UPSC Essentials January 17 2024

January 2024 Issue
MRP: 399/-
First sunrise of 2024 Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty 01-01-24

UPSC ESSENTIALS January 2024 Issue
LETTER TO
INDEX
ASPIRANTS
Dear Aspirants,
A
s we step into the New Year, it is time to assess
our position both in the examination and
preparation cycle. In 2024 there will be a lot of
COVER STORY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
aspirants who will be again beginning from scratch to What to look out for in 2024 How the Delhi Declaration found
meet their ultimate dream, to become an IAS officer, a middle path between the
and on the other hand, there will be a few who will be promotion and regulation of AI
fastening their laces for the final lap, the interview. No
ma�er which stage of the journey you belong to,
enriching your knowledge is a must. And therefore, we
EXPRESS EDGE HEALTH
are back with the January 2024 issue of the UPSC Kidney transplants in India
Essentials divided into its usual three parts. HISTORY & CULTURE
The Cover Story welcomes 2024 and offers what to
1. How the idea of Indian Union
watch out for in this new year in the areas of Economy,
Foreign affairs, Science, and Technology. With so much Territories was conceived and UPSC SPECIALS
in store, it is generally not an easy task to get everything executed
in one place. So, this might help. CASE STUDIES
The Express Edge section of this issue brings to you 2. The dark story of oil, the
some of the must-reads classified into different subjects. lubricant of the global economy 1. IAS officer fights against Naxal
While most of the topics were in the news, the others violence via development
may be relevant for your static part of the syllabus and POLITY 2. The women who triumphed in the
help you to understand different dimensions of a
particular theme. Special a�ention should be paid to a Indian Penal Code to Nyaya face of Covid pandemic
new addition: Health, where our expert takes up the Sanhita: What’s new, what is
360 DEGREE UPSC DEBATE
burning issue of kidney transplants in India. out, what changes
And finally, the UPSC Specials, apart from its usual Should Artificial Intelligence Be
coverage becomes unique for two important reasons. INTERNATIONAL Regulated?
Firstly, in this season of UPSC interviews, P.S. Ravindran RELATIONS
guides the aspirants by suggesting important Dos and THIS QUOTE MEANS
Don'ts through our Expert's talk. Secondly, we open up Elections in Bangladesh: Why
our magazine, for the first time, to take the opinion of both India and China are Lending hands to someone is
the 'real' aspirants on the two much talked about movie/
backing Sheikh Hasina be�er than giving a dole
series of the last year - 12th Fail and Aspirants Season 2.
Read it as the title of the article says: 'At your leisure'. ECONOMY UPSC ETHICS SIMPLIFIED
Aspirants, the normal year cycle doesn't correspond
with your exam cycle. That doesn't mean you shouldn't 1. Why has the Indian Three Ethical Principles:
enjoy or celebrate the new year but it does mean to make government criticised the Concept & Caselet
the best use of time both at work and at leisure for your
methodologies of global credit AT YOUR LEISURE
next big goal -- UPSC CSE 2024 and keep reading UPSC
Essentials of The Indian Express. rating agencies?
12th Fail and Aspirants season 2:
Happy New Year. 2. Red Sea a�acks, Panama ‘Real’ aspirants tell us what
Canal drought: How trouble at others may not
THINK SMART two shipping choke points
could impact global trade EXPERTS TALK
WORK HARD
P.S. Ravindran on Personality
CONQUER YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Test Stage
GOAL! COP28: What were the most
important decisions, where they PRACTICE QUIZ
Enjoy reading
Manas Srivastava fell short Current Affairs Revision MCQs
2
COVER STORY WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024

Introduction
T
he Year 2024 will be a critical one in many aspects especially when it comes to the four areas: Economy, Science,
Foreign A�airs, and Technology. While some may predict continuity based on past trends, others may hint
towards changes that could a�ect our lives soon. With so much in store, it is not an easy task to get it in one place.
Here, our cover story o�ers what to watch out for in 2024 in the most important four di�erent areas.
Also, just for the recap, towards the end of the cover story, we revisit 2023 in general with additional articles on the Key
Supreme Court Rulings and the Two Wars that dominated 2023. So, let's have a look.
Outlook for the Indian economy in 2024

Wri�en by Anil Sasi
Against a backdrop of global economic volatility, the Indian economy presents a picture of resilience. But there are
continuing worries around food in�ation, and sluggishness in the rural output and services sector growth.
Major central banks have kept rates on hold while refraining from forward guidance in view of prevailing uncertainties.
Financial markets are projected to remain volatile as they seek out definitive signals about the trajectory of interest rates.
(Express illustration by Suvajit Dey)
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2023 rounds up an unusually turbulent three years that saw multiple black-swan events: a once-in-a-century pandemic, two
bloody wars, sticky global in�ation, and growing protectionism that threatens to upend both the post-pandemic recovery and
the long-held consensus on globalisation.
2024 will be a year of elections in 40 countries, from Taiwan in January to the United States in November. Lok Sabha elections
are expected in April-May, and the build-up to the vote and the possibility of the new government recalibrating the economic
agenda has multiple implications for the Indian economy.
�ese include the impact of the pre-election spending stimulus that could potentially revitalise �agging consumption, at least
in the short term, in redirecting the debate on welfarism versus trickle-down growth, and in reinvigorating the growth
momentum against a backdrop of widening cleavages in the recovery story.
�ere are also worries around food in�ation, the sluggishness in rural output and services sector growth, and the question of
how best to capitalise on India’s demographic dividend while riding the new technology wave.
Elections and capex impact

No easy answers may be available. Goldman Sachs, the US-based investment bank, has predicted a pick-up in growth in the
�rst half of next year, driven by a consumption spending push in the run-up to the elections — and a possible rekindling of
investment growth in the second half, with private investment �nally kicking in.
However, economists have also projected a possible slowdown in the momentum of government capex — a sustained driver of
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growth — as the elections approach, which could constrain growth outcomes for the next year and aggravate the sluggishness in
rural growth, with serious implications for the consumption outlook.
According to Axis Bank research, India’s output gap vs the pre-pandemic trend has narrowed to 7% until December 2023, and
in terms of the number of years of growth lost, it has caught up to the global average. But there is still a gap — and from a
statistical perspective, a normalising base for the GDP data could be a potential bugbear for policymakers.
�e FY24 second quarter GDP print did o�er some clear positives: the growth in the construction sector that surprised on the
upside; the mining and electricity segments, and utility services witnessing double-digit expansion; declining commodity prices;
and the investment rate (measured as the nominal investment to output — Gross Fixed Capital Formation-to-Gross Domestic
Product — ratio) surging to 30%, which was the highest in any second quarter period since the second quarter of FY15.
�e growth momentum in the markets, both primary and secondary, are a signal that investors, especially domestic
investors, are willing to bet on listed companies and the ones getting listed. �e mutual fund sector and insurance companies
have become sizable investors, even absorbing sello�s by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in the capital markets. But this
advantage is limited to a small sliver of India’s enterprise base — formal sector �rms and companies that have the wherewithal
to tap the capital markets.
Several lingering concerns

But a more fundamental problem that is now being talked about in policy circles is this: the Indian economy su�ers from a very
narrow base to support high growth rates that is, especially a�er 2016, clearly re�ected in the small share of the consuming class
with signi�cant discretionary incomes, low bank credit as a share of GDP, a relatively low level of investible �nancial savings, a
missing middle of productive small and medium-sized enterprises that create the majority of jobs, and an acute scarcity of good-
quality skilled workers.
In the absence of these growth factors, India is
becoming an economy with a small group of highly WHILE LAND AND AGRI REFORMS
productive �rms and employees, and high GROUND TO A HALT, A TEMPLATE FOR
consumption in this speci�c category. �e vast
majority remains stuck in poor productivity and
REVIVING LABOUR REFORMS IS NOW
subsistence consumption, and this trend has READY TO BE PUT IN MOTION: THE FOUR
intensi�ed a�er 2017-18, with the negative shocks LABOUR CODES, A COMPREHENSIVE
of demonetisation, GST, and the pandemic having ROLLOUT OF WHICH IS NOW MOST
a lingering impact on an economy that has a large
informal sector, and one that was already on the
LIKELY ONLY AFTER THE ELECTIONS.
downswing.
�is is re�ected in the unemployment situation, which the think tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) projected
at a high 9.2% in November 2023, and which the opposition �agged repeatedly during the campaign for the recent Assembly
elections. While the recently released edition of the government’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) counters this narrative,
worries about jobs seem re�ected in the demand across states for quotas, and the increasing promises of freebies from almost all
parties now.
Headline indicators for India have been stuck at the same level for several decades — bank credit to GDP ratio at 50-60%, central
tax-to-GDP ratio at 10-12%, manufacturing as a share of GDP at 15-17%, savings rate at 28-32%, Gross Fixed Capital Formation (a
proxy for investment impetus) at 26-30%, according to an analyst who previously worked for the central government.
�e challenge before the new government would be to change this, and to revitalise stalled reforms — genuine reforms involving
factors of production. While land and agri reforms ground to a halt, a template for reviving labour reforms is now ready to be put in
motion: the four labour codes, a comprehensive rollout of which is now most likely only a�er the elections.
In the electricity sector — a big driver of capex — there is a change in the policy that was focused almost entirely on renewable
energy for incremental capacity addition, with fresh coal-�red capacity virtually ruled out. Now, with renewables accounting for a
large chunk of the installed generation capacity, there is an emerging policy consensus that in the absence of storage, incremental
renewable power capacity poses problems for grid managers. �is is forcing a pivot back to thermal or nuclear generation to meet
base load demand, and portends a period of policy �ux and supply side concerns.
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Multiple tailwinds for India

Fortunately, there are multiple tailwinds, both internal and external.
Against a backdrop of global economic volatility, the Indian economy does present a picture of resilience. GDP growth during the
second quarter exceeded all forecasts and the fundamentals of the Indian economy, according to the Reserve Bank of India, remain
strong. Banks and corporates are showing healthier balance sheets, �scal consolidation appears to be on course, external balance is
manageable, GST collections remain buoyant, and there is adequate forex cushion against external shocks. �ese factors build on the
fundamentals that make India a top driver of global growth. Unsecured loans have, however, emerged as an area of concern for
regulators. Fintechs have taken advantage of lax regulations topeddle loans to consumers with loose screening, which now run the risk
of turning into NPAs. �e RBI has now started clamping down on unsecured loans.
Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran says India’s growth rate can become faster if private capital formation moves
into higher gear. According to the CEA, the public sector has done its part, and there are enough resources with the private sector, with
a positive �nancial balance of the private corporate non-�nancial sector.
“Because of Covid, the war in Ukraine, the private sector has been cautious but unless investment activity leads to employment
generation, which in turn, leads to income growth which in turn will lead to sustained consumption, the growth engine will not be
revived,” Nageswaran said at a session on ‘Revving up the World’s Growth Engine’ at FICCI’s 96th Annual General Meeting on
December 13.
“Consumption is a consequence of economic growth,…not the
cause for economic growth. [For]…economic growth…we need to Because of Covid, the war in Ukraine,
have investment spending, which in turn leads to other positive the private sector has been cautious
bene�ts such as employment and income and eventually
consumption growth. …Having done the balance sheet repair,…
but unless investment activity leads
shored up the �nancial position,…seen capacity utilisation rates to employment generation, which in turn,
hit levels which in the past have necessitated additional capacity leads to income growth which in turn will
expansion, private capital formation is the most important catalyst
lead to sustained consumption, the growth
to rev up the growth engine. �e public sector has done its part
and it will continue to do so,” he said. engine will not be revived.
Neelkanth Mishra, Chief Economist, Axis Bank, expects
upgrades to India’s GDP forecasts, as continuing positive surprises V Anantha Nageswaran |
CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER (CEA)
force an upward reset in trend-growth assumptions. Global
headwinds, though, are likely to intensify, as US growth in 2023
was boosted by an unsustainable �scal support, according to Mishra.
Also, volatile food in�ation is likely to keep headline in�ation elevated, with high- frequency food price indicators pointing to an
increase in prices of key vegetables. �is may push CPI in�ation higher in the near term, including wheat, spices, and pulses among the
rabi crops, he said. High global sugar prices are also seen as a concern.
While a major challenge for India — and all economies with current accounts in de�cit — is the crowding out caused by sustained
high �scal de�cit in the US, the increasing likelihood of the US economy heading to a so� landing (in which in�ation would fall
without a rise in unemployment or a recession), and the Federal Reserve’s projection of three rate cuts next year, are a positive that
could lead to foreign investors pumping back money into emerging markets such as India.
FPIs have already made a major comeback to India in December, and growing indications of stability and continuity a�er the 2024
elections is yet another positive. While the global economy is showing signs of slowdown, RBI o�cials maintain that the Emerging
Market Economies as a group have remained resilient during the current round of volatility, unlike in previous episodes. Evidently,
India is better placed to withstand the uncertainties compared to many other countries.
While headline in�ation has receded from the highs of last year, core in�ation continues to be sticky, impeding the last mile of
disin�ation. Major central banks, including the RBI, have kept rates on hold while refraining from forward guidance in view of
prevailing uncertainties. Financial markets are projected to remain volatile as they seek out de�nitive signals about the trajectory of
interest rates. Greater certainty is likely on this count in 2024 — unless another black swan event were to impede the growth
momentum yet again.
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Technology Trends in 2024

Wri�en by Nandagopal Rajan
In the new year, Arti�cial Intelligence will permeate our lives even more. It could become an integral part of everything
from smartphones to laptops, and it will be used to personalise everything from websites to gadgets, according to the speci�c
needs of the user.
Technology News 2024: The Indian Express asked ChatGPT 4 to visualise this report after reading through it. This is what it came up
with using DALL-E. The image has not been edited.
Visualise Arti�cial Intelligence (AI) as an organism that leeches on the collective intelligence of humanity gathered over
the past millennia. �is is technology that is all-pervasive, and it will soon be all-prevalent.
�ere has never before been a technology this powerful — and it is getting more powerful with literally every passing
second. �is is why the past year has been unprecedented — never before has technology, and everything related to it,
changed at such a fast pace that keeping tabs on where we are and where we are going next has become so hard.
Arti�cial Intelligence, which is learning its way into newer things, and telling us there are even better things to do and
faster ways to do them, is squarely to blame. Other technologies where change is a constant but is incremental, such as
smartphones and computers, seem to be laggards in the present situation.
�e pace at which AI is changing a lot of what we do should not surprise us. So much accumulated learning over the many
years of its development, and the sudden spurt in its own understanding of this learning, has given AI a god-like ability to
plot a new trend line of where we should all be headed. �is is certainly scary — because this is still a technology that we
don’t fully understand, and are not sure we can fully control.
But our ability to harness this new power should become better in the coming year. So must our ability, and willingness, to
rein in some of the darker aspects of AI — such as deep fakes, that make it hard to �gure out what is true and what is not.
In a crucial election year in India and the United States, the world’s largest and oldest democracies, this will be in play to an
unprecedented extent. Voters will have to watch every promise and every viral video clip and listen to every audio message
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with the scepticism that this might well be synthetic — not created by those whom they are actually seeing.
It is a concern that most voters in India don’t have the understanding that synthetic content is already in�ltrating their
lives. All this makes it imperative that 2024 is the year in which AI and its power are regulated to ensure that they do not get
the ability to destroy what humans have built over centuries.
Keep this in mind as you read �e Indian Express’s top tech predictions for the coming year (and indeed, later).
AI will be everywhere
In fact, AI is already everywhere — like electricity. But in 2024, it will permeate our lives even more. �e
�rst signals of what this means came when Humane launched its AI Pin, which many believe could replace
the smartphone. It was clearly a window into how this new technology can impact everything we do once it
�nds the right vehicles to carry it.
In 2024, AI will become an integral part of everything from smartphones to laptops. It is already
available on these devices, but with limited functionalities. You will soon see models that can run AI
on-device without access to the Internet, and with the ability to give answers, take on large-scale
computing, and optimise functionalities in real time.
AI will also help connect the dots by personalising everything from websites to gadgets according to the speci�c needs of
users — and modifying itself as it gets to learn more about this user.
Don’t be surprised if this layer of intelligence in our devices soon
becomes even more important to users than the operating systems that
The world has been moving
bring in AI capabilities. Generative AI has the power to push the boring towards green tech in a big
tech into the background as it converses with users on their needs, and way, especially with electric
executes exactly what they want. vehicles. But there is another
However, this will also be the year when AI platforms start regulating
themselves more, even blocking access to areas where they think it would green revolution happening, with
be irresponsible to o�er user access at the moment. In fact, responsible AI tech companies making their
will become an integral part of all large AI platforms, even as a lot of entire product chain more
smaller players continue to push the envelope in newer areas.
sustainable by adopting green
Expect more Made in India tech and recycled components.
Over the past couple of years, India has made a strong push towards Nandagopal Rajan | EDITOR NEW NEDIA
making tech products within the country, and not juvst assembling them AND BUSINESS HEAD OF INDIANEXPRESS.COM
here. �is is now clearly bearing fruit as both the ecosystem and a product
startup culture have begun to bloom across the country.
It is now almost impossible to buy a smartphone that is not assembled in India. In 2024, this will spread to other segments
from audio to computers, as more companies avail the bene�ts of the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI)
scheme. �e day when a high-end gadget is completely made in India with all components, including the elusive processor,
sourced from within the country is not far.
Indian startups are also exploring new segments like high-end audio, where India has never been a player. �is is a sign of
things to come. A long-term e�ect will be lower price points for a lot of gadgets that are made in India, especially if the
government decides to further incentivise local manufacturing.
Your gadgets will be greener

�e world has been moving towards green tech in a big way, especially with electric vehicles. But there
is another green revolution happening, with tech companies making their entire product chain more
sustainable by adopting green tech and recycled components.
All the big companies from Apple to Samsung and Lenovo now tout a green quotient in everything
they do, and sustainability is a big part of product design from the stage of ideation onwards. Expect this
to be the norm going forward — with companies that do not have a green patch on their products
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becoming the exception.

But there will be a price to pay for going green. �is is o�en a more expensive proposition, even if your next smartphone
has a signi�cant percentage of components that are recycled.
The Internet will be more private

A world without cookies is near. While it will mean a lot more privacy for users, it will come at a cost.
You will slowly stop seeing ads chasing you from your email to e-commerce sites and search engines, but
you will also lose the convenience of personalisation across a lot of platforms that came because they knew
your browsing patterns and likes.
As companies around the world prepare for this huge disruption in the way they have worked from
almost the time the Internet was created, there will be some innovation to ensure they know something about you so that
content and advertisement can still be tailored for the user. �is could trigger new tech that gives the Internet its character for
the coming decade.
But before that, there will be some mayhem across the tech world — ad revenues will plummet as more users go under a
cloak of anonymity in 2024.
Now, a virtual layer over reality

Call it augmented reality (AR) or extended reality (XR), but don’t call it Metaverse. As Metaverse ends
up being more meta than verse, there is a pivot happening towards technologies that o�er an easy-to-
access-and-consume smart layer on top of our real worlds.
�ese technologies will manifest themselves via simple smart goggles or more expensive VR headsets,
but they will all o�er a more personal “techverse”, helping people to get a better understanding of the
situation they are in. �is is also going to usher in the next phase of social media, where you invite others
to experience what you are experiencing at the moment, literally through your eyes.
But there is a lot of scope for companies present and new to o�er knowledge as a layer for you in real-time — visualise
meeting a person for the �rst time and getting their LinkedIn bio inside your smart glasses, or streaming your beach trip for
your family back home via the same goggles. Reality is ready for its next extension.
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Strategy and foreign affairs for India in 2024

Wri�en by Shubhajit Roy
�e outcome of the Lok Sabha elections will send strategic signals to the neighbourhood and the world about the direction
in which India is headed in 2024 and beyond. Next year could be one of the most consequential ever for Indian foreign policy
and strategy.
Looking ahead, other conflicts around the world present clear challenges. Around 40 countries will see national elections next year.
(Express illustration by Suvajit Dey)
In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Vladimir Putin that “this is not the era of war”. Yet, 2023 became a
year of wars: �ghting between Russia and Ukraine could soon enter its third year, and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip,
triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack, is now among the most destructive con�icts of recent decades.
Looking ahead, other con�icts around the world present clear challenges. China’s belligerence has not abated even as its
economy has shown some signs of di�culty — and that worries the West and India.
2023: Strategic realities

1. CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Two years of sustained e�ort to normalise ties between Israel and the Arab world was
disrupted by the Hamas attack in which more than 1,200 civilians and military personnel were killed, and more than 230
taken hostage.
Israel’s angry and disproportionate response has so far killed more than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza — which has
attracted criticism from even the US. �e Israeli-Arab reconciliation process has been derailed for now, and the future of
Gaza is unknown.
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2. STRESS IN INDIA�US TIES: A�er successful visits by PM Modi and President Joe Biden to each other’s capitals, bilateral
ties are facing headwinds over allegations of an Indian o�cial link to an assassination plot against a Khalistani separatist in the
US. India’s response has been di�erent from the way it reacted to Canada when it suggested an Indian government link to
the murder of another Khalistani in that country. �e PM has expressed India’s “commitment to the rule of law”, and
promised to “look into” the role of Indian citizens in the alleged US plot if information is provided.
3. RUSSIA�UKRAINE WAR FATIGUE: As the war drags on, the West is facing funding challenges.
Ukraine hopes to get €18.5 billion from the European Union and more than $8 billion from a US
package that also contains vital military assistance. But the assistance has been blocked — by
Republicans in the US Congress and by Hungary in the EU — so far.
Meanwhile, Putin’s re-election as Russia’s President is a foregone conclusion. �e Russian economy
has been resilient despite sanctions, and proximity between Moscow and Beijing worries the West.
4. INDIA’S MALDIVES CHALLENGE: �e government of President Mohamed Muizzu, who rode an “India Out”
campaign to power, has asked India to withdraw military personnel stationed in the Maldives, and conveyed its intention
to terminate a water survey pact. �e Muizzu establishment is considered close to China.
5. CHINA, THE BIGGEST WORRY: China continues to be India’s biggest worry and strategic challenge. �e border
stando� is in its fourth winter, with the force posture being maintained to rival the Chinese military presence. �e
dependence of Moscow, India’s strategic defence partner, on Beijing for economic survival, and the Maldives getting closer to
China in the Indian Ocean have added to the concern.
6. G20, GLOBAL SOUTH POSITIONING: India’s success in negotiating a joint declaration at the G20
summit came as a surprise for many in the international community. A big takeaway from the G20 process
was New Delhi’s mobilisation of developing and less developed countries under the umbrella of the Global
South. �e idea of leading the Global South is seen as taking forward the legacy of India’s Non-Alignment
leadership, only adapted to the 21st century.
7. TOWARDS ENGAGEMENT IN KABUL: �ere has been a change of guard in the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi,
with the incumbent ambassador leaving and that country’s diplomats in Mumbai and Hyderabad stepping in to take
charge. To India’s relief, they have assured they won’t �y the Taliban �ag or have Taliban nomenclature in their o�cial
correspondence.
However, India is engaging with the Taliban — a technical team has been posted at the embassy in Kabul, and the
present team in the Afghan embassy in New Delhi is coordinating with the regime for providing passport and visa services
for Afghan nationals. China has posted a full-time envoy in Kabul.
2024: Challenges, opportunities
�e outcome of the Lok Sabha elections will be very important for India’s strategic and foreign
policy posture.
If the NDA returns with an equivalent or stronger mandate, India’s positions on most global issues
and relationships will remain consistent — and could become sharper and stronger. If the mandate is
weaker, the compulsions of a coalition government could re�ect in foreign policy as well.
Irrespective of the mandate, however, there will still be continuity in the broader trajectory of
India’s foreign policy choices — some de�nite nuancing notwithstanding.
1. US & CANADA RELATIONSHIPS: A challenge lies in resolving the situation arising out of the ‘assassination plot’ in
the US. Biden’s unavailability for the Republic Day celebrations may have caused some irritation in New Delhi, and the
Quad summit has had to be put o� for a later date, but neither India nor the US, who are deeply invested in each other,
want ties adversely impacted.
�e Canada allegations, meanwhile, have cast a shadow on the relationship. While New Delhi has walked back the visa
curbs, Indian public opinion has been in favour of the government, and even its worst critics have not criticised the
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response to the Canadian allegation. Dealing with the US will not be the same as dealing with Canada, and New Delhi will
not club them together.
2. NEW GOVT IN PAKISTAN: Since 2019, when the Indian government was re-elected and the constitutional changes
in Jammu and Kashmir were e�ected, ties with Pakistan have been at a low. �e change of guard in Islamabad and
Rawalpindi did not make much di�erence, and India kept to its doctrine of indi�erence towards Pakistan.
Elections are now due in Pakistan, and there could be a new government there a�er February. Once Lok Sabha polls are
over, an opportunity to restart engagement could arise. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
3. OUTCOME IN BANGLADESH: Bilateral ties have gained positive momentum in the last 15 years of the Sheikh
Hasina government, and New Delhi will be keen to see her return to power in the elections due early in the new year.
Security imperatives guide India’s choice in Dhaka; the Bangladesh opposition is viewed with suspicion and animosity,
going by the track record of the Khaleda Zia government in the early 2000s. India will also be looking to move the e�orts
at improving connectivity between its Northeast and Bangladesh to a high gear, which will bene�t the region and both
countries.
4. CONTINUING DEADLOCK WITH CHINA: �e border stando� The Russia-Ukraine war
ongoing since 2020 may feature in the election campaign, and any fresh
escalation will impact both the security environment and India’s domestic
too has tested Indaia’s
political atmosphere. New Delhi will be extra careful in its response to a position. Imports of
challenge from its biggest adversary in an election year. �at imperative Russian oil have been key to
will frame India’s diplomacy towards China in the next few months, and
India’s efforts to keep domestic
even later.
prices low, especially before
5. SEEKING A WAY FORWARD IN WEST ASIA: �e con�ict has
tested India’s position over the last two months, and has seen it evolve
elections. But pressure from
during this period. From early support for Israel to nuancing its position the US has kept India from
and balancing with Palestine to calling for a cease�re in the last UN vote, giving Moscow a carte blanche.
India’s diplomatic positioning has followed an arc closely watched by
many in the Global South. �e Global South did not take India’s initial
support for Israel kindly, and the defeat to Pakistan at the vote for the UNESCO vice-chair was a reality check.
�e Israel-Hamas con�ict could be close to running its course. �e US and the rest of the West are qualifying their
initial unconditional support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions, and moving towards greater sympathy for the people of
Gaza. �is is an important moment in the con�ict, as more thought is given to its end, and to what comes a�er.
6. FUTURE OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE: �e Russia-Ukraine war too has tested India’s position. Imports of Russian oil
have been key to India’s e�orts to keep domestic prices low, especially before elections. But pressure from the US has kept
India from giving Moscow a carte blanche — this was the second year when the India-Russia annual summit at the level of
leaders did not take place, and the next best opportunity will arise at the BRICS summit in Russia next year. Meanwhile,
the war grinds on — perhaps inevitably towards an uneasy truce.
7. TRADE PACTS, TECH PARTNERSHIPS WITH WEST: �e free trade pacts with the UK and European partners are
said to be at a critical stage. Elections to the EU parliament, and possibly in the UK, are due next year — and this shrinks
the policy space and �exibility for negotiators. Even so, 2024 may see these major economic diplomacy initiatives come
close to fruition.
�e dialogues with the US and EU on technology and trade, to remove the barriers for India to access high tech in
AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity, will be a related policy space to look out for.
12
Indian Science: What’s planned for 2024?

