The Hindu Gist - 17th September, 2026
1 . Currency Conundrum
The BRICS push for local-currency trade is progressing only incrementally. For India, the issue involves a trade-off between reducing dollar dependence and protecting its export–import interests. Hence, local-currency trade cannot follow a “one-size-fits-all approach.”
- Limited Progress: The New Delhi Declaration acknowledges progress but offers no concrete mechanism. India’s rupee trade with BRICS remains limited, with relatively greater engagement with the UAE and Russia.
- Rupee Accumulation: Russia has accumulated rupees from its exports to India but faces difficulty using them, highlighting the practical problem of currency convertibility and trade imbalance.
- Existing Alternative: India already uses the UAE dirham for some Russian trade, showing that bilateral arrangements may be more practical than a uniform BRICS-wide system.
- Exporters’ Interest: India would prefer receiving export payments in dollars, since rupee depreciation increases the domestic value of dollar earnings and can support export competitiveness.
- Importers’ Interest: As a major importer, India could benefit from paying for imports in relatively cheaper partner currencies. Thus, its export and import interests pull in different directions.
- China’s Dominance: China accounts for around two-thirds of BRICS exports. A common local-currency mechanism could therefore increase the role of the yuan, creating a new form of currency dependence.
- Local Currency ≠ Common Currency: India has been cautious about a BRICS currency while supporting local-currency settlement, as a common currency could give disproportionate influence to China.
- Different Incentives: Russia and Iran have stronger reasons to move away from the dollar because of geopolitical and sanctions-related pressures, whereas India has comparatively less incentive for rapid de-dollarisation.
- Strategic Balancing: India’s approach reflects pragmatism—reducing excessive dollar dependence without compromising monetary autonomy, trade interests or creating dependence on another dominant currency.
- US Tariff Factor: India’s response to the threat of 100% tariffs on countries adopting a BRICS currency has remained pragmatic, while recognising that tariff threats cannot be taken lightly.
2. Pygmy Hog: Survival Depends on a Thriving Ecosystem
- Ecosystem Indicator: Dense grasslands provide food, concealment and breeding grounds; its decline signals floodplain ecosystem degradation.
- Habitat Fragmentation: Conversion of grasslands for farms, tea plantations and flood-control infrastructure, along with invasive plants and altered flood cycles, has fragmented its habitat.
- Fire Management: Dry-season fires can destroy habitat, but complete fire suppression allows trees and shrubs to invade, converting grassland into woodland.
- Captive Breeding Success: Assam’s captive-breeding programme increased the population 32-fold in three decades, but small founder populations remain vulnerable to disease and inbreeding.
- Genetic Threat: Low genetic diversity and accumulation of harmful gene variants threaten long-term viability, making restoration of wild populations essential.
- Conservation Approach: Species recovery must go beyond captive breeding towards ecosystem restoration, habitat connectivity and scientifically managed grasslands.
- Restoration Target: Assam aims to increase the pygmy hog population to 300 by 2040, including restoration of fragmented habitats and buffer zones around protected areas.
Prelims pointers
- The Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania) is the smallest and rarest wild pig in the world and is endemic to the tall alluvial grasslands of Assam.
- It is a grassland indicator species, and its survival depends on early successional riverine grasslands dominated by tall grasses such as Saccharum and Imperata.
- The species is protected through the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), which combines captive breeding, habitat restoration and reintroduction into the wild.
- Manas National Park is the principal landscape for its recovery, with recent reintroductions into the Kuribeel grasslands under the PHCP.
- Conservation status: IUCN – Endangered, CITES Appendix I, Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I.
- Habitat: Tall wet alluvial grasslands of the Himalayan foothills; currently survives mainly in Assam.
- It is one of the very few mammals that builds its own grass nest with a roof for shelter and breeding.
3. Voyager’s Journey: The Purpose of Exploration
Voyager 1 and 2, launched in 1977, reflect humanity’s “urge to explore” beyond immediate needs. From Chinese, Islamic, Norse and Oceanic voyages to modern space exploration, curiosity, culture and even rivalry have driven exploration. The idea of “bread and roses” captures this human tendency to seek not only survival but also knowledge, discovery and meaning. Thus, space exploration should not be judged only by immediate economic returns; it also creates long-term scientific, technological and civilisational value.
Voyager’s “Pale Blue Dot”, though of limited scientific utility, became its “most consequential yield”, giving humanity a “sense of place in the universe.” Its Golden Record, carrying sounds, images, music and greetings from Earth in 55 languages, sought to represent humanity as part of a “commonwealth of spacefaring societies.” Exploration can therefore transcend national rivalry and create a shared human perspective, making space missions valuable not merely for what they discover but for how they change our understanding of who we are and what kind of civilisation we aspire to become.
4. India’s Research Blindspot: Building a Science System That Learns
The U.S. report Science: A New Golden Age offers India an important lesson: a strong science ecosystem needs not only researchers and funding, but also the capacity to study how its own science system works.
Why India Needs Metascience?
- Evidence-based Science Policy: Rising R&D investment has not always translated into proportional gains in scientific productivity and innovation. India needs the ability to “interrogate itself using its own data.”
- One-size-fits-all Problem: Research funding should move beyond a uniform model and experiment with alternative funding mechanisms, including greater support for individual researchers with bold, high-risk ideas.
- Accountable Funding: Science-funding institutions should demonstrate “what they fund and why are actually working”, including the effectiveness of funding mechanisms, peer review and researcher incentives.
- Institutional Memory: Changes in leadership often lead to loss of knowledge about “what worked, what failed, and why”. Documenting this experience is essential for continuity in science governance.
- Interdisciplinary Capacity: Metascience requires inputs from economics, sociology of science, political science, public policy, organisational studies, scientometrics, and history/philosophy of science.
- Research Gap: Between 1950–2024, Indian research on metascience and related questions remained limited; except in scientometrics, it accounted for only around 12% of global research output, with the number of publications generally not exceeding 100 over the period.
Mission-Oriented vs Curiosity-Driven Research
- Blue-Sky Research: “Transformative science begins without a defined mission.” Quantum mechanics eventually enabled semiconductors and computing; molecular biology contributed to CRISPR and mRNA vaccines; fundamental mathematics contributed to modern AI.
- Mission-Oriented Science: Defined national missions can also produce transformative outcomes. Apollo advanced aerospace, materials science and computing, while the Human Genome Project created a coordinated biological research infrastructure.
- Entrepreneurial State: Mariana Mazzucato’s “entrepreneurial state” shows how patient public investment can absorb risks that private capital may avoid, contributing to technologies such as the internet, GPS and touchscreen technology.
- Indian Lesson: The Green Revolution demonstrates the power of coordinated, state-backed research directed towards a clear goal such as food security, while also showing why its ecological and regional costs must be evaluated rather than ignored.
- Striking the Balance: India needs both curiosity-driven research to open unforeseen frontiers and mission-oriented research for national priorities; the choice should rest on evidence and evaluation, not on abandoning one approach for the other.
The Indian Express Gist - 17th September, 2026
1. Misuse of a Legal Relic: Mob over the Individual
Colonial Law and the “Heckler’s Veto”
- Colonial legacy → modern misuse: Section 295A, introduced in 1927 after the Rangila Rasool controversy, was intended to penalise deliberate and malicious acts that outrage religious feelings. It has now been re-codified as Section 299 of the BNS, but the provision has evolved into a much broader restraint on speech.
- “Emotional hurt” → criminal complaint: The provision can convert the highly subjective idea of being offended into a criminal allegation. Political entrepreneurs, religious zealots and competitive vigilantism can therefore claim that their sentiments have been wounded and trigger an FIR against a writer, filmmaker or publisher.
- Self-censorship → cultural impoverishment: Fear of BNS 299 has encouraged publishers and creators to withdraw or alter works even where nothing was legally prohibited. The examples of Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza, Wendy Doniger’s writings and concerns over Sonia Gandhi’s biography illustrate how fear of controversy can lead to pre-emptive surrender rather than open debate.
Free Expression and India’s Tradition of Contestation
- Article 19(1)(a) → protection of creative freedom: The Constitution protects freedom of speech, while Article 19(2) permits reasonable restrictions, including in the interests of public order. The concern is therefore not legitimate regulation, but allowing mere offence to acquire greater weight than constitutional freedom.
- Offence ≠ public disorder: There must be a meaningful distinction between deliberate provocation that threatens public order and expression that merely displeases or offends someone.
- Indian intellectual tradition → disagreement: India’s traditions were marked by “intense, unsparing contestation”—from purvapaksha and rigorous refutation to debates across philosophical and religious traditions. Treating provocative ideas as inherently unacceptable risks weakening this tradition of scepticism, inquiry and intellectual freedom.
- F. Husain judgment → individual freedom: The 2008 Delhi High Court judgment involving M.F. Husain provided a constitutional safeguard for artistic freedom, stressing that one disapproving viewer cannot acquire a right to restrict free expression.
Curb Misuse Through Constitutional and Procedural Safeguards
- Criminal process → punishment: An accused may face multiple FIRs, repeated court appearances, financial costs and years of litigation, even where the case ultimately fails.
- Prior scrutiny → protection against misuse: Prior government sanction before an FIR under BNS 299 is registered, is suggested particularly where the accused has already undergone investigation. Multiple FIRs concerning the same subject should also be consolidated into a single proceeding.
