UPSC Current Affairs — Wednesday, 22 July 2026

What You Need to Know

Analysis of Union Budget allocations to education and health ministries over 12 years, showing a declining or stagnant share despite constitutional and policy commitments. Education and health together account for only 6% of total expenditure in 2025-26.

Why It Matters for UPSC

For UPSC, this highlights the gap between policy intent (RTE Act, National Education Policy 2020) and fiscal priority. For India, underinvestment in education and health hampers human capital development, affecting long-term economic growth and social equity.

Background

Article 21A guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14, and the 86th Amendment made education a fundamental right. The National Education Policy 2020 aims to increase public investment in education to 6% of GDP, but actual budget allocation remains around 2.9% of GDP. Health allocation is similarly low at 0.06% of Budget in 2025-26.

Current Relevance

Budget 2025-26 shows education and health combined at 6% of total expenditure, while defence share increased. This raises concerns about India's ability to achieve SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 3 (Good Health) by 2030.

Key Points for Revision

• •Education allocation in Union Budget has declined from ~4% to ~2.9% of GDP over 12 years, far below the NEP 2020 target of 6%.
• •Health ministry's share in Budget 2025-26 is only 0.06%, indicating persistent underfunding.
• •Defence spending has increased over 12 years, while education and health together account for only 6% of total expenditure.
• •Skill Development ministry's allocation remains minuscule, hampering employability and demographic dividend.
• •India's combined education and health spending (~6% of Budget) is low compared to global averages (OECD ~12-15%).

Prelims Practice MCQs

Mains Practice Questions

• Discuss the implications of declining share of education and health in the Union Budget for India's human capital development. Suggest measures to bridge the gap between policy intent and fiscal allocation. (250 words)

  Discuss

• Critically analyse the trend of Union Budget allocations to social sectors like education and health vis-à-vis defence spending over the past decade. What does this reveal about the government's priorities? (250 words)

  Critically analyse

What You Need to Know

Three foreign policy lessons from 1991 for managing disruption of certainties: strategic autonomy, diversified partnerships, and pragmatic diplomacy. 1991 marked India’s shift from Cold War non-alignment to post-Cold War multi-alignment.

Why It Matters for UPSC

Helps India navigate current geopolitical disruptions (e.g., US-China rivalry, Russia-Ukraine war) without losing strategic space. For UPSC, it explains India’s balancing act between competing powers.

Background

1991: Soviet collapse, US unipolarity, economic crisis forced India to reform foreign policy. Key turning points: Look East policy (1992), nuclear tests (1998), civil nuclear deal (2008). Constitutional basis: Directive Principles (Art. 51) promote international peace.

Current Relevance

Recent developments: India’s response to Ukraine war (abstaining from UN votes, buying Russian oil) and QUAD+ cooperation. Implication: India uses 1991 lessons to maintain strategic autonomy amid US-China tensions.

Key Points for Revision

• •Lesson 1: Strategic autonomy – India avoided alliance traps post-1991, now applied in balancing US and China.
• •Lesson 2: Diversified partnerships – India built ties with ASEAN, EU, Africa (e.g., 1992 Look East policy).
• •Lesson 3: Pragmatic diplomacy – Issue-based cooperation, e.g., India-US nuclear deal despite past differences.
• •1991 crisis taught India to not rely on any single power – key for current multipolar world.
• •India’s foreign policy GDP growth from 1% to 3.5% of global economy since 1991 shows success.

Prelims Practice MCQs

Mains Practice Questions

• Discuss the three key foreign policy lessons from 1991 that India can apply to manage current geopolitical disruptions. (150 words)

  Discuss

• Evaluate the role of strategic autonomy in India’s foreign policy since 1991. How has it helped India manage great power competition? (250 words)

  Evaluate

What You Need to Know

Chabahar port in southeastern Iran is a strategic project enabling India to bypass Pakistan for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia. India has invested Rs 400 crore in the previous financial year.

Why It Matters for UPSC

It provides India direct access to the Indian Ocean and alternative trade routes, reducing dependence on Pakistan. For UPSC, it illustrates India's strategic autonomy and challenges in balancing ties with Iran and the US.

Background

Agreement signed in 2003, operationalized in 2018. Chabahar is part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). US sanctions on Iran and Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have complicated progress.

Current Relevance

Recent US sanctions reimposed in 2024 have halted Indian investments. India is exploring alternative routes like the Middle Corridor and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC).

Key Points for Revision

• •Chabahar port is India's strategic alternative to Pakistan for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• •India allocated Rs 400 crore for Chabahar in FY 2023-24.
• •US sanctions on Iran under CAATSA pose major hurdles to project completion.
• •Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan has disrupted trade via Chabahar since 2021.
• •Chabahar is part of the larger INSTC, enhancing India's Eurasian connectivity.

Prelims Practice MCQs

Mains Practice Questions

• Discuss the strategic importance of the Chabahar port for India's connectivity with Central Asia and the challenges it faces in the current geopolitical scenario. (250 words)

  Discuss

• Analyze how US sanctions on Iran impact India's foreign policy objectives in the context of the Chabahar port project. (150 words)

  Analyze

What You Need to Know

The Ken-Betwa river linking project is India's first inter-basin river link, transferring water from the Ken to the Betwa river via a 231-km canal to irrigate Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region. It aims to irrigate 9,000 hectares and supply water to 62 lakh people.

Why It Matters for UPSC

For UPSC, it is a landmark case study of interlinking rivers, balancing development with environmental and social costs. It tests India's ability to implement large-scale water management projects while addressing displacement, ecological damage, and interstate cooperation.

Background

Conceived under the National River Linking Project (NRLP) in the 1980s, the project faced delays due to environmental clearances, rehabilitation issues, and legal challenges. The Ken and Betwa are tributaries of the Yamuna, with the project located in MP and UP. Key turning points include the 2018 Supreme Court nod and recent fast-tracking.

Current Relevance

The project is racing to meet a February 2026 deadline, with river diversion underway. Recent developments include compensation surveys and land acquisition issues, with nearly 20 hectares still underwater. It highlights the challenges of balancing infrastructure development with environmental and social justice.

Key Points for Revision

• •Ken-Betwa is India's first inter-basin river link project under the National River Linking Project (NRLP).
• •The project involves a 231-km canal transferring water from Ken to Betwa, irrigating 9,000 hectares and benefiting 62 lakh people.
• •Key challenges include R&R issues, compensation disputes, and environmental concerns like impact on Panna Tiger Reserve.
• •The project aims to address water scarcity in drought-prone Bundelkhand (MP and UP), a region of chronic agrarian distress.
• •Completion deadline is February 2026, with machinery in place and river diversion underway.

Prelims Practice MCQs

Mains Practice Questions

• Discuss the socio-economic and environmental implications of the Ken-Betwa river linking project. How can these challenges be addressed? (250 words)

  Discuss

• Examine the role of the National River Linking Project (NRLP) in addressing India's water scarcity. What are the key challenges in its implementation? (250 words)

  Examine