28 October 2025

• Governance: Drug advertising on social media was the subject of fresh legislative proposals, revisiting the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 in the digital context.
• Economy: EU-India carbon market negotiations intensified as India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) price gap with the EU ETS was highlighted.
• Technology: Google launched the Willow 105-qubit quantum processor, achieving below-threshold error correction for the first time.
• Economy: The CPSE reclassification into new Ratna categories (Navratna, Maharatna) was applied to newly qualifying firms.
• Industry: India Maritime Week 2025 concluded at Bharat Mandapam with a record 85-country participation.

GS area: Governance (Health, Digital Regulation)

The editorial examined how the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 applies (or fails to apply) in the social media era.

• DMRA 1954 scope: prohibits advertisements for 54 scheduled diseases and conditions. Covers all mediums. The word "magic" in the title refers to claims of miraculous cures.
• 54 diseases list: includes diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, tuberculosis, sexual disorders, menstrual disorders and cancer.
• Loophole exploited: platforms claim intermediary safe harbour under Section 79 of the IT Act 2000. The intermediary exemption protects platforms from liability for user-generated content but arguably does not protect them for paid advertisements they host.
• Personalities involved: religious and spiritual figures with tens of millions of followers promote Ayurveda and home remedies on YouTube, Instagram and Telegram. These channels generate revenue for the platforms.
• Action taken: the Supreme Court in 2024 held Patanjali Ayurved liable for misleading advertisements. But enforcement remains sparse.
• PNDT Act 1994 model: the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (now PCPNDT Act) completely bans sex selection advertisements and has strict criminal liability. This is the model proposed for DMRA enforcement.
• Proposed reforms: make platforms liable for paid ads violating DMRA; require a designated officer in India with criminal accountability; fast-track complaints with CDSCO.

Static linkage: Health regulation, IT Act, consumer protection, digital governance.

GS area: Environment, Economy (Climate, International Trade)

Negotiations over the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) intensified as the CBAM transition phase continued.

• CBAM mechanism: charges imports for their embedded carbon at EU border rates equivalent to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) price.
• EU ETS price: approximately EUR 60-80 per tonne of CO2.
• CCTS price: India's nascent carbon market trades at approximately EUR 5-10 per tonne. This gap means Indian exporters face significant CBAM levies.
• Sectors affected: steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers and electricity. These are key Indian export categories to the EU.
• India's legal challenge: India argues CBAM violates WTO's Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) under the UNFCCC framework.
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE): implements CCTS in India. The scheme began as Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) under the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme.
• India's CCTS evolution: the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022 formally established the legal basis for carbon credits in India.
• Proposed resolution: a bilateral carbon market cooperation agreement that credits India's CCTS price against CBAM, with a phased adjustment period.

Static linkage: Climate change, international trade, energy policy.

GS area: Science and Technology (Quantum Computing)

Google unveiled its Willow quantum processor with 105 qubits, achieving two historic firsts.

• Achievement 1: below-threshold error correction: adding more qubits to the processor reduced errors rather than amplifying them. This reversal of the traditional scaling problem is the key breakthrough needed for practical quantum computers.
• Achievement 2: completed a benchmark computation in under two hours that would take the fastest classical supercomputer billions of years.
• Qubits vs classical bits: a classical bit is 0 or 1; a qubit exists in superposition of both until measured. With 105 qubits, Willow can represent 2^105 states simultaneously.
• Error rates: current quantum processors have error rates of 1-10 per cent per gate operation. Error correction codes require many physical qubits to encode one logical qubit. Below-threshold operation means the logical qubit error rate decreases as physical qubits are added.
• Practical applications horizon: 2-3 million high-quality qubits are estimated to be needed for cryptographically relevant calculations. Willow at 105 qubits is still in the research phase.
• India's quantum mission: National Quantum Mission (NQM) launched in 2023 with Rs 6,003 crore over 8 years. Target: 50-qubit quantum computers by 2028.

Static linkage: Quantum computing, science and technology policy.

GS area: Economy (PSUs, Governance)

Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) were reclassified under revised Ratna criteria.

• Background: the Ratna system distinguishes high-performing CPSEs and grants them greater operational autonomy.
• Three categories:
  • Navratna: 14 CPSEs; annual profit above Rs 5,000 crore; operational autonomy for projects up to Rs 1,000 crore without government approval.
  • Maharatna: 14 CPSEs; annual profit above Rs 5,000 crore in three years; can independently invest up to Rs 5,000 crore.
  • Miniratna: further divided into Category I and II; more restricted autonomy.
• New qualifications (October 2025): two CPSEs upgraded to Navratna status (identities updated in respective ministries' lists). Criteria include net profit, net worth, total income and composite score.
• Disinvestment context: the government's strategic disinvestment programme targets non-strategic CPSEs for privatisation while retaining strategic ones (defence, railways, energy).
• DIPAM: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management under the Ministry of Finance, which administers CPSE governance and disinvestment.

Static linkage: Public sector enterprises, economic governance, disinvestment.

GS area: Economy (Blue Economy, Trade)

India Maritime Week 2025 concluded at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with record participation.

• Key outcome 1: India signed an MoU with 12 nations on seafarer mutual recognition, covering qualifications under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.
• Key outcome 2: launch of the Blue Economy for Bharat initiative. It targets port-led industrial development and fisheries integration.
• Key outcome 3: Maritime India Vision 2030 progress review. 76 per cent of the 150 initiatives are on track.
• STCW Convention: adopted 1978 by IMO; sets training, certification and watchkeeping standards for seafarers. India's Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) administers this.
• IMO (International Maritime Organisation): UN specialised agency for shipping regulation. India is an IMO Council member (Category B).
• Sagarmala Programme: port-led development project under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Total investment: Rs 5.8 lakh crore (2015-2035). Focus: port modernisation, port connectivity, port-led industrialisation and coastal community development.

Static linkage: Blue economy, maritime law, trade policy.

• Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025: awarded across four categories. Vigyan Ratna (highest): Prof. Jayant Narlikar (posthumous). Vigyan Shri: Dr. B.N. Suresh (ISRO) and nine others. Vigyan Yuva-SSB: 12 awardees under 45. Vigyan Team: four teams. This replaced the earlier Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and other science awards.
• University internationalisation: UGC guidelines allow top-100 QS-ranked foreign universities to establish campuses in India. By October 2025, three foreign universities had applied: University of Southampton, Deakin University (Australia) and University of Wollongong (Australia).
• 6G New Delhi Declaration: India, EU and North America committed to open and interoperable 6G standards with security by design. India aims for 10 per cent of global 6G patents.