Prelims Pinpointer 12-03-2026

Persian Gulf

Location and Basic Profile

• The Persian Gulf is a shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean located in Western Asia.
• It lies between the Arabian Peninsula and southeastern Iran.
• The Gulf forms an important maritime region connecting West Asia with global sea routes.

Surrounding Countries

• Iran borders the Gulf to the north, northeast, and east.
• Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates lie along the southwestern and southern coasts.
• Iraq and Kuwait are located on the northwestern side.
• Oman and the United Arab Emirates lie toward the southeastern side near the Gulf’s outlet.

Connection to the Arabian Sea

• The Persian Gulf is connected to the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil shipping chokepoint.
• The Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman together form the maritime passage linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

Major Physical Characteristics

• Area: Approximately 251,000 km².
• Average depth: About 50 metres.
• Maximum depth: Around 90 metres.
• Total coastline length: Nearly 5,117 km.
• Country with the longest coastline: Iran (about 1,536 km).
• Largest island: Qeshm Island (Iran) with an area of about 1,491 km².
• The western end of the Gulf contains the Shatt al-Arab delta, formed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Autonomous District Councils (ADCs)

About ADCs

• Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) are self-governing bodies created under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• They provide administrative autonomy to Scheduled Tribes in certain tribal areas.
• ADCs exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura.
• Their purpose is to protect tribal customs, land rights, and local governance systems.
• Composition of the Councils
  • The majority of members are elected through democratic elections for a five-year term.
  • A limited number of members are nominated by the Governor to ensure representation of marginalised groups.

Powers of ADCs

• Legislative Powers
  • Councils can make laws on land, forests, water resources, agriculture, public health, sanitation, and social customs.
  • These laws mainly apply to tribal areas under the council’s jurisdiction.
• Executive Powers
  • ADCs administer village councils, traditional chiefs, and aspects of local governance.
  • They also regulate matters such as inheritance laws and community administration.
• Judicial Powers
  • Councils can establish tribal courts to resolve disputes involving Scheduled Tribe communities.
  • Such courts can impose sentences up to five years of imprisonment.

Functions of ADCs

• Govern tribal areas while safeguarding traditional customs and practices.
• Manage local natural resources such as forests and water bodies.
• Support development of basic infrastructure, including education, healthcare, and rural roads.
• Promote grassroots governance through village councils.

Revenue Sources

• ADCs have the authority to levy certain taxes and fees.
• These include taxes on land, buildings, vehicles, boats, and animals.
• Councils may also collect tolls on goods entering the district, ferries, and roads.
• Revenue can also be raised through general taxation for maintaining local infrastructure.

Revised Seismic Zonation Map of India

Background and Basis of the Revised Map

• India has released a revised Seismic Zonation Map under the updated Earthquake Design Code (BIS, 2025).
• The classification is based on scientific factors such as fault lines, tectonics, maximum likely earthquakes, attenuation, and lithology.
• The revised mapping gives priority to geological conditions rather than administrative boundaries while identifying seismic risk.

Changes in Seismic Zones

• Earlier, India was divided into four seismic zones: Zone II, III, IV and V.
• The revised map introduces a new highest-risk category, Zone VI.
• For the first time, the entire Himalayan arc has been placed in Zone VI, whereas earlier it was split between Zones IV and V.
• Towns located on zone boundaries will now automatically be classified under the higher-risk zone.

India’s Earthquake Vulnerability

• Around 61% of India’s land area now falls under moderate to high seismic hazard zones, compared to 59% earlier.
• Nearly 75% of India’s population lives in seismically active regions, indicating significant exposure to earthquake risk.

Implications and Institutional Framework

• The revised map encourages retrofitting of buildings in high-risk areas and discourages construction on soft sediments or near active faults.
• It also promotes uniform earthquake-resistant building standards, particularly in Himalayan states.

Institutional mechanisms

• NDMA sets national disaster management policies.
• SDMAs prepare and implement state-level disaster management plans.
• The National Seismological Network monitors earthquake activity and supports research on early warning systems.

Revised GDP Series with Base Year 2022–23

Meaning of GDP

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of final goods and services produced in a year, excluding material inputs.
• It is the most widely used indicator of a country’s economic size.
• GDP or Gross Value Added (GVA) estimates are compiled using data on production and prices, along with several statistical procedures.
• In India, the National Statistical Office (NSO) periodically revises the National Accounts Statistics (NAS).
  • National accounts follow the UN System of National Accounts (UNSNA) framework.

Base Year Revision in GDP

• The base year for national accounts is typically revised every 5 to 10 years.
• The revision updates GDP estimates along with national savings, consumption, and investment data.
• Such revisions reflect changes in production patterns and relative prices as the economy evolves.
• The latest revision adopts 2022-23 as the base year and follows the 2025 edition of UNSNA.
• This revision came after 11 years, making it particularly significant.

Concerns with the 2011–12 Series

• The previous revision with base year 2011–12 was released in 2015.
• Many analysts questioned the accuracy of GDP growth estimates in that series.
• In sectors such as manufacturing, growth rates appeared higher and sometimes showed a different trend compared with earlier estimates.
• The non-financial private corporate sector (PCS) appeared much larger in the economy than previously reported.
• The IMF, in its review of member countries’ economic statistics, gave India a “C” grade for the quality of its national accounts data.

Key Findings of the 2022–23 GDP Series

• The revised estimates show that India’s GDP size is about 3–4% smaller than in the earlier series.
• However, annual GDP growth rates remain broadly similar, differing by about ±1 percentage point from the previous estimates.
• The production structure of the economy has changed slightly:
  • Agriculture and industry shares have increased.
  • The services sector share has declined.

Changes in Sectoral and Institutional Shares

• Within the industrial sector, the share of manufacturing increased slightly from 14.3% to 14.7% of GDP.
• Despite this higher share, the absolute size of the manufacturing sector declined by about 1.5-1.6% compared with the earlier series.
• The share of the non-financial private corporate sector (PCS) declined:
  • From 35.4% in the earlier series to 33.9% in 2022–23.
  • The gap widened to 3.4 percentage points in 2023–24.
• The household or informal sector share increased slightly:
  • +0.7 percentage points in 2022–23
  • +2.7 percentage points in 2023–24.
• Much of this increase is linked to agriculture.

National Register of Citizens (NRC)

Why in News: Protests erupted in Imphal demanding an NRC-like exercise in Manipur before the upcoming Census.

National Register of Citizens (NRC)

• The NRC is an official register that lists Indian citizens with valid proof of citizenship.
• It was first prepared in 1951 after the first Census of independent India.
• Since then, the NRC has not been updated nationwide.
• At present, the NRC update has been carried out only in Assam to identify illegal migrants.
• NRC in Assam
  • The process is based on the Assam Accord (1985).
  • The Accord fixed 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam.
  • For inclusion in the NRC, a person or their descendants must show their name in:
    • the 1951 NRC, or
    • an electoral roll up to 24 March 1971.
  • Persons excluded from the NRC may be treated as illegal migrants and may face legal proceedings.

National Population Register (NPR)

• The NPR is a database of usual residents of India.
• A usual resident is a person who has lived in India for at least six months or intends to stay for the next six months.
• It includes both citizens and foreign residents.
• Registration is mandatory for all usual residents.
• It is prepared by the Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Legal Basis and Link with Census

• The NPR is prepared under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003.
• It is compiled at local, sub-district, district, state and national levels.
• NPR data is generally collected during the house-listing phase of the Census.
• The second phase of the Census deals with population enumeration.

Difference Between NRC and NPR

Feature	NRC (National Register of Citizens)	NPR (National Population Register)
Purpose	Identifies Indian citizens	Records all usual residents
Coverage	Currently updated only in Assam	Conducted across all states and UTs
Population covered	Citizens only	Citizens and foreigners
Proof requirement	Proof of citizenship required	No proof of citizenship required
Legal basis	Linked to Assam Accord (1985) and court supervision	Based on Citizenship Act, 1955 and Rules, 2003
Authority	Implemented by state authorities and RGI under Supreme Court monitoring	Conducted by Registrar General of India (RGI)
Relation with Census	Independent exercise	Conducted with Census house-listing phase

GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs

Context: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation warned pharmaceutical companies against advertising prescription anti-obesity drugs to the public. The advisory emphasised compliance with Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 in promotion practices. GLP-1 receptor agonists and similar medicines must be prescribed only by Registered Medical Practitioners.

Overview of GLP-1 Weight-Loss Therapies

• GLP-1 drugs are injectable medicines used for obesity and type-2 diabetes management.
• Pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have introduced such drugs in India.
• Examples include semaglutide and tirzepatide.
• Clinical studies show these therapies can reduce 15–20% of body weight, a result comparable to bariatric surgery.
• They also show benefits for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.
• Mechanism of Action
  • These medicines belong to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic incretin hormones produced in the gut.
  • Their major physiological actions include:
    • Increasing insulin secretion to improve glucose use.
    • Reducing glucagon release from the liver.
    • Slowing gastric emptying, preventing sudden spikes in blood sugar.
    • Suppressing appetite signals in the brain, promoting a feeling of fullness.
  • Tirzepatide also mimics the hormone GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), enhancing its metabolic effects.

Discovery and Development

• Scientific interest in incretin hormones increased in the 1960s.
• The hormone GLP-1 was identified in 1986.
• Early GLP-1 treatments increased insulin levels but were chemically unstable.
• Novo Nordisk later developed liraglutide, although early use caused nausea, which was managed through dose adjustments.
• A more advanced drug, semaglutide, administered once weekly, showed stronger results and received approval for obesity treatment in 2021.

Clinical Benefits

• Weight reduction:
  • Semaglutide users lost about 15% body weight.
  • Tirzepatide users lost up to 20% body weight.
• Cardiovascular benefits:
  • Semaglutide reduced major cardiovascular events by 20%.
  • It also lowered all-cause mortality by 19%.
• Liver health:
  • Resolved fatty liver disease in 63% of cases.
  • Improved liver fibrosis in 37% of patients.
• Other potential benefits:
  • Tirzepatide shows effectiveness in obesity-related sleep apnea.
  • Research suggests possible benefits in Alzheimer’s risk reduction and addiction treatment.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)

• The CDSCO is the National Regulatory Authority for drugs and medical devices in India.
• It functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The organisation operates according to provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO performs several regulatory functions:
  • Approval of new drugs before they are introduced in the market.
  • Oversight of clinical trials conducted in India.
  • Establishing standards for drugs.
  • Monitoring the quality of imported drugs entering the country.
  • Coordinating regulatory activities with State Drug Control Organizations.

Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR)

Context: The International Energy Agency proposed a record oil release from strategic reserves amid rising crude prices.

What are Strategic Petroleum Reserves?

• Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) are emergency crude oil stockpiles maintained by governments.
• They are used to manage supply disruptions or global oil crises.
• According to the IEA, member countries should maintain reserves equal to at least 90 days of net oil imports.

Management of SPR in India

• India’s SPR programme is managed by ISPRL (Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited).
• ISPRL functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• India is the third-largest importer and consumer of crude oil in the world.

Current Capacity and Locations

• India currently holds about 5.33 million tonnes (MMT) of crude oil in strategic reserves.
• These reserves are stored in underground rock caverns.
• The three operational sites are:
  • Visakhapatnam – 1.33 MMT
  • Mangaluru – 1.5 MMT
  • Padur – 2.5 MMT
• Together they provide about 9.5 days of crude oil coverage.

Expansion Plans

• The government has approved expansion of the SPR network.
• Planned additions include:
  • 2.5 MMT additional capacity at Padur (Karnataka).
  • A 4 MMT facility at Chandikhole (Odisha).
• Other proposed sites include Bikaner, Mangaluru, Rajkot, and Bina (Madhya Pradesh).

Total Energy Buffer

• Strategic reserves complement commercial oil inventories maintained by oil companies.
• When combined with stocks at refineries, ports, and floating storage, India has an overall energy buffer of about 74 days.

Creamy Layer in OBC Reservation

Supreme Court Observation in 2025

• The Supreme Court observed that creamy layer status cannot be determined solely on the basis of income.
• While hearing petitions regarding horizontal reservations in public employment, the Court emphasised that social status and class background must also be considered.
• The Court noted that the 1993 Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the government provided criteria for identifying creamy layer among OBCs, including categories such as high-ranking government officials and professionals.
• The judgment highlighted that government servants and professionals who reach higher positions after reservation benefits should not automatically be excluded solely due to income considerations.

What is the Creamy Layer?

• The Creamy Layer refers to the socially and economically advanced section within the OBC category.
• Individuals in this group are excluded from reservation benefits in education, jobs, and welfare schemes meant for socially and educationally backward classes.
• The concept aims to ensure that reservation benefits reach the genuinely disadvantaged sections of OBCs.

Eligibility Criteria for Creamy Layer (Current Practice)

• Families with annual income above ₹8 lakh are generally classified as creamy layer (revision proposals in some states range between ₹8-15 lakh).
• Children of parents working in Group A or Group B government services are usually treated as part of the creamy layer.
• Professionals and high-income earners such as doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs may also fall in this category.
• Persons in the creamy layer cannot claim reservation under OBC quotas.

Non-Creamy Layer of OBC

• The Non-Creamy Layer includes the economically and socially disadvantaged section of OBCs.
• Individuals in this group are eligible for reservation benefits in government employment, education, and welfare programmes.
• Criteria
  • Annual family income below ₹8 lakh.
  • Parents are not in senior government positions or high-income occupations.
  • A Non-Creamy Layer certificate is required to claim reservation benefits.
• The purpose is to ensure targeted affirmative action for the most backward sections within OBC communities.