Important News Articles & Editorial Analysis
Daily current affairs for HPAS, Allied Services & other competitive examinations — curated by Raman Academy, Shimla.
📌 In Today's Edition
- Jaishankar gearing up to lead India's campaign for non-permanent UNSC seatGS II · IR
- AI governance and a voice for the Global SouthGS III · S&T
- Falling behind: Urbanisation in Mumbai is evolving faster than its infrastructure upgradesGS I & III · EnvironmentSocial Issues
- Questions surrounding the Quad's futureGS II · IR
- Will El Niño weaken India's economy?GS III · Economy
- Editorial: In India, voting cannot remain merely a statutory rightGS II · Polity · Editorial
Jaishankar Gearing Up to Lead India's Campaign for Non-Permanent UNSC Seat
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will launch India's official campaign on 13 July for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028–29 term. The move reflects India's growing diplomatic ambition at a moment when it is positioning itself as the leading voice of the 'Global South' (developing and underdeveloped nations).
⚔️ Bilateral Contest for the Asia-Pacific Seat
- Tajikistan's Challenge: India faces a direct contest against Tajikistan for the seat reserved for the Asia-Pacific region — a tough electoral battle.
- Vote-Bank Mathematics: India enjoys the support of major powers and partners such as the US, Austria, Fiji, and Sri Lanka, but Tajikistan has secured the block-support of the 57 member states of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) — a major diplomatic challenge.
🤝 Strategic Importance of Multilateral Forums
- Role of the SCO: Both India and Tajikistan are full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The upcoming SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan will be a crucial platform for both nations to win over Central Asian countries.
- Regional Dynamics: Kyrgyzstan's defeat of the Philippines in the June 2026 UN elections shows Central Asian states are becoming highly effective in UN politics.
🌍 Global South Leadership & Recent Hurdles
- Shift in Global Politics: India has consistently advocated comprehensive UNSC reform, but recent global events have not aligned with its expectations.
- Disruption with Africa: Due to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, India postponed the India-Africa Forum Summit. Africa is the largest voting bloc (54 countries) in the UN — a setback for India's outreach.
- Intense Diplomatic Outreach: The EAM is undertaking continuous visits to Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar) and Caribbean nations to consolidate the vote base.
🌐 Current Geopolitical Context
- Impact of Global Crises: The campaign is underway amid peak tensions in West Asia (US-Israel vs. Iran) and the Ukraine crisis, which threaten energy and fertilizer security for developing nations.
- India's Relevance: India's presence in the UNSC is seen as imperative to safeguard the economic and security interests of the Global South and to play peacemaker.
🇮🇳 India Implications
- A 2028–29 non-permanent term would be a litmus test of India's actual diplomatic capacity and a stepping stone toward its permanent-seat ambition.
- India must counter Tajikistan's OIC bloc by leveraging soft power and 'diplomatic heavy lifting' with Africa, Latin America, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- Victory would sharpen India's demand for the democratization of the global order and reinforce faith in multilateralism.
Q. Which of the following forms the primary basis for the election of non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)?
- (a) Consensus among the permanent members of the Security Council
- (b) A two-thirds majority in the United Nations General Assembly
- (c) Recommendation of the Secretary-General
- (d) Approval of the International Court of Justice
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (b) — Non-permanent members are elected by a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.
Q. "India's candidature for non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council is a crucial phase in its long-term strategy for permanent membership." Analyze India's diplomatic strategy and the associated challenges in light of this statement. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
AI Governance and a Voice for the Global South
Artificial Intelligence today is not merely a technological innovation — it has become a new medium of global geopolitics and economic sovereignty. At the India AI Impact Summit (February 2026), India attempted to pivot the global discourse toward the needs, real-world harms, and inclusion of the Global South. But India's entry into the US-dominated semiconductor grouping 'Pax Silica' and its self-positioning as a 'Middle Power' have raised questions about Global South solidarity and India's Strategic Autonomy. The ongoing UN Global Dialogue on AI in Geneva (6–7 July 2026) offers India a chance to re-prove its leadership.
