17 March 2025

• Diplomacy: The 10th Raisina Dialogue opened in New Delhi, themed "Kalachakra: People, Peace, Planet."
• Economy: Indian Railways achieved a freight loading record of 1,465 million tonnes in FY2024-25.
• Governance: An UNSC reform discussion highlighted the G4 nations' push for permanent seats.
• Technology: IIT Madras built Asia's longest hyperloop test track.
• Science: RBI received two awards for its Saarathi and Pravaah portals at a financial technology event.

GS area: International Relations, Governance

The 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue opened in New Delhi on March 17.

• Organised by: Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
• Theme 2025: "Kalachakra: People, Peace, Planet." Kalachakra is the Buddhist concept of cyclic time, chosen to reflect interconnected global challenges.
• Status: India's flagship geopolitical and geoeconomic conference.
• Participants: Foreign ministers, national security advisers, CEOs and academics from 100-plus countries.
• Keynote speaker 2025: New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon (inaugurated the 10th edition alongside PM Modi).
• First edition: 2016.
• ORF: A non-partisan think tank established 1990 in New Delhi.

Static linkage: International relations (multilateralism, Indian foreign policy).

GS area: International Relations (Global Governance)

The G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) intensified their push for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform.

• UNSC composition: 5 permanent members (P5: US, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power. 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms.
• G4 demand: Permanent membership with veto (or a phased approach without veto initially).
• Uniting for Consensus group (UfC): Also called the Coffee Club. Led by Italy and Pakistan. Opposes expansion of permanent members. Prefers more non-permanent seats.
• African Union demand: Two permanent seats with full veto rights.
• Charter amendment: Requires a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly plus ratification by all P5 members, giving each P5 a de facto veto over reform.
• India's non-permanent seat record: India has been a non-permanent member 8 times (most recently 2021-22).

Static linkage: International relations (UN, global governance).

GS area: Economy (Transport), Governance

Indian Railways achieved a freight loading of 1,465 million tonnes in FY2024-25, a new record.

• National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP): Railways is the largest asset class; freight corridor PPP is a key element.
• Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs): Eastern DFC (Ludhiana to Sonnagar) and Western DFC (Jawaharlal Nehru Port to Dadri) are being completed. DFCs allow heavy freight trains at higher speeds.
• Revenue from freight: About 67 per cent of Indian Railways' total revenue comes from freight.
• Cross-subsidy: Freight revenue subsidises passenger fares (kept below cost for policy reasons).
• PM GatiShakti: Integrates logistics and infrastructure planning to cut transport costs to 7-8 per cent of GDP from the current 13 per cent.

Static linkage: Economy (transport, logistics).

GS area: Science and Technology

IIT Madras unveiled Asia's longest hyperloop test track, built by its Avishkar Hyperloop student team.

• Track length: 422 metres (Asia's longest test track).
• Hyperloop technology: Uses magnetic levitation (maglev) and near-vacuum tubes to transport pods at speeds of 500 to 1,000 km/h.
• Power requirement: Lower than conventional high-speed rail at equivalent speeds.
• Global context: Hyperloop One (US) ran tests in Nevada. European Hyperloop Center in Netherlands hosts comparable testing.
• India's relevance: A Mumbai-Ahmedabad hyperloop (560 km) at 1,000 km/h would cut travel time to 30 minutes.
• Challenges: Vacuum maintenance over long distances, high capital cost, safety certification, land acquisition.

Static linkage: Science and technology (transport innovation).

GS area: Economy (Banking, Finance), Governance

The Reserve Bank of India won awards for its Saarathi and Pravaah digital portals at the Global Fintech Fest.

• Saarathi: A portal for financial literacy and financial inclusion resources. Targets rural and semi-urban populations.
• Pravaah (Platform for Regulatory and Other Authorisation and Facilitation): A portal for regulated entities (banks, NBFCs) to seek regulatory approvals, apply for licences and track applications online. Launched 2024.
• RBI's fintech framework: India Stack (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker), Account Aggregator system and the regulatory sandbox for fintechs are RBI's digital infrastructure contributions.
• Account Aggregator (AA): Framework allows individuals to share their financial data (bank statements, investment records) with consent across financial service providers.
• CBDC (e-Rupee): RBI piloted the Central Bank Digital Currency in 2023, accessible via bank-led wallets.

Static linkage: Economy (banking, digital finance).

GS area: History (Pre-History, Ancient India), Culture

A cluster of prehistoric standing stones (menhirs) at Mudumal, Telangana, was estimated to date back to 3,500 to 4,000 Before Present.

• Menhir: A standing stone erected by prehistoric humans. From Breton (Celtic) words: "men" (stone) + "hir" (long).
• Mudumal menhirs: Located in Narayanpet district, Telangana. Among the largest and oldest megalithic complexes in India.
• Dating: Carbon-dating and OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) dating placed them at 3,500 to 4,000 BP.
• Megalithic cultures in India: Iron Age megalithic culture (2,000 to 1,000 BCE) is found across peninsular India. Known burial types: dolmens, cist burials, urn burials.
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): Conducts excavations and dating. Under the Ministry of Culture.
• Context for UPSC: The Mudumal menhirs may predate the Iron Age megalithic tradition, suggesting a Bronze Age origin for South Indian stone culture.

Static linkage: History (prehistoric India, megalithic culture).

GS area: Governance, Society (Media)

Reports highlighted that India's 95 crore internet users face significant challenges from misinformation.

• Digital access: Over 95 crore internet users (one of the largest globally).
• Language diversity: Content is available in 22 scheduled languages and dozens of regional dialects.
• IT Act Section 69A: Allows blocking of content by the government on grounds of sovereignty, security, public order and morality. Subject to safeguards and review.
• Fact-check units: Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact-Check unit flags government-related misinformation. Boom, Alt News and Factly are independent fact-checkers.
• Supreme Court on Internet: In Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020), the Supreme Court held that freedom of the press and internet access are protected under Article 19(1)(a).

Static linkage: Governance, society (media, digital rights).

• Forest Survey of India: FSI's ISFR 2023 report noted that North East India lost 327 sq km of forest cover in the 2021-2023 period, despite the region's biodiversity significance.
• Panchamrit commitments: India reiterated its Panchamrit climate targets. Net zero by 2070; 50 per cent energy from renewables by 2030; 1 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent reduction by 2030.