The Hindu

Why is the ECI de-listing Political Parties?

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the process to de-list Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Constitutional provisions (Art. 19(1)(c)), RP Act, 1951- Sections 29A and 29C, Benefits enjoyed by RUPPs, Powers of ECI.

Mains: Issues with functioning of political parties, ECI’s role in electoral reforms.

De-listing Political Parties

ECI has initiated steps to de-list 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) that have not contested elections in the last six years and whose offices could not be physically located.
These parties, often termed as ‘letter pad parties’, exist only on paper and are typically inactive in electoral participation.
In addition, political parties that have not updated their list of office bearers since 2014 have been declared ‘inactive’.
The ECI has directed the Chief Electoral Officer of various States and Union Territories to issue show-cause notices to these RUPPs before deciding on de-listing them.
These parties are denied the benefit of:
- Putting up candidates with a common symbol in an election.
- Tax exemptions under Income Tax Act and RP Act.

What are registered parties?

Political parties are an association or body of individuals that can be formed by citizens. The right to form an association is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution to all citizens.
Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RP Act) lays down the requirements for registration of a political party with the ECI.
Any political party that seeks registration should submit a copy of its memorandum/constitution within 30 days of its formation stating:
- Faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India.
- Allegiance to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, and uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
The ECI examines a political party’s constitution to ensure it includes provisions for internal democracy, such as regular elections for office bearers.
Once registered, if it is not recognised as a state or national party, it is termed a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP).

Benefits Enjoyed by RUPPs:

The RUPPs enjoy the following benefits:

Tax exemption for donations received under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
A common symbol for contesting general elections to the Lok Sabha/State Assemblies.
20 ‘star campaigners’ during election campaigns.

However there exists few conditions:

RUPPs are required to maintain the details of individual donors who have donated above ₹20,000 in a financial year and submit these details to the ECI every year.
As per Section 29C of the RP Act, failure to furnish these details will result in losing income tax exemption.
The RUPPs under the Income Tax Act, 1961, are further required to accept donations in excess of ₹2000 only through cheque or bank transfers.

What is the issue ?

The RP Act does not confer explicit powers on the ECI to de-register any political party if it fails to contest elections, conduct inner-party elections or lodge requisite returns.
The Supreme Court in Indian National Congress versus Institute of Social Welfare & Ors (2002) had held that the ECI does not have the power to de-register any political party under the RP Act. It may de-register only under exceptional circumstances such as:
- the registration being obtained by fraud or
- the political party ceasing to have allegiance to the Indian Constitution or
- if it is declared unlawful by the Government.

What can be done ?

The Law Commission in its 255th report (2015) had recommended amendments for de-registration of a political party if it fails to contest elections for 10 consecutive years.
The ECI in its memorandum for electoral reforms (2016) had also suggested an amendment to the RP Act that would empower it to de-register a party.
Another serious issue plaguing almost all political parties is the lack of inner-party democracy. As suggested by the Law Commission in its 170th and 255th report, the RP Act can be suitably amended to contain specific provisions for ensuring internal democracy in political parties.

Apart from the exercise of delisting RUPPs, these recommendations can also be implemented.

Can a GI tag prevent cultural misappropriation?

Context: Recently, at its Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show in Milan, Italian luxury brand Prada unveiled footwear inspired by India’s Geographical Indication (GI) tagged Kolhapuri chappals, sparking accusations of ‘cultural misappropriation’.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about the Geographical Indications (GI) tag.

What is a GI tag?

Geographical Indications of goods refer to the place of origin of a product.
GI tags are a form of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) that identifies goods as originating from a specific country, region or locality, where their distinctive qualities, characteristics, or reputation are essentially linked to that ‘place of origin’.
Awarded by: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
In India, there are currently 658 registered GI-tagged goods, including Chanderi sarees (Madhya Pradesh), Madhubani painting (Bihar), Pashmina shawls (J&K), Kancheepuram silk (Tamil Nadu), and Darjeeling tea (West Bengal).