⚖️ India's 'Middle Power' Dilemma
- Geopolitical Shift: India seeks 'middle power' status on par with Europe and Japan — diplomatically attractive but strategically complex.
- Dissonance from Reality: In technological capability, economic development, and per-capita income, India still lags developed middle powers; its colonial past and ground realities anchor it in the Global South.
- US Dependence & Credibility Crisis: The US shows little interest in multilateral AI governance, raising doubts over its reliability as a partner.
🔗 Pax Silica & the Strategic Autonomy Challenge
- Impact of the Alliance: Joining Pax Silica aligned India with the US-led semiconductor supply chain — in exchange, India adopted a 'pro-innovation' (i.e., lenient) regulatory stance.
- Repeating the Social Media Mistake? US foreign policy earlier opposed user-safety regulation abroad to protect its social media giants; a similar pattern is feared with AI — profits to American firms, harms to local markets.
🚨 Key Concerns for the Global South & India
- Digital Colonialism (Data Extraction): The Global South risks remaining a source of scraped data, cheap data-labelling labour, and land, water & electricity for data centres.
- Displacement of Communities: Land allocation for data centres has triggered displacement and protests in India.
- Lack of Fundamental Innovation: India is still unable to build world-class foundational models; in semiconductors it remains limited to low-value assembly.
🪟 Window for Leadership (Way Forward)
- Public Purpose & Safety: Advocate technology built on user safety, fairness, and strategic autonomy — not just being a market or investment destination.
- Global South Cooperation: Frameworks for data sharing, computing power, interoperable standards, and shared protocols.
- Protect Local AI Ecosystems: International rules giving developing countries flexibility to build local ecosystems, skilling, and infrastructure.
- Competition & Consumer Protection: Tighten anti-competitive policy to curb Big Tech monopoly so AI's economic value stays within domestic markets.
🇮🇳 India Implications
- India possesses the political will, technical capacity, and a vast diverse market needed to lead the fragmented global AI-policy landscape.
- The Geneva dialogue is a critical moment: India can lead the march to ensure shared governance norms whose benefits reach the people of the Global South.
- While balancing arrangements like Pax Silica, India must not remain merely a consumer of AI but become a pioneer of inclusive, secure global governance.
Q. Which of the following is not an essential element for the development of AI?
- (a) High-quality data
- (b) High-capacity computing power
- (c) Advanced semiconductor chips
- (d) Only 5G networks
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (d) — Data, compute, and advanced chips are foundational to AI development; 5G networks alone are not an essential element.
Q. "Global AI governance has become not merely a technical issue but also a focal point of geopolitical competition." Explain. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Falling Behind: Urbanisation in Mumbai Is Evolving Faster Than Its Infrastructure Upgrades
Unprecedented shifts in weather patterns due to climate change are hitting India's coastal metropolises hardest. The recent extremely intense rainfall in Mumbai has again exposed the city's structural vulnerabilities. This crisis is not merely a natural disaster — it is a complex mixture of haphazard urbanisation, outdated infrastructure, and governance lapse, directly linked to Urban Flooding, disaster management, and sustainable urban planning.
🌧️ Geographical & Weather Factors
- Intensity vs Quantity: For urban areas, rainfall intensity matters more than total quantity. Mumbai's drainage cannot handle several hundred millimetres in a few hours.
- Coastal Geography: Mumbai is largely built on reclaimed land. When heavy rain coincides with high tide, drainage water flows back into the city, worsening floods.
- Active Monsoon Systems: South-westerly moist winds over the Konkan coast and Western Ghats plus offshore systems keep routing heavy moisture over Mumbai.
🏗️ Infrastructure & Urbanisation Challenges
- Linear Infrastructure Vulnerability: Mumbai–Pune rail services were disrupted, landslides hit Bhor Ghat, and the Mumbai–Ahmedabad and Mumbai–Goa highways were closed — critical transport routes are fragile.
- Run-off vs Absorption: Decades of concretisation have destroyed the soil's absorption capacity; surface run-off overwhelms drains.
