UPSC Key: Southwest Monsoon, World Environment Day and Cheque Bounce

Venezuela, India in talks for long-term energy pacts

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story: India and Venezuela Thursday discussed “forging an energy partnership” and entering into “long-term contracts” as Delcy Rodriguez, on her first trip to India after becoming Acting President of her country, held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map Work– Venezuela

• India and Venezuela-know bilateral relations

• What is the status of India’s ties with Venezuela?

• Why Venezuela is important in India’s energy diplomacy?

• What are the opportunities and challenges in India-Venezuela energy cooperation?

• What is the strategic significance of Venezuela’s oil reserves?

Key Takeaways:

• Rodriguez took charge of Venezuela after President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by US forces in a military operation in January this year.

• After meeting Rodriguez, Modi, in a post on X, said, “We had extensive discussions on expanding our cooperation in energy, critical minerals, technology, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties.”

• “As a valued partner in Latin America, our close cooperation with Venezuela holds immense importance for the Global South. We will continue to work together for the mutual benefit of the people of our nations,” he said.

• Asked whether the leaders discussed the issue of Maduro, Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “Coming to the political transition, of course, this was a very frank conversation that the two leaders had, both during when all of us were there, as well as on the table when they were having their working lunch, but I don’t think that I should, you know, get into those sort of things.”

• “We all know that there was a transition in Venezuela. But we are working with a government that is friendly, that wants a partnership with India. We want to reciprocate that, and don’t forget that Venezuela has been traditionally a very close friend. Bilaterally, we have done a lot of partnerships, and at the international level, we have collaborated very closely… We are just going back to normal,” he said.

• Tandon said Venezuela views India as a “preferred partner” and “India has stood with Venezuela in bad times as well as in good times”.

Do You Know:

• On January 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and the two leaders agreed to take the bilateral relations to new heights in the years ahead. The phone call from Rodriguez to Modi was the first since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by the United States in the first week of January. Energy was one of the topics covered in the leaders’ conversation.

• Venezuela has the largest oil reserves globally, estimated at over 300 billion barrels or a fifth of the proven oil reserves all over the world. The world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, is second to Venezuela in terms of proven oil reserves. But Venezuela produces around 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, while global output is over 100 million bpd.

• The relatively insignificant oil production by Venezuela, despite massive potential, is a result of a combination of factors that include US sanctions on the country’s oil and gas sector constraining its energy exports, apart from a severe economic crisis in Venezuela and a debilitating lack of investment in the country’s oil and gas infrastructure.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: Beyond Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro’s Capture — What you must know for the UPSC Exam

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2024)

Statement-I: Recently, Venezuela has achieved a rapid recovery from its economic crisis and succeeded in preventing its people from fleeing/emigrating to other countries.

Statement-II: Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

NATION

Southwest monsoon hits Kerala, IMD forecasts heavy rainfall until June 7

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Thursday announced the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala, marking the beginning of the four-month long season.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the arrival and departure of monsoon?

• What is meant by the “onset of the monsoon”?

• What are these conditions, which determine the onset of monsoon?

• Monsoon mechanism in India-Know in detail

• How Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch are associated with Indian monsoon?

• What is difference between Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch?

• What is the difference between the southwest monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon?

• know the terms and their influence on Indian Monsoon—El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), El Nino, La Nina.

Key Takeaways:

• The normal onset date is June 1, with a deviation of 7 days. This year, the onset has been realised 3 days after the normal date, IMD said.

• This year, the Met office has forecast below-normal rainfall over the country. Quantitatively, it is expected to be 90 per cent of the Long Period Average, which is 870mm (1971-2020).

• This subdued rainfall forecast is mainly in view of the developing El Nino condition — a global, naturally occurring ocean-atmospheric phenomena along the equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Nino, during which the ocean surface along the Pacific is warmer than usual, is known to suppress summer monsoon and drive extreme temperatures over India.