Key features of GI registration:

Unlike trademarks, which are owned by enterprises, GIs are public property belonging to the producers of the concerned goods and cannot be assigned, transmitted or licensed.
GI registration is given to an area, not a trader. Once a product gets the registration, traders dealing in the product can apply to sell it with the GI logo.
Any trader’s body, association, or organisation can apply for a GI tag. The applicants need to prove the uniqueness of the item with historical records and a complete breakdown of how the product is made. Authorised traders are each assigned a unique GI number.
Raw materials for such products do not have to come from that region (unless it is an agricultural tag). E.g.,
- Leaf in Banarasi paan is not grown in Varanasi; it comes from Bihar, West Bengal, or Odisha.
- Mulberry silk used in Kancheepuram sarees comes from Karnataka and the gold zari from Surat.

Significance of GI tag:

GIs serve as a powerful marketing tool, driving rural development, boosting exports, enhancing consumer confidence, and preserving ‘cultural knowledge’ of local communities, farmers and indigenous groups.

Can an unauthorised trader sell the GI product?

Legal protection of GIs stem from international instruments like:
- Under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883) GIs are covered as an element of IPRs.
- Clearer definition under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, 1995.
India, as a TRIPS signatory, enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in 2003. The Act provides for GI registration, enforcement of rights, prohibition of unauthorised use and penalties for infringement.
If any unauthorised trader tries selling the product under that name, they can be prosecuted under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. However, GI rights are primarily ‘territorial’ and consequently limited to the country (or region) where protection is granted. At present, no automatic ‘world’ or ‘international’ GI right exists.

Indian traditional products have time and again suffered exploitation by global corporations. To prevent such cases in the future, one could start by expanding the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library to include wider traditional grassroots expressions.

Making a ‘searchable database’ would allow brands to conduct due diligence and searches to identify right holder communities for collaboration.

Toxins of Bhopal Gas Tragedy 1984

Context: Toxic waste weighing 337 tonnes from the defunct Union Carbide factory has been completely incinerated at a private waste treatment facility in Pithampur industrial area, Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh. The waste was moved to the treatment facility in early 2025, more than 40 years after the Bhopal gas tragedy.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Heavy Metals, Persistent Organic Pollutants.

What was the Bhopal Gas Tragedy?

The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The world's worst industrial disaster occurred due to the release of nearly 40 metric tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) from the plant. Over 5000 people lost their lives and thousands suffered physical disabilities due to the leak of toxic methyl isocyanate gas.

Toxins associated with Bhopal Gas Tragedy:

Along with MIC, past reports have indicated the release of worrisome concentrations of toxins, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals.
- Toxins included: Hexachlorobutadiene, Chloroform, Carbon tetrachloride, Trichlorobenzene
- Heavy metals: Mercury, chromium, copper, nickel, and lead.

What are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)?

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that do not break down easily and remain intact in the environment for long periods.
They become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.
Their effects include- Cancer, allergies and hypersensitivity, damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, reproductive disorders, and disruption of the immune system.
The Stockholm Convention on POPs is an international environmental treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs.
- The Convention was adopted in 2001 and came into effect in 2004.
- India is a party to the Convention.

What are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are a group of metals and metalloids that have relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers. They are classified as heavy metals because their density is at least 5x that of water.
They are often characterised by their toxicity, persistence in the environment, and potential to bioaccumulate in living organisms and have adverse effects on human health and the environment.

Common Examples:
- Mercury: Can damage multiple organs even at low concentrations by accumulating in soft tissue and preventing normal cellular function.
- Lead:
  - Can damage chlorophyll and disrupt photosynthesis in plants.
  - Developmental issues, brain impairment & cancer.
- Arsenic: Carcinogenic.
- Chromium: Carcinogenic, impair immune system.
- Nickel: Carcinogenic.

Need for Gender Equity in Urban Bureaucracy

Context: Integrating gender equity into India’s male-dominated urban governance and bureaucracy is crucial for building cities that are inclusive, safe, and responsive to all citizens.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Role of women in Urban Bureaucracy.

India is in the midst of a profound urban transformation. By 2050, over 800 million people, about half the population, will live in cities, making India the largest driver of global urban growth.

A key dimension of this transformation is how gender equity is integrated into urban governance, planning, and budgeting.

