Green Firecrackers
Context: The Supreme Court has temporarily relaxed the blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, allowing the sale and limited use of green fireworks ahead of Deepavali 2025, as a test to balance regulation and environmental protection.
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- Green fireworks approved by NEERI and PESO can be sold for a limited time period. This relaxation a “test case” to check if regulated use can coexist with pollution control efforts.
- Court noted that a complete ban led to smuggling of harmful conventional crackers, whereas green variants have reduced emissions since their 2018 introduction (Arjun Gopal v. Union of India case).
Green Crackers
- Green crackers are low-emission firecrackers developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to reduce air and noise pollution during festivals like Diwali.
- Key Features:
- Free from harmful chemicals such as sulphur, nitrates, arsenic, lead, and barium.
- Reduce emissions by up to 30% and emit sound in the range of 100–130 decibels.
- Identified by a green logo and QR code, ensuring authenticity and traceability.
- Types of Green Crackers (Developed by CSIR):
- SWAS (Safe Water Releaser):
- Releases water vapour to suppress dust.
- No potassium nitrate or sulphur used.
- Reduces particulate dust by about 30%.
- STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker):
- Free from sulphur and potassium nitrate.
- Emits less particulate matter and has lower sound intensity.
- SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium):
- Uses minimal aluminium; magnesium used instead.
- Ensures lower noise compared to traditional crackers.
- SWAS (Safe Water Releaser):
- Conventional Firecrackers:
- Made from charcoal or thermite, combined with oxidizing agents like nitrates, chlorates, and sulphur compounds.
- Contain metal salts (strontium, sodium, barium, calcium, copper) that produce toxic particulate matter (PM).
- Emit high noise levels of 160–200 decibels, contributing significantly to air and sound pollution.
- Compounds used in conventional crackers
| Colour | Chemical Compounds Used |
| White | Aluminium, Magnesium, Titanium |
| Yellow | Sodium compounds |
| Blue | Copper compounds |
| Red | Strontium carbonates |
| Green | Barium monochloride salts, Barium nitrate, Barium chlorate |
Trade Deficit
Context: India’s trade deficit widened sharply in September 2025 due to higher imports and a slump in services exports, even as merchandise exports showed resilience.
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- Trade deficit rose 93% in September 2025 to $16.6 billion, up from $8.6 billion in September 2024.
- Imports: Increased 11.3% to $83.8 billion.
- Goods exports grew 6.7% to $36.4 billion, despite U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on Indian imports.
- Services exports fell 5.5% to $30.8 billion, dragging overall performance.
India’s Trade Scenario
- Overall Trade Deficit: Declined from USD 121.6 bn (FY23) to USD 78.1 bn (FY24).
- Services Trade:
- Exports: USD 339.62 billion (FY24).
- Trade Surplus: USD 162.06 billion.
- India’s share in world services exports rose from 0.5% (1993) to 4.3% (2022), making it the 7th largest exporter globally.
- Merchandise Trade:
- Exports: USD 776 billion (FY23).
- Deficit: Narrowed to USD 238.3 billion (FY24) from USD 264.9 billion (FY23).
- Current Account Deficit (CAD): Improved to USD 23.2 billion (0.7% of GDP, FY24) from USD 67 billion (2% of GDP, FY23).
- Capital Account Balance: Net inflows rose from USD 58.9 billion (FY23) to USD 86.3 billion (FY24), led by strong FPI inflows.
Critical Minerals
Critical minerals
- Critical minerals are essential for modern technologies, low-emission applications, and national security, but their supply is vulnerable due to limited availability and geographical concentration.
- India aims for self-reliance in critical minerals under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM, 2025).
- Applications
- Used in EVs, wind turbines, solar panels, rechargeable batteries, and low-emission technologies.
- Key for electronics, semiconductors, aerospace, defence, medical equipment, and even common products like stainless steel.
- Technological demand and supply dynamics determine their criticality.
- Global and Indian Context
- Top producers: Chile, Indonesia, Congo, China, Australia, South Africa.
- India’s critical minerals (2023): 30 identified, including Lithium, Cobalt, Graphite, REEs, Nickel, Copper, Titanium, etc.
- Legal framework: 24 minerals added to Part D of Schedule I of MMDR Act, 1957, giving the Central Government exclusive auctioning powers.
- A Centre of Excellence for Critical Minerals (CECM) will regularly review the list and advise policy.
National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM, 2025)
- Objective: Achieve self-reliance across the critical mineral value chain: exploration, mining, processing, recycling, and end-of-life recovery.
