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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on May 31, 2025

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Obesity

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - General Science

Context:

Red-flagging the rising rates of obesity and hypertension among school-going children, a new study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has found that the prevalence of obesity was as high as 24.02 per cent in private schools, more than five times the number for public schools

Read about:

What’s the obesity map?

What’s the nature of obesity?

Key takeaways:

• This is particularly troubling, as both factors can increase the likelihood of developing diabetes and cardiovascular conditions later in life.

• A study involving 3,888 students aged between 6 and 19 from schools in Delhi revealed that, on average, 13.4% were generally obese, and 9.2% exhibited abdominal (central) obesity. These figures mark a significant increase compared to a similar 2006 study, which had reported only 5% prevalence of obesity.

• The rate of obesity was notably higher in private schools, with 24.02% of students showing general obesity and 16.77% central obesity. In contrast, government schools recorded much lower rates—4.48% and 1.83%, respectively.

• Despite these differences, both types of schools showed a comparable prevalence of hypertension, around 7.4%. However, students from private institutions were found to be twice as likely to have elevated blood sugar levels and three times more likely to exhibit metabolic syndrome—a combination of conditions that heighten the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

• A particularly worrying finding is the high occurrence of dyslipidemia, affecting roughly 34% of children. This condition reflects abnormal levels of lipids in the blood, including irregular cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL (good cholesterol), and LDL (bad cholesterol).

• Additionally, private school students were 2.37 times more likely to have impaired fasting glucose levels and 3.51 times more prone to metabolic syndrome compared to their public school peers

Going beyond AQI: study shows why toxicity matters in measuring air pollution

For Preliminary Examination:  Air Quality Index (AQI), CAQM

For Mains Examination: GS III - Environment and ecology

Context:

The ability of PM2.5 air pollutants to cause damage to cells increases sharply after concentration levels cross a certain threshold value, new research has found

Read about:

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Particulate matter (PM)

Key takeaways:

• A recent study has revealed that the potential of PM2.5 air pollutants to harm human cells rises significantly once their concentration surpasses a specific threshold. In the case of Kolkata, where the research was conducted, this critical threshold is around 70 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).
• Beyond this point, the toxicity—or the capacity of these particles to damage the human body—escalates quickly until it reaches about 130 µg/m³, after which the rate of damage tends to level off, even if concentrations increase further.
• This pattern can be explained by the body's initial ability to manage lower levels of pollutant exposure. Below the threshold, the body’s natural defense systems can mitigate harmful effects to some extent.
• However, once pollutant concentrations cross the critical level, these defense mechanisms become overwhelmed, leading to greater cellular damage—especially in the respiratory system, which is the first to be affected.
• When these fine particles are inhaled, the immune system responds by generating Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), chemical agents that help neutralize foreign invaders. But in doing so, ROS can also harm the body’s own cells. To counteract this, the body produces antioxidants that neutralize ROS and prevent cell damage.
• Unfortunately, antioxidant levels are naturally limited and are slow to replenish. While they can effectively manage small amounts of ROS, they are insufficient to deal with the large volumes produced under high pollutant exposure.
• This research has important implications for policy-making. Current air quality regulations focus primarily on the concentration of pollutants rather than their toxic potential.
• For instance, in India, the annual average safe limit for PM2.5 is set at 40 µg/m³, and the daily average limit is 60 µg/m³. However, the actual risk to human health also depends on the toxicity of the pollutants, which can vary with factors such as their chemical makeup.
• In Kolkata, for instance, the health risk from PM2.5 levels of 50 or 60 µg/m³ might not be significantly worse than those of 30–40 µg/m³. But once concentrations exceed 70 µg/m³, the threat increases sharply, necessitating urgent attention.
• It is important to note that this toxicity threshold may vary from one city to another, depending on local environmental and pollution characteristics

Follow Up Question

What are ‘dark patterns’ in e-commerce?

For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - Economy

Context:

To identify and eliminate dark patterns on e-commerce platforms, the government has asked e-commerce platforms to regularly conduct an audit on their platforms.  “Companies must not wait for the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to intervene. 

Read about:

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

What are dark patterns?

Key takeaways:

Dark patterns, also referred to as deceptive patterns, are design strategies employed by websites and mobile applications to manipulate users into taking actions they did not originally intend or to discourage actions that may not benefit the service provider. These tactics are typically designed to serve the business's interests over the user's.

A classic example can illustrate this concept: imagine an intrusive advertisement that repeatedly appears on your screen, where the 'X' button to close it is either too tiny to spot or deliberately hard to click. In many cases, when users attempt to tap or click the 'X', they mistakenly end up interacting with the ad itself. Such user interface tricks are a hallmark of dark patterns.

The term "dark patterns" was introduced in 2010 by Harry Brignull, a user experience designer based in London. Since then, countless instances of these manipulative tactics have surfaced across the internet. Recognizing their widespread use, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) in India issued comprehensive guidelines on December 1, 2023, to regulate and prevent such practices, categorizing them into 13 specific types:

• False urgency: This involves pressuring users to act quickly by fabricating scarcity or exaggerated popularity, prompting rushed decisions—often by showing limited stock or time-sensitive deals that aren't actually true.

• Basket sneaking: This tactic adds extra items to a user’s cart without their knowledge or approval, thereby inflating the final purchase amount.

• Confirm shaming: Users are made to feel guilty or socially pressured when they decline offers, often through emotionally manipulative language.

• Forced action: This compels users to perform certain actions—like subscribing to a service—just to gain access to unrelated content or services.

• Nagging: Users face continuous interruptions in the form of repeated messages or pop-ups urging them to take a specific action, unless they’ve explicitly agreed to such interruptions.

• Subscription traps: These make it easy to sign up for services but deliberately make the cancellation process difficult or confusing, often hiding it behind several steps or unclear instructions. They may also require unnecessary payment information for a supposedly free trial.

• Bait and switch: Here, a product or service is promoted under false pretenses, but the user receives something different, usually of inferior quality.

• Rogue malware: This involves scare tactics such as pop-ups falsely claiming the presence of a virus, prompting users to download software that actually installs malicious programs.

• Disguised advertisements: Ads are presented in a way that makes them resemble legitimate content, like news stories or user reviews, misleading users into interacting with them.

• Interface interference: This includes the deliberate design of user interfaces to prioritize or conceal certain information, influencing users' choices by directing attention away from critical details.

• Drip pricing: The full cost of a product or service is not disclosed upfront. Instead, additional charges are revealed gradually or only after a purchase decision has been made.

• Trick questions: These use confusing language, such as double negatives or ambiguous phrasing, to mislead users into giving unintended responses or agreeing to something inadvertently.

• SaaS billing manipulation: In the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, this involves exploiting recurring billing cycles and user acquisition patterns to charge users subtly and repeatedly, often without clear consent.

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

• The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was established under Section 10(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which replaced the earlier Consumer Protection Act of 1986. This updated legislation, effective from July 24, 2020, broadens the legal framework for consumer rights in India. It is designed to safeguard consumer interests by addressing unfair trade practices and curbing misleading or false advertisements that may harm consumers or the general public.

• The CCPA is empowered to initiate investigations or inquiries into violations of consumer rights and unfair trade practices on its own (suo motu), in response to complaints, or upon directions from the central government.

• According to the Act, the CCPA is composed of a Chief Commissioner and a designated number of Commissioners, as determined by government regulations. These officials are appointed by the Central Government and are responsible for executing the authority’s functions as outlined in the Act.

• The Central Government is also authorized to frame rules related to the eligibility, appointment process, tenure, salaries, allowances, resignation procedures, removal, and other service conditions for the Chief Commissioner and the Commissioners of the CCPA.

• Additionally, the CCPA includes an Investigation Wing led by a Director General, and District Collectors are also empowered to look into cases involving violations of consumer rights, deceptive advertisements, and unfair trade practices at the local level.