Wri�en by Amitabh Sinha
While the Moon-landing was the biggest achievement for Indian science in 2023, it pushed boundaries on both earth and
in the sky. What are the key plans for 2024?
This was one of the most productive years for ISRO, which carried out seven successful missions, including the two high-profile ones
— Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, India’s first mission to the Sun. (Illustration: Suvajit Dey)
While the Moon landing was quite clearly the crowning glory for Indian science in 2023, the year also marked a de�nite
shi� in gears for India’s space programme. From an agency with advanced capabilities in launching and placing satellites in
orbits, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took important steps towards becoming a full-�edged planetary
exploration body.
�is was one of the most productive years for ISRO, which carried out seven successful missions, including the two
high-pro�le ones — Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, India’s �rst mission to the Sun. �e year ended the relatively lean streak
for the space agency in the a�ermath of the Covid pandemic, which seemed to have badly disrupted its schedule, a�ecting
even the human space�ight mission, Gaganyaan, originally planned for 2022. With several preparatory tests still remaining,
Gaganyaan is now scheduled for 2025.
In the meanwhile, ISRO unveiled an impressive list of milestones it aims to achieve in the next few years — sending an
astronaut to the International Space Station in a joint e�ort with NASA in 2024; Chandrayaan-4, a sample return mission
from the Moon, in the next four years; space station Bhartiya Antariksh Station by 2028; and landing a human being on the
Moon by 2040.
�is is in addition to routine launches, astronomy missions, and exploratory missions to Sun, Mars and Venus.
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Chandrayaan-3
Several of these plans were �rmed up only a�er the successful moon landing of Chandrayaan-3 in August. �e fact that the
United States and the then Soviet Union had made Moon landings a fairly routine event in the 1960s and 1970s does in no
way diminish the enormity of India’s feat. Five decades later, there are still only two more countries to have gone to the Moon
— China and India.
Chandrayaan-3 was sweeter because India’s �rst attempt, Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, had met with heartbreak in the last few
seconds of its descent on the Moon’s surface. �is time, ISRO managed a perfect landing.
Once on the Moon, Chandrayaan-3 performed previously unannounced manoeuvres that demonstrated ISRO’s
capabilities, and intention, to undertake more advanced missions. �e biggest surprise was the ‘hop’ experiment. Towards the
end of the lunar day, the entire Chandrayaan-3 lander, along with the instruments it contained, made a jump on the Moon’s
surface, li�ing itself about 40 cm above the ground and landing 30-40 cm away.
�is demonstrated ISRO’s capability to get the lander to li� o� the Moon’s surface — a key test for sample return missions
or manned missions, when the spacecra� has to return to Earth. Not unexpectedly, ISRO, a few weeks later, said
Chandrayaan-4 would indeed be a sample return mission.
New partnerships
�e growing capabilities of ISRO also resulted in more international The year saw India taking
partnerships. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the important decisions towards
United States in June this year, India joined the US-led Artemis Accords developing indigenous
for planetary exploration. �e Artemis Accords are a set of principles
that countries agree to adhere to in their quest for peaceful and
capabilities in frontier areas of
cooperative exploration of the Moon and other planets. India’s decision scientific research. In April, it
to join the Artemis Accords brings the space programmes of the two launched a `6,000-crore National
countries closer than ever. Quantum Mission, aimed at building
Another demonstration of the new close partnership was the
agreement between ISRO and NASA to send a joint mission to the a 1,000-qubit quantum computer over
International Space Station, the permanent laboratory in space about the next eight years.
400 km above the earth’s surface, in 2024. �is would mean that India’s
astronauts would get into space much earlier than the Gaganyaan
Amitabh Sinha
mission of 2025.
Later in the year, India and the US also set up a working group for commercial space collaboration, which is expected to boost
the private space industry in the country. �e two countries announced their intention to work together on planetary defence too.
National Research Foundation

While ISRO was breaking new grounds in space exploration, the government made an important intervention to expand
the scale and quality of scienti�c research in the country. Delivering on a promise it made �ve years ago, the government
approved the National Research Foundation (NRF), to fund, promote and mentor research activities.
Modelled on the National Science Foundation in the United States, the NRF would ensure research funding of Rs 50,000
crore over the next �ve years. However, the biggest promise of NRF is in its mandate to develop research capacities in
universities and colleges.
“For some reason, there has been an arti�cial separation between research and higher education in the country. �ere are
research institutions and there are colleges and universities where very little research is carried out. One of the objectives of
NRF would be to build research capacities in our universities. �e union of education and research must be restored,” said
Spenta Wadia, founding director of Bengaluru-based International Centre for �eoretical Sciences, a centre of Tata Institute
of Fundamental Research.
�e NRF would promote research not just in the natural sciences and engineering, but also in social sciences, arts and
humanities, with one of the primary aims being �nding solutions to the big problems facing Indian society.
14
New initiatives
�e year saw India taking important decisions towards developing indigenous capabilities in frontier areas of scienti�c
research. In April, it launched a Rs 6,000-crore National Quantum Mission, aimed at building a 1,000-qubit quantum computer
over the next eight years. Quantum computers are not just superfast, they utilise the quantum mechanical properties of matter at
a tiny scale, allowing them to perform tasks that would be impossible, or impractical, for conventional computers.
�e launch of the National Quantum Mission allows India to join a global technology development race when it is still in
its nascent stages. India has o�en been a late entrant in such matters, like in the development of supercomputers, and then
has a lot of catching up to do. It also misses out on the spin-o� bene�ts of technology development.
Another similar decision was the approval of the LIGO-India project to build a gravitational wave observatory in
Maharashtra. �e project had received an in-principle approval seven years earlier, but it was only in April that the �nal nod
came. LIGO-India would be the third arm of two similar observatories in the United States which made the �rst discovery of
gravitational waves in 2015, a feat that won the Nobel Prize in Physics two years later. Gravitational wave research is another
�eld where there are very few players and facilities right now, and India has the opportunity to take the lead.
Towards the end of the year, India announced its decision to set up a new research station in Antarctica, to replace the ageing
Maitri station. �e new station, Maitri-II, located just a few kilometers away from the existing one, which has been operational
since 1989. India has another operational station in Antarctica, called Bharati. �ese stations are centres of India’s growing
research footprint in Antarctica, which o�ers pristine environments for carrying out studies in a variety of scienti�c �elds.
�e Maitri-II announcement came close on the heels of the decision to send the �rst winter expedition to the Arctic
region. Like in Antarctica, India has a science base in the Arctic as well, but it was not operational in winter. From this year,
the Arctic base would be manned throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the government instituted new national awards for scientists, called Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar. �e new
awards followed last year’s decision to scrap all awards, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes, India’s top science
prize. �e Bhatnagar Prizes have been restored in the new system of awards. �e Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar would have three
other awards — one for lifetime achievement, another for scientists of any age (Bhatnagar is meant only for scientists below
45 years), and the third to recognise team or collaborative e�ort.
In the new year
�ere are a series of high-pro�le launches scheduled in 2024, starting with the New Year’s day itself. �e XPoSat, or the
X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, slated for launch on January 1, is the world’s second-of-its-kind mission, meant for studying the
universe using X-ray polarimetry measurements. NASA had sent a similar satellite, Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, or
IXPE, in 2021.
�is would be India’s second consecutive astronomy mission a�er Aditya-L1. �ese two satellites will observe the universe
instead of the Earth, which most satellites do. �e much-awaited NASA-ISRO Satellite Aperture Radar (NISAR) is scheduled
for the �rst quarter of next year. Later, a test �ight of Gaganyaan, without the astronauts, is scheduled.
Elsewhere, the impacts of NRF would begin to be apparent. Despite having a large pool of science and engineering
graduates, a fairly large network of laboratories and research institutions, and active involvement in premium scienti�c
research, India lags behind several countries on a variety of research indicators.
India spends just 0.65% of its GDP on scienti�c research, far below the global average of 1.79% . Women comprise only
18% of total scienti�c researchers in India, while globally this number is 33%. �e number of researchers per million
population in India, 262, is signi�cantly lower than even developing countries like Brazil (888), South Africa (484) or Mexico
(349). �e performance of the NRF would be judged on its ability to improve these indicators.
�e majority ruling stated: “Upon perusal of the material on record, we are of the considered view that the
Central Board had taken into consideration the relevant factors while recommending withdrawal of legal
tender of bank notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 of existing and any older series in circula-
tion. Similarly, all the relevant factors were placed for consideration before the Cabinet when it took the
decision to demonetise.”
15
JUST FYI 2023 RECAP
Key world events from the past year

Wri�en by Adrĳa Roychowdhury
Here is a look at some of the key stories that took place around the world last year.
Here is a look at some of the key stories that took place around the world this year. (Photos via Reuters, AP)
S
everal devastating earthquakes, two ongoing wars that heightened geopolitical tensions, numerous instances of
gun violence in the United States and the imprisonment of a popular ex-Prime Minister in Pakistan — 2023 was
an eventful year which saw natural disasters and man-made con�icts test nations and citizens globally.
Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Over 67,000 people were killed a�er a series of devastating tremors hit parts of Turkey and neighbouring Syria early
on February 6. �ousands of buildings tumbled down, trapping tens of thousands of residents. Most of the damage was
done by the 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude quakes that struck Antakya within hours. It is estimated to be the largest earthquake
in Turkey since 1939.
An estimated 59,000 people in southern and central Turkey were killed while over 8,000 citizens in war-torn Syria
perished. �e historic cities of Sanliurfa and Aleppo were among those a�ected.
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India takes #1 spot

India’s estimated population overtook that of China, becoming the world’s most populous country early this year. �e
UNFPA’s State of World Population Report 2023 con�rmed that India’s estimated population was 142.86 crore, marginally
ahead of China at 142.57 crore.
India’s population is also largely young, with 68 per cent being between the ages of 15 and 64 years, which is considered the
working population of a country. About 25 per cent is between 0-14 years; 18 per cent between 10 and 19 years, 26 per cent
between 10 and 24 years, and 7 per cent above 65 years.
The lost submersible

�e Titan submersible carrying �ve people onboard imploded in the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18. �e submersible
was part of a deep sea extreme tourism mission to visit the 111-year-old wreckage of the Titanic more than 12,000 feet
underwater. A�er days of gruelling search and rescue mission, o�cials con�rmed that a debris �eld was found around 500m
away from the bow of the Titanic that was consistent with that of the 22-foot submersible.
Passengers onboard were Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company that ran and designed the expedition,
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French deep-sea explorer and Titanic expert, Hamish Harding, a British businessman, Shahzada
Dawood, a Pakistani-British businessman, and his son Suleman.
Russia-Ukraine war spills into second year

More than a year a�er Russia invaded Ukraine in
February 2022, the war continued with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy scrambling to THE UNFPA’S STATE OF WORLD
mobilise a continuous supply of soldiers and weapons POPULATION REPORT 2023
as key allies, Europe and America, slowed down the CONFIRMED THAT INDIA’S
funding due to changes in internal politics. �ough
there is no concrete information on the number of
ESTIMATED POPULATION WAS
casualties, UN estimates say that more than 10,000 142.86 CRORE, MARGINALLY
Ukrainian civilians have been killed. A New York AHEAD OF CHINA AT 142.57 CRORE.
Times report said that over 5 lakh Ukrainian and
Russian soldiers have been killed so far.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has maintained that the war will go on unless Kyiv does a deal that takes
Moscow’s security concerns into account. “Either we get an agreement, agree on certain parameters (on the size and strength
of Ukraine’s military)… or we solve this by force. �is is what we will strive for,” he said.
Imran Khan’s arrest and Nawaz Sharif’s return

2022-2023 was an eventful year for Imran Khan. �e cricketer-turned-politician, who was removed from Pakistan’s PM
post via a no-con�dence motion in April 2022, was arrested and jailed in the Toshakhana case, in which he is accused of not
disclosing details of expensive gi�s received while in o�ce. Khan’s arrest was followed by days of drama in which his
supporters clashed with law enforcement, including storming the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Corps
Commander’s residence in Lahore.
Meanwhile, the events also cleared the way for the return of former PM Nawaz Sharif, who was under exile in London for
four years. His return just as the general elections are scheduled to take place early next year, is widely seen as a precursor for
another stab at power.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war

�e ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, wounded tens of thousands more, and displaced
90% of the 2.3 million residents of the besieged enclave. �e current con�ict was triggered by the surprise Hamas attack on Israel
on October 7, in which 1,200 Israelis were gunned down in their homes, at a music festival and other public places by militants
17
who overcame the country’s famed security and intelligence measures. �e attack le� thousands wounded and over 240 others
were taken hostage, of which about half have been released as a part of a temporary cease�re earlier this month.
Meanwhile, in a bid to stop the war, the United Nations had taken a series of extraordinary measures, including the
triggering of Article 99 of the UN Charter. A December 13 UNGA vote demanding an immediate humanitarian cease�re in
the con�ict was adopted with an overwhelming majority of 153 nations (including India) voting in its favour, 10 voting
against (including US and Israel) and 23 abstentions, but it has not translated to action on the ground.
Bangladesh elections and protests
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Express Photo)
As Bangladesh gears up for elections on January 7, the country has been rocked by violence in the lead-up to it as
supporters of the main opposition BNP and the ruling Awami League clashed on numerous instances.
�e BNP has been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been ruling the nation for a
combined period of nearly 19 years. �e BNP has demanded that Hasina resign to facilitate free and fair elections under a
non-party interim government, under which four elections from 1991 to 2008 were held. As �e Indian Express had
reported, the December 2008 elections installed Hasina’s Awami League, while the subsequent 2014 and 2008 polls were held
under the incumbent government, which scrapped the constitutional provision a�er assuming o�ce in January 2009.
A blip in Canada-India relations

�e India-Canada diplomatic relationship turned frosty this year a�er Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claimed that there was
a “potential link” between the Indian government and the killing of a pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada
earlier this year. Nijjar, who was the head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey and the chief of the separatist
organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was shot by two unidenti�ed men outside the gurdwara in June.
Trudeau’s accusations, which India has denied as “absurd and motivated” has set o� a chain of reactions, including the
18
expulsion of several Canadian diplomats from India and the temporary suspension of visa services in Canada. Months later,
the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) charged an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, for his involvement in a plot to
murder a US-based Khalistani leader.
A still image from surveillance video shows what the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department describe as mass shooting suspect
Audrey Elizabeth Hale (left) walking in The Covenant School carrying weapons in Nashville, Tennessee, US, March 27, 2023.
(Metropolitan Nashville Police Department/Handout via Reuters)
2023 Nashville school shooting

School shootings have, unfortunately, become a familiar part of the news cycle in the US. In March 2023, a mass shooting
at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee grabbed headlines a�er a former student opened �re in �e Covenant School
building, killing six people, including three nineyearold children. �e shooter was shot dead by the police.
Authorities said that Audrey Hale had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted
surveillance of the building before carrying out the massacre at the Christian school.
The Nepal quake

More than 150 people were killed and hundreds of others injured a�er a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Nepal on
November 3. �e quake, whose epicentre was at Ramidanda, about 550 km from the capital city of Kathmandu, was the
country’s deadliest since 2015.
�e high death toll was partially due to the timing of the tremors, which hit the country at 11.47 pm (local time). “If it had
happened during the day, some people would have been out for work, some would have been in open areas, but because it
happened late at night, the damage is more,” a local activist told �e Indian Express.
19
Key Supreme Court rulings of 2023

�e 2023 neared its end with another landmark verdict of the court that upheld the 2019 decision by the Narendra Modi
government, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the very first working day of 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the 2016 demonetisation
scheme. (File)
�is year was marked by several landmark Supreme Court verdicts, as the apex court adjudicated on the contentious
and long-term issues of same-sex marriage and Article 370, as well as on the Maharashtra political crisis.
On the very �rst working day of 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the 2016
demonetisation scheme. �e year neared its end with another landmark verdict of the court that upheld the 2019
decision by the Narendra Modi government, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Here are the major judgements of 2023:

SC upholds demonetisation: �e Supreme Court ruled that the controversial 2016 economic policy decision of
demonetisation was “not unlawful”. It was a �ve-judge bench ruling in a 4-1 verdict.
While Justices S Abdul Nazeer, B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian upheld the Government’s move,
Justice B V Nagarathna disagreed with the “reasoning and conclusions” in the majority judgment. �e bench held that
the November 8, 2016, noti�cation withdrawing the legal tender of these notes “does not su�er from any �aws in the
20
A man showing the new Rs 500 currency note withdrawn from ATM while others waiting their turn in a long queue at an ATM in
Chandigarh on December 10 2016. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)
decision-making
SC ON CEC, EC APPOINTMENT: Stating that “core values of the Constitution, including democracy, and Rule of
Law, are being undermined”, the Supreme Court on March 2 ordered that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
and Election Commissioners (ECs) shall be appointed on the advice of a committee comprising the Prime Minister,
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India.
Ruling on petitions seeking an independent mechanism to appoint the CEC and ECs, a �ve-judge Constitution
Bench presided by Justice K M Joseph said where no Leader of Opposition is available, the committee will include
the leader of the largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha in terms of numerical strength.
�e bench, also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar, made it clear
that “this will be subject to any law to be made by Parliament”.
SC ALLOWS DIVORCE ON GROUNDS OF ‘IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN OF MARRIAGE’: �e

Supreme Court on April 30 held that it could grant divorce on the grounds of “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage
by invoking its special powers under Article 32 of the Constitution.
21
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar with Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, and others during a
press conference for the announcement of schedule of Assembly elections in Mizoram, Chha�isgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Telangana, in New Delhi, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Express Photo By Amit Mehra)
A Constitution Bench, comprising Justices S K Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, A S Oka, Vikram Nath, and J K Maheshwari,
said such an exercise of power “will not contravene the principles of public policy”. �e court also held that it could
waive the six-month waiting period, which is mandatory before a couple can approach a court seeking divorce by
mutual consent, subject to conditions.
�is comes only days a�er a two-judge bench of the court said that irretrievable breakdown of a marriage can be
read as amounting to cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and can be a ground for divorce.
SC ON SENA V SENA FIGHT: �e Supreme Court on May 11 held that then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshiyari was not justi�ed in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav �ackeray to prove majority in the Assembly
on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he resigned �rst and did not face the �oor test.
�e verdict was delivered by a �ve-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud
and comprised of Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.
“In the present case, the governor did not have any objective material to indicate the government had lost con�-
dence…so his exercise was not legal,” the Supreme Court said.
SC on Delhi government’s control over administrative services: �e Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favour
of the Delhi government on the issue of who controls the bureaucracy in the national capital.
�e 5-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, held that the legislature has
control over bureaucrats in administration of services, except in areas outside the legislative powers of the National
Capital Territory (NCT).
�e CJI said, “�e legislative and executive power of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
(GNCTD) over entry 41 shall not extend over to services related to public order, police and land. However, legisla-
tive and executive power over services such as IAS or joint cadre services, which are relevant for the implementation
for the policies and the vision of NCTD in terms of day to day administration of the region, shall lie with the NCTD.”
22
SC ON RAHUL GANDHI’S DEFAMATION CASE: Stating that the trial court in Surat had not given reasons for
awarding the maximum punishment of two years to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court 4 August
stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 2019 remarks on the Modi surname.
�e decision by the bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and P V Sanjay Kumar, which heard Gandhi’s plea
challenging the Gujarat High Court order declining to stay the conviction, paved the way for his return to Lok Sabha
where he represented Wayanad in Kerala.
The Supreme Court bench noted that Gandhi’s remarks were “no doubt… in bad taste” and he should “have been more careful while
making the public speech”. (Express Photo)
�e Supreme Court bench noted that Gandhi’s remarks were “no doubt… in bad taste” and he should “have been
more careful while making the public speech”. �e bench added the consequences of being disquali�ed as a result of
the conviction would “not only a�ect the right of the appellant to continue in public life but also a�ect the right of
the electorate, who have elected him, to represent their constituency”.
SC REVOKES MEDIAONE BAN: Quashing the Centre’s order banning the broadcast of Media One, a Malayalam
news channel, the Supreme Court on April 5 said the Union of India had raised the claim of national security in a
“cavalier manner” to refuse renewal of licence and said the denial of security clearance to a channel for its views
produces “a chilling e�ect on free speech and particularly on press freedom”.
SC SAYS NO TO SAME�SEX MARRIAGE: A �ve-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court refused to grant
legal recognition to same-sex marriages.
In its much-awaited judgment, the apex court said that the right to marriage is not a fundamental one. It added that it
cannot strike down the provisions of the Special Marriage Act or read words di�erently while maintaining that homosexu-
ality is not an urban or elite concept. �e focus of the petitions was the gender-neutral interpretation of the Special Mar-
riage Act, a secular legislation designed to facilitate inter-caste and inter-faith marriages.
Delivering his judgment on marriage equality in the SC, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud emphasised that labeling
23
marriage as a �xed and unchanging institution is not accurate. “It would be incorrect to state that marriage is a static and
unchanging institution,” the CJI noted.
SC upholds abrogation of Article 370: �e Supreme Court on December 11 held the 2019 move by the Union government
to abrogate Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, as constitutionally valid.
A �ve-judge Constitution bench, presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices S K
Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai and Surya Kant, also directed the Centre for the restoration of statehood and for
Legislative Assembly elections to be held. �e bench pronounced three judgments – one by the CJI for himself and
Justices Gavai and Surya Kant, a concurring judgment by Justice Kaul and a third by Justice Khanna concurring with
the other two rulings.
People from LGBTQ community members hold pride flags, placards and dance as they take part in a Pride Vigil in Agartala. (Express
photo by Abhisek Saha)
SC ALLOWS JALLIKATTU: �e Supreme Court on May 18 upheld amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
and Maharashtra to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to allow the traditional bull-taming sports of
Jallikattu and Kambala, and bullock-cart racing.
A �ve-judge Constitution bench presided by Justice K M Joseph held that the state amendments did not violate the
Constitution and the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling banning Jallikattu.
�e bench also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and C T Ravikumar said that in
its 2014 judgment, Jallikattu was held to attract restrictions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act due to the
manner in which it was practised then. �e amendment, however, seeks to minimise the pain and su�ering caused to
animals. It also noted that the amendments, having received the assent of the President, cannot be faulted.
24
Security personnel stand guard at Lal Chowk after security was beefed up on the day of the Supreme Court’s verdict on a batch of
petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, in Srinagar, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. (PTI Photo)
SC eradicates manual scavenging: Taking a grim view of incidents of sewer deaths in the country, the Supreme Court
on October 20 said government authorities will have to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the kin of those who die
while cleaning sewers.
IN ITS MUCH-AWAITED JUDGMENT, THE APEX COURT SAID THAT THE

RIGHT TO MARRIAGE IS NOT A FUNDAMENTAL ONE. IT ADDED THAT
IT CANNOT STRIKE DOWN THE PROVISIONS OF THE SPECIAL
MARRIAGE ACT OR READ WORDS DIFFERENTLY WHILE MAINTAINING
THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT AN URBAN OR ELITE CONCEPT.
25
People protest to end SC ban on Jallika�u at Matunga on Saturday. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)
A bench comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar said those who su�er permanent disabilities while
cleaning sewers will be paid Rs 20 lakh as minimum compensation.
“�e Union and the state governments must ensure that manual scavenging is completely eradicated,” the bench
said.
26
The two wars that dominated 2023 and India