- Cascading Failures: Failure in one sector (electricity, transport) paralyses the whole system — including relief and rescue operations.
🏛️ Governance & Policy Gaps
- Incomplete & Outdated Projects: The post-2005 BRIMSTOWAD (Brihanmumbai Storm Water Disposal System) project — drain widening, pumping stations — remains partly incomplete even today.
- Outdated Climate Assessment: Completed works were designed on old monsoon data; changed rainfall patterns make even these upgrades insufficient.
- Fragmented Accountability: Responsibility is split across BMC, IMD, NDRF, Railways, State Government, and Highway Authorities — no single institution owns the crisis.
- Lack of Foresight: The chawl collapse in Mankhurd, tree falls in Kurla and Aarey, and missing transport redundancies show a reactive, not preventive, administration.
🇮🇳 India Implications
- Mumbai is a warning for every Indian metropolis: climate change and urbanisation are outrunning infrastructure upgradation nationwide.
- India's cities must adopt the 'Sponge City' concept — preserving wetlands, waterlogged areas, and natural drains.
- A Single Unified Authority and climate-resilient infrastructure designed for future climate conditions are the need of the hour.
Q. Consider the following statements regarding 'Urban Flooding':
1. Surface run-off increases due to highly impervious surfaces.
2. Encroachment on natural drainage channels is a major cause of urban flooding.
3. Only the total volume of rainfall determines urban flooding.
Select the correct answer using the code given below —
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) — Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: rainfall intensity (rate over a short span), not just total volume, determines urban flooding.
Q. "Climate change and unplanned urbanization have exacerbated the problem of urban flooding in India's metropolitan cities." Discuss with suitable examples. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Questions Surrounding the Quad's Future
The Pentagon's decision to rename the 'U.S. Indo-Pacific Command' (USINDOPACOM) back to 'U.S. Pacific Command' (USPACOM) has triggered a fresh debate in global diplomacy. Adding 'Indo' in 2018 had reflected India's central role and the strategic weight of the Indian Ocean. With this 2026 policy shift and the lower priority given to the Quad in the US National Security Strategy (NSS 2025), serious questions now surround the future of the four-nation grouping (India, USA, Japan, Australia).
⚠️ Main Challenges & Criticisms Facing the Quad
- Hesitation to Name China: Joint statements avoid directly naming China's military and economic aggression — strategically useful for bringing ASEAN on board, but seen globally as weakness or poor 'optics'.
- Reluctance to Be Security-Centric: Members hesitate to equate 'Quad' with the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QSD), projecting a multifaceted forum instead of a military alliance.
- No 2+2 Framework at Quad Level: Bilateral 2+2 dialogues exist among all four, but they haven't been institutionalised at the Quad level — engagement remains limited to Heads of State and Foreign Ministers.
- Soft Issues vs Hard Security: Despite 23 of 37 initiatives being strategic/security-related, most remain confined to civilian applications — data sharing, disaster relief, maritime surveillance (IPMDA) — with no direct military integration.
🛰️ Domains of Cooperation & Their Implications
- Technology Sovereignty: Joint work to break China's monopoly in critical and emerging technologies — semiconductors, 5G/6G, AI.
- Dual-Use Capabilities: The Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) programme is civilian, but its data-sharing and interoperability can be militarised if needed.
- Resilient Supply Chains: Focus on securing critical-mineral and telecom supply chains (Critical Minerals Initiative) to reduce China dependence.
💰 Funding Gaps: Promises vs Reality
- Imbalanced Priorities: Public-domain data shows most Quad funding has gone to soft domains — health (COVID-19 relief) and climate — rather than security initiatives.
- Lack of Capital Commitment: Rebuilding supply chains requires massive investment; the promised $20 billion for the Critical Minerals Framework has seen very low actual budgetary allocation.
| Dimension | The Promise | The Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Strategic counterweight in the Indo-Pacific | Hesitant to name China or act as a security bloc |
| Institutions | Deep four-nation coordination | No Quad-level 2+2; leaders' & FM-level meetings only |
| Initiatives | 23 of 37 initiatives security-related | Confined to civilian uses (data sharing, disaster relief, IPMDA) |
| Funding | $20 bn pledged for Critical Minerals | Actual allocation very low; funds flow to health & climate |
🇮🇳 India Implications
- The renaming signals a US shift toward 'strategic utility' and 'burden-sharing' over coalition-building — India must recalibrate expectations.
