Content :

1. Tough timing
2. A caste census is not a silver bullet for social justice

Tough timing

Context & Recent Setback

• ISRO’s PSLV-C61 mission failed to launch EOS-09 into the intended sun-synchronous orbit.
• EOS-09 was a dual-purpose satellite — meant for civilian use (e.g., land mapping, hydrology) and defence surveillance, with an all-weather radar capability.
• The failure in the third stage post-liftoff highlights that even well-understood launch vehicles like PSLV can falter.

Relevance : GS 3 ( Science and Technology)

Practice Question : “India’s growing dependence on space-based assets for both civilian and military purposes calls for greater investment and resilience in its space infrastructure.” In the light of recent mission failures, critically analyze the challenges faced by ISRO in fulfilling its strategic objectives. Suggest measures to enhance India’s space capabilities.(250 Words)

Implications for Defence

• EOS-09 had critical military surveillance potential, especially amid tensions with Pakistan.
• Failure reflects gaps in India’s indigenous space-based surveillance, as seen during Operation Sindoor, which relied on foreign commercial satellites for tactical data.

 Growing Military Demands

• India has launched the Space-Based Surveillance-3 programme:
  • Aims to deploy 52 surveillance satellites.
  • 31 satellites to be manufactured by the private sector, needing ISRO’s technical guidance and support.

Challenge of the “Cost-Reliability-Time” Triangle

• Space missions balance:
  • Cost (budget constraints),
  • Reliability (technical success),
  • Time (urgency of military/civilian demands).
• Failures like PSLV-C61 and NVS-02 (January 2025) underscore how small errors can lead to large consequences.

Time Pressure & Resource Constraint

• ISRO is burdened with:
  • Crowded launch schedules,
  • R&D obligations,
  • Growing military and civilian satellite needs,
  • Human spaceflight programme.
• Limited manufacturing capacity and data pipeline stress worsen delivery pressures.

Conclusion:

• Given rising strategic and security roles of space assets, ISRO needs:
  • Increased funding and resource allocation,
  • Policy support to expand infrastructure,
  • Faster integration of private sector capacities.
• Ensuring timely, reliable, and cost-effective outcomes in both civilian and military domains is crucial in today’s globally competitive space race.

A caste census is not a silver bullet for social justice

 Context and Introduction

• Government has announced caste enumeration in the upcoming national Census.
• Widely perceived as a step toward better policymaking for OBCs.
• Raises concern over delayed welfare policies being unjustly tied to lack of precise caste data.

Relevance : GS 2  (Governance / Social Justice)

Practice Question : Do you agree that a caste census alone cannot ensure social justice in India? Critically examine the role of data, political will, and institutional reforms in achieving equity for marginalized communities.(250 Words)

 Arguments in Favour of Caste Census

• Provides empirical grounding to assess socio-economic status of castes, especially OBCs.
• Can help target affirmative action more precisely.
• May legitimize welfare policies in courts, which often demand robust data.
• Can identify intra-OBC inequalities, enabling support for EBCs.

 Limitations and Critique of Over-Reliance

• Risks overstating the utility of caste data in achieving justice.
• Census is meant to be a neutral, factual exercise, not a political tool.
• Burdening the Census with political functions may compromise its objectivity.
• Elevating census data as a precondition for action is a flawed approach.

 Historical Experience Shows: Policy ≠ Data

• Many major social justice policies in India, such as land reforms, reservations, and the Mandal Commission’s recommendations, were shaped more by political will and public mobilization than by detailed statistical data.
• The implementation of the EWS reservation further illustrates that policy decisions can stem from executive discretion even in the absence of comprehensive caste-based data.

 Existing Data Already Reveals Inequalities

• SC/ST communities have long been part of the decennial census and continue to lag in education, health, and employment.
• Bihar Caste Survey and SECC have exposed:
  • OBC economic precarity.
  • Disproportionate concentration in informal, low-paid sectors.
• NCRB data shows rising crimes against SC/STs.
• Yet, no major national policy shifts have been implemented.

 Persistent Underrepresentation

• SC/ST/OBC presence remains marginal in:
  • Corporate sector
  • Media and IT
  • Judiciary and higher education
  • Top bureaucracy
• Lack of meaningful reforms despite existing data.

 Core Argument: Political Will > Data

• Data is important but insufficient for social justice.
• Real change requires:
  • Strong moral commitment
  • Political imagination
  • Democratic pressure
• Caste census can guide, but cannot substitute action.

 Conclusion

• Caste census should be a routine statistical exercise, not the central pillar of policymaking.
• Without robust political will, data remains passive.
• The true test lies in implementing bold policies to uplift the most marginalised, not just documenting their plight.