In-Depth PIB Analysis2 Items Core TopicImportantConcise Economy & Consumer ProtectionGS Paper II & III 01BIS Hallmarking of Gold & Silver — HUID & Traceability Science & TechnologyGS Paper III 02Space Debris & Active Debris Removal — DFSM 2030 Economy & Consumer ProtectionGeneral Studies Papers II & III 01 Hallmarking in India: From a Voluntary Mark to a Digitally Traceable Purity Regime GS-II · Governance — Consumer Protection, Statutory BodiesGS-III · Economy — Gold Market, Standards & QualityPrelims + MainsPIB Backgrounder · Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution · 05 Nov 2026 A PIB Backgrounder reviews five years of mandatory gold hallmarking: over 65 crore gold articles now carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID), and new digital checks aim to make every piece traceable from the testing centre to the buyer. ◈ The Basics — Why Gold Needs a Purity Mark Pure gold is too soft for daily-wear jewellery, so it is alloyed with metals such as copper, silver and zinc. The alloy content cannot be judged by eye, which creates room for under-karatage — selling lower-purity gold at a higher-purity price. Carat (K) measures purity in parts per 24: 24K is (nearly) pure gold; 22K = 22/24 ≈ 91.6% gold. Fineness expresses the same thing in parts per thousand — hence the mark 22K916 on 22-carat jewellery. Hallmarking is a third-party conformity assessment: an independent, accredited centre tests the article and certifies its purity against a national standard. The word comes from Goldsmiths’ Hall, London, where articles were assayed and marked; English hallmarking traces back to a statute of 1300 — among the oldest consumer-protection laws in the world. Purity matters beyond the shop counter. Indian households hold gold as a store of value and a hedge against inflation, and pledge it for gold loans, where the lender values the collateral by its gold content. Static Anchor — the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Origin: successor to the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up in 1947; BIS was created under the BIS Act, 1986 and became functional on 1 April 1987. Present law: the BIS Act, 2016 (in force from October 2017) made BIS the National Standards Body of India and empowered the Centre to make hallmarking mandatory for precious-metal articles. Administrative ministry: Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution; headquartered in New Delhi. Global links: BIS represents India at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Not the ISI mark: the ISI mark certifies industrial products under product certification; the hallmark is a separate BIS scheme only for gold and silver articles. ▤ Scheme at a Glance — BIS Hallmarking Scheme Launched: 2000 for gold (voluntary); 2005 for silver (voluntary). Sole operating agency: Bureau of Indian Standards. Mandatory for gold: from 23 June 2021 in 256 districts; now 392 districts, as the network of testing centres has grown. Gold standard: IS 1417 — 7 grades: 9K (375), 14K (585), 18K (750), 20K (833), 22K (916), 23K (958), 24KS (995). Silver standard: revised IS 2112:2025 — 8 grades: 800, 835, 900, 925, 958, 970, 990, 999. Silver hallmarking stays voluntary, but every hallmarked silver article must carry an HUID from 1 September 2025. HUID: a six-digit alphanumeric code, generated by the BIS server, unique to each article. Jeweller registration: online via the National Single Window System (NSWS) or Manak Online; instant, free and valid for life. Consumer tool: BIS CARE App — free on Android and iOS, in 12 languages. Figure 1 — Gold caratage under IS 1417: carat versus fineness GradeFineness (parts of gold per 1,000)9K375 · 37.5%14K585 · 58.5%18K750 · 75.0%20K833 · 83.3%22K916 · 91.6%23K958 · 95.8%24KS995 · 99.5%Bar length proportional to fineness · 22K916 is the usual grade for Indian jewellery The number after “K” in a hallmark is the fineness: 22K916 means 916 parts of gold in every 1,000. Lineage — How the Regime Evolved 2000: voluntary gold hallmarking begins, with BIS as the sole agency; the twin aims were consumer protection and export competitiveness. 2005: voluntary hallmarking extended to silver. 2016–17: the BIS Act, 2016 provides the legal basis for compulsory hallmarking. January 2020: the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, 2020 is notified; enforcement begins on 23 June 2021 in 256 districts. 1 April 2023: only gold articles bearing a six-digit HUID may be sold. This replaced the older format, in which separate testing-centre and jeweller identification marks were stamped. 1 September 2024: API integration of XRF machines ends manual entry of test results. 1 September 2025: HUID made compulsory for all hallmarked silver. 1 June 2026: Transfer HUID (Phase 1); 8 June 2026: photographs and weights of each article uploaded to Manak Online and shown on the BIS CARE App. Figure 2 — The three marks on hallmarked gold and silver Gold carries the BIS logo, a purity mark such as 22K916 and the HUID; silver adds the word SILVER to the BIS mark. Image courtesy PIB / Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, 05 Nov 2026; reproduced with credit for educational use. How Hallmarking Works — Request to Verification Registration: jewellers register with BIS. Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) are recognised only after BIS verifies their infrastructure, equipment and qualified staff. Digital request: the jeweller logs the category, quantity, weight, declared purity and chosen AHC on Manak Online. This creates a record of every consignment. Testing: the AHC checks weight and purity, typically using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), a non-destructive surface test. Balances, XRF and laser-marking machines must transfer data directly to BIS software. Marking: the BIS server generates the HUID. The article is laser-marked with the HUID, the BIS Standard Mark and the purity mark, then photographed. Traceability: time-stamps for each AHC step allow real-time monitoring and show whether testing preceded marking. Transfer HUID records a change of hands between jewellers to prevent duplicate or fraudulent hallmarks. Oversight: BIS samples hallmarked articles from retail outlets, conducts surveillance audits of AHCs and carries out enforcement raids on complaints. There were 30+ enforcement actions in 2025–26. Verification: a buyer enters the HUID in the BIS CARE App to see the purity, product type, jeweller, AHC, photographs and recorded weight. Figure 3 — The hallmarking process in six steps A paper-and-stamp system has become a digital chain of custody, ending with the consumer’s own check on the BIS CARE App. Image courtesy PIB / Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, 05 Nov 2026; reproduced with credit for educational use. ▤ The Numbers (since mandatory hallmarking, 2021) 65 crore+Gold articles with HUID (as of 15 Oct 2026) 43,153 → 2,36,624BIS-registered jewellers 948 → 1,565Recognised AHCs 90 lakh+Silver articles with HUID (since Sept 2025) District coverage: 256 → 392 districts under mandatory gold hallmarking. Awareness: 1,582 consumer-awareness programmes held by BIS offices between 1 April and 31 October 2026, including Gram Panchayat sensitisation. Why It Matters Information asymmetry: the seller knows the purity and the buyer does not, a textbook market failure. A verifiable third-party mark corrects it. Formalisation: the five-fold rise in registered jewellers brings a historically cash-heavy, informal trade into a digital, auditable system. Financial inclusion: certified purity makes gold-backed lending fairer and faster to value. Exports and brand India: uniform standards support the gems and jewellery sector, a major export earner and employer. Consumer rights: the regime complements the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which recognises the right to be informed about quality and purity. The Critical View Coverage gaps: mandatory hallmarking covers 392 districts, roughly half the country. Rural and remote buyers, often the most vulnerable, may still buy unmarked jewellery. Exemptions: jewellers with annual turnover up to ₹40 lakh, articles under 2 grams and certain traditional forms such as Kundan, Polki and Jadau are outside the mandate, leaving a sizeable small-trade segment uncovered. Testing limits: XRF reads the surface. Plated or core-filled articles need the destructive fire assay, so periodic BIS sampling remains essential. Enforcement intensity: about 30 enforcement actions in a year, against 2.3 lakh+ registered jewellers, suggests deterrence still rests largely on the digital trail rather than on inspection. Silver remains voluntary even though silver buying, especially in rural markets, is substantial. Legacy stock: households hold vast quantities of pre-HUID jewellery. Old hallmarked jewellery remains valid, but consumers need awareness of how to get un-hallmarked items tested at an AHC. ◈ Prelims Hooks — Quality Marks in India Hallmark — gold and silver purity; BIS. ISI mark — industrial products; BIS product certification. Agmark — agricultural produce; under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937; Directorate of Marketing & Inspection. Ecomark — environment-friendly products; launched 1991. BEE Star Label — energy efficiency of appliances; Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. ✎ Mains Practice Question “Mandatory hallmarking has moved India’s gold jewellery market from caveat emptor towards verifiable trust.” Examine the role of digital traceability in consumer protection in this sector, and identify the gaps that remain. 