Women Representation in Governance

The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts mandated 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Governments (ULGs). 17 States and 1 UT have increased this to 50%.
As of 2024, women constitute 46% of local elected representatives (Ministry of Panchayati Raj).

While women’s representation in grass-root politics has increased, administrative cadres (city managers, planners, engineers, police) are male dominated, limiting the ability of cities to respond equitably to all citizens

The Gender Gap in Urban Bureaucracy:

As of 2022, women constituted just 20% of the Indian Administrative Service (India Spend 2022).
Women representation in urban planning, municipal engineering and transport authorities is even lower.
In policing, only 11.7% of the national force are women (Bureau of Police Research and Development 2023), and often concerned with desk roles.

Impact of Gender Gap in Urban Bureaucracy: Absence of Gender Responsive Policies:

An Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and Safety Study found that 84% of women in Delhi and Mumbai used public or shared transport compared to 63% of men. Yet, urban planning prioritises mega-projects over safe, accessible, neighbourhood-level mobility.
A 2019 Safetipin audit across 50 cities found over 60% of public spaces were poorly lit. With few women in policing, community safety initiatives often fail to resonate with women.
With few women in policing, community safety measures often fail to reflect the lived experiences and needs of women.

Studies by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and UN shows that women officials tend to prioritise water, health, and safety, and enhance public trust through more empathetic enforcement, underscoring the need for gender-diverse institutions in urban governance.

Gender-Responsive Budgeting

Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) is a concept that integrates gender considerations into public finance.
Introduced globally in the 1990s, GRB recognises that budgets are not neutral and can reinforce inequalities if left unchecked.

Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) initiatives in India:

It is a promising but underutilised tool in India’s urban governance. India adopted a Gender Budget Statement in 2005-06, with Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Kerala leading efforts.
- Delhi has funded women-only buses and public lighting.
- Tamil Nadu applied Gender Responsive Budgeting across 64 departments in 2022-23.
- Kerala embedded gender goals through its People’s Plan Campaign.
However, studies by UN-Women and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy show that most such efforts suffer from weak monitoring and limited institutional capacities, especially in smaller cities.
For many ULGs, GRB remains tokenistic, overlooking essentials such as pedestrian safety or childcare in urban planning.

Global Best Practices:

Countries such as the Philippines mandate 5% of local budgets for gender programmes.
Rwanda integrates GRB into national planning with oversight bodies.
Uganda mandates gender equity certificates for fund approvals.
Mexico ties GRB to results-based budgeting.
South Africa pilots participatory planning to anchor GRB in lived realities.

Gender-balanced bureaucracies are not about fairness alone. They are essential for building safer, equitable, responsive cities.

Impact of Increased Women Representation in Bureaucracy can be seen globally:

Rwanda boosted maternal health and education spending.
Brazil prioritised sanitation and primary health care.
South Korea’s gender impact assessments reshaped transit and public spaces.
Tunisia’s parity laws gave women more technical roles, improving focus on safety and health.
The Philippines uses gender-tagged budgeting to fund gender-based violence shelters and childcare.

These examples show how representation leads to transformation when women are empowered in decision-making roles, the quality and inclusiveness of governance improves.

Way Forward

As India aims for a $5 trillion economy, its cities must aim to be engines of equity, not just growth.

Gender must be mainstreamed into urban governance through:

Mandatory gender audits, participatory budgeting, and linked evaluation.
GRB should be institutionalised across ULGs, supported by targeted capacity-building.
Representation must translate into real decision-making power, breaking entrenched glass ceilings within bureaucracy.
Promote local gender equity councils.
Scale models like Kudumbashree (Kerala) which promote women-led planning.

Women are reshaping governance as leaders, they must now help shape how cities are planned and managed. When cities reflect women’s lived experiences, they work better for all. To build cities for women, we must start by building cities with women.

India enters Top 100 in Global SDG Rankings 2025

Context: India improves its position in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Index ranking 99th in the 2025 edition of the Sustainable Development Report.

India has been ranked among the top 100 countries in the Index for the first time since this data began to be published from 2016.

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Key Highlights of Sustainable Development Report (SDR).

