UPSC Key: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Genome India Project and European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass Mission

High-stakes trade race, India banks on market muscle for early US deal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: AS OVER 75 countries race to sign a trade deal with the US during the 90-day pause window to avert reciprocal tariffs, New Delhi is banking on its ability to replace third-country imports to the US, thereby helping to bridge the trade gap with Washington, a senior government official said.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is third country trade?

• Why New Delhi is banking on its ability to replace third-country imports to the US?

• What is 90-day pause window?

• Which Countries Are Retaliating and Which Are Negotiating Trump’s Tariffs?

• What are the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules on tariffs?

• What US Section 301 tariff measures says?

Key Takeaways:

• The official said that virtual discussions will begin this week, leading to broad clarity over the next six weeks — by the end of May — on what duty concessions can be offered by both sides, with the aim of signing a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by Fall as per the joint statement.

• If substantial progress is made within the 90-day window, and if there is a requirement, India and the US could sign an interim deal, the official added.

• Responding to concerns that concessions offered to other countries, such as Vietnam, under a US trade deal may put India at a disadvantage, the official said India is in a stronger position due to its ability to address the trade deficit with the US and absorb more imports.

• The official also clarified that the trade agreement will comply with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, and that allegations about the US abandoning the current world trade order may be incorrect. This comes amid allegations that several measures announced by US President Donald Trump don’t comply with WTO norms.

• India has a patchy track record in negotiating trade pacts with developed nations. However, a deal with the US is too big to miss. Enhanced access for labour-intensive exports could generate jobs, while deeper integration in the services sector could strengthen India’s IT industry. But to achieve that, India may be forced to cut its protections.

Do You Know:

• Section 301 is a legal tool that allows the US administration to unilaterally investigate and act against what it perceives as unfair trade practices by other countries. Under this mechanism, the US had earlier revoked India’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits.

• According to Investopedia, Some countries are attempting to negotiate deals with the U.S. in hopes of lowering tariffs. Others retaliated enforcing their own additional tariffs on U.S. goods.
—China had already planned a 34% retaliatory tariff. In response, Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese goods to 104% and those went into effect. The Chinese government responded by raising its levy on U.S. goods to 84%. In response, Trump increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% instead of giving the country a reprieve, as with most others.
—European Union officials voted to implement retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. The bloc’s tariffs will affect around $23.2 billion in U.S. exports, according to Bloomberg, and are in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs previously implemented, according to a statement released by officials. The tariffs will be implemented on April 15 and could be suspended should the two governing bodies reach a deal.
—The U.S.’s neighbors to the north also focused on auto tariffs, implementing a 25% import tax on American-made vehicles. These tariffs, like the U.S. counterparts, exclude USMCA automobiles.

• According to Investopedia, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said 70 countries had called to negotiate trade deals at the beginning of the week. Trump has posted on Truth Social that he has met with or had calls with several countries.
—Japanese government officials have been in talks with Trump, according to reports.
—Vietnam’s first attempt at a deal was dismissed by Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro early in the week but it reportedly is still attempting to negotiate with the administration.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The Basics of Tariffs and Trade Barriers

📍What Is a Tariff and Why Are They Important?

📍Unpacking the tariff game plan

Previous year UPSC mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (2019)

GOVT & POLITICS

Karnataka caste survey report: Muslims single-largest group, suggests OBC quota hike to 51%

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

What’s the ongoing story: The Karnataka caste survey report that was placed before the state Cabinet on April 11, over 13 months after the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission (KSBCC) presented it to the Siddaramaiah government, has estimated the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to be 69.6%, 38% more than existing estimates.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Karnataka caste survey report—what you know about the same?

• What are the other key findings of the survey?

• What exactly the Socio-Economic and Education Survey says?

• When and how was the survey undertaken?

• What is meant by caste census?

• What is the purpose of caste census?

• What is the importance of caste census?

• Has a caste census ever been conducted?

• What is the significance of the Karnataka caste survey findings?