• Even though Kerala has been reporting heavy rainfall since last week, the IMD maintains some criteria, all of which when satisfactorily met, declares the monsoon onset over Kerala. These criteria include (i) After May 10, if there is rainfall of 2.5mm or more lasting two consecutive days recorded over stipulated 14 stations within Kerala, Lakshadweep and Karnataka (ii) strengthening and deepening of the westerly winds to 15 – 20 knots and atleast 600 hecta Pascal, respectively and (iii) the Outgoing Long Range (OLR) value (or the heat) remains below 200 watts/sq metre over 5-10ºN latitude and 70-75ºE latitude area.

• Once the southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala, it advances northwards in multiple surges depending on the monsoon wind pulses and other factors. Normally, the monsoon covers the entire country by mid-July after which it enters active and break phases from time-to-time. The rainfall activity is closely tracked and is indicated by the Northern Limit of (NLM), an imaginary line to track the monsoon progress across the country. As of Thursday, the NLM passed through Mangalore, Ooty and Kodaikanal having covered most parts of Kerala, whole of Lakshadweep, Mahe and some parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of the Arabian Sea, Comorin area, southeast Bay of Bengal, the IMD said.

Do You Know:

• The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert warning of the continuing heavy rainfall (70 – 110mm in 24 hours) for all districts of Kerala till June 7. The Met office said that favourable conditions prevailed for the monsoon advancement into Goa, some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, more parts of Karnataka, rest of Tamil Nadu, more parts of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal during the next two-three days.

• The IMD considers three main factors ahead of declaring the onset over Kerala, which marks the beginning of the four-month-long rainy season over the country. These are: rainfall measuring 2.5mm or more reported over 14 meteorological stations for at least two consecutive days; deep penetration of westerly winds; outgoing longwave radiation value falling below 200 Wm-2.

• The IMD in April forecast above-normal rainfall this year, expected to be 105 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) of 880 mm. During the next four months, the major ocean factors that influence the southwest monsoon — the El Nino Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole — will remain in ‘neutral’ phase and have positive influence on the rainfall over India, it had said earlier.

• ENSO and IOD refer to the condition of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific and Indian Oceans respectively. Both of them influence monsoon rainfall. If the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the cost of South America, is warmer than usual, a condition called El Nino, rainfall over India during the monsoon season is generally adversely affected. The opposite condition, called La Nina, favours good rainfall. IOD refers to the difference in temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea sides of the Indian ocean. IOD is considered positive when the Arabian Sea side is warmer than the Bay of Bengal side. This is generally favourable for Indian monsoon.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Below normal monsoon, but no cause for alarm

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

2) The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of (UPSC CSE, 2014)

(a) Equatorial climate

(b) Mediterranean climate

(c) Monsoon climate

(d) All of the above climates

3) With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE, 2018)

1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.

2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an EI Nino’s impact on the monsoon.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

This World environment day, let’s broaden the conversation

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: World Environment Day is an occasion to reflect on the growing threat posed by climate change. Recent weather extremes in Delhi — from 43°C heat to torrential rain and sharp temperature swings within days — underscore the growing unpredictability of our climate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is world environment day?

• Why world environment day is celebrated?

• What it is the significance of World Environment Day?

• What is the concept of sustainable development?

• How sustainable development is relevant in contemporary environmental governance?

• Why biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and resource overconsumption deserve equal attention?

• How can the principle of intergenerational equity guide environmental policymaking?

• Why do you think environmental discussions often become limited to climate change alone?

Key Takeaways:

• The planet has already warmed by more than 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, and its impacts are being felt across the world.

• Climate-related disasters now inflict economic losses of roughly US$300-320 billion annually worldwide, significantly above long-term averages, with weather-related events accounting for more than 90 per cent of the damage. Key sectors like agriculture are coming under pressure from heat stress, droughts, floods, and shifting pest dynamics. Water scarcity already affects billions, while infrastructure designed for the 20th century is increasingly unfit for today’s realities.

• These challenges are creating unprecedented demand for recalibrations of technologies, resilient infrastructure, climate-smart manufacturing, water-efficient systems and innovative business models.

• The climate crisis is becoming one of the most powerful drivers of economic transformation in modern history. The world is now entering what is being called the “adaptation economy”.

• Recent industry estimates place the global climate adaptation market at roughly US$30-35 billion in 2025, encompassing climate-resilient infrastructure, water management systems, early-warning technologies, resilient agriculture, cooling technologies, climate analytics, and adaptation services. It is expected to grow to US$95-140 billion by 2030 with an annual growth rate of roughly 10-16 per cent.

• According to the Global Commission on Adaptation, investing $1.8 trillion globally in climate adaptation by 2030 could generate more than $7 trillion in net economic benefits. Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that adaptation investment needs in developing countries could exceed $300 billion annually by 2030 and rise further thereafter. These figures represent not merely costs of adaptation but opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation and economic growth.

Do You Know:

• World Environment Day, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), serves as an important occasion to raise awareness about environmental crises and promote action for sustainability.

• The first major global meeting about environmental issues happened in Stockholm in 1972. This event was a turning point for the worldwide environmental movement.

This meeting acknowledged everyone’s basic right to live in a clean environment and resulted in the creation of the UNEP. To celebrate this, it named June 5 is named a worldwide day to focus on environmental awareness. Since that time, the UNEP has taken part in many projects to safeguard the environment. These range from boosting awareness about ecological problems to having an impact on global environmental rules.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | World Environment Day 2026: Let’s revisit 5 critical environmental lessons

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

4) Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’: (UPSC CSE, 2014)

1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.

2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.

3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

EXPLAINED

Old ties, new Nepal: What India needs to negotiate

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What’s the ongoing story: The chief of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantrata Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday as part of his ongoing India visit.

Key Points to Ponder:

• India-Nepal Bilateral relations-know the historical background

• What is the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950?

• India-Nepal Bilateral relations-What is the present situation?

• India-Nepal Border Dispute-Know in details

• India and Nepal have border disputes over what areas?

• Why has this border dispute become so politically charged in Nepal?

• China, India and Nepal-Connect the dots

• Is China’s political influence in Nepal harming Indian interests?

• Why is Nepal so important?

• India-Nepal Bilateral Relations and Shared Heritage-Know in detail

• What is India’s Neighbourhood First Policy?

• India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and Nepal-Connect the dots

Key Takeaways:

• This is the highest-level visit from Nepal since the RSP swept to power in March this year, with rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah assuming the top office on the back of the Gen Z protests.

• While many tried to draw parallels between the political situation in Nepal and Bangladesh after the youth-led protests, they were different on one major account: in Nepal, the mainstream political parties made sure elections took place within six months of the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government.

• New Delhi has been used to dealing with the traditional, long-term actors and partners in Nepal’s politics, who took turns forming the government.But, under Shah, the median age of Nepal’s parliament has dropped. According to reports, almost 38 per cent of Nepal’s lawmakers are younger than 40, a direct outcome of the Gen Z movement.

Do You Know:

• The diplomatic challenge in dealing with the new Nepal is that Delhi is seen by some sections as a ‘bully’.

• The political actions and statements from India in 2015 alienated a vast section of the Nepalese population. This was when the Nepalese Constitution was being drafted, and India criticised it for not giving enough rights to Madhesis, who share community links on the Indian side of the border. There was also an unofficial, deeply unpopular months-long blockade of the India-Nepal border in Bihar.

• India, on its part, has sought to project itself as a benevolent “elder brother”, as then External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had once described, instead of “big brother”, an epithet used for bullying behaviour.

• Delhi feels that the ties are too strong to be overlooked. South Block says that India remains Nepal’s largest trade partner, about 80 lakh Nepalese citizens live and work in India, and around 6 lakh Indians live in Nepal. Indians account for about 30 per cent of foreign tourists in Nepal. The bilateral remittance flow is estimated at about US$ 3 billion (Nepal to India) and $ 1 billion (India to Nepal).