Wri�en by Mira Patel
2023 was a busy year for India globally as New Delhi positions itself as a potential mediator in the two biggest con�icts
gripping the world. For the second consecutive year, Russia continues to lay siege on Ukraine and a�er decades of simmering
hostilities, in October, Hamas attacked Israel, sparking a deadly response that has transformed the Middle East.
Ukraine and Gaza were devastated by conflict in 2023
2023 has been a year of global con�ict. From the Russia-Ukraine war which entered its second year to the Israel-Hamas
war which started in October, these con�icts are tied to larger geopolitical shi�s that have realigned the balance of power
between the West and the rest.
As the post-pandemic world deals with these crises and con�icts, India is positioning itself as a country that brings other
nations together. Its global standing has also been bolstered by its history of non-alignment, with India being one of the few
countries that can work with countries ranging from the US to China, Israel to Palestine and Russia to Ukraine.
As 2023 comes to an end, we take a look at the con�icts that dominated geopolitics this year, and India’s role.
Russia-Ukraine War
�e con�ict between Russia and Ukraine has deep historical roots but has escalated signi�cantly in recent years due to
various geopolitical, ethnic, and historical factors. In 2014, tensions soared when Russia annexed Crimea, a region historically
part of Ukraine but with a majority ethnic Russian population. �is was followed by Ukraine’s political unrest, notably the
Euromaidan protests in Kyiv, where Ukrainians sought closer ties with the European Union. �e then president Viktor
Yanukovych’s refusal to sign an EU association agreement triggered these protests, leading to his ousting in February 2014.
27
A�er Yanukovych �ed to Russia, pro-Russian sentiments �ared in Crimea. Russian military intervention swi�ly ensued,
with masked troops, later con�rmed as Russian, seizing key locations. A disputed referendum in Crimea led to its annexation
by Russia in March 2014, a move not recognised by Ukraine or the majority of the international community.
Simultaneously, unrest erupted in eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian separatists
declared independence, leading to a con�ict between Ukrainian forces and separatist groups. �e Ukrainian government
accused Russia of supporting and arming these rebels, a claim Russia denied despite mounting evidence of its involvement.
A view shows a kitchen inside an apartment block heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023
(Rueters)
�is con�ict led to ongoing violence in the eastern regions of Ukraine, with clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-
Russian separatists, resulting in casualties and displacement of civilians. �e situation remained complex due to Russia’s
denial of direct involvement and the continuous accusations of support for separatists.
E�orts to de-escalate the con�ict took place through various peace talks, notably the Minsk agreements in 2014 and 2015,
which aimed to establish a cease�re and a roadmap for a resolution. However, these agreements faced challenges in
implementation due to violations from both sides, leading to continued hostilities.
�e con�ict escalated in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, seizing signi�cant swaths of territory in the
southern and eastern parts of the country, speci�cally the Donbas region. A�er a year of Russian gains, the con�ict has come
to somewhat of a stalemate in 2023, with neither side making considerable headway. Nevertheless, 2023 was a signi�cant year
for both sides.
Putin had expected to occupy Donbas by March 2023, but he encountered resistance at Bakhmut, which led to a protracted
siege that claimed many lives. About 100,000 people were injured in Russia, including 20,000 fatalities, and signi�cant losses
were also incurred by Ukraine. In June, Ukraine launched a countero�ensive against Russian troops.
Russia claims to have stalled the Ukraine countero�ensive, a view shared by many international observers. In an article
for Foreign Policy magazine, Nona Mikhelidze and Nathalie Tocci, both of the Istituto A�ari Internazionali, argue that while
28
Ukrainian forces managed to extract a signi�cant toll on Russian lives and military resources, the gains have been marginal at
best. �ey write that “alongside lackluster Ukrainian countero�ensive, the fear that the tables are turning in Russia’s favor is
adding to the war fatigue among Western nations and eliciting calls for negotiations.”
In the two years since the invasion, Ukraine has managed to recapture 54 per cent of occupied territory but Russia still
controls 18 per cent of the country. Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities and blockade its ports while Ukraine has
responded with drone strikes on Russian ships and infrastructure. Roughly, 22,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, 5.1
million people internally displaced, 6.2 million have �ed the country, and 17.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.
With the war at a relative standstill, that assistance may be hard to come by. So far, Ukraine has received over US $230 billion
in aid and funding, US $75 billion of which has come from Washington. However, as of mid-November, the US had spent nearly
97 per cent of funding allocated towards Ukraine and the State Department has announced that no further �nancial packages
will be provided until Congress approves a supplemental proposal of US $60 billion. Without funding, Ukraine will be hard
pressed to resist Russian advances given the considerable numerical and �nancial advantage possessed by the latter.
“We support Ukraine or Ukraine loses the war,” said Fred Kagan, director of the Critical �reats Project at the American
Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington. Voices from Ukraine paint a similar picture. According to Valerii Zaluzhnyi,
the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the war is teetering on the precipice of a stalemate with the odds in
Russia’s favour. Against that backdrop, many are calling for negotiations between Kiev and Moscow.
Israel-Hamas conflict
�e Israel-Palestine con�ict traces back to the late 19th century, intensifying a�er Israel’s establishment in 1948, which led
to the displacement of Palestinians. �e Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War resulted in territorial shi�s. �e Camp David
Accords of 1978 normalised Egypt-Israel relations but le� Palestinian self-determination unresolved. �e Oslo Accords of
1993 and 1995 aimed for Palestinian self-governance met with challenges too. �e Second Intifada in 2000 and the
construction of the West Bank barrier in 2002 further exacerbated tensions.
In 2006, Hamas won the elections for control of the Gaza strip, following which Israeli forces largely exited the region.
�ere have been clashes between Hamas and Israel, notably in 2014, 2018 and 2020 but none at the scale of what is being
witnessed today.
Israeli security stand in position on a road following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, near Sderot in southern
Israel October 8, 2023. (Reuters)
29
�e Israeli-Palestinian con�ict signi�cantly escalated this year a�er Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented assault on
Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages. A day later, Israel pounded Gaza, killing
hundreds in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant then ordered the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to impose a “complete siege” on Gaza.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed a�er a weeklong cease�re in late November that involved several prisoner swaps
and more frequent aid deliveries.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that the situation in Gaza has descended into a “catastrophe” following
Hamas’s onslaught. As of December 18, Israel’s reprisal has killed at least 21,000 individuals including over 8000 children.
Israel seeks to wipe out Hamas by eliminating the majority of its armed personnel as well as its leaders. Israel claimed to
have killed some 7,000 Hamas cadres as of mid-December, out of the approximately 25,000-strong Hamas army that existed
prior to Israel’s invasion of Gaza, many of whom were important operational leaders. However, the situation is complicated by
a number of factors that could result in protracted con�ict.
Gaza is heavily in�uenced by Hamas. Since 2007, it has ruled the strip, raising a generation under its thumb. It has a
stronghold among the Gaza refugee community and collaborates closely with the clans of Gaza. It governed mosques,
hospitals, and schools long before 2007; it was involved in nearly every facet of life.
ISRAEL IS NOT ONLY INDIA’S SECOND LARGEST WEAPONS

PROVIDER, BUT ALSO A STRATEGIC ALLY IN COMBATING
TERRORISM. AS KADIRA PETHIYAGODA, AUTHOR OF INDIAN
FOREIGN POLICY AND CULTURAL VALUES, NOTES FOR FOREIGN
POLICY MAGAZINE, MODI’S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS ROOTED IN
THEIR SHARED NEED TO FIGHT ISLAMIC MILITANTS.
Before the current con�icts started, Gaza, a tiny enclave, was going through a serious humanitarian disaster — 95 per cent
of the population lacks access to potable water due to Israel’s sixteen-year siege, and over half of Gazans are dependent on
foreign aid for basic necessities, according to Human Rights Watch. According to international classi�cations by the UN,
around 80 per cent of Gaza’s population are refugees, and Palestinians make up the biggest stateless community in the world.
In an article titled What has Hamas Accomplished, Georgetown University Professor Daniel Byman writes that following
the outbreak of war, support for Hamas has also increased in the Arab world. He states that Israel’s response to the attack has
“infuriated” many Palestinians who previously were not Hamas supporters.
�e Israeli-Palestinian con�ict appeared to be forgotten by the world for many years. Although Arab nations paid lip
service to the problem, they generally ignored it, while the United States concentrated on China and Russian aggression in
Ukraine. �e Palestinian problem is now the main focus.
India, the intermediary

In the immediate a�ermath of the Hamas attack, Prime Minister Modi joined other world leaders in expressing solidarity with
Israel. As the con�ict escalated, India also abstained from a UN resolution that called for an “immediate humanitarian cease�re”.
Historically, India has been closely aligned with the Palestinian cause. At the Voice of the Global South Summit, PM Modi
condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7 and called for restraint, dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the con�ict. During
Independence, Indian leaders largely sided with Palestinian nationalists and despite recognising Israel in 1950, maintained
cool relations with the Jewish state. India was one of the �rst countries to recognise Palestine in 1988. However, since
assuming o�ce, Modi has balanced his support for Palestine (becoming the �rst Indian Prime Minister to visit the Occupied
West Bank) with a pragmatic approach towards relations with Israel.
Israel is not only India’s second largest weapons provider, but also a strategic ally in combating terrorism. As Kadira Pethiyagoda,
30
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin Wednesday. (Image source: X/ @
DrSJaishankar)
author of Indian Foreign Policy and Cultural Values, notes for Foreign Policy magazine, Modi’s support for Israel is rooted in their
shared need to �ght Islamic militants. “�e public messaging of this viewpoint,” he writes, “is this: Israel �ghts Islamic militants, and
so does India; therefore, we should be allies.
India has however maintained its relations with both Palestine and Israel. India approached the con�ict from a global perspective,
aiming not only to engage with the Middle East as a South Asian regional power but as a dominant actor on the international stage,
says Pethiyagoda. �is, he states, is in line with New Delhi’s overarching strategic vision of a multipolar world in which India is one
of the poles.
�at being said, India’s involvement in the Middle East pales in comparison to its role in the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
India has long had friendly ties with Russia that date back to the early days of the Cold War. Although India’s reliance on Russian
weaponry is gradually decreasing, Moscow is India’s largest arms supplier, providing 45 per cent of Indian defence imports. Russia
also accounts for 40 per cent of India’s oil imports, a number that has risen exponentially since 2021, as a pragmatic response to
falling Russian oil prices.
Despite these historic relations between Moscow and New Delhi, since the start of the con�ict in 2022, India has been courted by
both sides. Prime Minister Modi has met with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and has vowed to do
“everything we can” to help end the war. So far, India has balanced its neutrality e�ectively. While New Delhi abstained from
condemning the invasion at the UN, it has also not voted with Russia on any occasion at the UN.
A�er Modi’s meeting with Zelenskyy in May, Zelenskyy’s chief of sta� Andriy Yermak and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval
have since met to discuss bilateral relations and Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan. Modi has also urged Putin to use “dialogue and
diplomacy” to end the war.
India’s position as an arbiter between the two nations best encapsulates its foreign policy heading into 2024. As External A�airs
Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointed out, “India would not have been able to valuably mediate and help ease the situation if
it had done what the West wanted it to do during the early stages of the war.” By maintaining ties with both nations, India has
positioned itself as a global statesman. It has assumed a greater role on the international stage but crucially, has done so its own way.
31
EXPRESS EDGE HISTORY & CULTURE
How the idea of Indian Union Territories

was conceived and executed
Wri�en by Adrĳa Roychowdhury , Srĳana Siri
Although the original list of Union Territories mostly contained areas which were considered ‘backward’ or tribal, it
went on to be altered signi�cantly to include places like Chandigarh as well as the French and Portuguese colonies.
More recently, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were added to the list. Adrija Roychowdhury and Srijana Siri �nd out
how the idea of Union Territories was conceived in India and how they evolved.
The concept of Union Territory was introduced in the report of the States Reorganisation Commission in 1955.
B
y 1948-49, the language issue had become a burning factor in the popular sentiment of Independent India. �e
Kannada speakers across the states of Madras, Mysore, Bombay and Hyderabad who had been demanding a
separate administrative unit since the late 20th century renewed their movement, the Marathi and Malayalam
speakers both desired respective political units of their own, while a separate Mahagujarat movement had started too.
But it was the movement for the creation of the state of Andhra in the early 1950s which was the �nal spark. It
convinced Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that the division of India along linguistic lines was not only inevitable but
also a matter of great urgency.
32
Soon a�er the creation of Andhra Pradesh on October 1, 1953, Nehru is known to have written to a colleague, “You will
observe, that we have disturbed a hornet’s nest and I believe most of us are likely to be badly stung” (as cited by Ramachandra
Guha in India A�er Gandhi). Much against his will, Nehru appointed a States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to make
recommendations to resolve the linguistic problem in India. Comprising Justice Fazil Ali, KM Panikkar and HN Kunzru, the
Commission travelled across 104 towns and cities between 1954 and 1955, interviewed more than 9,000 people, and received
as many as 152,250 written submissions.
�e Commission submitted its report in September, 1955, recommending the reorganisation of India’s administrative units
to form 14 states on linguistic lines and six centrally administered territories. �is was the �rst time that the term Union
Territory (UT) was used. �e original six UTs consisted of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Laccadive, Minicoy and
Amindivi islands (later renamed as Lakshadweep), Delhi, Manipur, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh.
�e character and evolution of Union Territories in India is intriguing given that there is very little homogeneity across
these tiny enclaves spread across the country, other than the fact that they all come under the administration of the Centre.
Although the original list of such regions mostly contained areas which were considered ‘backward’ or tribal, it went on to be
altered signi�cantly to include places like Chandigarh as well as the French and Portuguese colonies.
More recently, in October 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became separate Union Territories. As noted by senior
advocate Fali S. Nariman in an op-ed piece, “Not only was the area of the state of Jammu and Kashmir substantially
diminished, its status too was unilaterally altered from state to union territory- a situation neither warranted nor justi�ed by
any provision in the Constitution.”
The character and evolution of
Indian states during the British Rule
At the time of Independence, only 60 per cent of modern-day
Union Territories in India is
India was under British occupation. �e remaining 40 per cent intriguing given that there is
belonged to the 565 Princely states. very li�le homogeneity across these
Author Venkataraghavan Srinivasan in the book �e Origin Story tiny enclaves spread across the
of India’s States, writes that the then deputy prime minister Vallabhai
Patel and secretary of state VP Menon “visited every ruler and country, other than the fact that they
secured their signatures on the Standstill Agreement and the all come under the administration of
Instrument of Accession in record time”. the Centre.
�e state boundaries of most princely states were retained and
absorbed into the Union of India in its entirety. �e State
Reorganisation Commission was deeply cognizant of this fact and investigated the history of territorial boundaries of the
Indian states in the 1950s.
�e Commission reported that the “existing structure of the States of the Indian Union” is due to the “growth of the British
power in India and the historic process of the integration of former Indian States”. It noted that this provincial organisation of
British India was designed to serve a dual purpose. First, “to uphold the direct authority of the supreme power in areas of
vital economic and strategic importance” such as Bengal and Bombay. Second, “to �ll the political vacuum arising from the
destruction or collapse of the former rulers”. �e Commission also noted that the British were aware of the arti�cial and
convenient division of the provinces.
�e structuring of the provinces in British India took place throughout the 19th century as the British expanded their
territories. For instance, the coastal Presidencies of Madras and Bombay acquired their �nal shape in 1801 and 1827,
respectively. �e Central Provinces were formed only in 1861. As a result, the formation of states was grounded in imperial
interests rather than any welfare or pleas of the masses.
By the early 20th century, nationalism began to in�uence territorial changes in provinces. With the ongoing reform
movement in Bengal, sentiments of nationalism and desire for freedom also arose. To curtail any further development of
these sentiments, in 1905, Bengal was divided into two parts — East Bengal and Assam and the rest of Bengal, which
included the western part of Bengal and modern-day Bihar, Orissa and Chota Nagpur Plateau.
Lord Curzon, the then Governor-General of India, cited reasons emerging out of peculiar linguistic and racial conditions
33
of the province. Although the Partition of Bengal was annulled later, Assam was constituted in 1912 and a separate province
of Bihar and Orissa was also formed.
Indian states after Independence

In the early years a�er Independence, the territorial boundaries of the states remained consistent with British India. �e
administrative structure of the provinces was also similar.
Under the British, there existed three forms of provincial governments — the rule of a governor and Executive council,
administration by a Lieutenant Governor, and those administered by a Chief Commissioner. A distinction was also made
between the territories that were administered directly by the central government and the provinces that had their
administrative structures. Territories that were administered by the Chief Commissioner fell directly under the rule of the
central government.
In the Constitution of Independent India, this division is re�ected as Part A, B, andC. Part A states consisted of the
erstwhile Governor states such as Bombay, and Madras. Part B, which had an elected legislature, included states like Mysore
and Saurashtra. Part C states like Delhi and Himachal Pradesh were controlled by the Chief Commissioner. Later, Part D
states were introduced as territories that were administered by the central government, with no provision for a local
legislature. �e Andaman and Nicobar Islands alone were included under this category.
Political scientist Sudhir
Kumar, in the book Political
and Administrative Setup of IN 1911, WHEN DELHI WAS MADE THE CAPITAL
Union Territories in India, OF INDIA, IT WAS CONVERTED TO A CHIEF
mentions that Part C and Part
D states were later converted
COMMISSIONER’S PROVINCE. THE GOVERNMENT
to Union Territories with OF INDIA ACT, 1935 INTRODUCED THAT THE
direct administration from the CHIEF COMMISSIONER’S PROVINCES SHOULD BE
central government. During DIRECTLY ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTRE.
British rule, most of these
states were recognised as
Scheduled Districts under the Scheduled Districts Act, 1874. �e provision of this Act was to apply no general laws to these
territories. �e areas included under the Act — Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Minicoy — were considered to be
backward and underdeveloped and were administered by a Chief Commissioner.
In 1911, when Delhi was made the capital of India, it was converted to a Chief Commissioner’s Province. �e Government
of India Act, 1935 introduced that the Chief Commissioner’s provinces should be directly administered by the Centre.
During the dra�ing of the new Constitution in July 1947, the Constituent Assembly set up a committee to assess and
report on the suitable constitutional changes in the administrative system of Chief Commissioners provinces. �e Committee
argued that provinces like Coorg and Delhi should be administered by the Lieutenant Governor and an elected legislature.
However, in areas like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, direct control of the central government was preferred.
�ese suggestions were included in the Dra� Constitution of India in 1948. �e areas would be administered by
the President through the Chief Commissioner or the Lieutenant Governor. �e Dra� Constitution also
provided authority for the President to create a local legislature if needed.
However, these provisions were severely criticised when the
Constitution Dra�ing Committee presented them
in the Constituent Assembly in
November 1948.
34
Political Scientist, Sudesh Kumar Sharma in his book, Union Territory Administration in India, mentions that Mukut Behari Lal,
member of the Constituent Assembly from Ajmer, believed that the provision of a central administration “would only prevent the
establishment of a responsible government”.
Sharma writes that there were three major grounds on which the provisions were criticised. First, the areas have no right to exist as
separate units; they can be merged with other neighbouring states. Second, the administration in these areas would be expensive and
take a toll on the �nancial health of the state. Last, the scheme is undemocratic such that most of the administration will depend on the
President’s will and not the people.
Despite criticism, the Dra�ing Committee chose to include these provisions in the Constitution and adopted a list of centrally
administered states, which included Ajmer, Bhopal, Coorg, Manipur, Kutch, Tripura, Bilaspur, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.
Consequently, the Parliament passed the Government of the Part ‘C’ States Act in 1951 by which legislatures and Council of
Ministers were created. All Part C states did not enjoy a uniform pattern of internal order. Some like Delhi and Coorg had an elected
legislature, while others like Manipur only had advisory councils. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the other hand, did not have a
local legislature or an advisory council and were controlled entirely by the President through a Chief Commissioner.
The birth of Union Territories

Historian Ramachandra Guha in India A�er Gandhi writes that In 1911, when Delhi was made
during the freedom movement itself, the Congress party endorsed a the capital of India, it was
linguistic-based division of states on multiple occasions. However,
a�er Independence, Nehru felt the development of a national spirit
converted to a Chief
was crucial as the country was still trying to heal the wounds of Commissioner’s Province. The
Partition. Nehru argued in favour of keeping intact the existing Government of India Act, 1935
administrative units. introduced that the Chief
However, the massive unrest in Madras for the creation of a separate
state of Andhra forced Nehru to change his thoughts on the matter. Commissioner’s provinces should be
Further, the SRC report recognised that the states constituting the directly administered by the Centre.
Union of India were unequal in resources, population and size.
Importantly, they are also unequal before the law.
�e Commission believed that the Indian Union must only have states with an “equal status and uniform relationship with the
Centre, except for any strategic, security or other compelling reason”. �ey considered Part A as the standard of equality and freedom
every state must possess. Consequently, they proposed abolishing Part B and Part C states.
While the abolishing of Part B states would not pose any problem given that they have su�cient resources and infrastructure for
good governance, Part C states presented a wide range of problems.
As a category, all Part C states were far away from each other and were multi-linguistic and multicultural, unlike their
neighbouring states.
Constitutionally, they did not follow a uniform administrative structure. Given that the Part C states proposed linguistic and cultural
a�nity with their neighbouring states a merger was not out of the question. However, for that to happen, these regions would have to
undergo radical economic and political transformation to be at par with the Part A states.
�e Commission insisted on an individual analysis of each state and proposed that while a merger is ideal, it is only fair to the people
who were placed under the Centre for speci�c purposes like economic development to continue to bene�t from that arrangement.
�erefore, central authority in states like Himachal Pradesh, Kutch and Tripura that needed economic upli�ment would continue.
�e report also referred to other countries with a federal structure that faced a similar issue. “Countries with a federal constitution do
contain some centrally-administered areas besides constituent units of the federation. �ese are, �rstly the seats of federal governments
such as Washington DC in the USA and Canberra in Australia, and secondly other administered territories consisting mostly of
sparsely-populated and geographically isolated areas,” it suggested.
Consequently, it proposed that the administrative units of the Indian Union be classi�ed into two categories — States and Territories.
�e states would form the primary constituents of India and have a federal relationship with the Centre. �e territories, on the other
hand, cannot be part of any of the states and are centrally administered. �e territories would be represented in the Union legislature
but there would be no division of responsibilities. Democracy in the territories would be more participative and people would be
35
encouraged to associate with the administration. If any of these territories wish for a fully democratic form of government, they must
merge with another state.
By �e Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, the territories were declared to be Union Territories. Himachal Pradesh and
Tripura also joined the list of Union Territories along with Delhi, Manipur, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
In the years to come, the original list of Union Territories would undergo several changes. To begin with, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura,
and Manipur attained full statehood by the 1970s. Chandigarh, which was caught in a custody battle between Punjab and Haryana, was
made into a capital for both and put under the administration of the central government as a Union Territory in September 1966.
�e French and Portuguese enclaves in India which were liberated a few years a�er British India, were mostly categorised as Union
Territories. While the French colony of Chandernagore was merged into the state of West Bengal in 1954, the other territories of France
were brought under the Union Territory of Pondicherry (which also included Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe).
�e �ve Portuguese territories of Goa, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu were also added to the list of Union Territories a�er
their liberation in 1961. �e Goa, Daman and Diu (Administration) Act, 1962 designated all three regions as one Union Territory even
though they were about 1400 kilometres away from each other.
THE FRENCH AND PORTUGUESE ENCLAVES IN INDIA WHICH WERE

LIBERATED A FEW YEARS AFTER BRITISH INDIA, WERE MOSTLY
CATEGORISED AS UNION TERRITORIES. WHILE THE FRENCH
COLONY OF CHANDERNAGORE WAS MERGED INTO THE STATE OF
WEST BENGAL IN 1954, THE OTHER TERRITORIES OF FRANCE WERE
BROUGHT UNDER THE UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY.
However, given that Goa was a prosperous region, it was soon sought a�er by the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Mysore. It
was only in 1987 that the Parliament passed the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act granting statehood to Goa. Daman and Diu
were retained as a separate Union Territory. A further change was brought about in their status once again in 2019 when the
government merged Dadra, Nagar Haveli with Daman and Diu to form a single Union Territory, with the objective of improving
administration in these regions.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh too became separate Union Territories. A presidential order passed in August 2019 abrogated
Article 370 which gave a special status to the state of Jammu in Kashmir. �e state was integrated with India and brought on equal
footing with other units of the Indian Union. �is was soon followed by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill which would
divide the state into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
References
•• Ali, Saiyid Fazil, Madhava Pannikar, and Hriday Nath Kunzru. ‘Report of the States Reorganisation Commission’. Government of
India, 1955.
•• Guha, Ramachandra. India a�er Gandhi: �e History of the World’s Largest Democracy. Indian ed. London: Picador India, 2008.
•• Kumar, Sudhir. Political and Administrative Setup of Union Territories in India. 1st ed. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications, 1991.
•• Mawdsley, Emma. ‘Redrawing the Body Politic: Federalism, Regionalism and the Creation of New States in India’. Commonwealth
& Comparative Politics 40, no. 3 (November 2002): 34–54.
•• Sharma, Sudhesh. Union Territory Administration in India. Chandi Publishers, 1968.
•• Singh, Mahendra. ‘Reorganisation of States in India’. Economic and Political Weekly 43, no. 11 (12 March 2008): 70–75.
•• Srinivasan, Venkataraghavan Subha. �e Origin Story of India’s States. Gurugram, Haryana, India: Ebury Press, an imprint of
Penguin Random House, 2021.
36
The dark story of oil, the lubricant

of the global economy
Wri�en by Mira Patel
Oil propelled the world into the industrial revolution but its origins and current use is stained by the adverse impact it has
on our environment
Despite the environmental risks presented by oil, the global economy is still dependent on it
Unre�ned petroleum has been used by humans for over 5,000 years, with the scienti�c community even arguing that the
use of oil predates modern humans. From warfare to cooking to illumination, evidence of human consumption of oil extends
into various sectors and periods. However, it was only in the 20th century that re�ned petroleum became a mass industry.
Oil catalysed the industrial revolution, fuelled global con�icts, and created entire economies from the desert. From the
very beginning, oil has been a controversial resource and over the last few decades, has come under particular criticism for its
role in the climate crisis. Big oil companies have faced the brunt of the blame, with �e Guardian estimating that in 2020 top
20 oil producers were responsible for 35 per cent of all energy-related carbon emissions worldwide since 1965.
Compounding the blame, reports now indicate that oil executives knew about the environmental risks of drilling as early
as 1955, but chose to conceal that information from the public. As people become more aware of the adverse impact of oil,
calls have been made for a transition towards green energy. However, for a number of reasons, that transition has been a slow
process. As the American activist Ralph Nader once said, “�e use of solar energy has not yet been opened up because the oil
industry doesn’t own the sun.”
37
The origins of refined petroleum