15 marks · 250 words Science & TechnologyGeneral Studies Paper III 02 Space Debris and India’s Push for Active Debris Removal: Private Capability Meets the Debris-Free Space Mission 2030 GS-III · S&T — Space Technology, Awareness in SpaceGS-II · IR — Outer Space Law & Global CommonsPrelims + MainsPIB · Department of Space · 05 Nov 2026 A Hyderabad start-up has opened Base 1, which it describes as India’s first private facility for Active Debris Removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing. The Union Government links it to the goal of debris-free space missions by 2030. ◈ The Basics — What Is Space Debris? The UN COPUOS Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines define space debris as all man-made objects, including fragments, in Earth orbit or re-entering the atmosphere, that are non-functional. The guidelines were endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2007. What it includes: dead satellites, spent rocket upper stages, mission-related objects (lens caps, bolts) and, above all, fragments from explosions and collisions. Why tiny pieces matter: objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) travel at about 7–8 km per second, so even a centimetre-sized fragment can disable a satellite. Kessler Syndrome (1978): NASA scientist Donald Kessler warned that above a critical density, each collision creates debris that causes further collisions — a self-sustaining cascade that could make some orbits unusable. Most crowded zone: LEO (up to ~2,000 km), home to Earth-observation satellites, the International Space Station and mega-constellations. Geostationary orbit (35,786 km) is a scarce, high-value ring where dead satellites are pushed into a higher “graveyard orbit”. Static Anchor — Landmark Debris Events 2007: China’s anti-satellite (ASAT) test on the Fengyun-1C weather satellite — the largest single debris-generating event on record. 2009: the first accidental collision between two intact satellites — Iridium 33 and the defunct Cosmos 2251. 27 March 2019: India’s Mission Shakti ASAT test destroyed Microsat-R at roughly 300 km. The low altitude was chosen so that most fragments would decay quickly. 2021: Russia’s ASAT test on Cosmos 1408 forced the ISS crew to take shelter, which renewed calls for a moratorium on destructive ASAT tests. The Legal Framework — Who Is Responsible? Outer Space Treaty, 1967: Art. VI makes states responsible for national activities, including private actors. Art. VII makes the launching state liable for damage. Art. VIII keeps jurisdiction and ownership with the state of registry, so debris cannot be removed without that state’s consent. Liability Convention, 1972: absolute liability for damage on Earth or to aircraft; fault-based liability for damage in space. Registration Convention, 1975: space objects must be registered with the UN. Soft law: the IADC Mitigation Guidelines (2002), the UN COPUOS Mitigation Guidelines (2007) and the Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) Guidelines (2019). None of them is binding. IADC — the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, set up in 1993 — brings together the major space agencies; ISRO is a member. ▤ At a Glance — Base 1 and the Debris-Free Space Mission Facility: Base 1, Gachibowli, Hyderabad; about 14,800 sq ft. Capabilities: orbital rendezvous and capture labs, space-robotics labs, microgravity simulation, satellite-integration clean rooms and mission control. Space robots can be designed, built, tested under space conditions and operated in one place. Track record: Mission EMBRACE tested soft robotic “petals” for capturing objects in space in July 2026, within a year of the company’s founding. Partners: Pixel (satellite systems), Dhruv Aerospace, Netherlands (propulsion) and Skyroot Aerospace (launch). Funding: reported US$ 6 million seed round; the company is targeting commercial operations by 2028 (company target, as reported). National goal: Debris Free Space Missions (DFSM), announced by ISRO in 2024, aims for zero debris creation by all Indian space actors — government and private — by 2030 (government target). Baseline: according to a reply in Parliament, 129 trackable debris pieces from Indian missions were in orbit as of March 2026. ◈ Read the 2030 Goal Correctly “Debris-free space by 2030” does not mean cleaning up all of orbit. DFSM is a commitment that Indian missions will leave no new debris. Active removal by firms such as this start-up is a separate, complementary capability that deals with debris already in orbit. Figure 4 — Space sustainability: prevent, monitor, remove 1 · PREVENTMitigation• Passivate spent stages• Keep fuel for de-orbit• Post-mission disposal• Design for demiseIndia:PSLV POEM-3 re-entry (2024)Megha-Tropiques-1 controlledre-entry (2023)2 · MONITORSpace Situational Awareness• Track objects in orbit• Predict close approaches• Collision-avoidancemanoeuvresIndia:Project NETRAIS4OM (2022)Annual ISSAR report3 · REMOVEActive Debris Removal• Rendezvous & approach• Capture: arm, net,soft gripper• De-orbit or relocateIndia:SpaDeX docking (2025)EMBRACE capture test (2026)Base 1 ADR facilityDFSM-2030: zero new debris from all Indian actors, government and private Mitigation stops new debris and tracking avoids collisions; only active removal reduces what is already in orbit. India’s Space-Sustainability Toolkit Project NETRA (Network for space object Tracking and Analysis) — India’s own Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capability, so it depends less on foreign tracking data. IS4OM — ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management, operational since 2022. ISSAR — the annual Indian Space Situational Assessment Report, which records collision-avoidance manoeuvres and debris status. PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) — the spent PSLV fourth stage is reused as a short-lived platform and then de-orbited. The PSLV-C58 mission left practically zero debris in orbit (2024). SpaDeX (January 2025) — India became the fourth country to demonstrate space docking. The same rendezvous technology underpins ADR and satellite refuelling. The Enabling Ecosystem — Lineage of Space Reforms 2019: NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) set up as ISRO’s commercial arm. June 2020: space sector opened to private players; IN-SPACe created as the single-window authoriser and promoter. April 2023: Indian Space Policy, 2023 defines the roles of ISRO, NSIL, IN-SPACe and private firms. The Government puts the space economy at about US$ 9 billion and expects US$ 40–45 billion in the coming decade (government projection). It says the number of space start-ups has grown from single digits to about 450. ▤ Global Context — Who Else Is Doing ADR? Japan (Astroscale): ELSA-d (2021) demonstrated magnetic capture. ADRAS-J (2024) carried out close inspection of a spent H-IIA rocket stage — a real piece of debris. Europe (ESA): ClearSpace-1, a planned mission to capture and de-orbit a piece of debris. Capture techniques: robotic arms, nets, harpoons, tethers, magnetic plates and soft grippers — each suited to different object shapes and spin rates. Why It Matters Protecting national assets: navigation (NavIC), communication, Earth-observation and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station all depend on usable orbits. Human spaceflight: Gaganyaan crews face direct risk from debris in LEO. Commercial opportunity: in-orbit servicing (refuelling, repair, life extension) and ADR are emerging global markets in which Indian firms can compete on cost. Norm-shaping: credible capability strengthens India’s voice at UN COPUOS and the IADC as rules for space traffic management are written. The Critical View Dual-use concern: a spacecraft that can approach and grab debris can, in principle, approach and disable a working satellite. ADR therefore needs transparency and confidence-building measures. Legal gaps: under Art. VIII, removing another country’s debris needs its consent. Liability for an ADR mishap and the question of who pays for clean-up (there is no “polluter pays” rule) remain unsettled. Domestic law: India still lacks a comprehensive national space activities law to license private missions, fix liability and require insurance. Policy instruments currently fill this role. Scale problem: removing a handful of large objects matters, but global debris growth driven by mega-constellations and ASAT tests cannot be solved by one country. Claims versus capability: statements of global “pioneership” should be measured against demonstrated capture of real debris. The Government frames the 2030 goal as a vision, and the company’s commercial timeline is a target. ✎ Mains Practice Question Space debris is often described as a “tragedy of the commons” in orbit. Discuss the threats it poses to space activities, and evaluate India’s approach to space sustainability, including the role of private players in active debris removal. 15 marks · 250 words