• Who are the Lingayats and Vokkaligas?

• What changes does the report suggest?

• What will be the political impact?

Key Takeaways:

• The Socio-Economic and Education Survey, as the survey is known, recommended increasing the OBC quota in the state from the existing 32% to 51%.

• The report, yet to be made public, has recommended the creation of a new sub-category among the most backward classes to accommodate some communities that are currently categorised among OBCs and Dalits and have converted to Christianity.

• The report was commissioned during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s first term in 2014 under a panel headed by then KSBCC chairman H Kantharaj.

• Among the other key findings is that the numbers of all communities among the main backward castes are higher than the estimated numbers for reservation.

• The numbers for Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two dominant communities that fall under the III A and III B categories of OBC reservation, were found to be 12.2% and 13.6%, respectively.

• The general population estimate for these dominant communities, which also get quotas in state jobs and education, has been 17% and 15% of the population, respectively, while their OBC reservations are currently 4% and 5%, respectively. The two communities have been demanding increased quotas in recent times.

• Vokkaligas are politically identified with the Janata Dal (Secular) of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, while Lingayats are generally identified as a support base of the former CM and BJP leader B S Yediyurappa.

Do You Know:

• The report recommends changes to bring the quota matrix in line with the population of communities. The commission has recommended a 19 percentage point (pp) increase in OBC reservation from 32% to 51% after deletion of 19% (of the total of 69.6%) under the creamy layer category.

• Every Census in independent India from 1951 to 2011 has published data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but not on other castes. Before that, every Census until 1931 had data on caste.

• However, in 1941, caste-based data was collected but not published. M W M Yeats, the then Census Commissioner, said a note: “There would have been no all India caste table… The time is past for this enormous and costly table as part of the central undertaking…” This was during World War II.

• In the absence of such a census, there is no proper estimate for the population of OBCs, various groups within the OBCs, and others. The Mandal Commission estimated the OBC population at 52%, some other estimates have been based on National Sample Survey data, and political parties make their own estimates in states and Lok Sabha and Assembly seats during elections.

• With an approved cost of Rs 4,893.60 crore, the SECC was conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development in rural areas and the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation in urban areas. The SECC data excluding caste data was finalised and published by the two ministries in 2016.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why a caste Census is not ‘harmless’

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. Consider the following statements: (2009)
1. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the density of the population of India has increased more than three times.
2. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the annual growth rate (exponential) of the population of India has doubled.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

A global talent hub

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Population and associated issues

What’s the ongoing story: Ashish Dhawan and Shriya Lall Sethi Writes: Government should set up an institutional framework to drive overseas employment, position India as a global talent hub

Key Points to Ponder:

• ‘The world is grappling with a labour crisis, but India’s wealth is its people’-Decode the quote

• What are the key challenges faced by Indian emigrants seeking overseas employment?

• What is the demographic dividend?

• Why is India called a country of demographic dividends?

• How does the migration transition relate to the demographic transition?

• What is the significance of legal migration pathways in enabling India to harness its demographic dividend?

• Evaluate the role of skill development and certification in enhancing the employability of Indian workers abroad.

Key Takeaways:
Ashish Dhawan and Shriya Lall Sethi Writes

• The world is grappling with a labour crisis, but India’s wealth is its people. This puts India at the cusp of a unique opportunity.

• India’s migrants generate $125 billion or 3 per cent of the country’s GDP in remittances annually, more than any single sector of India’s merchandise exports. Yet, migrants constitute about 1.3 per cent of India’s population, substantially lower than Mexico (8.6 per cent), the Philippines (5.1 per cent), or Bangladesh (4.3 per cent). This indicates significant untapped potential for India to expand its global workforce footprint and increase its share in global circular migration flows.

• A study among 71 low-income nations has revealed that a 10 per cent rise in remittances reduced poverty by 3.5 per cent. By implementing a comprehensive strategy for temporary overseas employment, India can also reduce unauthorised migration routes.

