IISER scholar's rural library bridging access gaps to educational resources
BHUBANESWAR: When Biswajit Panda observed the gaping holes in access to quality books and educational resources at Badabarchikayan, his native village under Bonth block of Bhadrak district, he knew he had to do something about it.
A PhD scholar in biological sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur, Biswajit says it was this gap that pushed him to come up with a rural library so that people of his village could benefit from it. And, Vanipeeth Library came into being. The facility has now been temporarily set up in a 150 sq ft room, which is occasionally used by a local self-help group to hold meetings.
The initiative, as he said, stemmed from the fact that people in villages often lack proper libraries or bookstores. 'Aspiring candidates preparing for competitive exams like the UPSC, PSC and NDA, also struggle to get the necessary study materials, which are often expensive,' he added.
The idea took roots in October 2023, when Biswajit was inspired by the work of Uma Mahadevan, additional chief secretary and development commissioner of Karnataka, who has been instrumental in promoting rural libraries across that state. Deeply motivated by her efforts, Biswajit began researching how to replicate the initiative in his own village. He explored government provisions for land and funding.
After facing initial delays due to the enforcement of the model code of conduct during early 2024 and his PhD works, Biswajit resumed his efforts in November. He approached Badabarchikayan sarpanch Pushpanjali Swain, who encouraged him to present the proposal during the Gram Sabha held in January 2024. The community responded positively, and the idea gained official momentum.
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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, International Potato Center and Uranium Enrichment
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 26, 2025. If you missed the June 25, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Dragon with Shukla, 3 others to dock with ISS at 4.30 pm today Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Main Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology and Awareness in the fields of IT, Space. What's the ongoing story: The Axiom-4 Mission, carrying Shukla and three other crew members, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). Key Points to Ponder: • Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? • What is the Axion Mission 4? • What is India's human spaceflight program? • What is International Space Station (ISS)? • Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to the ISS marks a milestone in India's private space aspirations-Discuss its significance for India's future in space diplomacy and commercial missions. • How does India's indirect participation in the International Space Station through private astronauts strengthen its long-term space strategy? • How space tourism and private participation in space missions can complement national space programs like Gaganyaan. • 'There is also the apprehension that like nuclear technology, space could also become exclusionary, with only a handful of countries controlling and regulating space travel'-Comment Key Takeaways: • Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla embarked on the most consequential flight of his life Wednesday, taking off, along with three others, in the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. This makes him only the second Indian to travel to space. • A fighter pilot and test pilot with the Indian Air Force, with more than 2,000 hours of flying experience, Shukla is the designated pilot for the Crew Dragon spacecraft that took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida exactly at noon India time. • After a 28-hour journey through space, the Dragon spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station around 4.30 pm India time Thursday, allowing the four astronauts to transfer to the only permanent research laboratory in space where they will spend the next two weeks, carrying out scientific experiments and engaging in science outreach events. • Shukla's feat comes 41 years after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma — he later retired as Wing Commander — travelled to space on the then Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 spacecraft and spent about eight days on board the Salyut 7 space station, one of the Soviet forerunners to the current International Space Station. • Two other astronauts on the Axiom-4 mission, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, are also marking the return of their respective countries to space after more than four decades. For this reason, the mission has been given the theme 'Realize the Return'. The fourth astronaut, and commander of the mission, Peggy Whitson is a veteran of space travel, having made four earlier trips, with a record 675 days in space. Do You Know: • The Axiom-4 mission, originally scheduled to launch in May, faced multiple delays because of weather and technical problems. A small uncertainty hung over the launch Wednesday as well, even after the astronauts had entered the capsule, as some updated data took time to get uploaded to the spacecraft's software. Shukla was seen shuffling and shaking his legs as he waited, and exulted mildly when the all-clear was announced. • ISRO chairman V Narayanan who, along with a ISRO team, had been in the US since the start of this month for the launch, said he was extremely happy that the mission had finally launched after all technical problems had been addressed. • Shukla was among four IAF pilots selected for the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO's maiden attempt at sending humans into space. The first human spaceflight mission under this programme was originally scheduled for 2022 to coincide with 75 years of India's independence. But the programme has faced delays, and it is now expected to take place in 2027. • In the meanwhile, a new collaboration between ISRO and NASA in 2023 opened the opportunity for an Indian to travel on a private mission facilitated by NASA. This is how Shukla's participation in the Axiom-4 mission came about. • The Axiom-4 mission is being operated and managed by Axiom Space, a private US space company. The Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft used in the mission have come from SpaceX, the world's largest private space corporation. NASA offered access to its facilities, including the International Space Station, and training to the astronauts. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What Shubhanshu Shukla's trip to ISS means for India's space program 📍Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian set to travel to International Space Station? GOVT & POLITICS Nod for South Asia unit of International Potato Center in Agra Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country What's the ongoing story: The Centre cleared a proposal to set up the South Asia regional centre of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP) in India. Key Points to Ponder: • Where is the newly approved South Asia unit of the International Potato Centre located? • Why South Asia unit of the International Potato Centre is setup in India? • What is the International Potato Center (CIP)? • What functions will it carry out? • Why is the move significant? • Is this the first time that a wing is being established outside Peru? • What is India's position in global potato production? Key Takeaways: • The CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) will come up at Singna in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh and will not only serve farmers in potato-belt states like UP, Bihar and West Bengal but also cater to South Asian countries. • 'The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweetpotato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition,' said an official statement after the Cabinet cleared the proposal sent by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. • Sources said the entire project will cost `171 crore, of which India will contribute `111 crore, while the remaining `60 crore will be funded by the CIP. The UP government has provided 10 hectares of land for the proposed centre. • The Cabinet decision came months after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 20 and highlighted the delay in the establishment of a CIP regional centre in Agra. An Agriculture Ministry delegation led by Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi recently visited Peru. • According to the Government, India's potato sector has the potential to generate significant employment opportunities vis a vis 'production, processing, packaging, transportation, marketing and value chain, etc'. CSARC will 'untap and explore' this potential, the statement said. Do You Know: • India is the world's second top producer and consumer of potato; in 2020, it saw a production of 51.30 million tonnes. At the top is China, with its potato output in 2020 at 78.24 million tonnes. Together, the two countries account for over one-third of the global potato production (359.07 MT). • China set up its regional CIP centre eight years ago. Known as the China Center for Asia Pacific (CCCAP), it was established in Yanqing, Beijing in 2017 and also serves the entire East Asia and the Pacific region. • Among the states in India, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal lead the production at 15 MT each in 2020-21, followed by Bihar (9 MT) million tonnes). Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are the other significant potato producers. • As of now, at least two different centres of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) work on tuber crops. While the Shimla-based ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute) is working on potato, the Thiruvananthapuram-based ICAR-CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute is working on sweetpotato. • CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set its operations. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Parliamentary constituency. • Headquartered at Lima in Peru, the CIP was founded in 1971 as a research-for-development organisation with a focus on potato, sweet potato and Andean roots and tubers. The India centre will not only serve domestic farmers, but those in other South Asian countries as well. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Union Cabinet approves global potato research center in Agra: What is the significance? THE EDITORIAL PAGE A different Middle East Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Ramin Jahanbegloo Writes: Regime change is not an easy task. And Israel and US have been able to set back Iran's nuclear capacities without permanently removing the threat. Key Points to Ponder: • According to the Ramin Jahanbegloo, the Middle East is increasingly defined by what? • Which shift in regional dynamics post-October 2023 does Ramin Jahanbegloo highlight in this article? • A revived 'coalition of inclusion' in the region implies what? • Know the impact of nuclear diplomacy, especially the Geneva deal, in repositioning Iran as a legitimate regional player. • Discuss the role of proxy networks, particularly Shiite militias, in expanding Iran's influence in conflicts such as Gaza and Lebanon. • Assess the fragility of the 'new Middle East' vision anchored around economic cooperation and connectivity in the wake of renewed conflict dynamics. • Compare the 'coalition of inclusion' with the 'coalition of resistance.' • Will the Iranian regime turn its guns once again against its civilians who dare to ask about the moral legitimacy of the country's leadership? • Will the fragile US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel hold? • Would the Iranian authorities still go for a comprehensive nuclear deal with the US and Europe? • What are the immediate consequences of Trump's 'spectacular military success'? Key Takeaways: Ramin Jahanbegloo Writes: • It has now become customary for people around the globe to take sides easily in the war between Israel and Iran and respond to the strategic and political needs of this confrontation rather than to answer to their own conscience. • Right now, the correct question to ask is why we got here and, of course, the right answer is that the ideological face-to-face between the state of Israel and the Iranian regime during the past 40 years has been all about hegemony in the Middle East. • For nearly five decades, the Iranian regime made the mistake of being immensely loudmouthed about its rhetoric against the state of Israel and minimising the US power in the Levant. This was intensified after the end of the eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, with the starring role played by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, especially the Quds Force. • In the past five years, the Iranian regime has tried to attack Israeli and American interests in the Middle East through its proxies, like the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis of Yemen. The Iranian people had to pay the price of the presence of this 'syndrome of hegemony' by being isolated economically and politically through Trump's maximum pressure campaign and the EU sanctions against Iran in response to its human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation activities and military support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Do You Know: Ramin Jahanbegloo Writes: • Things have been different in the present war between Iran and Israel. First and foremost, Israel could count fully on Trump's political and military support in an attack against Iran's military and its nuclear installations. On the other hand, Ayatollah Khamenei is said to have been asked by advisers not to escalate the war after the bombing of Iran's main nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. • Third, the Iranian regime kept open the option of firing missiles and drones at Israel, as it did hours after the US suggestion of an unconditional ceasefire, knowing perfectly well that the survival of the Islamic Republic of Iran was at stake — as in the case of the 1988 Iran-Iraq war, Iran might run out of missiles and ammunition. Last but not least, though some of the Iranian military commanders might have suggested a crushing response to the US by closing the Strait of Hormuz — through which more than a quarter of the world's seaborne crude oil passes — even Russia and China, the two key allies of Iran, have not supported such a folly. • The Arab leaders of the Persian Gulf region, notably Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, have tried to calm the tensions between Iran and the US, while not entertaining a Shiite Iran in search of regional hegemony. But they seem to be preoccupied by the sudden isolation of Iran from its weakened proxies and its two political allies, Russia and China, who are deeply embedded in the global economy and have much to lose from the turmoil in the Middle East. • Regime change in Iran is not an easy task. Until now, Israel and the US have been able to set back Iran's nuclear capacities without permanently removing its nuclear and ballistic missile threats. Many questions remain after the United States joined Israel in the war against Iran. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍After the fighting has stopped THE IDEAS PAGE Turning point in Eurasia Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: C Raja Mohan writes: As Trump questions NATO's relevance and pushes for disengagement, the Indo-Pacific will have to weigh in on new partnerships and independent security strategies. Key Points to Ponder: • What do you understand by the term Eurasia? • According to C Raja Mohan, India's Eurasian strategy should deepen ties with whom? • Which 'Indo-Pacific' counterpart in Eurasia did C Raja Mohan say India has yet to treat with similar strategic focus? • Why C. Raja Mohan believes India must develop an integrated Eurasian policy similar to its Indo Pacific strategy? • What is the rationale behind India engaging more deeply with the EU and NATO in the context of Eurasian security? • What is the strategic implications of China's growing assertiveness in Central and West Asia for India's continental posture? • What are the opportunities and challenges for India in renewing its engagement with Russia amid shifting global alignments? • How India's pursuit of strategic autonomy fits into a dynamic Eurasian security framework? • What did Trump say about NATO? • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Know the historical background and current Status Key Takeaways: C Raja Mohan writes: • Having shaken the Middle East by bombing Iran's nuclear facilities and facilitating a fragile ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran, US President Donald Trump has turned his disruptive energies to Europe. • This week's NATO summit in The Hague is a pivotal moment for the transatlantic alliance and the broader European security order. But the implications of Trump's disruptive interventions are not confined to the Middle East or Europe. They reverberate across the Indo-Pacific, and could herald a wider transformation in Eurasian geopolitics. • As Washington becomes an agent of profound structural change in both the Middle East and Europe, new centres of gravity are beginning to emerge. Among them is Germany, which is repositioning itself from a 'reluctant power' into the strategic anchor in Europe. A German-led Europe could, in turn, become a key player in the future of Eurasia. • This year's 32-member NATO summit takes place amid deepening anxieties about the alliance's future. The basic assumptions of NATO look increasingly unsustainable. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, persistent transatlantic tensions, and Trump's repeated questioning of NATO's utility have pushed the alliance into uncharted territory. Trump's insistence that Europe take full ownership of its security is compelling a long-overdue geopolitical reckoning on the old continent. • The search for new strategic leadership within Europe has turned to Germany — its economic dynamo and geopolitical core. When NATO was founded in 1949, its first secretary-general, Lord Ismay, famously declared its goal: 'To keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.' In the post-War order, this formula made sense: A divided Germany had to be contained; the Soviet threat loomed large; and American military and economic might underwrote Western Europe's security. Do You Know: C Raja Mohan writes: • Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shattered that wisdom about Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's declaration of a Zeitenwende —a historic turning point —marked the beginning of Germany's strategic reorientation. A €100 billion special fund was set aside to modernise the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces. Berlin pledged to meet NATO's defence spending target of 2 per cent of GDP, and took the unprecedented step of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine. • Trump's actions in the Middle East mirror this disregard for traditional threat perceptions and a penchant for breaking geopolitical taboos. His first term saw the brokering of the Abraham Accords between Israel and some Arab states. He is now seeking to extend these to include Saudi Arabia. Some in Trump's inner camp are dreaming of 'Cyrus Accords' that will promote normalisation of relations between Iran and Israel when Tehran breaks loose from the stranglehold of the present theocracy. • None of America's European or Asian allies can really meet the 5 per cent of GDP defence spending goal being demanded by Washington. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, eager to please Trump by signalling a new consensus in favour of spending 5 per cent, glosses over the differences with the US. The US President is, however, not affirming the American commitment to defend the Europeans against Russia. • Eurasian powers can't simply solve their security problems by throwing money at the military. They will have to find political answers to their security problems. • India, which straddles the three regions, must adapt. Delhi's growing strategic engagement with Europe, its openness to partnerships with all major actors in the Middle East, and its recent effort to stabilise ties with China and strengthen independent engagement with ASEAN, Australia, Japan, and South Korea, while deepening ties with Trump's America, should position it well to navigate this emerging world of diminished certainties. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍WHY NATO MEMBERS HAVE AGREED TO INCREASE THEIR DEFENCE SPENDING 📍NATO commits to higher spending sought by Trump EXPRESS NETWORK Govt announces Bihar's 1st n-power plant Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. What's the ongoing story: Bihar will be among the first six states in India will get its first atomic plant under the country's new Nuclear Energy Mission. Key Points to Ponder: • What is a small modular nuclear reactor or SMR? • What are the advantages of SMRs? • How the establishment of Bihar's first SMR plant will contribute to regional energy equity and industrial development? • What are the advantages and challenges of deploying SMRs, particularly in terms of cost, safety, and waste management. • With the India's collaboration with foreign entities in SMR development, What are the geopolitical and technology-transfer implications? Key Takeaways: • The Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-based nuclear power plant in the state following the Centre's approval. • The announcement comes ahead of assembly election in Bihar and comes after a meeting of eastern region power ministers, which included representatives from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. • He confirmed that the Centre had accepted Bihar's request for a nuclear plant, stating: 'If the Bihar government sets up a nuclear power plant, the Central Government is fully prepared to provide support.' Khattar added that Bihar had formally requested such a facility and the Centre would assist in its establishment. Details regarding the site and scale of the plant are expected to be finalised in the coming stages of project development. • Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 with a Rs 20,000 crore allocation, the Nuclear Energy Mission aims at expanding clean and reliable nuclear power across the country and strengthen regional energy security. Do You Know: • SMRs are a newer generation of nuclear technology designed to be more flexible and cost-effective than traditional large-scale reactors, experts say. They can be deployed in smaller grids and are considered safer due to their advanced design. • For Bihar, which has historically struggled with power deficits and infrastructure challenges, the project represents a significant shift. Officials say the plant could help provide a more stable electricity supply and support the state's industrial ambitions. • Alongside the nuclear plant, the Centre has also approved a 1,000 MW battery storage capacity project in Bihar, aimed at enhancing grid stability and supporting renewable energy integration. The government will provide viability gap funding of Rs 18 lakh per MW for this initiative. • This focus on battery storage comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Siwan on June 20, laid the foundation stone for a 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Bihar. Union Power Minister Khattar, while making the SMR announcement, also praised the Bihar government for its recent progress in the power sector, noting the installation of eight million smart meters and a significant reduction in technical and commercial losses. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍On nuclear energy, budget 2025 sets India up for an audacious but achievable target THE WORLD UN nuclear chief says it's possible that Iran's highly enriched uranium 'is there' Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: • General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate • General Studies III: Science and Technology What's the ongoing story: There is a chance that much of Iran's highly enriched uranium survived Israeli and U.S. attacks because it may have been moved by Tehran soon after the first strikes, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Uranium? • What are the different isotopes of uranium? • What is uranium enrichment? • How is uranium mined? • How is uranium made into nuclear fuel? • What is reprocessed uranium (RepU)? • What is the role of the IAEA? • What are the process of uranium enrichment and discuss its strategic significance in the global nuclear order? • What is the role of enriched uranium in civilian nuclear energy generation? • Know the geopolitics surrounding uranium enrichment technologies. Key Takeaways: • Israel repeatedly struck Iranian nuclear facilities during its 12-day war with Tehran, and U.S. forces bombed Iran's underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, but the extent of the damage to its stocks of enriched uranium is unclear. • International Atomic Energy Agency chief Grossi said earlier this week that Iran had informed the IAEA on June 13 – the first day of Israeli strikes – that it would take 'special measures' to protect its nuclear materials and equipment. • The IAEA needs to determine how much remains of Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity – a level that is close to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. Uranium enrichment has both civilian and military applications. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes. The IAEA says no other country has enriched to such a high level without producing nuclear weapons, and Western powers say there is no civil justification for it. • The last quarterly IAEA report on May 31 indicated that Iran had, according to an IAEA yardstick, enough uranium enriched to up to 60% purity for nine nuclear weapons if enriched further. It has enough for more bombs at lower enrichment levels such as 20% and 5%, the report showed. Do You Know: According to the IAEA Website, • Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, which has the atomic number of 92 and corresponds to the chemical symbol U in the periodic table. It belongs to a special group of elements called 'actinides' — elements that were discovered relatively late in history. Like all other actinides, uranium is 'radioactive' – it decays over time and releases energy in the process. Its special properties make uranium the main source of fuel for nuclear reactors — a chicken-egg sized amount of uranium fuel can provide as much electricity as 88 tonnes of coal. • Uranium is among the more common elements in the earth's crust — about 500 times more common than gold. Although it seems a very rare element, small amounts of uranium are present everywhere — in rock, soil, water, and even our bodies. There are also large amounts of highly diluted uranium in the ocean — approximately four billion tonnes. • Just like any other element, uranium comes in several variations that differ in mass and physical properties but share the same chemical properties. Those are called isotopes. • Uranium enrichment is the process, through which the isotopic proportion of U-235 is increased from 0.72 per cent to up to 94 per cent. • If uranium is enriched beyond 20 per cent, it is considered highly enriched. Uranium with such high isotopic proportions of U-235 is mostly used in naval propulsion reactors (for example in submarines), nuclear weapons and some research reactors. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍400kg of uranium missing after US strike on Iranian nuclear sites, JD Vance confirms ECONOMY Indian economy resilient amidst elevated global trade uncertainty: RBI bulletin Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What's the ongoing story: Amid heightened geopolitical and trade uncertainties, the Indian economy has exhibited considerable signs of resilience, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) article said. Key Points to Ponder: • What exactly RBI report highlighted about India's economic resilience? • Which sectors did RBI cite as showing strong high-frequency momentum in May? • Which major policy action did RBI take in June 2025 to support growth? • Why did RBI reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio in June 2025? • What global concern did RBI identify as a risk to India's medium-term outlook? • How high-frequency indicators across agriculture, industry, and services support growth resilience in India despite global volatility? • Know the role of RBI's June 2025 monetary measures such as repo rate cut and CRR reduction in reinforcing domestic economic momentum. • How foreign exchange interventions by RBI help stabilise the rupee and support macroeconomic stability? Key Takeaways: • 'In this state of elevated global uncertainty, various high-frequency indicators for May 2025 point towards resilient economic activity in India across the industrial and services sectors,' the 'State of the Economy' article published in the RBI's June bulletin said. • The provisional estimates (PE) of national income released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in May placed the country's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6.5 per cent for 2024-25, same as the Second Advance Estimates (SAE). • The dual engines of the country's growth — private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) and gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) — contributed 4 percentage points and 2.4 percentage points, respectively, to GDP growth. • In terms of the quarterly trajectory, the Indian economy registered a growth of 7.4 per cent in Q4 FY25, notably higher than 6.4 per cent recorded in the preceding quarter. The pick-up in growth was mainly driven by fixed investment, which increased sharply to 9.4 per cent from a low of 5.2 per cent in the preceding quarter, owing to a sustained momentum in construction activity. Do You Know: • The article said that high-frequency indicators for May present mixed signals on aggregate demand. Urban demand showed signs of moderation as passenger vehicle sales declined with a sharp drop in the entry-level segment. However, rural demand improved as evident from the increase in the retail sales of two-wheelers. • Overall economic activity remained robust in May 2025, with key high-frequency indicators like e-way bills, goods and services tax (GST) revenue, toll collections, and digital payments showing strong growth. • GST revenue collections surpassed the Rs 2 lakh crore-mark for the second consecutive month in May, boosted by import-related GST receipts. Headline inflation, as measured by year-on-year changes in the all-India consumer price index (CPI), moderated to 2.8 per cent in May 2025 (the lowest since February 2019) from 3.2 per cent in April. • Financial conditions remained conducive to facilitate an efficient transmission of rate cuts to the credit market. The article further said that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of $3.9 billion in April 2025, more than double the level in April 2024. The country ranked 16th globally in FDI inflows and recorded $114 billion in greenfield investment in digital economy sectors over the last five years (2020-2024), the highest among all countries in the Global South, it said. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Private capex not showing robust signs of revival, says RBI MPC member Ram Singh 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.
News18
5 days ago
- News18
IISER IAT Results 2025 Out: Counselling Application Begins Tomorrow, Check Result Here
Last Updated: IISER IAT Results 2025 Declared: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has declared the results of the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025 at IISER IAT Results 2025 Out: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has declared the results of the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025. Candidates who appeared for the exam can now check their results on the official website at This year, the test was conducted by IISER Tirupati, and the entrance exam took place on May 25. IAT 2025 scores will be used for admissions to the five-year BS-MS (dual degree) and four-year BS programmes offered by IISERs located in Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tirupati. Students can pursue programmes in Natural Sciences, Engineering, Computational and Data Sciences, Economic Sciences, and Economic and Statistical Sciences. Step 1: Visit the official IISER website – Step 2: Click on the 'IISER Aptitude Test Results" link on the homepage. Step 3: Enter your login credentials (registration ID and password). Step 4: Your IISER Result 2025 will be displayed on the screen. Step 5: Check all the details and download the scorecard for future reference. Counselling Dates: June 26 to July 3, 2025 (till 5:00 PM) The counselling application form will be available on after the declaration of results. No fee is required to fill out the counselling form. Choice Filling And Preference List Candidates will see 11 programmes offered across 7 IISERs at the time of online counselling registration. You must prepare a preference list, ranking programmes from most preferred to least preferred. The preference list must include at least one IISER programme. You will be considered only for the programmes included in your list. No admission will be offered for any programme not mentioned in the preference list.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
IISER IAT 2025 Result Declared: How to Check and Next Steps
IISERs announced the IAT 2025 results. Students can check their marks on Log in with your registration number and password. If you scored at least one mark, you get a rank. Having a rank does not mean you will get admission. How to check result: Visit Click on IAT 2025 result link Log in to your account Download your marks and rank The exam was in May on a computer. It had 60 questions — 15 each in Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Physics. The total score was 240. You get 4 marks for every right answer. One mark is taken away for every wrong answer. The test lasted 3 hours. This test is for courses at IISERs in many cities. Courses include 5-year BS-MS, 4-year BS, and BTech. Check IISER websites for details. What next? Counselling will start soon. Fill your course choices between June 26 (5 pm) and July 3 (5 pm). Admission depends on your rank, course choice, seat availability, and category. After the offer, accept or reject the seat. If you say no or don't reply in time, you can't join next rounds. Visit the IISER website for more info.
