Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for March 18, 2026. If you missed the March 17, 2026 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

FRONT PAGE

Pak strike on Kabul hospital kills 400; ‘massacre dressed up as op’, says India

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What’s the ongoing story: Over 400 people were killed and more than 250 injured in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, Afghanistan’s Taliban government said Tuesday, sharply escalating tensions between the two neighbours.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Afghanistan and Pakistan bilateral relations-Know the background

• Why are Afghanistan and Pakistan fighting?

• Map Work-Durand Line

• What is the issue related to Durand Line?

• Recent Pakistan-Afghanistan War-what was the triggering factor?

• The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghanistan Taliban-what are the differences and similarities between the two?

• Why Pakistan is against the Taliban?

• Who are the Taliban?

• In what context have you heard or know about “Good Taliban, Bad Taliban”?

• India and Afghanistan Bilateral Relations-Know the Background

• Afghanistan’s location in South Asia is particularly relevant to India as a geographical neighbour, Why?

• India and Taliban and Afghanistan-Connect the dots

• How colonial-era boundaries shaped modern geopolitical conflicts with reference to the Durand Line?

Key Takeaways:

• Condemning the “barbaric” attack, India called it a “heinous act of aggression by Pakistan” and “a blatant assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty”.

• Rejecting the Afghan charge, Pakistan said it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”.

• In New Delhi, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “India unequivocally condemns Pakistan’s barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16. This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation.”

• “India extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, wishes a swift recovery to those injured, and stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this tragic moment. We also reiterate our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan,” he said.

• This is the third statement by the Indian government in the last one month on Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan, but this is the sharpest statement so far.

• Established in 2016, the Omid hospital in Kabul has treated hundreds of people, and also provided them with vocational training such as tailoring and carpentry to make them more employable.

Do You Know:

• The fighting began in late February 2026 after Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Kabul said killed civilians. Those clashes also disrupted a Qatar-brokered ceasefire from October, one that had halted earlier fighting that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants.

• Skirmishes that used to occur frequently along the Durand Line have escalated into a conflict in which Pakistan and Afghanistan are targeting each other. Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing safe havens to the TTP and Baloch insurgents, and of allowing attacks from its soil — a charge Afghanistan rejects. A fragile ceasefire effected last year collapsed this year after a wave of attacks.

• The roots run deeper, though. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing safe haven to the Pakistani Taliban — designated a terrorist organisation by the United States — as well as to outlawed Baloch separatist groups whose fighters regularly target Pakistani security forces and civilians. Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegations.

• Except for brief periods since 1947, Pakistan-Afghanistan ties have been marked by mutual distrust, rancour, recriminations, and hostility. This negativity between Pakistan and Afghanistan has continued during both civilian and direct military rule in the former, and fundamental system transformations, turmoil and two failed superpower interventions in the latter— by the Soviet Union (1979-1989) and the United States (2001-2021). During both, Pakistan has helped the Afghan resistance.

• Things boiled over when Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Afghanistan’s Taliban administration crossed a “red line” by deploying drones that injured civilians inside Pakistan. That triggered a chain of retaliatory strikes that has grown deadlier by the day. Pakistan has since declared it is in “open war” with Afghanistan — a phrase that, coming from a nuclear-armed state, carries enormous weight.

• Afghans governments and peoples have the persistent resentment that Pakistan has insensitively tried to control and exploit them, especially since their monarchical system was overthrown. Pakistan continues to consider Afghans ahsanfaramosh (ungrateful). For, they hosted millions of Afghan refugees and enabled Afghan insurgencies to defeat two super powers.
And, finally, the shadow of India has always loomed large over Afghan-Pakistan bilateral ties.

• For the Afghan Pashtun, the 2,640-km Durand Line is a historical wound. It derives its name from Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India, who compelled Afghan ruler Amir Abdul Rehman Khan to accept a division of his territories in 1893. This also meant division of the Pashtun tribes who were till then his “subjects”.

• In a recent thesis on the Durand Line, Afghan scholar Nabi Sahak correctly points out that “the original purpose of the Durand Line was to define a zone of British and Afghan spheres of influence… the line was not to create a permanent international border, unlike the current popular view dominant in Pakistan and the West”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘open war’ follows a long history of differences

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(1) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2022)
1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?
(a) 1, 2 and 5 only
(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 3, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Border management is a complex task due to difficult terrain and hostile relations with some countries. Elucidate the challenges and strategies for effective border management. (UPSC CSE 2016)

Centre looks to empower more ministries to block social media content

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: 

• General Studies I: Effects of globalization on Indian society

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Centre may soon allow the ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, Defence, and Information and Broadcasting to issue content blocking orders to social media platforms under Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, a power currently only available to the IT Ministry, The Indian Express has learnt.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the present social media rules in India?

• Social media rules in India vs social media rules in other countries-compare and contrast

• What are the new AI rules?( In India as well as in other Countries)

• What are present legal framework governing content blocking in India?

• Know the constitutional validity of Section 69A in light of freedom of speech.

• There should be balance between national security and free speech in digital governance-examine

• What is the role of the executive, legislature and judiciary in regulating online content?

• What are the digital rights in India?

Key Takeaways:

• This will impact tech platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube which may start receiving blocking orders from a wide range of government agencies.

• According to two senior officials, the government is holding inter-ministerial discussions with various stakeholders to bring an amendment to make the change possible, which they said was being necessitated due to the proliferation of AI-generated misleading content on the internet.

• Although these five ministries are currently being discussed, the scope could also widen to allow regulators like the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to send takedown orders directly to tech companies. For a long time now, SEBI has been flagging the issue of incorrect financial information through financial influencers on the internet.

Do You Know:

• Currently, there are two parallel content blocking mechanisms in India. One is under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act, through which content that violates national security, or threatens India’s foreign policy, is taken down. Various ministries and state governments have nodal officers who gather such content and send it to officials at the IT Ministry, which is the final signing-off agency responsible for issuing the blocking order.

• The other mechanism works under Section 79 (3)(b) of the IT Act, under which various ministries have been directly empowered to issue blocking orders to online platforms, most commonly through the Home Ministry-led Sahyog portal.

• The changes are being considered at a time when the government is pushing social media companies to take down content quickly. Last month, it brought about a change in law to reduce blocking timelines from 24-36 hours to 2-3 hours.

• Users on social media have since also flagged that many of their posts which were satirical or critical of the government, and not necessarily illegal, have been impacted as companies ramp up their compliance infrastructure in the face of growing regulatory pressure.

• Broadly, Section 69 (A) of the IT Act empowers the Central government to restrict public access to information in the interest of sovereignty, security, public order or preventing incitement to offences. The process is governed by the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

• Typically, a government agency sends a request to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which is examined by a committee before directions are issued to intermediaries such as social media platforms to block the specified content. In emergencies, interim blocking can be ordered before review. But in both these cases, it is the IT Ministry which currently sends the final blocking order to intermediaries like social media companies.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: The growing ambit of India’s online censorship mechanism

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(2) Right to Privacy’ is protected under which Article of the Constitution of India? (UPSC CSE 2021)
a) Article 15
b) Article 19
c) Article 21
d) Article 29

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children. (UPSC GS1, 2023)
📍Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem (UPSC GS3, 2024)

NATION

All adoptive mothers entitled to maternity leave, says top court

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, Social empowerment

What’s the ongoing story: Reading down the provision that put a limit on the age of the child for an adoptive mother to be entitled for maternity leave, the Supreme Court on Tuesday also urged Centre to come up with a provision recognising paternity leave as a social security benefit. The top court held that an adoptive mother should be entitled to maternity leave of 12 weeks, irrespective of the age of

• What exactly Supreme Court of India said about adoptive mother’s maternity leaves?

• What Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security-2020 says?

• What is Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution?

• How Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security-2020 violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution?

• What are the key provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act?

• How have maternity benefit policies evolved in India?

• Know about the paternity leave.

• How Supreme Court judgment is significant in extending maternity benefits to adoptive mothers?

• How maternity benefits contribute to gender equality in the workplace.

Key Takeaways:

• The SC said the presence of both parents during the early development of a child is indispensable and “what a father offers to a child in those nascent days cannot be scheduled for a convenient time or compensated for later”.

• A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan read down the Section 60(4) of The Code on Social Security-2020 that limits the age of the child to three months for an adoptive mother to be entitled for maternity leave, holding it violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

• The court said, “therefore, the sub-section (4) of Section 60 of the 2020 Code should now be meaningfully read as: “(4) A woman who legally adopts a child or a commissioning mother shall be entitled to maternity benefit for a period of twelve weeks from the date the child is handed over to the adopting mother or the commissioning mother, as the case may be.”

• The 2020 Code says that “a woman who legally adopts a child below the age of three months or a commissioning mother shall be entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 12 weeks from the date the child is handed over to the adopting mother or the commissioning mother, as the case may be”.

• The court said “the right of reproductive autonomy is not confined to the biological act of giving birth. Adoption is an equal exercise of the right to reproductive and decisional autonomy under Article 21 of the Constitution”.

Do You Know:

• In a judgment on May 23, 2025, the Supreme Court set aside a Madras High Court order that had denied maternity leave to a government school teacher for the birth of her third child. The Court ruled that maternity leave is part of a woman’s reproductive rights and requires constitutional protection.

• This case once again highlights how maternity benefits are integrally connected to notions of social justice and inclusion. Historically, the provision of paid maternity leave is connected to the idea of the welfare state from the 1880s. It emerged as an outcome as well as a cause of women’s influence in policy making.

• Maternity benefits were first granted in welfare states such as Bismarckian Germany and France to deal with concerns about depopulation and maternal and infant health problems. This helped incorporate more and more women into the state apparatus as well as workforce.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Maternity Benefit Act is progressive. But laws alone aren’t enough

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(3) Which of the following best explains substantive equality?
a) Equal treatment for all
b) Equal outcomes considering social conditions
c) Legal uniformity only
d) Economic equality only

The Ideas Page

India’s GDP debate: right questions, wrong numbers

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: V Anantha Nageswaran, Saurabh Garg Writes- If the true overestimation were really 22 per cent of GDP, the official revision would look nothing like it does. That gap is not a detail to be explained away

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you understand by Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index?

• WPI and CPI is published by whom?

• What are the components of WPI and CPI?

• What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?

• What are the methodology used in estimating GDP in India?

• What are the reasons behind discrepancies in GDP data?

• Know the importance of base year revision.

• Know the role of proxies in GDP estimation.

• What is the base year?

• What is the base year for the GDP, IIP and CPI?

• Reasons for revising the base year-know in detail

• What are the considerations for the new base year?

• How is a base year chosen?

Key Takeaways:
V Anantha Nageswaran, Saurabh Garg Writes-

• How accurately does India’s GDP capture what is happening in the economy? It is a question serious economists have been wrestling with for some years. The February 27 revision to the national accounts methodology — developed through what even the authors of a recent paper on the issue describe as “commendable consultations” — is the most substantive effort to improve GDP estimation, addressing deflator choices, the treatment of the informal sector, and the use of administrative data.

• Into this conversation steps a working paper by Abhishek Anand, Josh Felman, and Arvind Subramanian, published by the Peterson Institute in March 2026, claiming to provide “new evidence” of systematic misestimation.

• The paper’s two core methodological complaints — that India used WPI-based deflators tracking commodity and oil prices rather than prices of actual production, and that it used formal-sector corporate data as a proxy for informal-sector activity — are not new.

• The paper’s assertion that the WPI is an inappropriate deflator and the CPI a better alternative is also misplaced. India’s WPI is conceptually close to a Producer Price Index, which is what international recommendations prescribe. The CPI reflects price movements relevant to private consumption; goods and services such as steel, cement, minerals, chemicals, IT services, trade, and professional services are produced primarily for industrial use and rarely appear in the CPI basket.

• The 2026 paper’s mismeasurement argument rests on the claim that the informal sector accounts for roughly 44 per cent of GVA and that formal and informal sectors diverged so sharply after 2015 that using formal data as a proxy led to sustained overestimation. Both claims are substantially weakened by what the 2017-18 Survey found.

• The strongest empirical check on the paper’s claims is the official February 2026 revision itself. The authors describe the consultation process behind it as commendable. The revision, produced by statisticians working with full access to administrative data and without the methodological shortcuts the paper employs, produced a substantially more modest adjustment than the paper’s estimates imply.

Do You Know:

• A base year is the first of a series of years in an economic or financial index. In this context, it is typically set to an arbitrary level of 100. New, up-to-date base years are periodically introduced to keep data current in a particular index. Base years are also used to measure the growth of a company. Any year can serve as a base year, but analysts typically choose recent years.

• A base year is used for comparison in the measure of business activity or economic or financial index. For example, to find the rate of inflation between 2016 and 2024, 2016 is the base year or the first year in the time set. The base year can also describe the starting point from a point of growth or a baseline for calculating same-store sales.