- Vexatious complaints → consequences: Complaints that are frivolous or motivated should not result in punitive consequences merely because the legal provision exists.
- Faith → not coercion: Those who invoke BNS 299 to defend faith may, paradoxically, undermine the traditions they claim to protect. A civilisation built on pluralism, argument, satire, disagreement and rigorous debate cannot preserve its intellectual heritage by suppressing every provocative idea.
2. Dialogue as the Basis of Cooperative Federalism
- Persistent negotiation: Long-pending disputes are increasingly being addressed through institutional dialogue rather than political confrontation. Recent MoUs have helped resolve disputes involving Assam–Nagaland, Assam–Meghalaya and Assam–Arunachal Pradesh.
- Political will: The Kishau Multipurpose Dam dispute was revived after an eight-year deadlock, while the 1994 Upper Yamuna Basin Agreement was operationalised after 32 years and Narmada Award-related dues were settled. This shows how political will can reopen issues that remained unresolved for decades.
- Developmental impact: Inter-State and Centre–State disagreements can stall welfare works and development projects, making cooperation between different levels of government essential for effective implementation.
Negotiated Settlements and Federal Stability
- Federal consolidation: The Bodo Peace Accord, Karbi Anglong settlement, Assam–Meghalaya boundary agreement and Assam–Arunachal Pradesh boundary resolution demonstrate how negotiated settlements can strengthen trust between States and reinforce the federal structure.
- Shared economic interests: The Assam–Nagaland agreement, including 50:50 sharing of hydrocarbon revenue, shows how resource-sharing can transform territorial disagreements into arrangements based on mutual economic interests.
- Regional stability: Resolution of long-standing boundary issues and the Frontier Nagaland arrangement can reduce prolonged tensions and create better conditions for development in the Northeast.
Cooperation, Not Centralisation
- Strong States, strong Union: A strong and united India depends on strengthening its States rather than centralising at their expense. The Centre therefore has an important role as a facilitator of consensus.
- Persistence over grand gestures: Many disputes that remained unresolved because of political difficulty are now being addressed through “unglamorous, persistent work of dialogue”, highlighting the importance of sustained engagement.
- Federal cooperation and development: Resolving territorial, water and resource disputes can facilitate infrastructure, investment and welfare delivery.
3 . Blue Revolution: Unlocking India’s Marine Economy
India’s long coastline, vast EEZ and rich marine resources provide major opportunities for livelihoods, food security, exports and coastal development.
Fisheries as an Emerging Growth Sector
- Blue Revolution: Fisheries and aquaculture now support nearly 3 crore fisherfolk and fish farmers and contribute to food security and nutrition. Fish production crossed 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, highlighting the sector’s growing economic importance.
- Untapped marine potential: India’s 11,000+ km coastline and nearly 24 lakh sq. km EEZ provide scope to move beyond conventional fishing towards the deep sea and high seas.
- Institutional support: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (2019) and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana have strengthened policy focus on fisheries development and marine livelihoods.
Deep-Sea Fisheries and New Opportunities
- New fishing frontiers: The Blue Chakra represents the potential of the Blue Revolution and ocean economy. The framework for sustainable fishing in the EEZ and guidelines for high-seas fisheries open new areas for Indian fishers.
- Value addition: Deep-sea and high-seas fisheries can create employment across processing, cold chains, transportation, packaging, logistics and exports, expanding opportunities beyond fishing itself.
- Community participation: Initiatives involving fisher cooperatives and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations, along with projects in Odisha and Lakshadweep, can help coastal communities participate more effectively in the growing marine economy.
Export Growth with Sustainability
- Global market: Indian seafood reaches 120+ countries, while exports crossed ₹73,000 crore in 2024–25. Digital authorisation, vessel tracking and international certification can further improve access to global markets.
- Sustainable use: Expansion of marine fisheries must remain compatible with conservation. Stronger compliance is needed against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, along with responsible fishing practices.
- Inclusive Blue Economy: The sector can simultaneously generate employment, exports, food security and coastal prosperity. Technology, innovation and finance can help make the Blue Revolution inclusive and sustainable while protecting marine resources for future generations.
4 . 1991 India–Pakistan Agreement on Military Activities
What is the 1991 Agreement?
- Confidence-building mechanism: The agreement was designed to prevent misreading of military intentions by requiring India and Pakistan to inform each other about major military exercises and troop movements.
- Rules for military activities: It lays down rules for the land, naval and air forces, including avoidance of major exercises close to the other side’s territory and prior information where such exercises are unavoidable.
- Naval restrictions: Article 10 specifically requires naval ships and submarines to avoid coming within three nautical miles of each other while operating in international waters. The agreement also defines major naval exercises as involving significant numbers of vessels and specifies rules for exercises near the other side’s EEZ.
Why was the Agreement signed?
- Reducing military uncertainty: The agreement emerged from a decade of heightened tensions, including the 1980s nuclear build-up, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and increased U.S.–Pakistan military cooperation. These developments increased the risk of misunderstanding and escalation.
- Brass Tacks crisis: The immediate background was the 1987 Brass Tacks military exercise, a large Indian exercise near the Pakistan border that generated serious Pakistani concerns. The crisis highlighted the need for mechanisms to reduce uncertainty over military exercises.
- Broader confidence building: The agreement followed the 1983 Agreement on Prevention of Incidents on and Along the International Border, while related agreements in 1988 addressed cultural cooperation and prohibition of attacks on nuclear installations and facilities. The 1991 treaty therefore formed part of a wider effort to build confidence and prevent accidental escalation.
- Institutionalising restraint: By requiring prior clarification, information-sharing and defined limits on military activity, the agreement sought to make India–Pakistan military relations more predictable and reduce the possibility of an unintended conflict.
5 . United Kingdom: The Push for Independence
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have renewed demands for greater autonomy and, in some cases, independence.
Historical Formation of the United Kingdom
- Acts of Union: England and Scotland were united in 1707, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain. Wales had already been incorporated into the Kingdom of England, while Ireland formally became part of the UK in 1801 after the Acts of Union.
- Changing composition: Most of Ireland became independent in 1922, while Northern Ireland remained within the UK. The present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland therefore emerged through a long process of political union, incorporation and separation.
- Distinct constitutional identities: The UK comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Great Britain refers only to England, Scotland and Wales; Ireland consists of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Growing Demand for Self-Determination
- Right to decide: The renewed demand for independence in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is framed around the principle that people should have the right to determine their constitutional future.
- Scotland: The Scottish National Party (SNP) made independence a central political objective. The 2014 Scottish referendum resulted in 3% voting against independence and 44.7% in favour. In 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament could not unilaterally hold another independence referendum because constitutional matters remain with the UK Parliament.
- Northern Ireland: Under the 1973 border poll, voters overwhelmingly chose to remain in the UK, although the question of Irish reunification remains part of Northern Ireland’s constitutional debate.
- Wales: Wales has also seen discussion around greater autonomy and independence, though the constitutional position remains different from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Asymmetric Devolution and the Constitutional Question
- Devolution: Powers have been transferred from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, creating an asymmetric system in which different parts of the UK possess different degrees of autonomy.
- Referendum requires constitutional authority: The Scottish experience shows that independence cannot be pursued solely through a devolved legislature; constitutional authority remains central to the process.
- Need for constitutional change: The proposed approach is to strengthen the respective national institutions and, where necessary, transfer further powers through the UK Parliament. The Cardiff Agreement therefore calls for the British government to prepare for and facilitate constitutional changes within each jurisdiction.
6 . Railway Congestion: Multitracking as a Solution
High-Density Network and Congestion
- High-density corridors: The seven High-Density Networks (HDNs) cover about 11,051 km, or 16% of the railway network, but carry over 40% of total traffic. Many sections are already operating close to capacity, creating delays and limiting further traffic growth.
- Capacity pressure: HDNs should ideally operate at 70–80% capacity to avoid congestion, but only about 6% currently operate below 80%. The Karjat–Mumbai section, for instance, handles around 67 trains daily on a 28-km stretch, resulting in congestion and delays.
- Freight constraints: Average freight-train speed remains around 25 kmph, while freight loading needs to rise from 1,670 million tonnes in 2024–25 towards 3,000 million tonnes by 2030. Decongestion is therefore important for both passenger movement and freight capacity.
Multitracking and Freight Corridors
- Multitracking: Adding additional tracks on existing high-density routes can increase capacity and reduce congestion. The Union Cabinet has recently approved eight multitracking projects covering 1,196 km, with an estimated cost of ₹20,804 crore.
- Capacity utilisation: Multitracking can raise operational capacity and reduce logistics costs. About 2,000 km of HDNs are already four-lined, while further expansion can address remaining bottlenecks.
- Dedicated Freight Corridors: Freight corridors provide separate routes for goods trains, either running parallel to HDNs or bypassing passenger terminals. The Eastern and Western DFCs were developed to address saturation of existing trunk routes and improve freight movement.
- Future expansion: The proposed 1,738-km East-West DFC from Dankuni to Surat would further strengthen freight connectivity. Additional proposed corridors include Kharagpur–Vijayawada and Itarsi–Vijayawada, aimed particularly at facilitating movement of coal and other mineral traffic.
