GS Paper 1
Art and culture, society
Inter-caste marriage incentives: the Centre's scheme design
Society Syllabus: GS1 › Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism › Caste in modern India
Why in news. Inter-caste marriage incentives, such as Maharashtra's, were showcased as tools of social integration; the Centre's Dr. Ambedkar Scheme is the national template for rewarding couples who marry across caste.
- Scheme design: The Dr. Ambedkar Scheme for Social Integration through Inter-Caste Marriages dates from 2013 and is administered by the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation under the Social Justice Ministry.
- Eligibility: One spouse must be Scheduled Caste and the other non-SC; the marriage must be valid under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the first for both.
- Incentive: The scheme provides ₹2.5 lakh per couple, applied for to the Foundation within one year of marriage; States run separate incentives through social welfare departments.
- Legal frame: Inter-caste unions are valid under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and, for any religion, under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Know the concept · Caste endogamy and social integration
- What it is: Endogamy is marriage only within one's own caste; it is the mechanism that keeps caste boundaries alive across generations.
- Ambedkar's view: In 'Annihilation of Caste', Dr Ambedkar called inter-marriage the real remedy, since it dissolves the sense of caste identity.
- Limit of incentives: Money offsets the social cost couples face but cannot change attitudes by itself; honour-linked violence persists.
- Safeguards: Shakti Vahini (2018) laid down preventive, remedial and punitive measures against honour crimes, including safe houses.
- Not to confuse: Special Marriage Act, 1954 (civil marriage for any faiths or castes) with the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs).
Prelims angle: Article 17 abolishes untouchability; the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 give it legal force.
UPSC asked (Mains GS1 2024): Intercaste marriages between castes which have socio-economic parity have increased, to some extent, but this is less true of interreligious marriages. Discuss. Open →
How to use: GS1 Society and GS2 welfare schemes: answers on caste, social integration and honour crimes.
Mains value-add: Lata Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2006): the Supreme Court held that an adult couple marrying across caste or religion commits no offence and ordered action against those who harass them — cite it to argue that the right to marry across caste is already protected and incentives only ease its cost.
Target Mains question: Examine how far financial incentives can weaken caste endogamy in India, and what else is needed. (10 marks, 150 words)
Abbreviations: SC: Scheduled Caste
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0: Thirukkural as the cultural thread
Art & Culture Syllabus: GS1 › Indian art, literature & architecture › Literature & language traditions
Why in news. The fifth Kashi Tamil Sangamam (28 November to 12 December 2026) takes the theme 'Thirukkural Payilvom', carrying the ethical teaching of the Tamil classic to students across India.
- Design: Begun in 2022, it is organised by the Ministry of Education with IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai.
- Federal idea: It works in the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (2015), which pairs States and UTs for cultural exchange.
- Participation: About 1,400 Tamil Nadu participants in seven groups travel to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya; 1,000 higher education institutions will teach the Thirukkural beyond Tamil-speaking regions.
- Text: Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural has 1,330 couplets in 133 chapters, in three parts: Aram (virtue), Porul (wealth and polity) and Inbam (love).
Know the concept · Classical language status
- What it is: A recognition given by the Union Government to languages of high antiquity and an independent literary tradition.
- Origin: Tamil was the first language declared classical, in 2004; Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia followed.
- Benefits: Typically scholarly awards, a Centre of Excellence for studies and university chairs for the language.
- Thirukkural: Post-Sangam ethical (Patinenkilkanakku) literature in couplets of seven metrical feet; its dating is debated.
- Not to confuse: Classical status (executive decision, no constitutional entitlement) with Eighth Schedule listing (22 languages, recognised in the Constitution).
Prelims angle: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were declared classical languages in October 2024, taking the total to eleven.
How to use: GS1 Indian culture and GS2 federalism: answers on soft cultural federalism and regional heritage as national heritage.
Mains value-add: Article 29(1): any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture has the right to conserve it — cite it to argue that exchanges like the Sangamam rest on constitutional protection of diversity, not on forced uniformity.
Target Mains question: Discuss how cultural exchange programmes can strengthen national integration without imposing uniformity. (10 marks, 150 words)
Abbreviations: IIT: Indian Institute of Technology
Rani Chennamma of Kittur: the 1824 revolt and early resistance to annexation
Modern History Syllabus: GS1 › Modern Indian history › 1857 and early resistance
Why in news. Rani Chennamma's October 1824 victory over the Company is remembered as one of the earliest armed challenges to annexation through refusal to recognise an adopted heir.
- Trigger: Kittur's ruler died in 1816 and his successor in 1824 without an heir; the Company refused to recognise Chennamma's adopted heir, Shivalingappa, and tried to take over administration.
- Armed response: Her forces defeated the Company's troops in October 1824 and killed Dharwad's Collector, St John Thackeray; a larger Company campaign captured her in December 1824.
- Aftermath: She died in captivity at Bailhongal fort in 1829; her commander Sangolli Rayanna carried on guerrilla resistance until he was hanged in 1831.
- Significance: The adoption dispute foreshadowed Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse (from 1848), showing that succession was the root grievance of annexation.
Know the concept · Resistance before 1857
- What it covers: Armed opposition to Company rule before the Revolt of 1857 took tribal, peasant and princely forms.
- Princely cases: Kittur (1824) and Travancore's Velu Thampi (1809) were revolts by ruling houses against Company control.
- Other forms: Paika rebellion in Odisha (1817), Kol rising (1831) and Santhal rebellion (1855) were agrarian and tribal.
- Key grievance: Loss of succession rights and territory through the Company's annexation policies.
- Not to confuse: Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie, from 1848, denied adopted heirs) with Subsidiary Alliance (Wellesley, from 1798, subordinated rulers through a protecting force).
Prelims angle: Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore rose against the Company in 1809 and issued the Kundara Proclamation.
UPSC asked (Mains GS1 2019): The 1857 Uprising was the culmination of the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate. Open →
How to use: GS1 Modern History: answers on pre-1857 revolts and on women in the freedom struggle.
Mains value-add: Dalhousie annexed Satara (1848) first under the Doctrine of Lapse, followed by Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur (1854) — cite it to argue that Kittur's succession grievance was a pattern that built up to the Revolt of 1857.
