09/11/2025 Notes for UPSC Examination: Key Topics and Background Information

1.       Internal Security and Governance: Kuki-Zo Demand for Union Territory (Manipur)

Background Information:

• Ethnic violence erupted between the tribal Kuki-Zo and Meitei people in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

• The violence led to the displacement of more than 60,000 people and resulted in around 250 deaths.

• The Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact, in place since 2008, was renegotiated and signed on September 4, incorporating a new clause for a "negotiated political settlement within Constitution of India".

Essential Notes:

• Core Demand: Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, represented by the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF), are pressing for a Union Territory (U.T.) with a Legislative Assembly for Kuki-Zo areas.
  

• Justification: The groups argue that coexistence within Manipur State is not possible. They assert that the Kuki-Zo Hills had never been under the control of the Manipur State Durbar before Independence, and tribals were never an organic part of the Manipur State before 1947.
  

• Union Government’s Stance: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that the demand for a U.T. with legislature was not possible and that the current policy does not support the creation of new U.T.s. Talks will continue to find a solution in consultation with all communities.
  

• Key Issues Discussed: Talks also covered land, forests, customs, development, and the need to protect traditional tribal land rights and uphold the authority of tribal chiefs. They specifically sought removal of administrative hurdles related to land registration, which currently requires unsafe travel to Imphal.

2. Environment and Climate Change: Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)

Background Information:

• The TFFF is the latest measure established to incentivise global finance to invest in limiting net global carbon emissions.

• India announced it would join the TFFF as an ‘Observer’ ahead of the climate conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

  
  

Essential Notes:

• TFFF Mechanism: The facility pays countries annually for keeping their tropical forests standing. The payment mechanism is described as approximately $4 per hectare protected yearly.
  

• Investment Structure: The Tropical Forest Investment Fund (TFIF) invests sponsor money in emerging market bonds, avoiding fossil fuels, coal, and sectors linked to deforestation. Returns are used to pay back the original investors.
  

• India’s Efforts and Position: India’s forest and tree cover has expanded, creating an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent between 2005 and 2021. India considers TFFF a "significant step" towards collective action.
  

• Related Global Commitments: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for a roadmap to end dependence on fossil fuels and honour commitments by 2030 to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency. He stressed that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must align with the 1.5°C mission committed to in Dubai.

3. Judiciary and Social Justice: Legal Aid and Victim Compensation Reforms

Background Information:

• A NALSAR University report on fair trials highlighted serious deficiencies in legal aid provision and the status of undertrials.

  
  

• The Supreme Court (SC) addressed the issue of victim compensation following a case where a victim died after years of waiting for full compensation.

  
  

Essential Notes on Undertrials and Legal Aid:

• Statistical Data: Over 70% of India’s prison population consists of undertrials who have not yet been found guilty.
  

• Access to Aid: Only 7.91% of undertrials covered in the NALSAR programme utilised the legal aid available to them, often due to lack of awareness of their right to free legal help.
  

• Procedural Failures: SC Justice Vikram Nath noted that the time spent by undertrials in jail often exceeds the maximum sentence for the offence they are accused of, particularly because they cannot afford bail or sureties.
  

• Government Initiatives: Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System has helped resolve nearly eight lakh criminal cases in three years, promoting ease of justice.

  
  
  
  

Essential Notes on Victim Compensation:

• Judicial Lapses: The SC found a major impediment to compensation disbursement is the absence of explicit directions from special courts/sessions courts to pay compensation to victims.
  

• Legal Provision: Victim compensation schemes must be prepared by every State government under Section 396 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced Section 357A of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
  

• SC Directive: Sessions and special courts are directed to pass appropriate directions regarding compensation payment in suitable cases, enabling State Legal Services Authorities to implement them easily.

4. Technology Governance and Intellectual Property: India AI Guidelines

Background Information:

• India is the world's second-largest user of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, after the U.S..

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) unveiled the India AI Governance Guidelines on November 5.

  
  

Essential Notes on India AI Guidelines:

• Goal and Principles: The guidelines aim to harness AI’s transformative potential for inclusive development while ensuring safety. They are based on principles like people-centricity, accountability, fairness, and understandability.

• Institutional Framework: The establishment of an "AI Governance Group" is recommended as the overarching inter-ministerial body.
  

• Key Focus Areas:

  • Infrastructure: Emphasis on building infrastructure, including procuring GPUs for common compute facilities (as done under the IndiaAI Mission).

  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Support the integration of DPI with AI (e.g., UIDAI's deliberation on using AI for Aadhaar).

  • Content Authentication: MeitY proposed rules requiring social media companies to label synthetically (AI-generated) images and videos to tackle deepfakes.

  • Local Relevance: Recommendation to use locally relevant datasets to support the creation of culturally representative models for Indian languages.

Related Global IP Issue (Australia Blueprint):

• Copyright Conflict: AI training often scrapes copyrighted material (text and data mining), treating human creativity as "free fuel".

• Australia's Response: Australia is the first major democracy to reject a blanket exception for text and data mining. They established the Copyright and AI Reference Group (CAIRG) to design new licensing models to ensure creators are fairly compensated when their work trains AI.