About Sustainable Development Report (SDR)

Released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). SDSN is an independent body under the aegis of the UN, whose publications are tracked by policymakers and governments.
The index measures overall progress toward achieving the 17 SDGs adopted by United Nations member states in 2015.
Countries are ranked by their overall score. A score of 100 indicates that all SDGs have been achieved.

17 Sustainable Development Goals are:

Key Highlights of the Report:

India's Performance:

India is ranked 99th with a score of 67 on the SDG Index, a significant improvement from its 109th rank in 2024.
The report noted that since the adoption of the SDGs, India has steadily improved its standing: it ranked 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021.

Global Performance:

European countries continue to lead the SDG Index- 19 of the top 20 countries are from Europe.
Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are the top three countries on the SDG Index.
East and South Asia have outperformed all other global regions in terms of SDG progress - demonstrating the fastest progress since 2015 largely due to socio-economic development.
Among India’s neighbours, Bhutan ranks 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), Bangladesh 114th (63.9), and Pakistan 140th (57). Maritime neighbours Maldives and Sri Lanka stand at 53rd and 93rd places respectively.

China is ranked 49th with a score of 74.4.
The United States stands at 44th with 75.2 points.

The report flagged that global progress on the SDGs has largely stalled.

Only 17% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030. Main reasons for slow progress are conflicts, structural weaknesses, and limited government finances.
Even the top performing European countries are facing challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, mostly due to unsustainable consumption patterns.

India state of Sustainable Development: Hits & Misses:

SDSN ranks India as having fared better in poverty reduction (SDG 1). However, some issues persist like- lack of publicly available consumption expenditure data since 2018, non-updation of the poverty line (Rangarajan line ~₹33/day rural, ₹47/day urban).
Zero hunger (SDG 2) reveals the wide disparity between income groups and rural and urban areas on access to a nutritious diet.
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS) estimates that over a third of Indians (35.5%) were stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21). Wasting (low weight for height) exists at 19.3%.
- Obesity in the working age population (15-49 years) has almost doubled between 2006 and 2021, and concentrated in wealthier urban areas.
Electricity access (SDG 7)- India has achieved near universal household electrification in the past two decades, but the quality of power and duration vary vastly based on regions and urban/rural fault lines. India ranks as the fourth largest renewables capacity deployer, mainly solar and wind.
Infrastructure provision (SDG 9)- India has bettered its score in infrastructure with noteworthy additions being rapid mobile penetration and financial inclusion through UPI-linked digital payments gateways. However, stark differences exist between rural and urban Internet penetration, which must be addressed to achieve even higher educational outcomes (SDG 4).
India’s performance in governance, the rule of law, press freedom and strong and independent institutions (SDG 16) has been lagging.

India set to integrate Rare Blood Donor Registry with e-Rakt Kosh

Context: National Institute of Immunohaematology (NIIH), Mumbai under the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched India’s first national rare blood donor registry to support patients with rare blood types who require frequent transfusions, particularly those with thalassemia or sickle cell disease.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about ICMR-Rare Donor Registry of India; E-RaktKosh

ICMR-Rare Donor Registry of India

NIIH has for the first time created a national 'rare blood donor registry' for patients with rare and uncommon blood types who need frequent transfusion especially in conditions such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
The portal called the ICMR-Rare Donor Registry of India (RDRI) already includes over 600 donors with rare antigen combinations and 250 very rare blood donors, including 170 Bombay blood group donors.
ICMR-NIIH is now in talks with the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) so that the rare donor registry portal can be integrated with e-Raktakosh, the Centralised Blood Bank Management System platform which provides information about blood availability.

Estimated Daily Blood Requirement in India is ~40,000 to 50,000 units per day or 15-18 million units of blood per year, but we have a shortage of 3-5 million units/year (approx. 10,000-14,000 units/day).

Need for integrating Rare Blood Donor Registry with e-Rakt Kosh

Rare blood groups occur in less than 1 in 1000 individuals, often characterised by absence of high-frequency antigens (HFA), or have a null phenotype (absence of all antigens in a group). E.g., Bombay Blood group, Rh-null (Golden blood) etc.
In the majority of blood banks in India, only ABO and RhD antigens are matched before issuing red blood cell components. However, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) has recognised over 360 antigens across 47 blood group systems.
Blood banks do not routinely test for minor blood group antigens. As a result, a mismatch of minor antigens between donor and recipient blood group profiles can lead to red cell alloimmunisation (immune response against foreign RBC antigens after blood transfusion). This reduces the effectiveness of blood transfusions. As a result, about 25% of all immunised patients have reported unsatisfactory transfusion support.

