Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025

In view of the rising student suicides and the increasing trend of commercialization in education, the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly has passed the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025 to regulate the coaching industry in the state.

What is it?
A state law aimed at regulating coaching centres through registration, monitoring, and ensuring compliance with prescribed standards.
It is designed to protect student welfare, reduce stress, and ensure accountability of coaching institutions.

Key Features:

• Regulatory Body – Monitoring of coaching centres with participation from government officials, doctors, parents, and police.
• Mandatory Registration – Coaching centres with more than 100 students must register and meet minimum standards.
• Improved Facilities – Adequate space for each student; employment of only qualified teachers; prohibition of false promises regarding ranks or marks.
• Focus on Student Health – Classes limited to a maximum of 5 hours per day; weekly holidays for both students and teachers; counseling services will be provided.
• Strict Penalties – Fines ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000 for violations; repeat offenders may have their licences cancelled.
• Wider Impact – Balances student safety with the employment and economic contributions generated by the coaching industry.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

GS II – Polity & Governance:

• Regulation of the private education sector and balancing state intervention with autonomy.
• The role of state legislatures in framing sector-specific laws.

GS II – Social Justice:

• Student suicides, mental health, and counseling services in educational policies.
• Challenges arising from the commercialization of education and protecting vulnerable groups.

India’s Strategic Autonomy in a Multipolar World

Syllabus: International Relations
Source: TH

Context:
In the context of a multipolar world order marked by US–China rivalry and Russia’s assertiveness, India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy has gained significance.

India’s Strategic Autonomy in a Multipolar World

Definition:
Strategic autonomy means that India can independently make sovereign decisions regarding its foreign policy and defense without being bound by alliance obligations. It prioritizes flexibility and independence.

Historical Roots of Strategic Autonomy

Colonial Experience:
Centuries of colonial subjugation fostered a resolve in independent India to prevent external powers from determining its sovereignty or global role.

Constitutional Ideals:
India’s foreign policy emerged from the ideals of the freedom struggle, emphasizing sovereignty, self-reliance, and dignity on international platforms.

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):
During the Cold War, Nehru formalized autonomy through NAM, balancing pressures from the US and the Soviet Union without joining any bloc.

Evolution towards Multi-Alignment:
After 1991, globalization and multipolarity pushed India to engage pragmatically with all powers while maintaining its independence.

Drivers of Strategic Autonomy

Geopolitical Landscape:
Shared borders with China and Pakistan—both nuclear adversaries—compel India to keep independent security options open.

Security Requirements:
Dependence on imports for defense equipment and energy makes diversification essential to avoid over-reliance.

Civilizational Aspirations:
India seeks recognition as a power rooted in its civilizational identity rather than as a dependent state.

Shifts in Global Order:
The decline of US unipolarity, China’s rise, and fragmentation of alliances create more strategic opportunities for India.

New Challenges:
Cyber warfare, pandemics, climate change, and AI-based conflicts demand broad cooperation rather than rigid alignments.

Opportunities for Strategic Autonomy

Building Bridges:
India can strengthen its diplomatic influence by acting as a mediator between the Global South and developed nations.

Tech Diplomacy:
Partnerships in AI, quantum computing, and clean energy offer India opportunities to reduce dependency and enhance resilience.

Defense Self-Reliance:
The “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative provides a pathway to modernize defense manufacturing and reduce foreign dependence.

Soft Power:
India’s pluralistic democracy, the role of its diaspora, and civilizational values enhance its credibility on global platforms.

Voice of the Global South:
Leadership roles in G20 and platforms like BRICS allow India to represent emerging economies.

Challenges to Strategic Autonomy

Economic Insecurity:
Heavy reliance on imports for oil, defense, and technology weakens India’s bargaining power.

The China Factor:
Border skirmishes and a trade deficit exceeding $100 billion constrain strategic options.

Alliance Pressures:
Balancing relationships between US-led Quad and Russia/China-led forums like BRICS and SCO complicates diplomacy.

Institutional Gaps:
Domestic political polarization, bureaucratic limitations, and capacity constraints hinder consistent foreign policy implementation.

Emerging Sectors:
India lags in cyber resilience, semiconductor supply chains, and space technology, limiting autonomy.

Way Forward

Economic Strengthening:
India must build flexible supply chains, ensure energy security, and expand manufacturing to reduce vulnerabilities.

Balanced Engagement:
Deepening ties with the US and Indo-Pacific partners while preserving historical relations with Russia and expanding connections with the Global South is crucial.

Defense Self-Reliance:
Prioritizing investments in AI, drones, space, and cyber systems can reduce dependency on imports.

Global South’s Voice:
Pushing for reforms in the UN, WTO, and IMF, and taking leadership on climate and development issues will shape the global agenda.

Adaptive Diplomacy:
Balancing principles with pragmatism, India must respond flexibly to rapidly changing geopolitics without compromising sovereignty.

Conclusion

India’s strategic autonomy is not isolation but resilience—it is the ability to engage with the world without succumbing to dominance. By balancing among major powers, India can safeguard its sovereignty and development. Strengthening economic, technological, and defense capacities will enable India to emerge as an independent power center in a multipolar world.

ANGIKAR 2025 Campaign

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a nationwide awareness campaign called “Angikar 2025” under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0). The campaign aims to accelerate housing delivery and increase awareness among beneficiaries.

What is the Angikar 2025 Campaign?

It is an outreach programme under PMAY-U 2.0 that aims to address implementation bottlenecks and ensure that the benefits of the housing scheme reach the intended beneficiaries by the final stage.

Objectives:

• To spread widespread awareness about PMAY-U 2.0.
• To assist in housing application verification and ensure timely completion of approved housing units.

Key Features:

• Duration – A two-month campaign across more than 5,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
• Activities – Door-to-door outreach, loan fairs, cultural events, and “PM Awas Mela – Urban.”
• Focus – Special access to vulnerable sections and coordination with other social welfare schemes.
• Target – Complete pending housing units and provide an additional one crore approved houses under PMAY-U 2.0.

Relevance for the UPSC Exam Syllabus:

GS II – Governance:

• Policy formulation and implementation, coordination between the Centre and states, last-mile service delivery, and citizen outreach.

GS III – Economy/Infrastructure:

• Urban housing, sustainable urbanization, inclusive development, and credit support for low-income groups.

GS I – Society:

• Vulnerability of the urban poor, slum rehabilitation, and considering housing as an indicator of human development.

Port-Based Green Hydrogen Pilot Project

Source: DD News

Context:
The Union Minister inaugurated India’s first port-based green hydrogen pilot project at V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Tamil Nadu, making it the country’s first port to produce green hydrogen.

India’s First Port-Based Green Hydrogen Pilot Project at V.O. Chidambaranar Port

What is it?
A pilot facility for green hydrogen production at VOC Port, Tuticorin.

Capacity:
10 Nm³ per hour, established at a cost of ₹3.87 crores.

Under the Scheme:

• Part of India’s clean energy transition initiatives and the Coastal Green Shipping Corridor project (Kandla–Tuticorin).
• Aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission and the Sagarmala Programme.

Objectives:

• Promote green shipping, sustainable development, and energy self-reliance.
• Reduce dependence on fossil fuels in port operations.
• Establish the southern region as a hub for green bunkering and refueling.

Features:

• Will supply energy to street lights and EV charging stations within the port colony.
• Linked with the proposed Green Methanol Bunkering and Fuel Facility (₹35.34 crores, 750 m³ capacity).

About V.O. Chidambaranar Port:

What is it?
One of India’s 13 major ports and a leading maritime hub in South India.

Location:
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.

History:

• Previously known as “Tuticorin Port,” it was renamed in 2011 to honor freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar (“Kappalottiya Tamizhan”).
• Plays a vital role in regional trade, coal handling, and container transport.
• Modernization investments exceeding ₹16,000 crores under the Sagarmala scheme.

Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR-2025)

Source: TP

Context:
The Ministry of Defence’s Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR) 2025 lays out plans to incorporate advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles, nuclear propulsion, directed energy systems, and unmanned platforms over the next 15 years.

What is TPCR-2025?

It is a strategic document outlining the technological and capability requirements of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force for the next 15 years.
It provides guidance to Indian industries, academic institutions, and research centres for aligning research and development with military needs.

Publisher:
Issued by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Objectives:

• Provide domestic manufacturers with foresight on future requirements.
• Promote self-reliance and indigenization in defence technologies.
• Enable the armed forces to address emerging multi-domain challenges such as cyber warfare, space threats, and AI-based combat.

Key Features of TPCR 2025

(No need to memorize everything; just be aware of the details):

Navy:

• Next-generation aircraft carriers equipped with nuclear propulsion systems and the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) → Strengthen India’s long-range maritime capabilities.
• Destroyers, corvettes, landing platform docks (LPDs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and fast interceptor crafts → Enhance maritime security, anti-submarine warfare, and coastal defence.

Army:

• Replacement of legacy platforms with 1,800 Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs) and light tanks for high-altitude areas → Modernization for border regions.
• Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), integrating loitering munitions with UAVs, and counter-IED solutions via robotic systems → Preparedness for network-centric and hybrid warfare.

Air Force:

• Laser-based directed energy weapons and stealth bomber drones → Enhanced resistance against adversaries and deep strike capability.
• High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) and stratospheric airships → Provide continuous ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and secure communication.

Tri-Service (Army, Navy, Air Force Combined):

• Development of 500+ hypersonic missiles equipped with scramjet propulsion and universal missile launchers → Strengthen strategic deterrence and service integration.
• AI-powered cyber tools, quantum communication networks, and satellite defence measures → Enhance capabilities against cyber and space threats.

Cross-Cutting Technologies:

• Use of AI, machine learning, digital twin simulation, and autonomous systems → Enable data-driven smart warfare operations.
• Green logistics and energy-efficient systems → Integrate sustainable development into national defence strategy.