Target Mains question: Examine the causes and significance of pre-1857 resistance to the East India Company, with reference to Kittur. (10 marks, 150 words)
Quick facts & examples — GS1
- Nuakhai is the harvest festival of western Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh: the first new rice (nua = new, khai = eat) is offered to the deity before the community eats it; Nuakhai Milan gatherings now carry it to the diaspora.
How to use: GS1 Indian culture: example of agrarian festivals as markers of regional identity. - The Lalit Kala Akademi, the national academy of fine arts under the Ministry of Culture (established 1954), holds the National Exhibition of Art (65th edition) and the Print Biennale India (3rd edition, 2026), and gives awards to artists.
How to use: GS1 Indian culture: institution to name when answering on state patronage of visual arts. - Ritwik Ghatak (born Dhaka, 1925), filmmaker of Partition's displacement, was honoured with a retrospective showing restored prints of Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Komal Gandhar (1961) and Subarnarekha (1962), grouped as his Partition trilogy.
How to use: GS1 Post-Independence India and culture: example of cinema recording Partition's human cost.
GS Paper 2
Polity, governance, social justice, health, international relations
Forest Rights Act, 2006: the third regional review and what it stressed
Governance & Tribal Welfare Syllabus: GS1 › Indian society & diversity › Tribes: scheduled areas, PESA & forest rights
Why in news. The Tribal Affairs Ministry's three-part regional review of the Forest Rights Act urged reasoned rejection of claims, convergence of community forest plans with working plans, and faster Habitat Rights for PVTGs.
Story so far: 22 Oct Daily Brief, "From Forest Rights to Farm Livelihoods: Pulses and Oilseeds on FRA Lands": forest-rights land as pulse and oilseed clusters. New this week: the third regional review of how the Act is implemented. Read it →
- Rights recognised: The Act recognises individual forest rights (up to 4 hectares), community rights and Community Forest Resource rights to protect, regenerate and manage forest.
- Process: The Gram Sabha's Forest Rights Committee verifies claims, which move to Sub-Divisional and District Level Committees, with a State Level Monitoring Committee on top.
- Delivery: About 54 lakh claims were received by 31 August 2026, 80.64% disposed of and 25.42 lakh titles issued; every rejection needs a written reasoned order with appeal preserved.
- Gap: Habitat Rights are recognised for only 11 of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, and community plans clash with Forest Department working plans.
Know the concept · Community Forest Resource rights
- What it is: The right of a village community to protect, conserve and manage forest it has traditionally used, under Section 3(1)(i) of the Act.
- Who decides: The Gram Sabha, which prepares the management plan and controls minor forest produce.
- Eligibility: Scheduled Tribes in forest areas, and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers of three generations (75 years) before 13 December 2005.
- Aim: Corrects the 'historical injustice' of denying forest dwellers recognised rights; the Tribal Affairs Ministry is the nodal ministry.
- Not to confuse: Joint Forest Management (Forest Department-led, from 1990 guidelines) with CFR rights (Gram Sabha-owned governance under a statute).
Prelims angle: Section 4(5) of the Forest Rights Act bars eviction of forest dwellers until recognition and verification of their rights is complete.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2018): Consider the following statements: Open →
How to use: GS2 welfare of vulnerable sections and devolution, GS3 environment: answers on tribal rights versus conservation.
Mains value-add: Orissa Mining Corporation v. Ministry of Environment and Forests (Niyamgiri, 2013): the Supreme Court gave Gram Sabhas the decisive voice on Dongria Kondh cultural and religious rights over bauxite mining — cite it to argue that FRA gram sabha powers are binding on development projects.
Target Mains question: Critically examine the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the role of the Gram Sabha in it. (15 marks, 250 words)
Abbreviations: CFR: community forest resource · FRA: Forest Rights Act
Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: how India's senior citizen scheme is built
Welfare of Vulnerable Sections Syllabus: GS2 › Welfare of vulnerable sections › Persons with disabilities, elderly & displaced
Why in news. The Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) is the Social Justice Ministry's umbrella scheme for elderly welfare, resting on three components: care facilities, state action plans and regional training centres.
- Care facilities: The Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens gives grants to NGOs, States, Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies for senior citizen homes, continuous care homes and mobile medicare units.
- State plans: The State Action Plan funds trained geriatric caregivers and cataract surgery drives; States may use up to 20% for state-specific programmes and must add their own resources.
- Training: Regional Resource and Training Centres act as nodal agencies for training, research and awareness on ageing, with ₹19.58 lakh a year each.
- Legal and policy base: The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 is the legal backbone and the National Policy for Older Persons (1999) the policy frame.
Know the concept · Elderly care framework
- Constitutional basis: Article 41 (Directive Principle) directs the State to make effective provision for public assistance in old age.
- Statute: Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 makes maintenance of parents a legal duty.
- Policy: National Policy for Older Persons (1999) set the first policy frame for ageing.
- Income support: Pensions for the elderly poor come through the National Social Assistance Programme.
- Not to confuse: AVYAY (care infrastructure and training grants) with NSAP pensions (cash assistance to elderly below the poverty line).
Prelims angle: Vayoshreshtha Samman, the national award for senior citizens and institutions, is given on 1 October, the International Day of Older Persons.
How to use: GS2 welfare of vulnerable sections and GS1 population ageing: answers on care economy and pension gaps.
Mains value-add: India Ageing Report 2023 (UNFPA) puts the elderly at about 10.5% of population in 2022, rising to 20.8% by 2050 — cite it to argue that elderly care must move from charity to a planned health, pension and housing system.
Target Mains question: Evaluate the adequacy of India's policy framework for senior citizens in the light of demographic ageing. (15 marks, 250 words)
Abbreviations: NSAP: National Social Assistance Programme
Drug demand reduction: NAPDDR and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
Social Issues & Health Syllabus: GS3 › Border management & organised crime › Organised crime, drugs & terror linkages
Why in news. The demand side of India's drug policy runs through treatment and rehabilitation under NAPDDR and community awareness under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, alongside supply-side enforcement.
- Treatment: NAPDDR (from 2018-19) of the Social Justice Ministry funds Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts, counselling, awareness and community outreach.
- Awareness: Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan began on 15 August 2020 in 272 vulnerable districts, was later extended nationwide.
