Revealed: Real reason why powerful fighter jet F-35B failed to take off from Kerala, big weakness exposed, bad news for US due to...
This stealth fighter jet has been made by the world's largest defense company Lockheed Martin, which is also the largest defense supplier of the US government. Now a report has revealed that such technical problems are not being faced only with the F-35B fighter plane that landed in Kerala. The Donald Trump administration of America is also facing major difficulties due to software and hardware problems of the F-35 jet. Why delivery of F-35 got delayed?
According to a report by Bloomberg News, Lockheed Martin has delivered 72 F-35 fighter jets to the US government till May 1 this year, which is after a long delay caused by problems in its software upgrade. This upgrade is known as Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3). Its purpose is to improve the software and hardware of the F-35 aircraft. This includes better display and processing power of the fighter jet. Why is payment to Lockheed Martin halted?
Lockheed Martin is not able to deliver these aircraft to the US government on time, due to which the Pentagon had stopped $ 5 million on each jet since last year. However, in January this amount was reduced by $ 1.2 million per aircraft because the defense contractor showed some progress in the upgrade. However, the report says that the funds for the new aircraft will still be stopped and it will be released gradually by next year. According to Reuters, the Pentagon's programme office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lockheed Martin declined to comment ahead of its second quarter earnings next week.
The F-35 programme is very important for the world's largest defense company Lockheed Martin, which accounts for about 30% of its revenue. Due to the delay in upgrading software and hardware by the company, the world's largest defense contractor is likely to suffer losses in the financial year 2026 due to reduced demand for F-35 aircraft from the Trump administration.
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UPSC Key: Sahyog Portal, Transshipment in Trade and Concept of Black hole
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for July 18, 2025. If you missed the July 17, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Securing energy needs overriding priority: Govt's firm reply to NATO Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests. What's the ongoing story: In a sharply-worded response to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's warning that countries like India, China and Brazil could be hit very hard by secondary sanctions if they continued to do business with Russia, the Ministry of External Affairs Thursday cautioned against 'double standards' and underlined that 'securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us'. Key Points to Ponder: • What NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said? • Why India, China and Brazil could be hit very hard by secondary sanctions? • What is a secondary sanction? • What is the latest sanctions threat hanging over India? • What is the reaction to the new Trump proposals in the West? • Should India worry? Key Takeaways: • Also Thursday, a day after Rutte's remark, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said he didn't 'feel any pressure', making clear that India does not see any oil supply disruption if its Russian crude imports get impacted because the country has diverse sources of oil and there is enough supply available in the market. • Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, 'We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate that securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets, and by the prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter.' Do You Know: • The NATO chief's warning comes at a time when Delhi and Washington are working to seal a trade deal. Geopolitical shifts, freight and refinery economics will shape India's crude sourcing decisions, diversification strategy. • India and China are the top importers of Russian crude, and Delhi is engaging with US lawmakers and the Trump administration to voice concerns regarding India's energy security. India depends on imports to meet around 88 per cent of its crude oil needs, and Russia has been the mainstay of India's oil imports for nearly three years now. Russia currently accounts for around 40 per cent of India's total oil imports. • India and Russia do have a high volume of bilateral trade. According to the Indian embassy in Russia, 'Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record high of USD 68.7 billion in FY 2024-25, nearly 5.8 times higher than the pre-pandemic trade of USD 10.1 billion.' • So far, India has not scaled back on its oil imports from Russia, maintaining that it is willing to buy oil from whoever offers the best price, as long as the oil is not under sanctions. Russian oil itself is not sanctioned, but the US and its allies have imposed a price cap of $60 per barrel, as per which Western shippers and insurers cannot participate in Russian oil trade if the price of Moscow's crude is above that level. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍US plans sanctions on Russia's trade partners: The full picture for India, explained in 3 points Online curation systems unlike newspapers: Govt on safe harbour call Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What's the ongoing story: Defending its decision to lower the 'safe harbour' protections for Internet intermediaries and social media platforms and remove content through the Sahyog Portal, the Centre told the Karnataka High Court Thursday that algorithmic curation systems fundamentally differ from editorial processes in traditional media. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Section 79 of the Information Technology Act? • Why the Karnataka High Court is currently hearing a plea by social media platform X challenging the Centre's use of Section 79 of the Information Technology Act? • What is Sahyog Portal? • What is Section 66A of the IT Act? • Why did the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the IT Act? • What are the safe harbour provisions for intermediaries? • Under which section of the IT Act did the Centre propose to remove safe harbour protections for intermediaries failing to act on flagged content? • On what grounds the government differentiates algorithmic curation from traditional media editorial control in context of safe harbour? • How the Sahyog Portal, under Section 79, could impact freedom of expression and intermediary liability? Key Takeaways: • The Karnataka High Court is currently hearing a plea by social media platform X challenging the Centre's use of Section 79 of the Information Technology Act to pass content blocking orders. • The provision removes safe harbour protection for intermediaries if they fail to take down content flagged by the government. These orders are facilitated through the Home Ministry's Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)-led Sahyog Portal. • The government also cited anonymity or pseudonymity in online platforms through alias accounts, encrypted messaging, etc. 'which can encourage more extreme speech by shielding speakers from accountability,' unlike in 'the world of licensed newspapers or broadcasters, who were known entities'. • X has challenged the Sahyog Portal, calling it a 'censorship portal.' According to government sources, as of March 2025, 38 IT intermediaries have been onboarded including significant ones like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Telegram, Apple, Sharechat, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others. Meta Inc, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has allowed API-based integration with the portal. • The government also cited anonymity or pseudonymity in online platforms through alias accounts, encrypted messaging, etc. 'which can encourage more extreme speech by shielding speakers from accountability,' unlike in 'the world of licensed newspapers or broadcasters, who were known entities'. Do You Know: • The Sahyog portal was launched in 2024 by the Union Home Ministry last year to expedite orders to block objectionable content. It is maintained by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). • A concerned authorised agency from the centre, state police or law enforcement agency can flag objectionable web content and raise a request to block it on the portal. • In December, the Delhi High Court, in its order for Shabana vs Govt of NCT Delhi, emphasised the operationalisation of the Sahyog Portal to take down unlawful content under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000. The Delhi High Court has also directed IT intermediaries to onboard the Sahyog Portal and provide the status of their onboarding during the next hearing. • In March 2025, Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) has challenged the government's use of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) to moderate and order the removal of content on social media. • The company has argued that the government's 'misuse' of the provision bypasses safeguards available under other provisions of the IT Act — namely Section 69A — that are specifically meant for the purpose of content moderation. • X's challenge before the Karnataka High Court argues that MeitY's orders are an attempt to 'bypass the multiple procedural safeguards' provided under Section 69A. The petition relies upon the SC's ruling in Shreya Singhal, and says that content can only be censored though the process given under Section 69A or through a court order. • Section 79, X argues, 'merely exempts intermediaries from liability for third-party content'. The petition states: 'A full 23 years after Section 79 was enacted, and 14 years after the current version went into effect, Respondents (the government) are now attempting to misuse Section 79 to create an unlawful blocking regime without any of the protections'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍IT Act and content blocking: Why X has challenged govt's use of Section 79 📍What is Sahyog, which Elon Musk-owned X called a 'censorship portal'? THE EDITORIAL PAGE A foothold in the cosmos Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. What's the ongoing story: Somak Raychaudhury Writes: Axiom Space's declared long-term goal of building its own commercial space station, intended to succeed the ISS, is a bold undertaking. Key Points to Ponder: • Axiom 4 mission-what you know about the same? • How the Axiom 4 mission's success signals the rise of commercial human spaceflight? • What implications does Axiom 4 mission's success have for India and global space cooperation? • How private-sector capabilities like those demonstrated by Axiom Space and SpaceX could reshape India's strategic planning for human space exploration? • Compare and contrast India's state-led space missions with commercial missions like Axiom 4. Key Takeaways: Somak Raychaudhury Writes: • The safe return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission, where he was the pilot among the four-member crew, marks a watershed moment not just for Indian human spaceflight, but for the entire strategic arc of India's space programme. • For the first time since Rakesh Sharma travelled on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984, an Indian has completed a complex scientific mission, in a journey to and from the ISS, spending more than two weeks aboard, this time under the banner of international partnership and indigenous resolve. • The successful conclusion of the Axiom-4 mission, marking another milestone in the burgeoning era of commercial human spaceflight, resonates far beyond the confines of Earth's orbit. • For India, a nation rapidly asserting its prowess in the global space arena, this achievement offers invaluable lessons and a powerful impetus, particularly for its ambitious Gaganyaan mission and the grander vision for its future ventures in space. • Axiom-4's journey underscored several critical advancements that are reshaping the space landscape. It highlighted the increasing reliability and capability of private-sector space transportation. This mission, executed with professionalism and a clear focus on its objectives, reinforced the growing accessibility of the low-Earth orbit for a multitude of purposes, from cutting-edge scientific research and technological demonstrations to the nascent but rapidly expanding commercial ventures. • For India's Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space on an indigenous vehicle, the insights gleaned from Axiom-4 are profoundly relevant. While ISRO's approach is distinctly national, the global landscape of human spaceflight is increasingly collaborative and increasingly driven by the commercial sector. Do You Know: Somak Raychaudhury Writes: • The Axiom 4 mission is being operated by private US space company Axiom Space, in partnership with NASA and SpaceX. Notably, the mission will carry the first astronauts from Hungary and Poland to the space station. • The Axiom 4 mission features an international crew from the United States, India. Poland and Hungary. Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, commanded the commercial mission, and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla served as pilot. The private mission also carries ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. • The space agencies, NASA and ISRO, are taking part in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations, said NASA. 'NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration,' NASA said in a statement on its website. • 'NASA's mission responsibility is for integrated operations, which begins during the spacecraft's approach to the space station, continues during the crew's approximately two-week stay aboard the orbiting laboratory while conducting science, education, and commercial activities, and concludes once the spacecraft exits the station,' the space agency said. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Axiom Mission 4 is set for launch with Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla onboard; here's all your questions answered ECONOMY Cash, UPI-based trade by unregistered, smaller biz under fresh GST scrutiny Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What's the ongoing story: With multiple instances of high UPI and cash-based transactions from unregistered small businesses and service providers being recorded, central and state Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities are learnt to have reached out to payment aggregators, seeking data of those who received payments exceeding Rs 20 lakh per year. Key Points to Ponder: • What do you mean by small business in India? • What is the technical definition of a small business? • How has GST can affect small businesses? • What are the objectives of GST on small businesses? • What are the concerns of small vendors such as harassment and retroactive tax demands arising from the crackdown? • How UPI based GST scrutiny could alter the informal sector's dynamics and revenue-generation potential for states? Key Takeaways: • While many states are undertaking their own data analysis on cash-based and unregistered trade, central GST authorities have asked their field officers to identify sectors that are prone to cash transactions, conduct a geographical mapping to identify specific markets for informal economic activity, and undertake targeted outreach programmes to engage with local business associations and nudge them to register under GST. • A missive sent by central GST authorities to its field officers on June 24 noted that a part of the economic activity still continues to operate outside the formal tax framework, particularly in sectors and markets where cash transactions dominate. • After the missive, central GST officials in several zones are learnt to have sought data from payment platforms to identify the unregistered GST businesses that are eligible to be brought in the taxation net. However, no notice has been sent yet from the central GST authorities, a source said. • 'Cash-based transactions and unregistered trade are under enhanced scrutiny. GST officers have reached out to UPI payment platforms to get data from the recipient's side where they have received funds exceeding the GST registration limit, say, Rs 20 lakh for service providers. Such data is now going to be analysed and notices will be sent to these businesses who are either unregistered or are paying unrealistically low GST, even if they are registered,' a source told The Indian Express. • The central GST officers in the field have been asked to submit the list of sectors identified for cash-prone transactions and the specific markets for informal economic activity along with details about outreach programmes by July 15. They have also been asked to provide the number and percentage of taxpayers that paid tax in cash of less than Rs 5,000 in the financial year 2024-25. • The GST authorities are undertaking data analysis to identify taxpayers with disproportionately low tax paid in cash in previous financial years, especially in areas with large informal markets and high cash transactions. Do You Know: • Smaller businesses are under greater scrutiny of the GST authorities as most stay unregistered, sources said. The authorities have directed integration of these informal segments into the GST system, underlining the need for a systematic and targeted approach. The attempt is to nudge these taxpayers towards the formal economy, and bring those in the informal economy under the ambit of the indirect tax regime. • GST registration is mandatorily required if small businesses have all-India aggregate turnover above Rs 40 lakh in case of supply of goods (Rs 20 lakh if business is in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura and Uttarakhand) and Rs 20 lakh in case of supply of services or in case of mixed supplies (Rs 10 lakh if business is in states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura). • State and central GST authorities are also focused on expanding the tax base and hence, have been directed to take action in market segments where they have not taken any enforcement action earlier. For instance, smaller businesses engaged in building interiors, furniture suppliers, food services will face closer scrutiny from GST authorities, sources said. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Why the govt wants to change the definition of MSMEs US aversion to transshipment is likely to pose hurdles for India in FTA talks Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: A key element in the flurry of reciprocal tariff letters the United States has sent to countries deeply integrated with its economy, be it Canada and South Korea — or those with close economic ties to China, such as Thailand and Malaysia in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region — is the threat of steeper tariffs on transhipped goods. Washington DC views this as a backdoor route for Chinese products to enter its market. Key Points to Ponder: • The US crackdown on transshipment for India's trade strategy—Know challenges and opportunities. • What is transshipment in trade? • What are the rules of origin? • How the rules of origin can be used to prevent circumvention of tariffs through transshipment? • What are the risks and benefits for India of its growing manufacturing integration with Chinese supply chains amid transshipment scrutiny? Key Takeaways: • Transhipment in trade parlance refers to the practice of importing products from one country and exporting them to another, usually without significant processing or value addition. • Indian experts suggest that, in India's case, the US could invoke stringent 'rules of origin' provisions under the trade agreement to discourage the entry of Chinese goods into the US via India. But India's reliance on Chinese products across industry could pose a significant problem while dealing with the US. • Official trade data indicates a simultaneous rise in imports from China and exports to America. Data from the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed that India's exports to the US in April rose 27.31 per cent to $8.41 billion, up from $6.61 billion in April last year. At the same time, imports from China increased by a comparable margin — up 27.03 per cent to $9.90 billion, compared to $7.79 billion a year earlier. • A similar pattern emerged in March, as concerns grew over the possibility of steeper Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods relative to Indian ones. India's exports to the US jumped 35 per cent to $10.14 billion, while imports from China rose 25.02 per cent to $9.67 billion. During FY25 as a whole, India's exports to the US rose 11.59 per cent to $86.51 billion, while imports from China increased 11.52 per cent to over $113 billion. • However, in June the imports from China surged 2.48 per cent but exports to the US jumped 23.53 per cent. This comes amid an increased number of anti-dumping duties that India has begun imposing on high value items such as steel and other industrial goods from China. Do You Know: • Decoupling from China has been a slow and painful process even for the US. For India — which aims to expand its manufacturing base to create jobs for its large population — the challenge is even greater. Despite opting out of the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, India's imports from China have continued to surge, surpassing $113 billion in FY25. • While poor logistics and a lack of industrial expertise are often cited as reasons why India's manufacturing sector has struggled, the imbalance in the Chinese economy also played a role. The lower cost of Chinese goods has disrupted several Indian industries. In the renewable energy sector, where domestic solar cell manufacturers have struggled to compete with Chinese imports. • Chen Gang, Assistant Director and Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore, notes in his report China's Consumption Dilemma in the Age of Trump that 'China's economy has been notoriously imbalanced, characterised by low domestic consumption and an overreliance on export and investment.' • China's 'state capitalism has an innate tendency to focus on the 'supply side' instead of the 'demand side',' Gang wrote in his report for the Hinrich Foundation. He adds that this approach has led to 'enormous industrial capacity subsidised by the state but detached from real market demand.' Policies such as 'dual circulation', aimed at promoting self-sufficiency, have inadvertently 'exacerbated industrial overcapacity rather than alleviated it'. That surplus capacity, in turn, has driven Chinese producers to aggressively seek external markets—potentially distorting global trade and fuelling competitive pressures abroad. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍'Very close to trade deal with India': Trump says EU deal also possible as tariff deadline looms THE WORLD In landmark poll reforms, Britain set to reduce voting age to 16 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests What's the ongoing story: The UK government has announced plans to lower the voting age to 16 for all UK elections, aiming to increase youth participation in democracy. Key Points to Ponder: • What are the democratic implications of lowering the voting age to 16 in the UK? • How lowering the voting age to 16 in the UK can affect political representation and legitimacy? • How automatic voter registration and new voter ID rules together could reform UK electoral processes? • What are the arguments for and against allowing 16–17 year olds to vote? • Compare the UK's decision to lower voting age with similar moves in Scotland, Wales? • What India can learn from this move? Key Takeaways: • If approved by Parliament, the move will bring the rest of the UK in line with Scotland and Wales, where 16- and 17-year-olds can already vote in devolved elections. Deputy PM Angela Rayner said the reforms are part of efforts to 'break down barriers to participation.' • The changes come amid concerns over declining voter turnout, with the 2024 general election seeing just 59.7 per cent participation, the lowest since 2001. Research cited by Parliament suggests that 16-year-olds are more likely to vote than those turning 18. • Alongside enfranchising younger voters, the reform package includes strict new rules to counter foreign interference and financial loopholes in political donations. Do You Know: • Key changes include: —Closing legal loopholes that allow foreign money to enter UK elections via shell companies. —Requiring political parties to verify that donor companies generate income in the UK or Ireland. —Imposing stronger fines — up to £500,000 — for violations. —Making false or misleading donor declarations a criminal offence. Though the package was welcomed by transparency campaigners, it stops short of introducing a cap on individual political donations. • Currently, any UK-registered company can donate to a political party regardless of its origin, activity, or ownership — a loophole the government now aims to address through new legitimacy tests. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reform EXPLAINED How scientists detected a colossal merger of black holes Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life What's the ongoing story: Scientists have reported the discovery of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes that are the biggest to have been observed in such an event. Black hole mergers are rare but some of the most spectacular events in the universe, releasing massive amounts of energy that are propagated to a very large distance through gravitational waves. Key Points to Ponder: • What is a black hole? • The concept of Black hole was given by whom? • What is gravitational waves? • What creates gravitational waves? • How do gravitational waves affect Humans? • Know the significance of GW231123 in extending our knowledge of gravitational-wave astronomy and black hole. • What are the three stages of a binary black hole merger (inspiral, merger, ringdown)? • How big are black holes-Know about stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes. Key Takeaways: • Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime created by movements of massive objects, just like the movement of a boat in a lake produces ripples in water. But these are extremely weak, and only gravitational waves produced in very big events, like the merger of two black holes, can be detected by instruments on Earth. • One of the black holes was 140 times the mass of the Sun in our solar system, the other 100 times bigger. Their merger resulted in a black hole that was about 225 times larger than the Sun. The previous record for such mergers detected through gravitational waves in 2021 involved black holes about 80 and 65 times larger than the Sun. • Two black holes, one of them 140 times more massive than the Sun, and the other 100 times bigger, merged to result a black hole estimated to be about 225 times the size of the Sun. • GW231123 will be presented at the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR24) and the 16th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, held jointly as the GR-Amaldi meeting in Glasgow, UK, from July 14-18, 2025. Do You Know: • LIGO, which stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, is a set of two detectors in the United States that was the first one to detect gravitational waves in 2015. That discovery gave the first experimental validation of the existence of gravitational waves, which had theoretically been proposed in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity 100 years ago. It had resulted in a Nobel Prize two years later. • The first detection of gravitational waves, in 2015, was made by the two observatories in the United States. After that, a few more observatories have come up, notably the Virgo detector in Italy and the KAGRA (Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector) in Japan. Together, these are known as the LVK collaboration. The latest discovery has come from this collaboration. • Incidentally, the LIGO is proposed to have a third observatory, this one in India, to be called the LIGO-India observatory, but its construction is running way behind schedule. • It was originally supposed to begin operations in 2024, but a final government approval earmarking Rs 2,600 crore for the project came only in 2023. The Department of Atomic Energy, which is handling the project, has selected a site in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra to set up this observatory. As per the latest information, the construction of the project is expected to start later this year and be completed by April 2030. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Scientists detect signals of biggest black hole merger Cutting sugar, oil: Why govt wants to 'nudge' people to eat healthy Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. What's the ongoing story: The Union Health Secretary, Puniya Salila Srivastava, recently wrote to all ministries and government departments, urging them to display information on sugar and fat content in everyday foods in their offices and other public institutions. It also proposed doing so in schools and offices at large. Key Points to Ponder: • Who issued the advisory to display 'Oil and Sugar Boards' in workplaces? • What did the advisory say? • Why is this being done? • How big is the obesity problem in India? • Are all fats bad in food? How much is too much? • What are ultra-processed foods and trans fats? • How much sugar should we be consuming? Key Takeaways: • However, some media reports claimed that 'warning labels' will be issued for snacks such as samosas and jalebis, raising questions of why Indian snacks were selectively chosen. • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also said, 'Some media have reported that apparently samosas/jalebis cannot be consumed from now on, based on instructions from the Health Ministry. • The June 21 letter said, 'We are proposing display of Sugar and Oil Boards as an initiative to promote healthier dietary habits in various settings. These boards serve as visual behavioural nudges…' • These boards are to serve as visual reminders to prompt people to eat healthier, in line with the government's recent focus on combating the rising incidence of obesity in India. They will not be the same as warning labels, like the ones seen on tobacco packaging and mandated by law. Do You Know: • Designed by the apex food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), one such board said that a person should consume only around 27 to 30 grams of fat in a day. It depicted snacks such as samosa, kachori, and vadapav, along with their fat content. For reference, one samosa (100 g) yields 362 kilocalories (kcal) with 28 g of fat, while a burger has 590 kcal with 20.5 g of fat. • Similarly, the sugar boards said that adults should not consume more than 25 g of sugar per day and children not more than 20 g. They showed the sugar content in soft drinks, chocolates, gulab jamun, and flavoured juices. One gulab jamun (62 g) releases 203 kcal and 32 g of sugar. • With obesity on the rise — along with associated increases in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and some cancers — the government has been undertaking several activities to improve food habits. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to adopt an active, healthy lifestyle and reduce oil consumption by 10%. • The Union Health Secretary's letter, quoting The Lancet medical journal's Global Burden of Disease study, says that the number of obese and overweight adults in India is projected to increase from around 18 crores in 2021 to 44.9 crores by 2050. This will make India the country with the second-highest global burden. • Fats are not inherently bad — in fact, some categories of fats are needed for the body to function properly. The Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) National Nutrition Guideline suggests that people should try to get as much of their daily requirement of fats from seeds, nuts, pulses, and beans as possible. • Ultra-processed foods are high in fats, sugars, and salts, and the term generally includes industrially produced foods that contain ingredients not available in home kitchens. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India may have second-largest overweight or obese population by 2050: What new studies reveal For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
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- Time of India
‘Must guard against all…': Microsoft's alleged use of Chinese engineers to maintain military cloud computing systems questioned by US senator
A US senator has reportedly questioned Microsoft's alleged use of Chinese engineers to maintain military cloud computing systems. This inquiry follows a ProPublica report from earlier this week that accused Microsoft of employing Chinese engineers to work on US military computing systems. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a letter sent to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, has requested additional information from the Pentagon about the tech giant's reported use of Chinese engineers for US military systems as it raises concerns about potential national security risks , a report by the news agency Reuters claims. The report claimed that these engineers operated under the supervision of US "digital escorts' who were hired through subcontractors. These subcontractors possessed security clearances but often lacked the technical skills to assess whether the Chinese engineers' work posed a cybersecurity threat , the report added. What US senator said about Microsoft allegedly employing Chinese engineers for US military systems In the letter sent to Hegseth (seen by Reuters), Cotton wrote: 'The US government recognises that China's cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains. The US military must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including those from subcontractors." Senetor Cotton also requested the US military to provide a list of all contractors employing Chinese personnel, along with details on the training of US 'digital escorts' who are tasked with identifying suspicious activity, the Reuters report added. Microsoft has reportedly used a "digital escort" system that lets Chinese engineers indirectly access highly sensitive US military data for nearly a decade now. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite Pentagon rules barring foreign access, these engineers guide low-paid American escorts, often with minimal coding skills, to input commands into Defense Department cloud systems that has now raised national security concerns, the original report claims. Meanwhile, Microsoft, a key contractor for the US government and previously targeted by both Chinese and Russian hackers, has said that it had informed the government about its practices during the authorisation process.