Oil in its unre�ned form played an important role in ancient warfare with Homer writing in the Iliad that “the Trojans
case upon the swi� ship unwearied �re, and over her forthwith streamed a �ame that might not be quenched.” In Bitumen
and Petroleum in Antiquity, historian R J Forbes writes that oil was a decisive part of warfare from the seventh century
onwards, with the Byzantines referring to it as Greek �re.
Arab and Persian chemists also distilled oil to produce �ammable products and with the expansion of Islamic Spain, it
reached Western
Europe in the 12th
century. �is distilled
oil was highly volatile,
prone to causing �res,
and di�cult to
control. By the 1600s,
it was the primary
source of lighting but
was soon to be
replaced by a cheaper,
safer and far more
accessible alternative.
Before re�ned
petroleum, whale oil,
derived from the
blubber of right and
sperm whales, was the
accelerant responsible
for illumination.
Whaling was one of
the �rst great
multinational
businesses and in
1852, when Moby-
Dick was �rst
published, was the
employment of choice
for ambitious young
men. In 1853 alone,
8,000 whales were
slaughtered o� the
coast of America, with The Persians used oil in warfare
their oil shipped around
the world. However, as demand for blubber rose, whales became scarce, and hunting them became an ordeal of life and death.
Oil re�neries existed in parallel with the whaling industry but it was only a�er the sharp decline in whales that other
alternatives were sought out.
In 1745, under Empress Elizabeth of Russia, the �rst oil well and re�nery was built in Ukhta by Fiodor Priadunov, who, through
the process of distilling rock oil, produced a kerosene-like substance that was used in oil lamps.
�e production of para�n from crude oil marked the beginning of petroleum’s modern history in the 19th century. James
Young, a Scottish chemist, discovered a natural petroleum seepage at the Riddings colliery in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in 1847. He then
distilled the natural petroleum to create a thin, light oil suited for use as lamp oil and a thicker oil ideal for lubricating machinery.
38
Before refined petroleum, whale oil was the primary source of illumination
Less than a decade later, George Bissel, considered the Father of American Oil, discovered that he could use the same drills
used to extract salt from the ground, to recover oil. And with that, writes Nobel laureate Daniel Yergin in �e Prize, “Man was
suddenly given the ability to push back the night.”
Bissel set up the �rst American oil company in Western Pennsylvania which was a rapid success. Oil production in the
state went from 450,000 barrels in 1860 to three million barrels in 1862. In July 1865, a farm that had been practically
worthless only a few months earlier was sold for $1.3 million, and then in September it was sold again for $2.3 million.
39
According to Yergin, “from the very beginning the race for oil involved extracting every last drop of it possible” due to the
American doctrine of ‘rule of capture’. �e rule of capture, as it was used in oil production, allowed di�erent surface owners
above a shared pool to take all the oil they wanted, even if doing so disproportionately depleted the pool or decreased the
output of surrounding wells and neighbouring producers. �erefore, it was inevitable that the owners of nearby wells would
engage in �erce competition to produce as much as they could and as quickly as possible to prevent another from draining
the pool.
George Bissel was considered the father of American oil
40
Even then, the adverse impacts of oil were well documented, with Yergin writing that “the rule of capture led to
considerable waste and damage, to the detriment of ultimate production from a given pool.”
However, oil was the most sought-a�er commodity of the day, and despite its many risks, people rushed to capitalise on its
immense potential. �e most important of those people was John D Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company, aptly
nicknamed the King of Oil. Rockefeller’s success stemmed from his decision to consolidate oil re�ning into one giant
industry. With that step, by 1879, Standard Oil controlled 80 per cent of America’s re�ning capacity, almost all the pipelines
and transportation linkages.
Baku established the first major oil refinery in Europe
41
The spread of oil internationally

Initially, sailors were terri�ed to carry kerosene as cargo due to its heightened �ammability. However, in 1861, the �rst
cargo ship carrying petroleum made its way safely to London and with it ushered in the global trade of oil.
Russia soon emerged as the biggest market for American oil. With its capacity to provide light, oil revolutionised the
Russian workday, which during winter months was restricted to six hours of daylight. By 1875, Russia was so dependent on
American oil that its government abolished the Russian monopoly system and opened the oil market to private enterprise.
Russian oil production increased from less than 600,000 barrels in 1874 to 10.8 million barrels a decade later, or about a
third of American production. By the early 1880s, about 200 re�neries were operating in Baku’s (the capital of Azerbaijan)
new industrial neighbourhood, which was appropriately called Black City.
�e rapid expansion of Russian production, Standard Oil’s dominant position, and the competition for existing and
emerging markets during a period of rising supply were all elements in what came to be known as the Oil Wars. Four rivals
— Standard, the Rothschilds, the Nobels, and the other Russian producers — engaged in a protracted con�ict for control over
the resource in the 1890s.
As Yergin writes, “At one moment, they would be battling �ercely for markets, cutting prices, trying to undersell one
another; at the next, they would be courting one another, trying to make an arrangement to apportion the world’s markets
among themselves; at still the next, they would be exploring mergers and acquisitions. On many occasions, they would be
doing all three at the same time, in an atmosphere of great suspicion and mistrust, no matter how great the cordiality at any
given moment.”
THE SURGE IN OIL PRICES DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH

CENTURY LED TO THE CREATION OF “RENTIER STATES” IN THE
PERSIAN GULF. DUE TO THEIR SMALL POPULATIONS AND
ABUNDANCE OF OIL, RENTAL REVENUES FROM NATURAL
RESOURCES DOMINATE GOVERNMENT REVENUE THUS ELIMINATING
THE NEED TO IMPOSE HIGH TAXES ON THE LOCAL POPULATION.
�e search for oil in the Middle East began in 1901 when a British businessman named William D’Arcy convinced the
Persian government to award him a concession for oil exploration and extraction. D’Arcy, whose initial e�orts were
unsuccessful, appealed to the British government for help and in 1905, was given �nancial assistance by Burmah Oil, which
was later renamed British Petroleum.
In 1909, when D’Arcy and Burmah �rst reorganised their oil holdings into a consolidated entity, shares for its initial public
o�ering sold out within 30 minutes in London, kickstarting the race for oil in the Middle East. However, despite a stream of
European powers competing for in�uence, oil production in the Middle East didn’t take o� until the 1950s.
Even a�er the Second World War, Middle Eastern countries lacked the equipment and expertise necessary to extract oil. As
a result, Western businesses were able to acquire oil exploration and extraction rights for a pittance. Over 60 per cent of the
world’s supply would eventually come from production in the Middle East.
As the Middle East started to recognise its power in the 1950s, the balance of power changed. During the Suez Crisis,
Britain saw �rst-hand the impact of this change as Middle Eastern oil imports into Britain via the Suez Canal ceased. �e
in�uence of other oil-producing countries started to spread around this time.
Following American backing for Israel during the Yom Kippur War against Egypt and Syria, the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC) called for an oil embargo against the West in 1973. Oil prices nearly doubled as supplies became
scarce. Over time, the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the developing of hydraulic fracking in North America gave both
the UK and the US some respite from the clutches of OPEC but as the con�ict in Russia demonstrates, the demand for oil
continues to shape geopolitics.
42
Migration to the Gulf

�e surge in oil prices during the middle of the 20th century led to the creation of “rentier states” in the Persian Gulf. Due
to their small populations and abundance of oil, rental revenues from natural resources dominate government revenue thus
eliminating the need to impose high taxes on the local population. Onn Winckler of the University of Haifa, in
his article Labour Migration to the GCC States, explains that because so many Gulf countries had oil revenues exceeding 80
per cent of governmental income, their governments were able to redistribute the money by increasing public sector
employment and salaries.
�e end result, he writes, “Was the creation of a dual labour market with nationals employed almost exclusively in the
public sector while the vast majority of the foreign workers were employed in the private sector.”
�is migration of non-Arab foreign workers to the Gulf states, predominantly from India and the Philippines, occurred in
three main waves during the 1970s and the 1980s, largely as a result of the oil price boom in 1973. According to the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), India is one of the two top origin countries (apart from
the Philippines) of migrants to the Gulf.
Indian migration to the Gulf �uctuates with the ebbs and �ows of oil prices. When prices are high, as they were in the
1980s, the demand for low-skilled labour increases. However, as the Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
has reported, when prices fall, as they did in the 2010s, Gulf countries tend to enact measures that prioritise local workers at
the expense of foreign nationals. According to the ORF report, Indian emigration
to the Gulf halved between 2015 and 2017 when oil prices were low, but then
increased by 20 per cent between 2018 and 2019, as oil prices started to rise and Indian migration to
Indian companies won large contracts in the region.
While migration to the Gulf has had many bene�ts in terms of remittances and
the Gulf fluctuates
addressing domestic workplace shortages, the kafala, or sponsorship, system under with the ebbs and
which migrants are recruited and hired faces signi�cant allegations of exploitation. flows of oil prices. When
�ese problems range from exorbitant visa fees, con�scation of passports, poor prices are high, as they
working conditions, unsanitary living conditions, and di�culties obtaining exit
visas. were in the 1980s, the
In addition to attracting migrants, oil reserves in the Gulf, and the politics demand for low-skilled
born from them, have a signi�cant impact on global energy security. �e Gulf labour increases.
states, and by extension, OPEC, have used this leverage to devastating
consequences in the past, triggering economic crises in 1973 with the Arab oil
embargo and in 2022 with the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production. In 1973, the
struggle between OPEC and the US was so disruptive to the American economy that economist Ed Morse wrote in Foreign
Policy magazine that OPEC had brought “the West to its knees.” Former US presidents including Gerald Ford and Donald
Trump have referred to the organisation as a cartel, calling on the US to pursue energy independence to escape the clutches of
the Middle East.
As of 2022, OPEC controls nearly 40 per cent of the world’s oil supply, giving it an outsized in�uence over global politics. In a
report for �e Washington Post, Brown University’s Je� D Colgan explains, “OPEC perpetuates the myth that it regularly manages
the world oil market. �at reputation means its members receive more diplomatic attention than they otherwise would.”
Oil has been a boon for the Middle East, helping them to build modern cities and provide their residents with a much higher
quality of life than in other Asian countries. However, Gulf countries are cognizant of the fact that oil doesn’t last forever. Bahrain
and Oman are acutely a�ected by this reality as their reserves are expected to run out within 10 and 25 years, respectively. To
address the problem, Gulf countries have embarked on a strategy of diversi�cation with the UAE arguably being the most
successful and Saudi Arabia, the most ambitious. Despite these e�orts, as the Brooking Institution reported in 2021, the Gulf is
still heavily dependent on hydrocarbons, their economic success contingent on the supply and demand of oil.
The environmental cost

Despite the push to shi� towards green energy, the position of oil has remained dominant. Put simply, oil is used in almost
43
every facet of modern life. It’s used to generate electricity, to power cars, trains, ships, and planes, it’s used in manufacturing,
in agriculture, in technology, in textiles, in pharmaceuticals and almost every other industry one can think of.
While oil companies are now facing the heat, reports suggest they knew about the adverse e�ects of oil for many decades.
In fact, environmentalist Bill McKibben once characterised the fossil fuel industry’s campaign to conceal the information as
“the most consequential cover-up in US history.” As early as 1950, scientists who worked for the fossil fuel sector were aware
that CO2 emissions could have a warming e�ect. ExxonMobil, American multinational oil and gas corporation, even had
internal documents leaked that demonstrate that their scientists were explicitly aware of the potential risks posed by human-
caused climate change caused by their products, but rather than acting or alerting the public, they instead invested millions of
dollars in deception campaigns intended to obscure the scienti�c reality.
American Misled, a report produced by climate scientist John Cook of George Mason University, estimates that by the
1980s, a scienti�c consensus emerged that oil played a signi�cant factor in human-led climate change. It asserts that “over the
past few decades, the fossil fuel industry has subjected the American public to a well-funded, well-
orchestrated disinformation campaign about the reality and severity of human-caused climate change.”
Against this backdrop, oil companies have been forced to change course. According to one study by
Harvard University, the energy sector was the second highest producer of green patents, behind only the
manufacturing industry. Companies like British Petroleum have long attempted to change their public image,
even going as far as to rebrand the company to ‘Beyond Petroleum’. Investors in US-based oil company
Chevron voted to cut emissions from the petroleum products it sells. Against massive public outcry, developers of the Keystone
XL pipeline cancelled the project a�er decades of environmental concerns over the project.
However, a recent report from the climate collaborative project Net Zero Tracker, says that while many
fossil fuel companies are adopting the narrative of reducing emissions, most aren’t actively tackling the issue,
making their promises “largely meaningless.”
According to American Representative Ro Khanna of the House Oversight Committee, oil companies are
talking the talk without walking the walk. He remarked to the House Congressional Committee in 2021,
“�ey’re basically saying, we’re going to increase production, we’re going to increase emissions, but we’re also
going to be able to claim being this clean tech company, this green company, because we can take some
symbolic actions that make it look like we’re in the climate �ght.”
Oil companies have disproportionately controlled much of the world’s industry for the last two centuries.
However, as the pressure to go green builds, they are increasingly being forced to change their ways. Whether
they do so, or just profess to, is yet to be seen.
44
EXPRESS EDGE POLITY
Indian Penal Code to Nyaya Sanhita:

What’s new, what is out, what changes
Wri�en by Apurva Vishwanath
From sedition to fake news to mob lynching, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 brings in several changes to the IPC,
which it aims to replace.
Under the BNS, offences related to causing damage to public property now carry a graded fine, which means the fine
corresponds to the amount of damage caused.
From bringing terrorism and organised crime under the ambit of ordinary criminal law, introducing gender
neutrality for o�ences pertaining to children, to repealing Section 377 that criminalised homosexuality, the Bharatiya
Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 makes several key departures from the Indian Penal Code it seeks to replace.
45
New offences
PROMISE TO MARRY: �e BNS introduces Clause 69 that seems to ostensibly tackle the “love
jihad” narrative by criminalising “deceitful” promise to marry. �e phrase “sexual intercourse not
amounting to the o�ence of rape” essentially criminalises consensual sexual activity too.
“Whoever, by deceitful means or by making promise to marry to a woman without any intention of
ful�lling the same, has sexual intercourse with her, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the
o�ence of rape, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend
to ten years and shall also be liable to �ne,” the provision reads adding that “deceitful means” shall include the false
promise of employment or promotion, inducement, or marring a�er suppressing identity.
MOB LYNCHING: �e BNS provisions codify o�ences linked to mob lynching and hate-crime murders, for cases
when a mob of �ve or more individuals commits murder based on factors such as race, caste, community, or personal
belief. �e provision has punishment that extends from life imprisonment to death.
In its earlier version, the Bill had proposed a minimum sentence of seven years, but this was brought at par with murder.
�e Supreme Court in 2018 had asked the Centre to consider a separate law for lynching.
ORGANISED CRIME: For the �rst time, tackling organised crime is brought under the realm of ordinary criminal
law. �ere are several special state legislations for prevention and control of criminal activity by organised crime syndicates
or gangs, the most popular being the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999. �ese special laws prescribe vast
powers of surveillance and relax standards of evidence and procedure in favour of the state, which
is not found in ordinary criminal law.
Interestingly, in the new legislation, the punishment for attempt to commit organised crime and
for committing organised crime is the same, but a distinction is drawn based on whether a death is
caused or not by the alleged o�ence. For cases involving death, the punishment ranges from life
imprisonment to death but where there is no death involved, a mandatory minimum sentence of
�ve years is prescribed which may extend to life imprisonment.
A separate category of “petty organised crime” has also been brought in, which criminalises “the�,
snatching, cheating, unauthorised selling of tickets, unauthorised betting or gambling, selling of
public examination question papers.” An earlier version of the Bill used the overbroad words, “Any crime that causes general
feelings of insecurity among citizens”, to describe petty organised crime, but that has been dropped in the current version.
However, while the provision is aimed at tackling small law and order issues in everyday policing, it is unclear how this
would be di�erent from ordinary the�, etc.
TERRORISM: Importing large parts of the language in de�ning “terror activities” from the stringent Unlawful
Atrocities Prevention Act, the BNS brings terrorism under the ambit of ordinary criminal law.
According to an analysis by National Law School of India University, Bangalore, the de�nition of
“terrorist” borrows from the Philippines Anti-Terrorism Act, 2020. Crucially, the o�ence involving
terror �nancing is broader in the BNS than in UAPA.
It is unclear how both the UAPA and the BNS will operate concurrently, especially when
procedurally the UAPA is more stringent and the cases are heard in special courts.
ATTEMPT TO SUICIDE: �e BNS introduces a new provision that criminalises “whoever attempts to commit suicide
with the intent to compel or restrain any public servant from discharging his o�cial duty”, and prescribes a jail term which
may extend to one year with community service. �is provision could be invoked to prevent self-immolations and hunger
strikes during protests.
Deletions
UNNATURAL SEXUAL OFFENCES: Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality
among other “unnatural” sexual activities, has been repealed under the BNS. However, the total omission of Section 377
46
has raised concerns, since the provision is still helpful to tackle non-consensual sexual acts, especially when rape laws
continue to be gendered. �e Supreme Court in 2018 read down the provision as unconstitutional only to the extent that it
criminalised consensual homosexual relationships.
ADULTERY: �e o�ence of adultery, which was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in 2018, has
been omitted under the BNS.
THUGS: �e IPC under Section 310 criminalises those who have been “habitually associated with any other or others
for the purpose of committing robbery or child-stealing by means of or accompanied with murder,” and labels them a
thug. �is provision is criticised for attaching colonial notions of criminality for certain tribes. �e BNS has fully omitted
this provision.
GENDER NEUTRALITY: While rape laws continue to operate only for women, the BNS has tweaked
some other laws, especially those dealing with children, to bring gender neutrality.
�e o�ences dealing with procuration of a girl (for “illicit intercourse”, 366A of the IPC) has been made
gender neutral. For the o�ence dealing with kidnapping of minors, the IPC (Section 361) prescribes
di�erent age limits: 16 years for male and 18 years for a female. �e BNS makes it 18 for both.
For adults, the o�ence of outraging the modesty of women (354A of the IPC) and voyeurism (354C) now has
gender neutrality for the accused under the BNS, which means that women can also be booked under the law.
Other tweaks
Fake news: �e IPC currently contains Section 153B which deals with “imputations, assertions prejudicial to national
integration.” �is, commonly referred to as the “hate speech” provision, criminalises, among other aspects, causing
“disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will” between communities. �e BNS introduces a new provision here
which criminalises publishing false and misleading information.
Sedition: When the Sanhitas were �rst introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said
that the law on sedition had been repealed. However, the BNS introduces the o�ence under a new name and with a wider
de�nition. Apart from a name change from ‘rajdroh’ to ‘deshdroh’, the new provision brings under its sweep aiding through
�nancial means acts of “subversive activities”, and those encouraging “feelings of separatist activities.”
Mandatory minimum sentence: Section 303 of the IPC prescribed a mandatory death sentence for murder committed by a
life-convict. In 1983, the Supreme Court struck down the provision as unconstitutional since it took away the discretion of
judges in awarding a sentence. �e BNS has now tweaked this provision to prescribe a punishment of “death or imprisonment
for life, which shall mean the remainder of that person’s natural life.”
In several other provisions, mandatory minimum sentences are prescribed. While the prescription of a minimum sentence
limits the scope for judicial discretion and arbitrariness, it is seen to be unfair to the convict, whose mitigating circumstances,
such as if they are a �rst-time o�ender or the sole breadwinner in the family, are o�en overlooked.
Also, under the BNS, o�ences related to causing damage to public property now carry a graded �ne, which means the �ne
corresponds to the amount of damage caused.
IT IS UNCLEAR HOW BOTH THE UAPA AND THE BNS WILL

OPERATE CONCURRENTLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN PROCEDURALLY
THE UAPA IS MORE STRINGENT AND THE CASES ARE HEARD IN
SPECIAL COURTS.
47
EXPRESS EDGE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Elections in Bangladesh: Why both India

and China are backing Sheikh Hasina
(First published on: 05-01-2024)
Wri�en by Syed Munir Khasru
Bangladesh prioritizes mutually bene�cial relationships aligning with national interests over zero-sum strategic a�airs.
Hasina's handling of multiple partnerships has been adept, and her strategic autonomy doctrine o�ers a good model for
neighbours of large countries to follow.
Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina upon her arrival in New Delhi on September 8, 2023. (PTI Photo)
F
i�y-two years a�er independence, Bangladesh is at an in�ection point, both economically and geopolitically. Its
increasing economic importance — a $400 billion economy that grew at 7.1% in 2022 — has attracted the
interest of major powers who see the country’s growth and stability and partnerships with it as crucial to
advancing their own strategic interests in South Asia and the Indo-Paci�c region.
48
�e Bangladesh national elections of January 7 have as such become a high-stakes arena for several ambitions to play out
— from India’s bu�er state priorities to China’s Belt & Road vision, from the strategic interests of the United States to Russian
infrastructure interests.
Against the backdrop of accusations of authoritarianism and suppression of political rivals, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina is seeking a fourth term in o�ce. �e previous elections of 2014 and 2018 were marred by allegations of irregularities.
Bangladesh’s relations with India and China

Both India and China have high stakes in the outcome and credibility of the election process, not only because of their
robust economic ties with Bangladesh, but also in the light of their wider rivalry in the region. How Dhaka manages the
partnership expectations from the two Asian giants is key, and will be watched internationally.
�e support from India in Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971 contrasts with China’s backing for Pakistan. Despite this
history, pragmatism shapes Bangladesh’s current ties with these neighbours.
Bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh exceeded $15 billion in 2021-22. India recognizes Bangladesh as a vital
eastern bu�er, and provides critical support in ports and power grid access, essential for national growth. Historical ties and
geographical proximity foster a symbiotic trade relationship.
On the other hand, Bangladesh’s two-way trade with China exceeded $25 billion in 2022. Bangladesh aligns strategically
with China, which is helping transform its landscape through mega projects. Chinese investments in BRI-�nanced
infrastructure projects have surpassed $10 billion.
Nuanced approach followed by Govt in Dhaka

Bangladesh’s nuanced approach
towards India and China re�ects the
prioritizing of mutually bene�cial
THE SUPPORT FROM INDIA IN
relationships aligning with national BANGLADESH’S WAR OF LIBERATION IN
interests over zero-sum strategic a�airs. 1971 CONTRASTS WITH CHINA’S BACKING
It leverages socio-economic, trade, FOR PAKISTAN. DESPITE THIS HISTORY,
and cultural ties with India for growth,
but has signi�cant military relations with PRAGMATISM SHAPES BANGLADESH’S
China. Bangladesh is the second largest CURRENT TIES WITH THESE NEIGHBOURS.
importer of Chinese arms. India too gave
$500 million credit to Bangladesh for
defence imports.
Both Asian giants have made substantial investments in Bangladesh, signifying the pivotal role the country plays in
regional dynamics. Key agreements in power, transport, and telecom underscore the high stakes in ensuring Bangladesh’s
ongoing success. Some concerns have, however, emerged over the burden of Chinese debt and ecological considerations.
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Hasina’s handling of multiple partnerships has been adept. Her strategic autonomy doctrine,
which avoids exclusive alliances, o�ers smaller neighbours a good example for self-empowerment through cooperation and
collaboration with major regional powers.
Her consultative approach on global issues, like the Rohingya refugee crisis, too has elevated Dhaka’s standing with the two
Asian giants.
The intersection of geopolitics and economics

In the pursuit of achieving developed nation status by 2041, Bangladesh has strategically harnessed economic and
technological strengths of both India and China, balancing ties amid evolving dynamics. It has granted port access to both
countries, fostering modernization in Mongla port under the banners of the BRI and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar
Corridor (BCIM). A similar cooperative enhancement for Pyra port was undertaken, but India backed out due to the public-
49
private partnership being granted to a Chinese company.

Bangladesh’s Indo-Paci�c outlook dra� underscores engagement with regional and global stakeholders for human security,
connectivity, and the blue economy, while steering clear of geopolitical tensions.
Bangladesh imports Indian electricity which currently stands at 1,160 MW, while enabling about $450 million of Chinese
investments into 1,845 MW domestic power generation as of 2021. �e surging demand for electricity has necessitated an
expansion of supply, and concurrent energy deals with both countries advance
converging industrialization interests.
As a smaller neighbour reconciling the interests of regional giants, Bangladesh As a smaller
has simultaneously advanced national agency and cooperation with countries neighbour
that are each other’s rivals. reconciling the
Why the Jan 7 elections matter to India and China interests of regional giants,
�e main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has boycotted the
Bangladesh has
elections in its push for neutral oversight, a demand that the Awami League (AL) simultaneously advanced
has rejected. national agency and
�e BNP remains suspicious of Indian support for the ruling party. �e AL on cooperation with countries
the other hand portrays BNP as anti-India, and raises concerns about potential that are each other’s rivals.
disruptions in the bilateral relationship due to possible disputes over the
credibility of the election results.
Both India and China, deeply invested in Bangladesh’s stability, are understandably wary of political and economic risks
post-election. China’s $38 billion BRI initiatives depend on the continuity of the AL regime, and India will have to seek
alternative strategies if Prime Minister Hasina were to be unseated.
As Bangladesh confronts a potentially combustible electoral climate with far-reaching consequences, it is no wonder that
both India and China have thrown their weight behind the incumbent.
Prof. Syed Munir Khasru is Chairman of the international think tank �e Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance
(IPAG), New Delhi, with a presence in Dhaka, Melbourne, Vienna, and Dubai.
50
EXPRESS EDGE ECONOMY
Why has the Indian government

criticised the methodologies of global
credit rating agencies?
Wri�en by Udit Misra
�e govt has criticised the ‘opaque methodologies’ used by the major global credit rating agencies to arrive at
sovereign ratings. What is the govt’s argument, and why do sovereign credit ratings matter?
T
he Finance Ministry released a document titled Re-examining Narratives: A Collection of Essays, which Chief
Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said was an “attempt to present alternate perspectives on diverse
areas of economic policy that have long-term implications for India’s growth and development priorities”.
Moody’s is the oldest; it was established in 1900 and issued its first sovereign ratings just before World War I. In the
1920s, Poor’s Publishing and Standard Statistics, the predecessor of S&P, started rating government bonds.
51
�e �rst of the �ve essays in the document is a criticism of what the government calls the “opaque methodologies adopted
by credit rating agencies to arrive at sovereign ratings”.
�e essay seeks to �ag issues with the methodology adopted by the three main global credit rating agencies, and to show,
based on calculations by the Finance Ministry, how these gaps a�ect India adversely.
Why do sovereign ratings matter?

Sovereign ratings are about the creditworthiness of governments. �ey provide a marker for investors around the world
about the ability and willingness of governments to pay back debt. Just as an individual’s credit rating is critical to whether
she gets a loan and at what interest rate, sovereign ratings a�ect a country’s ability to borrow money from global investors.
Again, just as an individual or corporate borrower with a well documented history of paying back loans (showing
willingness to pay back) and substantial assets or income streams (showing ability to pay back) gets a new loan (for a car/
house/ factory) at a cheaper interest rate than someone with no credit history or assured income streams or assets,
governments with lower sovereign ratings have to pay higher interest rates when they borrow.
Sovereign ratings matter not just for the government but also for all businesses in that country. �at’s because the
government is considered to be the safest bet in a country. If the sovereign rating of a country’s government is low, the
businesses of that country end up forking out an even higher interest rate when they borrow from global investors.
Most developing countries (such as India), while rich in either labour resources or land or mineral resources, su�er from a
lack of capital (money available to put to use). In the absence of �nancial resources, developing countries struggle to make the
52
best use of their natural strengths. A poor sovereign rating can inhibit the ability of these countries to borrow money from
rich investors — just as a good rating can make it easier to become more productive and remove mass poverty.
Which are the main rating agencies?