Editorials, Opinions & Explained2 Items Core TopicImportantConcise OpinionsGS Papers I & II 01Middle Powers in a Fragmenting World Order02Zero FIR & Victim-Centric Criminal Procedure OpinionsSigned Op-Eds · GS Papers I & II 01 The Middle-Power Moment: Agency, Reform and Risk in a Fragmenting World Order Core TopicOpinionGS-II · IR — Global Groupings, Multilateral Institutions, India’s Foreign PolicyPrelims + MainsThe Hindu · Op-Ed As the post-1945 order weakens and great-power rivalry intensifies, a group of states that are neither superpowers nor small states — the middle powers — is being seen as a possible stabilising force in world politics. ◈ The Basics — What Is a “Middle Power”? A middle power is a state whose capabilities and influence fall below the great powers but well above small states. It can shape outcomes in its region and on selected global issues, but it cannot set the rules of the international system alone. Early idea: in 1589, the Italian political thinker Giovanni Botero classified states as great, middle and small, and described middle states as stable enough to hold their own. Modern usage: the term entered diplomacy in the 1940s, when Canada argued at the San Francisco Conference (1945) that states contributing substantially to world order deserved a role in proportion to that contribution. Not a formal status: unlike the P5 of the UN Security Council, “middle power” is an analytical category, not a legal one, so no list of members is agreed. Static Anchor — Three Ways Scholars Identify Middle Powers Positional (capability) approach: ranks states by measurable power — GDP, population, military strength, technology. It is simple but mechanical. Behavioural approach: defines middle powers by what they do — multilateralism, coalition-building, mediation and “good international citizenship”. It is associated with Cooper, Higgott and Nossal’s Relocating Middle Powers (1993). Identity approach: a state is a middle power if it sees and presents itself as one. Traditional vs emerging (Eduard Jordaan, 2003): traditional middle powers (Canada, Australia, the Nordic states) are wealthy, stable democracies that support the existing order. Emerging middle powers (Brazil, South Africa, India, Türkiye, Mexico) are regionally influential and seek to reform it. Figure 1 — Locating middle powers: three lenses and a toolkit GREAT POWERSRule-makersMIDDLE POWERSNorm-shapers, bridgesSMALL STATESLargely rule-takersHOW TO IDENTIFY THEM — THREE LENSESPositionGDP, population,military, technologyBehaviourMultilateralism,coalitions, mediationIdentitySelf-image anddiplomatic role claimedWHAT THEY DO — THE TOOLKITIssue coalitionsIBSA, MIKTA, G4MediationConflicts, deadlocksNorm-shapingDigital, climate, healthBridgingWest ↔ Global SouthGoal: reform institutions, not replace them — rule-shapers, not yet rule-makers Middle powers are defined less by size than by how they use their influence. Coalition-building and bridging are their main levers. The Author’s Argument — In Brief Influence through agency: middle powers draw influence from strategic location, economic weight, diplomatic skill and normative appeal, rather than from the orbit of a superpower. They often have regional pre-eminence and are willing to engage beyond their neighbourhood. A diverse, loose group: the author names India, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, South Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Türkiye, Mexico and Germany as examples. Others, such as South Korea, the Netherlands, the UAE, Nigeria and Qatar, could qualify on particular issues. What unites them is shared dissatisfaction with an order that does not reflect their weight, not shared size or interests. Reform, not rupture: the UN Security Council still reflects 1945, which erodes its legitimacy. Middle powers question whose rules govern the system, but they also recognise that dismantling institutions would remove the protections they rely on. From rule-takers towards norm-shapers: middle powers are no longer passive, but they are not yet full rule-makers. They seek pragmatic, multi-vector diplomacy and fairer representation, and they champion development, climate justice, equitable trade and technology access. Room to act: a repositioning United States and an assertive China have created both space and constraint. Middle powers can convene issue-based coalitions, mediate conflicts and shape norms in digital governance, climate finance and global health. Recent evidence: India’s G20 presidency (2023), Brazil’s climate stewardship, South Africa’s activism on global health and vaccine equity, and Germany’s role in stabilising Europe while engaging the Indo-Pacific. Limits: middle powers are exposed to economic shocks and cannot replace great powers. Their realistic role is to moderate, mediate and innovate as stabilisers. ▤ Groupings & Initiatives Referenced — Static Facts IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa): formed through the Brasilia Declaration, 2003; a trilateral forum of large democracies from three continents. MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Türkiye, Australia): launched in 2013 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly; a self-described middle-power grouping. G4 (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan): a joint push for permanent UNSC seats. G20: finance-ministers’ forum from 1999, leaders’ summit from 2008. India’s 2023 presidency produced the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and admitted the African Union as a permanent member. IMEC (India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor): announced at the G20 New Delhi Summit, September 2023. INSTC (International North–South Transport Corridor): agreement signed by India, Iran and Russia in 2000; a multimodal route linking India with Russia via Iran. Belt and Road Initiative: China’s connectivity programme, launched in 2013. UNSC structure: the only expansion came in 1965, when non-permanent seats rose from 6 to 10. Charter amendment under Article 108 needs ratification by two-thirds of members, including all P5. India’s Position — Non-Alignment to Multi-Alignment Lineage: Non-Alignment (NAM, Belgrade, 1961) sought autonomy from Cold War blocs. India’s current multi-alignment pursues autonomy through parallel partnerships rather than distance from all. In practice: India sits in the Quad and in BRICS and the SCO, backs IMEC and INSTC, and has hosted the Voice of the Global South summits since 2023. Differentiated threat perceptions: the author notes that Brazil or Indonesia may view China mainly as an economic partner, while India’s view is shaped by an unresolved border. This explains why middle powers rarely act as a single bloc. A Balanced Assessment Conceptual elasticity: a category that holds Japan and Germany (major economies) alongside much smaller states risks becoming too broad to explain behaviour. Collective-action problem: middle powers have competing interests and rivalries among themselves. Coalitions tend to be issue-specific and short-lived, not durable blocs. Alliance constraints: several listed states are treaty allies of a great power, which limits how independently they can act. India’s self-image: Indian strategic discourse often frames India as an aspiring “leading power”, so the middle-power label sits uneasily with its ambitions and scale. Minilateral proliferation: many overlapping groupings can fragment global governance as easily as they can reform it. Capacity gap: moving from norm-shaper to rule-maker requires material capacity, especially finance, technology and defence, that many middle powers still lack. ✎ Mains Practice Question “The erosion of the post-1945 international order has opened space for middle powers to act as stabilisers rather than spectators.” Examine this statement, and discuss how India’s strategy of multi-alignment positions it within this emerging role. 15 marks · 250 words 02 Beyond the Zero FIR: Making Criminal Procedure Accessible to Survivors at Every Stage Core TopicOpinionGS-II · Polity & Governance — Criminal Justice, Vulnerable Sections, Statutory BodiesGS-I · Society — Issues Relating to Women & ChildrenPrelims + MainsThe Indian Express · Opinion The Zero FIR lets a survivor register a complaint at any police station. The op-ed argues, however, that the same principle of accessibility must extend to every procedure that follows, or the burden of the criminal process returns to the survivor. ◈ The Basics — FIR and Zero FIR A First Information Report (FIR) is the written record of information about a cognizable offence — one in which the police may arrest without a warrant and begin investigation without a magistrate’s order. It sets the criminal process in motion. Legal provision: formerly Section 154, CrPC, 1973; now Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Zero FIR: an FIR registered at any police station, irrespective of where the offence occurred. It initially carries the number “0” and is then transferred to the police station with territorial jurisdiction, which registers it as a regular FIR and investigates. Codified: Section 173(1) BNSS now expressly allows information to be given “irrespective of the area” of the offence. It also permits e-FIRs through electronic communication, to be signed within three days. Duty to register: in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh (2013), a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that registering an FIR is mandatory where the information discloses a cognizable offence. Static Anchor — Lineage of the Reform December 2012: after the Delhi gang-rape, the Justice J.S. Verma Committee was constituted. It submitted its report on 23 January 2013, within about a month, and recommended Zero FIRs for sexual offences. 2013: the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 broadened definitions of sexual offences and penalised public servants who fail to record information about them. The same year saw the creation of the Nirbhaya Fund. MHA advisories: the Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly told States that refusing an FIR on jurisdictional grounds invites prosecution and disciplinary action. 2023–24: the BNSS gave Zero FIR statutory footing. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 199 (formerly Section 166A, IPC) punishes a public servant who fails to record such information with 6 months to 2 years of imprisonment. The Author’s Argument — In Brief Acknowledged as progressive: the National Commission for Women’s chairperson has called Zero FIR one of the new criminal laws’ most progressive provisions, because it puts accessibility before technicalities. Resistance persists: despite advisories, police are still reported to need repeated persuasion before registering Zero FIRs. The gap after registration: once the FIR is transferred, every later step takes place in the jurisdictional district. These include spot identification, panchnama, medical examination, the statement before a magistrate and production before the Child Welfare Committee. An illustrative case: the author describes a 15-year-old survivor from a poor Mumbai household who was assaulted in Raigad district. She and her family were made to travel repeatedly, about four hours each way, at their own cost, and her elder brother, the family’s earner, lost wages. Cascading harm: a hospital near her home refused a medical termination of pregnancy. Admission elsewhere was followed by roughly 20 days without clarity, and interim compensation, meant to reach survivors within seven days, had not been paid months later. The proposal: the State should issue enforceable directions so that the medical examination, magistrate’s statement, CWC production and shelter placement take place near the survivor’s home. Where travel is unavoidable, the State should provide transport for the survivor and a companion. The test: a law is only as progressive as the cost it imposes on the victim. When reporting costs a family its income, safety and stability, silence becomes the rational choice. Figure 2 — The survivor’s procedural journey: where access stops today TODAYZero FIRNearest police stnTransferTo jurisdictional stnEvery later step in the other districtSpot panchnama · Medical exam · Magistrate statementCWC production · Shelter · Termination of pregnancyBurden on survivor: repeated travel · lost wages · delay · re-traumatisationResult: under-reporting and withdrawal from the processPROPOSED DOORSTEP MODELSurvivor’sresidenceMedical exam nearbyS. 184 BNSSStatement nearby / videoS. 183 & S. 530 BNSSLocal CWC & shelterJJ Act, 2015State-paid transportSurvivor + companion Zero FIR solves where to report. The op-ed’s point is that where the rest of the process happens determines whether survivors stay in the system. ▤ The Legal Toolkit Already Available — Static Provisions Woman officer: under the proviso to Section 173(1) BNSS, information about specified sexual offences must be recorded by a woman police officer. If the survivor is disabled, it is recorded at her residence or a place of her choice. Medical examination: Section 184 BNSS (formerly 164A CrPC) — examination by a registered medical practitioner, with consent, within 24 hours. The report must be forwarded to the investigating officer within seven days. Statement before a magistrate: Section 183 BNSS (formerly 164 CrPC), recorded by a woman magistrate wherever possible. Electronic mode: Section 530 BNSS allows trials, inquiries and proceedings, including recording of evidence, to be held through audio-video electronic means. POCSO Act, 2012: because the survivor is a minor, Section 24 requires her statement to be recorded, as far as practicable, at her residence or a place of her choice, by a woman officer not below Sub-Inspector. Section 27 governs her medical examination. Child Welfare Committees: set up in every district under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, they decide care and protection, including support persons for child survivors. Termination of pregnancy: the MTP (Amendment) Act, 2021 raised the limit to 24 weeks for special categories, including survivors of rape and minors. Delay therefore directly narrows the survivor’s options. Victim compensation: Section 396 BNSS (formerly 357A CrPC) requires every State to run a Victim Compensation Scheme, administered by the Legal Services Authorities, with provision for interim relief. Maharashtra’s scheme for survivors of sexual violence is known as Manodhairya. Support institutions: One Stop Centres (Sakhi) since 2015, financed through the Nirbhaya Fund; Fast Track Special Courts since 2019. Why It Matters Access to justice is part of Article 21 (right to life with dignity) and Article 39A (equal justice and free legal aid). Under-reporting: the NCRB recorded over 31,000 rape cases in 2022. Researchers widely regard recorded figures as an undercount, partly because the cost of pursuing a case deters families. Class dimension: the burden falls hardest on daily-wage and migrant households, for whom a lost day of work is a lost day’s food. Secondary victimisation: repeated retelling, travel and institutional indifference can be re-traumatising, which runs against the victim-centric spirit of the post-2013 reforms. A Balanced Assessment Investigative needs are real: spot inspection, scene-of-crime evidence and certain identifications must happen where the offence took place. The design question is how to collect evidence there without requiring the survivor’s physical presence each time. Capacity limits: many districts lack enough women officers, women magistrates, forensic staff and medical facilities, so doorstep delivery will need resources and not just directives. Coordination: police, health, judiciary, CWCs and legal-services authorities answer to different departments. Inter-district cases need standard operating procedures and a designated nodal officer. Digital options: CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) allows quick electronic transfer of Zero FIRs. Section 530 BNSS allows video recording of statements. Both can reduce travel if used consistently. Enforcement of existing law: many of the protections listed above already exist on paper. The gap is less about new legislation and more about implementation and accountability. ✎ Mains Practice Question “The Zero FIR has made registration accessible, but access to justice for survivors of sexual violence ends at the threshold of the police station.” Critically examine the procedural barriers survivors face after registration, and suggest measures for a genuinely victim-centric criminal process. 15 marks · 250 words

In-Depth News Analysis8 Items Core TopicImportantConcise Polity & GovernanceGS Paper II 01Internet Access as a Fundamental Right — Children02Immigration & Foreigners (Exemption) Amendment Order, 202603Public Accounts Committees — Outcome-Based Scrutiny International RelationsGS Paper II 04US Midterm Elections 2026 — Basics & Significance Science & TechnologyGS Paper III 05Tokamaks & Nuclear Fusion — ITER, EAST, India Health & Social SectorGS Paper II & III 06TB Drug Patent Rejection — BPaL Regimen07e-Sanjeevani — 50 Crore Teleconsultations Internal Security & DefenceGS Paper III 08Pralay Quasi-Ballistic Missile — User Trial Polity & GovernanceGeneral Studies Paper II 01 Internet Access as a Fundamental Right: Balancing Children’s Freedom and Online Safety GS-II · Polity — Fundamental Rights, Judiciary, Vulnerable Sections (Children)Prelims + MainsThe Hindu · Letter & Spirit The Supreme Court has expressly held that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual, children included. It has also declined to endorse blanket age-based bans as the answer to online harm. ◈ The Ruling — What the Court Said In Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, an order dated 15 October 2026, a Bench of two judges located internet access in Article 21 (life and personal liberty) read with Article 19(1)(a) (speech and expression). Origin of the case: the order came on applications seeking enforcement of the Court’s 23 September 2024 judgment in the same case. That judgment held that viewing, storing or possessing child sexual abuse material is an offence under POCSO and the IT Act, and urged replacing “child pornography” with “Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material” (CSEAM). Children as rights-holders: children, irrespective of age, enjoy this right; protecting them from harm cannot justify denying access altogether. No copy-paste of foreign bans: India should calibrate its own balance rather than imitate international approaches to restriction. Platform accountability: the Court pressed for stronger detection and removal of CSEAM, including a national hash and URL database to identify such content across platforms. Static Anchor — How Courts Built the Right to Internet Access Cricket Association of Bengal (1995): Article 19(1)(a) includes the right to know and to receive and impart information. Airwaves are public property. Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015): struck down Section 66A of the IT Act as vague and over-broad, confirming that online speech gets full Article 19 protection. K.S. Puttaswamy (2017): recognised privacy as a fundamental right and laid down the proportionality test (legality, legitimate aim, necessity, balancing). Faheema Shirin v. State of Kerala (Kerala HC, 2019): held internet access to be part of the right to education and privacy. Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020): speech and trade through the internet are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g); internet suspensions must be temporary, proportionate and published. Pragya Prasun v. Union of India (2025): held that excluding persons with disabilities from digital KYC violates Article 21; digital access is intrinsic to the right to life. Figure 1 — The constitutional architecture of a child’s right to internet access CONSTITUTIONAL ANCHORSArt. 19(1)(a)Speech, right to knowArt. 19(1)(g)Trade, profession onlineArt. 21Life, dignity, privacyArt. 21AEducation (6–14 yrs)Right to access and use the internetEvery individual — children irrespective of ageLIMITS — MUST PASS PROPORTIONALITYArt. 19(2) reasonable restrictionsDecency, morality, public order, security …Child-safety statutesPOCSO · IT Act & IT Rules 2021 · DPDP Act 2023Test: least restrictive, age-appropriate safeguards — not blanket denial The right stands on several Fundamental Rights at once. Any curb must be a proportionate restriction, not a blanket ban. ▤ Legal & Global Framework on Children Online DPDP Act, 2023 — Section 9: a “child” is anyone under 18; platforms need verifiable parental consent and may not undertake tracking, behavioural monitoring or targeted advertising directed at children. The DPDP Rules were notified in November 2025. POCSO Act, 2012 and Section 67B, IT Act, 2000 criminalise child sexual abuse material. The IT Rules, 2021 impose due-diligence duties on intermediaries. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), ratified by India in 1992. Its General Comment No. 25 (2021) applies children’s rights to the digital environment. International contrast: Australia set a minimum age of 16 for social-media accounts from December 2025. Brazil requires children’s accounts to be linked to a legal guardian; several other countries use screen-time limits. Within India: Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are reported to be considering screen-time curbs for children. Why It Matters — Freedom and Safety Are Not Opposites Capability lens: in Amartya Sen’s capability approach, development means expanding real choices. For a child, the internet widens access to learning, expression and opportunity. Digital divide: blanket bans hurt most those children whose only route to quality content is online, especially in rural and low-income homes. Risks are real: cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, privacy violations, financial fraud and addictive design call for layered safeguards. “Authority–liberty coordination”: constitutionalism limits both State overreach (which tends towards authoritarianism) and unrestrained liberty (which tends towards disorder). The Critical View Age verification dilemma: verifying age at scale can mean collecting more personal data, creating new privacy risks for the children it aims to protect. Implementation gap: without enforceable platform duties and quick takedowns, recognising a right does not by itself make the online space safer. Federal questions: State-level screen-time curbs may sit uneasily with a Supreme Court ruling on Fundamental Rights and with Union laws on IT and telecom. Shared responsibility: the balance depends on parents, schools, platforms and the State together, through digital literacy, safety-by-design and grievance redress. ✎ Mains Practice Question “Protecting children online does not require restricting their freedom online.” In light of the Supreme Court’s recognition of internet access as a fundamental right, discuss how the State can secure children’s safety in the digital space without resorting to blanket restrictions. 15 marks · 250 words 02 Visa Requirement for Minority Migrants from Three Neighbours: Amendment to the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order GS-II · Polity — Citizenship, Government Policies; IR — NeighbourhoodPrelims + MainsThe Hindu The Ministry of Home Affairs has amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025. Members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered without valid documents must now obtain an “appropriate visa” for their continued stay. ◈ The Basics — Who Is a “Foreigner” and How Entry Is Regulated Constitutional base: Entry 17 (citizenship, naturalisation and aliens) and Entry 19 (admission into and expulsion from India; passports and visas) of the Union List. Article 11 empowers Parliament to regulate citizenship. Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025: in force from 1 September 2025, it consolidated and replaced four laws — the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000. Exemption Order (2 September 2025): exempted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from the three countries who entered on or before 31 December 2024 from the requirement of holding passports or visas, shielding them from prosecution. What the November 2026 Amendment Changes Visa for continued stay: those who came without documents, or whose documents have expired, must obtain an appropriate visa. The earlier protection from penal action for entry is reported to be retained. “Visa Manual” defined: the Central Government’s manual of instructions on visas and immigration now has a formal definition. Nepal and Bhutan: Indian citizens travelling to Nepal or Bhutan, and Nepali and Bhutanese citizens entering or leaving India, must produce the identity documents specified in the Visa Manual. This does not affect the visa-free regime under the India–Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) and the India–Bhutan Treaty (1949, revised 2007). Unchanged: registered Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who arrived up to 9 January 2015 stay protected from penal provisions; categories covering Tibetan refugees are reorganised. ▤ Two Cut-off Dates — Do Not Confuse Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019: fast-track citizenship for the six communities who entered on or before 31 December 2014; naturalisation residency cut from 11 to 5 years; Rules notified in March 2024. Sixth Schedule tribal areas and Inner Line Permit areas are excluded. Exemption Order, 2025: protection from prosecution (not citizenship) for those who entered on or before 31 December 2024. Refugee law: India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and has no national refugee law. Refugees are handled through administrative orders. Articles 14 and 21 still protect foreigners (NHRC v. State of Arunachal Pradesh, 1996, on the Chakmas). Assessment Regularisation and records: requiring visas brings the stay of a large undocumented population into a formal, trackable framework while their status is decided. Humanitarian burden: many such migrants are poor and may struggle with paperwork and costs. Clear procedures and outreach will determine whether the change protects them or creates new insecurity. Legal debate: the religion-specific design of the CAA framework is under challenge before the Supreme Court on Article 14 grounds. Aligned executive orders are likely to be read in that light. Border management: specifying ID documents on the open borders with Nepal and Bhutan may tighten security checks, but must not hamper the people-to-people movement those treaties protect. ✎ Mains Practice Question In the absence of a national refugee law, India regulates forced migrants through executive orders. Examine the merits and limitations of this approach in the context of recent changes to the immigration framework. 10 marks · 150 words 03 Public Accounts Committees: From Auditing Spending to Scrutinising Outcomes GS-II · Polity — Parliament, Parliamentary Committees, Constitutional Bodies (CAG)Prelims + MainsPress reports At a Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of Parliament and State/UT legislatures in Thiruvananthapuram, the Lok Sabha Speaker urged committees to scrutinise outcomes, not just outlays. He also called for time-bound clearance of audit objections that have been pending for 10–20 years. ◈ Static Anchor — The Public Accounts Committee Origin: first set up in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms). It is the oldest of Parliament’s financial committees. Composition: 22 members — 15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha, elected each year by proportional representation through the single transferable vote. Ministers cannot be members; the term is one year. Chairperson: appointed by the Speaker. By convention since 1967, the chair goes to a member of the Opposition. Function: examines the Appropriation Accounts, Finance Accounts and the audit reports of the CAG laid under Article 151. The CAG is often called the PAC’s “friend, philosopher and guide”. Sister committees: Estimates Committee (30 members, all Lok Sabha) and Committee on Public Undertakings (22 members). Key Points from the Conference Outcome over outlay: spending should be judged by its impact on citizens — for example, site visits to check infrastructure quality and beneficiary-level assessment of welfare schemes. Clear the backlog: a systematic action plan for long-pending audit paras, with stronger monitoring and follow-up by the Union and State governments. Technology: use AI and data analytics to scan expenditure data, spot irregularities and track pending observations. Complex delivery models: scrutiny of Centre–State schemes and public–private partnerships within each committee’s mandate. Floor time: the Lok Sabha PAC’s chairperson proposed that at least one PAC report, with the Government’s action taken on it, be discussed every session. Limitations of the PAC Post-mortem nature: it examines spending after it has occurred. No policy review: it cannot question policy, only how money was spent. Advisory only: recommendations are not binding, and Action Taken Notes are often delayed. Little House debate: reports are seldom debated on the floor, which weakens their public impact. ✎ Mains Practice Question “Financial accountability of the Executive is only as strong as the follow-up on audit findings.” Examine the role and limitations of the Public Accounts Committee, and suggest measures to make legislative financial oversight outcome-oriented. 15 marks · 250 words International RelationsGeneral Studies Paper II 04 US Midterm Elections 2026: How America Votes Between Presidential Elections, and Why It Matters GS-II · IR — Effect of Policies of Developed Countries on India; Polity — Comparison with Other ConstitutionsPrelims + MainsThe Hindu · Agencies The United States held its midterm elections on 3 November 2026. Media projections indicate that the party of the incumbent President lost ground, with the opposition projected to win the House of Representatives and reported to have taken the Senate. The elections also produced several firsts in representation. ◈ The Basics — What Is a Midterm Election? A midterm election is the US general election held halfway through a President’s four-year term. The President is not on the ballot, but voters choose the Congress that will make laws and oversee the administration for the next two years. When: by federal law, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an even-numbered year — hence 3 November 2026. House of Representatives: all 435 voting seats are elected every two years; the number has been fixed since the Permanent Apportionment Act, 1929. Seats are shared among States by population after each decennial census; 218 is a majority. Senate: 100 seats (two per State) with six-year, staggered terms, so about one-third are elected every two years. In 2026, 35 seats were contested, including special elections. Senators have been directly elected since the 17th Amendment (1913). States too: governors (directly elected, unlike India’s appointed Governors), State legislatures and ballot measures are decided on the same day. Figure 2 — The US electoral cycle and the structure of Congress ONE PRESIDENTIAL TERM (4 YEARS)Year 0PresidentialelectionYear 2 — MIDTERMAll House seats + ~⅓ Senate + many governorsPresident not on ballotYear 4Next presidentialelectionHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES• 435 voting members · majority 218• 2-year term · all seats every 2 years• Seats by population (census)• Originates revenue bills; impeachesSENATE• 100 members · 2 per State · majority 51• 6-year term · ⅓ elected every 2 years• Vice-President breaks ties• Treaties (⅔) and appointmentsOpposition control of either chamber = “divided government” The midterm falls in year two and is widely read as a referendum on the sitting President, although he is not a candidate. Why Midterms Matter — Powers of Congress Law-making: a bill must pass both chambers in identical form. Revenue bills must originate in the House (Article I, Section 7). Power of the purse: Congress passes appropriations. Deadlock can lead to a government shutdown. Oversight: committees can hold hearings, issue subpoenas and investigate the Executive. The House impeaches, while the Senate tries the case and needs a two-thirds vote to convict. Senate’s special role: advice and consent on treaties (two-thirds) and on Cabinet, ambassadorial and judicial appointments. The filibuster means most bills need 60 votes to end debate. Historic pattern: the President’s party usually loses seats in midterms. Exceptions such as 1934, 1998 and 2002 are rare. ▤ 2026 at a Glance (as reported; some races still being counted) House: media projections show the opposition party winning a majority. Senate: several outlets report the opposition has also gained a majority. Firsts in representation (as reported): the first Black woman elected governor of a US State (Georgia); the first Native American woman governor (New Mexico); the first Native American woman in the Senate (Minnesota); the first Muslim US Senator (Michigan); and the first openly gay man in the Senate (New Hampshire). The House may also elect its first Black Speaker. Next steps: the new 120th Congress convenes on 3 January 2027 under the 20th Amendment. Until then the outgoing Congress sits as a “lame duck”. Comparative Polity — US Presidential vs Indian Parliamentary System Separation of powers: the US President is not a member of Congress and cannot be removed by a no-confidence vote. In India, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (Article 75(3)). Fixed terms: Congress cannot be dissolved. India’s Lok Sabha can be dissolved before its five-year term ends. Staggered upper house: both the US Senate and India’s Rajya Sabha renew one-third every two years (Article 83(1)). Rajya Sabha members, however, are indirectly elected by State legislators. Divided government is possible in the US, where the Executive and the legislature can be controlled by different parties. India’s system fuses them, since the Government must command a Lok Sabha majority. Implications for India Trade: Congress holds the constitutional power over trade and tariffs (Article I, Section 8). A changed Congress may affect India–US trade negotiations and scrutiny of tariff actions. Immigration and skills: legislation on H-1B and other high-skill visas matters directly to Indian professionals and the IT sector. Strategic continuity: support for the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, the Quad and defence and technology cooperation has broadly cut across party lines in Congress. Diaspora: greater diversity in US politics, including Indian-origin legislators, widens channels of engagement. ✎ Mains Practice Question Midterm elections in the United States often produce a “divided government”. Explain the constitutional significance of these elections in a presidential system, and compare them with the mechanisms of executive accountability in India’s parliamentary democracy. 