• There is also a geopolitical contest for influence playing out in Kathmandu. The Himalayan country finds itself sandwiched between the two powers, India and China, and Nepalese political leadership has in the past sought to use the China card with India. The US too is active and has been interested in being part of the landscape there.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Nepal objects to Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh; India says unjustified

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

5) Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC: (UPSC CSE, 2025)

I. It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.

II. It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.

III. Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.

IV. In BIMSTEC, the subsector of ‘tourism’ is being led by India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) I and II

(b) II and III

(c) I and IV

(d) I only

Can insolvency process pause cheque bounce cases? SC to rule

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: When a person undergoes IBC proceedings, a moratorium on legal action with respect to any debt kicks in. But there is little clarity on whether this moratorium covers cheque bounce. The matter has now been referred to a larger Supreme Court bench.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What does a cheque bounce mean?

• What is the new rule of cheque bounce case?

• Is cheque bounce a criminal offense?

• What is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code?

• What is insolvency under the Bankruptcy Code?

• What is the purpose of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code?

• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025-what are key highlights of the bill?

• What amendments are done in the recent Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025?

• What is Creditor-Initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP)?

• Why Creditor-Initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP) is in news?

• National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)-Role and Features

• Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT)-Role and Features

Key Takeaways:

• The Supreme Court has now set the stage for a clear ruling on this matter. It has referred to a larger bench the question of how the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which provides a framework to deal with defaulting companies, intersects with Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which criminalises cheque bouncing.

• On May 27, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan said a distinction may have to be drawn between the criminal and compensatory aspects of the cheque bounce litigation.

• The IBC, they observed, cannot become a route to avoid personal criminal accountability. They also said that allowing the recovery of compensation in a cheque bounce case during insolvency proceedings could undermine the IBC’s objective of ensuring orderly distribution of assets among creditors.

• The reference stems from a disagreement in the court’s own jurisprudence — whether a cheque bounce case is a fundamentally criminal prosecution or what an earlier Supreme Court judgment famously described as a “civil sheep in criminal wolf’s clothing”.

Do You Know:

• When a person is undergoing personal insolvency proceedings under the IBC, a moratorium on legal action or proceedings in respect of any debt kicks in under Sections 96 and 101.

• Section 96 provides for an interim moratorium from the date when the application for insolvency is filed, and Section 101 stipulates that a statutory moratorium should kick in once the court officially accepts the insolvency application.

• The current case, Dineshchand Surana v. UCO Bank case, pertained to whether a cheque bounce case qualifies as a proceeding that can be paused by the insolvency process.

If so, this would change the calculus for creditors, accused persons and directors of companies who are simultaneously facing insolvency and Negotiable Instruments Act proceedings.

• Section 138 makes dishonouring a cheque a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment, a fine or both. The criminal deterrent is meant to enhance people’s faith in cheques as a mode of payment.

• Over time, courts placed emphasis on the compensatory aspect of Section 138 proceedings. A convicted accused can be directed to pay compensation to the complainant.

The offence is compoundable, which means that the parties can settle, and the case ends. A complainant can simultaneously file a civil suit for the same amount. These features have led courts to treat Section 138 proceedings as serving a dual purpose: punishment and restitution.

• The IBC moratorium is designed to prevent actions that deplete a debtor’s assets while a restructuring is underway. If a compensatory part of a Section 138 proceeding does exactly that, taking money out of the debtor’s estate in favour of the creditor, it may fall within the moratorium’s reach. But if the offence is primarily criminal, the moratorium has no business touching it.

• The conflict in precedent goes back to a 2021 three-judge bench ruling in P Mohanraj v. Shah Bros Ispat, which dealt with the corporate insolvency moratorium under Section 14 of the IBC and analysed personal insolvency provisions.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍With IBC Amendment Bill, govt hopes to expedite insolvency process, maximise value: Key takeaways

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

6) Which of the following statements best describes the term ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A)’, recently seen in the news? (UPSC CSE, 2017)

(a) It is a procedure for considering ecological costs of developmental schemes formulated by the Government.

(b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.

(c) It is a disinvestment plan of the Government regarding Central Public Sector Undertakings.

(d) It is an important provision in ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code’ recently implemented by the Government.

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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