To overcome this challenge, an inventory of extensively typed blood donors and rare blood type donors is required.

Significance:

The integration will help people with rare blood groups easily trace blood banks and procure blood.
It will also assist the blood banks manage their stock and donors through a centralised system.

Need to revisit Food and Fertiliser Subsidies

Context: With poverty levels now at historic lows, India needs to revisit food and fertiliser subsidies.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts of macroeconomic growth Mains: Food and Fertiliser subsidies - issues, solutions.

Over the past decade, India has achieved significant macroeconomic growth and a sharp decline in extreme poverty.

Nominal GDP increased from $2.04 trillion (2014) to $4.19 trillion (2025)
GDP (PPP) increased from $6.45 trillion to $17.65 trillion- 3rd largest globally.
Per Capita Income (PPP) increased from $4,935 to $12,131.
Inequality (Gini Index) - remained moderate (0.34 in 2014 to 0.33 in 2020)

With extreme poverty now at just 5.3%, there is a need to revisit inefficient subsidies- especially food and fertiliser subsidies. These subsidies claim the largest resources in the agri- food space and yet sub-optimal results.

Issues with Subsidies

High Fiscal Burden: The food subsidy budget for FY26 is set at Rs 2.03 lakh crore. India is giving free food (rice or wheat, 5kg/person/month) to more than 800 million people. The fertiliser subsidy budget for FY 2025-26 is set at ₹1.56 lakh crore.
Exclusionary: Fertiliser subsidies often benefit large farmers disproportionately, while small and marginal farmers struggle with access.
Distortionary: The PDS and MSP regime's wheat-rice focus distorts cropping patterns, leading to regional monoculture and neglect of pulses, oilseeds, and millets.
Promote Environmentally unsustainable practices: E.g., Unbalanced utilisation of fertilisers, over-consumption of water etc.
Leakages and Corruption: Food subsidies under PDS suffer from diversion, ghost beneficiaries, and low-quality delivery. Fertiliser subsidies go to manufacturers, not directly to farmers- creating scope for over-invoicing, black marketing, and cross-border smuggling (e.g., to Nepal and Bangladesh).
Does not address structural issues such as poor irrigation, low R & D, poor marketing infrastructure etc.

Way Forward

Food subsidy can be rationalised by giving beneficiaries food coupons (digital wallet) to buy nutritious food- pulses, milk, eggs from designated stores. This will help plug leakages, diversify diets, promote nutrition, and diversify the production basket.
Fertilizer subsidy can be rationalised by giving fertiliser coupons to farmers and deregulating the prices of fertiliser products.
Farmers can use these coupons to buy chemical fertilisers or bio-fertilisers or do natural farming. This will help fix the imbalance in the use of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), reduce leakages, and encourage better products and farming methods.

There is a need to move from universal, input-based subsidies to targeted, output-oriented support that improves nutritional security, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Mains Practice Question

Q. With extreme poverty at historic lows, do you think it is time to rationalise food and fertiliser subsidies in India? Discuss the issues associated with the current subsidy regime and suggest reforms to make it more efficient, equitable, and sustainable.

New jumping spider species discovered in southern India

Context: Researchers have identified a new species of jumping spiders of the Spartaeinae subfamily in southern India, known for their intelligent hunting skills and web-invasion tactics.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Spiders.

New jumping spider species

For the first time, the genera Spartaeus and Sonoita (specific groups within subfamily), previously known only from Southeast Asia and Africa, have been found in India.
These spiders are known for their keen eyesight and intelligent hunting methods, often deceiving other spiders by mimicking prey.

Key Facts about Spiders:

Spiders are not insects, but belong to a group called the arachnids. Spiders differ from insects as they have eight legs not six and six or eight eyes (two in insects).
Spiders are known for making silk webs to catch insects. They spin silk from a liquid made by special glands. They are found everywhere in the world, except for Antarctica.
Most spider species are carnivorous that capture and eat other insects. However, one species in Central America has been found to be mostly herbivorous.
Spiders digest their food outside their bodies. After capturing its prey, a spider covers it with digestive juices. The juices break down prey’s body into liquid form that the spider sucks up.
Spiders are important pest controllers for a habitat, and they are food for other species too.
Spider webs are the extensions of the spider’s sensory system. Vibratory information from the web is crucial for spiders because they do not have ears.
Spider silk is an amazing natural material with unique properties. It has inspired researchers to develop materials derived from spider silk with applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Spiders shed their outer covering, multiple times before becoming adults.

SEZ rules relaxed to boost Semiconductor Manufacturing

Context: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently notified changes to the Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006, to enhance the domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Significance of semiconductors, Challenges, government Efforts, etc.

Semiconductors

Semiconductors are used to manufacture components like transistors and diodes that are integral to modern electronic devices.
According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, China accounted for about 35% of all semiconductors manufactured in the world in 2021.
Post-COVID-19, countries like India recognised the risks of overdependence on a single source for critical supplies. This led to efforts to diversify supply chains and promote domestic manufacturing of key components for greater self-reliance and resilience.

Government efforts to boost Semiconductors Production:

Semicon India Programme has been launched with a total outlay of ₹76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country. It aims to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystems.
Six chip manufacturing facilities are under construction for the manufacturing and assembly of semiconductor chips, under the India Semiconductor Mission.
Key rules related to Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been relaxed to further encourage the domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics.

Amendments to Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Rules, 2006

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified several modifications to the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Rules, 2006 to enhance the domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.

Minimum Land Size Reduced: Earlier, an SEZ set up exclusively for the manufacture of semiconductors or electronic components needed a minimum contiguous land area of 50 hectares. This has now been significantly reduced to 10 hectares. This reduced size will allow companies to make smaller investments but still avail of SEZ benefits such as tax exemptions, duty-free imports, and infrastructure support.
Relaxation of ‘Encumbrance-Free’ Land Rule: Previously, land had to be completely free of legal disputes to be used for SEZs. But with India’s complex land records and legal delays, this was a major bottleneck. Relaxing this rule will allow SEZs to come up faster.
Domestic Sales from SEZ allowed: Conventionally, SEZs are exclusively export-oriented. Recent amendment allows SEZ units in semiconductor and electronics component manufacturing to supply domestically, after paying the applicable duties. Allowing domestic sales not only shields the SEZs from the ongoing global trade uncertainty, but also ensures a steady supply to the domestic market itself.

Impacts:

Following the amendments, two new SEZs have already been approved with a total investment of ₹13,100 crore.

Micron Semiconductor Technology India will establish an SEZ facility in Sanand, Gujarat to manufacture semiconductors with an estimated investment of ₹13,000 crore.
Hubballi Durable Goods Cluster, a part of the Aequs Group, will establish an SEZ facility for the manufacture of electronic components in Dharwad, Karnataka, at a cost of ₹100 crore.

Also Read: India’s push for Semiconductor Chip Production amid Rising Imports

Cooking oils can help recover Silver from e-waste

Context: Scientists have developed a groundbreaking technique to recover silver from electronic waste using organic fatty acids found in cooking oils. This offers a safer, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical recycling processes.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Silver; Applications of Silver in the clean energy transition.

Cooking oils can help recover Silver from e-waste

Traditional silver recovery methods involve toxic chemicals like cyanide and strong acids, which are highly toxic, corrosive and harmful to the environment.
The newly discovered method uses natural fatty acids (like those in sunflower or olive oil) to recover silver from electronic waste without releasing harmful toxins.
To dissolve silver, the most commonly used unsaturated fatty acids- oleic, linoleic and linolenic- were combined with an aqueous hydrogen peroxide (30%) solution as a green oxidant under mild conditions. This combination effectively dissolved silver into the fatty acids. This dissolved silver can be later recovered.
Utility: The method can be applicable to urban mining, to retrieve silver from waste electrical and electronic wastes (WEEE) from discarded computer motherboard pieces.