- Division of labour: Supply reduction rests with the Home Ministry and Narcotics Control Bureau, demand reduction with Social Justice, and harm reduction with Health.
- Goal: The Centre has set a target of rooting out the drug trade by 31 December 2029.
Know the concept · Drug control architecture
- Law: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 punishes trafficking harshly but allows treatment for addicts.
- Constitutional basis: Article 47 directs the State to prohibit consumption of intoxicating drugs injurious to health, except for medicinal purposes.
- Enforcement: Narcotics Control Bureau, set up in 1986 under the NDPS Act, is the nodal enforcement agency.
- Three pillars: Supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction together form India's approach.
- Not to confuse: Demand reduction (preventing and treating use) with harm reduction (limiting damage to users, such as opioid substitution therapy).
Prelims angle: The Golden Crescent (Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan) and Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand) are the two main illicit opium regions near India.
UPSC asked (Mains GS3 2023): The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders to ferry arms/ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to the internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat. Open →
How to use: GS2 social issues and health, GS3 internal security: answers on drug trafficking and addiction as a health problem.
Mains value-add: Section 64A of the NDPS Act gives immunity from prosecution to an addict who volunteers for treatment — cite it to argue that the law itself treats dependence as a health problem while it punishes trafficking.
Target Mains question: Discuss why demand reduction is as important as supply reduction in tackling India's drug problem. (10 marks, 150 words)
Abbreviations: NDPS: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Act, 1985)
Law Commission's conference on cooperative federalism in law reform
Polity & Federalism Proposal — not yet in force Syllabus: GS2 › Federalism & devolution › Cooperative & fiscal federalism
Why in news. The 23rd Law Commission's conference with State law reform bodies urged coordination without forced uniformity; its suggestions on joint dockets and post-enactment review remain proposals, not decisions.
- Institution: The Law Commission is a non-statutory, executive body set up by Government resolution for a fixed three-year term; it is not created by the Constitution or an Act.
- Constitutional ground: Law-making powers are split across the Union, State and Concurrent Lists of the Seventh Schedule, which is why Centre-State coordination matters in law reform.
- Proposals: A common law-reform docket, joint studies, post-enactment review, a 'citizen friction test' for proposed laws and joint issue papers within about six months.
- Priorities: Continuous institutional dialogue, evidence-based and participatory reform, technology with human oversight, and citizen-centric legal design.
Know the concept · Law Commission of India
- Origin: The first post-Independence Law Commission was set up in 1955 under M.C. Setalvad.
- Function: Advises the Government on review and reform of laws when asked, or on its own; its reports are only recommendatory.
- Concurrency rule: On Concurrent List subjects, Article 254 gives Union law precedence in conflict unless the State law has Presidential assent.
- Partners: State Law Commissions and equivalent bodies work with the central Commission.
- Not to confuse: Law Commission (non-statutory, advisory) with the Finance Commission (constitutional body under Article 280).
UPSC asked (Mains ESSAY 2016): Cooperative federalism : Myth or reality Open →
How to use: GS2 federalism and statutory, non-statutory bodies: answers on cooperative federalism and advisory institutions.
Mains value-add: The Sarkaria Commission (1988) recommended a standing Inter-State Council under Article 263, set up in 1990 — cite it to argue that cooperative federalism needs permanent institutions, not only conferences.
Target Mains question: Evaluate the proposals for cooperative federalism in law reform put forward by the Law Commission conference. (10 marks, 150 words)
Quick facts & examples — GS2
- India's Parliament hosts the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on the theme 'Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development', with sessions on resilience, innovation (AI and digital technologies), cooperation (more representative global governance) and sustainability.
How to use: GS2 International Relations: example of parliamentary diplomacy supporting BRICS goals. - PM-DAKSH, a central sector scheme of 2020-21 skilling SCs, OBCs, EWS, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis, was merged with PMKVY from 2024-25 to avoid duplication; institutions must place 70% of trained candidates or forfeit 30% of training cost.
How to use: GS2 welfare schemes: shows scheme rationalisation and output-linked funding. - A nationwide saturation campaign (21 October to 31 December 2026) covering about 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies drives enrolment in PMJJBY, PMSBY, Atal Pension Yojana and PMJDY, re-KYC, KCC applications and unclaimed-assets awareness.
How to use: GS2 governance: example of saturation approach to financial inclusion. - The Capacity Building Commission oversees the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building under Mission Karmayogi (2020), shifting training from rule-based to role-based; Sadhana Shrinkhla workshops convert training institutions into competency-driven Capacity Building Institutions.
How to use: GS2 governance and civil services reform: example of role-based competency training. - The Central Consumer Protection Authority invoked the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-Commerce Rules, 2020, read with the Explosives Act, 1884, against online listings of ammonium nitrate, picric acid, PETN and gunpowder; lawful sale needs a PESO licence.
How to use: GS2 consumer protection and governance: shows platform liability and regulator action. - India and Saudi Arabia are discussing a proposed grid interconnection, with Saudi interest in extra-high-voltage transmission, renewable integration, data-centre demand and grid code updates; no project has been agreed yet.
How to use: GS2 International Relations: example of energy connectivity under discussion with West Asia. - Under NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem, Social Justice with Housing and Urban Affairs), sanitation workers can get bank loans with capital subsidy under Swachhta Udyami Yojana to buy sewer and septic-tank cleaning machines.
How to use: GS2 welfare of vulnerable sections: example of replacing manual scavenging with mechanisation and enterprise.
Abbreviations: BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (and newer members) · EWS: economically weaker sections · KCC: Kisan Credit Card · PESO: Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation · PETN: pentaerythritol tetranitrate (an explosive) · PM-DAKSH: Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi · PMJDY: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana · PMJJBY: Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana · PMKVY: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana · PMSBY: Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
GS Paper 3
Economy, agriculture, infrastructure, S&T, environment, security
GS3 · Infrastructure: airports · decade review
UDAN at ten: from subsidising flights to building the airports
Syllabus: GS3 › Infrastructure › Airports & aviation
Why in news. UDAN, the Regional Connectivity Scheme of 21 October 2016, turned ten. Its next phase (2026-27 to 2035-36, ₹28,840 crore) shifts money from subsidising flights to building and running airports.