5. International Relations and Security: Global Conflict and Nuclear Treaties

Background Information on CTBT:

• The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) aims for a global ban on all nuclear explosions.

• The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) provides a de facto verification regime using 337 global sensors.

• The treaty remains in legal limbo, requiring ratification by eight Annex 2 holdout states for entry into force.

Essential Notes on CTBT Challenges:

• US/Russia Nuclear Threat: U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to restart nuclear testing poses a major risk, potentially inviting reciprocal tests. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that work is underway on President Vladimir Putin’s order to prepare proposals for a possible Russian nuclear test in response.

Background Information on Sudan:

• Sudan is engulfed in a civil war (since April 2023) between the Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

• Over 12 million people have been displaced.

  
  

Essential Notes on Sudan Conflict (RSF):

• RSF Roots: The RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo (Hemedti), traces its origins to the Janjaweed militia, which was blamed for genocidal acts in Darfur in the 1990s.

• Humanitarian Crisis: The RSF is accused of committing war crimes, including rape, mutilation, and genocide.

• Current Control: The RSF's stronghold is Darfur, having recently seized El Fasher, the Army's last major territory in the region.

6. Social Issues and Economic Vulnerability: Microfinance and Climate Disaster

Background Information on Microfinance (Bihar):

• Bihar accounts for nearly 15% of the microfinance industry portfolio, the single largest share in India.

• Microfinance was intended for women’s empowerment.

  
  

Essential Notes on Microfinance Debt Traps:

• Vicious Cycle: The system often results in a relentless debt trap where new loans are taken to clear old ones, leading to heavy debt accumulation.

• Consequences: Debt burden has caused immense stress, leading to suicide in some cases. Income barely meets basic needs, and the promise of empowerment remains unfulfilled.

• Systemic Flaws: Lack of financial training for borrowers is noted as a failure of the system. Repayment enforcement is rigorous, involving daily pressure from agents. Women grouped in clusters face shared liability if one member defaults.

Background Information on Marathwada Floods:

• Marathwada, typically a drought-prone, semi-arid region, experienced unprecedented floods, with Beed district receiving over 130% of its total monsoon precipitation.

Essential Notes on Climate Disaster Impact (Marathwada):

• Impact on Agriculture: The disaster affected over 54 lakh farmers and 41 lakh hectares of farmland. Rivers, including the Sindphana tributary of the Godavari, changed course.

• Economic Distress: Marginal farmers (who constitute at least 75% of the population) are the worst affected and are trapped in debt.

• Compensation Gap: Farmers report that the cost of clearing fields and re-silting damaged soil is many times higher than the government compensation received (e.g., compensation of ₹3,500-₹9,500 per acre vs. cultivation cost of ₹20,000 per acre plus cleaning).

• Structural Issue: The region’s economy is rural, agrarian-based, and lacks alternative employment opportunities like industrial development, making it highly vulnerable to farming losses.

7. Tribal Rights and Conservation: Policy Framework for Tiger Reserves

Background Information:

• Village relocations for tiger conservation are mandated by the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972, but must comply with the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) prepared a new policy brief: "Reconciling Conservation and Community Rights: A Policy Framework for Relocation and Co-existence in India’s Tiger Reserves".

Essential Notes on Policy Framework:

• FRA Compliance: The policy was drafted due to "serious concerns" about the "overall non-implementation" of the FRA, 2006, in protected areas.

• Relocation Principle: Relocation must be considered a last resort. Rights must be settled under the FRA first.

• Option to Stay: Forest-dwelling communities have the option to exercise their FRA rights to continue living in their traditional habitats. If they stay, the administration must provide basic services.

• Consent Mandate: Consent for relocation must be obtained before an area is declared a tiger reserve. Consent must be verifiable at the individual household level, not just the Gram Sabha level.

• Constitutional Duty: MoTA emphasized that the State has an "affirmative constitutional duty to safeguard these rights".

• Relocation Package: The existing monetary package option for relocation stands at ₹15 lakh per family.

• Oversight: The policy recommends a National Database on Conservation-Community Interface (NDCCI) and annual independent audits to ensure compliance with the FRA, WPA, and human rights standards.

8. Health and Science: R&D and Health Research

Background Information on R&D:

• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is focusing on achieving the vision of Developed India (Viksit Bharat) by 2047.

Essential Notes on R&D Spending:

• GERD Status: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is low, hovering around 0.64% of GDP, significantly below the global average of roughly 1.8%.

• Private Sector Lag: The industry's contribution to R&D is only about 36%, contrasting sharply with advanced economies (50-70%+).

• Key Interventions: Government measures include the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Fund.

Essential Notes on Health Research (Diabetes):

• Disease Burden: India has over 100 million people with diabetes and 136 million classified as pre-diabetic, yet over 80% of those with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are inadequately treated or undiagnosed.
  

• Metabolomic Profiling: New research suggests that tiny molecules (metabolites) in the blood, studied via metabolomic profiling, can serve as early warning signals for diabetes and complications like Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD).
  

• Methodology: The study used simple dried blood spots for collection, suggesting scalability, potentially allowing low-cost, field-friendly tests if validated.