Sovereign credit ratings predate the Bretton Woods institutions, i.e., the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
�ere are three main globally recognised credit rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch.
Moody’s is the oldest; it was established in 1900 and issued its �rst sovereign ratings just before World War I. In the 1920s,
Poor’s Publishing and Standard Statistics, the predecessor of S&P, started rating government bonds.
While the US and European countries have enjoyed a good record, ratings have been a�ected by global events. For
instance, according to an IMF research paper, sovereign defaults spiked during the 1930s Depression, and most ratings were
downgraded. By 1939, all European sovereigns, barring the UK, were in the speculative grade.
What is the government’s criticism?

�e Finance Ministry has pointed out three main The WGI uses a host of indices and
issues with the methodologies used by the rating reports such as the World Economic
agencies. First, they “are opaque and appear to
disadvantage developing economies” in certain ways.
Forum Global Competitiveness Report,
“For instance,” the Ministry says, “the Fitch document Economist Intelligence Unit, etc. to assess
mentions that the rating agency “takes comfort from several aspects of a country that may not be
high levels of foreign ownership” in the banking sector
captured by hard economic data. These include
and that “public-owned banks have historically been
subject to political interference”.” freedom of expression, freedom of media, rule
“Such an assessment”, the government argues, “tends of law, corruption, quality of regulation, etc.
to discriminate against developing countries, where the
banking sector is primarily run by the public sector”.
According to the government, such an assessment also ignores the welfare and development functions that public sector banks have
in a developing country, including playing an important role in promoting �nancial inclusion.
Second, the government says, “the experts generally consulted for the rating assessments are selected in a non-transparent
manner, adding another layer of opaqueness to an already di�cult-to-interpret methodology”.
�ird, the rating agencies do not convey clearly the assigned weights for each parameter considered. “While Fitch does lay out
some numerical weights for each parameter, they do go on to state that the weights are for illustrative purposes only,” the essay says.
To understand some of these points, look at the Table above. It details the Finance Ministry’s understanding of how Fitch goes about
judging sovereign risk.
�ere are four main pillars — such as macroeconomic outlook, structural features, etc. — each with a speci�c weight. Within
each of these pillars there are sub-components, again with individual weights. But apart from the quantitative variables, each vertical
also has “Qualitative Overlay” variables.
�e essential points of contention are, one, the use of the composite governance indicator (which has a weight of 21.4) is only
based on the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI); and two, the use of Qualitative Overlay implies a subjective
assessment. �e WGI uses a host of indices and reports such as the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report,
Economist Intelligence Unit, etc. to assess several aspects of a country that may not be captured by hard economic data. �ese
include freedom of expression, freedom of media, rule of law, corruption, quality of regulation, etc.
�e government argues that there is an excessive reliance on such subjective appraisals.
According to the government’s calculations, “…the in�uence of the composite governance indicator and perceived institutional
strength surpasses the collective in�uence of all other macroeconomic fundamentals when it comes to the chances of earning India
and other developing economies an upgrade.
“�e e�ect is non-trivial… It implies that to earn a credit rating upgrade, developing economies need to demonstrate progress along
arbitrary indicators, which are also criticised for being constructed from a set of several one-size-�ts-all perception-based surveys.”
53
Red Sea attacks, Panama Canal drought:

How trouble at two shipping choke points
could impact global trade
Wri�en by Ravi Du�a Mishra
�e ease of moving goods via the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal is threatened and this could potentially disrupt over a
third of global trade. What's happening? Could India be impacted? We explain.
Panama Canal employees work in a dry chamber of the West Lane of Pedro Miguel locks during its periodical maintenance, in Panama
City, Panama May 12, 2023. (REUTERS/Aris Martinez/File Photo)
Amid the recent attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea trade route in West Asia, one ship on its way to India was
struck by a drone attack on Chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto on Saturday (December 23), roughly 200 nautical miles (370 km)
o� the coast of Gujarat.
It has raised tensions among Indian oil importers and exporters of commodities such as basmati and tea.
�e Red Sea attacks have been carried out by Yemen-based Houthi rebels, who have been in a civil war with the Yemeni
government for about a decade. �ey say the attacks are to protest Israel’s military o�ensive in Gaza. While the US-led maritime
security coalition has swi�ly announced countermeasures, indicating the importance of the route for world trade, the recent
shipping crisis in the Red Sea is not the only pain point here.
Two crucial choke points – the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal – threaten to disrupt over a third of global trade. �is
comes amid already slowing demand in the West and a property crisis in China that led the World Trade Organization (WTO)
to lower its goods trade forecast by as much as 50 per cent. Here is why global goods trade could be in for a rocky start to 2024.
54
What do the ongoing Red Sea and Panama Canal crises mean for world trade?
A disruption in maritime transport is a crucial concern for the world economy, as over 80 per cent of the global goods
trade is carried by sea. �e share of trade via sea is much higher for developing countries such as India.
Currently, two important shipping routes are facing blockages. While the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Suez
Canal in the Red Sea region connects Asia to Europe, the 100-year-old Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Paci�c
Oceans. Both these routes are among the busiest in the world and a blockage results in forcing global shipping lines to take
longer alternate routes, pushing up freight rates.
�e disruption at the Red Sea route, for instance, is estimated to push the prices of Indian agricultural products by 10 to 20
per cent, as shipments would be routed through the Cape of Good Hope. �is comes at a time when much of the West is
witnessing higher interest rates to curb in�ation. Higher prices could further fuel demand concerns for global and Indian
exporters.
Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, reducing the distance it took to travel from Europe to Asia via the
South African coast route. (Express graphic, data via Reuters) The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. (Express
graphic, data via Scientific American)
Why is trade via the Panama Canal slowing?

Shipping via the Panama Canal has dropped by over 50% due to drought conditions at the 51-mile stretch. Due to the
shortage of water, ships moving from Asia to the US are being forced to use the Suez Canal, which takes six more days
compared to the Panama Canal.
Moreover, Panama is facing its driest rainy season in decades, raising fears of prolonged canal bottlenecks. According to
S&P Global, rather than taking longer voyages through alternative routes, LNG vessels are participating in pricey auctions to
expedite their transit through the Panama Canal.
55
One vessel paid nearly $4 million for an open slot in an auction in early November. �e number of Very Large Gas Carriers
transiting the Panama Canal is projected to almost halve by February 2024, and there are concerns that those transits will
reduce to zero come January, S&P Global further said.
Why are oil flows to India immune to attack in the Red Sea?
With global shipping majors such as Maersk avoiding transit through the Red Sea, global oil and petroleum product �ows
through the maritime channel have declined by over 50 per cent in December from their regular levels.
However, India has not faced a disruption in its Russian oil imports. Russia is perceived as Iran’s ally and as the Houthi
rebels are widely believed to be backed by Tehran, its tankers have been passing through.
�e price of benchmark Brent crude, however, jumped over 5 per cent since the attacks and is hovering around the
$80-per-barrel mark. In a recent report, Goldman Sachs said that it does not expect the disruptions in the Red Sea to
signi�cantly impact international oil prices as global oil production is unlikely to be directly a�ected.
How have the Red Sea attacks

impacted freight rates? INDIAN EXPORTERS SAID THAT FREIGHT
Ever since the attacks along the Bab-el-
RATES FOR INDIAN SHIPMENTS HEADED
Mandeb Strait began earlier this month, TO EUROPE AND AFRICA COULD SURGE
global shipping �rms have begun AS MUCH AS 25-30 PER CENT IF THE
imposing war risk surcharges over and
above the normal freight rates. Indian
ONGOING SECURITY CONCERN ALONG
exporters said that freight rates for Indian THE RED SEA TRADE ROUTE CONTINUES.
shipments headed to Europe and Africa
could surge as much as 25-30 per cent if the ongoing security concern along the Red Sea trade route continues.
�is is troubling, as the European Union is one of India’s second-largest export destinations. Slowing demand from the
region has impacted India’s labour-intensive sectors, such as textiles, gems and jewellery exports.
Shipping giant Maersk on Sunday said that it is preparing to resume shipping operations in the Red Sea a�er the US-led
coalition was deployed in the area to address security concerns. However, the company added that it would again resort to
diverting ship tra�c depending on how safety conditions evolved.
56
EXPRESS EDGE ENVIRONMENT
COP28: What were the most important

decisions, where they fell short
Wri�en by Amitabh Sinha
COP28: �e annual climate conference this year saw some key resolutions on fossil fuels, methane emissions, funds
to �ght global warming, among others. However, many concerns remain.
T
he Finance Ministry released a document titled Re-examining Narratives: A Collection of Essays, which Chief
Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said was an “attempt to present alternate perspectives on diverse
areas of economic policy that have long-term implications for India’s growth and development priorities”.
COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, center, a�ends the opening session at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit in Dubai.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
57
�e COP28 climate meeting delivered some important outcomes — a �rst-time acknowledgement of the need to move
away from fossil fuels, a �rst promise to reduce methane emissions, operationalisation and capitalisation of the loss and
damage fund, and an agreement on a framework for the global goal on adaptation. However, like all previous COPs, it still
remained an underachiever, unable to measure up to the expectations, particularly in galvanising more ambitious climate
action in the immediate term.
The expectations
COP28 was being seen as possibly the last opportunity to ensure that the world had some hopes of keeping
within the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold. �e main agenda at COP28 was to carry out a Global
Stocktake (GST), a comprehensive assessment of where the world was in its �ght against climate change and
what more needed to be done to meet the climate objectives. �e GST is mandated by the Paris Agreement to
be a periodic exercise, the �rst one in 2023 and every �ve years therea�er.
COP28 was being held at a time when global warming was breaking new records. �e year 2023 is already con�rmed to
emerge as the hottest year ever. Several months this year set new temperature records. More than 80 days this year happened
to be at least 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times.
At the same time, every assessment showed that the world was not doing enough, and that the 1.5 degree target was rapidly
slipping out of hand. COP28, therefore, was expected to use the GST to stimulate more ambitious climate actions, particularly
between now and 2030.
The outcomes
However, COP28 disappointed on that front. �ere was little in the �nal agreement to accelerate climate action in the short term.
Fossil fuel phase-out: �is was the most hotly contested issue at COP28, and the reason for a prolonged deadlock. �e role
of fossil fuels in causing global warming had never been even acknowledged in any earlier COP decision, but this was getting
increasingly untenable. A�er much deliberations, the �nal agreement called upon
countries to contribute towards “transitioning away” from fossil fuels, “so as to
achieve net zero by 2050”. �ere were no time schedules and no targets. Some COP28 was being
countries were extremely disappointed that the term “fossil fuel phase-out” had not
been used. But even if it was, it would have a similar e�ect in the absence of any
seen as possibly
timeline. Production and consumption of fossil fuels are unlikely to be curbed the last
signi�cantly in the near term, but it is an important, rather unavoidable, measure in opportunity to ensure
the 2050 timeframe. that the world had some
Tripling of Renewable Energy: �is was an expected outcome, and the only one
that contributes to additional emission reductions between now and 2030. �e hopes of keeping within
COP28 agreement calls upon countries to contribute to tripling of global installed the 1.5 degree Celsius
capacity of renewable energy, and doubling of annual improvements in energy warming threshold.
e�ciency. Together, these two measures have the potential to avoid emissions of
about 7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between now and 2030, more
than all the net result of all the other climate actions being currently taken. Tripling is a global target, and it is not incumbent
on every country to individually triple its current installed capacity. It is thus not clear how this tripling would be ensured.
Phase-down of coal: Despite being a fossil fuel, just like oil or natural gas, coal has received a separate mention in the
agreement. �is is because coal was already singled out for phase-down in the Glasgow conference in 2021. �ere was a move
to stipulate that no new coal �red power plants could be opened without an in-built carbon capture and storage facility, but
this was strongly resisted by India, China, South Africa and other countries. It was dropped, and �nally the Glasgow language
was reiterated. �ere is nothing about how this phase-down is to be measured, or from what baseline.
Methane emission cuts: �e agreement talks about “accelerating and substantially reducing non-cabon-dioxide emissions
globally, including in particular methane emissions by 2030”. Methane is the most widespread greenhouse gas apart from
CO2, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of all emissions. It is also about 80 times more potent than CO2 in causing global
warming. Methane emission reductions can therefore bring substantial bene�ts. But several countries, including India, are
58
extremely opposed to any mandate to cut methane emissions, mainly because one of the major sources happens to be
agriculture and livestock.
Cutting methane emissions could involve tweaking agricultural patterns which could be extremely sensitive in a country
like India. Possibly in deference to the concerns of such countries, the agreement does not mention any targets for methane
emission cuts for the year 2030, although a group of about 100 countries had made a voluntary commitment, in Glasgow in
2021, to reduce their methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
Loss and Damage Fund: For the poor and vulnerable countries, this was the most important outcome. A decision to set up
a Loss and Damage Fund had been taken last year in Sharm el-Shaikh but it had not been created, and no money had been
promised. COP28 operationalised this fund on the opening day of the conference, and several countries, including hosts
UAE, made funding commitments. By the end of the conference, commitments worth about US$ 800 million had been made.
�e money is meant to provide �nancial help to countries trying to recover from climate-induced disasters.
Global Goal on Adaptation: �is was another important step developing countries had been waiting for. Historically,
adaptation hasn’t received enough attention, or resources, as compared with mitigation activities, mainly because adaptation
is largely a local endeavour. Its bene�ts also are mostly local.
But developing countries had been arguing that a global framework for adaptation was necessary to bring more attention
to it. Accordingly, the Glasgow conference had decided to set up a two-year work programme to de�ne the contours of this
framework. �e work programme resulted in the identi�cation of some common adaptation goals, important for the entire
world. �ese included reduction in climate-induced water scarcity, attaining climate-resilience in food and agricultural
production, supplies and distribution, and resilience against climate-induced health impacts.
COP28 adopted the framework, but much more needs to be done on this front, particularly in identifying the indicators to
measure progress on each of the global goals. �e adaptation agreement currently lacks �nancial provisions, and countries
would need to continue working on it to strengthen it in the coming years.
METHANE EMISSION REDUCTIONS CAN THEREFORE BRING

SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS. BUT SEVERAL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING
INDIA, ARE EXTREMELY OPPOSED TO ANY MANDATE TO CUT
METHANE EMISSIONS, MAINLY BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR
SOURCES HAPPENS TO BE AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK.
59
EXPRESS EDGE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
How the Delhi Declaration found a

middle path between the promotion and
regulation of AI
Wri�en by Soumyarendra Barik
Declaration at Bletchley Park in the UK was focussed on minimising risks. India’s own position has moved from ‘no
regulation’ to taking legislative action to curb misuse of AI. �e emergence of several deepfakes of popular
persomalities has played a role in the shi�.
T
he Global Partnership on Arti�cial Intelligence (GPAI), an alliance of 29 members, has unanimously adopted the
New Delhi declaration underscoring the need to mitigate risks arising from the development and deployment of
arti�cial intelligence (AI) systems, and promoting equitable access to critical resources for AI innovation,
including computing and high-quality diverse datasets.
�e declaration stands out as a contrast from the agreement signed at the United Kingdom AI Safety Summit at
Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, a month ago, where countries had committed to �rst tackle the risks emanating from
India's Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar (centre) at the GPAI
Summit in New Delhi along with other member countries' representatives. (Photo via X.com/Rajeev_GoI)
60
AI systems. �e New Delhi declaration has attempted to �nd a balance between innovation and the risks associated with AI
systems. While it is largely upbeat about the economic bene�ts that AI can bring, it also �ags issues around fairness, privacy, and
intellectual property rights that will have to be taken into consideration.
What does the GPAI New Delhi declaration on AI say?

“We recognise the rapid pace of improvement in advanced AI systems and their potential to generate economic growth,
innovation, and jobs across various sectors as well as to bene�t societies,” the declaration said.
�e declaration said that a global framework for use of AI should be rooted in democratic values and human rights; safeguarding
dignity and well-being; ensuring personal data protection; the protection of applicable intellectual property rights, privacy, and
security; fostering innovation; and promoting trustworthy, responsible, sustainable, and human-centred use of AI.
GPAI members also promoted equitable access to critical resources for AI innovation including computing, high-quality diverse
datasets, algorithms, so�ware, testbeds, and other AI-relevant resources.
�e declaration also agreed to support AI innovation in the agriculture sector as a new “thematic priority”.
It said that the GPAI will pursue a diverse membership, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries to ensure a
broad range of expertise, national and regional views, and experiences based on shared values.
Senegal, a current member of the grouping, was elevated to the steering committee of the GPAI.
How does the New Delhi declaration contrast with the Bletchley declaration?
While the GPAI New Delhi declaration addresses the need to tackle AI-related risks, it largely supports
innovation in the technology in various sectors, including agriculture and healthcare. �e essence of the
declaration can be summed up as follows: AI is inherently good and is a catalyst for economic growth, but some
harms need to be mitigated along the way.
By contrast, the declaration that was signed at the UK AI Safety Summit last month put security and safety
risks related to AI in the centre of the discussions. At the Bletchley Park meeting, 28 major countries including
the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and India, and the European Union agreed to sign
on a declaration saying global action is needed to tackle the potential risks of AI.
�e declaration noted the “potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm, either deliberate or unintentional, stemming from the most
signi�cant capabilities of these AI models”, as well as risks beyond frontier AI, including those of bias and privacy. “Frontier AI” is de�ned
as highly capable foundation generative AI models that could possess dangerous capabilities that can pose severe risks to public safety.
So, has India been changing its position on the regulation of AI?
Even as India looks to unlock the potential economic bene�ts of AI systems, it’s own thinking on AI regulation has undergone a
signi�cant change — from not considering any legal intervention on regulating AI in the country just a few months ago, to now moving
in the direction of actively formulating regulations based on a “risk-based, user-harm” approach.
At the inaugural session of the GPAI Summit on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi �agged the dual potential of AI — while it
can be 21st century’s biggest development tool, it can also potentially play a very destructive role — and called for a global framework
that will provide guardrails and ensure its responsible use.
In April, the Ministry of Electronics and IT had said it was not considering any law to regulate the AI sector. Union IT
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that although AI “had ethical concerns and associated risks”, it had proven to be an enabler of the
digital and innovation ecosystem.
However, a�er deepfakes of a number of popular personalities got mainstream traction, the IT Ministry began to talk of a concrete
legislative step to tackle AI-based misinformation. Vaishnaw said that it could either be a new law, or an amendment to existing rules.
Part of this shi� was also re�ected in a new consultation paper �oated by the telecommunications regulator Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) in July, which said that the Centre should set up a domestic statutory authority to regulate AI in India
through the lens of a “risk-based framework”. �e paper had also called for collaborations with international agencies and governments
of other countries to form a global agency for the “responsible use” of AI.
61
SLUG SPACE HEALTH
Kidney transplants in India: the law,

the demand, the alleged rackets
Wri�en by Anonna Du�
Organ donations and transplants in exchange for money are forbidden in India in order to protect poor and
vulnerable donors from potential exploitation.
T
he government has ordered a probe into the �ndings of an investigation by �e Telegraph published earlier this
month, alleging that poor Myanmarese villagers were being lured into giving their kidneys to rich patients from
that country, with the involvement of Delhi’s Apollo hospital.
Organ donations and transplants in exchange for money are forbidden in India in order to protect poor and
vulnerable donors from potential exploitation. Apollo has maintained that the transplants were performed only a�er
receiving go-aheads from the authorisation committee, and a certi�cate from the Myanmar embassy certifying the
donors as relatives.
Allegations of “kidney scams” have surfaced earlier too. Most alleged rackets rely on forged documents to establish a
relationship between the donor and recipient.
62
Allegations of “kidney scams” have surfaced earlier too. Most alleged rackets rely on forged documents to establish a
relationship between the donor and recipient.
India’s transplant law

A transplant can be either from a pool of organs of deceased persons donated by their relatives, or from a living person the
recipient knows. �e Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 allows living donations, in most cases, from
close relatives such as parents, siblings, children, spouse, grandparents, grandchildren. Altruistic donations from distant
relatives, in-laws, or long-time friends are allowed a�er additional scrutiny to ensure there is no �nancial exchange.
For living donations from close relatives, involving Indians or foreigners, documents establishing their identities, family
tree, documents, and pictures proving the donor-recipient relationship, and documents to show the �nancial standing of the
donor have to be submitted. Donors and recipients are interviewed to establish the relationship.
For donations from unrelated persons, documents and photographic evidence
showing their long-term association or friendship have to be submitted along with
all other documents. Such cases are examined by an external committee to guard Only 16% of the
against illegal dealings. total transplants
O�ering to pay for organs or to supply organs for payment, initiating/
in the country use
negotiating/ advertising for such an arrangement, looking for a person to supply
organs, and abetting in preparing false documents is punishable by jail up to 10 deceased organs. This,
years and a �ne of up to Rs 1 crore. experts say, can be
increased several-fold
Kidney among most targeted
One, the demand is very high. Every year, an estimated 2 lakh Indians reach
by increasing
end-stage kidney failure. All of them need either a transplant or regular dialysis, but awareness.
only around 12,000 kidney transplants take place in the country every year.
It is also the transplant with the least risk to the donor.
Two, it is the cheapest and most accessible. A kidney transplant costs about Rs 5 lakh, which increases the pool of people
who can undergo the procedure. More than 500 centres in India are trained to harvest or transplant kidneys, which provide
more opportunities to people who want to undergo the surgery by getting around the law.
�ree, the kidney is the organ that can survive the longest outside the body — 24-36 hours. In comparison, lungs remain
viable only for 4-6 hours, and the liver for 8-12 hours.
Addressing supply gap

�e pool of organs in India can be signi�cantly increased by promoting deceased donations. Organs of only a small
fraction of brain deaths are donated, even though they are the ideal candidates for organ donation.
To improve this percentage, the government has rolled out an Aadhaar-linked registry of donors so that their family
members can be assured that it was their wish to donate if they die. Only 16% of the total transplants in the country use
deceased organs. �is, experts say, can be increased several-fold by increasing awareness.
�ere is also a need to reduce the number of people who require organ transplants.
63
UPSC SPECIALS CASE STUDIES
IAS officer fights against Naxal

violence via development
Wri�en by Manas Srivastava
Take a look at a case study which celebrates governance that turned a district into a �ne example. Here is a quotable
story of inspiring leadership by IAS Rajat Bansal and Bastar District Administration for your UPSC CSE and life in
general. Don't miss the Post Read Question.
U
PSC Essentials of �e Indian Express takes you through some inspiring case studies from the area of Governance
and Civil Services which not only highlight the problem but also focus on award-winning solutions. �e following
case study is framed from a success story recognised at �e Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards.
Can a good governance and development approach provide answers? IAS Rajat Bansal and Bastar administration has an answer.
(Representational image)
Relevance: For Essays, Governance, and Ethics section of Mains examination as case studies and example-fodder for
answers. Candidates will �nd it useful for framing replies in interviews/ personality tests. �is particular case study is
relevant to questions related to Internal Security. Moreover, to remain motivated, and inspired and create role models,
such real-life stories should be read, noted, and applied.
64
The Case:
Fighting against Naxal violence has been one of the
major points to ponder while talking about Internal
Security in our country. According to Deeptiman
Tiwary of �e Indian Express, “Trouble
in Chhattisgarh started a�er Maoists began to be smoked
out of Andhra Pradesh in the early 2000s. It was also the
time when the Maoist movement went through a
transformation from being a struggle against a class enemy
(landlords) to a tribal movement against the state. It was
also a di�erent kind of challenge since Maoists had made
strongholds in areas that had not even been mapped, let
alone be administered. Between 2018 and 2020,
Chhattisgarh has accounted for 45% of all incidents in the
country and 70% of security personnel deaths in such
incidents.” While understanding the severity of the issue, it
is obvious to ask for solutions and ideas to tackle such
problems. Can a good governance and development
approach provide answers? What can a civil servant do?
Can a good governance and development approach provide answers?
The Problem: IAS Rajat Bansal and Bastar administration has an answer.
In Bastar, one of the most backward districts of the (Representational image)
country, the youth have traditionally struggled for employment opportunities, a problem made worse by Le� Wing Extremism.
The Solution/ Idea:

In 2021, the district administration launched �ink-B. �is Bastar-based start-up incubator promises to mentor the
district’s youth and encourage them to come up with out-of-the-box entrepreneurial ideas.
Since its launch, �ink-B has coached many batches of promising young entrepreneurs and held more than 10 outreach
programs in schools and colleges across the district. Among the 15 start-ups that came up in a year are Zillusion Studios Pvt
Ltd, a virtual reality company for surgeons to practice their job, and Mom’s Food Services, a ti�n service that sells home-
cooked food across Bastar.
What we learn…
IAS Rajat Bansal’s leadership turned adversity into opportunity. �e e�orts exempli�ed a basic tenet — that good
governance is simply about an idea that touches the lives of the common woman and man. In a conversation with Manas
Srivastava of �e Indian Express during the Excellence in Governance Award ceremony, Bansal said LWE wasn’t a big hurdle
and there was not any backlash. �e reason behind no resistance was that the mission was to empower the locals for local
development. Right from the beginning he believed that issues like LWE could be handled from a development perspective.
Collaboration with stakeholders is important for a civil servant to achieve this goal. �ink-B is the most suitable example for
it. IAS, according to Bansal is a job that gives the maximum opportunity to have a maximum impact on society. For �ghting
against Naxal violence via development, he was awarded �e Indian Express Excellence in Governance Award in the ‘Start Up
& Innovations’ category.
Post Read Question:

Naxalism, among many other factors, is closely related to developmental issues. In this context, suggest a few steps which
can be applied at the grass root level.
JUST FYI: About �e Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards:
65
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, The Indian Express Group Chairman and Managing Director Viveck Goenka, Executive Director
Anant Goenka, CEO and Managing Director of NxtGen AS Rajgopal, UPL Director Vikram Shroff and other partners with the winners
of The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards
�e Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards attempts to identify and recognise the excellence in innovations at
the district level by rewarding the spirit of the district. �e Indian Express started the Excellence in Governance Awards
(EIGA) in 2019. �e Indian Express launched its second edition this year. �e Indian Express Excellence in Governance
Awards celebrate best practices across a range of 18 categories : Healthcare to Gender & Inclusion; Skill Development to
innovative education, energy to agriculture, Start ups and innovation to E-Governance As many as 400 entries poured in
from 182 districts in 29 states for the awards. PWC, the knowledge partner for the awards, conducted a thorough check on
the parameters of impact on public, sustainability, problem solving and people participation for all the entries.
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The women who triumphed in the face of

Covid pandemic
Covid excluded no one, but some women from humble backgrounds proved that they can win over global pandemic. In the
dearth of good examples for essays, ethics and GS I aspirants can make the use of these inspirational ones for UPSC-CSE.
The stories of women as frontline workers during the COVID period are stories of grit, resilience and courage. (PTI photo)
M
eta and �e Indian Express bring many success stories of the women who showed the way in the �ght against
COVID. Some of these stories can be utilised as examples in case studies, GS I, II and surely in Essay. Use it wisely
and have an edge over others in the exam.
Relevance: As e�ective fodder for introduction, body and conclusion in essay. Also, enrich your answers in GS I social issues-
Women, GS II- SHGs, NGOs, Ethics and personality test. Any covid-related question will �nd these stories relevant. It will give
an optimistic look to your answer. See the point to ponder below to understand the value of such examples.
The story of Vennila

Hills, dense forests, wild animals: How an Anganwadi worker in Coonoor helped migrants during lockdown by Nithya Pandian
THE CASE:
•• A nationwide lockdown in March 2020 got hundreds of migrants and tribals stuck in the hilly district of Nilgiris. �ey had
no access to food. Anganwadi, ASHA and healthcare workers worked round-the-clock to ensure everyone has food.
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WHO IS VENNILA AND WHAT DID SHE DO?

