UPSC Interview Current Affairs – Daily Questions & Answers

The Election Commission has allowed voters who were marked absent, shifted, dead or duplicate during the special intensive revision in seven States and Union Territories to resubmit their enumeration forms. Earlier, these electors had to use Form 6, which is meant for first-time registration. Booth-wise lists of excluded electors, with probable reasons, must now be displayed at polling stations. The change followed Supreme Court questions about why deleted voters were asked to use Form 6.

Electoral roll revision should be both accurate and inclusive, so this directive is a welcome correction. Form 6 is designed for first-time registration and carries a declaration that the applicant is not enrolled elsewhere. Using it for people who were already on the roll, but whose forms were never returned, placed them in an awkward position and raised legal doubts. Allowing resubmission of the enumeration form, with a statement explaining the delay, is more logical. Displaying booth-wise lists with reasons is equally important, because it lets electors and political agents verify exclusions themselves. The concern is that the correction comes after deletions have already happened, so the burden still falls on citizens, many of whom may be migrant, elderly or poor. As a practical step, I would ensure door-to-door follow-up by Booth Level Officers before the final roll, set clear timelines for claims and objections, and record a documented reason for every deletion. Inclusion should be the default, and removal should need a verifiable basis.

Follow-ups: What is the difference between Form 6, Form 7 and Form 8 under the Registration of Electors Rules? · Why does the Supreme Court insist that deletions must be reversible and well-documented?

A Union minister said that voter ID cards with biometric authentication would be used, alongside or in place of Aadhaar, to verify beneficiaries of his ministry's schemes. Critics have raised concerns about linking welfare eligibility to a roll that is being revised. The Supreme Court had earlier said that the ECI's citizenship enquiry during revision has limited consequences, mainly for electoral rights. The issue sits at the intersection of identity, welfare delivery and data protection.

There is a case for using a verified identity document to reduce duplicate and ghost beneficiaries, and biometric authentication can help in last-mile delivery. However, the electoral roll was never designed as a citizenship register or a welfare database. Its purpose is to decide who can vote, and the Supreme Court has said that consequences of roll revision are confined to electoral rights. Linking welfare to it could exclude eligible people who are missing from the roll through no fault of their own. Aadhaar, despite its own debates, is already used for direct benefit transfers and has a legal framework under the Aadhaar Act and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment limiting its mandatory use. My view is that identity for welfare should be governed by purpose limitation: each scheme should use the least intrusive document, with a fallback that does not deny benefits. Grievance redressal, audit trails, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 should apply. Exclusion errors must be measured as carefully as inclusion errors.

Follow-ups: What did the Supreme Court say in the Puttaswamy judgment about Aadhaar and welfare? · What does the principle of purpose limitation mean under the DPDP Act, 2023?

The Supreme Court clarified that its March 2026 judgment on OBC non-creamy layer status did not require a general revision of service allocations or seniority in past recruitment years. The judgment upheld a 1993 Office Memorandum that excluded parental salary and agricultural income from the income and wealth test. The Court said the ruling benefits the parties before it and that completed selections should not be reopened. The creamy layer principle will govern pending allocations from the Civil Services Examination 2025.

Social justice and administrative finality are both constitutional values, and the Court has tried to protect both. The creamy layer principle, first laid down in Indra Sawhney, ensures that reservation reaches those who are genuinely disadvantaged rather than the better-off within backward classes. Applying a new interpretation to every past appointment would create chaos, unsettle seniority, and affect people who were not party to the case. Expectations built on completed selections also deserve protection. The sensible middle path, as the Court has indicated, is to apply the principle prospectively to pending allocations and to the parties before it. From a governance perspective, the government should quickly issue clear instructions to departments, update certificate formats, and review the income ceiling for the creamy layer, which has been unchanged for a long time. Transparent guidelines reduce litigation, which is ultimately the real cost to candidates.

Follow-ups: Who decided the creamy layer principle and in which case? · What is the doctrine of finality, and where does it limit the reopening of past decisions?

The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR as the air quality index crossed 400. Measures include restrictions on older vehicles, curbs on construction, and hybrid classes for younger students. The Supreme Court asked whether the government had any scientific method beyond stopping vehicles and construction. The Centre argued that emergency measures have at least kept pollution from worsening further, while festive activity and stubble burning add pressure.