15 marks · 250 words Science & TechnologyGeneral Studies Paper III 05 Tokamaks and the Quest for Fusion Power: How Magnetic Confinement Works and Why Net Energy Remains Elusive GS-III · S&T — Nuclear Technology, Energy, Indigenisation of TechnologyPrelims + MainsThe Hindu · Science A tokamak uses powerful magnetic fields to hold plasma hotter than the Sun’s core inside a ring-shaped chamber, so that atomic nuclei can fuse. Decades of progress have not yet produced a tokamak that delivers net energy for commercial power. ◈ The Basics — Fission vs Fusion Fission (today’s nuclear power) splits heavy nuclei such as uranium-235 in a controlled chain reaction. Fusion joins light nuclei into a heavier one, releasing energy because the product weighs slightly less (E = mc²). Fuel of choice: deuterium (D) and tritium (T), isotopes of hydrogen, fuse into helium-4 plus a fast neutron, releasing 17.6 MeV. About 80% goes to the neutron and 20% to the helium nucleus (alpha particle). Plasma: the fourth state of matter — a gas so hot that electrons are stripped from atoms, leaving charged particles that magnetic fields can steer. Why so hot: positively charged nuclei repel each other (the Coulomb barrier). The Sun overcomes this with immense gravity and density at about 15 million °C; on Earth, reactors need around 100–150 million °C. Lawson criterion (1955): fusion produces net energy only if plasma density × temperature × confinement time exceeds a threshold. Containment is therefore the central problem. Figure 3 — The deuterium–tritium reaction and where its energy goes D1p + 1n+T1p + 2n~150 M °C⁴Heα particle3.5 MeV (20%)stays in plasma, keeps it hotn14.1 MeV (80%)escapes magnetic field → hits wallBlanket absorbs neutronsHeat → coolant → steam→ turbine (as in any plant)Lithium in blanketn + Li → tritiumPlant breeds its own fuelEnergy density1 kg D-T ≈ 3.4 × 10¹⁴ J~10 million × same mass of coal The plasma is kept off the walls, but the neutron energy must reach them. That is how a fusion plant would make heat, electricity and fresh tritium. How a Tokamak Works Name and origin: a Russian acronym for a toroidal chamber with magnetic coils. It was conceived in the USSR in the early 1950s (credited largely to Igor Tamm and Andrei Sakharov), and the first machines ran at the Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, in the late 1950s. Why a ring: charged particles spiral along magnetic field lines. In a straight tube they would leak out at the ends, so bending the tube into a doughnut (torus) removes the ends. Why a twist: the field is stronger on the inner side of the ring, which makes ions and electrons drift apart and push the plasma into the wall. A large current driven through the plasma, induced by a central solenoid acting like a transformer, adds a second field that twists the field lines into a helix and cancels the drift. Two fields combined: a toroidal field from external coils plus a poloidal field from the plasma current. Additional poloidal-field coils shape and position the plasma. Figure 4 — Inside a real tokamak: China’s EAST in cross-section and 3D The D-shaped plasma (centre) sits inside the vacuum vessel, ringed by the toroidal-field coil (TF) and positioned by poloidal-field coils (PF1–PF14). Image: EAST tokamak geometry; reproduced with credit to the original publisher for educational use. ▤ The Global Landscape ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), being assembled at Cadarache, France, has seven members: China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US, together representing over 30 countries. It aims for Q = 10, ten times the heating power fed into the plasma. ITER’s delays: estimated costs have risen at least four-fold from €5 billion (2005). A 2024 re-baseline moved research operations to 2034 and D-T operation to 2039. ITER is a physics experiment and will not generate electricity. EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak), Hefei, China: sustained a high-confinement plasma for a record 1,066 seconds (January 2025). In January 2026 it reported operating above the long-standing empirical density limit. India: the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar, under the Department of Atomic Energy, runs ADITYA (India’s first tokamak, 1989; rebuilt as ADITYA-U, 2017) and SST-1 (Steady State Superconducting Tokamak; first plasma 2013). India also manufactures ITER components, including the giant cryostat. Alternative Routes to Fusion Stellarator: creates the twisted field entirely with complex external coils and needs no plasma current. It allows steadier operation but is harder to build; Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X is the leading example. Inertial confinement: lasers compress a tiny fuel pellet so fast that it fuses before flying apart. The US National Ignition Facility reported target gain above 1 in December 2022, though not net gain at the level of the whole facility. Others: mirror machines (open-ended fields) and field-reversed configurations (compact, with no central hole), many pursued by private start-ups. Promise and Problems Promise: no runaway chain reaction, no carbon emissions, abundant fuel (deuterium from seawater, lithium for tritium) and no long-lived high-level waste of the kind fission produces. Materials: 14 MeV neutrons damage reactor walls and make them radioactive over time. Tritium supply: tritium is rare and radioactive (half-life about 12.3 years); breeding it at scale is unproven. Plasma stability: disruptions and other instabilities can damage the machine. Cost and time: first-of-a-kind machines face repeated cost overruns and schedule slips, and commercial electricity remains decades away. ✎ Mains Practice Question Nuclear fusion is often described as the “ultimate clean energy source”, yet commercial fusion power remains elusive. Explain the principle of magnetic confinement in a tokamak, and discuss the scientific and engineering challenges along with India’s role in global fusion research. 15 marks · 250 words Health & Social SectorGeneral Studies Papers II & III 06 Patent Office Rejects BPaL Combination Patent: What It Means for Drug-Resistant TB and India’s Patent Law GS-II · Health — Communicable Diseases, Government ProgrammesGS-III · IPR — Patents, Access to MedicinesPrelims + MainsThe Indian Express · Explained The Indian Patent Office has rejected an application for a patent on BPaL, a combination of three drugs used against drug-resistant tuberculosis. This removes one barrier to generic competition for a shorter, all-oral regimen. ◈ The Basics — TB and Drug Resistance Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mainly affects the lungs, and spreads through the air. Drug-resistant TB: MDR-TB resists the two most powerful first-line drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin; RR-TB resists rifampicin. Treatment used to need 18–24 months, often with painful injections and severe side-effects. India’s burden: India accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s TB cases. Its incidence was 187 per lakh population in 2024, against a WHO baseline of 237 in 2015. National response: the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) (renamed from RNTCP in 2020) aimed to end TB ahead of the SDG 3.3 deadline of 2030. Support schemes include Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (nutrition DBT) and Ni-kshay Mitra community support. Figure 5 — BPaL: a shorter, all-oral course The regimen replaces long, injection-based treatment with six months of oral drugs. Image courtesy The Indian Express, 6 November 2026; reproduced with credit for educational use. ▤ Regimen at a Glance — BPaL / BPaLM BPaL: Bedaquiline + Pretomanid (Pa) + Linezolid. BPaLM adds Moxifloxacin. Duration: six months, all-oral, recommended by the WHO for eligible drug-resistant TB patients. Outcomes: BPaLM recorded a treatment success rate of 89%, against 52–75% for older regimens. More than 15,000 patients have started it under the national programme. Cost: a six-month BPaLM course now costs about US$ 284, down from US$ 588 in 2022. Applicant: the US-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), which developed pretomanid. Opposers: pre-grant oppositions filed in 2020 by patient and civil-society groups, including the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+). Static Anchor — India’s Patent Law and Access to Medicines Patents Act, 1970: recognised only process patents for pharmaceuticals, which helped build India’s generic industry. Product patents returned in 2005 to comply with WTO-TRIPS. Section 3(d): new forms of known substances (salts, polymorphs, combinations) are not patentable unless they show enhanced therapeutic efficacy. It was upheld in Novartis v. Union of India (2013), the Glivec case. Section 25(1): pre-grant opposition — any person may oppose before a patent is granted. Section 25(2) allows post-grant opposition within one year. Section 84: compulsory licensing. India’s first was granted to Natco for Bayer’s cancer drug Nexavar in 2012. Doha Declaration (2001): affirmed that TRIPS should be interpreted to protect public health and access to medicines. Evergreening: seeking fresh patents for minor changes or new formulations of existing drugs to extend monopoly. Bedaquiline-related claims on the salt form (2023), a paediatric formulation (2024) and a long-acting injectable have also been rejected in India. Figure 6 — Shorter and cheaper: BPaLM against older regimens Treatment success rate (%)89%BPaLM52–75%Older regimensCost of a six-month course (US$)$5882022$284Now Older-regimen bar shows the range (52–75%), with the lighter band marking the upper end. Course cost has more than halved since 2022. What the Ruling Does — and Does Not Do Does: removes a potential legal barrier to multiple manufacturers producing the combination, which could lower prices and reduce dependence on a few suppliers. Does not: automatically make drugs cheaper or available. A patent decides exclusive rights; separate marketing approval from the CDSCO decides whether a medicine is safe, effective and of good quality. Public system: patients in the NTEP already receive drugs free. Lower prices mainly let the Government treat more patients within the same budget. Quality of generics: generics contain the same active ingredients and must meet regulatory standards. WHO prequalification is a separate global quality benchmark. The Critical View Innovation incentives: firms and product-development partnerships argue that weak patent protection may discourage investment in new TB drugs, a field with limited commercial returns. Resistance risk: wider use of bedaquiline without drug-susceptibility testing could breed resistance to the backbone drug of modern regimens. Last-mile gaps: delays in diagnosis, stock-outs and patients’ difficulty reaching treatment centres limit gains from cheaper drugs. Scale-up: health experts’ priority is to extend BPaL/BPaLM to every eligible rifampicin-resistant patient. ✎ Mains Practice Question “India’s patent law strikes a balance between rewarding innovation and ensuring access to affordable medicines.” Examine this statement with reference to the recent rejection of a patent for a drug-resistant TB regimen and the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970. 15 marks · 250 words 07 e-Sanjeevani Crosses 50 Crore Consultations: Telemedicine and Last-Mile Healthcare GS-II · Health — Government Schemes, e-GovernancePrelims + MainsThe Times of India The national telemedicine service e-Sanjeevani has facilitated over 50 crore consultations since its launch in November 2019, reaching remote places from the Andaman Islands to Lakshadweep and Zanskar. ◈ The Basics — What Is e-Sanjeevani? Developer: C-DAC Mohali, for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Two models: e-Sanjeevani AB-HWC (November 2019) is a doctor-to-doctor, hub-and-spoke model linking Ayushman Arogya Mandirs with specialists. e-Sanjeevani OPD (April 2020) is patient-to-doctor and was launched during the COVID-19 lockdown. Legal basis: the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (March 2020) for the first time allowed registered medical practitioners to practise via telemedicine. Digital link: integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM, 2021) and ABHA health IDs. ▤ The Numbers 50 crore+Consultations since 2019 2.5–3 lakhConsultations per day 57.1%Share of women users 6,30,315Peak single-day consultations Available in all 36 States and UTs, in 15 languages. People aged 46 and above account for 40.1% of consultations, and those 60 and above for 16.2%. About 1.9 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs act as the spokes bringing care closer to villages. Why It Matters Specialist shortage: rural Community Health Centres face a large shortfall of specialists, and telemedicine lets a remote doctor guide local health workers. Equity: the service reaches Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups such as the Jarawa, island populations and high-altitude communities. The majority-women user base points to reduced barriers of travel, cost and time. Constitutional link: Article 47 (Directive Principle on raising public health) and Article 21 (right to health, as read by the courts). Health remains a State subject (Entry 6, State List). Challenges Connectivity and digital literacy gaps in remote areas. No physical examination, which limits diagnosis for some conditions. Weak continuity of care, including follow-up, diagnostics and medicine supply at the spoke. Data protection of health records under the DPDP Act, 2023. ✎ Mains Practice Question Telemedicine can bridge India’s rural–urban health divide only if it is embedded in a strong primary health-care system. Discuss with reference to e-Sanjeevani. 10 marks · 150 words Internal Security & DefenceGeneral Studies Paper III 08 Pralay Clears User-Evaluation Trial: India’s Quasi-Ballistic Missile Nears Induction GS-III · Security — Defence Technology, IndigenisationPrelims + MainsThe Hindu · PIB The DRDO successfully flight-tested the indigenous quasi-ballistic missile Pralay from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast, as part of user-evaluation trials. The test clears the way for its induction into the armed forces. Figure 7 — Pralay lifts off from its launcher A solid-fuelled, surface-to-surface missile fired from a mobile launcher. Photo: DRDO / Ministry of Defence (file); reproduced with credit for educational use. ◈ The Basics — Ballistic, Cruise and Quasi-Ballistic Ballistic missile: rocket-powered only in the initial phase, then follows a high, arcing, largely predictable trajectory under gravity. Examples: Prithvi, Agni. Cruise missile: powered throughout flight, flies low and level like an aircraft. Example: BrahMos. Quasi-ballistic: follows a flatter, lower trajectory and can manoeuvre in flight, which makes it harder for missile-defence systems to track and intercept. ▤ Pralay at a Glance Type: surface-to-surface, solid-propellant, conventionally armed tactical missile. Range: reported at about 150–500 km; meant for battlefield and tactical targets. Lineage: draws on technologies from the Prithvi Defence Vehicle (an exo-atmospheric interceptor of India’s ballistic missile defence programme). First flight-tested in December 2021. Test range: the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, tracked the flight. Abdul Kalam Island was formerly Wheeler Island and was renamed in 2015. Significance Conventional deterrence: gives the forces a precision, non-nuclear long-range strike option, filling the gap between artillery rockets and strategic missiles. Survivability: mobile launch and manoeuvrability improve its chances against air and missile defences. Atmanirbharta in defence: developed with industry partners, it strengthens the indigenous missile ecosystem that began with the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (1983). Export controls: India has been a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) since 2016. The regime’s strictest category covers systems carrying 500 kg to 300 km or more. ✎ Mains Practice Question How do conventionally armed tactical missiles strengthen India’s deterrence posture along its contested borders? Discuss with reference to recent indigenous missile developments. 10 marks · 150 words