GK One-Liners

What: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has removed 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) from its official registry. These parties failed to meet electoral activity requirements such as contesting elections or updating their registration details within stipulated timelines. This move is part of ECI’s ongoing efforts to clean up the electoral system and prevent misuse of political party registration for financial or legal benefits.

How: Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, political parties must register with the ECI and maintain regular communication. The ECI conducted a comprehensive review of inactive parties that showed no electoral participation over multiple election cycles. Parties that failed to respond to notices or demonstrate active functioning were delisted, ensuring only genuine political entities retain registration privileges.

Why: This is critical for UPSC Polity and Governance sections. Questions on electoral reforms, the role of the ECI under Article 324, and political party regulations appear regularly in Prelims. For Mains GS2, this connects to themes of electoral integrity, institutional accountability, and democratic governance reforms. Expect questions on ECI’s quasi-judicial powers and its role in ensuring free and fair elections.

What: India’s banking sector Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio has declined to a historic low of 2.3% as of March 2025, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Financial Stability Report. This marks a significant improvement from the peak of 11.2% in 2018, reflecting stronger asset quality, improved credit assessment frameworks, and effective resolution of stressed assets through mechanisms like the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

How: The reduction was achieved through multiple interventions including the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for weak banks, enhanced recovery through the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL or ‘bad bank’), stricter loan appraisal norms, and improved corporate governance in public sector banks. The RBI’s Asset Quality Review (AQR) initiated in 2015 also forced banks to recognize hidden NPAs, leading to cleaner balance sheets over time.

Why: This is high-yield for UPSC Economy paper and Banking/SSC exams. Prelims questions test knowledge of NPA definitions, RBI’s regulatory role, and banking sector reforms. For Mains GS3, this topic connects to financial sector stability, government initiatives like 4R strategy (Recognition, Resolution, Recapitalization, Reforms), and India’s economic resilience. Understanding GNPA vs NNPA (Net NPA) ratios is crucial for conceptual clarity.

What: India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections reached a record ₹22.08 lakh crore in Financial Year 2024-25, marking eight years since the landmark tax reform was implemented on July 1, 2017. This represents robust revenue growth driven by economic expansion, improved compliance through technology integration, and widening of the tax base. The milestone underscores GST’s success in creating a unified national market.

How: The revenue surge was facilitated by the GST Network (GSTN) platform enabling real-time tracking, e-invoicing mandates reducing evasion, data analytics identifying tax leakages, and the GST Council’s periodic rate rationalization. The shift from origin-based to destination-based taxation has also ensured better revenue distribution among states, strengthening cooperative federalism.

Why: GST is a cornerstone topic for UPSC Economy (GS3) and features prominently in Prelims current affairs. Questions cover GST structure (CGST, SGST, IGST), constitutional provisions (101st Amendment Act, 2016), GST Council composition (Article 279A), and fiscal federalism. For Mains essays, this connects to themes of tax reform, ease of doing business, and economic integration. Banking exams frequently test GST rates and compensation cess mechanisms.

What: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) nations—India, United States, Australia, and Japan—launched their first-ever At-Sea Observer Mission aboard the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Stratton. This landmark initiative enhances maritime domain awareness, strengthens interoperability among QUAD navies, and reinforces collective commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region amid growing geopolitical tensions.

How: The mission involves cross-deployment of maritime observers who monitor joint operations, share real-time intelligence, and coordinate responses to security challenges such as illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and territorial disputes. The USCGC Stratton serves as a platform for integrated exercises that test communication protocols, surveillance capabilities, and rapid response mechanisms. This builds on existing frameworks like the Malabar naval exercises.

Why: QUAD is crucial for UPSC International Relations (GS2) and Security (GS3). Questions cover QUAD’s evolution from 2007, its focus areas (maritime security, vaccine diplomacy, climate, technology), and India’s Indo-Pacific strategy. For Mains, this connects to themes of multi-alignment, strategic autonomy, and India’s response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Defense exams test knowledge of QUAD summits, joint exercises, and member country defense cooperation agreements.

What: India has achieved a remarkable 78% reduction in under-five child mortality rates, surpassing the global average reduction, as reported by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) 2024. This achievement reflects successful implementation of national health programs including the National Health Mission (NHM), Mission Indradhanush for immunization, and improved maternal and child healthcare infrastructure across both urban and rural regions.

How: The reduction was driven by expanded immunization coverage preventing deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases, strengthened Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) providing nutrition support, enhanced neonatal care facilities under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), and community health worker networks (ASHAs and Anganwadi workers) ensuring last-mile healthcare delivery. The government’s focus on addressing malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, and pneumonia has been critical.

Why: This is vital for UPSC GS2 (Health, Social Justice) and connects to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Prelims questions test knowledge of health schemes like Ayushman Bharat, infant mortality rate (IMR) vs under-five mortality rate (U5MR), and India’s progress on SDGs. For Mains, this provides data points for essays on public health achievements, demographic dividend challenges, and social sector spending effectiveness. Banking and SSC exams cover health ministry initiatives and international health indices.

What: Indian Railways has introduced comprehensive ticketing reforms including earlier reservation charting (allowing better seat allocation and dynamic pricing), verified Tatkal bookings with enhanced authentication to prevent ticket scalping, and announcement of a modern high-capacity Passenger Reservation System (PRS) expected by late 2025. These reforms aim to improve passenger convenience, reduce fraudulent bookings, and modernize India’s legacy railway ticketing infrastructure.

How: The earlier charting system uses AI-driven algorithms to optimize seat allocation up to 12 hours before departure rather than traditional 4-hour windows. Verified Tatkal bookings now require Aadhaar-based OTP authentication or biometric verification at the time of booking, directly tackling ticket touting. The new PRS will integrate with the existing UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) and leverage cloud computing for handling peak-hour traffic of over 10 lakh bookings daily without server crashes.

Why: Railway reforms are repeatedly tested in UPSC Prelims and state PSC exams under Governance and Infrastructure. Questions cover digital initiatives like IRCTC’s e-ticketing evolution, integration with DigiYatra, and contactless technologies. For Mains GS3, this links to themes of public service delivery modernization, Digital India mission outcomes, and challenges in legacy infrastructure upgradation. The topic also appears in Railway Recruitment exams testing operational knowledge of PRS architecture and booking systems.