•• One such Anganwadi worker, Vennila travelled through dense forests and scary wildlife to deliver food and ration to
migrant workers.
•• Vennila was also in charge of the community kitchen operated by the district administration at her Anganwadi to deliver
food to migrants. She also visited kids at the Anganwadi centre and delivered eggs and rations to their families.
•• As an Anganwadi worker, Vennila was also responsible for recording the weight of newborns, checking maternal mortality
ratio, and providing ante-natal and postnatal services to pregnant and lactating women.
•• She was awarded the ‘Covid Women Warriors, �e Real Heroes’ award by the National Commission for Women on
January 31, 2021, for her exceptional work during the pandemic.
The story of Bhagwatee

How a tribal woman helped her community in a Chhattisgarh village during Covid-19 by Komal Gupta
THE CASE:
•• �e Covid pandemic brought several challenges for frontline workers. �e health workers were under big pressure to
provide healthcare services.
•• �e JSS (JSS is a registered, non-pro�t society of health professionals running low-cost health programmes in tribal and
rural areas of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) had to change the guidelines and activities of its village health programme in order to
suit the covid circumstances.
•• �e situation demanded quick decisions, simultaneous learning and implementation of those learnings.
•• �e challenge was to keep the services on for the community without putting them at an increased risk of getting infected.
WHO WAS BHAGWATEE AND WHAT DID SHE DO?

•• To overcome the challenge, JSS trained the village health workers to help contain the spread of the virus. Bhagwatee was
one such frontline worker.
•• Bhagwatee started going door-to-door, keeping track of each household and people who were experiencing Covid
symptoms.
•• She observed that people would o�en hide their symptoms. She would monitor
symptomatic people with a protocol and tracker — designed by JSS — to detect fever, cough and/or coryza. �ose with high
fever were required to be monitored for at least two weeks.
•• Her active e�orts helped in creating awareness about Covid-19 among villagers, helping prevent severe cases and even
deaths.
•• JSS describes Bhagwatee as a “bold and determined tribal village woman”. Her spirit of community work kept her
con�dence alive, which helped her continue to shoulder her responsibilities without fear.
The story of Santosh Vaishnav

How stitching skills helped a woman in Rajasthan village earn a livelihood, and empower others by Komal Gupta
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THE CASE:
•• In 2020, when Covid-19 �rst hit the country, many people in Samrau (Rajasthan) lost their livelihoods as the pandemic
severely a�ected the labour market and the mining sector.
•• �e Covid lockdown le� the villagers without any source of income, making it di�cult for them to procure food and other
essentials.
WHO IS SANTOSH VAISHNAV AND WHAT DID SHE DO?

•• �e 36-year-old Santosh Vaishnav joined Gravis, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working with impoverished
rural communities in Rajasthan.
•• Gravis asked Santosh if she could teach stitching to a class of 20 village women. For this, she was o�ered Rs 6000 per
month. Santosh agreed. �is was her �rst income. She started climbing the ladder of success. She continued teaching batches
of women. In this way, she also helped them start their own sewing work.
•• Santosh now also runs a unit of a group of 11 women from her village. �is group makes soaps, papads, etc with their own
funds. �ey sell them and earn additional income.
•• According to the article, to help communities during that period, Gravis started active relief measures, supporting about
150,000 people. �e organisation distributed food and hygiene kits to nearly 40,000 families (around 3,20,000 people). It also
built mobile medical teams which o�ered health check-ups and medical support to over 3,000 people every month.
•• Santosh took up great responsibility in Samrau. She led a team of volunteers who helped Gravis with the door-to-door
distribution of food and hygiene kits.
•• She and her team stitched hundreds of cloth masks for covid period. �ese were distributed among the villagers.
Santosh says she wants to continue working with Gravis. In this way, she can continue helping the people of her village.
(source: https://indianexpress.com/meta-stories-of-strength-2022/)
Point to ponder: �e stories of women as a frontline workers during the COVID period are stories of grit, resilience and
courage. Discuss.
69
UPSC SPECIALS THE 360° UPSC DEBATE
Should Artificial Intelligence Be Regulated?

Wri�en by Priya Kumari Shukla
Whether artificial intelligence (AI) should be regulated is a complicated question. but still how much it should be
regulated?
WHY ARE WE DEBATING THIS ISSUE IN THE FIRST PLACE?
W
hether arti�cial intelligence (AI) should be regulated is a complicated question. While there are many
di�erent viewpoints on AI regulation, some advocate comprehensive regulation or control while others
argue that just partial regulation is presently necessary. While some people agree on control, they still
di�er on how much control should be imposed. Here we will discuss Should Arti�cial Intelligence Be Regulated?
WHAT SPARKED THIS DEBATE?
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�e Centre for AI Safety (CAIS) came up with a brief statement aimed at sparking conversation about potential existential
threats posed by arti�cial intelligence (AI). Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside
other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war, according to the one-sentence statement. More than 350 AI
CEOs, academics, and engineers signed on to the statement. Top leaders from three of the largest AI start-ups – Sam Altman,
CEO of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic – were present. �e
announcement comes at a time when there is rising worry about the possible dangers of arti�cial intelligence.
IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A HUMAN�STEIN MONSTER?

“Artificial intelligence ‘hacked’ human civilization’s operating system”
According to Sam Altman, CEO of the arti�cial intelligence company that developed ChatGPT, government action will be
vital in limiting the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. As this technology advances, we understand that people are
concerned about how it will a�ect how we live. Altman recommended establishing a US or global organisation that have the
authority to licence or de-license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to take that licence away and ensure
compliance with safety standards. When asked about his greatest worry regarding arti�cial intelligence, Sam Altman opined
that the sector might in�ict ‘signi�cant harm to the world’ and that ‘if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong’. He
advocated that a new regulatory agency enforce protections to prevent AI models from ‘self-replicating and self-ex�ltrating
into the wild’, implying future fears about powerful AI systems that could lure humans into losing control.
Yuval Noah Harari, the Israeli philosopher and author of
Homo Deus and Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind,
recently argued in a leading publication that arti�cial I am not clear where to pitch my flag.
intelligence ‘hacked’ human civilization’s operating system. But I sense the real problem is not
He claims that humanity has been plagued with AI dread
since the dawn of the computer age. However, he believes
the unbridled momentum of AI. It is
that newly developed AI technologies in recent years may the international community’s inability to
endanger human civilization in an ‘unexpected direction’. look beyond narrow jingoistic interests
He discussed how AI could a�ect culture, taking up the towards a collaborative effort to address
case of language, which is fundamental to human culture.
�is is how his argument goes. Language is the foundation the problems of the global commons.
of almost all human culture’. Human rights, for example, are Vikram Mehta
not part of our genetic code. �ey are, instead, cultural
products that humans made by telling stories and creating
laws. Gods are not physical beings. �ey are cultural artefacts that humans constructed by inventing myths and authoring
scriptures. Harari also claimed that democracy is a language that focuses on meaningful discussions, and that when AI hacks
language, it has the potential to undermine democracy.
Yuval Noah Harari went on to say that the rise of arti�cial intelligence is having a tremendous impact on society,
in�uencing di�erent facets of economics, politics, culture, and psychology. �e most the di�cult task of the AI era was not
the development of intelligent tools, but rather creating a balance between humans and machines. Harari has discussed how
AI could build close ties with humans and in�uence their judgements. ‘�rough its mastery of language, AI could even form
intimate relationships with people and use the power of intimacy to change our opinions and worldviews,’ he writes. He used
the case of Blake Lemoine, a Google worker who was �red a�er publicly stating that the AI chatbot LaMDA had become
sentient. �e historian claims that the contentious allegation cost Lemoine his job. If AI can persuade people to jeopardise
their jobs, what else can it persuade them to do?
Prof. Gary Marcus, an AI specialist, pointed out that tools like chatbots might subtly a�ect people’s beliefs far more than
social media. Companies that select which data gets into their large language models (LLMs) have the potential to alter
civilizations in subtle and signi�cant ways. According to a larger Pew Research Centre research, 62% of Americans believe AI
will have a signi�cant impact on jobs over the next 20 years. �eir main fear is the use of arti�cial intelligence in hiring and
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‘AI is not intelligence and idea that AI will replace human intelligence is unlikely’
“Human intelligence is transferable, but machine intelligence is not”
AI is not intelligence, it is prediction, according to the World Economic Forum. “We’ve noticed an increase in the
machine’s capacity to accurately forecast and execute a desired outcome with huge language models. However, equating this
with human intelligence would be a mistake. �is is evident when looking at machine learning systems, which, for the most
part, can still only accomplish one task very well at a time. �is is not common sense, and it is not equal to human levels of
thinking that allow for easy multitasking. Humans can absorb information from one source and apply it in a variety of ways.
In other words, human intelligence is transferable, but machine intelligence is not,” they say.
According to the World Economic Forum, “AI has enormous potential to do good in a variety of sectors, including
education, healthcare, and climate change mitigation.’ FireAId, for example, is an AI-powered computer system that predicts
the possibility of forest �res based on seasonal variables using wild�re risk maps. It also assesses wild�re danger and intensity
to aid in resource allocation. AI is applied in healthcare to improve patient care through more personalised and e�ective
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Healthcare expenditures are being
reduced as a result of increased
e�ciencies. Furthermore, AI is
poised to substantially alter — and
presumably improve — elder care.
�e World Economic Forum
again goes on to say that,
“exaggerations about AI’s potential
largely stem from
misunderstandings about what AI
can actually do. Many AI-powered
machines continue to hallucinate,
which means they make a lot of
mistakes. As a result, it is unlikely
that this sort of AI will replace
human intelligence. Another barrier
to AI adoption is that AI systems
obtain their data from
unrepresentative sources. Because
the vast bulk of data is generated by
a subset of the population in North
America and Europe, AI systems
tend to mirror that mindset. Pic: Customer service agents working with AI were able to handle 14% more issues per
ChatGPT, for example, mostly uses hour(Image: Stanford University/MIT/NBER)
the written word from those regions.
Meanwhile, approximately 3 billion individuals still do not have regular internet access and have not contributed any data.”
Some experts also contend that AI technology is still in its infancy and cannot yet constitute an existential danger. When it
comes to today’s AI systems, they are more concerned with short-term issues, such as biased and inaccurate responses, than
with long-term concerns. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University have been
investigating worker productivity by utilising generative AI to assist them with their work. �e study, which evaluated the
performance of over 5,000 customer care employees, discovered that workers were 14% more productive when utilising
generative AI tools. According to the study, pairing workers with an AI assistant was far more bene�cial with rookie and
low-skilled personnel. �e in�uence of technology on highly skilled personnel was negligible.
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In his article, Vikram Mehta writes: Why we can’t ‘pause’ AI says that: “As I said, I am not clear where to pitch my �ag. But
I sense the real problem is not the unbridled momentum of AI. It is the international community’s inability to look beyond
narrow jingoistic interests towards a collaborative e�ort to address the problems of the global commons. “Pause” on AI will
not solve this underlying problem. On the contrary, it may exacerbate it by diminishing technologies’ talismanic power”.
IF REGULATED, THEN WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH REGULATING AI?
“AI systems that produce biased results have been making headlines”
�e majority of the time, the issue with regulating AI arises from the data utilised to train it. If the data is distorted, the AI will
acquire it and may even exaggerate the bias. According to the Harvard Business Review, “AI systems that produce biased results
have been making headlines.” Apple’s credit card algorithm, for example, has been accused of discriminating against women,
prompting an investigation by New York’s Department of Financial Services. �e issue of controlling AI appears in many other
forms, such as pervasive online advertisement algorithms that may target viewers based on ethnicity, religion, or gender.”
According to a recent study published in Science, risk prediction systems used in health care, which a�ect millions of
people in the United States each year, reveal signi�cant racial prejudice. Another study, published in the Journal of General
Internal Medicine, discovered that the so�ware utilised by top hospitals to prioritise kidney transplant recipients was biased
towards black patients. In theory, it may be able to programme some notion of fairness into the so�ware, mandating that all
outcomes meet speci�c criteria. Amazon, for example, is experimenting with a fairness statistic known as conditional
demographic disparity, and other companies are working on similar criteria.
However, there is no universally accepted de�nition of fairness, and it is impossible to be categorical about the broad
circumstances that determine equitable outcomes. Furthermore, the parties involved in any given circumstance may have
quite di�erent ideas on what constitutes fairness. As a result, any attempts to incorporate it into the so�ware will be di�cult.
AI REGULATION�HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

“AI technology is still developing, it is challenging to provide a clear legal definition”
Proposals to regulate AI have been put forth in both hard-law and so�-law forms. Legal experts have pointed out that
implementing strict legal measures for regulating arti�cial intelligence poses signi�cant di�culties. �e �eld of AI technology is
facing a signi�cant challenge as it continues to evolve at a rapid pace. �is has resulted in a ‘pacing problem’ where conventional
laws and regulations are struggling to keep up with the emergence of new applications and the associated risks and bene�ts they
bring. �e diversity of AI applications poses a challenge to regulatory agencies with limited jurisdictional scope. According to legal
scholars, so�-law approaches to regulating AI are gaining traction as a viable alternative. �e reason being that so� laws can be more
easily tailored to accommodate the rapidly evolving AI technology and its emerging applications. So�-law approaches, while
commonly used, are o�en criticised for their limited enforcement potential.
A statement organised by the Future of Life Institute and reportedly signed by hundreds of scientists, technocrats, businessmen,
academics, and others calls for a six-month pause on the creation of neural language models. Elon Musk, who paradoxically was a
co-founder of Open AI, is among the signatories, as are other founders such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Israeli
philosopher and novelist Yuval Noah Harari. �e letter’s fundamental point is that continuing unrestricted development of such
language models could result in ‘human competitive intelligence’ that, if not governed by governance procedures, could represent a
‘profound risk’ to humanity. Work should be put on hold until such protocols are in place.
Regulation of AI is di�cult, according to Cason Schmit, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Texas A&M University. You must
�rst de�ne AI and comprehend the projected bene�ts and risks of AI in order to properly manage it. To determine what is covered
by the law, it is crucial to de�ne AI legally. But because AI technology is still developing, it is challenging to provide a clear legal
de�nition. ‘So� laws’ are an alternative to the more conventional ‘hard law’ methods of legislating to stop particular breaches. A
private organisation establishes guidelines or standards for participants in an industry in the so� law approach. �ese are subject to
change more quickly than traditional laws. So� regulations are therefore advantageous for emerging technology since they can easily
adjust to new applications and dangers. So� legislation, however, may also result in lax enforcement.
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According to the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard Law School, regardless of how clever and novel and contemporary AI
technology is, governments regulating emerging technologies is nothing new. �roughout history, governments have
regulated emerging technologies with varying degrees of success. Automobile regulation, railway technology regulation, and
telegraph and telephone regulation are a few examples. AI systems, like these other technology, are employed by humans as
tools. �e societal impact of AI systems is largely determined not by the complicated code that underpins them, but by who
uses them, for what goals, and on whom they are used. And all of these things are controllable. �e successful regulation of
new technology in the past suggests that we should concentrate on its impacts and applications.
According to James Broughel, author of Regulation and Economic Growth: Applying Economic �eory to Public Policy,
regulation should be based on evidence of harm rather than the mere prospect of harm. We don’t have much hard proof that
unaligned AI poses a serious risk to humanity, other than speculation about how robots will take over the globe or computers
will transform the earth into a gigantic paperclip. �ere may be little, if any, bene�ts to regulation if there is little or no
evidence of a problem. Another reason to be wary of regulation is the cost. AI is a new technology that is still in its infancy.
Because we still don’t fully understand how AI works, attempts to regulate it might quickly back�re, restricting innovation
and impeding development in this fast evolving sector. Any laws that are enacted are likely to be adapted to existing practises
and players. �at makes no sense when it is unclear which AI technologies will be the most successful or which AI players
will dominate the business.
RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR STATED THAT INDIA IS

CONSTRUCTING AN ECOSYSTEM OF MODERN CYBER LAWS AND
REGULATIONS DRIVEN BY THREE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS OF
OPENNESS, SAFETY, TRUST, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPHASISING
THAT AI IS A DYNAMIC FACILITATOR FOR MOVING FORWARD
EXISTING INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
INDIA’S RESPONSE TO DEMANDS FOR AI REGULATION

“India will do “what is right” to protect its digital nagriks and keep the internet safe and trusted for its users in the upcoming
Digital India framework”
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, stated a�er assuming the
Chair of the Global Partnership on Arti�cial Intelligence (GPAI), an international initiative to support responsible and
human-centric development and use of arti�cial intelligence (AI), “We will work in close cooperation with member states to
put in place a framework around which the power of AI can be exploited for the good of citizens and consumers.”
�e Minister stated that India is constructing an ecosystem of modern cyber laws and regulations driven by three
boundary conditions of openness, safety, trust, and accountability, emphasising that AI is a dynamic facilitator for moving
forward existing investments in technology and innovation. With a National AI Programme in place, a National Data
Governance Framework Policy in place, and one of the world’s largest publicly accessible data sets in the works, the Minister
rea�rmed India’s commitment to the e�cient use of AI for catalysing an innovation ecosystem around AI capable of
producing good, trusted applications for our citizens and the world at large.
�e Minister of State for Information Technology and Electronics, stated that India has its own ideas on “guardrails” that
are required in the digital world. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that India will do “what is right” to protect its
digital nagriks and keep the internet safe and trusted for its users in the upcoming Digital India framework, which will
include a chapter devoted to emerging technologies, particularly arti�cial intelligence, and how to regulate them through the
“prism of user harm”.
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UPSC SPECIALS THIS QUOTE MEANS
Lending hands to someone is better

than giving a dole
Wri�en by Rishika Singh
What relevance does the quote have to politics in India? We explain. Questions of economic and social development
also form an important part of the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
T
he question of improving the lives of disadvantaged groups in society has been asked time and again. Various
policies have tried to achieve e�ective resource allocation, but there o�en seems to be a con�ict between the two
methods of solving such problems.
One school of thought says that people must be empowered by providing them with certain basic amenities. Another
says that such attempts amount to doles, the word that refers to the handouts and cash given to unemployed people by the
government.
Idioms such as ‘Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole’, or ‘Give a man a �sh, and you feed him for a
Doles have emerged as part of government policy, particularly from pro-working class parties in modern-day politics.
(Via Pixabay)
75
day; teach a man to �sh, and you feed him for a lifetime’ have o�en been invoked in this debate.
What relevance does it have to politics in India? We explain. Also, questions of economic and social development form an
important part of the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
What doles mean, why they are given out

Doles have emerged as part of government policy, particularly from pro-working class parties in modern-day politics. While
in times of low economic activity, they have been given out as direct cash handouts, it has come to include bene�ts such as
insurance provided to employees by companies or the government.
In a more general sense, the philosophy behind such bene�ts is to empower people through some kind of material support. If
the basic needs of a population are met in terms of food, shelter, medical care, schooling for their children, etc., they are �rstly
more healthy, capable of being more productive as citizens, and have money to spend in other areas of the economy. �is can
potentially have a positive, multiplier e�ect for all sectors.
By virtue of its role as a facilitating agent for society and the economy, it is also seen as the part of government’s responsibility
to provide certain bene�ts. �e Indian state is seen as a largely welfarist state, and Article 38 of the Constitution also says, “�e
State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as e�ectively as it may a social order in which
justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life.”
Why doles are criticised

However, it is also believed that assistance of this nature should The State shall strive to
slowly cease to be needed in society. It goes against the promote the welfare of the
conventional wisdom, which says a man should be taught how to
�sh, meaning become productive, instead of having to be fed �sh, people by securing and
that is have him depend on other people to meet his needs. protecting as effectively as it may a
And so ideally, most people should become so well-equipped as social order in which justice, social,
to eventually achieve their aspirations, and should not need to rely
economic and political, shall inform
on doles.
In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Uttar Pradesh, all the institutions of the national life.
a�er inaugurating the Bundelkhand Expressway, that “Today in (ARTICE 38 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA)
our country, attempts are being made to collect votes by
distributing free revdis (sweets). �is revdi culture is very
dangerous for the development of the country… People of revdi culture will not build expressways, airports or defence corridors
for you.”
He added, “Away from the revdi culture, we are living up to the expectations of people by building roads and rail routes. For
the poor, we are building new houses, completing irrigation schemes, building dams, setting up electricity units so that the lives
of the poor and farmers improve…”
His is not the only criticism of what is seen as unnecessary freebies. �e argument here is that the freebies that political parties
promise during elections, such as free electricity and water up to a certain limit of usage, are not welfaristic in nature. �ey are
seen as enticements to voters.
Ful�lling such promises a�er coming to power means more expenditure from the government’s side and the potential ‘waste’
of taxpayers’ money. �is can have long-term �nancial implications for the government, particularly if such bene�ts do not yield
returns in terms of the productivity of a population.
The debate over freebies

�e PM also mentioned the building of new houses. �is is done under the PM Awas Yojana, which provides for house
ownership to eligible people through low-interest home loans and �nancial aid. It includes people under a certain annual
income, di�erently-abled persons, senior citizens, SCs, STs, OBCs, Minorities, single women, transgender people, etc.
But what about measures such as free bus rides, as implemented in states like Karnataka? Is it necessary in a culture where
76
women have low participation in the formal economy? Do free smartphones o�ered to women, such as by the previous Ashok
Gehlot government in Rajasthan, qualify as a necessary welfare measure in the 21st century or a dole? And so, the clarity
expressed by the two idioms does not hold in this debate.
�ere are arguments on both sides here. Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor at the Indian Council for Research on
International Economic Relations, argues in this article why certain measures can lead to “long-term damage to India’s
development.”
“If the hearts of political parties bleed for the poor, let them give income or investment support within budgetary
constraints… Investments are always better than income support, but investments take time to fructify while political parties
need quick quid pro quo for the doles in terms of votes,” he writes.
On the other hand, former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi weighs in here, by highlighting the deep
inequality that continues in Indian society today: “�e so-called “freebie” promises like cheap foodgrains and free items of utility
have actually done considerable good to further the dream of democracy. Starvation deaths haven’t occurred since Rs 1-2 kg rice
was introduced.”
IT GOES AGAINST THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, WHICH SAYS

A MAN SHOULD BE TAUGHT HOW TO FISH, MEANING BECOME
PRODUCTIVE, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BE FED FISH, THAT IS
HAVE HIM DEPEND ON OTHER PEOPLE TO MEET HIS NEEDS.
77
UPSC SPECIALS UPSC ETHICS SIMPLIFIED
Three Ethical Principles: Concept & Caselet

Wri�en by Nanditesh Nilay
�e whole objective of the ethics paper is to equip bureaucrats with a rational understanding of administrative ethics.
But that is not possible without knowing the ethical principles. Let's learn about three such principles which you might
have to apply in con�icting situations.
T
he world o�ers complex situations and ethics helps us to deal with those situations in a most desired manner.
�ree di�erent philosophical approaches to ethics can help people to make a sound, ethical decision. Let’s know
what ethical principles from western world teach us.
Relevance: �e topic is a part of UPSC CSE General Studies Paper-IV Ethics Syllabus. Aspirants will �nd the article
useful for their Essay paper too. Moreover, the essence of the article will help aspirants in their professional lives or in life
in general.
Ethics has been discussed by three eminent schools in Western philosophy, explains Nanditesh Nilay.
78
Why are ethical principles a must for bureaucrats?

Governance is nothing but decision making, and in a democratic country like India, bureaucrats are the fulcrum of
governance. �ey execute decisions and a lot of times are required to go with the ethical decision making process as guided by
moral awareness, moral motivation, moral judgment, and moral action. In this process, their administrative ethics are guided by
the principles of ethics for prudent as well as moral decision-making. It is equally important to understand that those policies
(especially public policies) and one of the basic principle of democracy is to realise the spirit of an individual as a source of
political power. So, policy formulation and decision making always a�ect the last person and the people had to live with those
e�ects. So moral reasoning in decision making is the spirit of civil service. Here ethical principles assist in guiding for those
desired ends where everyone’s voice is believed to be heard and with consciousness.
In the Indian context, and particularly in a developing nation, bureaucrats in�uence and impact the last person through the
execution of the government’s policies and they are highly empowered too. �e role of ethics emerges as a kindle of trust
between the executive and the voice of democracy. Aspirants should note that the whole objective of the ethics paper is to equip
bureaucrats with a rational understanding of administrative ethics. �at kind of ethics removes the ignorance of the rule of law
and the inability to handle ethical dilemmas. Here, ethical principles help a bureaucrat improve the decision making ability
without deviating from that moral compass.
How are schools of ethics categorised?

Before going on to ethical principles it is better to understand ethics Aspirants should note that
in terms of its applied character. Ethics are generally categorized into the whole objective of the
two categories — Normative and Descriptive. ethics paper is to equip
Normative ethics is a preferred or idealistic approach to decision- bureaucrats with a rational
making when there are certain standards present to de�ne and decide understanding of administrative
the righteousness and wrongness of any act. ethics. That kind of ethics
On the other hand, Descriptive Ethics is that kind of ethics when one
tries to understand people’s moral beliefs through empirical
removes the ignorance of the rule
investigation. It is like understanding those practical aspects of any of law and the inability to handle
ethical investigation or moral consideration. ethical dilemmas.
�ese two aspects of ethics shape an individual’s character, which in
turn governs one’s actions or behavior. �at normative and applied
ethics prepares a bureaucrat to treat ethics as a guiding force in taking an ethical decision in a state of dilemmas.
How Western philosophy guides us to ethics?

