Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
About UAPA
- UAPA was enacted to ensure more effective prevention of unlawful activities of individuals and organisations and to combat terrorist activities.
- The Act defines unlawful activity as any action that exercises unauthorised authority over any part of Indian territory.
- Any action that undermines sovereignty or impairs the integrity of India also qualifies as unlawful activity.
- The Central Government holds the power to declare any organisation as a terrorist organisation.
- The law is applicable to both Indian and foreign nationals across the whole of India.
Applicability
- UAPA also extends to:
- Citizens of India residing or present outside India.
- Persons in service of the Government, regardless of their location.
- Persons on ships and aircraft registered in India, wherever they may be.
Investigation
- Investigation under UAPA may be conducted by officers of the rank of DSP or ACP or above.
- The investigation must be completed within 90 days of arrest.
- A charge sheet must be filed within a maximum of 180 days after arrest.
- If investigation is not completed within the stipulated time, the accused becomes eligible for default bail.
Issues Related to UAPA
- The Act provides for an extended period of arrest, during which normal bail cannot be granted.
- Regular bail is also subject to the satisfaction of the presiding judge.
- The process involves longer pre-trial periods and extended imprisonment for those convicted of terror crimes.
Amendments
- The 2004 Amendment added “terrorist act” to the list of offences under the Act.
- Prior to 2004, unlawful activities referred only to actions related to secession and cession of territory.
- The 2019 Amendment empowered the Central Government to designate individuals as terrorists on certain grounds.
- The Director-General of NIA was empowered to approve seizure or attachment of property when a case is under NIA investigation.
- Officers of the NIA of the rank of Inspector or above were empowered to investigate terrorism cases.
- Earlier, this investigative power was restricted to officers of the rank of DSP or ACP only.
Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii)
Context: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Hyderabad zonal unit, seized two live Indian Red Sand Boa snakes in Warangal, Telangana during an undercover decoy operation.
About Red Sand Boa
- Scientific name of the Red Sand Boa is Eryx johnii and it belongs to the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae.
- It is commonly known as the Indian Sand Boa and is a non-venomous species.
- It is found throughout the dry parts of the Indian subcontinent.
- The species is ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young from eggs retained inside the body) and nocturnal in nature.
- It spends the majority of its time underground.
- Distribution
- The species is endemic to Iran, Pakistan, and India.
- Physical Characteristics
- It is a primarily reddish-brown and thick-set snake growing to an average length of 75 cm.
- Its tail is almost as thick as the body, giving it the appearance of being “double-headed.”
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule IV.
- CITES: Appendix II.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)
About DRI
- DRI was constituted in 1957 as India’s apex anti-smuggling intelligence and investigation agency.
- It functions under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance.
- DRI enforces provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and over fifty other allied Acts.
- These allied Acts include the Arms Act, NDPS Act, COFEPOSA, Wildlife Act, and Antiquities Act.
Functions
- DRI detects and curbs smuggling of contraband including drug trafficking and illicit wildlife trade.
- It also combats commercial frauds related to international trade and evasion of customs duty.
- It collects, analyses, and disseminates intelligence to field formations across the country.
- It maintains statistics of seizures and prices to monitor smuggling trends and movement of contraband.
- It suggests remedies for fixing loopholes in existing laws and procedures.
Structure and Network
- DRI has a nationwide network of zonal, regional, and sub-regional units and intelligence cells.
- DRI has been designated as the lead agency for S-CORD, the national anti-smuggling coordination centre.
International Collaboration
- DRI participates in international customs collaboration through Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements of CBIC.
- Such agreements exist with over 60 countries, focusing on information exchange and adoption of best practices.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs)
About SPRs
- SPRs are government-maintained stockpiles of crude oil meant to ensure energy security during supply disruptions.
- These exist in addition to the commercial stocks held by private oil companies.
- SPRs are managed under a Special Purpose Vehicle called Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), established in 2004.
- The nodal ministry is the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Storage Technology
- Crude oil is stored in underground rock caverns located deep below the ground.
- These facilities are usually situated near coastal areas.
- Current Capacity
- India’s SPRs currently have a total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT).
- This capacity is sufficient to meet approximately 9.5 days of India’s crude oil supply requirements.
Facilities
- Phase-I SPR Facilities (5.33 MMT): Operational
- Visakhapatnam — Andhra Pradesh.
- Mangaluru — Karnataka.
- Padur — Karnataka.
- Phase-II Expansion (Approved in 2021)
- Phase-II will add an additional 6.5 MMT of storage capacity.
- New facilities are planned at Chandikhol (Odisha) and Padur Phase-II (Karnataka).
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
About WMO
- WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations dealing with meteorology and related sciences.
- It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), founded in 1873.
- WMO was formally established in 1950 as the UN’s specialised agency for meteorology, operational hydrology, and related geophysical sciences.
- It serves as the UN system’s authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Its mandate covers the atmosphere’s interaction with oceans, climate, and distribution of water resources.
- Its primary goal is to facilitate international cooperation in meteorology, hydrology, and related environmental fields.
- Headquarters of WMO is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Governance Structure
- World Meteorological Congress is WMO’s supreme governing body, comprising representatives of all members.
- The Congress meets at least every four years to set general policy and adopt regulations.
- Executive Council consists of 36 members and meets annually to implement policy.
- Secretariat is headed by a Secretary-General appointed by the Congress for a four-year term.
Membership
- WMO has 193 members comprising 187 Member States and 6 Territories.
- All members maintain their own meteorological services.
India’s Trade Deficit
Context: PM Modi urged citizens to reduce spending on petroleum products, edible oils, gold, and foreign travel to cut foreign currency outgo.
Merchandise Trade Deficit
- India’s merchandise trade deficit reached a record USD 333 billion in 2025-26.
- This marked an increase of over 17% compared to the immediately preceding year.
- Total imports rose 7% to an all-time high of USD 775 billion in 2025-26.
- Exports remained nearly stagnant at USD 442 billion during the same period.
Key Import Drivers in 2025-26
- Precious Metals: Gold and silver imports were valued at over USD 90 billion, accounting for 12% of the total import bill.
- Precious metals ranked as the third largest import category after crude oil and electronics.
- Gold imports rose by 24% and silver imports surged by 150% over the previous year.
- Overall gems and jewellery imports increased by nearly 25%, while exports of the same declined by over 5%.
- Gold imports further accelerated by 82% in April 2026 compared to the year before.
- Edible Oils: Edible oil imports rose by over 12% in 2025-26 and accelerated to 40% in April 2026.
- Imports accounted for over 56% of India’s total edible oil demand in 2023-24.
- Fertilizers: Fertilizer imports met between 31% to 37% of India’s requirements over the past five years.
- Urea imports increased by over 60%, with fertilizer import share expected to exceed 50% in 2025-26.
- Disruptions from the West Asia war pushed India’s fertilizer import bill up by nearly 80% in 2025-26.
- Electronic Components: Electronic component imports grew by over 20% in the previous fiscal year.
- Imports of accumulators and batteries for electric vehicles increased by 50% in 2025-26.
Pressure on the Rupee
- A rising trade deficit has put pressure on the already weakened Indian rupee.
- The RBI has been selectively intervening in markets to prevent a free-fall of the currency.
- India’s foreign currency reserves fell by over USD 21 billion since the end of February 2026.
Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005
Context: The Central Information Commission (CIC) ruled that BCCI does not qualify as a “public authority” under the RTI Act. The CIC held that BCCI is neither directly nor indirectly financed by the government. Under Section 2(h)(d) of the RTI Act, 2005, a body must be substantially financed by government funds to qualify as a public authority.
Scale of Usage
- More than 3.5 to 4 crore RTI applications have been filed across India since its implementation.
- Around 60 to 65 lakh applications are filed annually across the country.
- Central Government departments receive approximately 10 to 12 lakh applications per year.
- Ministries receiving the highest RTI volumes include Home Affairs, Railways, Finance, and Personnel.
Disposal and Rejection
- Central public authorities dispose of over 90% of RTI applications filed each year.
- The rejection rate typically ranges between 5 to 10 percent.
- Common grounds for rejection include national security concerns, personal information exemptions, and information not available in records.
Appeals and Backlog
- More than 3 lakh second appeals and complaints are pending across Central and State Information Commissions combined.
- The Central Information Commission alone has often had 20,000 to 30,000 pending cases at a time.
- In some states, appeal disposal waiting time can extend beyond 6 to 12 months.
Penalties Under Section 20
- A penalty of ₹250 per day can be imposed on a Public Information Officer for undue delay.
- The maximum penalty per case is capped at ₹25,000.
Green Shoe Option
Context: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) plans to raise ₹50,000 crore as short-term debt from scheduled banks for a three-month tenure. FCI also has a Green Shoe Option to raise an additional ₹25,000 crore if needed.
About Green Shoe Option
- It is also known as an over-allotment option and is a provision in an IPO or FPO.
- It allows underwriters to sell additional shares beyond the original issue size in case of excess demand.
- It functions as a price stabilisation mechanism to prevent excessive post-listing volatility.
- The term originates from the Green Shoe Manufacturing Company (now Stride Rite Corporation), which first used it in its 1919 public offering in the United States.
Key Features
- Underwriters are permitted to over-allot up to 15% more shares than the original issue size.
- Extra shares are held by the stabilising agent in a separate Green Shoe Account.
- The stabilisation period after listing must not exceed 30 calendar days from the date of allotment.
- If the share price rises above the issue price, underwriters allocate additional shares to meet demand.
- If the share price falls below the issue price, underwriters buy back shares from the open market to support the price.
Regulatory Framework in India
- In India, the Green Shoe Option is governed by SEBI under the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018 (ICDR Regulations).
- The option is applicable only to public issues of equity shares.
- A Stabilising Agent (SA), usually the lead book-running manager, is appointed to manage the mechanism.
- The SA must enter into an agreement with the issuer and disclose the option details in the prospectus.
- The SA must maintain detailed records of market transactions, buybacks, and price movements.
Limitations
- Price stabilisation under this option is temporary and limited to the stabilisation period only.
- It is not applicable to all securities offerings and only covers certain categories of public issues.
