English

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Centre to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act

Context: The Union government is likely to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act in the ongoing session of Parliament session. One of the key changes proposed is the appointment of a “designated authority” to take over, manage or dispose of assets created out of foreign funds by an NGO or association, which has had its FCRA registration suspended, cancelled, or not renewed.

• Another proposed amendment is expanding the definition of “key functionary” of an NGO beyond an “office bearer/director” to include directors; partners; trustees; the karta (head) of a Hindu Undivided Family; office-bearers or members of the governing body or managing committee of a society, trust, trade union or association; and any other person who has control over or responsibility for the management or affairs of such an organisation.
• The amendment also proposes to make key functionaries liable for offences under the FCRA.
• Registration under the FCRA is mandatory for an NGO to receive foreign funds. Till now, the 2010 parent Act only had the provision to regulate the flow of foreign funds, and not the statutory framework to manage the assets created out of such funds.
• The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 also proposes to amend Section 43 of the parent Act, which will require any law enforcement agency or State government to seek prior approval of the Central government for initiation of investigation into FCRA-related complaints.
• The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill circulated by Home Minister Amit Shah said that, at present, around 16,000 associations are registered under the FCRA and they receive around ₹22,000 crore annually.
• The Bill proposes to reduce the maximum imprisonment for FCRA offences from five years to one year. It also proposes fixed timelines for the utilisation of foreign funds received under the “prior permission” category, unlike the open-ended provision under the 2010 Act.

Net FDI negative for fifth straight month
Context: Net FDI into India contracted for the fifth consecutive month in January 2026, with outflows exceeding inflows by nearly $1.4 billion, a three-month high. The data shows this was because inflows into India fell nearly 7% while the amount repatriated out of the country nearly doubled.

• According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Monday as part of its monthly bulletin, the total amount of money entering India as direct investment, or gross FDI, stood at about $5.7 billion in January 2026.
• This was 7% lower than in January last year, and only two-thirds of the amount that came in December 2025. The RBI, however, looked at a longer time period to draw some positive conclusions.
• “During April 2025 – January 2026, gross FDI inflows remained strong, higher than the corresponding period a year ago,” the central bank noted in its report. “Sector-wise, manufacturing received the highest share of equity inflows, followed by computer services, electricity and other energy, and financial services — these sectors together accounted for over 60% of total inflows.”
• With regard to outflows, the outward FDI by Indian companies increased by 5.4% in January 2026 to $2.1 billion. This was, however, nearly 30% lower than the outward FDI in December 2025.
• “Around 75% of the outward FDI flows were directed to the U.S., Singapore, the UK, and the UAE during the [April 2025 – January 2026] period,” the RBI said. Repatriation and disinvestment by foreign companies doing business in India, on the other hand, increased by 97.3% to $4.9 billion in January 2026. But this was nearly 18% lower than the amount in December 2025.
• As a result, net FDI stood at about -$1.4 billion, the lowest since October 2025.
• The central bank noted that portfolio investments again flowed out more than they flowed in in March this year.

Centre restores RoDTEP benefits for exporters
Context: The government has restored the complete benefits provided to exporters under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme. In a notification it said the rates and values applicable 22 this year and were reduced by 50% are now being restored to earlier levels from February 23 to March 31.

• According to GTRI, while the DGFT decision is welcome, the initial reduction is hard to justify as RoDTEP is not a subsidy.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Centre signals early delimitation, women’s quota for 2029 polls
Context: The Union government has indicated that it will bring an amendment Bill proposing a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census to ensure the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

• Under the proposed amendments, the number of Lok Sabha seats will increase from 543 to 816, with 273 seats, 33%, reserved for women. The amendments could be brought in the ongoing Budget Session or in a Special Session called for the purpose.

States’ concern

• Though the draft of the amendments are yet to be circulated, that care would be taken so that the existing proportion of seats will be maintained for all States, amid concerns that States that had showed success in population control programmes would lose out on representation vis a vis more populous States. Southern States had in particular expressed this concern. Overall, each State is likely to see a 50% rise in seats, but the pro rata basis would be maintained.
• As per Article 82 of the Constitution, the next delimitation exercise was to be done based on the first Census after 2026, but these amendments could mean that the 2011 Census data will be applied and the remaking of constituencies can proceed without the current Census exercise being concluded. The proposals may include the expansion of State Assemblies as well.
• The Act originally passed in September 2023 envisaged the conduct of the Decadal Census, followed by delimitation of seats. The 2021 Decadal Census, which got delayed because of COVID, beginning next month. As per the current timelines, implementation of the Act could be pushed beyond 2030. However, by bringing in fresh amendments, the government is now seeking to bring forward the implementation of the Act.
• “The amendments will require a two-thirds majority of both Houses.
• The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, mandates a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

Kolar water table has risen to 50-100 ft. under K.C. Valley project, says IISc
Context: The groundwater level in parts of Kolar has risen significantly under the K.C. Valley project, with water now available at depths of just 50 to 100 ft. compared to nearly 1,800 ft. earlier, said the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), adding that sustained monitoring since 2019 has found no adverse impact on water quality, public health, soil, crops, or livestock.

The K.C. Valley Project (Koramangala–Challaghatta Valley Project) is Karnataka’s flagship initiative to recharge groundwater in the parched districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur by pumping treated wastewater from Bengaluru’s sewage treatment plants into local lakes. It has raised water tables significantly, but concerns remain about untreated sewage inflows and water quality.

• IISc officials said the project has significantly improved groundwater availability across Kolar and surrounding districts, with 144 lakes being replenished and wells in the region also showing increased water level.
• They said groundwater is being treated through a five-stage purification process, resulting in clean water that is free from odour and colour. Multiple rounds of research conducted by the IISc have found no traces of harmful metal elements in the water.
• The officials also noted that there had been no impact on human or animal health.
• “Crops such as fenugreek, cucumber, beetroot, tomato, and other flowering plants are being cultivated successfully, while soil quality has improved across the region,” the institute said, dismissing allegations of excessive nitrogen content in the soil, stating that there is no difference in soil quality between irrigated and non-irrigated ones.
• The institute said there is also an increase in bird populations and healthy aquatic life in lakes. IISc said surveys conducted three times among residents revealed no complaints, with many reporting improved access to water and better living conditions. Farmers’ livelihood had improved, and officials pointed out to increase in milk production. They also pointed out that instances of kidney stones among residents have reduced attributing it to acess to cleaner water.
• While presenting the findings, IISc officials said several organisations have recommended that the K.C. Valley model be replicated across the country. However, concerns were raised during the meeting over the discharge of untreated sewage into lakes, particularly in parts of Chickballapur, where city sewage is reportedly being let directly into waterbodies.

Significance of the Project
Environmental: Effectively reuses urban wastewater, significantly reducing the pressure on finite freshwater sources.
Agricultural: Acts as a lifeline for farmers in semi-arid districts, supporting dairy and crop production.
Social: Revives traditional lake ecosystems and strengthens rural water security, preventing migration.
Policy: Demonstrates Karnataka’s innovative and aggressive approach to integrated water management.

‘U.S.-led Pax Silica

• The U.S.-led initiative is aimed at building resilient supply chains for critical minerals and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. India joined the coalition in February 2026, during the AI Impact summit held in New Delhi.

Lok Sabha sends Corporate Law Amendment Bill 2026 to JPC

Context: The government introduced the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha following which the House adopted a motion to send the proposed legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.

• The JPC will comprise members from both Houses of Parliament for detailed analysis and recommendations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while proposing the motion for JPC reference. The motion was adopted by a voice vote.
• The Bill seeks further amendments to the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 and the Companies Act, 2013 to facilitate ease of doing business and address the gaps identified by the Company Law Committee in its 2022 report.
• The proposed amendments are expected to rationalise penalties, shift several minor procedural lapses from criminal liability to monetary penalties, and streamline regulatory processes to promote ease of doing business.
• The FM said the Bill was aimed at promoting ease of doing business and ease of living for corporates by decriminalising more provisions.

‘Diluting provisions’

• When the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha, Opposition members Manish Tewari (Congress), Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) and T. Sumathy (DMK) opposed the same claiming the legislation sought to dilute the provisions of law under which companies mandatorily had to pay 2% of profit towards corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• The FM refuted the claim and said that the Bill had been introduced after two years of deliberations and the apprehensions of the members were unfounded as the proposed legislation sought to amend only the criteria for net profit, not the entire clause related to CSR.
• Mr. Tewari also said since a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Corporate Affairs was already in place, the Bill must be sent there rather than setting up new JPC.
• Home Minister Amit Shah, intervening, said none of the Opposition members talked about referring the Bill to a panel and now, when the FM has herself sought it, they were arguing as to which panel the Bill should be sent.

• Greater cooperation needed between India and Russia, says Jaishankar

Context: Against the backdrop of the war in West Asia, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, said the “evolving multipolar order” calls for “greater cooperation” between India and Russia both bilaterally as well as multilaterally through groupings such as BRICS, SCO, G-20, and the United Nations.

In the context of the 2026 geopolitical landscape, this dialogue underscores India’s mastery of Strategic Autonomy—maintaining a deep, functional bond with Moscow while navigating a world fractured by conflicts in West Asia and Eurasia.

India-Russia Bilateral Agenda (2026)

Key Strategic Takeaways:

1. The “Strategic Autonomy” Litmus Test
   By engaging deeply with Russia amidst the West Asian war, India is signaling to the global community that its foreign policy is dictated by its own national interests. Lavrov’s praise for India’s “strategic autonomy” suggests that Russia views India not just as a buyer, but as an independent pole in the Evolving Multipolar Order.
2. Economic Decoupling from the West
   The transition of nearly all trade (96%) to national currencies is a massive shift. It reduces transaction costs and creates a closed-loop economic system that is “sanction-proof,” ensuring that essential supplies like fertilizers, oil, and nuclear tech remain uninterrupted regardless of global political pressure.
3. BRICS 2026: “Humanity First”
   Under India’s leadership, BRICS is moving toward a people-centric agenda. This softens the “anti-West” image often associated with the bloc, instead focusing on shared global challenges like food security and health, where Russian resources and Indian manufacturing/human capital create a perfect synergy.
4. Connectivity & Energy Security
   The mention of Maritime Cooperation and the EAEU FTA points toward the operationalization of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Route. This ensures India has a stable, alternate supply chain for energy and minerals from the Russian Far East.

Summary
The India-Russia Annual Summit 2026 is set to be a milestone. While the West focuses on containment strategies, India is focusing on “Inclusive Multipolarity.” By bridging the gap between its ties with the West and its “special” bond with Russia, India is effectively acting as the diplomatic “hinge” of the 21st century.

This dialogue is a classic example of Realpolitik. India is balancing its “Global Strategic Partnership” with the US against its “Privileged” partnership with Russia to maximize its influence in the Persian Gulf and Eurasia.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Karnataka accounted for 9% of India’s ransomware cases in 2025-26: Report
Context: Nearly 9% of the total ransomware cases in India in 2025–26 were from Karnataka, according to the Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity – Karnataka (CySecK) annual compendium report released.

• The report also stated that 4.3% of the total malware detections were from Karnataka.
• Bengaluru, too, witnessed cyberattacks that were four times higher than the previous year, according to the report.

Vulnerable sectors

• Among the most vulnerable sectors for cyberattacks are government departments, education, and healthcare, which, according to the report, collectively witnessed more than 6.8 million malware detections in Karnataka.
• CySecK is a flagship initiative by the State government through the Department of Electronics, IT, and BT, established in 2019 to drive cybersecurity innovation, research, and ecosystem development across Karnataka.
• CySecK held its annual cybersecurity conference on March 17.
• The report, published as part of the conference, outlines the State’s cybersecurity landscape, key risks, and strategic priorities to strengthen digital resilience.

Major attacks

• The report also details major cybersecurity incidents in the State.
• The most significant was the Kaveri 2.0 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack in February 2025, which led to service disruption and an estimated ₹47.75 crore in daily revenue loss.
• DDoS attacks are launched to slow down or crash websites, servers, or networks, making them unavailable to genuine users.
• The second major incident was a ransomware attack on a private hospital that led to encrypted medical records and disruption in patient care. There were also telecom API data breaches, highlighting third-party security risks.
• “As digital adoption accelerates across governance, education, healthcare, finance, and industry, the state’s exposure to cyber risks has increased significantly,” the report noted.
• It also underscored that the growing reliance on digital infrastructure has widened the cyberattack surface across sectors and regions, including cloud platforms, digital payments, connected systems, and data-driven services.

Ignored area

• A senior police officer explained that in the backdrop of technological advancement, cybercrimes are widely discussed and reported, but cybersecurity is less talked about.
• However, Karnataka notified its cybersecurity policy as early as 2024, adopting a dual approach: strengthening government cybersecurity while fostering a robust public cybersecurity ecosystem.
• Aligning with the objectives of the policy, the Karnataka government has launched several initiatives, including CySecK. A major stride has been made by bringing cybersecurity under the Cyber Command Unit.
• CySecK plays this role by working across academia, government, industry, and startups to strengthen Karnataka’s overall cybersecurity readiness.

Draft policy on ‘Responsible Digital Use Among Students’ sets goals for parents, schools
Context: It recommends that schools include digital well-being and social media literacy in the curriculum.

• The draft policy for “Responsible Digital Use Among Students”, released by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, has recommended that parents set structured routines with clear screen-time rules and prioritise privacy, safety, and open conversation with children on digital well-being.
• It recommended that schools incorporate digital well-being and social media literacy in their curriculum, besides implementing special programmes for digital detox and identifying early mental health red flags.
• The policy has been drafted in collaboration with the Karnataka State Mental Health Authority, NIMHANS, and the School Education Department, based on deliberations with stakeholders. It further recommended a set of “preventive, promotive, and responsive strategies for all schools to implement”. “Parents should facilitate more peer interactions and conversations without screens, invite friends over for offline play, promote role play, group reading, or drama at home, and model face-to-face communication,” the draft said.
• The government announced it would bring in a policy to restrict social media use among children below 16. The draft policy aims “to create a safe, balanced, and psychologically healthy digital environment for students”.
• “Parents should define screen time limits (as per age), mandatory screen-free time during meals, sleep hours, and study periods, tech curfew all screens off 1 hour before bedtime,” it recommended for parents, advocating marking digital free zones like bedroom, dining table, kitchen, bathroom, and motorised vehicle where no family members use technology. “Decide upon digital fasting time where no family members use any device,” said the draft.
• On the responsibility of schools, the draft policy states, “Schools must incorporate digital well-being and social media literacy within the life skills, value education, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) curriculum. Age-appropriate lessons on responsible digital behaviour, privacy, online safety, and screen-time balance should be taught regularly.”

Centre launches AI skilling drive with Google, YouTube
Context: Part of initiatives unveiled by Ashwini Vaishnaw to boost creative economy; a citizen creator platform, and in-built satellite tuners in television sets for access to DD Free Dish launched.

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday unveiled three new initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s media, broadcasting, and digital sector and promoting the “orange economy”, or the creative economy.
• The creative economy includes industries where economic value is generated primarily from creativity, culture, technology, and intellectual property.
• The three initiatives are named the National AI Skilling Initiative in partnership with Google and YouTube through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT); MyWAVES, a citizen creator platform on WAVES OTT; and the rollout of advanced Electronic Programme Guide and in-built satellite tuners in television sets for enhancing access to DD Free Dish services.
• Key media and entertainment industry representatives, the head of YouTube India along with senior Ministry officials took part in the event.
• Underscoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of democratising technology, Mr. Vaishnaw said the initiatives will make technology more affordable and accessible. He said that with in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide, citizens can now access content easily without additional equipment.
• He described MyWAVES as a powerful platform for content creators, enabling them to create, upload, and share content.
• Referring to the Union Budget announcements, he underlined the government’s commitment to promoting the “orange economy” and supporting the creative sector.
• The Union Minister said under the National AI Skilling Initiative, being implemented with the support of YouTube, about 15,000 youth will be trained without levying any fee.
• He spoke about the “Creators’ Corner” scheme and urged content creators to actively use Doordarshan and platforms such as MyWAVES to showcase India’s rich culture and regional diversity.
• Speaking about the partnership’s impact, YouTube India managing director Gunjan Soni said: “We believe that AI has the potential to open up remarkable opportunities for India’s dynamic creative economy. Through our collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IICT, we aim to equip creators and professionals with the skills required to master the tools of the future, leverage AI to tell more compelling stories… expand their reach to new audiences, and play a role in shaping the future of media.”
• The AI skilling programme will be conducted in two phases — Phase I from March 23 to June 30 2026, and Phase II from July to December 2026.
• The first phase will focus on foundational AI learning at scale through Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Generative AI learning paths. Participants will undergo courses such as AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, Introduction to Generative AI, and Generative AI Leader Path.
• The second phase will involve advanced, project-based specialisation for the creative industry. The curriculum will include modules on the art of storytelling, YouTube best practices, and advanced training using AI tools such as Gemini 3 and Vertex AI.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

KIA ranked 11th most punctual large airport in Feb.
Context: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) was ranked the 11th most punctual airport among large airports in February 2026, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium’s On-time Performance (OTP) monthly report for airlines and airports.

• The KIA, which has led the large airports category as the most punctual airport several times in the past, did not make it to the top 20 most on-time large airports list in January this year.
• According to the report, in February, KIA served 109 routes and recorded an on-time departure of 84.86%.
• The only other large Indian airport to feature in the February list was the Chennai International Airport, which secured the 10th position among the most punctual airports with an on-time departure of 85.23%.
• The Chennai airport served 67 routes. Harbin Taiping International ​Airport in China was the most punctual large airport, ​followed by Mexico City ​Benito Juárez International Airport, and Houston ​George Bush Intercontinental Airport in February.
• In the Cirium OTP Review 2025, KIA featured among the top 20 in the large airport category. The airport was ranked 11th with an on-time departure of 82.83%.
• The only other Indian airport to feature among the top 20 was the Chennai International Airport which bagged the 12th spot.

Modi sets new record with 8,931 days in public office

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the longest-serving head of a government in India, serving 8,931 days in office, first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and now as the Prime Minister. He has surpassed former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s record of 8,930 days in office.

Longest-Serving Heads of Government (CM and/or PM)

Longest-Serving Chief Ministers of Karnataka

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“India’s relationship with West Asia is one of its most strategically vital foreign policy priorities, shaped by energy dependence, diaspora ties, trade, and evolving geopolitical challenges. Discuss how India balances economic cooperation with Gulf states, cultural and historical links with Iran and Iraq, and sensitive diplomacy with Israel and Palestine.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“Mahadayi Water Dispute: Balancing Karnataka’s Development Needs with Ecological and Inter-State Concerns”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Details sought on inquiry, prosecution wings of the Lokpal

• A parliamentary committee has sought details of what is being done to fully operationalise the inquiry and prosecution wings of the Lokpal, over a decade after a law governing it was enacted.
• The law governing the anti-corruption ombudsman — The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 — came into force on January 1, 2014. However, it began functioning only on March 27, 2019, following the appointment of its chairperson and members.
• To discharge its statutory functions, Section 11 of the Act obligates the Lokpal to constitute an inquiry wing to be led by a director of inquiry for conducting a preliminary inquiry into corruption-related offences.
• The Lokpal Act also has a provision for the constitution of a prosecution wing headed by the ‘director of prosecution’ for the prosecution of public servants.

Process ongoing

• In its latest report, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice noted that the appointment of the director of inquiry and staffing of the inquiry wing in accordance with the approved organogram is still in process.
• The committee, therefore, desires to be apprised of the present status of appointment of the director and the steps taken to operationalise the inquiry wing in its full statutory form, while ensuring coordination with existing investigative agencies, it said.
• The panel, in its 160th report, said the prosecution wing of the Lokpal had been formally constituted through an order dated June 6, 2025.
• The committee noted that, at present, matters relating to prosecution are being handled through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has its own prosecution mechanism.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

India’s dual dependence on West Asia for urea production
Context: Data indicate that the West Asian conflict threatens both domestic urea production and the stability of its global supply chain

• The ongoing conflict in West Asia has disrupted global trade, leading to LPG shortages and a surge in crude oil prices. Data show that the crisis could also affect India’s supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), putting at risk the production of urea, a key fertilizer in the country’s majorly agrarian economy.
• The conflict has already started to impact India’s urea supply. As of Sunday, industry sources told PTI that the country’s urea plants are running at half capacity, with Petronet LNG Ltd, which operates India’s largest liquefied natural gas receiving terminal, declaring force majeure amid disruptions to cargoes. The move triggered supply curtailments by state-owned gas distributors GAIL (India) Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
• India is heavily dependent on imports for its LNG supply, exposing many of its sectors to global shocks such as the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. Data show that in 2025, India bought more than 50% of its natural gas from the international market (Chart 1). In fact, India is the fourth largest buyer of natural gas in the world, with an imported supply of 261 lakh metric tonnes in 2025.
• A majority of these imports — more than 40% of it — are tied to long-term contracts with suppliers in Qatar (Chart 2). This supply may be in jeopardy as Qatar’s LNG cargoes pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has now become a central chokepoint in the Iran-Israel conflict. The UAE and Oman also ship LNG along this route, and both countries contribute to India’s imported LNG supply. Overall, more than 60% of India’s imported LNG could be affected by the closure of the Strait.
• In India, natural gas is primarily used to produce ammonia, which in turn is used to produce fertilizers. In FY26, about 30% of India’s LNG supply was used for the production of fertilizers (Chart 3). Demand also comes from industry and gas-fired power and city gas networks which supply to households and vehicles.
• LNG is the main feedstock for the production of urea, which is the most widely used fertilizer in India. Many urea plants use naphtha or fuel oil — both derived from crude oil – as their main input. However, as urea production is a highly energy-intensive process, these plants have switched to natural gas, which produces fewer emissions.
• National urea consumption hit 387 lakh metric tonnes in 2025, following a decade of steady growth. While domestic production has also been increasing (India produced about 306 lakh metric tonnes of urea in 2025), it does not cover the country’s demand. Due to this, India also relies on imports of urea.
• Data indicate that the West Asian conflict threatens both domestic urea production and the stability of its supply chain. In 2025, India’s urea imports exceeded 2,300 lakh metric tonnes, with a staggering 71% of these imports coming from West Asia (Chart 4). This total comprises 45% from Oman and a combined 26% from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, all of which rely on the Strait of Hormuz for transit.
• Amidst this scenario, the Government of India issued the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026, officially including the fertilizer sector in its priority list.
• The government also stated that as of March 10, India’s urea reserves have reached 61.51 lakh metric tonnes, about 10 lakh more than last year, ahead of the Kharif sowing season. However, only time can tell if India’s import dependence for both domestic production and global supply trade will weather the ongoing geopolitical instability.

Rice, wheat procurement is ‘consistently’ low: panel

Context: Standing Committee led by DMK MP asks Food Ministry to strengthen its procurement planning and coordination with States to minimise the gap between estimated and actual procurement

• Expressing concern that actual procurement of rice and wheat has consistently remained below estimates in recent years and below targets in States such as Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, headed by DMK MP Kanimozhi, has asked the Union Food Ministry to strengthen its procurement planning and coordination with States to minimise the gap between estimated and actual procurement of both the food grains.
• In a report on the Demands for Grants of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, the panel noted that since 2022-23, the procurement of wheat and rice had been less than 30% of the total production.
• “Moreover, actual procurement of wheat has been 76.71%, 71.35% and 87.29% of the estimate for the years 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 respectively. Similarly, the actual procurement of rice has been less than target since 2022-23,” the report revealed.
• During the kharif marketing season of 2024-25, the procurement of rice from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab was 25.60 lakh tonnes, 0.003 lakh tonnes, and 116.13 lakh tonnes against the target of 35 lakh tonnes, 5.29 lakh tonnes, and 124 lakh tonnes, respectively, the panel said.
• Similarly, during the rabi marketing season of 2025-26, the procurement of wheat was less than the target in the States of Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, it added.

Multiple factors at play

• The government told the panel that any fluctuation in estimated production and actual production resulted in variation in procurement. “Procurement depends on multiple factors like production, market surplus, minimum support price (MSP), prevailing market rates, demand-supply situation, and participation of private traders, etc., the government informed.
• Noting these factors, the panel asked the government to strengthen its procurement planning and coordination with the States to minimise the gap between estimated and actual procurement of wheat and rice.
• “While noting the Department’s submission that procurement levels are influenced by multiple factors, the Committee is concerned that actual procurement has consistently remained below estimates in recent years and below targets in several States,” the report said.
• The panel asked the Union government to review the methodology used for estimating procurement requirements, enhance real-time monitoring of production and market arrivals, and work closely with State governments — particularly in States where procurement has significantly fallen short of targets — to ensure that procurement operations are more realistic, responsive and effective. It asked the government to apprise it of the corrective measures taken on the suggestions.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Source: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

KIA named best regional airport in India and South Asia for third year
Context: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has been recognised as the Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia for the third consecutive year at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026.

• The airport has advanced in the global airport rankings in 2026, moving up from 48 to 41.
• The Skytrax World Airport Awards, widely regarded as a global benchmark for airport excellence, recognise airports that deliver outstanding customer experience across key touchpoints, including check-in, arrivals, transfers, retail, security, immigration and departures.
• “This recognition builds on KIA’s consistent performance across both experience and scale. The airport has received global recognition recently, including being named Best Airport in Arrivals Globally for the fourth time.
• While Terminal 2 became the first in India to receive a 5-star Skytrax rating, the airport has achieved the highest Level 5 Accreditation under ACI’s Airport Carbon,” the Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL).
• KIA served 43.82 million passengers and handled 520,985 tonnes of cargo in Calendar Year 2025.

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“Global climate change is no longer just a subject of debate on international platforms; today, it has arrived at the doorstep of the common farmer’s field. Discuss the impacts of climate change on Karnataka’s agricultural sector and the sustainable measures needed to address them.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“The Development Mantra of New Karnataka and Environmental Protection of the Western Ghats: The conflict between Power, Water, and Tourism projects and the necessity of a Sustainable Balance.”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

RBI injects ₹25,101 cr. in banking system via 3-day VRR auction
Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected ₹25,101 crore transient liquidity in the banking system through a three-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction.

• The RBI injected the funds at cut-off and weighted average rates of 5.26%, the central bank.
• The liquidity injected was much lower than the notified amount of ₹75,000 crore, despite a sharp drop in surplus liquidity in the banking system due to advance tax payments. On March 17, the RBI injected ₹48,014 crore liquidity into the banking system via VRR.

A Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction is a monetary tool used by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to manage liquidity (the amount of cash available) within the banking system.
When there is a shortage of funds in the market, the RBI conducts these auctions to inject liquidity for a short period.

Core Features of VRR Auctions

How the Auction Works
Announcement: When the RBI observes a cash crunch (e.g., due to tax outflows), it announces an auction for a specific amount (e.g., ₹75,000 crore).
Bidding: Commercial banks submit bids stating the amount they need and the interest rate they are willing to pay (usually higher than the fixed Repo rate).
Allotment: The RBI accepts bids starting from the highest interest rate offered until the notified amount is exhausted. This is known as a “Multiple Price Auction.”

Why are VRR Auctions Necessary?
Tax Payments: When corporations pay Advance Tax or GST, large sums of money move from bank accounts to the Government’s account, creating a temporary shortage in the banking system.
Festive Season: During major festivals, public demand for physical cash increases, leading to a dip in bank liquidity.
Government Spending Lapses: If the government collects taxes but delays its own spending, money gets “locked” in the government account instead of circulating in the economy.

VRR vs. Fixed Rate Repo
Fixed Rate Repo: The interest rate is pre-decided by the RBI (currently 6.50%). It is usually available to banks daily up to a certain limit.
VRR: The rate is market-driven. If the demand for money is very high, the VRR auction rate will be significantly higher than the standard Repo rate.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

CAPF Bill gives priority to IPS officers; govt. says new law will curb litigation
Context: The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, which is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha next week, states that in all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) posts, 50% of the total posts in the rank of Inspector General, at least 67% posts in the rank of Additional Director General and all posts in the rank of Special Director General and Director General shall be filled by Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on deputation.

• Till now, such postings were done based on executive orders, and the Bill will codify the provisions. The Bill seeks to negate a May 23, 2025 Supreme Court judgment which had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to “progressively reduce” IPS deputation in CAPFs up to the rank of I-Gs.
• Retired CAPF officials have opposed the Bill stating that the government is discriminating against cadre officers who won the case after 10 years of litigation. Due to absence of senior-level posts, it takes an officer who joins as an Assistant Commandant in the CAPFs, at least 15-18 years for her/his first promotion. The officers have argued that despite leading operations from the front, they face career stagnation.
• The Bill, circulated among Rajya Sabha members, said the CAPFs perform functions of national security in close coordination with State authorities and, in the interest of maintaining Centre-State relationship, IPS officers are necessary for effective functioning of these forces.
• The statement of objects and reasons by Home Minister Amit Shah said that, in recent years, due to the absence of an umbrella law, regulatory provisions have evolved in a fragmented manner resulting in several litigations on service-related matters. It added that the Bill was being brought to “avoid unnecessary litigations.”

CJI shifts petitions against CEC selection law to another Bench
Context: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant expressed his reluctance to continue hearing a series of petitions challenging a law that replaced the CJI with a Union Minister in the selection panel for the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

• Chief Justice Kant said that as the petitions challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act of 2023 relate to the office of the CJI, he would not like a Supreme Court Bench headed by him to hear the case as that would expose his office to criticism of conflict of interest. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, the Association for Democratic Reforms, suggested the case be shifted to a Bench which does not have a prospective CJI either as the lead or associate judge.
• Acknowledging Mr. Bhushan’s recommendation, the Chief Justice said, “I should mark this matter to a Bench where the judge may not be in line to become the CJI. Then nobody can say anything.” The Bench listed the case on April 7 before an appropriate Bench.

The main contention

• The petitioners argued that the 2023 law was introduced to dilute a Constitution Bench ruling delivered in March 2023 in Anoop Baranwal vs Union of India, which had included the CJI as a member of the high-powered selection committee involved in the appointments of the CEC and the ECs.
• The bone of contention is the validity of Section 7(1) of the statute. The provision mandated that the President would appoint the CECs and ECs on the recommendation of a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister. The statute, in short, gave the government an upper hand in appointments to the Election Commission of India.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Renewable Energy Ministry demands sweeping powers
Context: Ministry says it should be recognised as ‘Central Government’ in matters pertaining to renewables under Electricity Act; Power Ministry currently exercises primary authority over Act’s provisions.

• The New and Renewable Energy Ministry has made a case before a parliamentary committee for a significant expansion of its administrative authority over India’s renewable energy sector, arguing that it should be recognised as the “Central Government” in all matters pertaining to renewables under the Electricity Act, 2003.
• The demand, part of a detailed reply furnished to the committee in February but made public this month, in response to “stakeholder requests” for a standalone Renewable Energy Act, effectively seeks to redraw the institutional boundaries between the Renewable Energy Ministry and the Power Ministry, which currently exercises primary authority over the Electricity Act’s provisions, including those governing grid-connected renewable energy.
• As of January 31, 2026 — the Renewable Energy Ministry cited in a submission — India has installed 271.96 GW of capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, a little over half the country’s total installed generation capacity of 520.50 GW. Of this, 263.18 GW is from renewable energy. However, the actual electricity generated from non-fossil sources is about 25%.
• While the Ministry conceded that a separate Act was unnecessary as electricity from renewable sources is already integrated into the grid and governed under the existing framework, it laid out a sweeping list of empowerments it believes are needed to bring “institutional clarity and effective administration” to the sector.
• The Ministry wants the power to design electricity markets for renewable energy, prepare and notify bidding guidelines for renewable energy projects, frame tariff determination principles for the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), and guide the CERC on matters related to renewables.
• It has also sought oversight of the planning and monitoring of Renewable Purchase Obligations, the mechanism that compels distribution companies and large consumers to procure a minimum share of their electricity from clean sources. Several States are laggards in these aspects.
• The Renewable Energy Ministry has further asked that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) coordinate with it while framing regulations related to renewable energy, and that the National Committee on Transmission work under the Ministry’s guidance — a significant institutional claim, given that transmission planning has traditionally been the turf of the Power Ministry and the CEA.

Karnataka’s total installed power generation capacity

Energy mix

• Karnataka currently has a total installed power generation capacity of about 36,472 megawatts (MW), with renewable energy accounting for a larger share than conventional sources. Of the total, around 20,162 MW comes from renewable sources, while 16,310 MW is generated from thermal, hydro, and gas-based plants.
• Among conventional sources, State-owned thermal power plants contribute 5,020 MW, while Karnataka receives 4,081 MW as its share from Central Generating Stations. Hydropower accounts for another 3,798 MW. Additional sources include 1,200 MW from Udupi Power Corporation Limited, 1,391 MW from captive mini-thermal plants, 450 MW from the Damodar Valley Corporation, and 370 MW from the Yelahanka Combined Cycle Power Plant.
• Renewables form the largest portion of the State’s installed capacity, with solar alone contributing about 9,805 MW, followed by wind at 7,536 MW. Other sources include 1,742 MW from co-generation, 940 MW from mini hydel projects, and 139 MW from biomass. Together, these account for more than half of Karnataka’s installed electricity capacity.
• However, despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy in the State, this shift has not translated into viable alternatives for small eateries and commercial kitchens, which continue to rely almost entirely on LPG — a dependence now exposed by the ongoing supply disruption. Most households too continue to depend on LPG.

Practical barriers

• Even in situations where alternatives are considered, operational constraints remain,Other alternatives such as piped natural gas (PNG) and biomass also face constraints. PNG infrastructure remains limited to certain areas, leaving many eateries without access, while installation requires time and upfront investment. Biomass-based fuels, on the other hand, require additional space, ventilation and handling due to smoke and residue, conditions that are difficult to manage in dense urban kitchens.
• Waste-to-energy solutions face a more fundamental challenge; the lack of consistent waste segregation at source. Mixed waste, in practice, significantly reduces the efficiency of such systems.
• Despite policy push and infrastructure in place, poor segregation by households and commercial establishments continues to limit the viability of waste-to-energy at an individual or decentralised level.

Beyond fuel availability

• While alternatives exist, their adoption needs more policy support.
• “If you look purely at the cost of use, electric cooking can turn out to be one of the cheapest option today. Electricity-based cooking is cheaper than both PNG and non-subsidised LPG, and is comparable to subsidised LPG for many consumers. PNG can be around 14% more expensive than electricity-based cooking, and non-subsidised LPG up to 37% more for a family of four in Delhi.”
• However, operating costs alone does not drive adoption. “The real challenge lies in the upfront cost of procurement and awareness. LPG continues to dominate because most users already have the connection, equipment, and utensils. Even for a new connection, the initial cost is relatively low compared to other options,”.

Rooftop solar

• This gap between potential and adoption is also visible in rooftop solar uptake across Bengaluru. According to data from the Energy Ddepartment, 14,944 buildings under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited have installed rooftop solar systems, including 215 government buildings, together generating about 352.35 MW of electricity.
• Within Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts alone, there are 5,370 such installations, with 4,984 in urban areas.
• Alternatives such as PNG and induction cooking come with higher entry barriers. “For PNG, the upfront cost of getting a connection, including deposits, is significantly higher, and more importantly, it is only available in areas where pipeline infrastructure exists. That geographic limitation itself becomes a constraint.”
• Induction cooking, she added, faces both cost and design challenges. “The cost of buying induction cooktops and compatible utensils is higher, and the design itself can be a barrier. In India, even the most basic cooking setup typically involves at least two burners. Most induction systems are single-cooktop units, and upgrading to multiple units increases costs further. That becomes a constraint, especially for households or commercial kitchens used to cooking multiple dishes simultaneously.”

The way forward

• “In a country like India, no single fuel can replace another entirely,” she added. “The focus should be on optimising different energy sources based on context, which requires long-term planning, not just short-term responses during crises.”

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Public Service and Administrative Responsibility

1. The Scenario
You are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a Zilla Panchayat. Summer has begun, and several villages under your jurisdiction are facing a severe drinking water crisis. Months ago, the government had issued an order to “repair and keep all Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plants ready.” However, due to the negligence of your subordinate officers, more than 70 plants remain non-functional. People are struggling for drinking water, and critical reports against the government are appearing in the media.

Challenges:
Pressure from Above: There is immense pressure from senior officials and Ministers to take immediate action.
Procedural Delays: Utilizing funds reserved for repairs involves technical and bureaucratic processes that take time.
Exploitation: Private tanker mafias are exploiting the situation by overcharging desperate villagers.

2. Ethical Dilemmas
Dereliction of Duty vs. Accountability: Even if subordinates failed to perform, the ultimate accountability rests with you. Should you focus on punishing them first or getting the work done?
Transparency vs. Emergency: Bypassing tender processes during an emergency might lead to “corruption” allegations later. However, following every rule strictly will delay water reaching the people.
Public Interest vs. Administrative Delay: What is more important—saving lives or following office filing procedures?

3. Options Available
Option 1: Following rules strictly (Status Quo).
Consequence: You remain procedurally safe, but water supply is delayed, increasing public anger. This is termed “Bureaucratic Apathy.”

Option 2: Immediate suspension of negligent officers.
Consequence: While it looks like a strict disciplinary move, it doesn’t solve the immediate water crisis and might lead to a shortage of staff to execute repairs.

Option 3: Working in ‘Mission Mode’ and creating alternative arrangements.
Consequence: This is the most ethical path. Responding to public suffering must be the top priority.

4. Recommended Action Plan
As an ethical officer, you should take the following steps:
Immediate Relief: Order the supply of water through hired borewells and tankers until repairs are finished. Use GPS-based monitoring to prevent the tanker mafia from overcharging or skipping deliveries.
Parallel Repair: Appoint technical teams on a “War Footing” to repair the 71 plants. Utilize the “Contingency Fund” to prevent financial delays from hindering the work.
Fixing Responsibility: Issue “show-cause notices” to the officers responsible for the delay. To prevent future recurrences, mandate Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC) for all plants.
Transparency: Publicly publish data regarding which village is receiving how much water to gain public trust and ensure transparency.

Ethical Lesson:
In civil services, “Service to the public is the highest goal.” Rules are meant to serve the people; people should not suffer for the sake of rules. Responsiveness in times of crisis is the hallmark of an efficient and ethical administrator.

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

India showing steady progress in reducing child deaths amid slowing global gains: report
Context: An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024 worldwide, including 2.3 million newborns, according to the latest estimates released by a UN report on child mortality. The report, released, said that most of these deaths were preventable with proven, low-cost interventions, and access to quality healthcare.

• The report titled “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality” added that under-five deaths globally have fallen by more than half since 2000. However, since 2015, this pace has slowed by more than 60%.
• However, India is among the countries demonstrating steady progress in reducing child mortality through sustained public health efforts. The latest United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report, 2025 states that the status of neonatal mortality rate reduction in India has shown progress.
• The Union Health Ministry added that India, over the past two decades, has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality in the South Asia region.
• The Ministry, in its release, said that the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) recorded a decline since 1990. In 1990, India had an NMR of 57 per 1,000 live births, which fell to 17 in 2024.
• Also, the Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) witnessed a sharp fall — in 1990, the U5MR stood at 127 per 1,000 live births, while in 2024, it declined to 27.
• “This sharp reduction is due to targeted public health interventions, improved institutional delivery systems, and expanded immunisation coverage,” the Ministry said.
• The UN report found that an estimated 2.1 million children, adolescents, and youth – in the age group of 5-24 – died in 2024. Infectious diseases and injuries remain leading causes among younger children, while self-harm is the leading cause among girls aged 15 to 19, and road traffic injuries among boys.
• “This year’s report for the first time estimates deaths directly caused by severe acute malnutrition. It found more than 1,00,000 children aged 1-59 months — or 5% — died from it in 2024. The toll is far greater when indirect effects are considered, as malnutrition weakens children’s immunity and increases their risk of dying from common childhood diseases,’’ the report by the UNIGME states.
• Mortality data also frequently fail to capture severe acute malnutrition as an underlying cause of death, suggesting the burden is likely substantially underestimated. Some of the countries with the highest numbers of direct deaths from severe acute malnutrition include Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
• Newborn deaths account for nearly half of all under-five deaths. Leading causes of newborn deaths were complications from preterm birth (36%), and complications during labour and delivery (21%).
• Beyond the first month, infectious diseases, including malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia were major killers. Malaria remained the single largest killer in this age group (17%), with most deaths occurring in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
• In 2024, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58% of all under-five deaths.

A.P. CM launches free bus travel for differently abled

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the ‘Divyang Shakti’ scheme, which offers free bus travel to differently abled persons.
• Under the scheme, those with more than 40% disability can travel free of cost in APSRTC buses. Attendants will get a 50 per cent concession on the fare.

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government
Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

The ‘Creamy Layer’ Policy in Indian Reservation System: Constitutional Intentions, Judicial Interventions, and Challenges before Social Justice

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

Karnataka’s 11G Model Economy: A New Compass for Inclusive and Sustainable Development

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Paper-III: General Studies 2

State Information Commission brings Apex Bank under RTI Act
Context: As the State Co-op Apex Bank has now been declared as public authority, the information relating to its functioning, including financial decisions, will now be subject to public scrutiny under RTI.

• In a significant order that goes a long way in ensuring transparency in the cooperative banking sector, the Karnataka Information Commission has ruled that the Karnataka State Co-operative Apex Bank qualifies as a public authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005, directing it to comply with provisions of this transparency law.
• The ruling came while hearing a second appeal filed by Hanumantha Vasanth Shinde, who had sought copies of documents submitted by Nirani Sugars Ltd. while availing loans from the Apex Bank between March 2022 and June 2024. The bank had declined the request, stating that it was a cooperative society and hence did not come under the purview of the RTI Act.
• The bank argued that it was neither owned nor substantially financed by the State government and therefore did not fall within the definition of “public authority” under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
• However, State Information Commissioner Rajashekara S., who heard the case, rejected the argument, observing that the institution functions under deep and pervasive state control.
• In his order, the Commissioner examined the historical evolution of the bank, statutory provisions governing cooperative institutions, and the extent of administrative and financial oversight exercised by the State.
• The order pointed out that the bank traces its origins to the cooperative movement in the erstwhile Mysore State and was founded by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in his official capacity. Over the decades, the State government has continued to influence its functioning through policy directions and institutional oversight, it noted.
• The commission observed that the Registrar of Cooperative Societies serves as an ex-officio director on the bank’s board and retains statutory powers to inspect records, conduct inquiries, and order audits under the Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act, 1959.
• Further, audit reports of apex cooperative institutions are required to be submitted to the State government and placed before the legislature. The bank is also regulated by the Reserve Bank of India and supervised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for rural credit operations, the order pointed out.
• The commission relied on several judicial precedents to determine whether the bank could be treated as an instrumentality of the State.
• It cited the Supreme Court judgment in Ajay Hasia v/s International Airport Authority case, which laid down tests for identifying State-controlled bodies.
• It referred to the Karnataka High Court ruling in B.T. Krishnegowda v/s Karnataka State Co-Operative Apex Bank, which held that the Apex Bank is an instrumentality of the state and therefore subject to writ jurisdiction.
• The commission directed the Apex Bank to appoint Public Information Officers (PIOs) and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) across its offices and comply with the proactive disclosure requirements under Sections 4(1)(A) and 4(1)(B) of the RTI Act. It instructed the Principal Secretary of the Cooperation Department and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to ensure that the bank implements the RTI framework without delay.

Wider implications

• The order could have broader implications for cooperative financial institutions in Karnataka as many of which have resisted RTI requests citing their cooperative status.
• With the Apex Bank now being declared a public authority, information relating to its functioning — including governance practices and financial decisions — may be subject to public scrutiny under the RTI Act. This is expected to have wider implications as this institution that wields significant political influence, especially at grass-roots, is now being opened to public scrutiny.

Bill seeking to prevent ‘honour killings’, caste-based crimes tabled in Assembly
Context: The State government tabled the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition (Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly. It aims to curb “honour killings” and violence arising from caste-based objections to inter-caste marriages.

• The Bill notes that caste-based discrimination continues to persist in the State and often manifests in brutal forms of violence, including honour killings, particularly against young adults who exercise their constitutional right to choose their life partners through inter-caste marriages.
• The proposed legislation seeks to ensure freedom of choice in marriage, prevent caste-based crimes, safeguard human rights, and promote dignity in inter-caste unions. It also proposes the creation of an Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava Vedike (meaning “he/she is ours”) to solemnise and support inter-caste marriages.
• The government decided to introduce the Bill in view of rising incidents of violence and killings linked to inter-caste marriages.

Stringent punishments

• The Bill guarantees protection for consenting adults entering into marriage and provides safeguards against family or community coercion. It proposes a minimum punishment of five years’ imprisonment in cases where a person or couple is killed in the name of “honour”.
• In cases of injury inflicted in the name of “honour”, the punishment includes a minimum of two years’ imprisonment along with a fine of ₹2 lakh.

Unlawful gatherings

• The legislation prohibits the assembly of five or more persons with the intention of condemning or opposing a marriage on grounds of caste, tribe, community, tradition, or family objections.
• Those found guilty of participating in unlawful assemblies or engaging in criminal intimidation will face up to three years’ ​imprisonment and a fine of ₹2 lakh.
• All State government officials will be required and empowered to assist law enforcement agencies in implementing the provisions of the law.
• The government will identify districts, sub-divisions, and villages where such crimes have been reported over the past five years. Each district magistrate will constitute a monitoring committee to ​oversee implementation, review relief and rehabilitation measures, and track prosecution of cases.
• Additionally, an Eva Nammava Vedike will be set up in every district, comprising a retired judge, police officer, revenue officer, sub-registrar, and other members as prescribed.
• The government, in consultation with the High Court, will designate certain district courts as special fast-track courts to try cases related to crimes committed in the name of “honour”.

Tax Bill

• The Karnataka Tax on ​Profession, Trades, Callings and Employments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was also tabled in the Assembly. It aims to simplify compliance, reduce paperwork, and improve ease of doing business.
• The Bill proposes that filing of returns may be deemed complete in cases where an enrolled person has paid the due tax for the year.
• The move is expected to streamline tax administration, improve voluntary compliance, and enable more efficient use of departmental resources.

Commercial ads to be banned near heritage structures
Context: The State Legislative Council passed two amendment Bills related to advertisements in urban areas and the transfer of police officers. Both the Bills were adopted by the Karnataka Assembly.

• Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, who tabled the Bill, announced a ban on commercial advertisements in and around heritage structures. Moving the amendments to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, and the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964, the Minister said the decision is intended to protect the aesthetic and cultural value of heritage buildings while also streamlining advertisement regulation.
• Mr. Suresh said that over the past seven to eight years, thousands of unauthorised advertisements have come up across the State without payment of any fee or tax to local bodies, resulting in significant revenue losses running into hundreds of crores.
• “The amendments are aimed at curbing such unauthorised advertisements and ensuring that urban local bodies receive due revenue,” he said.
• In cases where advertisements are displayed on private property, the property owner will not be taxed. Instead, the advertiser or company concerned will be held responsible for payment. Advertisements will be permitted only in designated locations identified by local bodies, ensuring that they do not inconvenience the public. However, no advertisements will be allowed on the walls of heritage structures or in their immediate surroundings in a manner that affects their appearance.
• Exemptions have been provided for professionals such as doctors and lawyers. However, political parties and leaders who put up flex boards, banners and buntings will be required to pay fees based on size, as determined by local authorities.
• The Minister said that advertisement charges will be fixed based on the location and category of urban areas, and the revenue generated will be utilised exclusively for the development of the respective local bodies.
• Responding to members’ queries, he said ​separate rates will be prescribed for LED advertisement boards.

Police Bill

• The Karnataka Police Bill, 2026, moved by Home Minister G. Parameshwara, empowers the Police Establishment Board to immediately transfer police officers up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police for misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duty.
• This amendment allows for action before the mandatory two-year tenure expires. The Act covers cases of “misconduct or gross negligence or dereliction of duty or an act of moral turpitude”.
• The Police Establishment Board is authorised to take action directly rather than waiting for lengthy government approval, aiming to reduce political interference and speed up disciplinary actions.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Indian wolf gives birth to 7 pups

• Seven pups of an Indian wolf born at Pilikula Biological Park in January have now been let in the display enclosure. This is the first time an Indian wolf under captivity gave birth to pups at the park.

Centre offers 10% additional LPG to States, UTs that fast track CGD network

Context: Seeking to enhance penetration of piped natural gas (PNG) among commercial entities whilst attempting to support supplies of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), which has been constrained due to tensions in West Asia, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has written to State governments and Union Territories, offering to allocate them an additional 10% of cooking gas provided they facilitated speedy expansion of city gas distribution (CGD) networks.

LPG vs. PNG: Strategic Shift in India’s Energy Policy

1. The Core Context: Why the Shift?
India is currently facing a constraint in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
Import Dependency: India imports 60% of its LPG consumption.
Logistical Bottleneck: Approximately 90% of these imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently facing effective closure/disruption.
The Solution: To ease this pressure, the Centre is pushing for a rapid transition to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for commercial and domestic use.

Comparative Analysis: LPG vs. PNG

Solar ingot plan to take off June ’28, boost local output
Context: In a bid to boost local output of solar ingots and wafers – constituents of solar cells fitted on solar panels – the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said from June 2028, only ingots and wafers made in India would be eligible for domestic projects.

• It did this by announcing the Approved List of Module Manufacturers (ALMM) List-III for Ingots and Wafers — a list of firms making the components — on Wednesday. As of date, such an ALMM list exists for manufacturers of solar cells and modules. The ALMM is a compulsory registration regime by the MNRE, first issued in 2019.

In Govt.-funded plans

• Only ALMM-listed modules can be used in government-funded, open-access and net-metering solar projects such as PM Surya Ghar and PM Kusum scheme and Solar Energy Corporation of India tenders. Only domestic produce are eligible for Production-Linked incentives.

Grandfathering clauses

• “Suitable grandfathering provisions have been built in to protect projects already in the pipeline. The current order of MNRE extends mandatory sourcing needs from ALMM lists already in place for modules and cells, one step further up the solar supply chain to include ingots and wafers, which now are heavily import-dependent,” the MNRE said.
• India has targeted adding 280 GW of solar capacity by 2030 and installed about 132 GW as of November 2025.

Cabinet okays ₹33,660-cr. BHAVYA plan for 100 industrial parks by ’32
Context: The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA), with an allocation of ₹33,660 crore for the development of 100 ‘plug-and-play’ industrial parks across the country.

• The aim was to create 100 “future ready” industrial parks integrated with the PM GatiShakti to make use of the latter’s multi-modal connectivity and last-mile access.
• “These parks will set new benchmarks in industrial infrastructure, ensuring reliability, reducing inefficiencies and enhancing productivity across sectors,” the government said.
• As per Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia, the scheme’s duration would be for six years starting 2026-27. The first phase would see 50 parks being set up.
• The minimum land need for the parks would be 100 acre in most cases, and 25 acre for industrial parks in hilly or North Eastern States. The maximum size is 1,000 acre.

States, pvt. sector

• While the Union government will provide up to ₹1 crore per acre, the scheme is meant to involve State governments as well as the private sector.
• “At the heart of BHAVYA lies a strong push for deregulation and ease of doing business, with streamlined approvals, effective single-window systems, and investor-friendly reforms led by States,” the government said.

CCI gets ₹1,719 crore to pay support price

Context: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a funding of ₹ 1,718.56 crore to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to meet the minimum support price (MSP) needs for the cotton season 2023–24. The Government said the move is aimed at providing direct price support to cotton farmers in India.

• The Centre hoped this intervention would stabilise cotton prices, prevent distress sales, and ensure better returns to farmers.
• The MSP per quintal of medium staple cotton was ₹6,620 and ₹7,020 for long staple cotton, in the 2023-24 season. During that season, with an estimated 114.47 lakh hectares under cultivation and production pegged at 325.22 lakh bales, this accounted for nearly 25% of global cotton output, the release noted.

Large Hadron Collider discovers a new particle
Context: The Large Hadron Collider has discovered a new particle, the 80th identified so far by the world’s most powerful particle smasher, Europe’s CERN physics laboratory announced.

• The new particle has been named “Xi-cc-plus”. Scientists have expressed hope that the particle — which is similar to a proton but four times heavier — will reveal more about the strange behaviour of quantum mechanics.
• All the matter around us, including the protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus of atoms, are made of baryons. These common particles are composed of three quarks, which are fundamental building blocks of matter.
• Quarks come in six “flavours”: up, down, charm, strange, top and bottom. Each has varying mass, electric charge and quantum properties. In theory, there could be many different types of baryons that mix these flavours. However, most are extremely difficult to observe.
• To chase them down, the Large Hadron Collider sends particles whizzing around an underground ring at phenomenal speeds until they smash into each other. This gives scientists a brief chance to measure how the more stable elements decay, then deduce the properties of the original particle.
• The newly discovered Xi-cc-plus contains two “charm” quarks and one “down” quark. Normal protons have two “up” quarks and one “down” quark. Because the new particle has two heavier “charm” quarks instead of “up” ones, it is much heavier.
• Vincenzo Vagnoni, spokesman for the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment, said it was “only the second time a baryon with two heavy quarks has been observed”. It is also “the first new particle identified after the upgrades to the LHCb detector that were completed in 2023,” he said in a statement.
• “The result will help theorists test models of quantum chromodynamics, the theory of the strong force that binds quarks into not only conventional baryons and mesons but also more exotic hadrons such as tetraquarks and pentaquarks.”
• In 2017, the LHCb experiment announced that it had discovered a similar particle, made of two “charmed” quarks and one “up” quark. The new particle differs only in having a “down” quark in place of the “up” quark — a small change that has profound consequences.
• Due to complex quantum effects, the new particle has a predicted lifetime up to six times shorter than its counterpart, making it far more tricky to spot, CERN said.
• The collaboration observed the new baryon by analysing data from proton-proton collisions recorded during the third run of the LHC, achieving a statistical significance of 7 sigma, well above the 5 sigma threshold required to claim a discovery. CERN Director-General Mark Thomson called it “a fantastic example of how LHCb’s unique capabilities play a vital role in the success of the LHC.”
• The Large Hadron Collider is a 27-km long proton-smashing ring running 100 metres below France and Switzerland. Famously, it proved the existence of the Higgs boson — known colloquially as the “God particle” — in 2012.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics and Human Rights
As AI systems continue to be deployed in a number of sectors that have an impact on the social, economic and political structure of society (prompting experts to declare a “Fourth Industrial Revolution“), the question of whether AI is “good” or “bad” for humankind continues to be debated.

• Some issues that arise for consideration are: will we face mass-scale unemployment due to AI systems replacing humans? how to avoid AI being used for inappropriate or dangerous purposes? the impact of AI on human dignity and personhood? and the implications of private and/or public ownership of AI systems on society’s structure issues such as manipulating information in the run up to elections and potential hacking into the election process itself are now becoming realities that democracies have to contend with.
• According to the World Economic Forum, unemployment, inequality, racism, security and the rights of a robot are some of the ethical concerns raised by the existence of AI systems. Some of these questions are being considered by national and international organizations of late, as part of an examination of policy to govern AI systems.
• The private sector is also putting out its views, along with industry associations and non-profits.For instance, private companies like Microsoft, Google, SAP and IBM have also formulated ethics guidelines to be considered while developing AI systems. Considering the scale and reach of these companies, and the fact that they are at the forefront of the development of AI technology, the perspectives of private companies on the ethical principles governing the use of AI systems is valuable.
• The calls for ethical principles to guide AI converge around the following principles, although the discussion around each of these principles may vary in terms of their exact constituents and the context in which each is prioritised:

• Transparency – transparency is typically broken down into improving explainability and ensuring disclosure, and in the areas of data use, human-AI interaction, automated decision-making and understanding the purpose of AI systems, primarily with a view to increase trust in AI systems and as an important step to protect legal rights while using AI systems. There is a push to greater disclosure, in a manner that is understandable by non-experts, although the understanding of what may be disclosed is still uncertain, given the push to protect intellectual property rights of the developers of AI systems.
• Justice and fairness – the focus in this category is typically fairness or prevention of bias or discrimination; but in some cases, discussion has extended to the impact of AI on diversity, the labour market, democratic governance, due process rights, etc. There have been suggestions to improve AI systems in these areas by incorporating these norms into technical standards and codes; increasing transparency; increasing public awareness and education about the possible influences of AI systems on rights; increased auditing or monitoring of AI systems’ performance; strengthening existing legal systems to account for the issues that arise from AI systems, etc.
• Non-malfeasance – the discussion around this principle has largely pertaining to the need for security and safety in the deployment of AI systems, i.e. that AI systems should not cause any foreseeable or unintentional harm. More specifically, these discussions have considered cybersecurity threats such as hacking, and the risk that technology advancements may outpace the ability to regulate. The various kinds of harm that have been considered are erosion of privacy, safety, negative impact on social well-being, and even physical harm. Proposed solutions include interventions in AI at the design stage, including privacy by design, multidisciplinary cooperation, establishing industry standards, increased oversight, etc.
• Responsibility and accountability – the discussion relating to these principles have been quite varied, including recommendations on integrity, clarification on liability, and providing for remedies where AI systems could potentially cause harm. There is also lack of clarity on whether there is a difference in the way accountability is considered in the case of AI systems vis-à-vis humans.
• Privacy – in the case of privacy, most jurisdictions connect the discussion to the right to privacy, which must be protected, and the issue is generally presented as a data protection or data security issue. In terms of potential solutions, stakeholders have considered privacy by design, differential privacy, data minimization and access control. There have been calls for privacy laws to adapt to AI..
• Beneficence – this principle relates to the promotion of wellbeing, peace and happiness, the creation of socio-economic opportunities and economic prosperity, for all people or all society.
• Freedom and autonomy – the discussion around freedom and autonomy relates to measures ensuring that users are at the core of the system, protecting the freedom of expression, informational self-determination, freedom to use different platforms and other aspects of positive freedom. However, in some cases, freedom and autonomy has been interpreted to mean negative aspects of freedom as well, such as the freedom against technological experimentation, manipulation and surveillance. In most cases, freedom is believed to be served by ensuring that individuals have sufficient options and information about AI and its interactions with the world.
• Trust – discussions around the principle of trust have typically involved ensuring trust in AI systems from users and society in general. This is ensured through other aspects mentioned above, such as accountability, explainability, transparency, etc. as a means to fulfil public expectations.
• Dignity – dignity is discussed purely in the context of human beings, and that AI systems should be constructed such that they do not destroy, diminish or reduce human dignity in any way, and on the contrary, work to preserve and promote human dignity.
• Sustainability – the idea of sustainability is referenced in the context of developing and using AI to protect the environment, contribute to fairer and more equal societies, and create systems that are sustainable and endure over time.
• Solidarity – the principle of solidarity has been discussed as a fallout of AI systems on the labour market, and with the push for a strong safety net. The goal with this principle is to push for greater protections for vulnerable groups and ensure that AI does not destabilize social cohesion.
• One of the most prominent AI ethics guidelines are the OECD Principles on AI in 2019 that formed the base for the human centred principles adopted in the G-20 Summit also in 2019. Both the instruments present a list of five principles that were adopted by the member nations, that included human-centred values and fairness, transparency and explainability, robustness, security and safety and accountability.
• Similarly, the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) was established in June 2020, with a view to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI in a manner consistent with human rights, fundamental freedoms, and our shared democratic values, as elaborated in the OECD Recommendations on AI. The GPAI proposes to involve multiple stakeholders across industry, civil society, governments and academia to collaborate across four Working Groups – (a) Responsible AI; (b) Data Governance; (c) the Future of Work; and (d) Innovation & Commercialisation. One of the first priorities of the GPAI is to consider how AI can be used to better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The GPAI is to comprise a Secretariat hosted by the OECD, along with two Centres of Expertise. The first GPAI Multistakeholder Experts Group Plenary is proposed to be held in December 2020, and hosted in Canada.

Ethics and Human Rights

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

India and Seychelles carryout joint military exercise

• The ongoing 11th edition of the India–Seychelles Joint Military Exercise LAMITIYE-2026, being conducted at the Seychelles Defence Academy from March 10 to 22, witnessed professional exchanges and joint training aimed at strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.
• The exercise marks the first tri-services edition, bringing together personnel from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force alongside the Seychelles Defence Forces. The training focuses on enhancing interoperability in sub-conventional operations in semi-urban environments, particularly within the framework of United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Bill for levy and collection of fees on ads tabled

• The Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was tabled in the Legislative Assembly to make provisions for advertisements on a par with the provisions of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, for levying and collection of fees on advertisements, regulation of unauthorised advertisements, and validation of fees and penalties in municipalities and municipal corporations.
• Minister for Urban Development tabled the Bill in the House, and it would be taken up for discussion.

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“To what extent can BRICS evolve from an economic cooperation forum into a credible platform for global security architecture? Discuss the challenges India faces in balancing Iran’s expectations for ‘condemnation’ against its own strategic commitment to neutrality in the US-Israel-Iran conflict.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA): A Unified Governance Body for Tackling Urban Challenges of Traffic Congestion and Flood Management”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Lokpal asks SC to clarify on procedurefor grant of sanctions

Context: The Supreme Court agreed to clarify the procedure for the Lokpal to grant sanction in corruption complaints, after the top anti-graft ombudsman was criticised by the Delhi High Court for “mutilating” the law while dealing with the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.

1. The Core Legal Dispute: Section 20 of the Lokpal Act
The Lokpal is seeking clarity on Section 20 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. This section outlines the procedure for the Lokpal to handle complaints and grant “sanction” (official permission) to proceed with a chargesheet.

The conflict arises from two different interpretations:
The Lokpal’s View: As an independent ombudsman, it believes it has the inherent power to order a probe and subsequently sanction a chargesheet based on reports (like the CBI’s) if it finds a prima facie case.
The High Court’s Critique: The Delhi HC accused the Lokpal of “statutory re-engineering.” Essentially, the court felt the Lokpal bypassed specific legal safeguards or procedural steps mandated by the 2013 Act before jumping to the sanctioning phase.

2. Why the Mahua Moitra Case Triggered This
The case involving former MP Mahua Moitra acts as the “test case” for this procedural clarity.

3. Role of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court, led by CJI Surya Kant, has now stepped in to act as the final arbiter.
The “Halt”: The SC has stayed the High Court’s “request” (which told the Lokpal to redo the process). This means the Lokpal isn’t immediately forced to change its stance until the SC decides on the law.
The Goal: The SC will now define a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Lokpal. This will ensure that in future cases, the Lokpal knows exactly when and how it can authorize a criminal chargesheet without being accused of overstepping its statutory bounds.

Summary: The implementation of the Delhi HC’s critical judgment is currently paused. The Supreme Court will now hear arguments to decide if the Lokpal acted within its rights or if it needs to strictly follow a more rigid, multi-step process before it can greenlight the prosecution of an MP.

Bill to redefine ‘transgender person’, drop ‘self-perceived’ identity tabled

Context: The Centre introduced a Bill to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, amid claims it takes away transgender people’s “right to self-perceived gender identity” and alters the definition of a “transgender person”.

• The move drew condemnation from the community and activists told The Hindu that the proposed amendments are in variance of the landmark 2014 NALSA judgment.
• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, introduced the Bill.
• The government said the “existing vague definition” of transgender persons had made it “impossible to identify the genuine oppressed persons to whom the benefits of the Act are intended to reach”. It said the law was never meant to protect “each and every class of persons with various gender identities, self-perceived sex/gender identities or gender fluidities” and “was and is intended to protect only those who face severe social exclusion due to biological reasons for no fault of their own and no choice of their own.”
• Under the 2019 Act, a transgender person is one “whose gender does not match with the gender assigned to that person at birth and includes trans-man or trans-woman (whether or not such person has undergone Sex Reassignment Surgery or hormone therapy or laser therapy or such other therapy), person with intersex variations, genderqueer and person having such socio-cultural identities as kinner, hijra, aravani and jogta.”
• The proposed definition says transgender persons are people “having such socio-cultural identities as kinner, hijra, aravani, and jogta, or eunuch”, people with intersex variations, and people who have “congenital variations” compared to the “male or female development” in their “primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomal patterns, gonadal development, endogenous hormone production or response or such other medical conditions”.
• It goes on to say that any person or child who was “compelled to assume, adopt, or outwardly present a transgender identity, by mutilation, emasculation, castration, amputation, or any surgical, chemical, or hormonal procedure or otherwise” would also be included in this definition. However, it adds that this definition shall not include “persons with different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities”.
• Activists said the community fought to ensure that the right to self-identification was codified into law when the Act was drafted in 2019.
• Aqsa Shaikh, a transwoman who teaches community medicine in Delhi, expressed shock. “I am wondering who I am, if I am not a transgender person as per this amendment,” she told The Hindu.
• Tamil Nadu-based trans activist Grace Banu, a key community leader, said, “Our entire fight when the 2019 Act was being drafted was to ensure that the right to self-identification of our gender was included explicitly in the law.”
• The amendments introduce a Section on crimes against transgender persons and children, and prescribe specific punishments. These offences include denial of access to public spaces to trans people, forcing transgender people to perform bonded labour, or forcing them to leave their homes or places of residence.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Bengaluru shows consistently low PM2.5 levels
Context: A report states that Bengaluru shows consistently low PM2.5 levels compared to other cities and stands out for maintaining the lowest and most stable air quality.

• The report says that median concentrations remain relatively stable, with a slight increase during the winter months.
• A new report states that Bengaluru shows consistently low PM2.5 levels compared to other cities and stands out for maintaining the lowest and most stable air quality.
• The report, ‘Meteorology-Driven Persistence of PM2.5 Pollution in Indian Cities: Implications for NCAP Phase-III’, by Climate Trends, analyses how meteorological conditions influence the persistence of PM2.5 pollution across six major Indian cities: Delhi, Patna, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru.

On CPCB data

• The report is based on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality monitoring data from 2024–2025, and the analysis integrates station-averaged CPCB observations with meteorological clustering to characterise PM2.5 behaviour across monthly, seasonal, and regime-specific scales.
• “Bengaluru shows consistently low PM2.5 levels compared to other cities. Median concentrations remain relatively stable, with only a slight increase during the winter months. The narrow interquartile ranges across most months indicate low variability and fewer extreme pollution events, making Bengaluru the least polluted city among those analysed,” the report states.
• It added that the seasonal mean PM2.5 concentrations in Bengaluru indicate better air quality when compared to northern cities, with clear seasonal variability across both years.
• According to the report in 2024, the seasonal mean values were 37.4 micrograms per cubic metre in the winter, 35.7 micrograms per cubic metre in the summer, 15.7 micrograms per cubic metre during the monsoon, and 33.3 micrograms per cubic metre in the post-monsoon season.

During colder months

• “In 2025, winter pollution increased to 42.4 micrograms per cubic metre, indicating slightly poorer air quality during colder months, while significant improvements were observed in other seasons.
• The summer mean dropped sharply to 24.7 micrograms per cubic metre, the monsoon mean declined further to 13.4 micrograms per cubic metre, and the post-monsoon mean reduced to 28.6 micrograms per cubic metre, reflecting overall seasonal improvement outside winter in 2025,” the report states.
• The monthly average PM2.5 values further illustrate these patterns.
• In 2024, the highest monthly mean was observed in March (46.2 micrograms per cubic metre), followed by January (39.6 micrograms per cubic metre) and February (39.4 micrograms per cubic metre), while the cleanest months were June and July (both ~11-12 micrograms per cubic metre) due to the monsoon influence.
• In 2025, most months recorded lower mean values compared to 2024, particularly in April (26.9 micrograms per cubic metre) and May (15.2 micrograms per cubic metre).
• However, winter months showed mixed trends, with January (40.4 micrograms per cubic metre) remaining high and a sharp increase in December (52.2 micrograms per cubic metre), the highest monthly mean across both years.
• “Overall, the mean PM2.5 levels suggest that Bengaluru experienced cleaner air in 2025 during summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons, although episodic winter pollution remains a concern,” the report stated.

Delhi highest

• The report identifies Delhi as the most severely polluted city, recording the highest annual PM2.5 levels and extended periods of severe air quality in winter. Patna emerges as the second-most polluted city, while Mumbai and Chennai saw a rise in annual pollution levels in 2025.

Airports in tier-II cities are not financially viable after end of UDAN scheme: M.B. Patil

Context: Airports in tier-II cities and district headquarters have proved to be not financially viable after the end of the UDAN scheme, Industry and Infrastructure Development Minister said in the Legislative Assembly.

• Airports in tier-II cities such as Kalaburagi, Bidar and Shivamogga are not financially sustainable after the completion of the three-year incentive period under the scheme, which provides concessional airfares to passengers.

Across country

• Noting that several airports located in district and divisional headquarters across the country are facing similar financial challenges, he said the airport at Bidar is currently operating with financial support from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB). There has also been a demand to resume operations at the Kalaburagi airport with similar support from the Board, he added.
• To improve the viability of district airports, Mr. Patil said he had proposed to the Union Civil Aviation Minister that the UDAN scheme be extended from three years to five years. For the subsequent five years, the Centre and the State governments could jointly support operations in a 50:50 ratio, he suggested.
• He also said the State government is planning to introduce an aviation policy — on the lines of those adopted by Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — to develop airports in tier-II cities and make them financially viable.

Ballari airport proposal

• The government intends to establish an airport in Ballari to serve the regions of Vijayanagara and Koppal districts as well as neighbouring areas of Andhra Pradesh.
• The airport project was first proposed in Ballari in 2010, but no groundwork commenced after the private firm associated with the project withdrew. In 2022, the previous BJP government decided to take up the project with State funding. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the 900 acres acquired nearly 15 years ago for the project.
• Mr. Patil said the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has now identified two alternative sites in Ballari district measuring about 800 acres and 1,200 acres for the proposed project.

Meeting with CM

• Mr. Patil said a meeting of public representatives from Ballari, Vijayanagara and Koppal districts will soon be convened under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to discuss the merits and challenges of the project.
• However, the suitability of the proposed site will have to be assessed by the Airports Authority of India before a final decision is taken.
• Mr. Patil said airports must be planned with long-term foresight to avoid repeating the mistakes seen in places such as Hubballi, Belagavi and Vijayapura.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar assumes charge as T.N. Governor
Context: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who was appointed by President Droupadi Murmu on March 5 to discharge the functions of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, assumed his gubernatorial office at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.

• Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari administered the oath of office to Mr. Arlekar.
• The outgoing Governor R.N. Ravi, who served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu for nearly 54 months since September 2021, has been posted as the Governor of West Bengal.

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Cabinet clears Eva Nammava Eva Nammava Bill
Context: The State Cabinet on Thursday cleared The Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of Honour and Tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026.

• The decision came at a Cabinet meeting , and is likely to be placed in the ongoing Budget session of the legislature.
• The Bill had come with certain modifications from the previous one. The Cabinet also cleared the Advertisement Policy, 2026. The State Cabinet also cleared the decks for a new international stadium to be built at Surya Nagar 4th Phase in Anekal taluk.

State expands tie-up with British Council to boost Arivu Kendras
Context: Karnataka’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department has expanded its partnership with the British Council to strengthen English language learning, library services, and knowledge access in rural areas through the State’s Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras (Knowledge Centres).

• Under this expanded collaboration, the number of British Council Library Corners in Gram Panchayat Arivu Kendras will be increased from 10 to 70, with 60 additional centers being established across the state. As part of the initiative, the British Council will provide 3,000 children’s English books and extend free access to its digital library resources, enabling rural readers to connect with global knowledge platforms and curated English learning content.
• “Gram panchayat libraries have evolved into vibrant Arivu Kendras. During the pandemic, these libraries became critical learning spaces for children, and by offering free membership to those in the age group of 6 to 18, we have brought over 5 million young readers into this ecosystem,”.
• “For many young people in rural Karnataka, English language skills are an important pathway to higher education, employability, and social mobility. Our partnership with the British Council helps bring high-quality English learning resources, books, and digital content closer to these learners,”.

Key Features and Overview of Arivu Kendras:

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“Cauvery Water Dispute: Implementation of Tribunal Awards, Mekedatu Project, and Challenges in Inter-State Sharing.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“Bengaluru’s Traffic Labyrinth: Problems, Challenges, and Sustainable Solutions.”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Paper-III: General Studies 2

India co-sponsors UN resolution condemning Iran
Context: India has co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nations Security Council that condemned actions by Iran aimed at interfering with navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

• The resolution demands the ‘immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran’ on GCC countries; India prioritises the safety of ‘all civilians’, says Ministry in wake of criticism over unbalanced responses on conflict in West Asia.
• India has prioritised the safety of “all civilians”, the government in an effort to deflect criticism that it had only condemned Iran’s actions, and not those by the U.S. and Israel in the ongoing war in West Asia.
• India co-sponsored a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) along with 134 countries that demanded the “immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran” against GCC countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The resolution was passed with 13 UNSC members voting in favour while Russia and China abstained.
• It condemned “any actions or threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”.
• “The resolution reflects several of our positions,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
• “We have a large diaspora in the GCC countries, and their well-being and welfare are of utmost importance. The Gulf is also very important for our energy security needs,” Mr. Jaiswal added, in references to about 10 million Indians who live and work in West Asia, and India’s energy purchases from the region that make up about 50% of its crude oil and 90% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports.
• In contrast, there are about 9,000 Indians in Iran and India has discontinued its energy imports from Iran since 2019, under threat of U.S. sanctions. The Indian support for the UNSC resolution comes on the heels of a number of statements by the Ministry condemning specific Iranian actions such as the attacks on various countries across the West Asian region, buildings in Dubai, Omani facilities and a Thai ship bound for India.

U.S.-Israeli actions

• However, India has not similarly condemned the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, in which an estimated 1,255 people have been killed, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his family and advisors; the sinking of Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean that had been hosted for exercises by India; or the bombing of a school in Mubin in which 150 schoolgirls are believed to have been killed. Nor has India or the GCC-led resolution spoken about Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, where the government said more than 630 people have been killed, and 8,00,000 displaced from their homes.
• Mr. Jaiswal said that the MEA had issued statements, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had made suo motu statements in both Houses of Parliament that regretted the loss of lives.
• “As far as the question of the schoolchildren is concerned… we have issued several statements on the ongoing conflict. We have underlined the need for prioritising the safety of all civilians. We regret the precious lives lost, and express our grief in that regard,” Mr. Jaiswal said.
• In the past few days, India’s “silence” on U.S. and Israeli actions has come in for criticism from a number of senior former diplomats speaking to the media and at various public events.
• “Diplomacy should recognise complexity, not reduce it to a single culprit,” former Indian Foreign Secretary and former Ambassador to the U.S. Nirupama Menon Rao said on Thursday in a post referring to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, suggesting that India’s sponsorship of the UN resolution would “endorse a narrative that begins the story with Iranian retaliation rather than the escalation that preceded it”.
• Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said India should have issued a statement condoling the death of Ayatollah Khamenei “to recognise that the head of state contrary to norms of international law has been politically assassinated”.
• Speaking about the March 4 submarine torpedo attack that sank the IRIS Dena “very close to India shores”, former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said that India must assert itself in the face of U.S. actions. “Tactical subservience can easily result in strategic irrelevance,” he added.

SC to study what constitutes ‘personal data’ in DPDP laws

Context: Chief Justice of India says a balance has to be struck between privacy and the right to information; court issues formal notice to Union government and asks advocate to frame questions of law.

• The Supreme Court agreed to examine what constitutes “personal data” under India’s new digital personal data law, which is being accused of using data privacy norms to block the right to information.
• A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the need to define “public data” and “personal data” has arisen following the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and its corresponding Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.
• The court issued formal notice to the Union government on a petition jointly filed by journalist Geeta Seshu and the Software Freedom Law Center, represented by senior advocate Indira Jaising and advocate Paras Nath Singh, who said the DPDP laws effectively stall journalists from accessing data of public interest concerning those who hold public offices.
• “The term ‘public interest’ has been deleted from the DPDP Act. Journalists cannot access data which is in public interest. A journalist need not have personal data, but needs information which is in the public interest to satisfy the public’s right to information and knowledge,” Ms. Jaising submitted.
• She said the Act does not clearly define terms such as “information” and “personal”. The state could mount sweeping surveillance on anyone, Ms. Jaising said.
• She highlighted how the Act allowed compensation for illegally accessing personal data to go directly to the government and not the injured person.
• “While the DPDP Act introduces a penalty-centric framework with fines running into hundreds of crores, such penalties are payable exclusively to the Consolidated Fund of India. The data principal whose privacy is violated receives no compensation, restitution or restoration, even in cases involving identity theft, financial fraud, reputational harm or dignitary injury,” the petition said.
• The Chief Justice said a balance had to be struck between privacy and the right to information. One right should not compromise the other, the court said.
• “At what point should data regarding a respectable person holding public office be treated as public and when should it be seen as personal,” the CJI asked. The Chief Justice pointed out that an individual’s data privacy has to be protected against sweeping provisions of law.
• “Entire personal data of the citizenry from a substantial part of the globe are flowing into bigwig private entities. Data has become the true wealth of the day,” Chief Justice Kant said.
• The court asked Ms. Jaising to frame questions of law and scheduled the case for detailed hearing on March 23.

‘Parental income alone cannot set creamy layer status’

Context: Settling the decades-long confusion over how to calculate wealth or income to determine the creamy layer status of OBC candidates for reservation, the Supreme Court ruled this week that it “cannot be decided solely on the basis of the [parental] income”.

• This is likely to widen the reservation pool to include the children of senior public sector officials who had earlier been excluded on the basis of their parents’ annual salary income being above the ₹8 lakh threshold.
• The court said the framework to exclude the creamy layer from the OBC quota is clear that parental income from salaries and agricultural land are to be kept out while applying the income/wealth test.
• A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan was hearing an appeal by the Union government against lower court rulings in favour of such OBC candidates. The cases arise from confusion over how to apply the income/wealth test for OBC children of PSU/PSB officials in the absence of equivalence with government posts, and whether income from salaries can be included in these calculations. During the hearings, OBC candidates selected in civil services examinations over the past decade argued that the Centre had incorrectly deemed them as part of the excluded creamy layer by including the salaries of their parents who worked in Central and State PSUs.

‘Based on status’

• In its March 11 judgment, the court noted that the creamy layer exclusion criteria were “status-based rather than purely income-based, reflecting the policy understanding that advancement within the governmental service hierarchy denotes social progression independent of fluctuating salary levels”.
• When the OBC quota was introduced in 1993, a guiding charter was created to exclude OBC candidates whose families had accumulated certain social and economic privileges over the years, known as the creamy layer.
• This would then allow reservation benefits only for those declared as “non-creamy layer” candidates, based on several criteria, including a crucial income or wealth test.
• The 1993 charter of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had declared some OBC families ineligible on the basis of their occupations.
• Thus, children of people in constitutional posts, senior Central and State government employees, members of the armed forces, and property owners supposedly could not avail themselves of the OBC quota for the civil services.
• However, exceptions were carved out of these exclusions: for instance, children of MPs and MLAs; government officials who have been promoted, not hired, into senior positions; and owners of unirrigated agricultural land, among others, are all eligible for OBC quotas, subject to a parental annual income limit of ₹8 lakh.
• However, the DoPT has differentiated in how this income test is applied. With the help of a clarificatory letter issued in October 2004, the interpretation that has been applied was that parental salaries could be counted separately to apply the income test for determining the creamy layer for candidates whose parents worked in Central or State PSUs, an interpretation that was contested in the present cases.

‘Unequal treatment’

• Delivering the judgment in this batch of cases, the Supreme Court said, “Treating the children of those employed in PSUs or private employment, etc., as being excluded from the benefit of reservation only on the basis of their income derived from salaries, and without reference to their posts (whether Group A or B, or Group C or D) would certainly lead to hostile discrimination between parties who are similarly placed and would amount to equals being treated unequally.”

1. The Core Issue: “Creamy Layer” Determination

The central conflict arose because the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had been mechanically classifying candidates as “Creamy Layer” (and thus ineligible for reservation) solely based on the income of their parents, even if those parents were employed in PSUs, banks, or the private sector.

• The Court’s Ruling (March 11, 2026): A bench consisting of Justices P.S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan ruled that a candidate’s status cannot be determined solely by parental income. The court emphasized that the “social and occupational status” of the parents must be the primary consideration, as stipulated in the 1993 and 2004 DoPT guidelines.

2. Historical Background of the “Creamy Layer” Concept

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Committee on Responsible AI formed
Context: The Government of Karnataka has constituted a Committee on Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop a comprehensive framework to guide the safe, ethical and transparent adoption of AI across government systems and public services.

• The committee, chaired by Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, and co-chaired by N. Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, brings together leading experts from industry, academia, policy and law.
• According to a government communique, the first meeting of the committee was held on Thursday (March 12, 2026) in Bengaluru, where members discussed the rapidly evolving AI landscape and the need to establish strong governance frameworks to ensure the responsible use of AI technologies, particularly in systems that impact citizens.
• The committee would develop a Responsible AI Policy and implementation road map for Karnataka, aimed at enabling innovation while ensuring that AI systems deployed across government are safe, fair, transparent and accountable, it said.
• Commenting on the initiative, Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, said, “As Karnataka enters its Deeptech Decade, the State is focused not only on accelerating AI innovation but also on ensuring that these technologies are deployed responsibly and in the public interest.’’
• The Responsible AI Committee brought together leading experts from industry, academia and policy to help shape a governance framework that promotes innovation while safeguarding transparency, accountability and citizen trust, said Mr. Kharge, adding, this initiative would help the State to continue to lead in building an AI ecosystem that is both cutting-edge and responsible.

AI for growth

• “Artificial Intelligence is a highly disruptive technology, and we are already seeing its potential to significantly accelerate the growth of Karnataka’s economy. If we are able to leverage this opportunity effectively, Karnataka can become the first in the country to develop a comprehensive framework for responsible AI—one that drives better citizen services, creates the jobs of the 21st century, and strengthens our innovation ecosystem,’’ said Mr. Gopalakrishnan, chairperson, Committee on Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
• By harnessing AI thoughtfully and responsibly, Karnataka would be able to significantly accelerate the growth of its economy, he further said.
• Some of the topics which came under discussion at the maiden meeting of the Responsible AI Committee included establishing responsible AI principles and policy guidelines for the State, aligned with India’s AI governance guidelines and global best practices, including legality, fairness, non-discrimination, privacy, safety, security, transparency, accountability, human oversight, inclusion and national interest.

Bengaluru woman becomes life-saving stem cell donor for teenager with severe aplastic anaemia

Context: A young aplastic anaemia survivor, who received a second chance at life through a life-saving blood stem cell transplant, met his donor in Bengaluru.

• Nineteen-year-old Anandu received the blood stem cells from 32-year-old Swathi, a resident of Bengaluru, after being diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia – a life-threatening blood disorder.

Life-saving decision

• At 15 years, when he was in 10th grade, Anandu was diagnosed with the illness. Aplastic anaemia is a life-threatening condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells. Physician V.P. Krishnan, consultant, pediatric hemato-oncology and BMT, MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kozhikode, advised that he undergo a stem cell transplant as it was the only curative option.
• Swathi, an IT consultant, had participated in a donor recruitment drive at her workplace in 2016, organised by DKMS Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders.
• In 2022, she received a call from DKMS requesting that she donate her stem cells, to which she agreed. Anandu had received support through the DKMS Patient Funding Programme, India, which provides partial financial assistance to eligible patients undergoing blood stem cell transplantation.

More donors crucial

• Reflecting on Anandu’s journey, Dr. Krishnan said, “He underwent a matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplant in early 2023. Although he experienced expected complications such as febrile neutropenia and mucositis during the transplant period, his recovery progressed well.”
• Today, Anandu is leading a healthy life and is preparing for his 12th board examinations.
• “Anandu and Swathi’s story highlights why more people need to register as potential blood stem cell donors. It is the generosity of donors like Swathi that makes life-saving transplants possible. With only 0.09% of India’s eligible population currently registered as donors, the chances of finding a match remain limited,” said Patrick Paul, executive chairman, DKMS, India.
• He also added that in Karnataka, more than 49,000 individuals have registered as potential blood stem cell donors with the DKMS Foundation India. Bengaluru alone accounts for approximately 38,000 registered donors.
• Individuals between 18 and 55 years of age, in good general health, with a BMI under 40, and not already registered are eligible to sign up as potential blood stem cell donors.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study: The Conflict of Public Health vs. Administrative Revenue Targets

1. Case Overview
The Karnataka government is currently managing two critical sectors—Excise and Dairy—where the pursuit of financial targets and operational efficiency is clashing with public health and safety. While the government aims for an excise collection target of ₹45,000 crore, it is simultaneously battling widespread liquor smuggling. Concurrently, the dairy sector reports that 3,049 milk samples were found to be adulterated, yet no criminal cases have been filed against the offenders.

2. Facts of the Case
Excise & Liquor Smuggling:
Target: ₹45,000 crore revenue; ₹32,492 crore collected as of February 2026.
Enforcement: 1,489 illegal liquor smuggling cases recorded in three years, primarily from Goa, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
Border districts like Belagavi, Raichur, and Kalaburagi are the most affected zones.

Milk Adulteration:
Scale: 3,049 samples adulterated out of over 1.5 million tested.
Hotspots: Hassan (788 samples), Ballari (588), and Shivamogga (434).
Administrative Response: Despite the presence of harmful substances like salt and sugar, no criminal cases have been filed; offenders receive only counseling and warnings.

3. Ethical Dilemmas
Revenue vs. Responsibility: Does the state’s focus on hitting high revenue targets in the liquor sector undermine the urgency of curbing illegal consumption and smuggling?
Deterrence vs. Counseling (The Milk Adulteration Issue): Is “counseling” an adequate ethical response to the contamination of a staple food consumed by children and the elderly, or does it reflect a lack of accountability?
Institutional Integrity: When enforcement is lax (as seen in the lack of criminal cases for food adulteration), does the state lose its moral authority to regulate the public?

4. Stakeholders and Values
Government: Responsible for fiscal stability (revenue) and ensuring Article 47 (improving public health) of the Constitution.
Public: Consumers rely on the state to ensure the safety of food and the regulation of intoxicating substances.
Enforcement Agencies (Excise/Food Safety): Expected to balance strict law enforcement with administrative efficiency.

5. Options for Action (The Policy/Ethics Committee View)
If I were a member of a high-level committee reviewing these issues, I would propose the following multi-dimensional strategy:

A. For Excise Policy (Liquor Smuggling)
Move beyond “Revenue-only” KPIs: Transition from purely monetary targets to “enforcement-quality” targets. Performance should be measured by the reduction in illegal smuggling incidents, not just tax collected.
Technological Integration: Implement E2E (End-to-End) tracking using QR codes on liquor bottles to eliminate leakage and ensure taxation is based on ABV (Alcohol By Volume) as proposed, which is a scientifically more ethical way to tax.
Inter-State Cooperation: Establish joint task forces with border states to choke the supply chain of illicit liquor.

B. For Food Safety (Milk Adulteration)
Zero Tolerance Policy: Shift from a “counseling-only” approach to a “graded penalty” system. First offenses could involve heavy fines, and repeat offenses must result in criminal prosecution and license cancellation.
Transparency & Disclosure: Publicly name the primary cooperatives or private dairies where repeated adulteration is detected to ensure consumer trust is backed by transparency.
Strengthen Legal Framework: Ensure that food safety laws are applied consistently, regardless of whether the supplier is a primary cooperative or a large private firm.

Ethics Case Study: The Conflict of Public Health vs. Administrative Accountability

1. Case Overview
The state of Karnataka is currently facing a dual crisis in essential supply chains: the systemic adulteration of milk (a staple food) and the severe chemical contamination of vegetables supplied to Bengaluru. While the government is pursuing revenue targets in sectors like excise, these reports highlight a breakdown in regulatory oversight, where economic interests and “administrative convenience” appear to be taking precedence over the fundamental right to safe food and public health.

2. Key Facts
Milk Adulteration: 3,049 samples were found adulterated with salt, sugar, and other substances. Despite the legal provision for criminal prosecution (up to life imprisonment), no cases have been filed. Offenders are merely “counseled.”
Vegetable Contamination: A CPCB report indicates severe contamination of vegetables with lead, pesticides, and heavy metals. Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are reportedly non-functional, and there is a significant gap between existing sewage treatment capacity (1,200 MLD) and the required capacity (1,800 MLD).
Excise Policy & Smuggling: High revenue targets (₹45,000 crore) for excise have been linked to systemic challenges in controlling illegal liquor smuggling across borders (Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh).

3. Ethical Dilemmas
Revenue vs. Life (The Excise Dilemma): Is it ethical for the state to set aggressive revenue targets that may lead to the neglect of enforcement, thereby allowing illegal trade to flourish?
The “Counseling” Trap (The Accountability Dilemma): In cases of food adulteration (milk), choosing to “counsel” offenders instead of filing criminal charges is a failure of deterrence. It prioritizes the comfort of the supplier over the health of the consumer.
Negligence vs. Rights (The Environmental Dilemma): The contamination of vegetables through untreated sewage is a violation of the citizens’ right to health. The state’s failure to maintain STPs indicates a breach of the social contract.

4. Stakeholders and Values
The State/Government: Bound by Article 47 of the Constitution to improve public health; however, it is currently struggling to balance this with fiscal revenue goals.
Public/Consumers: Victims of silent health crises (e.g., fatty liver, nervous system issues mentioned in the vegetable report). They hold a legitimate expectation of safety.
Regulatory/Enforcement Agencies: Expected to exercise impartial and stringent oversight, which is currently being undermined by a preference for “soft” enforcement.

5. Proposed Governance Framework (Ethical Solutions)
As a member of an ethics review committee, I propose the following shifts:

A. Shift from “Counseling” to “Compliance”
Zero-Tolerance Prosecution: Food safety is non-negotiable. Any detected adulteration must trigger an automated legal process. “Counseling” is appropriate for educational settings, not for criminal food adulteration.
Public Audits: Create a public digital dashboard that names cooperatives and dairies that have failed quality tests, ensuring market-driven accountability.

B. Aligning Revenue with Public Good
Earmarked “Health Cess”: A portion of the revenue collected from excise and other high-growth sectors should be legally ring-fenced for public health infrastructure, such as modernizing STPs and water treatment.
Performance-Based Enforcement: The performance metrics for officials should include “reduction in contamination cases” rather than just “tax collected.”

C. Inter-Departmental Accountability
Integrated Monitoring: Since the vegetable crisis involves Irrigation, Agriculture, and Urban Development, the proposed inter-departmental committee must have a time-bound mandate with personal liability for officials if water quality standards are not met.

Source: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

LPG Issue and the Strait of Hormuz

• The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, located between Iran and Oman. It serves as the passageway for nearly 20% of global crude oil exports and a significant share of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shipments. Many Asian countries—including India, China, Japan, and South Korea—depend heavily on this route for their energy needs.
• If the Strait were to be closed due to geopolitical tensions, LPG supplies would be severely disrupted. This would lead to higher cooking gas prices, increased fertilizer costs (since LPG and natural gas are feedstock for fertilizers), and consequently rising food prices. Beyond energy, the closure would affect shipping costs, insurance premiums, and global supply chains, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations.

Impact Analysis: LPG Supply Chain & the Strait of Hormuz

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“The relationship between science and war: Many inventions, from penicillin to the internet and from nuclear energy to space satellites, are the ‘children of war’. Is it possible to proactively utilize the effort and money spent on war for human welfare instead? Present your opinions.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“The Ballot Paper Revival: Balancing Electoral Credibility with Technological Progress in Indian Local Governance”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Panel estimates Lakkundi treasureto be at least 500 years old
Context: Treasure found in Lakkundi of Gadag district which comprised mainly gold ornaments is estimated to be at least 500-600 years old.

• Members of the Treasure Evaluation Committee led by archaeologist M.S. Krishna Murthy verified and evaluated the gold ornaments in Gadag, before coming out with their assessment on the age of the ornaments.
• “After verification of the size and design of the 466 gm of gold ornaments found in Lakkundi, it is estimated that they may be of the age of Vijayanagar empire. The common public did not use ornaments having faces of lion and keertimukh (face of glory). They appear to be ornaments made for offering to a female deity,” Mr. Krishna Murthy.
• “In the golden ornaments we have found pearls, emerald and blue sapphire,”. “According to the rate of gold, the value of the ornaments will be ₹80 lakh. However, since they are ancient, the value will be 10 times more,”.

‘IT exports from State set to cross ₹5.5 lakh
Context: Karnataka’s IT exports are expected to cross ₹5.50 lakh crore in 2025–26, IT and BT Minister to the Legislative Assembly.

• Bengaluru Urban tops the list with a contribution of 39.9% to GSDP; Kalaburagi, Bengaluru Rural contribute 1.9% each. Karnataka’s IT exports are expected to cross ₹5.50 lakh crore in 2025–26, IT and BT Minister.
• State’s IT/BT exports were ₹3.55 lakh crore in 2022–23, ₹4.09 lakh crore in 2023–24, and ₹4.58 lakh crore in 2024–25.
• Of the projected ₹5.5 lakh crore exports, Mysuru contributes around ₹3,000 crore, while Mangaluru and Udupi together contribute around ₹3,500 crore.
• By contributing 5.4% to the State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP), Dakshina Kannada district ranks second in the State and has the potential to add another 2% to the GSDP.
• Bengaluru Urban district topped the list with a contribution of 39.9% to the GSDP. Kalaburagi and Bengaluru Rural districts contribute 1.9% each to the GSDP.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

SC upholds ‘right to die’ for man in vegetative state
Context: The Supreme Court upheld the right to die with dignity of 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a persistent vegetative state for nearly 13 years, by allowing the withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH).

• A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan delivered the judgment in a packed courtroom where emotions bubbled to the surface, even reaching up to the judges’ raised podium where stoicism usually ruled.
• Mr. Rana had sustained severe head injuries and 100% quadriplegic disability after sustaining a fall from the fourth floor of his accommodation as a Panjab University student in in 2013.
• “To Harish’s family, we want to acknowledge the deep emotional weight this decision carries. This decision can feel like an act of surrender, but we believe it is, in truth, an act of profound compassion and courage. You are not giving up on your son. You are allowing him to leave with dignity. It reflects the depth of your selfless love and devotion towards him,” Justice Pardiwala read from his 286-page opinion.
• This was the first time the Supreme Court had implemented its own 2018 Constitution Bench guidelines for what it had then called ‘passive euthanasia’.
• The top court also acknowledged the general consensus that ‘passive euthanasia’ was an obsolete and rather confusing term. “‘Euthanasia’ will refer strictly to active euthanasia, which remains impermissible. ‘Withdrawing or Withholding of Medical Treatment’ will replace the term ‘passive euthanasia’,” Justice Pardiwala said.
• Justice Viswanathan joined his lead colleague on the Bench in a separate and concurrent opinion that the family had left no stone unturned to care for their son and brother. “It is only when the matter reached a point of no return, that to relieve Harish from what he is undergoing, they have resorted to this legal course of action. One can only imagine the agony they would have undergone during this period,” Justice Viswanathan said.
• The court directed AIIMS Delhi to shift Mr. Rana from his residence to their palliative care centre. The process of withdrawal of CANH must be part of a well-structured, tailored, robust and articulated palliative care plan for a PVS patient in his or her most vulnerable phase of life.
• “The right to die with dignity is inseparable from the right to receive quality palliative and End-of-Life (EOL) care. It is imperative to ensure that the withdrawal process is not marred by pain, agony, or suffering,” the Supreme Court held.
• The court directed Chief Medical Officers in all districts to form panels of registered medical practitioners to constitute secondary medical boards to examine applications for the withdrawal of life support.
• The area Judicial Magistrates of First Class must be intimated by hospitals if a primary and second medical boards unanimously recommend withdrawal of life support in cases. The court urged the Centre to initiate a specific legislation detailing the procedure for life support withdrawal.

Legal Milestones of Euthanasia in India:

Judge distinguishes between active and passive euthanasia

Context: The distinction between “active” and “passive” euthanasia goes beyond the simplistic binary of “act” versus “omission”, Supreme Court judge Justice J.B. Pardiwala said.

• “The true distinction between active and passive euthanasia lies not merely in the nature of the conduct, i.e., acts or omissions, but also in the source of the harm that leads to death,” Justice Pardiwala said in a judgment.
• The judge characterised active euthanasia as causing death by introducing a new, external agency of harm, such as a lethal injection.
• “In such cases, death is not the result of the patient’s underlying illness, but of an intervention that sets a new chain of events in motion. It is for this reason that active euthanasia is understood as an intervention that disrupts the natural path towards death,” Justice Pardiwala observed in the judgment.

Underlying condition

• Conversely, he explained that passive euthanasia should be understood as allowing death to occur. By withdrawing or withholding life support, the physician is not creating a new risk of death. Rather, the doctors are choosing to allow the underlying fatal condition to take its natural course by no longer continuing the medical interventions that were artificially prolonging life.
• “The undeniable fact is that the patient’s affliction, i.e., the underlying medical condition, is not caused by any act or omission of the doctor. Rather, the underlying condition is due to factors independent of the doctor or their actions,” Justice Pardiwala said. However, withdrawing treatment should not violate the duty of care a doctor owes a patient in all circumstances. “The surrendering of any medical effort must not be at loggerheads with the duty of care which joists all medical action,” Justice Pardiwala emphasised.
• The judgment said active euthanasia involved a “positive, overt act” designed to curtail the natural lifespan and extinguish life.

‘Right to dignified death prevails over interest of the state’

Context: The Supreme Court held that the state’s absolute interest to preserve life must become subservient to a patient’s right to dignity at a tipping point when medical interventions become increasingly futile and invasive while the chances of recovery keep dropping.

• “When the degree of bodily invasion progressively increases, and the prognosis for recovery progressively decreases, there arises a certain point when the state’s absolute interest in preserving life must become subservient to the dignity of the individual, though he is unconscious or incompetent,” Justice J.B. Pardiwala said in a judgment upholding the withdrawal of life support to a 32-year-old man in a persistent vegetative state for over 12 years.
• The court said that the interest of the state must not be allowed to overpower the dignity which must be equally assured to individuals in the process of life and death.
• “Dignity is the most sacred possession of a human being. Its possession can neither be said to lose its sanctity in the process of death nor when death occurs,” Justice Pardiwala observed.
• Temporarily keeping alive a terminally ill patient who was brain dead or in PVS, solely because doctors are able to leverage the technological advancements in medicine, and compelling such patients to endure a slow, agonising death, cannot fully be compatible with the Constitutional ideal of dignity, Justice Pardiwala said.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study: Illegal Mining and Systemic Failure
Background
Allegations of large-scale illegal mining have surfaced in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) region, located on the border between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This illegal activity has resulted in substantial losses to the state exchequer, massive encroachment of reserved forest land, and the deliberate destruction of inter-state boundary markers to facilitate illicit operations. The Supreme Court has now tasked a committee, headed by a retired Justice, to assess the environmental and financial damages.

Ethical Dilemmas
1.Economic Gain vs. Environmental Stewardship: The conflict between industrial expansion and the preservation of protected forest ecosystems.
2.Private Interests vs. Public Service: The misuse of political influence by public office-holders for personal enrichment.
3.Institutional Delay vs. Justice: The erosion of public trust due to the long delay in investigative outcomes (Justice delayed is justice denied).
4.Integrity of Evidence: The moral crisis posed by the deliberate destruction of boundary markers to obscure the truth.

Stakeholders
The Government and Public: The ultimate losers of state revenue and environmental heritage.

The Mining Company/Owners: The entities accused of prioritize profit over legality.

The Judiciary: The body responsible for ensuring accountability and ecological justice.

Forest & Environment Departments: The custodians of the land who failed to prevent the encroachment.

Options for Action (The Six Choices)
As a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee, you have the following options:

Option 1: The Minimalist Approach
Submit a purely technical report focusing only on the calculation of the financial loss to the state. This ensures a quick resolution but fails to address the root causes of the illegal mining.

Option 2: The Holistic Reform Approach
Recommend financial recovery from the mining company, mandate the use of GIS-based digital boundary mapping, and call for strict departmental action against complicit officials.

Option 3: Environmental Restitution (Polluter Pays)
Beyond financial penalties, mandate that the company fund a multi-decade reforestation and biodiversity restoration project in the affected areas.

Option 4: Administrative Accountability
Conduct a formal inquiry into the state forest and mining officials who were in charge during the period of illegal activity. This addresses systemic corruption rather than just targeting the mining company.

Option 5: Technology-Driven Surveillance
Propose the mandatory implementation of real-time satellite imagery and drone-based monitoring for all border mining zones, creating a permanent, tamper-proof digital oversight system.

Option 6: Community-Led Vigilance (Whistleblower Protection)
Establish a decentralized, anonymous grievance portal for local villagers and forest-dwellers to report suspicious activities, incentivized by legal protection for whistleblowers.

Source: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

Raman Effect – Background of National Science Day
In India, February 28 is celebrated every year as National Science Day. This day commemorates the announcement of the Raman Effect discovered in 1928 by the eminent Indian scientist Sir C. V. Raman.

What is the Raman Effect?

• The Raman Effect refers to the phenomenon in which a small fraction of light passing through a substance undergoes a change in its wavelength.
• In simple terms, when light interacts with molecules, some of the scattered light emerges with different energy levels, leading to new spectral lines.
• This discovery is related to the scattering of light and is considered a major breakthrough in physics.

Historical Significance

• The Raman Effect was discovered in 1928.
• In 1930, C. V. Raman became the first Indian scientist to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics.
• The discovery enhanced India’s global recognition in the field of science during the pre-independence period.

Current Relevance
1. Applications in Science and Technology
2.Chemical composition analysis
3.Cancer detection in medical science
4.Pharmaceutical testing
5.Environmental pollution detection
6.Nanotechnology research

2. Make in India & Research Promotion
The government is promoting indigenous development of spectroscopy instruments based on the Raman Effect, encouraging self-reliance in scientific research and technology.

3. National Science Day – 28th February 2026, Theme: “Innovation in Science and Atmanirbhar Bharat”

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

State launches action plan on snakebite
Context: The government Published the State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming to tackle snakebite cases.

• Karnataka launches State Action Plan on snakebite and rabies.
• The objective is to ensure that no life is lost due to delay in treatment or lack of access to medicines.
• The Karnataka government published the State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE), becoming the first State in the country to release a comprehensive roadmap dedicated exclusively to tackling snakebite.
• The government simultaneously launched the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE), reiterating its target of achieving zero human deaths due to dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
• Launched the plans under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
• Snakebite, classified by the World Health Organisation as a Neglected Tropical Disease, continues to pose a significant public health challenge.
• In India, estimates suggest around 50,000 deaths each year, besides a large number of survivors left with amputations or permanent disabilities. Public health experts have pointed out that the actual burden is likely higher, as many victims do not reach formal healthcare facilities.
• In Karnataka, recorded cases of snakebite envenoming and deaths have seen a sharp rise from 6,596 bite cases and 19 deaths in 2023 to 13,235 bite cases and 100 deaths in 2024 and 16,805 bite cases and 154 deaths in 2025.

Availability of ASV

• This follows Karnataka declaring snakebite envenoming cases and deaths notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, in February 2024.
• The State Action Plan seeks to address these gaps through strengthened surveillance, assured availability of anti-snake venom (ASV), early referral and transport, capacity building of healthcare personnel, and sustained public awareness campaigns.
• Karnataka had earlier declared snakebite a notifiable disease, mandating reporting of all cases and deaths to improve data collection and guide policy response.
• The plan aligns with the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE), launched by the Union government in March 2024, and aims to reduce snakebite deaths and disabilities by half by 2030. It envisages coordinated action by multiple departments, including Health, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Forest, Panchayat Raj, Education, Labour, Finance and Home.

Key strategies

• The key strategies include promoting behavioural change through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, encouraging rural communities to seek treatment at the nearest health facility instead of traditional healers, ensuring early transport of victims, prompt administration of ASV, management of complications and rehabilitation of those left disabled.
• The Health Department has identified designated snakebite treatment centres, supplied ASV stocks and circulated standard treatment guidelines. Free treatment will be provided in government facilities. Private hospitals have been directed to administer immediate life-saving care without insisting on advance payment.
• Alongside SAPSE, the State rolled out SAPRE under the National Rabies Control Programme. Rabies was declared a notifiable disease in Karnataka in December 2022. The government has mandated the availability of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) in all Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, taluk and district hospitals, with instructions to maintain adequate stocks.
• Private hospitals have also been directed to stock ARV and RIG and provide emergency treatment without demanding advance payment.
• State- and district-level joint committees have been constituted to oversee implementation, in coordination with various government departments and non-governmental organisations.
• A “Rabies-Free Cities Initiative” is being implemented in 11 major cities, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad. City-specific action plans focus on mass dog vaccination, dog population management, strengthened surveillance and improved waste management.

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance

“The Role of Women Scientists in the Vision of a Developed India by 2047: Critically Discuss Their Contribution to Research, Innovation, and Nation-Building.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

“The End of the Three-Language Degree System: In the Context of the New Education Policy, Critically Discuss the Implications for Language Policy, Globalization, and the Future of Higher Education.”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

New GDP series upgrades FY26 growth to 7.6% in second advance estimates
Context: India’s economic growth is expected to touch 7.6% in the current financial year 2025-26, showed the second advance estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) based on the new and updated series released by the government. This is faster than the 7.4% predicted in the first advance estimates for 2025-26 released in January, which was based on the older series.

• The new series of data, released by Statistics Secretary and Chief Economic Adviser, has incorporated several improvements, including an updated base year of 2022-23 from the earlier 2011-12, as well as several new data sets to improve the representativeness and granularity of the data.
• The series has revised downward the growth for 2023-24 to 7.2% from the 9.2% estimated in the old series and has revised upward the growth for 2024-25 to 7.1% from the earlier estimate of 6.5%.
• According to the data, India’s nominal GDP — which is essentially the size of the economy — has been revised downward for the three years spanning 2023-26, which will have a negative impact on several fiscal ratios pegged to these numbers, such as the fiscal deficit-to-GDP ratio and the debt-to-GDP ratio.
• The government also released the GDP growth data for the third quarter of 2025-26 based on the new series, which stood at 7.8% as compared to 8.4% in the second quarter and 6.7% in the first quarter.

Growth in the current year

• According to the second advance estimates for 2025-26, the secondary sector is expected to grow at 9.5%, up from 7.3% in 2024-25. This growth is to largely be driven by the manufacturing sector, which is estimated to grow 12.5% in 2025-26 as compared to 8.3% in the previous year. The construction sector is set to grow at 6.9%, down from 7.1% over the same period.
• Notably, the primary sector is expected to see a significant slowdown, with growth expected to be 2.8% in 2025-26 as compared to 5% in the previous year. This is due to growth in the agriculture sector being expected to slow to 2.5% in 2025-26 from 4.3% in 2024-25, and in the mining and quarrying sector to 5% from 11.2% over the same period.
• The tertiary sector, comprising the services sector, is expected to see growth quicken to 8.9% in FY26, up from 8.3% in the previous year. This is a result of double-digit growth in the trade, hotels, transport and communication grouping (10.3%), and the financial, real estate, IT, and professional services grouping (10%).

Fiscal deficit at 63% of full-year target: CGA  

Context: The Centre’s fiscal deficit at the end of January stood at ₹9.8 lakh crore, or 63% of the annual budget target for 2025-26, compared with 74.5% in the year-ago period, government data released showed.

• The Centre estimates the fiscal deficit during 2025-26 at 4.4% of GDP, or ₹15.58 lakh crore.

FDI rises 18% to $47.87 bn      

• Foreign direct investments (FDI) in India rose 18% to $47.87 billion during April-December 2025-26, according to government data. Investments from overseas during the nine-month period of the previous fiscal stood at $40.67 billion.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Navy boosts anti-submarine capability with INS Anjadip
Context: In a move to sharpen its anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the Indian Navy commissioned its fourth indigenously designed and built anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft INS Anjadip at the Chennai Port.

• It was commissioned by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi. Senior naval officials were present.
• The vessel, which is 77 metres long, has been designed to detect, track, and neutralise enemy submarines in coastal waters.
• It has been named ‘Anjadip’ to carry forward the valour of the historic island off the coast of Karwar.
• The ship is equipped with indigenous anti-submarine warfare weapons and sensor package.
• The INS Anjadip was constructed at Kattupalli by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata, and will mainly address the challenges of the littoral combat environment.
• “Anjadip is equipped with modern shallow-water sonars, lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, and combat management system. It is engineered for agility, precision and combat effectiveness,”.
• “The ship and her systems distinctly reflect the growing strength of India’s indigenous design and industrial ecosystem. Aatmanirbharta, today, is moving beyond Make in India to Trust in India,”.
• It is equipped to undertake coastal surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations, and search and rescue operations.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study: Seizure of ₹5.24 Crore Worth of Drugs – Law Enforcement, Public Interest, and Ethical Dilemmas
Background
In a recent anti-narcotics operation, city police seized drugs worth approximately ₹5.24 crore. Several individuals were arrested, and an organized drug network operating within the city was exposed. The police described the operation as a major breakthrough in controlling drug trafficking.

However, the case has raised important ethical concerns:
a) Were the rights of the accused adequately protected during arrest and seizure?
b) Was due process strictly followed?
c) Is the focus only on punitive action, or are long-term preventive measures in place?
d) How should media publicity be handled without prejudicing the trial?

You are the Commissioner of Police responsible for ensuring that law enforcement actions are both effective and constitutionally sound.
Ethical Issues Involved
1.Public safety vs Individual rights
2.Strict law enforcement vs Human rights protection
3.Speed of action vs Fair investigation
4.Media transparency vs Presumption of innocence
5.Punishment vs Rehabilitation and prevention

Stakeholders
Accused individuals
Families of the accused
Youth and students
Police department
Judiciary
General public
Media

Options Available
Option 1:
Adopt a zero-tolerance approach with strict enforcement, aggressive investigation, and strong public messaging.

Option 2:
Ensure full procedural compliance, protect the rights of the accused, and allow judicial processes to function independently.

Option 3:
Along with enforcement, introduce awareness campaigns, school-level prevention programs, and rehabilitation initiatives.

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs

Preliminary Examination

Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance

Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Main Examination

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1:

“Critically analyze India’s multi-alignment strategy in a multipolar global system.”

Essay – 2:

“Evaluate Karnataka’s contribution to India’s renewable energy mission, especially in terms of solar and wind power projects.”

Paper-II: General Studies 1

New GDP data set to capture economy more accurately: Ministry of Statistics
Context: The new series of national accounts to be released on Friday is the culmination of a wide consultative process, spanning multiple sub-committees, and incorporating many changes.

• The new series of national accounts data to be released will incorporate several methodological and statistical upgrades that will make India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Value Added (GVA) data more accurate and granular.
• These upgrades include better methodologies, and the inclusion of new data sets, such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) data.
• The most visible of the changes in the national accounts data is that the base year will be updated from 2011-12 to 2022-23, making both the GDP and GVA data more accurate representations of the current economy, while also improving comparisons over time periods.
• The Sub-Committee on Methodological Improvements proposed several sector-wise improvements that have been implemented.
• For instance, for the non-financial private corporate sector, the currently-used 2011-12 series of data deals with companies that operate across sectors by allocating that entire company’s GVA to the sector in which the bulk of its activity is.
• In the new series, the activity-wise revenue share for a company is being used to calculate the value added in each business activity. This will help capture all the activity in each sector.
• Another improvement, to do with the general government sector, is that the new series will also include the value of the housing services provided by governments to their employees. This will mean that the value of services provided is more accurately captured when measuring the output of the general government.
• Further, the coverage of autonomous institutes and local bodies has also been enhanced.
• For households, the new series will use the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on an annual basis instead of extrapolating data as was done in the 2011-12 series. This will mean that the household sector, which has a significant contribution to the economy, is directly estimated each year.
• Another major component of the economy — private final consumption expenditure, or basically consumption spending by the people — will also be measured in a more granular manner through the enhanced use of Household Consumer Expenditure Surveys and direct estimation based on production and other data sources.

New data sources

• The new series of national accounts data will also include new data sources and will use existing sources better. For example, GST data was so far being used in the quarterly accounts of GDP and GVA, and only for some sectors in the annual data.
• In the new series, GST data will be used to better estimate the regional output of private corporations, and will also be used to more accurately determine the contribution of the value added by private companies to the GDP of the country. The GST data will also be used to identify active private companies to improve the accuracy of estimating the value added by non-reporting companies. This will ensure that output and value added data more accurately captures what is happening on the ground.
• The Sub-Committee on Incorporation for New Data Sources, Rates and Ratios also noted that States have enhanced their reporting of data from local bodies and state autonomous bodies, which will increase the amount of data that can be directly estimated rather than imputed.
• The new series will use the Statistical Table Related to Banks in India (STRBI) published by the Reserve Bank of India to estimate the activity of both public sector banks as well as private sector banks. Further, the earlier proxy-based approach to estimate the activity of private Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) is being replaced by the use of actual financial data of NBFCs from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Overall, the ASUSE data has been used more effectively to capture aspects that were earlier not being included accurately.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Bulldozer Justice, Constitutional Morality, and the Doctrine of Due Process

The recent observations of the Allahabad High Court on so-called “bulldozer justice” have reignited an important constitutional debate: Can the executive demolish property immediately after registration of an FIR? More fundamentally, what is the scope of due process of law and procedure established by law in India?

The Court has questioned whether demolitions carried out soon after criminal allegations—without notice, hearing, or adjudication—violate constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 (Equality), 21 (Life and Personal Liberty), and 300A (Right to Property). The issue touches the very heart of constitutional governance and separation of powers.

1. What is “Bulldozer Justice”?

“Bulldozer justice” refers to the practice of demolishing properties allegedly linked to accused persons immediately after criminal incidents. While authorities claim such actions are taken under municipal laws against illegal constructions, courts have increasingly examined whether such demolitions are:

• Punitive in nature
• Targeted selectively
• Executed without procedural safeguards
• Intended as extra-judicial punishment

The core constitutional question is:
Can the executive punish without judicial determination of guilt?

2. Constitutional Framework

(A) Article 21 – Right to Life and Personal Liberty

“No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”

This article forms the backbone of due process protection in India.

(B) Article 14 – Equality Before Law

State action must not be arbitrary, selective, or discriminatory.

(C) Article 300A – Right to Property

No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law.

Demolition without legal procedure directly engages Article 300A.

3. Due Process of Law vs Procedure Established by Law

(1) Procedure Established by Law (Indian Model – Original Understanding)

Initially interpreted narrowly, it meant:

• As long as there is a validly enacted law
• And procedure prescribed by that law is followed
• The deprivation is constitutionally valid

The focus was on formal legality, not fairness.

(2) Due Process of Law (American Concept)

This doctrine requires:

• Law must be just, fair, and reasonable
• Procedure must not be arbitrary
• Courts can examine substantive fairness of law

It protects both:

• Procedural due process
• Substantive due process

4. Judicial Evolution in India

Indian constitutional jurisprudence has transformed Article 21 from a narrow procedural protection into a robust due process guarantee.

(1) A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950)

• Early narrow interpretation
• Court held: If there is a law and procedure is followed, Article 21 is satisfied
• No need to test fairness of the procedure

This reflected a strict “procedure established by law” approach.

(2) Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) – Landmark Judgment

This case revolutionized Article 21.

The Supreme Court held:

• Procedure must be “right, just and fair”
• Not arbitrary, fanciful, or oppressive
• Articles 14, 19, and 21 are interconnected

This effectively incorporated substantive due process into Indian constitutional law.

Now, any state action must satisfy:

• Non-arbitrariness (Article 14)
• Fair procedure (Article 21)
• Reasonableness (Article 19)

5. Due Process and Demolition Jurisprudence

(A) Re: Directions in the Matter of Demolition of Structures (2024)

The Supreme Court clarified:

• Property cannot be demolished merely because owner is accused.
• Municipal powers cannot be used as punitive tools.
• Guilt must be determined by courts.
• Executive cannot assume judicial function.

This reinforces:

• Presumption of innocence
• Separation of powers
• Procedural safeguards

(B) Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985)

• Right to livelihood is part of Article 21.
• Even pavement dwellers must receive notice before eviction.

This case established that:
Even unauthorized occupants cannot be removed without due process.

(C) State of West Bengal v. Anwar Ali Sarkar (1952)

Established that:

• Arbitrary classification violates Article 14.

Selective demolitions may violate equality.

(D) K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)

Though about privacy, this case reaffirmed:

• Constitutional morality
• Proportionality
• Due process embedded in Article 21

6. What Does Due Process Require in Demolition Cases?

Before demolition, authorities must:

1. Identify legal violation
2. Issue written notice
3. Provide reasonable opportunity of hearing
4. Pass reasoned order
5. Allow appeal
6. Ensure action is proportionate
7. Avoid targeting based on criminal allegations alone

If demolition happens immediately after FIR:

• It suggests punitive intent
• Violates presumption of innocence
• May amount to colourable exercise of power

7. Colourable Exercise of Power

In administrative law, this means:

Using a lawful power for an unlawful objective.

Example:

• Municipal demolition power used to punish an accused person.

Even if form is legal, substance may be unconstitutional.

8. Larger Constitutional Concerns

(A) Separation of Powers

• Judiciary determines guilt.
• Executive enforces law.
• Executive cannot impose punishment.

(B) Presumption of Innocence

Demolition before conviction undermines criminal justice principles.

(C) Rule of Law

Arbitrary state action erodes trust in constitutional governance.

9. Preventive Judicial Intervention

High Courts under Article 226 and Supreme Court under Article 32 can:

• Stay demolition
• Protect fundamental rights
• Enforce procedural safeguards

Courts have increasingly intervened to:

• Prevent irreversible harm
• Ensure accountability

10. Balancing Governance and Rights

Urban planning laws are valid and necessary. Illegal constructions can be demolished.

However:

• Demolition must be regulatory, not punitive.
• It must be neutral and uniform.
• It cannot be selective or exemplary.

Conclusion

The debate around bulldozer justice is not about development versus illegality. It is about constitutional discipline.

India’s constitutional jurisprudence has evolved from a narrow “procedure established by law” model to a robust due process framework where:

• Law must be fair.
• Procedure must be reasonable.
• State action must not be arbitrary.
• Punishment must follow judicial determination.

Bulldozers may serve urban governance.
They cannot replace courts of law.

The Allahabad High Court’s scrutiny is therefore not merely administrative—it is a reaffirmation of constitutional morality, rule of law, and due process as the bedrock of democratic governance.

Creidits: ChatGPT

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

IIA uses radio telescope, Aditya-L1 satellite payload to make key solar observation
Context: Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have made observations of shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun by using its Gauribidanur radio telescope and Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload onboard Aditya-L1 satellite.

Thunder-like noise

• A sonic boom is a thunder-like noise that occurs when the speed of an aircraft traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound.
• Similarly, fast CMEs from the Sun drive shocks near the Earth leading to space weather disturbances. “These shocks are primarily driven by the same set of CMEs, all the way from near the Sun through the interplanetary space. Shocks near the Sun are the birth stage of the shocks observed near Earth. The characteristic signatures of the shocks near the Sun are intense transient emission observed primarily with ground-based radio telescopes at low frequencies, typically <150 MHz,” the IIA team.
• The IIA operates a radio telescope in the above frequency range, at the Gauribidanur radio observatory, located about 100 km north of Bengaluru. It is presently the only low-frequency radio telescope for dedicated observations of the Sun.
• The team said that with the launch of VELC, built by IIA, it has become possible to identify the CMEs that give rise to the shocks, particularly near the Sun and in the visible wavelength range. Combining data obtained with the Gauribidanur radio facility and VELC, the VELC team at IIA has precisely estimated the onset distance of the shock due to the CME that occurred on May 27, 2024. It is approximately 130,000 km from the Sun. The shock driven by the CME propagated at a speed of approximately 1,700 km per second near the Sun.
• This is the closest distance from the Sun at which a CME driven shock and the associated radio transient have been observed unambiguously as on date.
• The present result would not have been possible but for the unique low-frequency observing capability of the Gauribidanur radio telescope and the possibility to observe the near-Sun solar corona with the VELC. The results will appear soon in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy, a leading international journal.
• Continuous and coordinated observations of the Sun with Gauribidanur facilities and VELC during the current maximum phase of the ongoing sunspot cycle 25, as well as beyond, are expected to identify CME driven shocks as close as thirty thousand kilometers from the Sun.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study – Human–Elephant Conflict in Chikkamagaluru District
Background:
In the hilly regions of Chikkamagaluru district, a herd of wild elephants has repeatedly entered villages, causing damage to agricultural crops and creating fear among residents. In a recent incident, around 30–35 elephants entered farmland and destroyed crops such as coffee, maize, and other produce. Farmers have suffered significant financial losses and are demanding immediate compensation and effective action to drive the elephants back into the forest.

The Forest Department has initiated operations to push the elephants away. However, certain wildlife activists argue that capturing or relocating the elephants may not be appropriate and could disturb ecological balance. The situation presents a complex challenge involving environmental conservation, human safety, and livelihood protection.

You are the District Collector responsible for addressing the issue and ensuring both immediate relief and long-term solutions.
Ethical Issues Involved
1.Human safety vs Wildlife conservation
2.Farmers’ livelihoods vs Ecological balance
3.Immediate action vs Sustainable long-term measures
4.Emotional public pressure vs Scientific decision-making
5.Public demand vs Legal and environmental regulations

Stakeholders
Local farmers and villagers
Forest Department officials
Wildlife experts
Animal rights organizations
District administration
State government

Options Available
Option 1:
Capture and relocate the elephants immediately.

Option 2:
Strengthen temporary protection measures around villages and provide financial compensation to farmers.

Option 3:
Develop a long-term strategy to reduce human–wildlife conflict (e.g., elephant corridors, solar fencing, rapid response teams).

KAS Current Affairs

Current Events of National and International Importance

U.S. slaps 126% levy on Indian solar imports
Context: Tariffs were slapped on India, Indonesia and Laos following an ongoing probe; In FY23, India exported $1 billion worth photovoltaics to the U.S.

• The Trump administration slapped 126% levy on solar cell imports from India following a ‘preliminary’ determination that subsidised exports from Indian firms were hurting the competitiveness of U.S. solar firms and contravened World Trade Organization agreements on subsidies.
• The tariffs were collectively imposed on February 24 on India, Indonesia and Laos following a probe by the U.S. Department of Commerce on a complaint by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade, a coalition of leading U.S. solar firms.
• Indian firms under the U.S. Commerce Ministry’s radar included Mundra Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. and Mundra Solar PV Ltd. — both part of Adani Group — Premier Energies Photovoltaic Private Ltd., Waaree Energies Ltd. and Waaree Solar Americas. The department set initial rates of 86%-143% for Indonesia and 81% for Laos.

Framework deal

• This levy comes after New Delhi and Washington agreed on a framework for the India-U.S. trade deal to cut tariffs on India’s exports to 18% from 50% earlier. After this, the U.S. Supreme Court quashed Trump tariffs, calling them unconstitutional. President Trump then came up with a new 15% baseline duty on several imports.
• On February 24, per a notice on the U.S. Commerce Ministry site, it was Adani firms that were specifically named with a duty rates of 125.87% though these rates, as of now, apply to all Indian exporters.

Facts:

• Currently duties of up to 40% are imposed on such export of solar cells.
• According to data cited by U.S. authorities, Indian firms in 2022 exported 232 mega watts (MW) worth of solar cells which rose to 2049 MW in 2023 and 2297 MW in 2024.
• In 2022-23 $1,000 million worth photovoltaics were exported and that rose to $1,939.92 million in 2023-24. Exports stood at $954 million in April-December 2025.

Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Gruha Arogya scheme to be expanded to GBA areas soon

Context: With the proposed rollout, the Health Department aims to replicate the rural model in urban areas, The State government will soon expand Gruha Arogya to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) areas, marking a major step towards strengthening urban public health delivery.

• Gruha Arogya has recorded significant success in rural Karnataka, with dedicated health workers reaching over 35 lakh families and screening more than 1 crore people for 14 major non-communicable diseases.
• The programme has emerged as a model for doorstep preventive healthcare, with officials citing encouraging public response and measurable improvements in early detection.
• With the proposed rollout of Gruha Arogya 2.0 in GBA regions, the Health Department aims to replicate the rural model in urban areas, ensuring systematic household outreach, timely screening, and continuity of care.
• It seeks to shift the focus of public health from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.

State launches free prophylaxis treatment for haemophilia patients

Context: In a significant step toward improving the quality of life for those with rare genetic blood disorders, the Karnataka government launched the ‘Kusuma Sanjeevini’ programme.

• The initiative is aimed at providing high-end prophylactic treatment and emergency transport services free of cost to haemophilia patients across the State.

Treatment protocol

• Haemophilia, a rare inherited disorder where blood fails to clot normally due to a deficiency in coagulation factors VIII or IX, has long forced patients into a gruelling treatment cycle. Traditionally, patients required intravenous factor replacement therapy two-three times a week for life – a process that is particularly painful for children with difficult venous access.
• Under the new scheme, the State is introducing Emicizumab, a non-factor monoclonal antibody. Unlike traditional infusions, this drug is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) just once a month. Results from a pilot group of 200 patients showed “zero bleeds” over a year, suggesting the drug could effectively prevent the joint deformities and physical disabilities common in chronic cases.
• With this rollout, Karnataka becomes the first large State in South India, after Kerala, to implement a prophylactic programme of this scale. “By moving to a monthly subcutaneous dose, we are helping these patients, especially children, return to the mainstream of society, allowing them to attend school and play like their peers,” the Health Minister said during the launch.
• The State has sanctioned ₹42.55 crore for the programme, with ₹17 crore specifically dedicated to the procurement of the new drug. While the annual cost of treatment for a single patient can reach ₹5 lakh, the government will provide it entirely free of charge.
• Currently, 2,621 haemophilia cases are registered in Karnataka, including 2,089 with Haemophilia-A. The State has identified 1,000 high-risk patients to be transitioned to this new prophylactic regimen immediately.

Free transport

• To further ease the burden on families, the government launched a dedicated 108 ambulance “pick-up and drop” service. Given that bleeding episodes can quickly become life-threatening, these ambulances will ensure rapid transport to any of the 36 Integrated Treatment Centres for Hemoglobinopathies and Haemophilia (ICHH) located across the State.

Paper-I: Essays

Essay – 1:

From Meritocracy to Performance Governance: The Case for Public Service Reforms.

Essay – 2:

Socioeconomic Survey of Gender Minorities and Devadasis in Karnataka: A Step Towards Inclusive Policy-Making? Discuss.

Paper-II: General Studies 1

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

What are carbon capture and utilisation technologies?

• Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) refers to a set of technologies that capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources or directly from the air and convert them into useful products.
• This process removes carbon from the atmosphere and puts it into the economy as inputs for fuels, chemicals, building materials, or polymers. Unlike carbon capture and storage, where captured CO₂ is permanently stored underground rather than reused, CCU uses up the captured carbon.

Where does India stand today?

• India has begun supporting CCU through research funding from the Department of Science and Technology which has created a specific research and development roadmap for these technologies.
• The draft 2030 roadmap for Carbon Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) presented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural gas has identified projects that can be used for CCUS purposes. In the private sector, Ambuja Cements (Adani Group) is working on an Indo-Swedish CCU pilot with IIT Bombay to convert captured CO₂ into fuels and materials.
• JK Cement is collaborating on a CCU testbed to capture CO₂ for applications such as lightweight concrete blocks and olefins. Beyond cement, Organic Recycling Systems Limited (ORSL) is leading India’s first pilot-scale Bio-CCU platform, valorising CO₂ from biogas streams into bio-alcohols and specialty chemicals.

What are other countries doing?

• The EU Bioeconomy Strategy and Circular Economy Action Plan explicitly supports CCU as a way to turn CO₂ into feedstocks for chemicals, fuels, and materials, linking it to circularity and sustainability targets.
• ArcelorMittal and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. are working with a climate tech company, D-CRBN, to trial a new technology to convert CO2 captured at ArcelorMittal’s plant in Gent, Belgium into carbon monoxide which can be used in steel and chemical production.
• The U.S. uses a combination of tax credits and funding to scale CCUs, particularly for CO₂-derived fuels and chemicals. The UAE’s Al Reyadah project and planned CO₂-to-chemicals hubs leverage CCU with green hydrogen.

What are the risks ahead?

• The foremost risk in scaling CCU in India is cost competitiveness. Capturing, purifying, and converting CO₂ is energy-intensive and expensive. Without policy incentives, CCU-derived products will struggle to compete with cheaper, fossil-based alternatives.
• A second risk lies in infrastructure readiness. CCU requires co-located industrial clusters, reliable transport of CO₂, and integration with downstream manufacturing, all of which are unevenly developed across Indian industrial regions.
• Finally, the absence of clear standards, certification, and market signals creates uncertainty for investors and limits demand for CO₂-derived products.
• India has taken positive steps through the development of roadmaps to achieving CCU, and their appropriate implementation will be necessary for achieving India’s goals.

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study – Fire Safety Violations in Commercial Buildings
Background:
A recent fire incident in a densely populated commercial area in Bengaluru exposed serious lapses in fire safety compliance. The building, housing multiple small shops and businesses, reportedly did not have adequate fire safety measures such as emergency exits, functional fire extinguishers, and proper electrical wiring. Fortunately, no major casualties were reported, but the incident raised concerns about negligence, regulatory oversight, and public safety.
Preliminary reports indicate that the building had previously received notices from the fire department regarding non-compliance. However, corrective measures were either delayed or partially implemented. Allegations have also surfaced that inspections were conducted superficially, and enforcement action was weak.

You are a senior district administrative officer responsible for ensuring public safety and enforcing municipal regulations.

Ethical Issues Involved

1.Public Safety vs Commercial Interests – Ensuring safety standards while businesses argue that strict enforcement increases costs.
2.Regulatory Accountability vs Bureaucratic Negligence – Whether officials failed in their duty by not enforcing compliance.
3.Corruption vs Integrity – Possibility of collusion or bribery leading to overlooking violations.
4.Development vs Safety Standards – Balancing rapid urban growth with adherence to safety norms.
5.Justice for Victims vs Administrative Reputation – Protecting institutional credibility while ensuring accountability.

Stakeholders

• Shop owners and business operators
• Employees and customers
• Local residents
• Fire Department officials
• Municipal authorities
• District administration
• Insurance companies
• General public

Options Available
Option 1:
Seal the building immediately and initiate strict legal action against owners and responsible officials.

Option 2:
Issue fresh notices, provide time for compliance, and impose monetary penalties without sealing operations.

Option 3:
Order an independent inquiry into the incident, enforce immediate safety upgrades, fix accountability, and launch a city-wide safety audit.