As far Ethics is concerned, it has been referred to by three eminent schools in Western philosophy. �e �rst school of thought
was led by Aristotle who holds that virtues are those values or dispositions which bene�t the possessor, as well as the community
at large. Aspirants should make a note that the whole concept of civil service advocates the same as it deals with virtues of justice,
probity, trust, and so on. Here, one should not confuse between values and virtues. What we value is expressed through virtues.
For example, the values of Justice can be practiced through just behaviour.
�e second school of thought is led by Immanuel Kant, which makes the concept of duty central to morality. Here, human beings
are bound from a knowledge of their duty as rational beings, and to obey the categorical imperative to respect other rational beings
with whom they interact. �e moral act or duty in itself is the guiding force of ethical decision-making without thinking too much
about the results of the act. Kant believed that man should not be treated as a mean for achieving desired ends.
�e third is the Utilitarian viewpoint which asserts that the guiding principle of conduct should be the greatest happiness (or
bene�t) of the greatest number. �e theory of Utilitarianism is based on the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It
takes the perspective of the costs and bene�ts of ethical choices. According to it, any decision must be evaluated from the
perspective of how much good or harm it causes and should consider the e�ects on all parties. In other words, the “Greatest
good for the greatest numbers”. It means to promote the idea of a welfare state and thus promote the welfare of all persons by
minimizing harm and maximizing bene�ts.
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EXPRESS INPUT
Point to ponder:
In Ethics no school satis�es all the problems raised by a situation. In most situations, all three schools need to be taken into
account in order to reach the best possible decision. Do you agree?
ETHICAL TIDBIT: THREE ETHICAL HATS
While wearing Aristotle’s hat, ask yourself: How should I live my life? What kind of human being do I desire to become?
What virtues bring me closer to my aim of becoming ‘good’ human being? Which immoral act stops me from becoming
ethical? Is my behaviour consistent with being an ethical and moral person that I desire to be?
While wearing Immanuel Kant’s hat, ask yourself: Is my behaviour right? What are my ethical principles guiding me to do?
How does wisdom and reason ask me to treat others? What are my duties and how should I decide between dilemma and
con�icting duties? Are my reasons consistent and logical?
While wearing Jeremy Bentham’s and John Stuart Mill’s hat, ask yourself: Is my behaviour Good? How is it going to have
impact on the world? Is my behaviour going to do more good or harm? Will my actions bene�t the world as a better society?
Are my actions aimed at the greatest good for the greatest number of people?
THE CASELET
VALUES PROMOTE BETTER THAN ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES
"Hope the training in values and ethics will be refining us day by day," said the Constable. Find out why in our caselet today. (File image)
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He was the Director General of the Railway force. But one morning, DG was feeling uneasy as he had read terrible news of
child tra�cking. He was worried about the pain these children underwent but could also understand the pain of their
parents. What bothered him the most was the possibility of exploitation of those kids. As a leader, he felt that everyone in his
department should have a moral understanding of this issue and empathise with it. He called his IG immediately and
proposed an intervention on ethics and values for the Railway force. But the IG believed that if the system is robust, human
tra�cking can be checked through railways or any other means of transportation. IG was not convinced about such training
on Ethics and Values. IG was in a hurry that day. He said, “Sir, today I was discussing the same thing with my parents, and
there was a spark in my father’s eyes. �e �rst time he accepted my pro�le as a police o�cer, as till now he felt I am not doing
good things.” DG smiled and so did IG.
In one of the review meetings, the department awarded a railway constable for
returning a mobile phone to an elderly couple by contacting them. It was a great
gesture. �e constable even shared that the couple blessed and hugged him. While he Governance is
was leaving the conference hall, the DG said, “Tell me, jawan. Suppose you found a
missing child on the train and later you would have been successful in returning to
nothing but
their parents, how would you feel? Whether your happiness and satisfaction with your decision
duty would have been the same as returning that mobile phone?” �e constable was making, and in a
looking at him with awe. He was not �nding any answer from his side. But his body democratic country
language was certainly preparing him for the higher sense of sensitivity and larger
consciousness in society. He returned quietly. like India, bureaucrats
�at was the last day of DG in the o�ce. He was surrounded by his o�cers. When are the fulcrum of
he was returning with farewell garlands and getting ready to board his personal car, governance.
he saw someone. �at person was that constable. He was looking emotional and in
tears. “Sir, I found a few kids a day before yesterday. I took them to their home and it
was a highly satisfying e�ort, sir. Please let me touch your feet. You will never retire
for all of us. You are the epitome of values. Hope the training in values and ethics will be re�ning us day by day, ” he said.
Listening to this, the DG hugged him and put those garlands around the constable’s shoulders.
Later, he asked, “Why have you not informed the department? You would have been appreciated and awarded.” �e
constable replied, “My happiness was more to see that reunion. And trust me, sir, it was like becoming an inspector when I
saw the happiness of their parents. Values promote us better than other processes of the organisation.”
Post Read Questions:

1. What was the point of di�erence in the attitude of DG and IG with reference to the issue?
2. From the frame of the constable, what di�erence did you �nd in his attitude in the two incidents discussed?
3. What does the caselet tell us about the personality of DG? Do you think he was �t to lead the department and why?
4. Between the lines, can you locate the ideas of western philosophical principles, that you studied last time as the concept, in this
caselet?
5. “Values promote us better than other processes of the organisation.” Discuss. Do you agree with the statement?
EXPRESS INPUT
�ought Process
Where is ‘ethics’ placed in your duty? Do you think of a larger good or believe in going by the books? Is duty central to your
morality or do you believe in greater happiness bene�tting community at large? Why values hold an important position than the
organisational processes? �e moral compass doesn’t limit you to the certain trainings, processes, rewards or rules. Can
administrative, organisational and training process can keep ethics for larger society as its basis and to what extent?
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Points to ponder
GOING BY EACH PARAGRAPH:
PARA 1:
But one morning, DG was feeling uneasy as he had read terrible news of child tra�cking. He was worried about the pain these
children underwent but could also understand the pain of their parents. What bothered him the most was the possibility of
exploitation of those kids. As a leader, he felt that everyone in his department should have a moral understanding of this issue and
empathise with it. He called his IG immediately and proposed an intervention on ethics and values for the Railway force
Why does the DG feel so? What does it tell about his leadership? Which idea/s of
philosophical school fit here?
But the IG believed that if the system is robust, human tra�cking can be checked through railways or any other means of
transportation. IG was not convinced about such training on Ethics and Values. IG was in a hurry that day. He said, “Sir, today I
was discussing the same thing with my parents, and there was a spark in my father’s eyes. �e �rst time he accepted my pro�le as a
police o�cer, as till now he felt I am not doing good things.” DG smiled and so did IG.
Why do you think IG believed differently? What does it tell about his leadership?
Which idea/s of philosophical school fit here?
DG smiled, and so did IG
How did the two smiles differ from each other?

PARA 2:
“Tell me, jawan. Suppose you found a missing child on the train and later you would have been successful in returning to their
parents, how would you feel? Whether your happiness and satisfaction with your duty would have been the same as returning that
mobile phone?” �e constable was looking at him with awe. He was not �nding any answer from his side. But his body language
was certainly preparing him for the higher sense of sensitivity and larger consciousness in society.
Why do you think DG asked such a question to the constable? Happiness, satisfaction,
duty, sense of sensitivity, larger consciousness in society- what do these terms hint us at?
PARA 3:
“Why have you not informed the department? You would have been appreciated and awarded.” �e constable replied,” My
happiness was more to see that reunion. And trust me, sir, it was like becoming an inspector when I saw the happiness of their
parents. Values promote us better than other processes of the organisation. “
Why values and ethics hold higher position in service? What and Why does the
constable feel more rewarding? Which idea/s of philosophical school fit here?
(Nanditesh Nilay is the author of ‘Being Good’, Aaiye, Insaan Banaen’ and ‘Ethikos: Stories Searching Happiness’. He teaches
courses on and o�ers training in ethics, values and behaviour. He has been the expert/consultant to UPSC, SAARC countries, Civil
services Academy, National Centre for Good Governance, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Competition Commission of
India (CCI), etc. He has PhD in two disciplines and has been a Doctoral Fellow in Gandhian Studies from ICSSR. His second PhD
is from IIT Delhi on Ethical Decision Making among Indian Bureaucrats. He writes for the UPSC Ethics Simpli�ed (Concepts and
Caselets) fortnightly.)
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UPSC SPECIALS AT YOUR LEISURE
12th Fail and Aspirants season 2: ‘Real’

aspirants tell us what others may not
�rough two back-to-back UPSC centric shows/movies last year, the entertainment industry has once again shown
their fondness for UPSC aspirants. UPSC Essentials reached out to the 'real aspirants' for theihonest views.
S
eptember to December were the lean months for UPSC Exams preparation and the Indian �lm industry knew that
it was the best time to engage with the UPSC universe and the aspirants. �ere is a common assumption that the
UPSC aspirants are ‘relaxed’ during the lean months of UPSC, and this might be the reason behind the �lm
industry releasing two back-to-back entertainers- TVF’s Aspirants Season 2 and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail.
The 'real' aspirants, may differ in their views from many film journalists. But as members of the UPSC aspirants
community (the same community which forms the subject of Aspirants Season 2 and 12th Fail), have messages for the
larger UPSC universe and claim the first stake to express their views on the subject so close to their hearts.
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While the real �lm critics chose to review, discuss, praise, and criticise those two pieces of art, �e Indian Express chose to ask
the ‘real UPSC Aspirants’ of past, present and future what they feel about such �lms and series. What they have to say is what
many critics, �lmmakers and the Indian audience might have missed. From Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN) to Mukherjee Nagar,
Hindi medium to English medium, they tell us all. Why the entertainment industry is taking so much interest in UPSC?
ARUNIKA MATHUR, BHOPAL,

MADHYA PRADESH
“Aspirants Season 2 no longer feels an honest show about
‘aspirants’.”
Speaking speci�cally about the Aspirants series, the �rst
season felt very relatable as various aspects of being an
aspirant were acknowledged. However, it was also a 4-hour-
long commercial for the sponsors.
Season 2 is up on a big OTT platform and the way it’s
being promoted in such a gimmicky way has taken away its
charm of being an honest show about aspirants.
As an aspirant myself, I can say that these movies or
shows are just meant for entertainment and making money
out of the most talked about service and its preparation, but
making a series or a movie is easier than actually preparing
for this service, for sure. At the end of the day, it does
nothing but glorify the exam more and more in this era of
e�ervescent social media where clips from the show will
turn into viral reels and so forth.
SHIRISH KISHORE SURYAVANSHI,

NASIK, MAHARASHTRA
“What makes me nostalgic is the Old Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar ‘Darshan’ which these stories show.”
�e UPSC universe is not just made up of aspirants and coaching institutes. Some aspirants have dreamt of UPSC since
their childhood and it is even a dream for several parents to see their child clear the civil services, and then there is a big
number of those who failed to clear this exam. Looking at this growing industry, there are several edtech platforms who have
upscaled their business in this industry. �e entertainment industry noticed this and they are all earning, cashing on the
dreams of the aspirants. Are we getting inspired and motivated? Well everyone will have their perspective. A serious
candidate doesn’t have time to ponder. Will there be more shows and �lms on this subject? Of course, check YouTube and
Instagram, UPSC always trends.
�ese days books on the life of a civil servant or a success mantra by civil servants are among the bestsellers. �e �lm
industry is just adapting an easy script. And if it is by a famous director, it is ‘soney pe suhaaga’.
But what makes me nostalgic is the Old Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar ‘Darshan’ which these stories show. It
reminds me of a fact that whether the aspirants from the streets of these two hubs of UPSC convert into UPSC rank holders
or not, it doesn’t matter a lot. What matters more is the contribution of the struggle which adds up in our personalities to help
us carve out our bright futures. How many more will get inspired to leave their jobs, and hometowns and join these factories
— the already ‘overpopulated’ ones? One can’t give the numbers. But certainly the competition is tougher than these �lms
show.
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DIPENDRA CHETRY, DIGBOI, ASSAM

“Get inspired, but just to get entertained.”
In a country, where lakhs of aspirants prepare and aspire to crack
one of the world’s toughest examinations, a show like “Aspirants” hits
the right chord of pro�t-making and capitalising on dreams for the
entertainment industry.
�e show seems problematic and curiously unambitious for a
real-world aspirant.
It doesn’t investigate the real-world implications of the culture it
(problematically) romanticises, and ends up glamourising the
competitive examination and coaching institutes.
Speaking of 12th Fail, I am sure �lm critics will be better judges as
they are already all in praise for Vidhu Vinod Chopra but purely from
the point of view of an aspirant I have a serious point to ponder —
IPS Manoj Sharma is a 2005 batch o�cer. It has been 18-19 years
since his selection. His story may be an important story to be told,
many will relate to it and will rise from their twitter accounts to agree
with it, but Mukherjee Nagar aspirants and the problems that the
Hindi-medium students are facing remain the same even a�er 2005.
Shouldn’t that worry us? I am not a �lm critic but as a member of the
community on whom the subject of the �lm is based, I believe that it
can inspire someone but only for entertainment purposes.
PRATYUSH MANI TRIPATHI, GORAKHPUR, UTTAR PRADESH

“Movies and series will come and go. The challenges of Hindi medium students remain the same.”
THERE ARE THREE WORDS THAT UPSC ASPIRANTS MUST KNOW: Information, Entertainment and
Infotainment. Information is something that you acquire from good books, gurus, and educational institutions which help you
crack the exam or achieve great heights in whatever you do. Entertainment is something that an aspirant needs as short breaks in
this rigorous examination cycle. Sports, movies, hobbies of di�erent kinds are a part of it. Films and OTT series ideally are a part
of this package. �en there is infotainment. �is kind of misleading information is sold on social media platforms in the name of
UPSC compulsory course as an important important information for clearing the exam but in reality it is only entertainment
— an unnecessary one. So, in any case, entertainment products are way better than infotainment products, but only if they are
seen as entertainment.
Aspirant Season 2 has nothing to o�er. One may get inspired by 12th Fail though, but again it is an individual’s story, and the
UPSC journey is not the same for everyone.
Not everyone may connect with these stories. While we congratulate everyone who cleared this examination, we also make
them celebrities too early.
Anyway, movies and series will come and go, but the challenges of Hindi medium students represented by Mukherji Nagar,
Ber Sarai of Delhi, and many parts of UP and Bihar will remain the same. Lack of quality study material and editorial content,
and badly translated notes are some of the major factors that Hindi medium aspirants have to either switch to attempting the
exam in the English language or spend an enormous amount of time translating the notes and important books. �e problem
seems to aggravate in the evaluation of Hindi medium scripts by people who are more comfortable with English as a medium.
Hindi medium students have to put in extra e�ort in preparation and understanding of concepts. �ese problems are also
re�ected in the struggles of aspirants of other non-English languages.
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�ese problems are always present at the back of the mind in our aspirant phase even when we are watching these purely
entertaining, commercial �lms.
SAIRAM B KALAL, DELHI COLLEGE OF

ARTS AND COMMERCE, DELHI UNIVERSITY
“With a lack of good content for films, UPSC is an easy script.”
�ere are many reasons why the entertainment industry is much
focused on UPSC Aspirants. A decade ago, entertainment industry
would not focus on such subjects, but now the industry is a bigger
market. You serve anything in the name of UPSC, it will mint money
for sure. And with a lack of good content for �lms anyway, UPSC is
an easy script. With more than 10 lakh aspirants appearing every
year and many more preparing for UPSC CSE, the producers and
directors know that they have a de�nite audience which is very large.
Also, the aspirants nowadays are more connected to this sort of
‘entertainment’, such as the UPSC based content among YouTubers,
stand-up comedians, Instagram in�uencers, etc.
One should not forget that the civil servants themselves have so
much time out of their busy schedules to make reels and shorts of
themselves displaying their social media love.
�ere is another important aspect — the distracted minds of
aspirants. Aspirants, especially those who run a�er every coaching
centre’s notes thinking everything under the sun is important, feel
that watching the movie or series can give them cues, motivate them
and help them in clearing the exam. �ey even try to copy the
strategy showed in the movie, and try to compare their lifestyle with
the characters of the series, which is impractical.
To some extent we do relate to things shown in movies, but not fully. For example, many scenes in Aspirants season 1 are
relatable like the early struggle in Old Rajinder Nagar and all. But on the other hand, a �lm like Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana shows
a person getting into services in a fraction of a second, without showing his struggles. �e entertainment industry has many
things to show about the exam, but we as aspirants must be selective on what to agree to and what not to.
�e above ‘real’ aspirants, may di�er in their views from many �lm journalists. But as members of the UPSC aspirants
community (the same community which forms the subject of Aspirants Season 2 and 12th Fail), have messages for the larger
UPSC universe and claim the �rst stake to express their views on the subject so close to their hearts. What do you have to say?
Comment in the box below and keep following UPSC Essentials.
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UPSC SPECIALS EXPERT’S TALK
P.S. Ravindran on Personality Test Stage

UPSC CSE interviews begin from tomorrow. From relevance of DAF to candidate's expected behaviour, and panel
asking popular questions like 'Why Civil Services?' — here our some valuable insights from our expert that every
aspirant must know before facing the UPSC interview panel.
U
PSC Essentials of �e Indian Express brings to you a special interview on the UPSC Civil Services Examination
Personality Test stage. In conversation with Manas Srivastava, our expert, P.S. RAVINDRAN, explains and
simpli�es some of the most relevant queries for the interview stage. From the importance of DAF and interview
etiquette to popular questions like ‘Why Civil Services?’– Ravindran provides some valuable insights for UPSC 2023
interview candidates and other aspirants preparing for India’s most coveted job.
About our Expert: P. S. Ravindran, is the director of Vajiram and Ravi, an institute for coaching aspirants for civil services
examination since 1976. He has been teaching, guiding and mentoring aspirants for more than four decades. He is renowned
for personal guidance to candidates for the interview stage of UPSC CSE.
"Whether the board asks the question – 'Why civil services' or not, I strongly believe that the underlying current for
most questions in spirit is to check the suitability of a candidate for the civil services", says P.S. Ravindran.
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FYI:
�e UPSC Personality Test, also known as the UPSC Interview, is the �nal stage of one of the world’s most di�cult
examinations– UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is conducted by the various boards constituted by UPSC at the Union Public
Service Commission o�ce housed at Dholpur House in Delhi. It carries 275 marks. �is year the UPSC interviews begin on
January 2, 2024.
Manas: To begin with, kindly make us understand the ultimate objective of conducting a
personality test, popularly known as the interview for UPSC CSE.
P.S. Ravindran: �e Civil Services Exam is all about selecting those individuals who are to become the backbone of the governance
architecture of the country. It is believed that a�er one quali�es for the Prelims and Main Exam, majorly the test of knowledge as a
candidate is mostly done with. However, the next stage, i.e. the interview stage, now assesses the personality of the candidate as she
is expected to work close to people, political personalities, and other o�cials in many capacities. Hence, certain traits like honesty,
public service, empathy, presence of mind, attitude and aptitude, team spirit, willingness to assume responsibilities, leadership, etc.
are checked in this stage.
�e ultimate objective, I would say, is to see if the individual can �t into the system and work with the least amount of friction.
It would be, to an extent to check, once inside the governance architecture, the
individual shall strive towards making India a better society to live in.
The ultimate
Manas: Often a candidate is asked... “Why Civil Services?” objective, I would
How should an aspirant reply to such a question? say, is to see if the
P.S. Ravindran: Whether the board asks the question – “Why civil services” or not, I individual can fit into
strongly believe that the underlying current for most questions in spirit is to check the
suitability of a candidate for the civil services. Here the crucial idea and the inner calling the system and work
of a candidate to opt for civil services and not any other services matter a lot to show the with the least amount of
real “you” to the board. friction.
A candidate questioned upon this, should not be very direct and rather should be
moderate in her approach. Terms like power, authority, job stability, and social prestige
should be avoided. Rather aspirations like public service, honesty, leadership, diversity and challenges, opportunities, and change
agents shall be preferred as far as possible.
A candidate must understand the fact that civil services is about leadership, decision making, authority, etc., but is also about
contributing to society, team building, institution, and value set as well.
Manas: We often hear that DAF (Detailed Application Form) is one of the most important
documents for UPSC interview preparation. What is the importance of mastering the DAF in
UPSC preparation?
P.S. Ravindran: It is to be logically understood that the panel that will conduct the interview needs some information about the
candidate to steer through the personality test. �e DAF (Detailed Application Form) becomes the base for it. �is form, as the
name suggests caters to the basic information about the candidate starting from residence to information about parents, to
education and professional detailing to individualized information like achievements, interests, and hobbies. It deals with many
parts of the aspiration of a candidate as well as that of service preference of cadre choices.
�us it is very important to �ll out the DAF very carefully and mark the entries. Spelling mistakes must be avoided at all costs.
For instance, one of the candidates some years back while �lling out the DAF couldn’t see a minor spelling mistake, where his hobby
of “Collage” making was incorrectly written as “College” making. �is created a considerable amount of embarrassment for the
student in front of the board.
Majorly in the interviews, the initial few questions are based on DAF’s Column No. 07, which talks about medals, Prizes,
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scholarships, leadership positions, extracurricular activities and interests. �ese questions are very personalized and provide a good
cushion for the candidate to get acquainted with the surroundings and settle down for the next few minutes of the interview.
ONE MAJOR THING THAT ALL CANDIDATES MUST UNDERSTAND IS THAT COHERENCY IN DAF
ENTRIES AND ANSWERS AND VIEWS IN THE INTERVIEW MATTERS A LOT.
It paints a picture that the candidate is honest and helps increase the scores. However, just the opposite of it, i.e. di�erence
between what one has marked in the DAF and what she is answering in the interview, may not create a great picture and can also be
punished by a reduction in score in the interviews.
Hence, mastering DAF becomes very important for a candidate facing the interview as the impression one creates in the initial
and most personalized part matters a lot to the board. It helps in testing the personality of the candidates, starting and ending with
the DAF. It’s the very purpose of the interview itself.
Manas: What are the ideal interview etiquette for candidates that should be kept in
mind while facing the UPSC interviews? What are your tips for candidates inside the
interview room?
P.S. Ravindran: An interview might last about 25 to 30 minutes on average and within this short period, the board is going
to assess the candidate on multiple fronts and majorly one, i.e. her ability to become an o�cer and run the a�airs of the state.
Let me elaborate on the expected behaviour and what one can do in the personality test.
Ideally, it is expected that a candidate appearing before the board is well-groomed both physically and mentally and must
not appear sloppy. Physical appearances like clean clothes- a suit, saree, dress, etc, polished shoes, well-knotted tie, and decent
colour of attire matter, but much more than that what matters is the conduct, behaviour, and choice of words while one
responds and above all the character that one portrays to the board in that
short period.
A few things to keep in mind are that the board is learned and well- The demand for
experienced, there shall not be any lie or misinformation in the statements, and intellectual
remember honesty is the best policy. If a candidate doesn’t know something, involvement has
there is no harm in accepting it in front of the board. Body gestures must be become the centre of
normal, they should not be robotic, and at the same time, one must refrain questions in the interviews
from making it over dramatic, especially the hand movements. Good eye
of candidates.
contact and a straight sitting posture, with a clear voice are always add-ons.
Interrupting the board while they are speaking, arguing with someone, or
using extreme words and informal sentences must be avoided at all costs. At the same time, behaving like a thinking
individual, with �rmness in voice, empathy and sincerity in sentences, and a smile over conversation is always appreciated.
Manas: Some subjects like ‘hobbies’ attract the attention of the panel a lot. Why is that,
and how should a candidate prepare for such a question?
P.S. Ravindran: First of all, a candidate must understand what hobbies mean. I have come across many candidates in the
past many years, who lack clarity over the meaning of hobbies. It’s an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure,
where one strives to do it. Candidates must understand that they cannot make a hobby in just a month or so, a�er the main
exam result declaration. At the same time, something that someone did years before just as participation in an event like
painting, drawing, or visiting someplace cannot and should not be marked as a hobby.
Now, coming to a detailed understanding of this column, hobbies indicate many things about a candidate, especially their
interest areas, her involvement in it, and to a larger extent her qualitative enthusiasm about it. �ese are very important
characteristics of a person to understand his seriousness about a thing. It indicates values like involvement and perseverance
and lets the board take the candidate in a very positive view about the candidate.
When it comes to answering questions on hobbies, candidates should be honest and clear in their statements. It portrays a
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very good picture of the candidate, as the board can understand that they have really worked on it and have not just
mentioned it for the sake of mentioning it. Hobbies which can majorly end in contributing something to society, are new in
the contemporary time. �e demand for intellectual involvement has become the centre of questions in the interviews of
candidates. Candidate must understand that it is something that you are mentioning that you have been doing, upon
questions being asked in it, and proper answering, it helps to get a very good score in the test.
Manas: What is the importance of current affairs in an interview? How should an

aspirant prepare for it?
P.S. Ravindran: How aware and involved a candidate is, is o�en tested by asking questions from events happening in the current
times. �e panel, which mostly comprises of civil servants and people from academics, is very much into understating
contemporary events through newspapers, news programmes, and mutual discussions. As a candidate preparing for civil services,
one is expected to understand the issues, events happening domestically and internationally.
�e best source to prepare for current a�airs is newspapers. Many times, I suggest students to read two newspapers during this
time of the exam phase. �e Indian Express and �e Hindu, have been marked as the two very essential sources for candidates at
the interview phase. Many candidates also prefer to read newspapers like the Financial Express and Economic Times, which should
not be discouraged but must be in addition to any one of the �rst two.
Manas: Most candidates feel uneasy while preparing for the