Vehicle and construction curbs are emergency tools. They are easy to announce but difficult to sustain, and they fall heavily on daily wage workers and commuters. Delhi's pollution has many sources, including vehicles, road and construction dust, industrial emissions, waste burning, stubble burning in neighbouring States, and winter meteorology. A long-term response needs source-specific action. Dust control through water sprinkling, mechanised sweeping, and enforcement of construction norms should be strengthened with real-time monitoring. Public transport should be expanded and made reliable, and the shift to electric and cleaner fuels accelerated. Stubble burning needs incentives for alternatives and support for machines, not just penalties. As a district officer, I would focus on enforcement and transparency: publish ward-level data, ensure compensation or support for workers affected by bans, and coordinate with neighbouring districts. The aim is to reduce the number of emergency days, not just to manage them better.

Follow-ups: What is the Commission for Air Quality Management and what powers does it have? · How does the stubble burning contribution to Delhi's PM2.5 vary across the season?

The Adi community in Arunachal Pradesh is protesting the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which is at the pre-feasibility study stage. Villagers allege that consent for the study was obtained through MoUs signed under deceit or pressure, and that a few villages could be fully submerged. Protests have seen police action and arrests, while the State says the project is strategically important in the context of China's Medog dam. Talks have been offered, but the community has set conditions.

Large hydro projects in tribal regions must balance national interest, energy needs, and the rights of communities who would bear the costs. Strategic concerns about upstream projects in China are legitimate, and the State government has a duty to plan for water security. But the process must be credible. Consent obtained through individual signatures, without gram sabha deliberation, is weak and easily challenged. Free, prior and informed consent means that people receive full information on the project, including submergence, compensation and alternatives, and can decide through their own processes. The community's proposal for smaller tributary projects deserves technical assessment. The government should release detained persons as a goodwill step, suspend coercive measures during talks, and publish the MoUs and their methodology. Independent environmental and social impact assessment, with public hearings in affected villages, would restore trust and improve the project's legitimacy.

Follow-ups: Which Indian laws or policies recognise gram sabha consent for projects on forest or tribal land? · How would you assess whether China's Medog project actually justifies the Siang project?

Karnataka's food and consumer affairs minister claimed that petrol samples from some oil marketing companies showed ethanol blends above the 20% limit, in some cases over 30%. He said the State's tests were done at NABL-accredited labs after the companies' in-house reports did not disclose ethanol content. The oil companies replied that the tests were not conducted as per prescribed statutory procedures. The Minister also argued that vehicles certified only up to E20 could face damage and mileage loss.

Ethanol blending has clear benefits: it reduces crude imports, supports farmers and sugar and maize producers, and lowers emissions. The E20 target was set in policy, but consumer rights and vehicle compatibility must be respected. The conflict here is about evidence. State labs and oil company labs have produced different results, and each side questions the other's method. A credible resolution needs a joint or umpire sampling process, with agreed protocols, chain of custody, and testing against the Bureau of Indian Standards methods. Regulators such as the Legal Metrology department, BIS and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board should publish results openly. For consumers, blend information should be displayed at fuel stations, and a clear grievance and compensation mechanism should exist for vehicle damage. Policy should also ensure that E10 or non-ethanol options remain available for older vehicles. Trust in the blending programme depends on transparent testing as much as on the target itself.

Follow-ups: What is the difference between E10, E20 and higher blends in terms of vehicle certification? · Which body sets fuel quality standards in India and under which law?

The Gauhati High Court quashed the preventive detention of a land rights activist in Assam under the National Security Act. He had been protesting a luxury hotel project near Kaziranga National Park, and had been granted bail in a separate case before the NSA order. The court held that the grounds cited by the authorities lacked the required proximity to justify preventive detention. The ruling means the activist was released after more than three months in custody.