- For India, the Quad remains an important vehicle to secure its Indian Ocean interests while preserving strategic autonomy.
- India should push for capital commitments and ground-level implementation, not nomenclature, as the real test of the grouping.
Q. Which of the following is an example of 'hard security' cooperation?
- (a) Vaccine partnership
- (b) Disaster relief cooperation
- (c) Joint military exercises and defense cooperation
- (d) Cooperation on climate change
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (c) — Joint military exercises and defence cooperation constitute hard security; the other options are soft/civilian domains.
Q. "The Indo-Pacific region has become the epicenter of 21st-century geopolitical competition." In this context, analyze the significance of the Quad for India. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Will El Niño Weaken India's Economy?
The Indian monsoon is often called the "real maker of the Indian budget" — nearly half the population still depends on agriculture. The IMD and the Ministry of Agriculture have warned of a major monsoon slump due to El Niño, posing a serious challenge to India's growth rate, food security, and inflation control.
📉 Impact of a Weak Monsoon: Three Levels
- Decline in Agricultural Production: Kharif crops depend entirely on the monsoon; deficient rain cuts output of paddy, pulses, and oilseeds, lowering agriculture's GVA contribution.
- Decrease in Rural Demand: ~46% of the workforce is in agriculture. Up to a 10% fall in farm income would hit rural purchasing power — tractors, two-wheelers, FMCG, small-town real estate.
- Inflationary Pressure: Prices of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and edible oils are already spiking. Higher food inflation would force the RBI to keep rates high, slowing growth.
🚨 Why El Niño Is a Major Risk
- GDP Shock: A severe El Niño-plus-drought can shave 20–65 basis points (0.20%–0.65%) off GDP growth (economic analysts incl. Kotak Mutual Fund).
- Pressure on CAD: Falling domestic production would force food imports and agri-export curbs (agri = 12% of India's exports), widening the trade deficit and pressuring the Rupee.
- Geopolitical Factors: Fertilizer supply disruptions from the ongoing Iran war and rising pest attacks are compounding the crisis.
Historical Context: Past El Niño Years
India's worst droughts have occurred precisely in El Niño years — 1972, 1982, 2009, and 2015. But the economic impact depends on government management:
| Parameter | Crisis of 2009 | Crisis of 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Consecutive seasonal stress; irrigation coverage below 45% | Monsoon failure due to El Niño |
| Crop GVA | Contracted 2.5% and 3.2% | Production affected, but managed |
| Inflation | Double-digit food inflation | Remained muted / under control |
| Why the Difference | Weak policy response | Proactive food management, buffer stocks, restrained MSP hikes, global commodity slowdown |
💧 Is India's Irrigation & Water Storage Ready?
- Falling Reservoir Levels: CWC data shows storage in major reservoirs is well below last year and the normal average — a concern for irrigation and hydropower.
- Regional Vulnerability: ~315 districts are vulnerable to a poor monsoon; 111 districts across 12 states are critical, with virtually no irrigation facilities.
- Second Consecutive Bad Year: Back-to-back bad weather is more disastrous because stored water resources get fully depleted.
🛡️ Measures to Make the Economy 'Drought-Proof'
- Ex-ante Risk Reduction: Move beyond crop insurance (PM Fasal Bima Yojana) to risk-mitigating infrastructure before the crisis.
- Increase in Public Investment: Massive scale-up in irrigation projects, canal modernisation, and water harvesting.
- Climate-Smart Agriculture: Easy access to drought-resistant, high-yielding, low-water seed varieties.
- Crop Diversification: Shift from water-intensive paddy to millets, pulses, and maize.
🇮🇳 India Implications
- El Niño remains a structural risk for the rural sector and food inflation, even as services and manufacturing have grown.
