UPSC Key: Bilateral Investment Treaties, SIPRI Yearbook 2026 and Solar power

Xi vows ‘unwavering’ support for Kim in rare Pyongyang visit

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination:

• General Studies I: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

• General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,

What’s the ongoing story: Weeks after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin undertook official visits to Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping will head to North Korea on Monday (June 7) for a two-day trip.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map Work-North Korea and China

• What is the relationship between China and North Korea?

• How much does North Korea depend on China?

• Why does China need North Korea?

• What may be prompting China’s outreach to North Korea at this moment?

• What are the implications of closer China–North Korea ties for Indo-Pacific security?

• Can you establish a connection between communism, capitalism, and Korea?

• What you about the Korean War?

• What led to the divide in the Korean peninsula?

Key Takeaways:

• At a time when China is being viewed as a key player in world politics, albeit at times a measured or reluctant one, and with several major conflicts raging globally, a trip to the hermit kingdom may seem surprising. It comes seven years after Xi’s last visit to Pyongyang, while North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un last went to Beijing in 2025 for a World War 2 anniversary parade.

• On the face of it, an industrial behemoth such as China might seem to have little to gain from one of the poorest and least integrated nations in the world, and in material terms, that is largely true. But since the founding of both nations in 1949 and 1948, respectively, geopolitical circumstances have strongly defined the ties.

• After the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945, emerging superpowers sought to take control of the region’s fate. Under the policy of “Containment” and the possibility of the spread of Communism, the United States sought to prevent the USSR and China from having another ally in the region.

• According to the Wilson Quarterly, a journal published by the Washington DC-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, China’s involvement in the war and support for North Korea stemmed from its reading of US military actions. Shortly after Japan’s surrender in World War 2, forces of the USSR and the US took control of the northern and southern regions of Korea, and over time, those divisions hardened.

Do You Know:

• According to the NCERT textbook, the Japanese colonial rule ended after 35 years in August 1945 with Japan’s defeat in the World War II. However, it was the continued efforts of independence activists both inside and outside Korea that ensured Korea’s independence after Japan’s defeat. Following liberation, the Korean Peninsula was temporarily divided along the 38th parallel with the Soviets managing the North and the U.N. managing the South even as the nations worked to disband the Japanese forces in the region. However, this division became permanent as separate governments were established in both the North and the South in 1948.

• In June 1950, the Korean War broke out. With South Korea receiving support from the US-led United Nations forces and North Korea receiving support from communist China, it developed into a vintage proxy war of the Cold War era. In July 1953, after three years, the war ended in an armistice agreement. Korea remained divided. The Korean War had caused not only massive losses of life and property, but also a delay in free-market economic development and democratisation. Prices suddenly rose due to inflation caused by increased national expenses and currency issued during the war. Furthermore, industrial facilities constructed during the colonial period had been destroyed entirely. As a result, South Korea was forced to rely on the economic assistance being provided by the USA.

• The most significant legacy of the Korean War is the division of the Korean Peninsula because of the continued armistice. It has had far-reaching implications for regional security, contributing to the militarisation of the Korean Peninsula and ongoing tensions between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the West.

• It also solidified the alliance between the United States and South Korea. The US established a lasting military presence in South Korea by stationing American troops and remains committed to defending it against any external aggression. It also provided economic support that has been a cornerstone of South Korea’s economic development.

• China’s entry into the war demonstrated its commitment to supporting communist regimes and a willingness to confront US-led forces in the region. China and North Korea largely maintain a close strategic partnership, with China being a key economic and diplomatic ally of North Korea. China’s support for North Korea in the UN and its role in providing economic assistance despite international sanctions highlights the enduring nature of their relationship.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Paths to Modernisation (NCERT Textbook-Themes of World History)

📍A brief history of how the Korean War erupted in 1950, its impact on today’s geopolitics

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

1) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE, 2018)

1. Australia

2. Canada

3. China

4. India

5. Japan

6. USA

Which of the above are among the ‘free-trade partners’ of ASEAN?

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5

(b) 3, 4, 5 and 6

(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5

(d) 2, 3, 4 and 6

FRONT PAGE

Israel and Iran trade strikes, pause, but warn of more attacks

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Monday (Jun 8), said that it launched airstrikes targeting military targets in western and central Iran hours after Tehran fired a missile salvo at northern Israel.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What you know about Israel-Iran rivalry?

• What are the implications of renewed Israel-Iran hostilities for regional security in West Asia?

• How the recent Israel-Iran confrontation reflects changing deterrence dynamics in the region.

• What was different this time?

• What do the events of the past day say about the future of the wars?

• How the recent events also complicate the position of the Lebanon government?

Key Takeaways:

• According to Iranian state television, several loud bangs were heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran. Iran closed the airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport following aerial attacks by Israel. The Israeli military reportedly used “air-launched ballistic missiles” in the attack, said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

• The Iranian state media IRNA later said that the attack on Najafabad in Isfahan Province, “caused no casualties.”

• Iran said that it struck Israel’s Nevatim and Tel Nof air bases. The country’s Revolutionary Guards, in a statement, said that the operation targeted radar sites in three separate locations in response to a missile attack

by Israel.

• Israel confirmed striking petrochemical facilities in southwest Iran. IDF released a statement saying that the Israeli Air Force hit “several targets” at the petrochemical complex in the Mahshahr area.

• Israel also detected a missile launched from Yemen on Monday, in the first such incident reported since April.

Do You Know:

• Iran has always said that any peace deal must include Lebanon too, but the Israeli campaign there continues despite multiple announcements of ceasefires. With the strikes on Sunday night, Iran has made it clear that it is willing to go beyond statements on Lebanon. It has asserted that a one-on-one peace deal with the US is not possible till Washington continues to give Benjamin Netanyahu a free hand in Lebanon.

• A major fall-out of the recent events is the question they raise on Trump’s ability to get Netanyahu to uphold American commitments. Despite Trump announcing multiple times that he would rein in Israel, including in Lebanon, Netanyahu has continued to escalate.

• Both Trump and Netanyahu face elections later this year. For Trump, a prolonged war and its attendant economic consequences are damaging. But for the Israeli leader, stopping the campaign now under pressure from Trump would dent his image domestically.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Israel, Iran trade strikes again: The major takeaways

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2023)

Statement-I: Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.

Statement-II: The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.

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

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

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

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

New bilateral investment model: 2-yr local remedy window, no MFN clause

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: A minimum two-year period for local remedies before initiation of international arbitration; no most-favoured nation clause; and, an exclusion of tax-related provisions.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)?

• What are the three key principles on which the Centre is remodelling its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with

countries?

• Why Centre is remodelling its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with countries?

• What are the features of remodelled Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)?

• What are the key features of 2016 BIT model?

• How Present BIT model is different from 2016 BIT model?

• Why India needs a forward-looking approach to Bilateral Investment Treaties?

• What is most-favoured nation clause?

• Why India is moving away from most-favoured nation clause?

Key Takeaways:

• These are the three key principles on which the Centre is remodelling its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with countries, The Indian Express has learnt.

• Amid the recent debate on various issues with the BIT mo¬del, the Centre is considering tailoring them according to engagement with other countries, with even a one-year cooling window for local remedies being con¬sidered for a few countries amid ongoing negotiations, a top Government source told this newspaper.

• Asked if the local remedies clause, which did not exist in the country’s pre-2016 BIT model, creates a hurdle for investors, the source said India has pushed for dedicated commercial courts — and that route has to be explored before international arbitration, which doesn’t have fair representation from all countries and can lead to discretionary decisions.

• The changes in the erstwhile 1993 BIT were also prompted by several international arbitration proceedings by global majors such as Vodafone and Cairn against the Government in different tax disputes. The Budget for 2025-26 had announced the revamping of the 2016 model to make it more investor-friendly and attract sustained foreign investment.

• In February 2025, speaking at the International Commercial & Investment Treaty Arbitration in Delhi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that BIT should be handled separately and negotiated standalone from the free trade agreements by specialists with expertise in elements of policy making such as taxation.

Do You Know:

• BITs are crucial for promotion and protection of investors as they pour money into each other’s countries. At present, the government follows the BIT model approved in December 2015 and adopted in January 2016, which mandates exhaustion of domestic remedies prior to the initiation of international arbitration proceedings.

• Before the 2016 model, India had signed bilateral investment treaties with 83 countries based on the model BIT of 1993, and as amended in 2003. Out of these, 74 were ratified. Among these 74 bilateral investment treaties, notice of termination was issued to 68 countries with request to re-negotiate based on the 2016 model, according to Government data shared in Parliament in March 2023.

• Since the revised 2016 model, India has signed BITs with Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty (ICFT) with Brazil, UAE and Uzbekistan, a Lok Sabha reply from April 2025 showed. In the BIT with the UAE, the window for exhaustion of local remedies was reduced to three years from five years. A Bilateral Investment Agreement has also been signed between India Taipei Association and Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre, it said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why India needs a forward-looking approach to Bilateral Investment Treaties

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

3) With reference to India’s decision to levy an equalization tax of 6% on online advertisement services offered by non-resident entities, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE, 2018)

1. It is introduced as a part of the Income Tax Act.

2. Non-resident entities that offer advertisement services in India can claim a tax credit in their

3. home country under the “Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements”.

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

4) A great deal of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India comes from Mauritius than from many major and mature economies like the UK and France. Why? (UPSC CSE, 2010)

(a) India has preference for certain countries as regards receiving FDI

(b) India has double taxation avoidance agreement with Mauritius

(c) Most citizens of Mauritius have ethnic identity with India and so they feel secure to invest in India

(d) Impending dangers of global climatic change prompt Mauritius to make huge investments in India.

POLITICS

MoU inked, Bengal finally comes under Ayushman Bharat ambit

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: As West Bengal finally came under the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat, with the signing of an MoU between the state and National Health Authority on Monday, Union Health Minister J P Nadda took potshots at the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government, stating that people of the state were deprived of the Centre’s health scheme because the former CM kept saying ‘hobe na’ (won’t happen).

Key Points to Ponder:

• The West Bengal finally came under the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat-What are the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana?

• What is Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)?

• What are the key features of the AB PM-JAY?

• The Union Cabinet in 2025 expanded the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to people up to what age?

• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a Central scheme or Centrally sponsored scheme?

• Why West Bengal previously opted out of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme?

• What are the complimentary and supplementary initiatives to Support Ayushman Bharat?

Key Takeaways:

• The Centre has also resumed implementation of the MGNREGS in Bengal — four years after it was suspended in the state.

• At an event held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, where the MoU with regard to Ayushman Bharat was signed, Nadda said the TMC government stayed away from several other health programmes such as upgradation of Ayushman Arogya Mandir and HPV vaccination for girls. Notably, Bengal was the only state that had not joined the Ayushman Bharat.

• The Ayushman Bharat scheme is expected to cover an estimated 1.43 crore households in Bengal — including 1.24 crore poorest households, 15.95 lakh persons aged 70 and above, and 3.06 lakh frontline health workers. The Centre has already released Rs 976 crore for the scheme, less than a month after the formation of the new government in the state.

• CM Adhikari said there were nearly 1 crore migrant workers who travel to other states from Bengal, who will now be able to use their Ayushman card to get treatment wherever they are located.

• While West Bengal was one of the states that had initially adopted the AB-PMJAY, it dropped out in 2019, stating that the Modi-led government was taking credit while the state had to foot at least 40 per cent of the cost. Instead, the Mamata Banerjee-led state government continued with its own Swasthya Sathi scheme that also provided Rs 5 lakh cover per family per annum.

Do You Know:

• Launched in September 2018, Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) — is the world’s largest Government-funded health insurance scheme. Currently, beneficiaries are identified from the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), based on specific deprivation and occupational criteria across both rural and urban areas.

Initially covering 10.74 crore families, states implementing AB-PMJAY have broadened their reach to encompass 13.44

crore families (65 crore people).

• The scheme is jointly funded by the Centre and the states in the ratio 60:40 (90:10 in the case of North-East and hilly states). Government hospitals account for 58% of all facilities empanelled.

• In a landmark decision, the Union Cabinet approved an expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) on September 11, 2024, offering comprehensive health insurance to senior citizens aged 70 and above.

• Everyone of age 70 or more will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually, shared within the family. This means if there are two elderly beneficiaries in the household, the cover will be split among them.

• Elderly members (age 70 and more) of families that are already covered in accordance with their economic status will get a top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh — to be used only for the elderly. These elderly beneficiaries will have to re-register to receive the top-up cover.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal: Who benefits from schemes, vaccine drives?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

5) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2023)

Statement-I: India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.

Statement-II: Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organising health services.

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

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

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

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

6) With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2022)

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.

2. As it aims to achieve universal, health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.

3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

NATION

Report: India likely to have expanded nuclear stockpile to 190 in 2025

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

What’s the ongoing story: India is believed to have slightly expanded its nuclear stockpile in 2025 and continued developing new types of nuclear delivery systems, while Pakistan’s focus has been on new delivery systems and accumulation of fissile material in 2025, according to a new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the major highlights of the new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)?

• What is Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)?

• What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Highlights about India?

• According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), there are countries that have nuclear weapons-Who are those countries?

• India’s military spending-Know in detail

• What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) does?

• What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has said about India in the past?

Key Takeaways:

• According to the report, at the start of 2026, nine countries — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel — together possessed approximately 12,187 nuclear weapons, of which 9,745 were in military stockpiles and considered potentially operationally available.

• “Nearly all of these warheads belonged to Russia or the USA, and to a lesser extent France and the UK, but China and India may now occasionally deploy a small number of warheads mounted on missiles during peacetime,” it said.

• In recent years, submarine-based nuclear weapon delivery systems have also been proliferating, especially in the four nuclear-armed States in the Indo-Pacific.

• The report further stated that India has deployed 12 nuclear warheads at present, and the country’s total nuclear stockpile is estimated at around 190 warheads as of January 2026, up from 180 a year ago.

• “It has long been assumed that India stores its nuclear warheads separately from its deployed launchers during peacetime. However, the country’s recent moves towards placing missiles in canisters and conducting sea-based deterrence patrols suggest that India could be shifting in the direction of mating some of its warheads with their launchers in peacetime,” it said.

• “Based on this assessment, SIPRI estimates that, as of January 2026, India may have started to deploy a small number of nuclear warheads on a single SSBN conducting occasional deterrence patrols,” the report noted.

• About Pakistan, the report said its nuclear warhead stockpile is thought to have remained stable at around 170 warheads as of January 2026, although it continued to develop its nascent nuclear triad during 2025.

• The report notes that China is also in the middle of a significant modernisation and expansion of its nuclear arsenal, which is estimated to have increased from 600 to up to 620 warheads during the year. It also said China may now be deploying warheads on missiles of a few mobile battalions during peacetime exercises, which would mark a change from China’s longstanding policy of keeping warheads and missiles de-mated.

• The modernisation and further deployment of nuclear weapons raise potential risks related to nuclear escalation. “Two of the most destabilising developments are nuclear–conventional entanglement — the increasing overlap between dual-capable nuclear and non-nuclear (conventional) military capabilities, especially missiles — and the proliferation of multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles,” the report noted.

• t said India’s modernisation programme is increasingly focused on developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China, “but its planning remains heavily influenced by its long-standing rivalry with Pakistan”.

Do You Know:

• The Sweden-based SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. It was established on the basis of a decision by the Swedish Parliament and receives a substantial part of its funding in the form of an annual grant from the Swedish Government. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India Joins Global Military Giants—Big Defence Jump Decoded | SIPRI Defence Report

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

7) Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE, 2020)

International Agreement/set-up

Subject

1.

Alma-Ata Declaration

Healthcare of the people

2.

Hague Convention

Biological and chemical weapons

3.

Talanoa Dialogue

Global climate change

4.

Under2 Coalition

Child rights

Which of the pairs above is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

EXPLAINED

The boost Centre’s solar power schemes need

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: Incentivising households and farmers to generate electricity locally is a crucial step for India’s clean energy transition. But high upfront costs and cheap grid power have slowed the adoption of decentralised solar.

Key Points to Ponder:

• India’s renewable energy capacity-know in detail

• Solar power in India-know in detail

• What is the target of solar power in India?

• What is India’s current solar capacity status?

• What is the concept of rooftop solar energy?

• What are the issues and challenges with solar power sector?

• What are the steps and measures taken by GOI to promote Solar power?

• Know about PM Suryaghar Yojana and PM-KUSUM.

Key Takeaways:

• India has been rapidly scaling up its renewable energy capacity in recent years. This growth has been led by solar power, which now accounts for close to 30% of India’s total installed electricity capacity. The country added more than 50 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity in the last couple of years and, in 2025, added more solar power than any other country in the world except China.

• To accelerate this transition to clean energy, the government has been running two flagship programmes for decentralising solar power generation — that is, incentivising households and farmers to generate electricity locally.

Do You Know:

• PM Suryaghar Yojana targets installation of rooftop solar units on one crore households. It offers every beneficiary free electricity up to 300 units every month, and cash subsidy for equipment.

• PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan) is aimed at farmers, helping them set up small solar plants on their unused land, or install grid-connected or standalone solar water pumps for irrigation needs. Farmers can earn additional income by selling solar electricity produced on their land, or save on diesel or power bills on traditional water pumps.

• Together, PM Suryaghar Yojana and PM-KUSUM have resulted in the installation of about 13 GW of decentralised solar power against a target of 40 GW by the end of the current financial year.

• The PM-KUSUM scheme, launched in 2019, was supposed to achieve its targets by 2022, but was extended till the end of this financial year owing to the pandemic disruption.

The most successful component of the programme has been the incentive to farmers to set up standalone, off-grid, solar water pumps. Government figures show that more than 10.9 lakh new solar water pumps have been installed against the target of 14 lakh.

• But it is the uneven progress of these programmes across different states that is quite revealing. The two programmes have done very well in certain states and extremely poor in others.

• Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala have seen significantly higher offtake rates for the PM Suryaghar rooftop solar scheme compared to states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, or even the relatively low energy-access states of Bihar and Jharkhand.

• In fact, the five best performing states under the scheme — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan — account for nearly 70% of the nearly 33 lakh rooftop installations so far.

Status of key solar schemes.

• Decentralised solar power gets increasingly relevant in a year like the current one, when the rainfall is expected to be low, and temperatures very high, resulting in very high power demands. This year is not an isolated case. Such situations are fast becoming the norm, and decentralisation can help in cushioning the impact.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India is rapidly scaling up renewable energy. Now it needs to store it

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

8) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2016)

1.The International Solar Alliance was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015.

2.The Alliance includes all the member countries of the United Nations.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:

📍India has immense potential for solar energy though there are regional variations in its developments. Elaborate. (UPSC, 2020)

Sewage in posh Delhi colony taps: How urban water systems fail, what to change

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies I: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies

What’s the ongoing story: In the posh South Delhi colony of Gulmohar Park, drinking water pipelines have been delivering sewage-contaminated water for over two weeks now. At the time of writing this column, the point of ingress of contaminated water had not been conclusively identified by the Delhi Jal Board. Many residents have fallen ill from exposure to foul water, and people have had to switch to water tankers and bottled water for their daily needs.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the major causes of contamination in urban drinking water systems?

• Connect the dot between water infrastructure and public health.

• What is Non-Revenue Water?

• Why Non-Revenue Water is a concern for urban governance?

• What is the role of Urban Local Bodies in ensuring water security?

• Know the concept of Integrated Urban Water Management.

Key Takeaways:

• Several similar incidents have been reported in other cities, such as Indore, Gandhinagar, Pune, Noida, Gurgaon and Bengaluru. In the recent Indore case, the contamination was linked to several deaths, which brought national attention to the issue.

• There are underlying systemic factors that lead to the mixing of sewage water with drinking water. From an engineering perspective, the risk of contamination in drinking water pipelines is almost always present: sewage water can enter through even minor leaks and openings in the water pipes, especially when the water supply has been cut off and the pressure in the pipes is slack.

• This issue is exacerbated when the pipe network is aged and corroded, when pipes are damaged in construction activity, or when sewage flows and other contaminants come into the area around the pipes.

• There are two important policy takeaways from this perspective. One, that that the risk of contamination of drinking water is almost always present, and that it can only be managed, rather than completely eliminated. Second, as the risk to drinking water is from the close interaction of sewage and drinking water pipes, its management requires attention to both drinking water and sewage.

• Our drinking water supply and sewage disposal systems entail very many neighbourhood-level compromises with engineering protocol. As water supply is intermittent, for only a few hours a day, the pipes are often empty, and thus more susceptible to the infiltration of contaminants.

• Engineers consider 24-hour water supply systems technically superior — because pipes remain pressurised and resistant to contaminants — but this requires more water and expensive upgrades in the supply infrastructure.

• Moreover, the true state of pipes and networks is never fully known. Except in a few ‘pilot projects’, Indian cities do not have complete digitised maps of water and sewage flows. The field staff of urban agencies might know, by experience, how the supply and drainage infrastructure is organised at the local level, but often, their understanding of local risks is not structurally integrated with institutional decisions and priorities.

Do You Know:

• There are national environmental law-mandated standards for what constitutes safe drinking water and sewage discharge, but there are considerable institutional lacunae in how this can be realistically delivered.

• The right to safe drinking water is loosely defined as part of the constitutionally mandated right to life, but there no clear rules about how it is to be secured.

• Sewage discharge standards apply to the point of discharge from sewerage treatment plants, but do not prescribe how it is to be managed before it reaches a treatment facility. The regulations for sewerage that is not connected to sewage lines are just as hard to pin down.

• We need to make a distinction between environmental law, by which water quality standards are prescribed for drinking water and sewerage treatment, and the institutional rules that structure the service delivery and infrastructural activities of urban agencies.

This latter space is thinly developed: there are a number of codes of practice and standards issued by government agencies, but they are not legally enforceable and do not always account for the real-world conditions in which they are to be implemented. Naturally, a one-size fits all protocol might not work, given the variations of conditions across and within cities.

• Another aspect of the safe water issue is that it cannot be prescribed in one-shot, by plan or regulation, but needs rather a structured pathway in which real time public management improvements can be deployed in sync with administratively issued regulations and notified plans. There is quite a large gap between engineering best practice and the situation in our cities, which can only be addressed in a multi-year framework that priorities the most urgent improvements to human health and environmental outcome from year to year.

• The management of water and sewage requires administrative authorities to be able to be present on sites, and in the neighbourhoods and back alleys where the infrastructure is laid. The ultimate purpose of institutional reform, and its attendant technologies and tools, must be to organise and structure the street-level interface of people, infrastructure and the state.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indore water deaths: India’s cleanest city faces deadly water crisis as sewage mix kills 10. All you need to know

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

9) With reference to perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer products, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2024)

1. PFAS are found to be widespread in drinking water, food and food packaging material.

2. PFAS are not easily degraded in the environment.

3. Persistent exposure to PFAS can leag to bioaccumulation in animal bodies.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(c)  2.(c)  3.(d)  4.(b) 5.(d) 6.(d) 7.(c)  8.(a)  9.(d)

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