• Reducing illegal migration will enhance our global standing by showcasing a commitment to responsible and organised migration practices, while short-term visas and pathways for circular migration will allay fears in developed nations about migrants being on a path to citizenship.

Do You Know:
Ashish Dhawan and Shriya Lall Sethi Writes

• Given India’s high levels of human capital and a young population seeking employment, the time has come to envision India as a global talent hub. Complementing “Make in India” with an “India for the World” programme would generate employment and leverage India’s demographic dividend.

• The US and Europe are already experiencing significant vacancies in core sectors — up to 73 per cent in truck driver positions and over 50 per cent for electrical engineers, cleaners, construction workers, and nurses in Europe. Significantly increasing the number of overseas employees would involve diversifying temporary migrant flows across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, encompassing white- and blue-collar workers.

• India should set up an institutional framework to drive overseas employment. This involves strengthening the central department under the Ministry of External Affairs to oversee migration.

• India can look to align its skilling and accreditation systems with international standards. India can establish financing mechanisms that ease the monetary burden on migrants.

• Transforming India into a global talent hub is not just an economic imperative but a strategic opportunity to leverage its demographic dividend. By building a strong foundation for talent development and mobility, India can position itself as a leading supplier of skilled and semi-skilled professionals worldwide.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Migration in India is slowing, reduced by 11.78 percent in 2023: PM advisory body report

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. To obtain full benefits of demographic dividend, what should India do? (2013)
(a) Promoting skill development
(b) Introducing more social security schemes
(c) Reducing infant mortality rate
(d) Privatization of higher education

3. Consider the following specific stages of demographic transition associated with economic development
1. Low birthrate with low death rate
2. High birthrate with high death rate
3. High birthrate with low death rate
Select the correct order of the above stages using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 2, 1, 3
(c) 2, 3, 1
(d) 3, 2, 1

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍“Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable? (2016)
📍“While we flaunt India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability.” What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain. ? (2014)

A MEMORY AND A PROMISE

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian National Movement

 Main Examination: General Studies I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

What’s the ongoing story: Sumit Samos Writes: At a time when political discourse often feels bankrupt of moral imagination, Ambedkar offers us a vision of justice rooted in dignity, law, and rationality.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Personality in News— Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s legacy transcends his role as a constitution-maker—Discuss

• How Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s ideas on social justice, caste, and democracy are relevant to contemporary India.

• The term “Constitutional Morality” as espoused by Ambedkar emphasizes what?

• What are the key elements of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s social philosophy?

• “Ambedkar has been used as political currency by parties of all hues, who carefully select his views as per convenience.”-Do you agree with the same?

• In his Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India, Ambedkar wrote that ancient Indian history was nothing but “a history of a mortal conflict between Buddhism and Brahmanism”-Discuss

Key Takeaways:

• Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is regarded today as among the tallest anti-caste Dalit leaders of India, a legal luminary who chaired the drafting of the Indian Constitution, and a man who championed a progressive vision for society.

• He was well aware of the reality that the end of centuries of colonial rule would not be enough to improve the condition of Dalits, women and other marginalised groups. Existing hierarchies and systems of inequality would continue to operate, and perhaps the biggest such perpetrator was the caste system.

• In 1936, Ambedkar was set to deliver a speech titled ‘Annihilation of Caste’ at a conference of the reformist Jat-Pat-Todak Mandal in Lahore. However, it was cancelled over demands for Ambedkar to edit the contents of his speech, which he refused to do.

• The enduring iconisation of Babasaheb by Dalits — despite relentless hostility and acts of desecration directed at his statues — has drawn both incredulity and resentment from sections of India’s elite.

• He understood with piercing clarity the dangers posed by religious majoritarianism and upper-caste dominance — if, unchecked, they could devastate social and religious minorities. Unlike his contemporaries, who placed their faith in moral appeals or modernisation — Gandhi, who urged Hindus and Muslims to embrace peace through moral introspection; Nehru, who believed industrial progress would resolve social hierarchies; and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who implored minorities to trust the goodwill of the majority — Ambedkar insisted on enforceable constitutional safeguards and institutional protections.

• He reinterpreted Indian history by centring the narratives of Dalit-Bahujans, in contrast to the glorification of ancient Hindu civilisation and anti-colonial nationalism that dominate conventional historiography.

• He was unsparing in his critique — not only of Hindu orthodoxy and colonial indifference but also of nationalist icons who ignored the plight of the oppressed. Yet, he acknowledged the British contribution in introducing the principle of equality before the law — he saw it as a momentous event that enabled the possibility of justice in a deeply hierarchical society.

Do You Know:

• Every year, April 14 is marked as Ambedkar Jayanti to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ and the first Law Minister of Independent India. It is also known as Equality Day, as Dr Ambedkar spent his life fighting for the rights of women, labour, and oppressed communities in India – eradicating social discrimination and thereby advocating equality for all the citizens of India in the eyes of the law.

• Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as BR Ambedkar remains one of the most instrumental figures in India’s democracy. Born on April 14, 1891, Ambedkar donned several hats. He was a jurist, economist, a politician and a social reformer.

• On October 14, 1956, B R Ambedkar along with 3,65,000 of his Dalit followers made history when they decided to leave the folds of Hinduism and embrace Buddhism. The conversion had come two decades after he had famously said that though he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. The announcement of conversion in 1935 had come after a series of agitations for human rights for “untouchables”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget for UPSC | Ambedkar Jayanti: Do you know how Father of Indian Constitution viewed Democracy and Buddhism?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4.Which of the following parties were established by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar? (2012)
1. The Peasants and Workers Party of India
2. All India Scheduled Castes Federation
3. The Independent Labour Party
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate. (2015)

ECONOMY

Trade war, Saudi bid to protect share have oil prices spiralling; India not complaining

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: There has been no dearth of drama in the escalating trade war between the United States and China, which is having a bearing across sectors globally. Apprehensions of a global recession due to the trade war, which could lead to slump in raw material demand has badly hit commodity markets.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What exactly is crude oil?

• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus (OPEC+)—Compare and Contrast

• What is the Opec+?

• Map Work—OPEC and OPEC+ Countries

• Why would major oil producers increase supply at a time when prices are facing intense downward pressure?

• How turmoil in recent global oil price can affect India’s economy?

• How can India leverage this situation to strengthen its economic position?

• How geopolitical factors, such as trade wars and production decisions by major oil-exporting countries influences global oil prices?

Key Takeaways:

• Crude oil is not different. Albeit, there are some additional theatrics to be seen in the world’s largest commodity market.

• At a time when oil prices were already spiraling amid the intensifying tariff war between Beijing and Washington, the world’s biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia along with a few allies shockingly added fuel to the fire by announcing a higher-than-anticipated production increase.

• Consequently, oil prices hit their lowest in over four years with the benchmark Brent crude briefly even slipping below $60 per barrel earlier this week. Another benchmark—West Texas Intermediate, or WTI—which usually trades at a discount to Brent, slid even lower.

• While there has been some minor recovery in prices since, the general sentiment around the so-called black gold remains bearish due to growing fears of a possible recession and increasing oil supply by Riyadh-led OPEC and its allies, or OPEC+.

• For instance, Goldman Sachs slashed its oil price forecast for 2026 twice in less than a week, pegging Brent at $58 per barrel next year. Brent had largely traded between $70 and $90 per barrel for the past two-and-a-half years.

• Notably for India, the slump in crude oil prices and the expectation that they will remain subdued for some time comes as a relief, even as various other fallouts of the Trump administration’s tariff policies could lead to some pain for the Indian economy.

• India is the world’s third-largest consumer of oil with an import dependency level of over 85 per cent. This makes India’s economy vulnerable to global oil price fluctuations. It also has a bearing on the country’s trade deficit, foreign exchange reserves, the rupee’s exchange rate, and inflation rate, among others.

Do You Know:

• As per latest estimates available with the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell of India’s oil ministry, the country’s crude oil import bill for the first 11 months of 2024-25 was almost $220 billion. Oil imports alone accounted for over a third of India’s overall merchandise import bill for the April-February.

• The move by Saudi Arabia and seven other OPEC+ members to accelerate the unwinding of production cuts came as a surprise.

• Another likely consequence of the move would be the detrimental impact of lower oil prices on American shale oil producers at a time when Donald Trump wants US oil and gas production to be ramped up.

• As per industry estimates, US shale producers need WTI to average around $65 per barrel to meaningfully expand production without taking on a loss. If oil prices sustain at $60 or below that, as envisaged by some industry analysts, it would be a herculean task for shale producers to ramp up, which indirectly could help dominant players like Saudi Arabia protect their share of the global oil market.

• It is worth remembering that a decade ago, Saudi Arabia itself initiated a sharp fall in oil prices by flooding the market, a move directly aimed at denting US shale producers’ ability to increase production at oil price levels that were unviable for them.

• The other big factor is what Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members do going forward in terms of managing global oil supply, and how long can they afford an oil price war, as earnings from oil form a substantial chunk of their revenues.

• A protracted price war and supply glut in the global oil market, while good for consuming countries like India, could deepen the cracks that have emerged within OPEC and OPEC+ over the past few years. It is highly unlikely that Saudi Arabia would want these cartels weakened.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Why global fuel prices are up, how India is impacted

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. The term ‘West Texas Intermediate’, sometimes found in news, refers to a grade of (2020)
(a) Crude oil
(b) Bullion
(c) Rare earth elements
(d) Uranium

EXPRESS NETWORK

India tests laser-directed energy weapon system, joins elite club of nations

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story: In a first, India entered an exclusive league of countries on Sunday after using a lethal 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system to neutralise missiles, drone and more.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system?

• What is a high energy laser weapon?

• What is considered a high powered laser?

• The indigenous Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system—know its key features

• What is inbuilt Electro Option (EO) system?

• How does Mk-II(A) DEW work?

• How Mk-II(A) DEW enhances India geopolitical stature?

Key Takeaways:

• The indigenous Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system’ successful trial by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the National Open Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool showcased its “Star Wars” capabilities.

• Thanks to an inbuilt Electro Option (EO) system, the laser weapon system detects targets using radar. As a result, the Sunday test trial saw the futuristic weapon fire a laser beam and destroy a drone after tracking it. The target in question was reportedly a Chinese-origin drone operated by the Pakistan Army.

• The homegrown warfare defence solution is powered by the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System built by the DRDO, which has a 2-kilowatt laser beam. Tapping into the game-changing electronic warfare capability, India has now entered the select league of nations — the United States, Russia, China and Israel — that have either already demonstrated it or are working on it.

Do You Know:

• “CHESS DRDO conducted a successful field demonstration of the Land version of Vehicle mounted Laser Directed Weapon(DEW) MK-II(A) at Kurnool today. It defeated the fixed wing UAV and Swarm Drones successfully causing structural damage and disabled the surveillance sensors. With this successful trial country has joined the exclusive club of the Global powers who possess the high power Laser DEW System,” the DRDO said in a post on X.

• Calling it just the “beginning of the journey,” DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat told ANI, “As far as I know, it is the United States, Russia and China that have demonstrated this capability. Israel is also working on similar capabilities, I would say we are the fourth or fifth country in the world to demonstrate this system.”

• He added, “The synergy that this lab has achieved with other DRDO labs, industry and academia, I am sure we will reach our destination soon… We are also working on other high energy systems like high energy microwaves, electromagnetic pulse. So we are working on a number of technologies that will give us Star Wars capability. What you saw today was one of the components of Star Wars technologies.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India becomes 4th nation having capabilities to shoot down fixed wing drone by laser beam

EXPLAINED

Genome India Project: why mapping genetic diversity matters

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General Science and Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-technology.

What’s the ongoing story: The first part of India’s ambitious programme to map the genetic diversity of its people is now complete, and its data are ready to be used. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is genome sequencing?

• What do you understand by the term ‘Genome’?

• How Genome and Gene differ from each other?

• What is the primary goal of the Genome India Project?

• How Genome India Project is significant in understanding India’s genetic diversity?

• What are the ethical and legal implications of making genome data available for research?

• What are the potential applications of genomic research in India?

Key Takeaways:

• The Genome India Project (GIP) has catalogued entire gene sequences of 10,000 individuals from 83 population groups. This database will eventually be expanded significantly, but it is already a precious set of information with important implications in health and medicine, and some other areas as well.

• The preliminary findings of GIP, in which 20 Indian academic and research institutions, and more than 100 scientists, were involved, have just been published in the journal Nature Genetics. The analysis of the data is still ongoing, and the full results are planned to be published next year.

• The genome database will open up the possibility of personalised medicine, and faster and efficient diagnostics. It will also reveal information about the evolutionary history and migrations of population groups within India, and how they have adapted themselves to local climate and environment.

• Most importantly, the genome database would help improve human health. The genome sequences have been prepared after obtaining blood samples from individuals.

Do You Know:

• A genome, simply put, is all the genetic matter in an organism. It is defined as “an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. In humans, a copy of the entire genome — more than 3 billion DNA base pairs — is contained in all cells that have a nucleus”.

• The full genome of an individual means getting the exact order in which four nucleotide molecules in the human DNA are arranged in an approximately three-billion-long sequence. These four nucleotide molecules — adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, or simply A, T, C and G — along with a phosphate molecule and a sugar molecule, form the long double-helix DNA strands which is essentially the genetic blueprint of the individual.

• More than 99.9% of the nucleotide sequence is the same in all human beings. It is the 0.1% difference that makes a person unique, not just in outer appearance — height, or facial features — but also in behavioural tendencies. This means that in every individual, about three to four million nucleotide molecules are uniquely placed in the sequence, and this is what gives rise to the diversity.

• People within a closed and isolated population group are likely to have fewer variations in their nucleotide sequences. Whereas, a heterogeneous population will show greater genetic diversity.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India Genome Project: After mapping 10,000 healthy genomes, India targets cancer DNA next

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6. With reference to agriculture in India, how can the technique of ‘genome sequencing’, often seen in the news, be used in the immediate future? (2017)
1. Genome sequencing can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in various crop plants.
2. This technique helps in reducing the time required to develop new varieties of crop plants.
3. It can be used to decipher the host-pathogen relationships in crops.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

7. In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term ‘transcriptome’, sometimes seen in the news, refers to (2016)
(a) a range of enzymes used in genome editing
(b) the full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism
(c) the description of the mechanism of gene expression
(d) a mechanism of genetic mutation taking place in cells

The US-Iran nuclear talks

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect talks in Muscat on Saturday. Their objective is to reach a deal that ends US economic sanctions on Iran, in return for Tehran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium and attempts towards nuclear weaponisation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• How US-Iran nuclear negotiations evolved?

• What has changed for Iran?

• How has the Iran-Trump equation evolved?

• What lies ahead?

• What are the key issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and its implications for regional and global security?

• What are the strategic interests of the United States and Iran in the context of the ongoing nuclear negotiations?

Key Takeaways:

• US President Donald Trump first confirmed such talks during a press conference with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on April 8. He has repeatedly expressed his desire for a deal, and threatened Iran with bombing, “the likes of which they have never seen before…if they don’t make a deal”.

• The Iranians have long agreed to negotiate, but “indirectly”, as an article in The Washington Post by Araghchi emphasised on April 9. Trump and Witkoff have repeatedly characterised any talk as “direct”.

• The two sides entered negotiations with several such fundamental differences, but they are at the table — a scenario few expected, least of all just three months after Trump took office and amid a large-scale US campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis.