- Government priorities: robust buffer-stock management, efficient irrigation networks, climate-resilient agricultural policy.
- Only long-term public investment can free India from the "gamble of the monsoon."
Q. "The Indian economy's excessive dependence on the monsoon renders the country economically vulnerable during global climate patterns like El Niño." In light of this statement, discuss the policy reforms required to make the agricultural sector 'drought-proof'. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Editorial: In India, Voting Cannot Remain Merely a Statutory Right
Context: The demand in political circles to make voting a 'Fundamental Right' has revived a decades-old constitutional debate. For over seven decades, the judiciary's consistent stance has been that the right to vote is not a fundamental right but a statutory right derived from a law enacted by Parliament. Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi argues that, given the Supreme Court's evolving judgments and the Basic Structure of Indian democracy, the time has come to elevate voting to constitutional and fundamental status.
⚖️ Traditional Judicial Approach
- N.P. Ponnuswami v. Returning Officer (1952): The SC first clarified that voting or contesting an election is not a Common Law right — it depends solely on the statute created by the legislature.
- Jyoti Basu v. Debi Ghosal (1982): Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy held that though voting is vital for democracy, it is purely a 'Statutory/Legal Right', not a fundamental right.
- Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006): A Constitution Bench held that while democracy is part of the 'Basic Structure', an individual's right to vote flows primarily from the Representation of the People Act.
🔄 'Constitutionalisation' of the Poll Process — and the Paradox
- ADR Case (2002): Voters' right to know candidates' criminal background, education, and assets — a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a).
- PUCL v. Union of India (2003): The act of voting may be statutory, but the 'Freedom of Voting' — choosing one's preference without fear or influence — is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a).
- NOTA Judgment (2013): The Right to Reject all candidates is part of political expression protected under Article 19(1)(a).
- Central Paradox: If the right to know, the freedom to choose, ballot secrecy, and the right to reject are all fundamental — why is the core act of casting the vote merely statutory?
🧭 Modern Shift & the Basic Structure Argument
- Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India (2023): The Constitution Bench repeatedly referred to voting as a 'Constitutional Right' rather than a merely statutory one; Justice Ajay Rastogi, in his separate opinion, expressly favoured recognising voting as a Fundamental Right.
- Kesavananda Bharati (1973) & Indira Nehru Gandhi (1975): Established that 'democracy' and 'free and fair elections' are part of the Constitution's basic structure.
- Democracy Is Impossible Without Voters: If democracy is the Basic Structure, how can its backbone — the citizen's vote — remain outside the constitutional core?
📜 Article 326 & Regulation vs Protection
- Universal Adult Suffrage: Article 326 explicitly mandates that Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections be based on adult suffrage — every citizen above 18 is entitled to be on the electoral roll.
- The Constitution Is the Primary Source: The right flows directly from the Constitution; the RP Act merely operationalises that constitutional command.
- Regulation Continues: Making voting fundamental would not strip Parliament of its power over qualifications, disqualifications, age limits, and election procedure — the only change is that no citizen could be deprived of this core democratic right without a constitutionally valid reason.
| Aspect of Voting | Current Legal Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Right to know candidates | Fundamental Right | ADR (2002) — Art. 19(1)(a) |
| Freedom of voting (free choice) | Fundamental Right | PUCL (2003) — Art. 19(1)(a) |
| Right to reject (NOTA) | Fundamental Right | NOTA Judgment (2013) |
| Act of casting the vote | Statutory Right only | RP Act — the paradox |
🇮🇳 India Implications
- Elevating the vote would strengthen Popular Sovereignty — the vote is the very instrument through which "We, the People" periodically renew the state's legitimacy.
- Exclusion from the electoral roll would then strike at a constitutional guarantee, raising the bar for any deprivation of the franchise.
- A key debate for aspirants: the intersection of Basic Structure, Article 326, and Part III of the Constitution.
Q. "In Indian democracy, the right to vote is not merely a statutory right but the soul of constitutional democracy." Examine the constitutional status of the right to vote in light of this statement. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