• There are two main ways to calculate India’s economic output.
One way is to look at everything India produces in a year and add up all the monetary “value” created in a year. This is typically captured by a measure called the Gross Value Added (GVA), and it looks at what value was produced in different sectors of the economy.
The other way to look at the same economy is to add up all the money spent by different people or entities (be it individuals, governments, or business houses) in the economy. This is typically called the Gross Domestic Product or GDP.
The two variables are connected thus:
GDP = GVA + Net Indirect Taxes*
*Tax govt levies on different goods minus the subsidies govt provides for the production of different goods
In theory, the two calculations should yield the same economic output. “But,” as MoSPI states in its FAQs, “often these two numbers don’t match exactly. This small difference is called the ‘statistical discrepancy’. It happens because some data, especially on the spending side, is not available, or reported late.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How GDP data misread the economy, complicated policy

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(4) With reference to Indian economy, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2015)
1. The rate of growth of Real Gross Domestic Product has steadily increased in the last decade.
2. The Gross Domestic Product at market prices (in rupees) has steadily increased in the last decade.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Explain the difference between computing methodology of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015. (UPSC CSE 2021)
📍Define potential GDP and explain its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP? (UPSC GS3, 2020)

Economy

E-transmission duty: US seeks permanent curbs, India opposes

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate and Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: India is set to oppose a key US-led World Trade Organisation (WTO) proposal seeking a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) set to be held in Cameroon later this month, The Indian Express has learned.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why India is set to oppose a key US-led World Trade Organisation (WTO) proposal seeking a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions?

• What exactly India wants?

• What is electronic commerce?

• What is the E-transmission Moratorium?

• What is the WTO Work Programme on e-commerce?

• What has happened since MC11?

• What is India’s position on digital trade rules at WTO?

• Know the role of WTO in regulating emerging digital economy.

• Know about WTO

Key Takeaways:

• “We do not support the extension of the moratorium. The growth of e-commerce or gains from e-commerce should not be conflated with the so-called benefits of the moratorium. While the cost of the moratorium is almost completely borne by the developing countries that are net importers of digital products, its benefits are accruing to a few developed countries.

• “A re-consideration of the moratorium is critical for developing countries, most importantly to preserve policy space and achieve domestic industrialisation,” an Indian representative said as per the minutes of the meeting of a WTO meeting held on December 2 last year.

• China has also supported the moratorium, saying it is “vital for development”.

• The US has forced several trade partners to agree to a moratorium under bilateral trade pacts. India has been arguing against any extension to the moratorium because digital trade has been dominated by big tech and developed countries, and the moratorium squarely favours the developed nations. Experts say that India loses about $1 billion in tax revenue annually by foregoing duty on e-transmission.

• During the WTO meeting in December, India said that concrete actions are needed to address this matter, such as providing technical assistance and capacity-building activities focused on digital literacy and e-commerce skills development, tailored to the specific needs of developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Do You Know:

• According to a WTO website, recognizing that global electronic commerce is growing and creating new opportunities for trade, WTO members at the Second Ministerial Conference in May 1998 adopted a Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce. This declaration urged the WTO General Council to establish a comprehensive work programme to examine all trade-related issues arising from e-commerce. Ministers also agreed to continue their practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until their next session. This is known as the “moratorium on electronic transmissions”.

• India’s position was sharply contrasting with that of the US, which has not only asked for an extension but has also sought a permanent moratorium, arguing that imposing duty on electronic transmissions would restore “some confidence in the WTO” and its ability to deliver something meaningful and tangible to those stakeholders — “stability and predictability in the digital economy”.

• The controversial moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmission has been a subject that has divided developing and developed nations and has been renewed every two years since it was first instituted in 1998. However, with the advent of AI-generated products, the significance of rules around digital commerce has rapidly gained prominence.

• According to a WTO report, digitally delivered services exports have touched about $5 trillion, nearly double the level they had reached in 2017.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why India-US digital services deal potentially intrudes into New Delhi’s sovereign policy space

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(5) India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in order to comply with the obligations to (2018)
(a) ILO
(b) IMF
(c) UNCTAD
(d) WTO

Explained

Iran war’s economic fallout may be worse than Ukraine

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story: The world has largely adjusted to the Russia-Ukraine war, which only widened India’s merchandise trade deficit in the first year. The West Asia conflict’s ramifications will extend beyond goods (oil) to invisibles (remittances), on top of weak capital inflows.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Economic impact of the Iran conflict vs Ukraine war-compare and contrast

• How geography influences the economic consequences of conflicts?

• Know the importance of the Strait of Hormuz in global geopolitics.

• How sanctions imposed on Russia shaped global economic outcomes in the Ukraine war?

• How different types of conflicts create different economic shocks?

• What are the impact of oil price on India’s macroeconomic stability?

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine war began, international prices of all three Fs – fuel, food and fertilisers – skyrocketed. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Brent crude prices soared immediately to above $100 per barrel and stayed at those levels till early August, with a peak monthly average of $117.9 in June 2022.

• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) food price index – having a base period value of 100 for 2014-16 – averaged 144.5 points in 2022 and scaled an all-time high of 160.2 points in March. Landed prices of imported di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash fertilisers in India crossed $950 and $590 per tonne by July 2022, while that of intermediates and raw materials like phosphoric acid, ammonia and rock phosphate hit $1,715, $1,575 and $300-plus per tonne respectively during that year.

• The Russia-Ukraine conflict’s impact was felt mainly on the merchandise trade account of India’s external Balance of Payments (BoP). The trade deficit – the excess of imports over exports of goods – soared from $102.2 billion in 2020-21 (April-March financial year) to $189.5 billion in 2021-22 and $265.3 billion in 2022-23.

Do You Know:

• In the ongoing United States-Israel versus Iran conflict, it is fuel, out of the 3Fs, that has borne the brunt of price surge.
The effective closure by Iran of the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow maritime waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s total petroleum liquids consumption equivalent and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passes – has led to Brent crude prices go past the $100 per barrel mark this month.

• The effect on fertilisers has been less, at least for India. The country’s comfortable stocks of urea, DAP and complex fertilisers, besides the next kharif (monsoon) crop planting season being 2.5-3 months away, means no immediate crisis. But with more than 60% of India’s imports of LNG (the basic feedstock for urea) and 80% of inputs such as sulphur and ammonia coming from West Asia, any undue prolongation of this war can have serious implications for India’s agriculture and food security down the line.

• As regards the third F, the FAO’s food price index averaged 125.3 points in February 2026 – down from 126.6 points in February 2025 and way below the 2022 peaks following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why fertilisers could be the war’s soft underbelly victim for India

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(6) Which of the following best explains supply chain disruption?
a) Increase in exports
b) Break in production and distribution networks
c) Currency appreciation
d) Trade surplus

China’s ethnic unity law shows little tolerance for diversity

What’s the ongoing story: China’s top legislative body on Thursday (March 12) adopted a law for securing “unity and harmony” among the country’s ethnic groups.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What does China’s ethnic unity law say?

• The law adopted by China’s National People’s Congress in March 2026 primarily aims what?

• What is China’s ethnic composition?

• Why has the law come about now?

• How does the law redefine the concept of national identity in China?

• What is meant by ‘Sinicisation’? How is it reflected in the law?

Key Takeaways:

• Outlawing discrimination and promoting inter-community marriages, the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law also seeks to punish “acts that undermine ethnic unity and create ethnic division”. It further advocates for Mandarin as the nation’s common language and script.

• The law builds on certain existing policies and speaks to the state’s present view of China’s culture and diversity.

• Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, in his book How China Sees India and the World, wrote, “Through most of its history, the main challenge faced by successive Chinese empires was the perennial attacks by fierce nomadic tribes ranging across its northern and western peripheries…In some cases, these tribes themselves became Sinicised and, in turn, assumed the attitudes and mores of the heartland Chinese. The homogeneity of the latter-day Chinese is more a cultural rather than ethnic homogeneity, reinforced by shared attitudes and a unified script.”

• The law is a continuation of policies and ideas propagated by the state, especially in recent years under Chinese President Xi Jinping. For instance, it frames solidifying “ethnic unity” as part of the goal of “rejuvenation” of the Chinese nation after what is seen as years of suppression under foreign rule. Xi has emphasised this term time and again, covering military capabilities, foreign relations, and ethnic relations.

• A crucial part of the idea is China’s claims over Hong Kong, which enjoys some independence under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ scheme, and Taiwan, an island that functions independently, with a democratic government. China has not ruled out forcibly taking control of Taiwan, and has increased displays of military might around the island.

Do You Know:

• Some noteworthy provisions are:
—Article 10: “Matters of ethnic unity and progress are not to be interfered with by foreign forces… using excuses such as ethnicity, religion, or human rights…” This is likely a reference to the global criticisms of the Chinese state for human rights violations in the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Tibet.
—Article 15: “Schools and other educational institutions are to use the nation’s common language and script as the basic language and script for education…”
China Law Translate said that it effectively meant “Mandarin must be emphasised,” even when minority languages are used.
—Article 21: “The state is to support the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in carrying out education on the history of the Chinese people, Chinese culture, and national conditions… The state is to…enhance Taiwan compatriots sense of belonging, identification, and pride in the Chinese people…”
—Article 40: “No organisation or individual may interfere with the freedom of marriage on grounds such as ethnic identity, customs, or religious beliefs.” China Law Translate said of its interpretation: “Exchanges between ethnic cultures are intended to break down (what are viewed as) insular communities in favour of a larger identity with the community of Chinese people.” Reports say the article may be covering objections by religious officials of minority communities.
—Article 62: “The organisation, planning, or carrying out of violent terrorist activities, ethnic division activities, or religious extremist activities constitutes a crime…”

• Officially, China recognises 56 ethnic groups, including the Hans, the Uyghurs (primarily in the northwestern region of Xinjiang), the Tibetans, the Manchus and the Mongols. Today, the Han Chinese constitute over 90% of the total population. The Hans are also the largest group in Taiwan, which China claims as its own region, and in Hong Kong, which is China’s Special Administrative Region.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As Xi Jinping visits China’s Xinjiang, recalling the restive region’s modern history

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(7) Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE, 2016)
Community sometimes in the affairs of mentioned in the news
1. Kurd — Bangladesh
2. Madhesi — Nepal
3. Rohingya — Myanmar
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only

How the global energy shock threatens India’s Goldilocks era

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: India has always been at the mercy of the world’s energy producers on account of the country having to import a vast majority of its fuel needs. But the last half a decade, starting with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have shown it’s not just the financial markets that are vulnerable to these global shocks but the economy as a whole.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Goldilocks economy?

• What is the Goldilocks economy in India?

• What is India’s Goldilocks phase?

• Why is India considered to be in such a phase recently?

• Examine the relationship between crude oil prices and inflation in India.

• How rising energy prices affect the Indian rupee?

Key Takeaways:

• According to a scenario analysis by QuantEco Research’s economists, while the potential hit will be “miniscule” if oil averages around $80 per barrel in 2026-27 (up from $70 per barrel in 2025-26), the impact could become “non-linear and broad based” at higher levels: if
oil averages $100/barrel in 2026-27, the rupee could weaken to as much as 98.5-per-dollar, their analysis found.

• The Indian economy has posted impressive growth rates recently, both under the old and new GDP series. Growth rose from 6.7% in the first quarter of 2025-26 to 8.4% in July-September 2025 before edging down to 7.8% in the final three months of 2025. Inflation, too, has settled comfortably below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) medium-term target of 4%, with the updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) series that has 2024 as the base year for prices coming in at 2.75% in January. However, this positive growth-inflation mix is now under threat. “The Goldilocks narrative of strong growth and low inflation persists under the new GDP and CPI series, but is challenged by higher crude oil prices and fuel shortages,” Nomura economists Sonal Varma and Aurodeep Nandi said.

Do You Know:

• According to PIB,
—India’s real GDP grew 8.2% in Q2 FY 2025-26, up from 7.8% in the previous quarter and 7.4% in Q4 of 2024-25, led by resilient domestic demand amidst global trade and policy uncertainties. Real gross value added (GVA) expanded by 8.1%, catalysed by buoyant industrial and services sectors.
—The RBI revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 2025-26 upwards to 7.3% from the earlier estimate of 6.8%. India’s domestic growth is on an upward trajectory owing to multiple factors such as- robust domestic demand, income tax and goods and services tax (GST) rationalisation, softer crude oil prices, front-loading of Government capital expenditure (CAPEX), along with facilitative monetary and financial conditions, supported by benign inflation.
—Looking ahead, domestic drivers- favourable agricultural prospects, the sustained effects of GST rationalisation, benign inflation, and the strong balance sheets of corporates and financial institutions- coupled with supportive monetary and financial conditions, are expected to continue bolstering the economic activity.
—External factors such as services exports are projected to remain robust, while the swift conclusion of current trade and investment negotiations offers additional upside potential. Ongoing reforms are likely to further enable growth prospects. Present macro-economic situation presents a rare “goldilocks period” of high growth and low inflation.

• S. Mahendra Dev writes s in “Goldilocks phase of India’s economy can be sustained”-
—The Indian economy is in the Goldilocks zone with high growth and low inflation. NSO’s first advanced estimates show that real GDP growth would be 7.4 per cent in FY26. Nominal growth is expected to be 8 per cent. CPI inflation is projected at around 2 per cent. Despite trade tensions and geopolitical risks, the global and US GDP growth could be higher than expected due to fiscal support and AI-led investment. The WTO revised its forecast of merchandise trade volume from 0.9 per cent to 2.4 per cent.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Goldilocks phase of India’s economy can be sustained

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(8) Which of the following best describes a ‘Goldilocks economy’?
a) High inflation with low growth
b) Low inflation with moderate growth
c) High inflation with high growth
d) Low growth with deflation

Why Transgender Protection (Amendment) Bill 2026 has attracted criticism

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment

What’s the ongoing story: A new amendment introduced in Parliament proposes major changes to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, including removing the right to gender self-identification recognised by the Supreme Court in the landmark National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India in 2014 and introducing medical certification for identity recognition.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 vs Transgender Protection (Amendment) Bill 2026-compare

• What are the key changes proposed in the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) amendment bill, 2026?

• How Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) amendment bill, 2026 defines Transgender person?

• What percentage of Indian population is transgender?

• “Sex is biologically determined but gender is a social construct”-Critically Analyse

• Transgenders in India are still discriminated even after the Supreme Court has held that the right to self-identification of gender is part of the right to dignity and autonomy under Article 21 of the Constitution-Why?

• A National Council for Transgender (NCT) persons-role and objectives

• What are the Yogyakarta Principles?

• Employment rates of transgender in India-Know the data’s and Statistics

• What was the Supreme Court’s verdict in National Legal Services Authority vs Union Of India, 2014?

• Decriminalisation of homosexuality was much needed for transgenders and Section 377-Connect the dots

Key Takeaways:

• Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar introduced the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Friday (March 13). The move has drawn criticism from transgender and LGBT+ groups across the country.

• The 2019 Act defined a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned to that person at birth. The government has presented the latest amendment as a bid 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.” This understanding reverts to a pre-2014 understanding of transgender identity, relying heavily on biological characteristics as the parameter for eligibility.

• The definition of a transgender person under the bill is largely restrictive, recognising only one subset from the 2019 bill: Those with socio-cultural identities (kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta, eunuch) or persons born with specific congenital biological variations, a narrower, medicalised list replacing the open-ended intersex reference: primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomal
patterns, gonadal development, endogenous hormone production or response.

• The bill also creates a new and distinct category: any person or child who has been compelled — by force, allurement, inducement, deceit, or undue influence — to assume a transgender identity through mutilation, emasculation, castration, amputation, or surgical, chemical, or hormonal procedure.

Do You Know:

• In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court, in April 2014, legally recognized transgenders or eunuchs as ‘the third gender,’ directing the Centre as well as the states to treat them as socially and educationally backward classes and extend reservations in admission in educational institutions and for public appointments. The historic move came to be referred to as the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) judgment.
—Within the judgment, the apex court directed governments to take steps to remove problems faced by them such as fear, shame, social pressure, depression, and social stigma. The court affirmed the constitutional rights of transgender persons under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

• Further, it was only in 2018 that the Supreme Court widened the ambit of individual autonomy and decisional privacy by decriminalising homosexuality. Reading down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised same-sex relationships, the top court held that the law violated the fundamental rights of citizens. The court noted that the said Section was used as a weapon to harass the members of the LGBTQ community, resulting in discrimination.

• It was in 2021 that Karnataka emerged as the first and only state to extend one per cent reservation for trans persons in any service or post in all categories of employment to be filled through the direct recruitment process in the state. The amendment to Rule 9 of the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977, also directed recruiting authorities to provide a separate column to allow applicants to identify as ‘others’, apart from male or female.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: A brief history of India’s transgender community

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(9) In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following type of citizens? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
1. Person with an annual income of less than Rs. 1,00,000
2. Transgender with an annual income of less than Rs. 2,00,000
3. Member of Other Backward Classes (OBC) with an annual income of less than Rs. 3,00,000
4. All Senior Citizens
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 4 only

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.