Do You Know:

• Tehran has a 22-year history of such negotiations; with the E3 (France, Germany, UK) since 2003, and with the United States since 2013. These often occurred alongside American military threats to improve Washington’s bargaining position.

• Following Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Obama-era deal in 2018, Iran learnt two main lessons — that Tehran had to improve its bargaining position through greater uranium enrichment (which it eventually did, to 60%), and that the Washington could not be trusted as a negotiating partner (Khamenei declared a ‘no war, no talks’ policy in 2018). Iranian acrimony towards Trump increased after the US’ assassination of Iran’s most celebrated General — Qassem Soleimani — in January 2020.

• But Tehran’s need for sanctions relief, which had brought it to the 2015 deal, progressively increased. It needed to reconcile this need with an effort to pre-empt another 2018-like possibility. Hence, despite indirect negotiations in Vienna in 2021 and 2022 with the Biden administration, Iran remained non-committal to the older deal (without formally abrogating it).

• In retrospect, this approach has been vindicated within Tehran as it allows fresh negotiations with Trump for a deal he can claim credit for. Abbas Araghchi’s recent article even blamed the Biden administration for the Vienna talks’ failure and asserted that “there is a chance for the United States to finally have a president of peace”, pandering to Trump’s personality.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍‘Only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon’: Trump draws hard line on Iran ahead of talks

Tracking the world’s forests: how the ESA’s Biomass mission will work

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

What’s the ongoing story: The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch its ambitious Biomass mission later this month.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the purpose of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass Mission?

• European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass Mission—Know the key highlights

• What will the Biomass mission do?

• Asses the role of satellite-based forest monitoring missions such as the ESA’s Biomass Mission in global climate governance.

• How will the Biomass mission monitor forests?

• How advancements in radar remote sensing technologies are transforming our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems?

Key Takeaways:

• The mission will map the world’s forests to provide the very first comprehensive measurements of forest biomass at a global scale. It will find out how forests are changing, and further our understanding about their role in the carbon cycle.

• The satellite is scheduled to lift off on April 29 aboard a Vega C rocket from the ESA’s Korou spaceport in French Guiana. It will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit — meaning that it will always appear in the same position relative to our star — at an altitude of around 666 km.

• In 2023, Earth lost 3.7 million hectares of tropical forests, equivalent to losing around ten football fields worth of forest land every minute, according to a report by the World Resources Institute. “This forest loss produced roughly 6% of estimated global CO2 emissions in 2023,” the report said.

• To fulfil its objectives, the mission will use a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to map the Earth’s surface. Notably, the satellite, which is fitted with a massive 12-m antenna, will be the first in space to use a long-wave P-band SAR.

Do You Know:

• All life on Earth, from smallest microbes to gigantic California Redwoods, is carbon-based. As such, carbon is the element that makes life as we know it possible. But Earth does not gain or lose carbon. The element only moves between the atmosphere, living organisms, Earth’s crust and soil, and the oceans. This process is known as the carbon cycle, of which forests are an essential part. This is because forests store massive amounts of carbon — scientists estimate that they absorb around 16 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, and currently hold 861 gigatonnes of carbon in their soils and vegetation.

• Unfortunately, data on forest biomass — the mass of organic matter in forests — are severely lacking on a global scale. This fundamentally limits our understanding of the state of the forests, and their impact on the carbon cycle (and climate).

• The Biomass mission aims to bridge this knowledge gap. The mission will allow scientists to more accurately measure how the distribution of carbon in the planet is changing, as humans continue to cut down trees, and increase CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍ISRO’s Space Missions 2025: Full list of upcoming space missions of India

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

8. Consider the following: (2019)
1. Carbon monoxide
2. Methane
3. Ozone
4. Sulphur dioxide
Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (d) 2.(a) 3.(c) 4.(b) 5.(a) 6.(d) 7.(b) 8.(d)

  

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.