- Exploration: Geological Survey of India (GSI) to conduct 1,200 projects (2024–2031) targeting domestic production of at least 15 critical minerals.
- Global acquisition: Indian companies to acquire 50 mining assets worldwide.
- Fast-track approvals: Regulatory simplification for mining projects.
- Recycling and Stockpiling
- Incentive scheme: INR 1,500 crore (~USD 170 million) to recover 400 kilotonnes of recycled minerals.
- National Critical Minerals Stockpile: At least 5 critical minerals to mitigate supply chain risks.
- Research and Development
- Achieve self-sufficiency in processing 5 critical minerals.
- Generate 1,000 patents across the value chain by 2031.
- Set up 4 regional mineral processing parks and 3 Centres of Excellence.
- Governance
- An Empowered Committee on Critical Minerals will coordinate and implement NCMM initiatives.
- CECM and NCMM together ensure strategic oversight, policy guidance, and monitoring.
- Significance for India:
- Reduces import dependence for key minerals like lithium, cobalt, REEs.
- Supports EV, solar, and wind sectors and the net-zero 2070 goal.
- Strengthens industrial growth, energy security, and strategic autonomy.
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
Context: India has been elected unopposed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term, marking its seventh tenure on the global body. This reinforces India’s active role in promoting human rights at the international level.
What is the UNHRC?
- The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is the principal intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally.
- Established in 2006 by the UN General Assembly, it replaced the UN Commission on Human Rights to enhance the effectiveness of the human rights framework.
- Headquarters: Located at the UN Office in Geneva (UNOG), Switzerland.
- Aim: To promote universal respect for human rights, address violations, and make recommendations for protection through international cooperation and dialogue.
- Functions of the UNHRC
- Reviews the human rights performance of all UN Member States through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.
- Appoints Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups to monitor country-specific or thematic issues.
- Adopts Resolutions addressing urgent crises and thematic challenges such as freedom of speech, gender equality, and education rights.
- Authorizes Fact-Finding Missions and Commissions of Inquiry to investigate global violations.
- Provides a platform for dialogue between governments, NGOs, and civil society on emerging human rights concerns.
- UNHRC Election Process
- The UNHRC consists of 47 Member States, elected directly by the UN General Assembly through a secret ballot.
- Term Length: Members serve for three-year terms, with one-third of seats renewed annually.
- Regional Distribution:
- Africa: 13 seats
- Asia-Pacific: 13 seats
- Latin America & Caribbean: 8 seats
- Western Europe: 7 seats
- Eastern Europe: 6 seats
- Membership Limitation: States can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
- India has served on the UNHRC seven times, spanning the terms:
- 2006–2007,
- 2011–2014,
- 2014–2017,
- 2017–2020,
- 2022–2024,
- and now 2026–2028.
Military Exercises
India–Republic of Korea Navy Bilateral Exercise
- Nations Involved: India and South Korea
- Host Location: Busan Naval Harbour, South Korea
- Objective: To enhance naval interoperability, strengthen maritime partnerships, and promote regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Key Features:
- The exercise is conducted in two phases:
- Harbour Phase: Cross-deck visits and training.
- Sea Phase: Joint operations between INS Sahyadri and ROKS Gyeongnam.
- Focus on mutual learning, operational synergy, and maritime security cooperation under India’s Act East Policy.
- The exercise is conducted in two phases:
Military Exercise ‘AUSTRAHIND 2025’
- Nations Involved: India and Australia
- Host Location: Perth, Australia
- Objective: To enhance military cooperation and interoperability in sub-conventional warfare and urban operations.
- Key Features:
- Joint company-level tactical drills in open and semi-desert terrains.
- Emphasis on the integration of emerging technologies and combined operations between Indian and Australian armies.
Military Exercise ‘INDRA 2025’
- Nations Involved: India and Russia
- Host Location: Mahajan Field Firing Range, Bikaner, Rajasthan
- Objective: To improve counter-terrorism coordination and operational readiness between Indian and Russian forces.
- Key Features:
- Includes live-fire exercises, UAV reconnaissance, and precision strikes under desert conditions.
- Focus on hostage-rescue missions, artillery coordination, and joint tactical planning for modern conflict scenarios.
Significance of These Exercises
- Strengthening Defence Cooperation: The exercises highlight India’s growing defense partnerships and its commitment to enhancing operational capabilities with key regional and global powers.
- Expanding Strategic Partnerships: These exercises are part of India’s broader strategy to forge stronger alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, a key focus area under its Act East Policy.
- Technological Integration: With the integration of emerging technologies and focus on urban warfare and counter-terrorism, India is adapting to modern-day security challenges.