My first personality test. What is your advice to them so they can
suggestion is that gain some confidence and groom themselves for the
candidates must interview preparation?
prepare themselves P.S. Ravindran: Mostly all serious aspirants in most of their preparation duration spent
mentally with the time on academic reading and other modes of gathering content and information,
thought that now they keeping in mind the Preliminary and Mains exams which seem to be perceptible bigger
are responding to huddles. Invariably when many get an interview call, their biggest problem is being
questions in front of a presentable to the board. Many of the candidates feel uneasy to now shi� gears to this
board and not on the stage of the exam, especially when the time le� is less. Nervousness, inability to respond
crisply and straightforwardly, and inorganized responses including prioritisation, choice
answer sheet, hence of words in responses, etc. become a considerable limitation on the parts of candidates.
they need to practice �e biggest issue is seen in opinion-based questions. Candidates don’t lack much
short and to-the-point knowledge but rather a verbal presentation of knowledge chiseled into an opinion or
responses. convincing response.
My �rst suggestion is that candidates must prepare themselves mentally with the
thought that now they are responding to questions in front of a board and not on the
answer sheet, hence they need to practice short and to-the-point responses. To take care of the knowledge part, it is advisable that
candidates must be updated on current a�airs and basic knowledge about their optional subjects especially when the subject has
current a�airs ingrained in it. Also, if you are not con�dent about building an opinion, you must practice that in front of your
friends or at least alone, and if possible, record it and listen back. You will be able to redra� the answer in a much better way.
Repeated practice will enhance the con�dence of candidates.
Manas: Is it important to have excellent communication skills? How important is

language proficiency?
P.S. Ravindran: It’s always said that your test of knowledge is done in the Mains exam and the Personality test is not about
knowledge. But remember one thing, how do you think the board is going to assess your personality? �at’s through the
answers you give to the questions posed by the board to you. And for this, the most important thing is to “convey” exactly
what you think about the question asked, be it your opinion, any argument in support or against something stated, or even a
simple introduction about you.
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
Communication is the key to putting forth your thinking, which is nothing but your personality. A well-articulated person
always seems to be one with a better thinking process. Language pro�ciency is equally important. And when I say language
pro�ciency, what I mean is not ornamentation of words or usage of complex terms, rather it is choice of words, prioritisation of
point that one is putting forth, and most essentially rational thinking and not over sweeping statements. �e depth of a topic is
measured majorly through the words put forth vis-à-vis answering the topic.
Manas: What are the Dos and Don’ts that candidates should keep in mind while
appearing for the interview?
P.S. Ravindran: Candidates must �rst understand the intention and parameters behind the personality test. Just to make it clearer,
candidates must understand that there is DAF with the board, which has already provided some idea about candidates’ personalities
before they enter the room. Now, the more convergence is there between what DAF states and what the candidates rea�rm through
her answers, the better the understanding of the personality of the candidate.
Essentially, the dos would be, that the candidates remain truthful throughout the interaction, be humble and well-behaved,
well–groomed, and must not hesitate to put forth a rational point.
�e major don’ts are not violating the dos, added to not indulging with the board in an argument and extreme opinions on social
issues without rationality. Don’t mind even skipping a few questions, if need be and the stress must not be visible on your face. Try
not to be bilingual while you are appearing for a certain medium.
Remember a con�dent, truthful, and passionate candidate is always better than a stressed-out, under-con�dent and confused
dis-passionate candidate.
A WELL-ARTICULATED PERSON ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE ONE WITH

A BETTER THINKING PROCESS. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IS
EQUALLY IMPORTANT. AND WHEN I SAY LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY,
WHAT I MEAN IS NOT ORNAMENTATION OF WORDS OR USAGE OF
COMPLEX TERMS, RATHER IT IS CHOICE OF WORDS,
PRIORITISATION OF POINT THAT ONE IS PUTTING FORTH, AND
MOST ESSENTIALLY RATIONAL THINKING AND NOT OVER
SWEEPING STATEMENTS.
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UPSC SPECIALS PRACTICE QUIZ
Brush Up Your Current Affairs Knowledge

And Consolidate Your Upsc Cse Preparation.
Compiled by Nitendra Pal Singh 2. It is considered a �sherman’s lottery because of
its economic value and its uniqueness.
QUESTION 1
3. Maharashtra has declared black-spotted
WITH REFERENCE TO THE SICKLE CELL croaker as its state �sh.
DISEASE (SCD), CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
STATEMENTS: 4. It is used for medicinal purposes.
1. It leads to shortage of Red blood cells (RBCs). HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
2. �ere is no permanent treatment for SCD.
(a) Only one
3. SCD can lead to a acute chest syndrome and
pulmonary hypertension. (b) Only two
4. It is usually transferred from parents to the (c) Only three

child during birth. (d) All four
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN QUESTION 3
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
ABOUT TANTALUM:
(b) Only two
1. It possesses high corrosion resistance when
(c) Only three exposed to air.
(d) All four 2. It is non-ductile in its pure form.
QUESTION 2 3. It is completely immune to chemical attacks at
temperatures below 150°C.
WITH REFERENCE TO THE BLACK-
SPOTTED CROAKER, CONSIDER THE HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
1. �e �sh is usually found in the inland waters. (a) Only one
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
(b) Only two the Supreme Court.

(c) All three (b) Served as the governor of Kerala from 1997
to 2001
(d) None
(c) She was the �rst woman law graduate to get the
QUESTION 4 gold medal from the Bar Council
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: (d) She was part of the bench which heard a case
1. Mangroves act as natural carbon sinks. pertaining to certain provisions of the Karnataka
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
2. Planting mangroves increases the Blue Carbon (Reservation of Appointments) Act in 1991.
Stock.
QUESTION 7
3. In India, the Sundarban mangroves are spread
across only in the West Bengal. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PAIRS:
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN Place Location
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
1. San Boran Peak Georgia
(a) Only one
2. Kyiv Ukraine
(b) Only two
3. Mindanao Singapore
(c) All three
(d) None HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
QUESTION 5 (a) Only one
INDIA HAS SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF (b) Only two
UNDERSTANDING �MOU� ON COOPERATION
IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR (c) All three
ecosystem with: (d) None
(a) Australia QUESTION 8
(b) United States
With reference to the Sangai deer, consider the
(c) African Union following statements:
(d) European Union 1. It is endemic to Manipur.
QUESTION 6 2. It is cateogorised as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS IS 3. Namdapha National Park is the home to Sangai
NOT CORRECT ABOUT JUSTICE FATHIMA deer.
BEEVI? 4. It is listed in Schedule II of the Indian Wild Life
(a) Appointed as the �rst Muslim woman judge of (Protection) Act, 1972.
93
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN (a) Only one

ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(b) Only two
(a) Only one
(c) All three
(b) Only two
(d) None
(c) Only three
QUESTION 11
(d) All four
He was the founder of Sikhism and the �rst of its
QUESTION 9 nine gurus. His teachings laid the ground for the
emergence of a distinct faith. Among his followers
WITH REFERENCE TO THE CONFERENCE OF
were both lower-caste Hindus and Muslim
THE PARTIES (COP), CONSIDER THE peasants. He is said to have travelled as far as Sri
FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Lanka, Baghdad and central Asia to spread his
1. It is an annual climate meeting of the United teachings. His last journey was to Mecca and
Nations (UN). Madina, the holiest sites in Islam, and he visited
sites revered in other religions, too.
2. �e �rst ever COP took place in Paris, France,
in 1995. THE ABOVE�MENTIONED LINES REFER TO
3. �e meeting is aimed to stabilise greenhouse gas (a) Guru Gobind Singh
concentrations.
(b) Guru Har Krishan
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
(c) Guru Nanak
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one (d) Guru Tegh Bahadur
(b) Only two QUESTION 12

(c) All three WITH REFERENCE TO THE BOOKER PRIZE,
(d) None CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
QUESTION 10 1. It is a literary award for �ction writing in

English.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
2. William Butler Yeats has been awarded Booker
ABOUT THE KAMBALA:
prize for the year 2023.
1. It is a folk sport practised by the Bunt
community. WHICH OF THE STATEMENT�S� GIVEN ABOVE
IS/ARE CORRECT?
2. It is practiced in coastal Kerala districts.
(a) 1 only
3. Adda Halage is a category of Kambala, in which
(b) 2 only
jockeys run behind the animals.
(c) Both 1 and 2
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? (d) Neither 1 nor 2
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
QUESTION 13 QUESTION 15
WITH REFERENCE TO THE LEADIT 2.0, WITH REFERENCE TO THE WORLD MALARIA
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: REPORT, 2023, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
STATEMENTS:
1. It was launched on the sidelines of COP28,
focusing on inclusive and just industry transition. 1. �e number of malaria cases dropped globally
from 2000 to 2019.
2. It focuses on co-development and transfer of
low-carbon technology. 2. �e number of malaria deaths remained lower
than the pre-pandemic levels.
3. India and the United States have jointly
launched LeadIT 2.0 3. India witnessed an increase in malaria cases and
deaths in 2022 as compared to 2021.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
(a) Only one ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(c) All three
(d) None
(d) None
QUESTION 14
QUESTION 16
WITH REFERENCE TO THE “LOSS AND
DAMAGE FUND”, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING WHO BECAME THIRD INDIAN WOMAN
STATEMENTS: PLAYER TO ACHIEVE THE TITLE �
“GRANDMASTER” BY CROSSING 2,500
1. It is a global �nancial package to help vulnerable
INTERNATIONAL CHESS FEDERATION �FIDE�
countries cope with the impact of climate change.
RANKING POINTS AT THE IV EL LLOBREGAT
2. It was �rst announced during COP 25 held in OPEN?
Madrid, Spain. (a) Koneru Humpy
3. It refers to the compensation that developed (b) Vaishali Rameshbabu
nations pay to vulnerable nations whose carbon
(c) Harika Dronavalli
footprint is low but are facing the brunt of rising
sea levels. (d) Tania Sachdev
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN QUESTION 17
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one AND ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW:
(b) Only two 1. Climate �nance refers to large-scale investments
(c) All three required for actions aiming to mitigate or
(d) None adapt to the consequences of climate change.
95
2. Climate �nance is a key topic of discussion at protect his territory from the Siddis, and secure
COP28 as it has been a bone of contention ports and merchant ships which would ensure
between low income countries and developed maritime trading, that brought in revenue and
nations. customs duty, went on smoothly. His vision for
establishing a naval wing of his military was based
3. Last year Oxfam said that the developed world on his belief in ‘Jalameva yasya, balameva tasya’
provided $83.3 billion in 2020 to the low income (‘He who rules the seas is all powerful’)
countries as climate �nance.
THE ABOVE LINES REFER TO:
WHICH OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT/S IS/ARE
CORRECT? (a) Baji Rao
(a) 1 only (b) Shivaji
(b) 1 and 2 only (c) Sambhaji
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) Maharana Pratap
(d) 1, 2 and 3 QUESTION 20
QUESTION 18 WITH REFERENCE TO UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS,
WITH REFERENCE TO THE NATIONAL CRIME CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
RECORDS BUREAU’S (NCRB) ANNUAL
REPORT ON CRIME IN INDIA FOR THE YEAR 1. A relatively compact document, the declaration
2022, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out
STATEMENT: fundamental rights and freedoms.
1. �e crime rate, or crimes registered per lakh 2. Seventy-�ve years ago , the UN General
population, has increased in 2022 from 2021. Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights at a meeting in Paris.
2. Reporting of cyber crime increased signi�cantly
in 2022 compared to 2021. 3. A formal dra�ing committee was chaired by U.S.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and consisted of
WHICH OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT/S IS ARE members of the new Commission on Human
CORRECT? Rights from eight countries, selected to re�ect
(a) Only 1 geographical distribution.
(b) Only 2 WHICH OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT/S IS/ARE

CORRECT?
(c) Both 1 and 2
(a) Only 1
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
(b) Only 1 and 2
QUESTION 19
(c) Only 1 and 3
His empire reached the west coast a�er 1656-57,
when his dominions touched Kalyan. In the same (d) Only 2 and 3
year, he decided to establish a navy in order to QUESTION 21
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
WITH REFERENCE TO THE ADVOCATES ACT, 1. A plebiscite was held in Hyderabad, where 91%
1961, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING of the voters chose to stay in India.
STATEMENTS: 2. �e Indian Army was sent to Junagadh under
1. �e Advocates Act, 1961, was enacted to amend Operation Polo and in three days the Nizam’s
and consolidate the law relating to legal forces surrendered.
practitioners and to provide for the constitution of
WHICH OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT/S IS/ARE
Bar Councils and an All-India Bar.
CORRECT?
2. Before this, legal practitioners were governed by (a) Only 1
three Acts – the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879, the
Bombay Pleaders Act, 1920, and the Indian Bar (b) Only 2
Councils Act, 1926.
(c) Both 1 and 2
3. �is Act repealed a majority of the 1879 Act but
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
le� behind provisions relating to its extent,
de�nitions, and powers to frame and publish lists QUESTION 24
of touts.
�is �exible AI model, which comes in three sizes
WHICH OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT/S IS/ARE — Ultra (which is yet to be launched), Pro, and
CORRECT? Nano — is being seen as an answer to ChatGPT,
which has been ahead of the game so far when it
(a) Only 1 and 2
comes to generative arti�cial intelligence (GenAI).
(b) Only 1
THE ABOVE LINES REFER TO:
(c) Only 1 and 3 (a) Bard AI
(d) 1, 2, and 3 (b) SpinBot
QUESTION 22 (c) Copy.ai
WHAT IS POMPE DISEASE? (d) None of the above
(a) It is a rare genetic disorder caused by a
QUESTION 25
de�ciency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
(b) �e de�ciency of carnitine in cells.
1. Food insecurity
(c) A fatal disease caused due to the presence of
certain pathogens in water such as protozoan. 2. Wild�res
(d) None of the above. 3. Flooding
QUESTION 23 4. �awing of Permafrost
WITH REFERENCE TO THE HISTORY OF HOW MANY OF THE ABOVE ARE
ACCESSION OF JUNAGADH AND HYDERABAD, CONSEQUENCES OF THE SOARING
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: TEMPERATURES IN THE ARCTIC?
97
(a) Only one 4. India have supported this pledge and calls for
phasing down of coal.
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(d) All four (a) Only one
QUESTION 26 (b) Only two
WITH REFERENCE TO THE KIDNEY (c) Only three
TRANSPLANTS IN INDIA, CONSIDER THE
FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: (d) All four
1. �e Transplantation of Human Organs and QUESTION 28

Tissues Act, 1994 allows living donations. WITH REFERENCE TO THE INDIA AND ITALY
2. Altruistic donations from distant relatives are TIES, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
not allowed. STATEMENTS:
3. Transplantation cannot be done from a pool of 1. Indian troops, serving with the British Indian
organs of deceased person. Army, were deployed in Italy during World War II,
�ghting against the Germans and Mussolini’s
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN forces.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
2. Both the countries have elevated their bilateral
(a) Only one relationship to the level of Strategic Partnership.
(b) Only two 3. Italy is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the EU.
(c) All three 4. Both the countries are part of the India-Middle
(d) None East-Europe economic corridor.
QUESTION 27 HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN

ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
WITH REFERENCE TO THE GLOBAL
RENEWABLES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY (a) Only one
PLEDGE, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING (b) Only two
STATEMENTS:
(c) Only three
1. �e member countries have to “double the
global average annual rate of energy e�ciency (d) All four
improvements from around 2% to over 4% every
year until 2030”. QUESTION 29
2. �e pledge is legally binding. WITH REFERENCE TO THE NICOBAR PIGEON,

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
3. �e pledge was spearheaded by the EU, the US
and the UAE. 1. It is found only in the Islands of Nicobar.
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
2. �e Nicobar pigeon’s primordial germ cells FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:

(PGCs) will now be edited to express the physical
traits of a dodo. 1. It is a high-speed UAV (Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle) developed by DRDO.
3. It can easily be distinguished by its glistening
mane-like neck hackles. 2. It comes with a tail con�guration.
4. Males are smaller in size than females with 3. India has joined an elite group of countries to
shorter neck hackles and brown under parts. have mastered the controls for the �ying wing
technology.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(c) All three
(d) All four
(d) None
QUESTION 30
QUESTION 32
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PAIRS WITH
REFERENCE TO THE SPECIAL STATUS CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PAIRS:
PROVISION: Place Location
Article State 1. Aden Oman
1. 371-B Arunachal Pradesh 2. Jabalia Syria
2. 371-C Mizoram 3. Kherson Hungary
3. 371-F Sikkim HOW MANY OF THE PAIRS GIVEN ABOVE ARE
4. 371-G Manipur CORRECTLY MATCHED?
(a) Only one
HOW MANY OF THE PAIRS GIVEN ABOVE ARE
CORRECTLY MATCHED? (b) Only two
(a) Only one (c) Only three
(b) Only two (d) All four
(c) Only three
QUESTION 33
(d) All four
QUESTION 31 ABOUT ELECTORAL TRUSTS AND ELECTORAL
BONDS:
WITH REFERENCE TO THE AUTONOMOUS
FLYING WING TECHNOLOGY 1. Electoral trusts can be donated under section
DEMONSTRATOR, CONSIDER THE 17CA of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
99
2. Non-residential Indians (NRIs) cannot remarriage

contribute to electoral trusts.
2. Advocated eradication of child marriage
3. Electoral bonds are exempt from disclosure
requirements. 3. Started the Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha
(‘Home for the Prevention of Infanticide’) for
4. Electoral bonds are available for purchase pregnant widows facing discrimination.
throughout the year.
4. Formally recognised as India’s �rst woman
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN teacher.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
THE ABOVE�MENTIONED STATEMENTS
(a) Only one REFER TO WHICH WOMEN SOCIAL
(b) Only two REFORMER?
(a) Kadambini Ganguly
(c) Only three
(b) Usha Mehta
(d) All four
(c) Ramabai Ranade
QUESTION 34
(d) Savitribai Phule
With reference to the Dual-member
constituencies, consider the following statements: QUESTION 36
1. �e dual-member constituencies were CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935. ABOUT “SEETHAKALI”
2. It was introduced to reserve seats with sizeable
1. It is a modern folk art form that originated in
SC and ST populations.
Kollam.
3. In the 1952 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh
2. �e art was �rst performed by the people of the
had the maximum two-member seats.
Ezhava community.
4. It was discarded through the Two-Member
3. It is inspired by scenes from the Indian epic
Constituencies (Abolition) Act 1961.
Ramayana.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Only one
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(c) All three
(d) All four
(d) None
QUESTION 35
QUESTION 37
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
He was a creative thinker, author, poet, dramatist,
1. Advocated inter-caste marriages and widow educator, and advocate for freedom. He was
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
an avid reader who studied the �nest western 1. �ey are found in the north-eastern Himalayas.
philosophies before returning to India to develop
“integral yoga,” a distinctly Indian method of 2. �e bigger the frog, the more they dance.
spiritual transformation. �e cover of his weekly 3. �ey breed a�er the yearly monsoon in fast-
journal, Karmayogin, featured a picture of Krishna rushing streams.
and Arjuna in the Kurukshetra.
THE ABOVE�MENTIONED LINES REFER TO: ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(a) Only one
(b) Barindra Kumar Ghosh
(b) Only two
(c) Aurobindo Ghosh
(c) All three
(d) Lala Lajpat Rai
(d) None
QUESTION 38
QUESTION 40
WITH REFERENCE TO “MITOCHONDRIAL
DISEASES”, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PIERRE AGOSTINI, FERENC KRAUSZ AND
STATEMENTS: ANNE L’HUILLIER ARE ANNOUNCED AS THE
WINNERS OF THE 2023 NOBEL PRIZE IN
1. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA do not cause PHYSICS FOR:
mitochondrial disorder.
(a) Experimental methods that generate
2. �ese diseases are incurable and can be fatal attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron
within days if diagnosed in a newborn. dynamics in matter.
3. Mitochondrial diseases can a�ect almost any (b) Experiments with entangled photons,
part of the body. establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and
4. �e three-person IVF procedure is known to pioneering quantum information science.
help eliminate mitochondrial diseases that are (c) �e physical modelling of Earth’s climate,
passed on from mother to child. quantifying variability and reliably predicting
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN global warming.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? (d) �e discovery that black hole formation is a
(a) Only one robust prediction of the general theory of
relativity.
(b) Only two
QUESTION 41
(c) Only three
WITH REFERENCE TO THE WHITE-BELLIED
(d) All four
HERON, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTION 39 STATEMENTS:
WITH REFERENCE TO THE “DANCING FROGS”, 1. Only males have two lace-like white plumes on
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: the back of their neck.
101
2. �e species is found in the western ghats. 2. It will focus on comprehensive skills in the
country.
3. It is categorised as “vulnerable” by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature 3. It recommends creation of India data sets
(IUCN). platform to be used by domestic startups and
researchers.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? 4. Indian AI will support development of AI chips
in partnership with the Semicon India Program.
(a) Only one
(b) Only two ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(c) All three (a) Only one
(d) None (b) Only two
QUESTION 42 (c) Only three
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: (d) All four
1. India is the world’s largest consumer of crude oil. QUESTION 44
2. OPEC+ produces around 80 per cent of the CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
world’s crude oil. ABOUT NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS (NFTS):
3. Crude oil prices rose as a result of OPEC and 1. NFTs can have only one owner at a time.
OPEC+ members cutting crude oil supply.
2. NFTs cannot be traded online using
4. India depends on imports to meet over 85 per cryptocurrency.
cent of its crude oil requirement.
3. It works on blockchain technology and it does
HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN not give users complete ownership of a digital asset.
ABOVE ARE CORRECT? 4. NFTs are popular way to showcase and sell your
(a) Only one digital artwork.
(b) Only two HOW MANY OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN
ABOVE ARE CORRECT?
(c) Only three
(a) Only one
(d) All four
(b) Only two
QUESTION 43
(c) Only three
WITH REFERENCE TO REPORT ON INDIA’S AI (d) All four
PROGRAMME, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
STATEMENTS: QUESTION 45
1. It will be a kinetic enabler for India to achieve the LHAVIYANI ATOLL, ARI ATOLL AND HAA
goal of USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2026. DHAALU ATOLL ARE LOCATED IN
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UPSC ESSENTIALS
(a) Madagascar (c) Only four

(b) Maldives (d) All �ve
(c) Fiji QUESTION 48
(d) Sri Lanka CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
QUESTION 46 1. Khajuri Guda (Date Palm Jaggery/gur) is a
natural sweetener with delicious taste as it is
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS:
produced from sweet juice of palm called Neera.
1. Renewable energy
2. �e Khajuri Guda is prepared by the tribal
2. E-mobility communities.
3. Waste Management 3. Diabetics can use this guda in their dishes in
4. Low carbon emission conjunction with their doctors because of its low
sugar content.
HOW MANY OF THE ABOVE PROJECTS WILL
BE COVERED UNDER INDIA�JAPAN FUND THE ABOVE-MENTIONED STATEMENTS REFER
�IJF�? TO A GI PRODUCT KHAJURI GUDA. IT
BELONGS TO:
(a) Only one
(a) West Bengal
(b) Only two
(b) Jharkhand
(c) Only three
(c) Meghalaya
(d) All four
(d) Odisha
QUESTION 47
QUESTION 49
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES:
1. Benin WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING VILLAGES IS
BEING RECOGNISED AS THE “WORLD’S BEST
2. Ghana TOURISM VILLAGE” BY THE UNITED NATIONS
3. Nigeria
WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION �UNWTO�
FOR CONSERVING LOCAL VALUES,
4. Sierra Leone SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURAL
DIVERSITY AND LOCAL CUISINE?
5. Algeria
(a) Ladhpura Khas
HOW MANY OF THE ABOVE COUNTRIES LIE
IN GULF OF GUINEA? (b) Dhordo
(a) Only two (c) Kongthong
(b) Only three (d) Pochampally
103
QUESTION 50
THE PATH OF A CELESTIAL OBJECT CHANGES DUE TO HEAT ENERGY BEING RADIATED
ASYMMETRICALLY. THE PHENOMENON IS KNOWN AS
(a) Yarkovsky e�ect
(b) Rashomon e�ect
(c) Pygmalion e�ect
(d) Doppler e�ect
ANSWER KEY
1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (b) 10. (a) 11. (c) 12. (a) 13. (b)
14. (b) 15. (a) 16. (b) 17. (b) 18. (b) 19. (b) 20. (b) 21. (d) 22. (a) 23. (d) 24. (d) 25. (d) 26. (a)
27. (b) 28. (d) 29. (b) 30. (a) 31. (b) 32. (d) 33. (b) 34. (c) 35. (d) 36. (b 37. (c) 38. (c) 39. (b)
40. (a) 41. (d) 42. (b) 43. (d) 44. (b) 45. (b) 46. (d) 47. (c) 48. (d) 49. (b) 50. (a)
104

UPSC Essentials January 17 2024

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UPSC Essentials January 17 2024

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January 2024 Issue

First sunrise of 2024 Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty 01-01-24

COVER STORY WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024

Outlook for the Indian economy in 2024

Elections and capex impact

Several lingering concerns

Multiple tailwinds for India

Technology Trends in 2024

Your gadgets will be greener

becoming the exception.

The Internet will be more private

Now, a virtual layer over reality

Strategy and foreign affairs for India in 2024

2023: Strategic realities

Indian Science: What’s planned for 2024?

National Research Foundation

JUST FYI 2023 RECAP

Key world events from the past year

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

India takes #1 spot

The lost submersible

Russia-Ukraine war spills into second year

Imran Khan’s arrest and Nawaz Sharif’s return

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war

Bangladesh elections and protests

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Express Photo)

A blip in Canada-India relations

2023 Nashville school shooting

The Nepal quake

Key Supreme Court rulings of 2023

Here are the major judgements of 2023:

SC ALLOWS DIVORCE ON GROUNDS OF ‘IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN OF MARRIAGE’: �e

IN ITS MUCH-AWAITED JUDGMENT, THE APEX COURT SAID THAT THE

The two wars that dominated 2023 and India

Ukraine and Gaza were devastated by conﬂict in 2023

ISRAEL IS NOT ONLY INDIA’S SECOND LARGEST WEAPONS

India, the intermediary

EXPRESS EDGE HISTORY & CULTURE

How the idea of Indian Union Territories

Indian states after Independence

The birth of Union Territories

THE FRENCH AND PORTUGUESE ENCLAVES IN INDIA WHICH WERE

The dark story of oil, the lubricant

The origins of refined petroleum

George Bissel was considered the father of American oil

Baku established the ﬁrst major oil reﬁnery in Europe

The spread of oil internationally

THE SURGE IN OIL PRICES DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE 20TH

Migration to the Gulf

The environmental cost

EXPRESS EDGE POLITY

Indian Penal Code to Nyaya Sanhita:

IT IS UNCLEAR HOW BOTH THE UAPA AND THE BNS WILL

EXPRESS EDGE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Elections in Bangladesh: Why both India

Bangladesh’s relations with India and China

Nuanced approach followed by Govt in Dhaka

The intersection of geopolitics and economics

private partnership being granted to a Chinese company.

EXPRESS EDGE ECONOMY

Why has the Indian government

Why do sovereign ratings matter?

Which are the main rating agencies?

What is the government’s criticism?