Prelims Pinpointer 26-04-2026

Chabahar Port & US Sanctions

Context: US ended sanctions waiver on Iran’s Chabahar Port, creating strategic dilemma for India.

Chabahar Port

• Located in Iran (Sistan-Baluchestan province) on Gulf of Oman.
• India-developed port to access Afghanistan & Central Asia bypassing Pakistan.
• Managed by India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).
• Key terminal: Shahid Beheshti Terminal.

Strategic Importance

• Provides connectivity to Afghanistan for trade and humanitarian aid.
• Acts as gateway to Central Asia and Eurasia.
• Counterbalances China’s Gwadar Port (Pakistan).
• Part of India’s vision for regional connectivity corridors.

Current Situation

• India faces choice between:
  • Continuing involvement → risk of US sanctions
  • Scaling back → loss of strategic foothold
• Considering transfer of stake to Iranian company as workaround.
• Personnel withdrawn and investment prepaid to reduce exposure.

Registrar-General of India (RGI)

About RGI

• Registrar-General & Census Commissioner of India (RGI) is the apex authority for Census and population data.
• Functions under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Headed by an officer of Additional Secretary rank.
• Established as a permanent office in 1961.
• Historical Evolution
  • First Census in India conducted in 1872 (non-synchronous).
  • First synchronous decennial Census held in 1881.
  • Before 1961: Census conducted through ad hoc arrangements.
  • Post-1961: RGI became a permanent institutional framework.

Key Functions

• Population Census
  • Conducts decennial Census under Census Act, 1948.
  • Handles data collection, processing, and dissemination.
• Civil Registration System (CRS)
  • Registers births and deaths under RBD Act, 1969.
  • Maintains vital statistics across States/UTs.
• Sample Registration System (SRS)
  • Provides estimates of birth rate, death rate, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) etc.
  • Conducts continuous demographic surveys.
• National Population Register (NPR)
  • Maintained under Citizenship Act, 1955 & Rules, 2003.
  • Database of usual residents (~119 crore entries).
• Mother Tongue Survey of India
  • Documents linguistic diversity and phonetic variations.
  • Tracks evolution of mother tongues across Census cycles.

NITI Aayog

Context: Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri appointed as Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog. He replaces Suman K. Bery, who held the position since 2022.

About NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is the Government’s policy think tank.
• Established on 1 January 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.
• Focuses on cooperative federalism, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.
• Encourages bottom-up planning with active State participation.
• Composition
  • Chairperson: Prime Minister of India.
  • Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister.
  • Full-time Members: Experts from diverse domains (economics, science, governance).
  • Ex-officio Members: Selected Union Ministers.
  • Governing Council: PM + Chief Ministers + Lt. Governors (Team India approach).
  • CEO: Appointed by PM; handles day-to-day functioning.

Key Functions of NITI Aayog

• Policy Formulation: Designs long-term strategic and sectoral policies.
• Cooperative Federalism: Acts as a bridge between Centre and States for policy coordination.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Tracks implementation of schemes using data-driven mechanisms.
• Think Tank Role: Provides innovative solutions and research inputs for governance challenges.

NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission

Aspect	NITI Aayog	Planning Commission
Nature	Advisory policy think tank	Extra-constitutional planning body
Established	1 January 2015	15 March 1950
Approach	Bottom-up, participatory	Top-down, centralised
Role of States	Active partners in policymaking	Limited role, mostly implementers
Policy Powers	No power to impose policies	Could direct policy implementation
Funding Role	No financial allocation powers	Allocated funds to States and schemes
Federalism Focus	Promotes cooperative federalism	Federalism not core focus
Membership	Experts, specialists, multi-sector representation	More bureaucratic and centralised
Key Functions	Policy design, innovation, SDG monitoring	Five-Year Plans, resource allocation
Governance Style	Flexible, collaborative platform (Team India)	Rigid, central planning structure

Coal Gasification

Core Concept

• Thermo-chemical process converting solid coal into syngas (CO + H₂ + CH₄).
• Considered cleaner than direct coal burning due to pre-combustion removal of pollutants.
• Produces a versatile fuel and industrial feedstock.

Process Mechanism

• Coal reacts with steam and limited oxygen under high temperature and pressure.
• Undergoes partial oxidation, not complete combustion.
• Produces syngas (CO, H₂, CH₄) as primary output.
• Gas cleaning stage removes sulfur, nitrogen compounds, and particulates.
• Clean syngas used for power generation or chemical production.
• Types
  • Surface Coal Gasification → Above-ground industrial plants.
  • Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) → In-situ conversion of deep coal seams.

Key Features

• Pre-combustion cleaning reduces emissions significantly.
• Versatile output: Electricity, fertilizers (urea), chemicals, liquid fuels.
• Generates useful by-products such as slag and elemental sulfur.
• Relatively lower water use compared to conventional thermal plants.

Significance for India

• Reduces dependence on imported crude oil and natural gas.
• Utilises India’s abundant coal reserves efficiently.
• Supports fertilizer and petrochemical industries.
• Helps transition towards cleaner coal technologies under climate commitments.

Dnipropetrovsk Region and Dnieper River

Dnipropetrovsk Region

• Located in eastern Ukraine, along both banks of the Dnieper River.
• Lies near confluence with the Samara River.
• Right Bank → Dnieper Upland; 
• Left Bank → Dnieper Lowland.
• Major city: Dnipro, among Ukraine’s largest urban centres.

Dnieper River (Dnipro)

• Also called Dnipro (Ukraine), Dnepr (Russia), Dnyapro (Belarus).
• 4th longest river in Europe after Volga, Danube, and Ural.
• Origin: Valdai Hills (Russia).
• Flows through Russia → Belarus → Ukraine → Black Sea.
• Length ~ 2,200 km.
• Major cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia.
• Acts as a historical divide (Right Bank vs Left Bank Ukraine).