Key Details
- Design: Airlines bid for unserved routes, cap fares on a share of seats, and receive viability gap funding for the loss on each route.
- Outcome: Frontier, pilgrim and farm towns joined the air map; India is now the world's third-largest domestic aviation market.
- Weak link: Routes lapsed when support ended or aircraft were short, so the next phase pays for upkeep, helipads and Indian aircraft.
- Centre–State: 21 MoUs link the Centre, States/UTs and the Airports Authority of India; States nominate airstrips on a Challenge Mode Portal.
Data / Facts / Example
- Next phase (from 4 July 2026): 100 airports from unserved airstrips (₹12,159 crore), 200 helipads (₹3,661 crore), three years' O&M for about 441 aerodromes (₹2,577 crore).
- Viability gap funding: ₹10,043 crore over ten years: up to five years per route, tapering from year three; route exclusivity three years.
- Indian aircraft: ₹400 crore for two HAL Dhruv helicopters (Pawan Hans) and two HAL Dornier aircraft (Alliance Air).
Know the concept · UDAN, the Regional Connectivity Scheme
- What it is: A market-based scheme of the Civil Aviation Ministry, born of the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016; the Airports Authority of India implements it.
- Viability gap funding: Covers the gap between a route's cost and its capped-fare revenue; the Centre's share comes from a levy on other domestic flights.
- Route exclusivity: The winning airline has the route to itself for a fixed period, so that it can build demand.
- First flight: Shimla–Delhi, April 2017; heliports and water aerodromes were added in later bidding rounds.
- Not to confuse: Krishi UDAN (air freight of farm produce) and Lifeline UDAN (medical cargo flights of 2020) are separate schemes.
Prelims angle
- India's airports are run by the Airports Authority of India, a statutory body created under the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994.
UPSC asked · Mains GS3 2024
What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government’s UDAN Scheme and its achievements.
Open in the PYQ Vault → How to use in UPSC Mains
GS3 (infrastructure, investment models) and GS2 (Centre–State cooperation): use it to show a shift from subsidising demand to creating assets.
Regional air connectivity schemes fail when they subsidise flights but not airports. Evaluate UDAN's first decade and the design of its next phase. (15 marks, 250 words)
Intro: UDAN (2016) put frontier, pilgrim and farm towns on the air map; airports rose from 74 to 166, but many routes lapsed.
Body: economic (markets, tourism, air cargo); social (medical access, Deoghar AIIMS); federal (cost-sharing, challenge portal); fiscal (tapered VGF); strategic (frontier airfields such as Tezu); industrial (Indian aircraft).
Way forward: Reward route survival after support ends; prefer helipads and seaplanes on thin routes; plan with rail and road on PM GatiShakti; publish route-wise outcomes.
Mains value-add: The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 capped regional fares at about ₹2,500 for a one-hour flight — cite it to argue that UDAN was designed as an equity measure, not a commercial one.
Target Prelims MCQModerate
With reference to civil aviation in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Airports Authority of India was constituted under an Act of Parliament.
2. Under UDAN, viability gap funding is borne entirely by the Union Government.
3. Krishi UDAN is the passenger-flight component of UDAN for agricultural districts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(a) 1 is correct: the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994. 2 is incorrect: States share the viability gap funding with the Centre. 3 is incorrect: Krishi UDAN moves farm produce by air; it is not a passenger scheme.
Abbreviations: AIIMS: All India Institute of Medical Sciences · HAL: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited · VGF: viability gap funding
GS3 · Energy: storage and renewables
Pumped storage hydropower: the 'water battery' for a renewable grid
Syllabus: GS3 › Infrastructure › Energy: renewables, nuclear & access
Why in news. With a 500 GW non-fossil target for 2030, India plans to take pumped storage, the 'water battery', from about 7.4 GW in 2026 to over 100 GW by 2035-36.
Key Details
- How it works: Surplus power pumps water to an upper reservoir; at peak demand it runs down through turbines: storage for hours, not minutes.
- Why now: Solar peaks at noon and demand in the evening; the CEA projects 73.93 GW of storage need by 2031-32 (26.69 GW pumped, 47.24 GW batteries).
- Where: 320 sites with 345.38 GW identified; the Western Region leads (129.72 GW) on the steep rivers of the Western Ghats.
- Ecology: Off-stream sites away from rivers are preferred: quicker to build and less harmful to aquatic ecology.
Data / Facts / Example
- Policy: Promotion guidelines (April 2023); tariff-based bidding rules (February 2025); 100% inter-State transmission charge waiver for 25 years if awarded by 30 June 2028.
- Approvals: Project-report concurrence cut from 90 to 50 days; closed-loop schemes exempt from CEA concurrence; B2 environmental category for eligible projects.
- Global: About 159.8 GW installed worldwide at the end of 2025: China about 66 GW, Japan 22, the United States 19; India fourth.
Know the concept · Storage on the grid
- Three types: On-stream (both reservoirs on a river), off-stream open-loop (one on a watercourse), off-stream closed-loop (neither on a perennial watercourse).
- Round-trip efficiency: Pumping uses more power than generation returns: roughly 70-80% comes back. It pays because it buys cheap surplus power and sells at peak.
- Grid services: Peaking power, reserves, black-start and inertia from heavy rotating machines, all of which a solar-heavy grid lacks.
- Batteries: Battery systems respond in milliseconds for short balancing; pumped storage shifts large amounts of energy over hours and lasts for decades.
- Not to confuse: Pumped storage stores energy and is not a net generator; a run-of-the-river hydro project generates from river flow with little storage.
Prelims angle
- Pumped storage needs a large height difference ('head') between reservoirs; the Western Ghats give Maharashtra India's highest State potential, 67.36 GW.
UPSC asked · Prelims GS1 2024
Recently, the term "pumped-storage hydropower" is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following?
Answer: (c)
Open in the PYQ Vault → How to use in UPSC Mains
GS3 (energy security, infrastructure, environment): storage is the bottleneck of the energy transition, not generation.
Storage, not generation, is the real bottleneck of India's energy transition. Discuss the role of pumped storage hydropower. (10 marks, 150 words)
Intro: A 500 GW non-fossil target needs about 74 GW of storage by 2031-32, over a third of it from pumped storage.