Need for better recycling methods:

Silver is used to capture sunlight through rooftop solar panels across India, generating about 108 GW of clean and green electricity yearly across the nation (about 10% of what is generated from coal). Silver is also used in Mobile phones and laptops.
It is estimated that about 7,275 metric tonnes of silver are used across the world for these purposes, but barely 15% is recovered (When a phone or a computer is damaged or discarded, the silver content is lost).
With the global shift toward renewable energy and electric vehicles, the demand for silver is expected to rise by 170% by 2020. This calls for better recycling methods.

The research team concludes that fatty acids may become the next generation of solvents for treating precious multi-metal waste substrates.

QS World University Rankings 2026

Context: India has marked its strongest performance in the QS World University Rankings 2026 with 54 institutions featured in the list.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key Highlights- QS World University Rankings 2026.

QS World University Rankings 2026

Global Highlights:

QS World University Rankings 2026 were topped by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard University.

India-specific Highlights:

The number of Indian universities in the rankings has grown from 11 in 2015 to 54 in 2026. Six Indian institutions feature in the global top 250.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has emerged as India’s highest-ranked university, with 123rd position, followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Madras.
India has become the fourth most represented country in the global rankings, behind the US, UK, and China. It positions India as the fastest-growing higher education system among G20 nations.

Challenges:

India continues to face challenges in aspects critical to global competitiveness, such as international student diversity and faculty resources.

International Students Ratio: 78% of Indian universities have witnessed a decline in this metric, and no Indian institution ranks within the top 500 globally for attracting international students. This impacts campus diversity and global exposure for students.
Faculty-Student Ratio presents structural challenges, highlighting a broader need for faculty expansion and better resource allocation across institutions.

QS World University Rankings:

The QS World University Rankings are among the most trusted and wide-reaching assessments of higher education worldwide.
The 2026 edition is based on data from over 16 million academic papers and insights from more than 151,000 academics and 100,000 employers.
The rankings consider a broad mix of factors such as: Academic Reputation, Citations per Faculty, Faculty Student Ratio, Research strength, Employment Outcomes, Faculty Student Ratio, International Student Diversity, International Student Ratio etc.

This upward trajectory in QS University rankings reflect growing focus on improving the quality and international visibility of Indian higher education institutions, however, there is room for improvement.

What is Synthetic Aperture Radar?

Context: NASA and ISRO are set to launch the NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR) satellite, a $1.5 billion Earth-observing mission in July 2025. NISAR has arrived at ISRO’s spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Synthetic Aperture Radar; Advantages & Applications of SAR

Synthetic Aperture Radar:

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a form of active remote sensing that uses microwave radar signals to create high-resolution images of Earth.

How does SAR work?

SAR systems send out microwave pulses towards Earth. These signals bounce off from surfaces like ground, ocean, ice, vegetation, buildings etc.
These echoes (reflected signal) are collected by the antenna carried on a moving platform like a satellite. Since the satellite is moving, each echo is recorded at a slightly different position.
Via complex signal processing those echoes are stitched together into detailed images. Usually, the longer a physical antenna, the better is the resolution. However, a large antenna is hard to build and maintain. Hence, SAR mimics the effect of having a single giant antenna (hundreds of metres long).

Advantages of SAR:

Since microwaves penetrate clouds, smoke, dense vegetation, and even light rainfall, SAR can collect data 24/7.
If a SAR unit is mounted on an orbiting satellite, it can map swaths of land hundreds of kilometres wide in a single overpass.
Different materials like soil, vegetation, water, and metals reflect microwaves differently, allowing SAR to detect changes invisible to optical sensors.

Applications of SAR:

SAR can observe natural processes and changes in earth’s complex ecosystems.

Study Earth’s dynamic land and ice surfaces in greater detail and observe subtle changes in Earth’s surfaces. E.g., Track flow rates of glaciers and ice sheets, landslide-prone areas and changes in the coastline etc.
Spot warning signs of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.
Measure groundwater levels, agricultural mapping, vegetation biomass, natural resource mapping and monitor Earth’s forest and agricultural regions to improve understanding of carbon exchange.

NISAR will scan nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, providing an unprecedented amount of information about our planet’s environment.

Also Read: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar