News at a glance
| Topic | GS Paper | Why in News / Context |
| Indian Youth as Strategic Diplomatic Capital | GS1 – IS – Population | India’s large youth cohort (27–29% of pop.) offers economic, diplomatic, and demographic leverage globally as rivals age. |
| Supreme Court Accelerating Case Disposal | GS2 – Polity – Judiciary | Backlog reduced by 4.83% via tech/process reforms, showing replicable model for efficient justice delivery in India. |
| Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 | GS2 – Polity – Laws | Proposes automatic removal of detained Ministers (≥30 days, serious offences) to bolster accountability; referred to JPC. |
| PAC Report on Toll Reform | GS2 – Governance – Issues | PAC urges shift in tolling from revenue-maximization to user-centred, fair practices, and better digital systems like FASTag. |
| Universal Artificial Intelligence Access | GS2 – Governance – Reforms | Parliament debates free national AI access as a tool for tech equity and competitiveness; considers risks and implementation issues. |
| India’s Draft Climate Finance Taxonomy | GS3 – Environment – Climate Change | Released to define green finance, curb greenwashing, and build trust in sustainability investments; annual and five-year review plan. |
| Entangled Atomic Clocks & Quantum-Gravity | GS3 – S&T – Tech | Proposed experiments for testing quantum effects in curved spacetime, linking relativity and quantum physics for the first time. |
| Gaganyaan G1 Mission | Prelims – In News | ISRO to launch first uncrewed Gaganyaan (G1) with Vyommitra robot, marking milestone in India’s human spaceflight program. |
| Khelo India Water Sports Festival | Prelims – In News | First national water sports event at Dal Lake, J&K, promoting grassroots and Olympic sports culture as part of Khelo India. |
| UIDAI-Starlink Aadhaar Verification | Prelims – In News | UIDAI and Starlink collaboration enables Aadhaar e-KYC in remote areas, strengthening digital delivery and India’s e-governance. |
Indian Youth as Strategic Diplomatic Capital (GS1 – IS – Population)
Context:
India’s large youth population, at around 371–420 million (about 27-29% of the population in 2025), gives it significant demographic leverage at a time when major global economies are ageing. This “youth bulge” is seen as both an economic asset and a tool of international influence and soft power, crucial for India’s competitiveness and global standing.
Key Facts Relevant for UPSC:
- Demographic Strength:
- India has the world’s largest youth population (age 15–29: ~371–420 million; 27–29% of total population).
- India has the world’s largest youth population (age 15–29: ~371–420 million; 27–29% of total population).
- Geopolitical Soft Power:
- Youth contribute to “soft power” through diaspora engagement, cross-border skill migration, sports, arts, and digital influence.
- India’s skilled youth migrants help shape the policies of host countries, extending India’s diplomatic and economic influence abroad.
- Youth-driven demand acts as a consumer force, attracting FDI and buffering India against international trade shocks.
- Youth contribute to “soft power” through diaspora engagement, cross-border skill migration, sports, arts, and digital influence.
- Constraints and Challenges:
- Skill deficits, gender, and regional divides persistdespite overall numbers, employability and international competitiveness are hampered by mismatches between training and job market needs.
- Economic, legal, and research barriers, as well as lack of youth representation in diplomacy, weaken the ability to fully realise this demographic dividend.
- Visa restrictions and global geopolitical shifts have limited the mobility and participation of India’s youth in transnational exchanges.
- Skill deficits, gender, and regional divides persistdespite overall numbers, employability and international competitiveness are hampered by mismatches between training and job market needs.
- Way Forward:
- Expand skill/vocational and STEM education to upgrade global competitiveness.
- Tackle regional, gender, and income divides for broader opportunity access.
- Boost R&D investment, university–industry collaboration, and international research partnerships.
- Negotiate easier visa regimes, facilitate student and youth exchanges, and involve youth in foreign policy via advisory roles.
- Actively leverage youth as innovators, brand ambassadors, and constructive participants in global governance networks.
- Expand skill/vocational and STEM education to upgrade global competitiveness.
Indian Youth as Strategic Diplomatic Capital (GS1 – IS – Population)
Context:
India’s youth constitutes 27–29% of the population in 2025the world’s largest sharewhile major global powers age, positioning India to benefit economically and diplomatically on the world stage.
Key Facts:
- Demographic edge: ~8 million new workers join the workforce yearly; median age is just 28.
- 40+ million higher ed students power R&D, digitalization, and tech innovation.
- Diaspora reach: Skilled Indian youth abroad shape foreign policy, boost soft power, and influence global perceptions.
- Youth-driven consumer force and digital economies cushion trade shocks, draw FDI.
- Challenges: Skill gaps, regional and income divides, weak representation in diplomacy, and mobility hurdles must be addressed.
Supreme Court Accelerating Case Disposal (GS2 – Polity – Judiciary)
Context:
The Supreme Court trimmed its backlog by 4.83% through process reforms, tech upgrades, and workflow improvementssetting a benchmark for Indian justice delivery.
Key Facts:
- Measures: Extended verification hours, staff increases, end of out-of-turn verifications, workflow study with IIM Bangalore.
- Tech: Automated case allocation via ICMIS, shift to email requests, re-introduced Registrar’s Court.
- Impact: Enhanced efficiency, public trust, and replicable model for High Courts/lower courts.
The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 (GS2 – Polity – Laws)
Context:
This Bill seeks to create an automatic removal mechanism for ministers detained for serious criminal offences, strengthening executive accountability.
Key Facts:
- If a Union/State/UT minister is detained for 30+ days for offences with ≥5 yrs punishment, they must be removed by executive advice or automatically lose office.
- Applies to the Union, States, Delhi, and J&K; reappointment possible after release.
- Pros: Boosts accountability and political morality.
- Concerns: Risk of constitutional overreach, misuse by investigators/executive, presumption-of-innocence debate.
- Supreme Court: Parliament may legislate such disqualifications (Manoj Narula, 2014).
PAC Report on Toll Reform (GS2 – Governance – Issues)
Context:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) called for user-centric reforms in India’s national highway tolling, currently seen as unfair and unaccountable.
Key Facts:
- Tolls often remain in force post cost recovery; annual rate hikes are rarely independently reviewed.
- Digital issues: Persistent FASTag glitches, congestion, weak customer support.
- Recommendations: Stop tolls after cost recovery, create an independent regulator, automate reimbursement during construction, and improve real-time FASTag monitoring.
- Recent steps: Annual FASTag pass, barrierless tolling via ANPR pilot.
Universal Artificial Intelligence Access (GS2 – Governance – Reforms)
Context:
The Indian Parliament debated “universal free AI” as a means to bridge digital divides, foster productivity, and boost India’s standing in AI-driven sectors.
Key Facts:
- Free public AI can democratize education, upskill workforce, expand economic opportunity, and sharpen India’s edge in the $15 trillion AI economy.
- Challenges: Fiscal burden, rural connectivity, cyber risk, privacy/algorithmic bias, digital illiteracy.
- Solutions: State-funded AI tools, targeted subsidies/vouchers, PPP infrastructure, widespread AI literacy, robust regulations for fairness/privacy.
India’s Draft Climate Finance Taxonomy (GS3 – Envi – CC)
Context:
India released a “living document”a climate finance taxonomyto standardize, guide, and direct investments toward credible green projects and curb greenwashing.
Key Facts:
- Aims to align with global standards; currently, lack of criteria impedes climate finance and risks greenwashing.
- Reviews: Proposes dual-tier system with annual and 5-year updates to match NDC/UNFCCC commitments and global best practices.
- Needs to balance global parity, legal alignment with Indian law (EC Act, SEBI, carbon-credit), and accountability (expert committee, dashboards).
Entangled Atomic Clocks and the Quantum-Gravity Interface (GS3 – S&T – Tech)
Context:
Scientists proposed quantum experiments using entangled atomic clocks at different heights to probe quantum–gravity interface and detect spacetime curvature effects.
Key Facts:
- Would be first lab evidence of quantum mechanics in curved spacetime (quantum + relativity).
- Experimental challenges: Maintaining entanglement (decoherence), ultra-precise frequency shift measurements.
- Implications: Advances in precise satellite synchronization, dark matter/gravitational wave research.
Gaganyaan G1 Mission (Prelims – In News)
Context:
ISRO will launch its first uncrewed Gaganyaan (G1) mission in December 2025, marking the next step for India’s human spaceflight ambitions.
Key Facts:
- G1 features the female robot Vyommitra to monitor and operate module systems.
- Five launches planned in 2025, four in 2026including satellites for navigation (NVS-03) and ocean monitoring (Oceansat-3A).
- Gaganyaan Year declared to highlight India’s advancement in space exploration.
India’s First Khelo India Water Sports Festival (Prelims – In News)
Context:
First national water sports festival under Khelo India held at Dal Lake, J&K, in August 2025.
Key Facts:
- Over 400 athletes from 36 states and UTs competed.
- Part of “Khelo India Initiative”boosts grassroots sports and state-level Olympic culture.
UIDAI Starlink Aadhaar Verification (Prelims – In News)
Context:
UIDAI partnered with Starlink to enable satellite internet-based, paperless Aadhaar verification, supporting Digital India’s goals.
Key Facts:
- Facilitates Aadhaar e-KYC even in remote, connectivity-challenged areas.
- Emphasizes scalability and innovation in India’s digital governance infrastructure.
- Reinforces Aadhaar’s foundational role in service delivery and transparency.