners (US/EU).
·
Significance:
“Dhruv Tara”: PM Modi
referred to ties with Russia as the “Dhruv Tara” (Pole Star/Lode
Star).
Strategic Autonomy: India is
asserting autonomy by engaging both Russia and the West, refusing to criticize
Russia on the Ukraine war while maintaining ties with the US.
national currency payment systems to circumvent sanctions.
& Ecology (GS Paper III)
Topic: Grasslands and
Climate Resilience
·
Context: Recent studies challenge the classification of grasslands as
“wastelands” and highlight their role in carbon sequestration.
·
Key Concept: Below-Ground
Carbon Storage
Unlike forests where biomass is above ground,
grassland productivity is concentrated below ground in root systems.
These roots stabilize soil and store “Soil
Organic Carbon” (SOC) which remains undisturbed even during fires.
·
Case Studies:
1.
Malshiras (Solapur,
Maharashtra): Restoration of degraded grasslands using CAMPA
funds increased SOC by 50% in three years.
2.
Banni Grasslands (Gujarat): One of Asia’s largest tropical grasslands. Restored patches store more
carbon (120 tonnes/hectare) than mixed woodlands.
·
Policy Issue: The British colonial view classified these as “wastelands” (1985
National Wastelands Development Board), leading to the planting of invasive
trees like Prosopis juliflora (Mesquite), which damaged the
ecosystem.
·
Way Forward: Recognize grasslands as vital carbon sinks and remove invasive species
rather than planting trees blindly.
3. Internal
Security & Defense (GS Paper III)
Topic: Border
Infrastructure – Project Yojak/BRO
·
Context: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 125 Border Roads Organisation
(BRO) projects across Ladakh, J&K, and 7 other states.
·
Key Project: Shyok Tunnel
Location: Situated on the
Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road in Ladakh.
Significance: A 920-meter
tunnel providing all-weather connectivity to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), crucial
for rapid troop deployment in winters.
·
Strategic Impact:
Enhances mobility to the Line of Actual Control
(LAC).
Uses indigenous technology like “Class 70
modular bridges”.
Supports “Operation Sindoor” type
coordination between forces and civil administration.
4. Governance
& Social Justice (GS Paper II)
Topic: Technology in
Welfare Schemes (“Tech-Fixes”)
·
Issue: The government uses apps for accountability (e.g., NMMS for MGNREGA,
Poshan Tracker for rations), but these often create exclusion.
·
Critique (Mains Perspective):
Agnotology: The government
displays “cultivated ignorance” towards the failures of these apps
(exclusion of elderly, poor connectivity), termed as Agnotology.
“Snake Oil”: Tech fixes are
described as “snake oil” for accountability—they fake attendance
(photos of photos) but don’t ensure actual work.
Exclusion: Aadhaar-based
biometric authentication (ABBA) often excludes the elderly and disabled who
cannot visit ration shops personally.
Topic: Pension Reforms
·
Trend: Shift from welfare-based social assistance to “participatory
inclusion”.
·
Schemes Comparison:
IGNOAPS: Social
assistance for BPL elderly (non-contributory).
NPS/APY: Contributory
schemes. Atal Pension Yojana (APY) targets the informal sector.
·
Data for Exam:
India has 153 million people
aged 60+; projected to double to 347 million by 2050.
88% of seniors work in the
informal economy without formal pensions.
Technology (GS Paper III)
Topic: Cyber Security
& Digital Rights
·
Issue: The government’s directive to preload the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app on phones
was withdrawn after backlash over surveillance concerns.
·
Constitutional Test: The app mandate likely failed the “Test of Necessity”
and “Proportionality” established in the K.S. Puttaswamy (Privacy) judgment.
·
Solution: Focus on “Digital Literacy” rather than surveillance.
Examples: Telangana’s
“Fraud Ka Full Stop” campaign and Tiruchi (Tamil Nadu) police using
mobile kiosks for cyber safety.
6. Economy (GS
Paper III)
Topic: Foreign
Portfolio Investment (FPI)
·
Trend: FPIs withdrew ₹11,820 crore from Indian equities in the first week of
December.
·
Reason: Sharp depreciation of the Indian Rupee.
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