Body: technical (long duration, inertia); economic (buy surplus, sell at peak; transmission waiver); environmental (closed-loop versus on-stream; forest and water); regional (Western Ghats, Odisha); policy (2023 guidelines, 2025 bidding).
Way forward: Prioritise closed-loop sites; tender batteries and pumped storage together; plan storage with transmission; assess basin-wide impacts.
Mains value-add: India's updated NDC (2022) commits to about 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 — cite it to argue that storage is now a climate commitment, not only a grid problem.
Target Prelims MCQModerate–Hard
With reference to hydropower in India, consider the following statements:
1. Large hydropower projects are classified as renewable energy.
2. Small hydro projects of up to 25 MW come under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
3. Over a full cycle, a pumped storage plant generates more electricity than it consumes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 is correct: large hydro (above 25 MW) has counted as renewable energy since March 2019. 2 is correct: small hydro is with the MNRE. 3 is incorrect: pumping consumes more than generation returns; the plant is a store, not a net producer.
Abbreviations: CEA: Central Electricity Authority · GW: gigawatt · MNRE: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy · MW: megawatt
GS3 · Agriculture and renewable energy
Agrivoltaics: one field, two harvests
Syllabus: GS3 › Conservation, pollution & EIA › Renewable energy transition & just transition
Why in news. India hosted the 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference (New Delhi, 21–23 October), the first in the Global South, and announced an agrivoltaics programme under PM-KUSUM's next phase.
Key Details
- The idea: Crops and solar panels on one field: raised panels, inter-row layouts or trackers. Partial shade cuts heat stress and evaporation.
- Where India stands: Still pilots: 36 projects of about 37.5 MW by August 2025, though 47.35 million hectares of cropland screen as suitable.
- Small-farm test: The average holding is 0.96 hectare and over 85% of farmers are small or marginal, so ownership and lease models decide who gains.
- Announced, not in force: A PM-KUSUM agrivoltaics programme; Odisha's draft policy would keep at least 90% of each site cultivable.
Data / Facts / Example
- PM-KUSUM (2019): About ₹34,422 crore of central assistance: component A (small solar plants), B (standalone pumps), C (solarised grid pumps).
- Institutions: A Centre of Excellence by the National Institute of Solar Energy with IARI (100 kW pilot); the India Agrivoltaics Alliance (2023, NSEFI).
- Potential: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh hold about half the estimated potential.
Know the concept · Agrivoltaics and land use
- Land-equivalent ratio: The land two separate uses would need to match one dual-use field; above 1, the combination beats separation.
- Crops that suit: Shade-tolerant fruits, vegetables, spices and medicinal plants; sun-loving staples tend to lose yield under panels.
- State models: Maharashtra's Saur Krushi Vahini 2.0, Gujarat's Kisan Suryoday (daytime farm power), Karnataka's Surya Raitha (solar pumps).
- Standards: The Global Agrivoltaics Climate-Zone Technical Framework, launched at the conference, guides design by climate zone.
- Not to confuse: Agrivoltaics shares farmland with crops; floating and canal-top solar use water surfaces; solar parks take land out of farming.
Prelims angle
- The International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris (2015), has its headquarters at Gurugram, Haryana.
UPSC asked · Mains GS1 2025
Explain briefly the ecological and economic benefits of solar energy generation in India with suitable examples.
Open in the PYQ Vault → How to use in UPSC Mains
GS3 (agricultural inputs, energy, land use): present agrivoltaics as an answer to the land conflict between solar parks and farming.
Can agrivoltaics resolve the conflict between land for food and land for solar energy in India? Examine. (10 marks, 150 words)
Intro: Ground-mounted solar competes with farming for land; agrivoltaics grows crops and power on one field.
Body: economic (second income, daytime power); agronomic (shade, water saving, crop choice); social (small holdings, tenants); energy (generation near feeders); institutional (PM-KUSUM, NISE centre, ISA).
Way forward: Climate-zone design standards; farmer-owned or leased models with cultivation guaranteed; cooperative and FPO finance; yield monitoring.
Mains value-add: PM-KUSUM's component A lets farmers set up solar plants of up to 2 MW on their land and sell the power to the distribution company — cite it to argue that a farmer can be a power producer, not only a consumer.
Target Prelims MCQEasy–Moderate
With reference to PM-KUSUM, consider the following statements:
1. It is a scheme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched in 2019.
2. One of its components supports standalone solar pumps for irrigation.
3. Its solar plants can be set up only on land owned by the Central Government.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 is correct: launched in February 2019 by the MNRE. 2 is correct: component B funds standalone solar pumps. 3 is incorrect: component A plants are set up on farmers' own (barren, fallow or farm) land.
Abbreviations: COP21: 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (Paris, 2015) · FPO: Farmer Producer Organisation · ISA: International Solar Alliance · MNRE: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy · MW: megawatt · NISE: National Institute of Solar Energy · NSEFI: National Solar Energy Federation of India
GS3 · Environment: river pollution
Namami Gange's sewage toolkit: matching the technology to the town
Syllabus: GS3 › Conservation, pollution & EIA › Pollution: air, water & waste
Why in news. An account of the Namami Gange Programme's sewage work shows a 'technology-neutral' approach: the treatment plant is matched to the town, from Himalayan shrines to Patna.
Key Details
- The problem: Town sewage is a principal pollutant of the Ganga, so treatment capacity (about 6,600 MLD taken up in ten basin States) is the core.
- Hill sites: Electrocoagulation and Japanese Johkasou packaged units serve cold, remote shrines such as Badrinath; a soil-biotechnology plant runs at Devprayag.
- Small towns: Constructed wetlands on Bithoor's drains cut BOD from about 75 to below 10 mg/l; septage plants serve unsewered towns such as Chunar.
- Big cities: NEREDA at Patna uses about half the power of the conventional process; sludge biogas meets half or more of some plants' power needs.
Data / Facts / Example
- Firsts: The Food Chain Reactor was introduced in India (Bhatpara, Prayagraj); the first four-storey municipal plant stands at Muni Ki Reti (7.5 MLD on about 900 sq m).
- Paying for results: The Assi drain pilot at Varanasi pays only for water treated to target, with no upfront capital payment.
- Programme: Launched 2014; pillars: sewerage, river fronts, surface cleaning, biodiversity, afforestation, awareness, industrial effluent, Ganga Gram.
Know the concept · River-cleaning governance
- NMCG: The National Mission for Clean Ganga implements the programme; the National Ganga Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, oversees it.
- Legal basis: A 2016 Authorities Order under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 created the Council and gave the Mission its powers.
- BOD: Biochemical oxygen demand: the oxygen microbes need to break down organic matter; bathing-water criteria cap it at 3 mg/l.
- Hybrid Annuity Model: Part of a plant's cost is paid during construction and the rest as annuities over the operating years, tied to performance.
- Not to confuse: The Ganga Action Plan (1985) was the first cleaning programme; Namami Gange (2014) is the integrated mission; 'National River' status came in 2008.
Prelims angle
- The Ganges river dolphin, India's National Aquatic Animal (2009), is an indicator of river health and a focus of the programme's biodiversity work.
UPSC asked · Prelims GS1 2024
"Membrane Bioreactors" are often discussed in the context of:
Answer: (d)
Open in the PYQ Vault → How to use in UPSC Mains
GS3 (pollution, sanitation) and GS2 (urban governance): river cleaning is a sanitation-chain problem, not only a money problem.
Cleaning the Ganga is a problem of sanitation design as much as of money. Discuss with reference to the technologies adopted under Namami Gange. (15 marks, 250 words)
Intro: Namami Gange (2014) has taken up about 6,600 MLD of treatment capacity and lets each site choose its technology.
Body: environmental (BOD, dissolved oxygen); technological (NEREDA, wetlands, electrocoagulation); urban (sewer connections, septage); financial (HAM, pay-for-results, biogas); governance (NMCG, Council, States).
Way forward: Long-term performance contracts; mandatory reuse of treated water; house connections in every project; real-time discharge monitoring.
Mains value-add: In M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (1987) the Supreme Court ordered Kanpur's tanneries to close until they treated their effluent — cite it to argue that the courts have long enforced the polluter's duty on the Ganga.
Target Prelims MCQModerate
With reference to the cleaning of the Ganga, consider the following statements:
1. The National Ganga Council is chaired by the Prime Minister.
2. The Namami Gange Programme was the first government programme to clean the Ganga.
3. The Ganga was declared India's National River in 2008.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 is correct: the Council was set up under the 2016 Authorities Order with the Prime Minister as chair. 2 is incorrect: the Ganga Action Plan of 1985 came first. 3 is correct: National River status was given in 2008.
Abbreviations: BOD: biochemical oxygen demand · HAM: Hybrid Annuity Model · MLD: million litres a day · NMCG: National Mission for Clean Ganga
Air-independent propulsion: indigenous fuel-cell module for Kalvari-class submarines
Defence technology Syllabus: GS3 › Indian achievements in S&T › Defence R&D: missiles, aircraft & indigenisation
Why in news. DRDO's fuel-cell Air Independent Propulsion module has entered its next integration phase, aimed at extending the submerged endurance of Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarines.
- Technology: A hydrogen-based fuel-cell module, built by the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), lets a diesel-electric boat stay submerged far longer without surfacing.
- Institutional: DRDO designs, industry builds and integrates, and the Navy certifies: the module is energised and tested to Navy protocols before fitment at Mazagon Dock.
- Strategic: Longer endurance cuts the exposure from snorkelling, raising stealth; it is an upgrade path for existing hulls, not a substitute for nuclear submarines.
- Risk: Hydrogen and fuel cells inside a pressure hull demand an exacting safety culture, which is the central engineering challenge.
Know the concept · Air-independent propulsion (AIP)
- What it is: Power source that works without atmospheric oxygen, so a conventional submarine need not surface or snorkel to run engines.
- Why it matters: Diesel-electric boats must otherwise surface every few days to recharge batteries; AIP extends submerged endurance to weeks.
- Main types: Fuel cells, closed-cycle steam turbines (such as France's MESMA) and Stirling engines.
- Indian context: Kalvari class is the Scorpene design built at Mazagon Dock under Project-75; AIP is fitted as a plug-in hull section.
- Not to confuse: Nuclear propulsion: a reactor gives endurance limited mainly by crew and supplies, and higher speed; AIP only extends a conventional boat's endurance.
Prelims angle: INS Kalvari, the first Scorpene-class boat, was commissioned in December 2017; the class is named after the tiger shark.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2026): Which of the following items of defence hardware is/are manufactured in India? Open →
How to use: GS3 (defence technology, indigenisation): an example of DRDO-industry-Navy co-development for an answer on import substitution.
Mains value-add: Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 ranks 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)', meaning Indian-designed, developed and manufactured, as the top procurement category — cite it to argue that indigenous subsystems like AIP are policy design, not stopgap substitution.
Target Mains question: Examine how indigenous air-independent propulsion strengthens India's conventional submarine fleet, and the limits it cannot overcome. (10 marks, 150 words)
Abbreviations: DRDO: Defence Research and Development Organisation · INS: Indian Naval Ship
Access and benefit sharing: crop-based payments routed to State biodiversity bodies
Environment and biodiversity Syllabus: GS3 › Conservation, pollution & EIA › Conservation of biodiversity, wetlands & forests
Why in news. The National Biodiversity Authority has distributed about ₹1.04 crore of benefit-sharing money from commercial use of cereal and vegetable crops, using an area-based formula because original custodians could not be traced.
Story so far: 23 Oct Daily Brief, "CBD COP17: First Global Review of the KMGBF": the global review of biodiversity targets. New this week: benefit-sharing money from crop resources reaching the States. Read it →
- Legal: Under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, commercial users of biological resources need NBA approval and must share benefits; the 2023 amendment eased compliance for AYUSH practitioners.
- Distribution: Crops bought through markets and traders leave no identifiable claimant, so money is shared among State Boards and UT Councils in proportion to crop area.
- Scale: Agriculture has generated about ₹87 crore of benefit-sharing contributions; the NBA has disbursed over ₹204 crore in all.
- International: The framework serves the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol and Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Framework on fair sharing, including digital sequence information.
Know the concept · Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)
- What it is: Rule that users of biological resources or related traditional knowledge obtain permission and share monetary or other benefits with providers.
- Legal basis: Biological Diversity Act, 2002, amended in 2023; Nagoya Protocol (adopted 2010, in force 2014, India a party).
- Institutions: National Biodiversity Authority (Chennai), State Biodiversity Boards and village Biodiversity Management Committees.
- Flow of money: Benefits go first to identifiable claimers; where none can be found, to State bodies for conservation and local use.
- Not to confuse: Intellectual property rights such as patents: ABS governs access to the resource and sharing of gains, not ownership of an invention.
Prelims angle: Kunming-Montreal Framework (2022) Target 3 is the '30 by 30' goal: protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2023): Consider the following statements: Open →
How to use: GS3 (environment, biodiversity governance): shows how benefit sharing turns conservation into livelihood income, and the gap in reaching custodians.
Mains value-add: Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity recognises States' sovereign rights over genetic resources, with access on prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms — cite it to argue that benefit sharing rests on sovereignty, not on treating genes as common heritage.
Target Mains question: Critically examine the access and benefit-sharing regime under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 in delivering gains to local custodians. (15 marks, 250 words)
Abbreviations: AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy · CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity · COP17: 17th Conference of the Parties (to the CBD) · KMGBF: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework · NBA: National Biodiversity Authority · UT: Union Territory
AATAL: tracing the chemistry and toxicity of Delhi-NCR's air
Science and environment Syllabus: GS3 › Conservation, pollution & EIA › Pollution: air, water & waste
Why in news. A new atmospheric chemistry and aerosol toxicity laboratory at IITM Delhi, described as a first-of-its-kind facility, aims to link air pollution to its sources and health effects.
- Scientific: Beyond measuring how much pollution there is, it analyses chemical composition, metals and other toxic elements in PM2.5, and how pollutants transform in the atmosphere.
- Policy: Real-time source apportionment separates vehicles, industry, biomass burning, dust and transported pollution, enabling targeted rather than blanket restrictions.
- Health: Toxicity analysis asks which components of particulate matter harm health most, a gap in mass-based standards.
- Institutional: Set up under Mission Mausam and hosted by IITM, a Ministry of Earth Sciences institute, with links to IMD forecasting.
Know the concept · Source apportionment
- What it is: Technique that estimates how much each source contributes to ambient pollution, using chemical fingerprints of particles.
- Why it matters: Lets policy target the dominant source at a given time rather than treat all sources alike.
- Mission Mausam: Approved by the Cabinet in 2024 to improve weather and climate observation, modelling and forecasting.
- Host: IITM is headquartered at Pune under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Not to confuse: AQI, which reports the level of pollutants; apportionment explains where they come from.
Prelims angle: India's National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 is 60 µg/m³ over 24 hours and 40 annually; WHO's 2021 guideline is 15 and 5.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2022): In the context of WHO Air Quality Guidelines, consider the following statements: Open →
How to use: GS3 (environment, science and technology): supports an argument for evidence-based, source-specific pollution policy.
Mains value-add: The National Clean Air Programme (2019) is a time-bound, city-level programme with a target of 20-30 per cent cut in particulate concentrations by 2024 over a 2017 base — cite it to argue that city plans need source-specific evidence of the kind such laboratories provide.
Target Mains question: Examine how source apportionment and toxicity studies can improve air-pollution policy in Delhi-NCR. (10 marks, 150 words)
Abbreviations: AATAL: Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory · AQI: air quality index · IITM: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology · IMD: India Meteorological Department · WHO: World Health Organization
Sagarmala Finance Corporation: a dedicated maritime NBFC
Economy and maritime Syllabus: GS3 › Infrastructure › Transport: roads, railways, ports & waterways
Why in news. Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, described as India's first dedicated maritime NBFC, has opened its permanent office; it channels Government maritime funds and lends to ports, shipbuilding and coastal logistics.
- Financial: Targets cumulative disbursements of ₹60,205 crore by 2030-31, dependent on equity support in line with RBI norms and its debt-to-equity ratio.
- Fund architecture: Maritime Investment Fund (Government share up to ₹9,800 crore) is managed by SBI Ventures; an Interest Incentivisation Fund eases shipyards' borrowing costs.
- Risk-sharing: Manages a credit-risk cover corpus under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme to protect shipyards and lenders against payment risk.
- Sectoral: Lending spans ports, rail and road links, inland waterways, coastal infrastructure, hinterland logistics, shipbuilding and ship repair.
Know the concept · Maritime Development Fund
- What it is: ₹25,000 crore corpus for long-gestation maritime projects, part of the shipbuilding and maritime financing package approved in September 2025.
- Components: Maritime Investment Fund (MIF) and Interest Incentivisation Fund (IIF).
- Parent programme: Sagarmala (2015) is the port-led development mission; SMFCL gives it a dedicated financing arm.
- Vision: Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 aims at a leading maritime nation.
- Not to confuse: Sagarmala (port-led development) with Bharatmala (road and highway development).
Prelims angle: The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 replaced the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, giving major ports greater autonomy.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2026): In what way(s) does the Vizhinjam International Seaport represent a structural shift in India's maritime trade and logistics policy? Open →
How to use: GS3 (infrastructure, economy): argues that long-gestation shipbuilding and port assets need patient, dedicated finance.
Mains value-add: The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021 created a development finance institution for long-term infrastructure credit — cite it to argue that a sector-specific finance arm follows the same DFI logic, but needs RBI-grade discipline.
Target Mains question: Evaluate the case for sector-specific financial institutions, such as a dedicated maritime NBFC, in building India's shipping and port capacity. (15 marks, 250 words)
Abbreviations: DFI: development finance institution · NBFC: non-banking financial company · RBI: Reserve Bank of India · SBI: State Bank of India · SMFCL: Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited
Zero Coupon Zero Principal instruments on the Social Stock Exchange
Economy and social finance Syllabus: GS2 › NGOs, SHGs & the development sector › CSR, donors & charities
Why in news. NSDC's first Zero Coupon Zero Principal issue on the NSE Social Stock Exchange raised ₹4 crore from NABARD for overseas-employment skilling of 600 youth from economically weaker OBC households in Madhya Pradesh.
- Financial: The ₹11.25 crore programme is blended: beneficiaries 15 per cent, Social Stock Exchange financing 35 per cent, and the State 50 per cent after successful placement.
- Outcome-linked: The State's share is payable on results under a bilateral Social Impact Bond between NSDC and Madhya Pradesh.
- Instrument: A ZCZP pays no interest and returns no principal; the investor's return is social impact, so it works like a structured donation.
- Social: Training for jobs in Japan and Germany includes residential training and language laboratories, with reporting of social outcomes.
Know the concept · Social Stock Exchange (SSE)
- What it is: Segment of a stock exchange where non-profits and eligible for-profit social enterprises raise funds for social causes.
- Origin: Announced in Budget 2019-20; SEBI notified its framework in 2022.
- ZCZP: Can be issued only by registered non-profit organisations.
- NSDC: Public-private company under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, with Government holding 49 per cent.
- Not to confuse: Social Impact Bond, where private investors fund services and are repaid on outcomes, with a ZCZP, which never repays the investor.
Prelims angle: India's first development impact bond, for girls' education in Rajasthan, ran from 2015 to 2018 with Educate Girls as the service provider.
How to use: GS3 (inclusive growth, capital markets) and GS2 (social sector): outcome-based financing links public money to results.
Mains value-add: The SEBI working group on the Social Stock Exchange (2019), chaired by Ishaat Hussain, recommended a social-enterprise segment on existing exchanges for non-profits and social enterprises — cite it to argue that the exchange widens funding but depends on credible impact measurement.
Target Mains question: Examine the role of the Social Stock Exchange and outcome-linked instruments in financing skilling and other social programmes. (15 marks, 250 words)
Abbreviations: NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development · NSDC: National Skill Development Corporation · NSE: National Stock Exchange · OBC: Other Backward Classes · SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India · ZCZP: Zero Coupon Zero Principal
Proposed national plan of action for small-scale inland fisheries
Agriculture and fisheries Proposal — not yet in force Syllabus: GS3 › Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS & food security › Animal rearing, fisheries & allied sectors
Why in news. The Department of Fisheries has begun developing a separate National Plan of Action for small-scale inland fisheries under an FAO framework; the plan is proposed and not yet finalised.
- Proposed scope: The plan would cover rivers, canals, reservoirs, lakes, floodplain wetlands, tanks and cold-water systems.
- Issues: It proposes to address fishing rights, decent work, gender equality, value chains, post-harvest trade, disaster risk and climate change.
- Economic: Inland fisheries supply about three-quarters of India's fish: 151.60 of 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
- Target: A national goal of 30 million tonnes of fish production within five years has been stated, alongside a Reservoir Fisheries Cluster in Madhya Pradesh.
Know the concept · Small-scale fisheries guidelines
- What it is: FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (2014) ask countries to prepare national plans of action.
- Inland focus: Aquaculture and reservoir culture produce far more than marine capture, making inland fisheries the growth engine.
- Scheme support: Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (2020) funds clusters, cold chains and cage culture; 34 fisheries clusters are notified.
- Not to confuse: Voluntary guidelines, which are non-binding, with a binding treaty obligation.
UPSC asked (Prelims GS1 2026): At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading voice on marine and ocean issues, especially on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and “Blue Transformation”. Open →
How to use: GS3 (agriculture and allied sectors, livelihoods): links inland fish output to blue-economy goals, fishing rights and women's role in value chains.
Mains value-add: Entry 21 of the State List covers fisheries, while Entry 57 of the Union List covers fishing beyond territorial waters — cite it to argue that an inland-fisheries plan can only succeed with State ownership.
Target Mains question: Evaluate the proposal for a separate national plan of action for small-scale inland fisheries in advancing livelihoods and sustainability. (15 marks, 250 words)
Quick facts & examples — GS3
- Gaya is among the new industrial cities under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme; its special purpose vehicle, Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited, was formally launched by the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation.
How to use: GS3 (industrial policy, regional development): an example of planned industrial nodes reaching eastern India. - India is hosting, for the first time, the 61st meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology, the steering body of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML); the Department of Consumer Affairs is organising it.
How to use: GS2/GS3 (consumer protection, standards): an example of India's role in global measurement standards. - Centaurus X-3, a high-mass X-ray binary pulsar, feeds through a disk, which is rare as most such systems accrete from the companion's stellar wind; Raman Research Institute scientists traced this to an accretion stream co-rotating with the pulsar.
How to use: GS3 (science and technology): an example of Indian basic-science research in astrophysics. - C-DAC, an autonomous society under MeitY, signed an MoU with Bank of India to build a quantum ecosystem for financial innovation, covering quantum-inspired and quantum-safe technologies for banking.
How to use: GS3 (science and technology, banking security): an example of preparing finance for quantum-era cyber risk. - Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh is now linked to the rail network for the first time since Independence, through the 53-km Satna-Devendranagar and 65-km Rewa-Churhat sections; the Lalitpur-Singrauli line is the larger project serving the Vindhya region.
How to use: GS3 (infrastructure, regional development): an example of rail connectivity reaching aspirational regions. - C-DOT, the Department of Telecommunications' R&D centre, signed an MoU to set up its sixth Centre of Excellence at IIT (BHU), Varanasi, on wireless, quantum, cybersecurity and AI-driven communication, including 5G Advanced and 6G.
How to use: GS3 (science and technology, communications): an example of industry-academia R&D for next-generation telecom. - The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹770 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars, which can detect fighter-size targets and mini or micro drones, to counter unmanned aerial threats.
How to use: GS3 (defence technology, internal security): an example of PSU-led indigenous counter-drone capability. - Khet Bachao Abhiyan (Rabi 2026) is a nationwide awareness campaign promoting soil-test-based fertiliser use, crop diversification, residue management, natural farming and water conservation across the rabi season.
How to use: GS3 (agriculture, soil health): an example of demand-side measures to rein in fertiliser overuse. - India has 103 Ramsar Sites over 13.87 lakh hectares in 28 States and Union Territories, first in Asia and third in the world, up from 26 in 2014; support comes from the Wetlands Rules 2017, NPCA, Amrit Dharohar and MISHTI.
How to use: GS3 (environment, conservation): a data point showing growth of wetland protection under policy support.
Abbreviations: MISHTI: Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes · NPCA: National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems