GK One-Liners

What: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued India’s first National Geothermal Energy Policy to harness geothermal resources for round-the-clock renewable energy. Geothermal energy taps underground heat for electricity generation and direct applications like heating, cooling, greenhouse farming, and desalination. The policy supports India’s Net Zero 2070 pathway and enhances energy security by diversifying the renewable energy mix beyond solar and wind.

How: The framework designates MNRE as the nodal ministry and promotes Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), inter-ministerial coordination, and international collaborations. It supports pilot projects, indigenous technology development, hybrid renewable systems (combining geothermal with solar/wind), and innovative approaches like converting abandoned oil and gas wells into geothermal energy sources. India’s geothermal potential is mapped at approximately 10 gigawatts (GW) across ten provinces including the Himalayas, Cambay Basin, Godavari Basin, and West Coast regions.

Why: This is crucial for UPSC Mains GS3 (Environment – Renewable Energy, Climate Change Mitigation) covering energy transition strategies, baseload renewable power, and Net Zero commitments. Questions on alternative energy sources, energy security, and India’s renewable energy targets are common. Geothermal’s 24/7 availability addresses solar and wind intermittency issues. Essays on sustainable development and climate action can reference this policy as evidence of diversified energy planning.

What: India climbed to 38th position in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, up from 48th in 2020. India ranks first among Central and Southern Asian economies and among lower-middle-income countries globally. The GII measures innovation performance across 132 economies using 80 indicators covering institutions, human capital, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge outputs, and creative outputs.

How: India’s improvement reflects strong performance in knowledge and technology outputs (including patents, scientific publications, software spending) and market sophistication (credit availability, ease of getting credit, domestic market scale). Leading innovation clusters identified include Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, which drive India’s startup ecosystem, R&D activities, and technology commercialization. The ranking recognizes India’s digital public infrastructure, startup policy support, and growing investment in research and development.

Why: This is highly relevant for UPSC Mains GS3 (Science & Technology, Economic Development) and Prelims current affairs covering international rankings and India’s innovation ecosystem. Questions on intellectual property rights, R&D investment, startup India initiative, and India’s global competitiveness are frequent. The ranking connects to themes like Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital India, skill development, and government policies supporting innovation. Essays on India’s development trajectory and knowledge economy can cite this improvement.

What: The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has increased the daily person-to-merchant (P2M) transaction limit to ₹10 lakh for verified merchants in select sectors including insurance, capital markets, travel, collections, and Government e-Marketplace (GeM). The per-transaction cap remains at ₹5 lakh, while the person-to-person (P2P) daily limit stays unchanged at ₹1 lakh. This expansion aims to facilitate higher-value digital transactions in critical economic sectors.

How: The enhanced limit applies only to verified merchant categories that undergo additional compliance checks by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Merchants in eligible sectors must meet stringent KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements, maintain proper business documentation, and implement robust fraud detection systems. The measure enables large-ticket digital payments for insurance premiums, mutual fund investments, flight bookings, and government procurement while maintaining existing limits for general retail transactions to manage risk.

Why: This is crucial for UPSC Mains GS3 (Economy – Digital Payments, Financial Inclusion) covering UPI ecosystem, fintech innovation, and cashless economy initiatives. Questions on digital payment infrastructure, NPCI’s role, financial technology regulations, and India’s leadership in real-time payments are common. The policy demonstrates calibrated liberalization balancing convenience with security. It connects to broader themes like Digital India, ease of doing business, and formalization of the economy through digital transactions.

What: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced the SWAGAT-FI (Streamlined, Well-designed, Accelerated Guided Access Track for Foreign Investors) framework to facilitate long-term stable foreign capital inflows. The initiative extends Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) registration validity to 10 years, enables faster digital onboarding (approximately one week), and allows a single demat account for all transactions, simplifying operational requirements.

How: SWAGAT-FI streamlines the FPI registration process through online portals, reducing documentation requirements and processing time from several weeks to about seven days. The 10-year validity eliminates frequent renewal hassles for stable institutional investors like pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and endowments. A unified demat account structure removes the need for multiple accounts across different asset classes (equity, debt, derivatives), reducing operational complexity and costs. The framework maintains robust KYC and anti-money laundering safeguards while improving ease of access.

Why: This is crucial for UPSC Mains GS3 (Economy – Capital Markets, FDI Policy) covering reforms in foreign investment regulation, capital account liberalization, and financial market development. Questions on SEBI’s role, FPI regulations, foreign capital management, and ease of doing business are relevant. The framework demonstrates India’s approach to attracting stable long-term capital while maintaining regulatory oversight. It connects to themes like capital market deepening, foreign exchange reserves management, and India’s integration with global financial markets.

What: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has updated the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballot paper layout to improve voter readability and experience. Key changes include standardizing fonts across all ballots, enlarging candidate photographs for better identification, and limiting each ballot paper (ballot unit) to 15 candidates maximum with NOTA (None of the Above) always appearing at the end. Bihar is slated to be the first state to adopt this redesigned format.

How: The new format uses consistent, legible fonts throughout the ballot, ensuring uniformity for voters with varying literacy levels. Larger candidate photos help voters identify candidates more easily, particularly important for first-time and elderly voters. The 15-candidate limit per unit prevents overcrowding and confusion, with constituencies having more candidates using multiple linked ballot units. NOTA’s fixed position at the end maintains consistency across all elections. The redesign follows extensive field testing and incorporates feedback from voters and election officials to reduce errors and improve the voting experience.

Why: This is relevant for UPSC Mains GS2 (Polity – Electoral Reforms, Democratic Governance) covering ECI’s autonomy, electoral process improvements, and inclusive voting systems. Questions on EVM technology, electoral reforms, voter participation, and election management are common. The initiative demonstrates responsive governance adapting to user needs while maintaining election integrity. It connects to broader themes of democratic deepening, accessible institutions, and continuous improvement in electoral processes that can be referenced in essays on democracy and governance.

What: India’s National Geothermal Energy Policy establishes a comprehensive governance framework with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as the nodal ministry. The policy promotes Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), inter-ministerial coordination, and international collaborations while supporting pilot projects, indigenous technology solutions, and innovative approaches including converting abandoned oil and gas wells into geothermal energy sources and developing hybrid renewable systems.

How: The framework coordinates between MNRE, Ministry of Petroleum, Geological Survey of India, state governments, and private sector players to identify geothermal sites, conduct resource assessment, and develop projects. It encourages technology transfer from geothermal-advanced countries like Iceland, New Zealand, and Kenya while simultaneously promoting domestic R&D for context-appropriate solutions. The policy includes financial incentives for pilot projects, streamlined clearances, and support for integrating geothermal with existing solar and wind installations to create hybrid power systems that provide stable baseload power.

Why: This is important for UPSC Mains GS2 (Governance – Policy Implementation, Inter-ministerial Coordination) and GS3 (Infrastructure – Energy). Questions on renewable energy policies, PPP models, technology adoption, and institutional frameworks are frequent. The governance structure exemplifies coordinated policy implementation across multiple stakeholders. It connects to themes like cooperative federalism (state-center coordination), collaborative governance, technology diplomacy, and adaptive reuse of infrastructure (converting old wells), which are valuable for essays on effective governance and sustainable development.