Preventive detention is an exception to personal liberty, and Article 22 of the Constitution attaches safeguards to it. The detenu must be informed of the grounds as soon as possible, must have an opportunity to make a representation, and the detention must be reviewed by an advisory board. Courts have also held that the grounds must show a live and proximate link between the person's conduct and the threat to public order or security. Ordinary protest, even if disruptive, does not automatically qualify. The State has a legitimate duty to protect public order, but preventive laws can be misused against activists, especially in disputes over land and environment. The administration should record specific, dated conduct in grounds, avoid using the NSA where ordinary law suffices, and ensure that bail and court orders are considered before detention. Such discipline protects both public order and democratic dissent.

Follow-ups: What is the role of the advisory board in preventive detention under Article 22? · How does preventive detention differ from punitive detention?

The Supreme Court accepted a Centre proposal to settle decades-old dues from Bhakra Beas Management Board projects. Punjab and Haryana will provide Himachal Pradesh with around 11,973 million units of electricity over 20 years, in energy terms rather than cash. The arrangement follows a 2011 verdict that fixed Himachal's share at 7.19%. An adjustment for historical capital costs means Himachal will not pay anything in return.

The settlement shows how inter-State disputes can be resolved through negotiation within a legal framework, rather than through prolonged litigation. The Bhakra Beas Management Board was created after the reorganisation of Punjab, and its projects produce power and water shared among several States. Payment in kind, spread over time, is a practical way to deal with liquidity constraints. It also reflects an earlier Supreme Court verdict, which gave the arrangement legal certainty. Federal cooperation works best when there is a clear formula, a neutral institution, and a willingness by all parties to accept a compromise. Punjab and Haryana had different preferences on timelines, and the Court chose a middle path. For the future, States need transparent accounting, regular reconciliation, and clear dispute resolution mechanisms, so that such disputes do not accumulate for decades. The example is worth studying in the context of other inter-State water and power arrangements.

Follow-ups: Under which article can Parliament provide for adjudication of inter-State river water disputes? · What is the role of the Inter-State Council in resolving such disputes?

The Centre has ordered traders, millers and processors to declare rice and paddy stocks in six categories on an online portal every week. The move follows rising rice prices caused by an uneven monsoon. Five southern States have been allowed to impose stock limits till January 31, 2027. The Centre has also doubled the open market sale target and is allocating stocks for sale under the Bharat Rice brand.

Price stability in staples is a legitimate governance goal, especially when a weak monsoon affects supply. Stock disclosure gives the government real-time data, which is essential for deciding whether intervention is needed. Under the Essential Commodities Act, stock limits can prevent hoarding and black marketing, and the open market sale scheme releases stock to dampen prices. However, the costs must be managed. Overly tight limits can discourage private storage and reduce the incentive to hold stocks, which may create shortages later. Compliance costs fall hardest on small millers and traders. The data must be used carefully, with clear time limits and an exit plan. For farmers, the lesson is that price stability should not depress procurement prices. In the longer run, I would prioritise storage capacity, crop diversification in drought-prone areas, and climate-resilient varieties. As a district official, I would monitor mandis and fair price shops, and publish local price data to build trust.

Follow-ups: What is the Open Market Sale Scheme and how does it differ from procurement? · Is the Essential Commodities Act still suited to today's supply chains?

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a day after Tehran claimed that other tankers had been similarly affected. Crude prices fell sharply in the same week on hopes of a resolution to the US-Iran conflict, and Iran reportedly opened the strait for transit by some countries, including India. The episode highlights the vulnerability of global oil flows through one of the world's most important chokepoints.

The Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of global oil and gas, and India imports most of its crude oil, so disruptions quickly affect prices, inflation and the external balance. India's response should work on several levels. In the short term, it needs diplomatic engagement with all parties, so that Indian-flagged and Indian-bound ships receive safe passage, and naval deployments for escort, as India has done in the Gulf before. Strategic petroleum reserves provide a buffer, and their capacity should be expanded. In the medium term, India should diversify crude sources and suppliers, increase pipeline and LNG arrangements, and invest in domestic exploration. The long-term solution lies in reducing oil dependence through electric mobility, biofuels, renewables and efficiency. Energy security is therefore not only about supply, but also about price, storage and resilient infrastructure.

Follow-ups: What is India's Strategic Petroleum Reserve and where are the storage sites? · What alternatives does India have to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz?