Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for December 29, 2025. If you missed the December 28, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Polity and Governance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.What’s the ongoing story: Underlining the importance of technology in governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Chief Secretaries to replicate the Centre’s PRAGATI platform, which helps in monitoring key infrastructure projects and schemes, at the state-level, it is learnt. The PM was addressing the fifth two-day Chief Secretaries Conference that concluded here on Sunday.Key Points to Ponder:— What is the PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform?— What is the significance of PRAGATI ?— How PRAGATI has transformed the infrastructure projects in India?— What are the benefits of using technology for the monitoring of infrastructure projects and schemes?Story continues below this ad— How injecting a sense of urgency and accountability into the bureaucratic process is significant in yielding results?— Discuss the PRAGATI platform as a case study in eliminating bureaucratic red-tapism.— What are the various steps taken by the government to transform infrastructure governance?— Chief Secretaries’ Conference and Cooperative federalism – Think about it. — What steps should be taken for the ease of governance at the state level?Key Takeaways:Story continues below this ad— The Prime Minister also asked the Chief Secretaries to set up data strategy units and deregulation cells in their offices, it is learnt. The PM chaired the conference on Saturday and Sunday.— In a statement on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the conference included discussions on “human capital for Viksit Bharat”.— The Prime Minister said India had boarded the “reform express”, primarily driven by the strength of the youth, and the government was focused on empowering the key demographic, it said. He said the “Made in India” label should become a symbol of excellence and global competitiveness. — He said the Union and State governments should together identify 100 products for domestic manufacturing in order to reduce imports. He asked states to prioritise the soon-to-be-launched National Manufacturing Mission.Story continues below this adALSO READ | Knowledge Nugget: How is the Climate Change Performance Index 2026 relevant for the UPSC exam— In his address to the Chief Secretaries on Sunday evening, it is learnt that he asked them to establish a PRAGATI-like system, referring to the platform that was launched in 2015 by the Union government, for the state governments. — The portal, which stands for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, brings together data management, geo-spatial mapping and video-conferencing for the Prime Minister’s Office, Union Ministries and State governments to monitor implementation of critical infrastructure projects.— The PM noted that he has observed District Collectors spend a lot of time in work-related video-conferences and suggested that Chief Secretaries should streamline the process, restricting the time for “VCs” to two hours a week so that the collectors can spend more time in the field, a source said.Do You Know:— PRAGATI was launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It combines leadership with video conferencing, drone feeds, and data management to enable oversight of critical infrastructure.Story continues below this ad— The platform’s impact has helped complete long-delayed projects like segments of National Highway 8 in Maharashtra, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now the world’s highest rail bridge, and the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, which had languished for more than a decade before being completed within three years of coming under review in PRAGATI.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:The platforms like PRAGATIExplained: Connecting ministries for infrastructure projectUPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:(1) PRAGATI app is related to which of the following:(a) overseeing infrastructure project(b) database of undertrial prisoners(c) interstate GST collection platform(d) women safety THE EDITORIAL PAGEPolitical funding needs reform to protect democratic competitionSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues.Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions, Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.Story continues below this adWhat’s the ongoing story: Anil Verma and Shelly Mahajan write- “The unequal access to and the distribution of private donations directly impact the equality of political participation and electoral competition. The electoral level-playing field can be seriously undermined as a result of financial disparities between political forces, giving the better-resourced parties an edge over their competitors. This is also true for political funding in India. Despite decades of reform proposals, the nexus between money and politics persists due to weak legal enforcement, inadequate regulation, and a lack of political will.”Key Points to Ponder:— How do political parties receive the funding?— What are electoral bonds?— Why and when were electoral bonds introduced?— Why SC scrapped electoral bonds?— What are Electoral Trusts? How are they different from the electoral bonds?— What are the pros and cons of electoral trusts?— What are the challenges pertaining to electoral funding in India?— What are the reforms suggested regarding electoral funding?— What are the arguments for and against the state funding of elections?Key Takeaways:Story continues below this ad— “Before the introduction of electoral bonds, which were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last year, corporates made donations to political parties either directly or through electoral trusts…The Electoral Trust Scheme was introduced by the UPA government in 2013.” — “While trusts are relatively more transparent than the electoral bonds, the information regarding the method of disbursal of funds received from the donors to the political parties by them is not publicly available and is likely left to their discretion without ample scrutiny. The companies that have donated to these trusts and the beneficiary parties are known through the regular filing of reports. However, what is not known to the public is which party benefited from which company.”— “Only the Election Commission and the income tax department know this since the introduction of the transparency guidelines in 2014, which required trusts to disclose the records of their donors or donees to them. For greater transparency, the names of electoral trusts should indicate the name of the company/group of companies that set up the trusts.”— “The present political funding in India relies largely on corporates which donate directly or through Electoral Trusts to political parties ruling at the Centre or state level. There seems to be a quid pro quo between the corporates and such parties. As far as other parties are concerned, there is no level-playing field.”Story continues below this ad— “The five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court in the electoral bonds case called quid pro quo an instance of institutionalised corruption. In paragraph 201, the court bluntly said that “the reason for political contributions by companies is as open as daylight.” In paragraph 212, it further added that “contributions made by companies are purely business transactions made with the intent of securing benefits in return.”— “Campaign finance is also mired by the absence of legal limits on political parties’ election expenditure. Unlimited party spending on more ambitious, sophisticated and professional campaigns has resulted in increasing costs of elections, making it one of the most expensive elections globally, surpassing even the US elections.”— “The earliest discussions on the cost of elections were held in the Constituent Assembly in 1948. They argued in favour of the need for the state/public treasury to bear election expenditure in a regulated, least expensive and organised manner. They reasoned that an election is a state affair, not a private concern, and any unfair advantage to richer candidates must be avoided.”— “Several committee reports and experts have recommended the introduction of public funding in India. It is argued that such a move should follow the implementation of requisite political and electoral reforms, such as the enforcement of internal democracy and transparency in the working of political parties, bringing parties under the Right to Information and a ban on private donations, among others. However, it is important to remember that corporate donations were banned in India from 1969 until 1985. In the absence of any alternate means for lawful funding, this ban was followed by the consolidation of an opaque, corrupt political finance regime in which political favours were traded for donations, popularly referred to as “briefcase politics”.”— “Hence, any political finance framework or legislation that is adopted must be able to address the issue of disparity in access to funds among political parties, concentration of economic power in the hands of a few parties and donors, and political corruption as a result of illegitimate sources of funding.”— “Steps must be taken to reduce entry barriers to political contestation or the representation of candidates who do not enjoy financial prowess. There is a need for intervention to ensure healthy electoral competition and to diversify the sources of political funding. Otherwise, it is always the citizens at large who end up paying for the costs of their democracy.”Do You Know:— The electoral trust scheme was introduced by the UPA government in 2013. It preceded the electoral bonds scheme that was introduced by the NDA government in 2018. Both schemes are meant to facilitate donations to political parties by corporations and individuals. But while the electoral bonds scheme sought to ensure donor anonymity, electoral trusts are required to report to the Election Commission contributions from individuals and companies, and their donations to parties every year. — Under Section 17CA of the Income Tax Act of 1961, any citizen of India, a company registered in India, or a firm or Hindu Undivided Family or association of persons living in India, can donate to an electoral trust. — Electoral trusts must apply for renewal every three financial years. They must donate 95% of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:After SC junks poll bonds, trusts’ funding to political parties triplesExplained: What are electoral trusts and how are they funded?UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:(2) With reference to the electoral trusts, consider the following statements:1. Under Section 17CA of the Income Tax Act of 1961, any citizen of India or a company registered in India can donate to an electoral trust.2. Electoral trusts are required to report to the Election Commission contributions from individuals and companies, and their donations to parties every year.3. Electoral trusts must apply for renewal every five financial years.4. They must donate 25 per cent of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.How many of the statements given above are correct?(a) Only one(b) Only two(c) Only three(d) All four EXPLAINEDAfter the year that reset global equations, time to repair, rebuildSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.What’s the ongoing story: For 80 years, the geopolitical and geoeconomic compact forged after World War II largely held on, despite the odd tremors and pressures. The year 2025 was when it exploded in the world’s face, with US President Donald Trump’s second-term policies in full swing. Closer home, India and Pakistan saw a brief but lethal conflict, which drew some lines in the sand. Meanwhile, the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war, now dragging into its fourth year, and the brutal Gaza war, hang large over the world.Key Points to Ponder:— How have ongoing wars shaped global geopolitics in recent years?— How have high US tariffs impacted India–US relations?— Know the developments around the India-US trade deal.— What new red lines has India drawn in dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism?— Read about the Operation Sindoor. — Read about Nepal’s Gen Z protest.— How have developments in Nepal and Bangladesh impacted India’s neighbourhood policy?— What is the neighbourhood first policy?— What do you understand by the term “Global South”?— Read about the Russia-Ukraine war. — What is India’s West Asia strategy?— What challenges does India face in the present global order?Key Takeaways:— For New Delhi, there were some positives too: Ties with Europe improved, and re-engagement with Canada and China began, even if the underlying causes of strain remain unresolved.— India-U.S. under Trump 2.0: A year ago, India was bullish about ties with US after Trump’s re-election. Early, nimble engagement raised hopes and the two sides began trade talks. But relations deteriorated sharply after Trump claimed credit for stopping the war with Pakistan and imposed 50% tariffs on India — the highest on any country. India was forced to reduce oil imports from Russia. Trade talks still continue, but strategic trust has taken a hit.— Fraught ties with Pakistan under Field Marshal Munir: After the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor was paused after four days, but Delhi drew a new redline: no nuclear blackmail, and any terror attack would be treated as an act of war. The escalation alarmed the global community. The year ended with another terror incident near Delhi’s Red Fort, but India avoided escalating rhetoric or retaliation. — Regime change in Nepal: Anger against corruption and nepotism spilled onto Nepal’s streets, and Gen Z protesters ousted the ruling dispensation. An interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was formed, with elections promised in early 2026. The upheaval strengthened the army and revived some support for the monarchy, though the political class continues to resist deeper change.ALSO READ | UPSC Interview Special | Expert Talk: ‘Your real self, not your rehearsed one’ — What Civil Services Personality Test really judges? (Part 1)— Turmoil in Bangladesh: Bangladesh saw renewed unrest after the killing of youth leader Osman Hadi and a Hindu man’s lynching, adding to a year of tension with India. Nearly 18 months after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, the student-backed interim government led by Muhammad Yunus continues to face legitimacy and security challenges as it heads to polls in February 2026.— Tension in West Asia: The two-year war in Gaza was paused after a Trump-brokered ceasefire, despite violations by Israel and Hamas. Israel and the US asserted unprecedented dominance over Iran following a 12-day conflict in which US bombers struck fortified Iranian nuclear sites. Israel also struck inside Qatar, prompting Trump to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologise to Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.— India’s outreach to China and Russia: As ties with the US soured, India asserted strategic autonomy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in Tianjin, and later hosted Putin bilaterally. The outreach unsettled European partners.— Re-engagement with China: Re-engagement continued with the removal of visa curbs and restoration of direct flights after the October 2024 Kazan summit. However, around 50,000 troops remain deployed on each side of the Line of Actual Control.— Turkey and Afghanistan: Ties with Turkey deteriorated after Turkish drones were found in Pakistan’s arsenal and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly backed Islamabad. In contrast, India strengthened engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, hosting ministers, allowing the Taliban to take over the Afghan embassy, and reframing Kabul as “the enemy’s enemy” amid deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan ties.Do You Know:— Neighbourhood First policy guides India’s relations with countries in its immediate neighbourhood. It focuses on creating mutually beneficial, people-oriented, regional frameworks for stability and prosperity through the building of physical, digital and people-to-people connectivity.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Yearender 2025: How India managed tariffs, conflicts, and diplomatic winsUPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and MainsUPSC Issue at a Glance | Turmoil in Nepal: GenZ Protest and India-Nepal RelationsPrevious year UPSC Prelims Questions Covering similar theme:(3) Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE 2016)Community sometimes mentioned in the newsIn the affairs of1.KurdBangladesh2.MadhesiNepal3.RohingyaMyanmarWhich of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?(a) 1 and 2(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3(d) 3 only(4) With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Previous year UPSC Mains Questions Covering similar theme:The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyse India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries. (UPSC CSE 2017)The protests in Shahbag Square in Dhaka in Bangladesh reveal a fundamental split in society between the nationalists and Islamic forces. What is its significance for India? ( UPSC CSE 2013)Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (UPSC CSE 2018) THE IDEAS PAGEGoing forward, RBI’s rupee policy must not repeat errors of recent historySyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and economy.Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.What’s the ongoing story: Abhishek Anand, Josh Felman and Arvind Subramanian write- “Having crossed some psychological “90” barrier, the rupee is once again in the news and once again giving rise to angst and confusion. What is happening and is the rupee being well-managed?”Key Points to Ponder:— Know about the RBI and its role in the Indian economy.— What is depreciation of a currency?— What is the exchange rate?— How do the demand and supply of the currency affect the exchange rate?— What is the real effective exchange rate (REER)? How is it different from the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER)?— What are the factors behind the fall of the Indian rupee?— Who benefits from a strong rupee in India, and who benefits from a weaker rupee, and why?— How is a weaker rupee important for labour-intensive export sectors?— Why is foreign capital leaving India despite high growth claims?Key Takeaways:— “First, to give credit where it is due. The rupee is better managed today under Governor Sanjay Malhotra and his team than it was in the period mid-2023-late 2024 (the period of the peg). Then, the rupee was fixed for a considerable period based on motivations that were obscure, perhaps unsavoury, in favouring large foreign currency borrowers (Figure 1). The fixity worsened the competitiveness of the economy and was only sustained by a loss of over $150 billion in valuable reserves. In the end, it provoked a speculative attack against a rupee that had become clearly over-valued.”— “In contrast, in the last one year, the new RBI regime has managed the rupee better and more flexibly. There is the important question of why foreign capital is bolting out of India when, in fact, there ought to be a stampede into the country if the economy is supposedly growing at a torrid 8.2 per cent, much faster than any comparable country. In the event, the RBI has partially allowed this capital flight to be reflected in the exchange rate, which has declined from 85 rupees to the dollar to 90 rupees to the dollar over the last year.”— “Second, however, old habits persist. From the middle of 2025, when pressures on the rupee re-emerged for a host of external (Trump tariffs, investor re-assessment in favour of China) and domestic reasons (weak private investment and doubts about official growth numbers), the RBI started intervening again to partially defend the rupee. Based on official data and some estimates for November and December, it seems that since June 2025, the RBI has sold dollars in the spot market to the extent of $30-35 billion and may have intervened in the forward market to the extent of up to $30 billion.”— “This raises the question: Why, oh why? Losing reserves to prevent high inflation is one thing but doing so when there is no such risk is damaging. One might speculate that there are two interest groups arguing against a rupee decline. First are those Indians who have dollar expenditures, including large companies that have borrowed in dollars, and middle class and rich households who want to send their children abroad for education. The second group are nationalist politicians for whom a declining rupee is a sign of weakness.”— “The response of policy-makers to the former group must be to highlight the plight of the tens of millions of workers in labour-intensive industries (fisheries, gems and jewellery, and clothing) all across the country who have lost or are at risk of losing their jobs and livelihoods because of the devastating Trump tariffs. It is undeniable that the exchange rate has serious distributional consequences. And in this instance, a weaker rupee protects millions of the poor, while a strong rupee favours the rich few.”— “The reality is that protecting the job-intensive export sector requires a much weaker currency. How much weaker? Take some illustrative calculations. Figure 2 shows that India’s real exchange rate has declined relative to the average of the last five years by about 5 per cent while China’s has by about 12 per cent. An alternative calculation is that India has been burdened by a punitive Trump tariff of 25 per cent (over and above competitor countries).”— “Whether India needs to catch up with Chinese competitiveness or needs an exchange rate to offset the punitive tariffs, a further 10 per cent decline in the rupee seems almost necessary, especially given that there has been very little fiscal support from the government. In that case, a rupee at 100 to the US dollar, occurring gradually over the next few months, rather than a rupee that is kept close to 90, is the minimum that the economy and its export sector needs.”— “The irony is that markets are trying to do a desirable job that policy makers have themselves been unable or unwilling to (a rupee depreciation is effectively a subsidy to exporters); instead of sitting back and availing themselves of the benefits, vested interests and politicians are actually thwarting markets to the detriment of the economy. This is self-inflicted damage. Also, the government should allow the RBI to manage a truly flexible exchange rate policy because it is undertaking a number of desirable reforms whose impact can be magnified and brought forward by a more competitive currency.”Do You Know:— The rate at which one can swap between currencies is the exchange rate. In other words, how many rupees would buy you a dollar or a euro.— In such a market — also referred to as the currency market — each currency is like a commodity itself. The value of each currency relative to another currency is called the exchange rate. These values can stay the same over time but more often than not they keep changing.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:At year’s end, robust growth, signs that economy weathered the stormsRupee breaches 90-mark: What’s driving the slidePrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(5) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)1. An increase in Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) indicates the appreciation of rupee.2. An increase in the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) indicates an improvement in trade competitiveness.3. An increasing trend in domestic inflation relative to inflation in other countries is likely to cause an increasing divergence between NEER and REER.Which of the statements given above are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Healthcare gets privacy backbone, but devil is in detailsSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Mains Examination: 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: Tishampati Sen and Harsh Mahajan writes- “The recently notified Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, have brought into effect parts of the DPDP Act, 2023, and have started the timer for the other provisions of the Act to kick in. This is, arguably, the most significant privacy reform since the IT Act, 2000. The DPDP Act, along with the Rules, aims to foster respect for individual rights and data accountability.”Key Points to Ponder:— Read about the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 and DPDP Act, 2023.— What are the key features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act?— What is data localisation?— Who are data fiduciaries?— Why is there a need for data protection law?— Which other countries have data protection laws?— What are the issues associated with the DPDP Act?Key Takeaways:— “It will impact the healthcare sector in a big way. As with most ambitious reforms, the devil lurks in the details. The Act elevates every clinic, hospital, lab and telemedicine app to the category of “data fiduciary”. It does not differentiate between a large hospital, a small clinic, a large corporation, or a start-up.”— “Any personal data in digital form, or in non-digital form and digitised later, is subject to the Act (unless it falls in the limited exceptions in Section 3(c) of the Act). Patients become “data principals” with rights to access, correct and even erase their medical information. On paper, this is empowering. In practice, Indian healthcare now finds itself navigating a maze where the law is clear about duties, but vague about the boundaries.”— “Anyone who has signed a hospital consent form knows that it is quite often an exercise in blind faith rather than informed choice. The DPDP Act forces transparency into such a system….The Act, with the laudable objective of minimising data collection and retention, gives a wide berth to the individual to withdraw consent or to seek deletion of data. While this may be relevant for sectors such as online gaming or e-commerce, it creates complications for the healthcare sector.”— “If a patient withdraws consent, or if there is a request to erase personal data, the fiduciary is bound to delete the said data and stop “processing” it. However, who is to take the responsibility for the treatment and health of such a patient? The Act does warn the data principal that it will be the individual who will be responsible for the consequences of the withdrawal of consent. But it is worth remembering that the DPDP Act does not take away the legal obligations of the healthcare sector.”— “The definition of “processing” in the Act includes “erasure” and “destruction”. A conservative reading would suggest that even for the deletion of personal data, the data fiduciary would need to take the data principal’s consent. Without such permission, how long would the healthcare participant — a nursing home, for example — be required to retain patient data? Schedule III of the Rules lists sectors for which data retention timelines are prescribed. Healthcare, however, is absent from such timelines. A patient’s medical records are lifelines, often needed years after treatment. By not specifying retention norms for medical data, the Rules inadvertently leave hospitals guessing, lawyers busy, and patients potentially unprotected.”— “Section 5(2) of the Act mandates that for data collected prior to the commencement of the Act, the data fiduciary may give notice to data principals “as soon as it is reasonably practicable” regarding their rights. While the phrase “reasonably practicable” may provide some comfort to hospitals or clinics, there is no ceiling in terms of the time period for which such a look-back may be applicable. Without clarification, it may well mean that all the data in digital form, irrespective of how long ago it was collected, would have to be brought within the Act’s scope.”— “Despite these gaps, the law is a serious attempt at giving Indian healthcare a privacy backbone. It tells patients — your data is a right. It tells providers: your duty of care includes digital care. Some provisions need revisiting. Healthcare possibly deserves a sector-specific rulebook — not because it is burdensome, but because it is too consequential to be lumped together with online commerce and gaming companies.”Do You Know:— The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) recently notified the long awaited data protection rules, paving the way for India to have a functional privacy law, eight years after the Supreme Court ruled it as a fundamental right. The notification of the rules comes over two years after the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) received the President’s assent in August 2023.— While the law is now operational, only parts of it are currently in force, as some of the most important protections available to citizens under the law will take longer — between 12 to 18 months — to be implemented.— Effectively, the Data Protection Board of India (DPB), which will act as the key adjudicatory body to ensure entities comply with the law, has been implemented, along with a controversial provision which amends the Right to Information (RTI) Act to disallow disclosure of personal information about public officials even when it is justified in larger public interest.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Digital Personal Data Protection rules notified: Key opportunities and challenges aheadPrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(6) Which of the following adopted a law on data protection and privacy for its citizens known as General Data Protection Regulation’ in April 2016 and started implementation of it from 25th May, 2018? (UPSC CSE 2019)(a) Australia(b) Canada(c) The European Union(d) The United States of AmericaPrevious year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:Describe the context and salient features of Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. (UPSC CSE 2024)ALSO IN NEWSPresident undertakes submarine sortie onboard INS VaghsheerPresident Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a sortie onboard Indian Navy’s indigenously-built frontline submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western seaboard. Murmu is the second President to undertake a submarine sortie. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam experienced a submarine sortie onboard INS Sindhu Rakshak. INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was commissioned into the Navy in January.‘SMR viability a question until orders scale, local value addition nears 100%While SMRs (small modular reactors) are a natural choice for localised grid applications, smaller reactors would mean larger number of reactor units, leading to bigger risk of a major accident, unless their safety is at a correspondingly higher level. Not all SMRs would meet this criteria, according to the country’s top nuclear scientist ANIL KAKODKAR. Now that India is able to build large PHWR (pressurised heavy water reactor) capacity with imported uranium (as fuel), the country has the possibility of using this reactor capacity for conversion of thorium to fissile uranium through irradiation of thorium along with HALEU (a fuel variant called high assay, low enriched uranium) in the country’s PHWRs at scale. This enables the launch of the thorium phase (the third phase of India’s three-stage nuclear programme) earlier, without having to wait for build up of required fast breeder reactor capacity. The used fuel from these PHWRs – the mainstay of India’s nuclear power programme – can then be recycled to set up additional power generation capacity, including through the new-age molten salt reactors or MSRs as part of the third stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power development programme. This will enable faster energy independence from imported nuclear fuel, Kakodkar, who is now the Chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National Institute and the Chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, and was former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, told The Indian Express. Sweeteners harm the liverSorbitol, a popular sugar-free sweetener, may not be as harmless as its label suggests. Researchers at Washington University in St Louis found it can be turned into fructose in the liver, triggering effects similar to regular sugar. Gut bacteria can neutralise some of it but too much sorbitol or glucose can overwhelm that defence. . PRELIMS ANSWER KEY1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (c)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for December 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com