GS Paper 3

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: 

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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.
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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.

Cabinet approves Global Potato Research Center in Agra 

Context: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a regional wing of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP) in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About International Potato Center, CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC), India’s position in global potato production.

About International Potato Center (CIP)

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CIP-South Asia Regional Centre: 

  • The proposed CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) will be set up at Singna in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. 
  • Purpose: To strengthen India’s research and productivity in potatoes and sweet potatoes.
  • The project costs Rs 171 crore, with India contributing Rs 111.5 crore and the remaining Rs 60 crore funded by the CIP. The UP government has provided 10 hectares of land for it.
  • It will cater not only to farmers in India’s potato belt states, like Uttar Pradesh,  Bihar and West Bengal, but also to South Asian countries.

Objective of CSARC:

  • To increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition. 

Functions of CSARC: 

  • To develop climate-resilient, disease-free, and processing-suitable potato & sweet potato varieties.
  • It will bring global science expertise, an extensive global innovation network and global genetic resources.

Significance of CSARC: 

  • Boost Productivity:  
    • Though India is the second largest potato producer in the world, followed by China, its average yield is 25 tonnes per hectare, about half of its potential of over 50 tonnes per hectare. 
    • India’s sweet potato yield is just 11.5 tonnes per hectare, which is much less than the potential of 30 tonnes per hectare. 
    • A major reason for these low numbers is a lack of availability of high-quality seeds. With the establishment of the CSARC, India will have access to the largest global collection of germplasm (the cells or tissues from which a new organism can be generated) available with the CIP.
  • Boost Domestic Seed Production: Establishment of this center will boost domestic potato seed production, thereby reducing India’s dependence on seed imports from neighbouring countries.
  • Increase in Export Potential: It will also help increase the potential for exporting the potato and sweet potato products from India to international markets.
  • Aid Food Processing: It will aid local food processing industries in increasing investments in processing and value addition.

The proposed CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported the establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi. 

QR Codes on roads built under PM Gram Sadak Yojana

Context: The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has directed all states and UTs to install QR codes on maintenance display boards of roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Key facts about PMGSY, QR Code Initiative.Mains: E-governance initiatives 

QR Code Initiative

  • All states and UTs are required to install QR codes on maintenance display boards of roads built under the PMGSY.
  • Aim: To get public feedback about the quality and maintenance of roads using QR codes.
  • Each road will have a QR code on a maintenance information board. Anyone can scan the code using a smartphone to view road details, submit feedback and photographs about poor maintenance or road damage.
  • Integrated with the existing e-MARG system (used for routine maintenance monitoring).
  • Photos submitted by citizens will be reviewed by engineers and will be analysed using AI/ML tools to assign Performance Evaluation (PE) marks.
  • Trials were carried out in various states, including a pilot project in Himachal Pradesh. After this, the new facility was made fully functional. 
  • Substandard work under the scheme has been previously flagged through existing mechanisms. The QR Code Initiative provides a mechanism for citizens’ feedback.

Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana

  • Launched: December 25, 2000 (PHASE - I) 
  • Aim: To improve rural infrastructure through road construction.
  • Phases: 
    • The second phase was launched in 2013.
    • Another component, called the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA), was launched in 2016 for the construction of rural roads in LWE-affected areas.
    • The third phase was launched in 2019.
    • The fourth phase was approved in 2024 to provide all-weather road connectivity to 25,000 unconnected habitations of population size 500+ in plains, 250+ in northeastern and hill states/UTs, special category areas (Tribal Schedule V, Aspirational Districts/Blocks, Desert areas) and 100+ in LWE-affected areas.
  • Funding Mechanism: Starting as a totally Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the funding pattern was modified to 60:40 between the Centre and states (except for northeastern and Himalayan states).
  • Implementing Agency: National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), under MoRD.
  • Since the scheme was launched, a total road length of 8,36,850 km has been sanctioned, of which 7,81,209 km has been completed.
  • Under the PMGSY, all roads after the completion of construction are maintained by the contractor for five years. This is done using a mobile-cum-web-based e-MARG (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads) system. It is an e-governance solution for managing and monitoring rural road maintenance.
  • As a whole, maintenance comes under the ambit of state governments, with rural roads being a state subject. 

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).

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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.  

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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. 

From Farm to Shelf: Food Processing Sector

Context: Government-led reforms and schemes have transformed India’s food processing sector into a driver of inclusive growth, agricultural integration, and global engagement.

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Key government Initiatives for the Food Processing Sector.

Mains: Significance of the Food Processing Sector.

 Food Processing Sector

  • Food processing is a technique of manufacturing and preserving food substances in an effective manner with a view to enhance their shelf life; improve quality as well as make them functionally more useful.
  • Once characterised by unorganised production and high post-harvest losses, the sector has now emerged as a key pillar of rural empowerment, entrepreneurship, and agri-industrial integration. Food Processing has emerged as a sunrise sector accounting for 11% of GVA in agriculture and 10% of GVA in manufacturing. 
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Significance of Food Processing Sector: 

  • Promote agricultural diversification by increasing demand for raw material. E.g., Tribal women in Bastar transformed Mahua flowers into chocolates and herbal tea.
  • Reduce post harvest losses (about Rs 92000 Crore) through Cold chain infrastructure.
  • Boost agricultural exports E.g., Makhana of Bihar has turned into a global snack brand and now exports to the US and Canada. 
  • Address nutritional insecurity through food fortification.
  • Promote inclusive growth through secondary agriculture and job creation. 
  • Establish forward and backward linkages. 
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With following government initiatives, the food processing sector has emerged as one of the most potent instruments of inclusive growth, agricultural integration, and global engagement.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana: 

  • Objective: Infrastructure creation, modernisation, and preservation of food products. 
  • Key Outcomes:
    • Created 250 lakh MT of annual processing and preservation capacity.
    • Leveraged ₹22,000 crore private investment leveraged.
    • 53 lakh farmers directly benefited and 7.6 lakh employment opportunities generated.

Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme: 

  • Launched under: Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.
  • Objective: Empower unorganised micro food enterprises through formalisation, credit, and skilling.
  • Key Achievements:
    • Over 1.41 lakh loans sanctioned, worth ₹11,205 crore
    • 3.3 lakh SHG members supported it with seed capital.
    • Over 1 lakh individuals trained in entrepreneurship & skills
    • To foster innovation and support early stages enterprises, 75 incubation centres were approved.
    • 17 regional brands launched, promoting local products.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Food Processing Industries; 

  • Objective: Catalyse large-scale investments, industrial capacity, and formal job creation
  • Achievement : With committed investment of ₹8,900 crore, the scheme has led to the creation of over 3.3 lakh new jobs and added more than 67 lakh MT processing capacity.

Budgetary Support for Infrastructure (Union Budget 2024-25)

Key Announcements:

  • 50 multi-product irradiation units to improve shelf life and reduce losses. 
  • 100 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories for improved quality control. 
  • Establishment of National Makhana Board to promote value addition, branding, and global recognition of Makhana.

Institutional Support and Innovation Ecosystem:

  • NIFTEM-Kundli and NIFTEM-Thanjavur, Institutes of National Importance, are training next-gen food technologists and entrepreneurs.
  • New NIFTEM is coming up in Bihar to utilise the eastern region’s potential.
  • India's food tech startup ecosystem is thriving with over 5,000 food-tech start-ups working on Plant-based foods, AI-enabled traceability, functional foods, sustainable packaging. 

Global Branding and Investment Platform: 

  • World Food India: An international platform by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to promote investment, innovation, and global collaboration, showcasing India’s strength across the agri-food value chain.

The food processing sector in India is undergoing a major transformation- from farm to shelf. With strong government support, it is reducing post-harvest losses, creating jobs, boosting exports, and empowering rural communities.

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. 
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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.
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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. 

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). 
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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

India ranks 71st on Energy Transition Index 2025: WEF

Context: India has ranked 71 out of 118 countries in the recently launched Energy Transition Index (ETI) by the World Economic Forum. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about the Energy Transition Index. 

Energy Transition Index

  • Launched by: World Economic Forum
  • ETI ranks countries based on their progress towards energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. 
  • The report benchmarked the performance of energy systems of 118 countries across:
    • Threesystem performance dimensions- energy security, sustainability and equity.
      • Energy security: presence of a stable and resilient energy supply through developing a diversity of energy sources as well as grid and power supply reliability)
      • Equity: access to energy for all, including consumers and industries. 
      • Sustainability: promoting energy sources that have lower impacts on the environment such as lower carbon footprints.
    • Five transition readiness factors- political commitment, finance and investment, innovation, infrastructure, and education and human capital.
  • The Index used 43 indicators under these broad categories using data from multiple sources and organisations, and scored countries on a scale of 0 to 100.

Energy Transition Index 2025

Global Highlights: 

  • Sweden (score 77.5) topped the list of 118 countries, followed by Finland and Denmark. China was ranked 12th, and the US was 17th. 
  • While the majority of countries improved their scores in 2025, the share of countries advancing across all three energy dimensions was only 28%, which reflects uneven progress.
  • Despite $2 trillion in clean energy investment in 2024, emissions hit a record 37.8 billion tonnes in the hottest year on record (2024), as energy demand rose 2.2% driven by artificial intelligence, data centres, cooling and electrification.

India-specific Highlights: 

  • India’s rank has fallen from 63rd in 2024 to 71 out of 118 countries in 2025. India scored 53.3 on the Index.
  • India has made progress in lowering energy intensity and CH4 emissions, favourable energy regulations and increasing clean energy investments.
  • India needs improvement in grid reliability, energy access for rural areas and further reducing dependence on imported energy. This requires further investment in infrastructure, renewables, labour force development and financing to boost the country’s energy transition. 

As per WEF, the top five largest economies- China, the US, EU, Japan and India- will determine the pace and direction of the global energy transition due to their sheer size. 

Together, they account for around half of the global GDP, population and total energy supply (TES), and also nearly two-thirds of global emissions, giving them an outsized influence through their consumption patterns, investment flows and policy choices. 

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