Governor | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Why in News: A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court delivered its opinion on a Presidential Reference concerning the Governor’s powers under Article 200, days before CJI BR Gavai’s retirement.

• The reference contained 14 questions of law, sent by President Droupadi Murmu, to clarify the constitutional relationship between Governors and elected state governments.
• The verdict settles major disputes over delay, discretion, timelines, and judicial review regarding assent to Bills.

Key Takeaways from the Supreme Court Verdict

1. Governor’s Options under Article 200

• The Governor has only three options when a Bill is presented:
  • grant assent
  • withhold assent and return the Bill to the Legislature with recommendations
  • reserve the Bill for the President
• The Court held that “withhold assent simpliciter” is unconstitutional; the Governor cannot sit on Bills indefinitely.

2. Is the Governor bound by Cabinet advice?

• No. Governor exercises constitutional discretion under Article 200.
• If bound by aid & advice, the Governor could never return a Bill, because no Cabinet would advise against its own Bill.

3. Is the Governor’s discretion justiciable?

• The merits of the Governor’s decision are not justiciable.
• But prolonged, unexplained, indefinite inaction is subject to judicial review.
• Courts can compel a decision, but cannot dictate what decision to make.

4. Does Article 361 bar judicial review?

• No. Article 361 protects the individual Governor, not the office.
• Courts may examine institutional inaction; personal questioning of Governor is barred.

5. Can courts impose timelines on Governors?

• No fixed timelines can be imposed by courts.
• “As soon as possible” (Article 200) cannot be replaced by judicially created deadlines.
• April 2025 ruling imposing 1–3 month timelines was overruled.

6. President’s Discretion under Article 201

• Like Governors, the President’s discretion is not justiciable on merits.
• Courts cannot impose timelines on the President either.

7. Must President seek Supreme Court’s opinion (Art. 143)?

• No. Seeking SC’s advisory opinion is optional, not mandatory.

8. Can courts adjudicate Bills before assent?

• No. Courts can review only laws, not Bills.
• Pre-enactment judicial scrutiny is prohibited.

9. Can Article 142 be used to create “deemed assent”?

• No. Article 142 cannot be used to override explicit constitutional requirements.
• “Deemed assent” from delay (introduced by a two-judge bench in April 2025) was rejected.
• The Governor’s role cannot be substituted by judicial creativity.

10. Does a Bill become law without assent?

• No. A state Bill becomes law only after:
  • Governor’s assent, or
  • President’s assent (if reserved).

Three questions declined

• Court declined to answer:
  • scope of Article 145(3) references
  • scope of Article 142 vs substantive constitutional provisions
  • whether Article 131 bars other jurisdictions
• These were found irrelevant to the specific Presidential Reference.

Static Background: Governor’s Role

Constitutional Basis

• Governor = nominal executive head of State (Articles 153–162).
• Expected to act on aid and advice except in matters requiring constitutional discretion.

Articles Relevant to Bill Assent

• Article 200: Governor’s assent options for ordinary Bills.
• Article 201: President’s assent where Bills are reserved.
• Article 163: Governor’s discretionary powers.

When can Bills be reserved for the President?

• Ultra vires to Constitution
• Conflicts with Union interest
• Endangers national unity/integrity
• Matters requiring central consideration

Judicial Position Before This Verdict

• Multiple disputes in recent years (Punjab, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu)
• Courts complained of deliberate gubernatorial delay
• No clear articulation of Governor’s constitutional timelines

After This Verdict

• Governors cannot delay Bills indefinitely
• Courts can compel action, but cannot mandate deadlines
• Ensures accountability without disturbing constitutional balance

Source: Indian Express

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World Fisheries Day | UPSC CSE

Why in News: World Fisheries Day, observed annually on 21 November, highlights the global importance of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

• The day also commemorates the founding of the World Fisheries Forum (1997) in New Delhi, where delegates from 18 countries committed to responsible fishing and safeguarding fishing communities.

India and World Fisheries Day 2025

Theme (2025): “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports.”

• India is hosting national and international participants, including delegations from 27 countries, underscoring its rising leadership in the Blue Economy.
• The Department of Fisheries will release the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture, aimed at ensuring globally compliant, safe and sustainable seafood supply chains.

Significance of Fisheries in India

• India is the second-largest fish and aquaculture producer globally, contributing ~8% to global fish output.
• Fisheries support 30 million livelihoods, particularly in coastal and rural areas.
• Coastal States/UTs (3,477 coastal fishing villages):
  • contribute 72% of India’s total fish production
  • account for 76% of national seafood exports
• Marine product exports grew 11.08%, from US$0.81 billion (Oct 2024) to US$0.90 billion (Oct 2025).

India’s Fisheries Growth Story

• India’s total fish production more than doubled from 96 lakh tonnes (2013–14) to 195 lakh tonnes (2024–25).
• Inland fisheries registered 140% growth during this period.
• Seafood exports reached ₹62,408 crore in 2024–25.
• India’s vast 11,099 km coastline and extensive inland water bodies make it a natural leader in the Blue Economy.

Key Government Interventions

1. GST Reforms (56th GST Council Meeting, 3 Sept 2025)

• GST on fish oils, fish extracts, preserved fish and shrimp products reduced from 12% to 5%.
• Expected to:
  • make value-added seafood more affordable
  • enhance global competitiveness
  • stimulate domestic value addition in seafood processing

2. Major Policy and Regulatory Measures

• PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSSY): Infrastructure, sustainability, modernisation.
• EEZ Sustainable Harnessing Rules: Promote responsible exploitation of marine resources.
• ReALCRaft Platform: Improves transparency, governance, and sectoral monitoring.
• 5th National Marine Fisheries Census 2025: Updated data to guide policy.
• FIDF: Boosts fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure.
• PM Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY): Financial and institutional support to fish farmers.

Source: PIB

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Project Cheetah | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav announced a historic development under Project Cheetah. In a social media post on ‘X’, Shri Yadav stated that Mukhi — the first Indian-born female Cheetah, aged 33 months — has given birth to five cubs, marking a landmark moment for India’s Cheetah reintroduction initiative.

Project Cheetah

• Launch Year: 2022
• Purpose: Reintroduce cheetahs — extinct in India since 1952 — and restore their role in grassland ecosystems.
• Implementing Agency:
  • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Implemented with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• International Partner: Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Namibia — an NGO founded in 1990 for global cheetah conservation.
• Governance Mechanism: In 2023, NTCA constituted a Cheetah Project Steering Committee to supervise, evaluate, and advise implementation.

Cheetah Translocation Details

• First Batch (2022): 8 cheetahs (5 males, 3 females) from Namibia released in Kuno National Park.
• Second Batch (2023): 12 cheetahs from South Africa added to the population.
• Third Site (2025): Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary being prepared to receive the next batch of 8 cheetahs from Botswana.

Biological & Ecological Characteristics

• Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus
• Speed: Can reach up to 120 km/h, accelerating from 0–100 km/h in 3 seconds.
• Distinct Traits:
  • Cheetahs do not roar; they communicate via chirps, growls, and stutter barks.
  • Possess non-retractable claws aiding grip during high-speed chases.
• Diet: Purely carnivorous; prefer medium-sized ungulates like blackbuck and chital.

Conservation and Legal Protection

Protection Mechanism	Status
IUCN Red List	Vulnerable
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972	Schedule II
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)	Appendix I – highest trade protection

Ecological and Strategic Importance

• Reintroducing cheetahs restores India’s lost grassland predator and helps balance prey populations.
• Enhances eco-tourism potential and rural livelihoods in central India.
• Promotes scientific research, habitat restoration, and ecosystem-based wildlife management.

Source: PIB

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PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Why in News: The 102nd meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) convened to evaluate infrastructure projects under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, focusing on multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency in line with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP).

About PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan

Launch & Vision

• Approved by the Union Cabinet on 21 October 2021.
• Designed to propel India towards its ambition of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy.
• Aims to integrate infrastructure planning, optimize logistics, and enhance multimodal connectivity across the country.

Nodal Ministry

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is the nodal agency for PM GatiShakti.

Integrated Approach

• Brings together 44 Ministries/Departments on a unified digital platform.
• Enables coordinated planning and implementation of infrastructure worth ₹100 lakh crore, reducing delays and duplication.

Seven Engines of PM GatiShakti

The initiative is powered by seven key infrastructure engines:

• Roads
• Railways
• Airports
• Ports
• Mass Transport
• Waterways
• Logistics Infrastructure

These engines collectively drive economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development.

Source: PIB

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Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) | UPSC CSE

Why in News: The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for October 2025 stood at 162.4, remaining unchanged compared to the index value in October 2024.

About the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)

• Released by the Office of Economic Adviser (OEA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Base Year: 2011–12.
• Measures the monthly performance of the eight core sectors that have significant weight in industrial output.
• Together, these sectors account for 40.27% of the weight of items in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making ICI a key leading indicator of economic activity.

Eight Core Industries and Their Weights

1. Refinery Products — 28.04%
2. Electricity — 19.85%
3. Steel — 17.92%
4. Coal — 10.33%
5. Crude Oil — 8.98%
6. Natural Gas — 6.88%
7. Cement — 5.37%
8. Fertilizers — 2.63%

These industries are considered “core” because they supply crucial inputs to a wide range of economic activities.

Source: PIB

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Sea Cow | UPSC CSE

Why in News: A new report released at the IUCN Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi has highlighted the critical threats to India’s dugong (sea cow) population, warning that their long-term survival is highly uncertain in several Indian regions.

What are Dugongs?

• Scientific name: Dugong dugon
• Commonly known as sea cows due to their herbivorous diet of seagrass.
• Marine mammals related to manatees, with:
  • a gentle disposition (source of ancient mermaid myths)
  • a distinctive dolphin-like tail fluke
• Size: up to 10 feet long and around 420 kg in weight.
• They are exclusive seagrass feeders, making them crucial for the health of seagrass ecosystems.

Distribution in India

Dugongs are primarily found in:

• Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat)
• Gulf of Mannar–Palk Bay region (Tamil Nadu–Sri Lanka)
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Report Findings:

• Long-term survival is:
  • “Highly uncertain” in the Gulf of Kutch
  • “Challenging” in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Population in Gulf of Mannar–Palk Bay is “much lower” than in the recent past.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (facing a high risk of extinction in the wild).
• India: Listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, giving them the highest legal protection.

Ecological Significance

• Dugongs are keystone species essential for:
  • maintaining seagrass meadows
  • enhancing marine biodiversity
  • improving coastal carbon sequestration (blue carbon)
  • stabilising sediments in shallow waters
• Healthy seagrass beds also support fish nurseries, crustaceans, and nutrient cycling.

Threats to Dugongs in India

• Loss and degradation of seagrass habitats due to coastal development, pollution, and sedimentation.
• Entanglement in fishing nets, particularly gillnets.
• Boat strikes in shallow coastal waters.
• Poaching for meat, oil, and body parts (despite legal protection).
• Climate change impacts on seagrass and coastal habitats.
• Small isolated populations, increasing risk of local extinction.

Government Conservation Efforts

1. National Dugong Task Force (2010)

• Set up by MoEFCC to examine conservation issues and propose actionable plans.

2. National Dugong Recovery Programme

• Implemented jointly with:
  • Tamil Nadu
  • Gujarat
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Aims to restore seabeds, reduce threats, and improve monitoring.

3. Dugong Conservation Reserve, Tamil Nadu (2022)

• India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve, located in Palk Bay.
• Covers 448 sq km.
• Focuses on:
  • protecting seagrass meadows
  • reducing fishing threats
  • improving coastal ecosystem management
  • involving local communities in conservation

Source: Indian Express

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Sentinel-6B | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Sentinel-6B, a U.S.–Europe collaborative satellite, has been launched to strengthen global sea-level monitoring, continuing a multi-decade satellite record of ocean height measurements.

About Sentinel-6B

• Joint Mission Partners:
  • NASA (United States)
  • NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.)
  • European Space Agency (ESA)
  • Part of a long-running transatlantic partnership on ocean and climate monitoring.
• Mission Background:
  • Continues a series of satellite missions (Sentinel-6A) that began in the 1990s (e.g., TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason series).
  • These missions form the most accurate and long-term global dataset on sea-level rise, a key indicator of climate change.

Mission Objectives

• Provide highly precise sea-surface height measurements to monitor:
  • global sea-level rise
  • ocean circulation
  • climate change impacts
  • marine heatwaves and coastal flooding risks
• Supports both scientific climate research and operational systems such as weather forecasting and ocean modelling.

Source: Indian Express

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Macaulay | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the Sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, urged a 10-year national pledge to shed the colonial mindset that he said is rooted in Macaulay’s legacy.

He proposed a timeframe leading up to 1835–2035 (200 years) of Macaulay’s educational intervention to reverse its psychological and cultural impact.

Who Was Macaulay?

• Thomas Babington Macaulay was a British historian and politician.
• His most influential intervention in India was the Macaulay Minute on Education, submitted on 2 February 1835.
• He pushed for the replacement of traditional Indian education with English-based, Western-oriented learning, fundamentally reshaping India’s education system during colonial rule.

Macaulay’s Legacy – PM Modi’s Critique

• According to the PM, Macaulay’s goal was to create a class of Indians who were:
  • “Indian in appearance, but British at heart.”
• The PM argued that Macaulay’s influence:
  • broke India’s self-confidence
  • created a belief that Western knowledge is superior
  • invalidated thousands of years of India’s knowledge, culture, science, and traditions
• He called for India to consciously move away from colonial frameworks in education, law, governance and mindset.

Macaulay’s Minute on Education (1835)

• A landmark document in the history of colonial education.
• Advocated:
  • introduction of English as the medium of instruction
  • funding only Western-style education
  • rejection of support for classical Indian languages like Sanskrit and Persian
• Purpose:
  • to create a class of Indians educated in Western knowledge who would act as intermediaries between the British rulers and Indian subjects.

Downward Filtration Theory

• Proposed in the Macaulay Minute (1835).
• Key Features:
  • Education should be provided only to a small upper-class elite.
  • These elites would then “filter down” or “trickle down” Western knowledge to the masses.
• Outcome:
  • Led to an educational and social divide, with benefits accruing mostly to upper classes.
  • Most of the population remained uneducated or minimally educated, while English-educated elites gained prominence.

Source: Indian Express

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International Big Cat Alliance | UPSC CSE

Why in News: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the High-Level Ministerial Segment on the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) at UNFCCC CoP30 in Belém, Brazil.

He announced that India will host a Global Big Cats Summit in 2026 in New Delhi.

Nature and Status

• IBCA became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation and an international legal entity on 23 January 2025.
• Headquarters: India
• Set up through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Launch and Approval

• Launched by the Prime Minister in 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
• Formally approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024.

Open Membership:

• Available to all UN member states—both:
  • Range countries (where big cats naturally occur), and
  • Non-range countries interested in supporting global big cat conservation.

Objective and Species Covered

• IBCA seeks to coordinate global efforts for the conservation of seven major big cats:
  • Tiger
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Snow Leopard
  • Cheetah
  • Jaguar
  • Puma
• India hosts 5 out of these 7 species, except:
  • Puma
  • Jaguar

India’s Role and Contributions

• India is the host country and the location of the IBCA Secretariat.
• India has committed ₹150 crore (2023–2028) for IBCA operations and is exploring additional financing via bilateral, multilateral and donor partnerships.

Source: PIB

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National Industrial Classification | UPSC CSE

Why in News: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2025 on 18 November 2025 during the Culmination Ceremony of the 75th anniversary of the National Sample Survey (NSS) and World Statistics Day 2025.

What is the National Industrial Classification (NIC)?

• The NIC is India’s standardised classification system for categorising economic activities.
• It is widely used in:
  • statistical surveys
  • population and economic censuses
  • administrative datasets
  • economic research
  • policymaking and regulatory frameworks
• It ensures uniformity, comparability, and consistency in collecting and analysing economic data across sectors.

Evolution of India’s NIC System

• India first introduced an industrial classification in 1962.
• It has been periodically updated to reflect structural economic changes and international standards.
• Past versions include:
  • NIC 1970
  • NIC 1987
  • NIC 1990
  • NIC 1998
  • NIC 2004
  • NIC 2008
• NIC 2025 is the latest revision, capturing modern industries, services, and emerging sectors.

NIC 2025 – Key Features

• Prepared by MoSPI in alignment with the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision 5, issued by the UN Statistics Division (UNSD).
• Represents India’s full compliance with the latest UN global statistical classification standards.
• Introduces a new 6-digit coding structure, replacing the 5-digit code used in NIC 2008.
• The expanded coding improves:
  • granularity
  • sectoral representation
  • mapping of new-age industries (digital economy, renewable energy, platforms, logistics, etc.)
  • cross-country comparability for global data reporting

Source: PIB

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