INTEGRATED MAINS AND PRELIMS MENTORSHIP (IMPM) 2025 Daily KEY
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Maternal Mortality ratio (MMR) and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and its significance for the UPSC Exam? Why are topics like India-China, Quantum Computer , Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) important for both preliminary and main exams? Discover more insights in the UPSC Exam Notes for September 09, 2025 |
- The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is a key public health indicator that measures the number of women who die during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, per 100,000 live births in a given year.
- It reflects not just the health status of women but also the overall effectiveness of a country’s healthcare system, especially maternal and reproductive healthcare services.
- A high MMR indicates poor access to quality healthcare, inadequate medical infrastructure, lack of skilled birth attendants, and wider socio-economic issues like malnutrition, poverty, and lack of education.
- For example, if in a country 200 women die due to pregnancy-related causes while giving birth to 100,000 live babies in a year, then its MMR = 200.
- Globally, reducing MMR has been a major goal under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to bring it down to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
- India too has made significant progress—its MMR declined from 556 (1990) to around 97 (2020, Sample Registration System data), reflecting improvements in institutional deliveries, access to antenatal care, and government schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA).
👉 In short:
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MMR = maternal deaths / 100,000 live births.
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It is both a health and development indicator.
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Lowering MMR is critical for women’s rights, social justice, and meeting SDG targets
- According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) special bulletin for 2021–2023, Kerala’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has shown a sharp increase, rising from 18 to 30 per one lakh live births. Despite this rise, Kerala, along with Andhra Pradesh, continues to rank at the top among Indian States with the lowest MMR.
- Health officials point out that the surge is largely attributable to the 97 maternal deaths reported in 2021 due to COVID-19. They also highlight that Kerala’s steadily shrinking number of live births is now impacting its MMR figures.
- Since the ratio is derived by dividing maternal deaths by live births and multiplying by one lakh, a reduction in the denominator inflates the overall figure.
- The fall in live births has been a persistent theme in policy debates in Kerala. The State, which once recorded between 5 and 5.5 lakh births annually, has now fallen below 4 lakh. In 2023, official statistics reported 3,93,231 live births, and projections suggest this could drop further to around 3.54 lakh between April 2024 and March 2025.
- In contrast to this decline in child births, the State’s MMR has generally remained steady at around 30–32 since 2014–15, based on the Health Department’s records of maternal deaths.
- On average, 120–140 maternal deaths are reported each year. The only major spike occurred in 2021–22, when maternal deaths rose to 220—pushing the MMR up to 51—primarily due to the pandemic.
- There has long been a gap between MMR estimates from the SRS, which relies on sample surveys, and the figures from the State Health Department, which maintains a comprehensive record of every maternal death at the district level. While the latter offers a more accurate reflection, SRS data is generally used in official reporting.
- Given that the number of live births is falling every year while maternal deaths remain fairly constant, a rise in the MMR was expected. Even when Kerala was praised in the 2020–22 SRS bulletin for lowering its MMR to 18, State authorities had expressed concern that this was not an accurate representation.
- Although safe motherhood continues to be a priority in Kerala, experts caution that reducing maternal deaths further has become increasingly challenging due to shifting social and demographic trends
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Answer (B)
Therefore, only statement 2 is correct |
A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a pact between two or more countries to reduce or completely eliminate trade barriers—such as tariffs (import/export duties), quotas, or restrictions—on goods and services exchanged between them. The primary aim of an FTA is to make trade easier, cheaper, and more predictable, thereby promoting economic cooperation and growth.
Unlike a customs union or a common market, an FTA is relatively limited in scope: each country involved maintains its own independent trade policies with nations outside the agreement. For instance, while India may have an FTA with ASEAN countries, it can still set different tariff rates for imports from non-ASEAN countries like the U.S. or China.
FTAs typically cover:
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Trade in goods (reducing tariffs, easing customs procedures).
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Trade in services (liberalizing sectors such as IT, finance, or education).
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Investment provisions (facilitating cross-border investments).
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Sometimes intellectual property rights, competition policy, government procurement, and dispute settlement mechanisms.
Significance of FTAs:
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Boost trade volumes and economic integration.
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Enhance market access for domestic industries.
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Encourage investment flows.
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Provide consumers with cheaper goods and more choices
Example:
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India–ASEAN FTA (2010) allows lower tariffs on a wide range of goods.
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India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA, 2022) reduced duties on 90% of India’s exports to UAE
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a climate policy tool introduced by the European Union (EU) to prevent "carbon leakage" and ensure a level playing field for industries.
What it means:
CBAM is essentially a carbon tariff on imports. It requires foreign exporters (to the EU) to pay a charge based on the carbon emissions embedded in the production of certain goods. This ensures that products made in countries with weaker climate policies do not gain an unfair cost advantage over EU industries, which already bear the cost of strict carbon pricing under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Why it was introduced:
The EU has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and has already imposed carbon costs on domestic industries. However, if industries relocate production to countries with lax climate rules, or if imports from such countries replace EU products, emissions will not actually decrease globally—this is known as carbon leakage. CBAM addresses this risk by extending carbon costs to imports.
How it works:
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Initially, CBAM applies to high carbon-intensive sectors such as steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen, and electricity.
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Importers of these goods into the EU must purchase CBAM certificates, whose price is linked to the EU carbon market.
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Exporters can reduce or avoid this cost if their home country already has an equivalent carbon pricing mechanism.
Implications for India:
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India is one of the major exporters of steel and aluminum to the EU. These sectors are energy-intensive and largely dependent on coal, making them vulnerable to CBAM.
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This could increase costs for Indian exporters, reduce competitiveness, and push industries toward greener technologies.
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India has criticized CBAM as a form of “green protectionism”, arguing that it is unfair to developing countries that still need affordable energy for growth.
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It may also spark trade disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO), as many countries see it as a disguised trade barrier
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Answer (C)
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has several Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) under the ASEAN+1 framework. Its FTA partners are:
👉 Canada and the USA are not FTA partners of ASEAN |
- Ever since his 1979 trip to China as External Affairs Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee nurtured a strong desire to resolve India’s long-standing disputes with both China and Pakistan.
- That visit was particularly historic, being the first by an Indian leader of his stature since the 1962 war, and it laid the foundation for a gradual thaw in relations.
- Although China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping suggested a potential border settlement at the time, India conveyed that it was not yet prepared to pursue such a deal.
- Over the next two decades, ties between the two neighbours began to stabilise. They worked toward maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), while also broadening cooperation in other areas.
- Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister, however, was marked by sharp fluctuations in relations with Beijing. The nuclear tests of 1998, which Vajpayee justified as a safeguard against China, caused a serious rift; Beijing even supported UN Security Council Resolution 1172 against India.
- But the ice soon thawed, and in April 1999, the Joint Working Group met again after a gap of nearly two years.
- During Vajpayee’s 2003 visit to Beijing, he emphasised the need to inject a political dimension into the border dialogue. Both sides agreed, appointing Special Representatives (SRs) to lead the process—Brajesh Mishra, Vajpayee’s Principal Secretary and NSA, for India, and Dai Bingguo for China.
- Vajpayee is believed to have wanted the border question resolved within a few years, but his electoral defeat in 2004 deprived the process of crucial political momentum, even though talks continued.
- A major breakthrough came in 2005, when the SRs finalised the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles Agreement, the first and only negotiated document on the boundary dispute. The agreement suggested that the two sides would eventually exchange claims: China retaining Aksai Chin, and India securing Arunachal Pradesh.
- The preamble underlined that an early resolution was in the strategic interests of both nations. Articles in the agreement emphasised mutually acceptable security arrangements, consideration of each other’s strategic interests, and protection of settled populations—effectively pointing towards a settlement on an “as is where is” basis.
- Despite this promising start, the process soon lost steam. By 2009, the SRs’ mandate had expanded beyond the border to cover the full spectrum of India-China ties. Although Dai Bingguo and Shivshankar Menon later recorded an informal consensus, progress stalled as China insisted on concessions in Tawang.
- Some agreements, like the delineation of the Sikkim-Tibet boundary and consulting third countries at trijunctions, became public only in later crises, such as during Doklam in 2017.
- Even today, the SR process continues. On August 19, 2025, the 24th round of talks was held after a long break due to multiple crises, including the 2020 confrontation. The latest round reaffirmed commitment to the 2005 framework, proposed early settlement of the Sikkim-Tibet boundary, and the creation of new border management mechanisms to replace those that had failed.
- Despite decades of negotiations, both sides remain heavily militarised along the LAC, bearing immense costs to defend what could be a settled international border. Agreements like that of 1996 have not succeeded in reducing deployments.
- The fundamentals of a solution are already in place; what is missing is the political will. Unless leaders in New Delhi and Beijing jointly decide that continued stalemate serves neither side, the border will remain unresolved, with both countries incurring avoidable risks and losses
(a) African Union
(b) Brazil
(c) European Union
(d) China
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Answer (d)
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global development strategy launched by China in 2013 under President Xi Jinping. It aims to enhance connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Asia, Africa, and Europe through infrastructure projects, investments, and trade networks. The BRI includes two main components:
BRI is often in the news due to its economic, geopolitical, and strategic implications for participating countries and its criticism for creating debt traps |
How Majorana particles promise to shield quantum computers from noise?
For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international Significance
For Mains Examination: GS III - Science and Technology
Context:
In the race to make quantum computers practical, scientists have found themselves drawn to some of the strangest ideas in physics. Few are stranger — but also more promising — than the notion of using particles that are their own antiparticles to store and manipulate information. This is the concept behind Majorana particles.
Read about:
What is a Quantum Computer?
What is a Cubit?
Key takeaways:
- In the 1930s, Italian physicist Ettore Majorana proposed a particle that is unique in being identical to its own antiparticle. Unlike most matter and antimatter, which annihilate when combined, a Majorana particle is a perfect mirror of itself—reversing all charges and properties yields the same particle. Electrons and protons do not exhibit this property.
- For decades, Majoranas existed only in theory. High-energy physicists searched for them in cosmic rays and accelerators without success. More recently, condensed matter physicists discovered that certain quasiparticles in engineered materials behave mathematically like Majoranas.
- These quasiparticles are collective excitations, not fundamental particles, and can emerge in systems like superconducting nanowires cooled near absolute zero under magnetic fields.
- The discovery of Majorana-like modes in tabletop experiments sparked excitement in the quantum computing community. Their appeal lies not merely in their rarity but in their potential to address one of the field’s biggest challenges: maintaining stable quantum information
The Challenge of Qubit Stability
- Quantum computers rely on qubits, which can exist in a superposition of 0 and 1. This, combined with entanglement, gives quantum computers their power.
- However, qubits are extremely sensitive—interaction with the environment, such as stray heat or light, can collapse their superposition, erasing information.
- This phenomenon, known as decoherence, limits qubit lifetimes to microseconds or milliseconds in current superconducting chips.
- To counter this, engineers use quantum error correction, encoding one logical qubit into many physical qubits to detect and fix errors. This approach, while effective, requires hundreds or thousands of physical qubits per logical qubit, creating a scaling bottleneck
Majoranas as a Solution
- Majoranas offer a fundamentally different approach. Instead of storing a qubit in a single fragile object, the information can be shared between two spatially separated Majorana modes. In certain superconductors, electrons can form bound pairs, and under specific conditions, the quantum state of one electron can effectively split into two halves, each behaving like a Majorana mode.
- These halves can be positioned far apart within the same device, collectively defining a qubit. Any local disturbance affecting one half cannot destroy the information; both halves must be disrupted simultaneously, which is highly unlikely. This nonlocal encoding acts like splitting a secret between two locations: possessing only one part reveals nothing.
Braiding and Topological Protection
- Majorana modes are a type of non-Abelian anyon, which behave differently from ordinary quantum particles. When two identical particles like electrons or photons are swapped, their overall quantum state either changes sign (fermions) or remains unchanged (bosons).
- Non-Abelian anyons, however, undergo a fundamental transformation when exchanged, and the order of swaps matters, creating distinct final states depending on the sequence.
- This property enables topological quantum computation. By moving Majorana modes around each other—a process called braiding—one can manipulate the qubit’s state. The outcome depends only on the braid’s topology, not on the precise motion.
- This makes computations intrinsically robust against timing errors, position variations, or environmental noise, as nature effectively “rounds off” imperfections, much like a knot retains its structure regardless of twists until untied
Follow Up Question
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Answer (B)
The term “qubit” refers to the quantum analogue of a classical bit used in quantum computing, representing a superposition of 0 and 1
A qubit (quantum bit) is the basic unit of quantum information, analogous to a classical bit in traditional computing. Unlike classical bits that can only be 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a superposition of both 0 and 1 simultaneously
Key Properties:
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- The Air Quality Life Index, curated by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, stands as a compelling measure of how particulate matter (specifically PMâ‚‚.â‚…) affects human life expectancy.
- It translates complex pollution data into a clear human context: how many years are taken away by breathing polluted air—making the invisible visible, and the impersonal personal
- The 2025 edition of the AQLI report is built on data gathered in 2023 and conveys a stark global narrative: if world air quality were to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) benchmark of 5 µg/m³ PMâ‚‚.â‚…, the average person globally would gain an astounding 1.9 years of life.
- This cumulative change amounts to a total of 15.1 billion life-years saved—a reminder that cleaner air isn’t just an environmental goal, but a lifeline
Global and Regional Highlights
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South Asia remains the region with the most threatened lives due to polluted air. People there are losing an average of 3 years of life expectancy, with the most polluted areas seeing losses of over 8 years—making particulate pollution a deadlier risk than childhood and maternal malnutrition
- In India, the national average life expectancy reduction due to air pollution stands at 3.5 years. This loss surpasses the impact of several other health threats—such as malnutrition (1.6 years), tobacco use (1.5 years), and even unsafe water and sanitation (less than a year)
- Particularly alarming is New Delhi’s standing: residents of Delhi–NCR lose up to 8.2 years of life expectancy due to poor air quality—once more topping global rankings for the eighth consecutive report
Wildfires and Unexpected Trends
The 2025 AQLI data highlights a dramatic rise in pollution across North America—an unexpected reversal of trends. Canada experienced its worst wildfire season in history, and along with it, the U.S. saw PMâ‚‚.â‚… levels soar to heights not seen in years. This surge negated previous air quality gains and shifted the geography of pollution beyond traditional hotspots like California
Why AQLI Matters—and How It Helps
The AQLI isn’t just about numbers—it’s about awareness and accountability. By showing exactly how long polluted air can shave off our lives, it equips citizens, policymakers, and governments with the knowledge to act decisively. It illustrates how investments in clean air yield not only environmental returns but extended, healthier lives for populations everywhere
- Carbon dioxide
- Carbon monoxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Methane
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 2, 3 and 4 only
C. 1, 4 and 5 only
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
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Answer (B)
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in India, calculated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), is based on 8 pollutants:
Now let’s match with the options given in the UPSC question:
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- The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the guaranteed price at which the government purchases a particular crop from farmers if market rates fall below it. It serves as a protective floor for agricultural prices, ensuring that cultivators recover their cost of production along with a reasonable margin of profit.
- The system of MSP was first introduced in the mid-1960s, during a period of food shortages. As part of the Green Revolution strategy, the government wanted to incentivize farmers to adopt high-yielding but input-intensive varieties of wheat and rice.
- To reassure them against price fluctuations, a support price was announced, with the first MSP fixed for wheat in 1966–67 at ₹54 per quintal.
- At present, MSPs are declared by the Union government on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The commission suggests MSPs for 22 crops and a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane. The final decision is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
- In the Union Budget 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a five-year program focused on boosting cotton production, especially the extra-long staple (ELS) variety.
- ELS cotton, known for its superior fibre length of over 35 mm, is vital for high-quality textiles, yet India remains heavily dependent on imports.
- The domestic textile industry has consistently demanded an import duty exemption on cotton, but the government has generally maintained an 11% duty to protect small cotton growers.
- Despite this, cotton was among the crops that saw one of the sharpest MSP hikes in May 2025, as falling production has become a concern. Still, the government allowed an import duty waiver until December 31, 2025, a move that may hurt farmers since the cotton harvesting season begins in October and extends till March, which is the peak marketing period.
- A study by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) highlighted that nearly all of India’s $1.2 billion cotton imports in FY2025 were of staple length 28 mm or more. Under the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), 51,000 metric tonnes of such cotton already enjoys duty-free access.
- As a result, the primary beneficiary of India’s new duty-free import window is likely to be the United States, GTRI observed.
- According to the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), the U.S. market for textiles and apparel has been increasingly shifting towards countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, both of which are gaining ground at India’s expense.
- India, after a strong start in the first quarter of 2025, experienced a slowdown in textile and apparel exports to the U.S., with growth in June 2025 dropping to 3.3% year-on-year, far below its earlier pace and trailing its Asian competitors.
- Meanwhile, China’s exports to the U.S. continued to plunge, falling by 41% in June 2025 compared to the previous year, thereby extending a trend of declining shipments that began in April 2025
- The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to safeguard farmers against a sharp fall in agricultural prices. It is essentially the guaranteed price at which the government promises to purchase crops from farmers if market prices dip below a certain level.
- By providing this floor price, the MSP ensures that farmers are able to recover the cost of cultivation along with a modest profit margin, thereby giving them financial security and stability.
- The system was first introduced in the mid-1960s, at a time when India was facing severe food shortages. The government, eager to push the adoption of Green Revolution technologies, realized that farmers would hesitate to cultivate input-intensive, high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice without an assurance of stable returns. To address this, MSP was first declared for wheat in 1966–67 at ₹54 per quintal, marking the beginning of India’s price support policy.
- Today, MSPs are announced by the Union government on the advice of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which considers factors such as cost of production, demand and supply conditions, price trends in domestic and international markets, and inter-crop price parity.
- The CACP recommends MSPs for 22 crops, while a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is separately fixed for sugarcane. The final approval rests with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
- Over the decades, MSP has become an important tool not only to protect farmers from price fluctuations but also to influence cropping patterns. While it has successfully encouraged the production of food grains, especially wheat and rice, critics argue that it has sometimes led to over-dependence on these crops at the cost of crop diversification and sustainable farming.
- In essence, the MSP system serves as a safety net for Indian farmers, ensuring income security and incentivizing production, while also helping the government maintain buffer stocks of essential grains for food security. However, its implementation and long-term economic impact remain subjects of debate in policy and academic circles
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Answer (D)
Therefore, neither 1 nor 2 is correct. |