Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 23, 2025. If you missed the August 22, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importanceMains Examination: General Studies-III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.What’s the ongoing story: SIGNALLING A major surge in its activities, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday said it would be launching more than 100 satellites in the next 15 years to meet the country’s needs for earth-observation data, and satellite-based communication and navigation.Key Points to Ponder:— What are the major achievements of ISRO in recent years?— What are the major achievements of the private space companies?— What percentage of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed in the space sector in India?Story continues below this ad— How is the space sector moving towards the Atmanirbhaar Bharat?— Know about the Chandrayaan missions— What is the purpose of the earth-observation satellites?— What are the various launch vehicles of ISRO?— What do you know about the NGLV (Next Generation Launch Vehicle)?— What are the properties of the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)?Key Takeaways:— This would be in addition to space exploration or science missions like those to the Moon, Mars or Venus, or the human spaceflight missions under the Gaganyaan programme.Story continues below this ad— Until now, ISRO has been doing just about five to six launches — all kinds of missions — in a year. The maximum launches it has managed in a year is nine, in 2016. But ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the space agency was preparing to step up the gas.— ISRO is planning to move into the next gear, banking heavily on the promise shown by the private space companies, both on the application side as well as those building hardware. At least 350 private space companies are currently in operation, and many of them have been working on extremely innovative projects. Their success is essential for ISRO delivering on its 2047 roadmap.— Narayanan said the space sector in India needed to undergo rapid indigenisation to enable the transformation, and expressed confidence that the emerging private industry would make this happen.— The 2047 roadmap for ISRO includes not just the Chandrayaan-4 and 5 missions, which have already been announced, but also 6, 7 and 8 before the crewed mission to Moon in 2040. Both Chandrayaan-4 and 5 are sample return missions, and are expected to happen in the 2027-28 timeline.Story continues below this ad— Chandrayaan-5 is a joint mission with Japanese space agency JAXA. ISRO did not mention the timelines for the follow-on Chandrayaan missions. The roadmap also includes Mars lander mission, but the timeline is not specified. India’s first mission to Mars, Mangalyaan, was an Orbiter, and did not land.— Most of the 100-plus satellite launches that ISRO is planning in the next 15 years are going to be earth-observation satellites. About 80 of them would be meant only for land-based applications, while the others would enable ocean and atmospheric applications.Do You Know:For lunar missions, ISRO building its heaviest rocket ever— THE INDIAN Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is in the process of building its heaviest rocket ever, and has named it Lunar Module Launch Vehicle, or LMLV.— This new rocket would be as tall as a 40-storey building, dwarfing the LMV-3 which is its current most powerful rocket.Story continues below this ad— ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said Friday that the LMLV would be ready by 2035, and would be used for the lunar missions, including the first human mission to the Moon, planned by 2040.— The LVM-3 carried Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon and since then has been human-rated for use in the Gaganyaan mission, India’s human spaceflight programme.— Narayanan said ISRO was no longer working on the NGLV (Next Generation Launch Vehicle), a heavy-lift rocket that was supposed to carry the modules for India’s space station, the Bharat Antariksh Station, or BAS. India plans to set up a five-module Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035.— “This launch vehicle (LMLV) is capable of carrying much heavier payloads. NGLV was designed to carry 30 tonnes to low earth orbit, this will be capable of carrying 80 tonnes to the low earth orbit,” Narayanan said.Story continues below this adALSO READ | UPSC Civil Services Mains 2025 GS Paper 1 Analysis: UPSC asks aspirants to examine Akbar’s religious syncretism; echoes a Bihar PCS Mains question. Geography takes the spotlight.— Low-earth orbits are between 200 and 2,000 km from the Earth’s surface. Moon is about 4 lakh km away. The LMLV rocket would be capable of carrying about 27 tonnes to the Moon.— NGLV will no longer be required for setting up the BAS. A modified version of the current LVM3 rocket, using a liquid oxygen and kerosene engine, will be capable of putting all modules in space,” he said.— The heaviest payload that the current LVM3 has carried to low earth orbit is 5.8 tonnes. With the liquid oxygen/kerosene engine, it will be capable of carrying up to 10 tonnes to a low earth orbit of around 400 km, the height required for the space station.— The LMLV will be a three-stage rocket, with the first two stages using liquid propellent and the third stage using a cryogenic propellant. Placed side-by-side, even the strap-on boosters of the LMLV are taller than the entire height of the current LVM3. The first stage core, along with two strap-on motors, will have three sets of nine engines or 27 in total.Story continues below this ad— ISRO scientists said the LMLV was just an improved version of the NGLV that was already under development. When used without the strap-on boosters, the LMLV would be as good as NGLV would have been.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:What the first findings from ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 mission tell us about the MoonNational Space Day: All you need to know for UPSC Prelims and MainsPrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(1) With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)Story continues below this ad1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 2 only(d) 3 onlyAnother case before SC: Rare wildlife being hunted by feral dogsSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importanceMains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessmentWhat’s the ongoing story: Amid the debate triggered by the Supreme Court’s order to capture and move stray dogs to shelter homes in Delhi, a policy decision is pending in another case related to scores of endangered wildlife species before the apex court.Key Points to Ponder:— What are free-ranging dogs?— Why are they a major concern in protecting endangered species?— What is the role of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)?— What are health concerns with dog packs?— What is the recent ruling of the SC on stray dogs in Delhi?— The Kerala government wants the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 amended so it can be allowed to kill wild animals that foray into human habitats. What do you understand from this?Key Takeaways:— In December 2023, a group of Maharashtra NGOs moved the apex court, seeking identification and management of free-ranging dogs “invading wildlife habitats” as an “invasive species” by means of sterilisation, immunisation, and failing those, “removal or elimination” to “preserve the right to protect endangered species under Article 21” of the Constitution.— At a meeting hosted by the Environment Ministry in July to frame a new policy in the matter, one of the petitioners underlined that “sterilization alone may not be the solution as the sterilized dogs may continue to attack the wild animals in the area”.— Called feral or stray, free-ranging dog packs have emerged as a major conservation threat, directly hunting endangered species in recent years, and indirectly leading to the loss of wildlife through the spread of various diseases.— Camera-traps used for the 2018 all-India tiger census captured more stray dogs than tigers in 17 tiger reserves, prompting the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to release a Standard Operating Procedure — “To deal with Stray/Feral Dogs in Tiger Reserves — in December 2020.— In March 2020, an Environment ministry report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) identified dogs as a major threat to the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and Chinkara in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park.— Among the victims are the snow leopard in Ladakh; Himalayan fox, blue sheep and ibex fawns in Himachal’s Spiti; golden langur in Assam’s Chakrashila sanctuary; leopard cat in Karnataka’s Coorg; mouse deer in Kerala’s Wayanad; and nesting Olive Ridley turtles along the coastline from Lakshadweep to Orissa.— Stray dogs have also been found mating with the Himalayan wolf in Spiti where the resulting hybrids are known locally as ‘Khib-shang’.— Dog packs are also potential careers of diseases like rabies, parvovirus, and canine distemper — a highly contagious malady that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems — to the wild.— Hearing the petition in February 2024, the apex court referred the matter to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.— This April, the Supreme Court disposed of the petition with liberty to the petitioners to come back, if required, after attorney general R Venkataramani informed the court that talks were on between the ministries of Environment and Animal Husbandry and “in all likelihood guidelines will be framed within a period of six weeks from today.”Do You Know:— Kerala has sought the Union government’s nod to kill wild animals that pose a threat to human life and properties. The state wants the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 amended so it can be allowed to kill wild animals that foray into human habitats.— The existing legal framework puts several constraints in taking timely action in emergency situations, officials said, especially in the case of animals protected under Schedule I of the Act.— The state wants wild boars to be declared as vermin for a certain period under section 62 of the Act. The state also wants to address the bonnet macaque threat by removing it from the category of Schedule I. This species of monkey was included in Schedule I in 2022.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Why Kerala wants Wildlife Act amended to allow it to kill some wild animalsPrelims Question Covering similar theme:(2) Consider the following facts about Bonnet macaque:1. The IUCN status is Vulnerable2. Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection ActWhich of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2 FRONTUse Aadhaar, any of 11 listed papers for inclusion claim: Supreme Court on Bihar rollsSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights IssuesMains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementationWhat’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court Friday directed the Election Commission of India to let those excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls submit their claim forms online, or physically, along with their Aadhaar card or any of the 11 documents listed by the Commission.Key Points to Ponder:— Who are the Booth Level Agents (BLAs)?— What is the purpose of conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar?— What is the role of the Supreme Court in ensuring the principles of natural justice in this case?— Why is Voting important in a democracy?— What are the challenges faced by the ECI in conducting SIR in Bihar?— Is the intensive revision of the electoral roll happening for the first time in Bihar?Key Takeaways:— Stating that its attempt is to see that the entire exercise is “voter friendly”, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked Bihar’s 12 recognised political parties to instruct their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist voters in submitting claim forms.— The Bench had issued a set of directions to the EC to make available — both online and offline — the list of the estimated 65 lakh voters whose names had not been included in the draft rolls, along with the reasons for exclusion.— The bench directed the BLAs to make every effort to facilitate the 65 lakh people whose names were not included in the draft electoral rolls, except those who are dead or who have shifted and are not ordinary residents, to submit their objections by the cut-off date of September 1, 2025.— Fixing the next hearing for September 8, the bench said, “We have passed an order, we are eagerly waiting to see how it is complied with.”(NOTE: It is a sub-judice matter so keep a track on developments.)Do You Know:— With the state set to head to polls in November, the ECI announced the Bihar SIR late in June. It said that demographic changes in the last 20 years meant that current electoral rolls contained many “repeated entries”, and “the situation [warranted] an intensive verification drive to verify each person before enrolment as an elector”.— January 25 is celebrated annually as National Voters’ Day to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which was founded on January 25, 1950.— The day aims to promote people’s participation in elections by encouraging and felicitating young voters and increasing voter enrolment. It is also utilised to spread awareness among voters and to promote informed participation in the electoral process.— In democracies, voting is seen as a basic exercise that shows people’s faith in the political process. Voting gives each person a say in deciding who will hold positions of power in their society and is a crucial part of exercising one’s citizenship.— In 2013, the Indian Supreme Court allowed for the option ‘None of the Above’ to be introduced in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assembly elections to allow such views to be expressed.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:What is the relevance of the National Voters’ Day for UPSC examCitizenship is in Parliament’s domain, but ECI can include citizens and exclude non-citizens as voters: SCPrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(3) Consider the following statements:1. January 25 is celebrated annually as National Voters’ Day to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI).2. In People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India, 2013, SC directed the Election Commission to include a NOTA button in EVMs.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(D) NoneSC modifies ‘harsh’ order, says stray dogs to be released after sterilizationSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importanceMains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventionsWhat’s the ongoing story: Terming its earlier order on confining stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to dedicated shelters instead of releasing them as “too harsh”, the Supreme Court on Friday directed that these dogs should be returned to the area from where they were picked up after sterilisation, deworming and vaccination, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.Key Points to Ponder:— What are the key provisions of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023?— Which animals are carriers of the rabies virus?— What is the cure of rabies?— How to draw a balance between compassion for dogs and the lives of human beings?— Why is there a need for a national policy or decision on stray dogs?— A blanket direction to pick up all the strays and place them in dog shelters/ pounds without evaluating the existing infrastructure may lead to a Catch-22 situation. What do you understand from this?Key Takeaways:— The court, however, “clarified that this relocation shall not apply to dogs infected with rabies or suspected to be infected with rabies, and those that display aggressive behaviour”.— Expanding the scope of the case beyond the confines of Delhi-NCR, the court directed that all States and Union Territories be impleaded in the matter.— It also said that all related cases pending before various High Courts should be transferred to the SC for a “final national policy or decision” on the issue.— Modifying the earlier order, the three-judge bench said in its interim order on Friday: “A blanket direction to pick up all the strays and place them in dog shelters/ pounds without evaluating the existing infrastructure may lead to a Catch-22 situation because such directions may be impossible to comply with”.— Saying that dedicated feeding areas should be created for stray dogs, the court said those who feed them on the streets would face proceedings.— The provision in ABC Rule 11(19) that the dogs, upon sterilisation and immunisation, should be relocated to the same locality from which they have been picked up, “is scientifically carved out in as much as it serves two purposes.— Firstly, the same prevents the scope of overcrowding in the dog shelters/ pounds, and secondly, the picked-up stray dogs, after immunisation and sterilisation, are relocated to the same environment where they were living earlier, which is a compassionate treatment,” the court said.— The court also directed municipal authorities to create dedicated helplines for reporting violation of its directions. “On such a report being received, appropriate measures shall be taken against the individuals/ NGOs concerned,” it said.— The court also asked individuals and NGOs who had approached it against the earlier order to deposit Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh respectively, with the SC Registry within a week, failing which they would not be allowed to appear in the matter any further.— The amount deposited shall be utilised for creating the necessary infrastructure and facilities for stray dogs under the aegis of the respective municipal bodies, the court said.Do You Know:— Children — especially those under 10 years of age — are at a higher risk for severe or fatal outcomes following a dog bite, experts opine. The seriousness of a dog bite depends on factors such as wound depth, extent of damage to tissues, the location, and the dog’s vaccination status.— Even minor-looking bites should be carefully monitored, as per the experts. Immediate washing, cleaning, and medical treatment of the wound are crucial to prevent infection.— Dog bites are dangerous due to the bacteria harboured in the animal’s mouth, which can cause serious infection, including staphylococcus, pasteurella, and capnocytophaga, once the skin is broken.— The bite itself may damage the skin, muscles, tendons, nerves, or even bones, especially in severe cases, which can result in scarring, disability, or even death, he underlines.— “Complications from infection, such as sepsis, can be life-threatening if left untreated. Another critical risk is rabies, a fatal viral disease that can be transmitted through dog saliva.”— Survival from a rabies infection is extremely rare, according to doctors. Once symptoms appear, rabies is considered one of the deadliest infections known, with a nearly 100% fatality rate.— Only a handful of human survivors have ever been documented worldwide, often due to either extremely aggressive critical care or infection by a weakened strain of the virus.— Generally, if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — a series of rabies vaccines begun before the onset of symptoms — is not received, the outcome is fatal.— Seeking medical care within 24 hours for any animal bite that breaks the skin is vital to reduce the risk of bacterial infection, tetanus, or contracting fatal diseases like rabies, according to experts.— Rabies is a viral disease that can infect any mammal, not just dogs. While dogs account for the majority of human rabies cases — especially in developing countries — many other animals are possible carriers. These include cats, cattle, horses, goats, ferrets, bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, and monkeys.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Animal welfare groups hail SC stray dog order, but some concerns remainExplained: How govt, courts have dealt with stray dogsUPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(4) Consider the following diseases:1. Trachoma2. Rabies3. SmallpoxWhich of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 3 only(c) 1, 2 and 3(d) None EXPLAINEDDirect Action & Gopal ‘Patha’Syllabus:Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National MovementMains Examination: General Studies-I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issuesWhat’s the ongoing story: A resident of Kolkata, Shantanu Mukherjee (45), has complained to police that filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s forthcoming Bengal Files tarnishes the image and reputation of his late grandfather Gopal Mukherjee.Key Points to Ponder:— What was the objective of the Direct Action Day?— What was proposed by the Cabinet Mission?— Who was the Governor-General of India during the time of the Cabinet Mission?— When is the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day observed?Key Takeaways:— Agnihotri’s film is about the communal riots that raged in Kolkata for four days beginning August 16, 1946, the date designated by the Muslim League as “Direct Action Day” to create Pakistan.— Between 5,000 and 10,000 people are believed to have been murdered and some 15,000 wounded in the “Great Calcutta Killing”, which witnessed perhaps the worst single episode of Hindu-Muslim violence that accompanied the partition of the subcontinent.— The Great Calcutta Killing was followed by bloody riots in Bombay, Noakhali (in today’s Bangladesh), Bihar, Garhmukteshwar, and several places in Punjab over the next few months.— Gopal Mukherjee, known by the moniker Gopal ‘Paantha’ (or Gopal Patha) because his family owned a mutton shop in central Kolkata’s College Street (paantha is goat in Bangla), was a leader of one of the major street gangs that were active during the Direct Action Day violence in the city.— Gopal Mukherjee and his group, supposedly comprising more than 800 young men, took it upon themselves to protect Hindus in their area from gangs of Muslim rioters.— British Prime Minister Clement Atlee had announced the transfer of power in March 1946, although no date had been fixed. In May, the Cabinet Mission proposed a plan for an interim government, which both the Congress and Muslim League rejected.— The League had committed itself to accepting nothing short of Partition and the creation of Pakistan. Its leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, proclaimed that there would now be “either a divided India or a destroyed India”.— On July 29, the League called on Muslims across India to observe August 16 as Direct Action Day, with strikes, hartals, and protests. But in Bengal, and Calcutta specifically, the situation went totally out of control.— Bengal as a whole was Muslim-majority, but most of the 54% Muslim population of the province lived in areas that would become East Pakistan and subsequently, Bangladesh. The city of Calcutta was 73% Hindu. Muslims were concentrated in North Calcutta and in the Metiabruz area by the Ganga, and were mainly part of the city’s underclasses.— In the provincial elections of January 1946, the Bengal Provincial Muslim League, a provincial branch of the Muslim League, had emerged victorious, and H S Suhrawardy – a future Prime Minister of Pakistan and an early mentor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Bangladesh – became prime minister (chief minister) of the province.— Almost all members of Suhrawardy’s cabinet belonged to the League… Suhrawardy announced a public holiday in Bengal on August 16. The air in Calcutta was thick with apprehension and foreboding.— Through August 17 and 18, the violence intensified. It was only on August 19 that the military was called in. The chaos and bloodshed continued sporadically, and on August 21, Bengal was put under Viceroy’s rule.— For a long time, Calcutta remained divided between Muslim and Hindu zones with very little movement between them. Historians of Bengal believe that the Calcutta riots of 1946 were by far the most cataclysmic event leading to the partition of the province a year later.— What is known of Mukherjee and his role in the violence comes primarily from a book on the “Calcutta underworld” published in 1996, and an audio interview that Mukherjee gave to Andrew Whitehead of the BBC in 1997.— Mukherjee said that he and his boys had used whatever weapons they could lay their hands on – knives, sticks, rods, and guns. They had been stocking up on some weapons over the last few years…— A year after the Great Calcutta Killing, Mahatma Gandhi visited Calcutta and appealed to people to surrender their arms. Mukherjee told Whitehead that several of the rioters surrendered their weapons, but he refused to meet Gandhi despite being called twice.— Ray and Das wrote in their book that following the riots of 1946, Mukherjee and his associates were pushed into a life of crime and lawlessness. They received liberal financial help from prosperous Calcutta Hindus during the riots, and were hailed as saviours. After the situation returned to normal, however, they were ostracised and looked at with contempt.Do You Know:— India is commemorating August 14, as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.— The partition of India into India and Pakistan led to grave violence and communal riots, loss of property, and extreme upheaval in the weeks and months around August 15, 1947. The Partition is acknowledged as one of the most violent and abrupt displacements in the recent history of the world.— An official document released by the government to mark Partition Horrors Remembrance Day says: “More than being a story of a violent divide based on faith and religion it is also a story of how a way of life and ages of co-existence came to a sudden and dramatic end.”— Estimates of the numbers of those killed vary; according to the official document, it could be between 500,000 to over a million, but “the generally accepted figure stands at around 500,000”.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Explained: Why India is commemorating Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on August 14UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(5) The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War (UPSC CSE 2016)(a) India should be granted complete independence(b) India should be partitioned into two before granting independence(c) India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth(d) India should be given Dominion status ECONOMYIndia’s ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ in Trump’s ‘game of chicken’ on Russian oil, and the Hobson’s choice presented by ChinaSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importanceMains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.What’s the ongoing story: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar may have expressed surprise over the additional 25 per cent US tariff slapped on India over energy imports from Russia, reiterating that “it was the Americans” who said “we should do everything to stabilise the world’s energy markets, including buying oil from Russia”.Key Points to Ponder:— Learn about these terms as given in the article: Game of Chicken, Prisoner’s dilemma, and Hobson’s choice— New Delhi is ostensibly recalibrating its foreign policy toward Beijing. What do you understand from this?— How has oil import from Russia become a hurdle in the India-US trade deal?— What is the rationale given by the USA to impose tariffs on India?Key Takeaways:— There is, however, a growing realisation in New Delhi’s policy circles that India may have ended up becoming a “soft target” to pressure Russia into ending the Ukraine war – collateral damage in US President Donald Trump’s ambition to squeeze Russia’s crude exports and pressurise Moscow to get on to the negotiating table for ending the war in Europe.— Jaishankar’s statement Thursday, delivered when he was seated next to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, came after the US doubled down on its attack on India.— From an Indian perspective, this situation ostensibly presents the ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ – a classic game theory scenario illustrating why two rational individuals might not cooperate even when it’s in their best interest to do so, essentially highlighting the conflict between individual rationality and collective well-being.— There are also references being made in Delhi to this being a Game of Chicken, another game theory scenario where two parties must choose between driving forward or swerving to avoid a crash, and where if neither party backs down, the result could be catastrophic.— And to make it worse, China’s sudden embrace presents New Delhi with a “Hobson’s choice” of sorts, a reference to a situation where there appears to be a free choice but there is actually no real alternative; the term originates from Thomas Hobson, a 17th-century stable owner in Cambridge, England, who required customers to take the horse nearest the stable door or have no horse at all.— And while Trump’s tariff assault seems to have catalysed efforts to stabilise the India-China relationship, there are “fundamental differences” between the two sides, including core security issues and the fact that China is in the running to get even more favourable terms from the US in the event a bilateral deal is struck between the two, which looks highly likely.— New Delhi was among the early frontruners to have kicked off trade talks with the US, but failed to close a deal. While many major economies signed trade pacts on Trump’s terms, India now finds itself in the company of Brazil, Myanmar, and Switzerland facing steep US tariffs.— Now, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month at the Shanghai Cooperation summit in Tianjin, this comes at a time when New Delhi is ostensibly recalibrating its foreign policy toward Beijing.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:ExplainSpeaking: How Trump’s tariffs are hurting the US economyPrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(6) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)1. Tight monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve could lead to capital flight.2. Capital flight may increase cost of firms with existing External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs)3. Devaluation of domestic currency decreases the currency risk associated with ECBsWhich of the statements given above are correct?(a) 1, 2 and 3(b) 1 and 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3ALSO IN NEWSThe RSS prayer, its history and significanceKarnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, unexpectedly broke into an RSS song in the state Assembly on Friday.The song has been sung at RSS gatherings since 1940, with one swayamsewak leading and the others following him. It was first sung publicly by veteran RSS pracharak Yadavrao Joshi on May 18, 1940 in a Sangh Shiksha Varg at Nagpur. PRELIMS ANSWER KEY1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (b)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. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for August 2025. 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