GK One-Liners

What: For the first time, India is hosting the complete set of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Radio Access Network (RAN) working group meetings, covering RAN1 through RAN5, in Whitefield, Bengaluru, running through August 29, 2025. The event is supported by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI). These meetings focus on finalizing work on 3GPP Release 19, which represents 5G-Advanced capabilities with enhanced performance beyond initial 5G deployments, and initiating early discussions for Release 20, where sixth-generation (6G) wireless technology standardization is beginning.

How: The 3GPP is the global standards organization responsible for developing technical specifications for mobile telecommunications, with RAN working groups handling physical layer protocols, radio interface architecture, and radio frequency requirements. RAN1 addresses physical layer specifications, RAN2 handles radio interface protocol architecture, RAN3 covers network architecture, RAN4 manages radio performance and protocol testing, and RAN5 focuses on mobile terminal conformance testing. India’s hosting role demonstrates recognition of its growing importance in global telecom standardization, with Indian companies, research institutions, and operators participating in technical contributions. TSDSI serves as India’s national standards body, ensuring Indian requirements and innovations are incorporated into global standards.

Why: This event is highly significant for UPSC Science & Technology (GS Paper 3) covering telecommunications evolution, India’s role in global technology governance, and the transition from 5G to 6G networks. Questions may test understanding of 3GPP’s role in mobile standards (unlike ITU which allocates spectrum), the progression from 3G to 4G to 5G to 6G, and India’s telecom ecosystem including TSDSI. Release 19 and Release 20 milestones are factual details. For banking exams, knowledge of 5G deployment in India, major telecom operators (Jio, Airtel, Vi), and government initiatives like the Bharat 6G Vision 2030 is relevant. The topic connects to Atmanirbhar Bharat in critical technologies and India’s ambition to be a rule-maker rather than rule-taker in global standards.

What: Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India’s national public procurement portal, has crossed ₹15 lakh crore (₹15 trillion or approximately $180 billion) in cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) since its launch in 2016. This milestone reflects the massive scale and success of India’s digital transformation in government procurement, eliminating traditional paper-based tendering processes. GeM enables transparent, efficient procurement by central and state government departments, public sector undertakings, and autonomous bodies. The platform has democratized government business opportunities by onboarding diverse seller categories including Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), startups, women-led businesses, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) entrepreneurs, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

How: GeM operates as an end-to-end online marketplace where government buyers can search, compare, and purchase goods and services from registered sellers at competitive prices. Key features include dynamic pricing through reverse e-auctions (where sellers bid downward), demand aggregation that pools requirements across departments for better rates, e-bidding for transparent competition, product quality certification, and direct payment systems. The ‘Womaniya’ storefront, launched in January 2019, provides dedicated visibility to women entrepreneurs and SHGs selling products like handicrafts, home décor, textiles, and organic foods directly to government buyers, promoting financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment. Seller registration is free, with automated vendor assessment and performance tracking.

Why: GeM is a critical topic for UPSC Governance and Economy (GS Papers 2 & 3) covering e-governance initiatives, transparency in public procurement, and digital public infrastructure. Questions frequently test GeM’s objectives (transparency, efficiency, inclusiveness), special initiatives like Womaniya storefront and startup runway, comparison with traditional procurement methods, and its role in reducing corruption and ensuring fair competition. The ₹15 lakh crore GMV milestone and 2016 launch year are factual recall points. For banking/SSC exams, understanding digital governance platforms, MSME promotion, and GeM’s integration with other government systems like e-invoicing and GSTN is important. The topic exemplifies India Stack’s application in government-to-business (G2B) services and aligns with Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

What: Nepal has formally joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an India-led global conservation initiative promoting coordinated protection of seven big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma. Launched by India in April 2023, IBCA serves as a multilateral platform bringing together big cat range countries, conservation organizations, research institutions, and funding agencies to share best practices, pool scientific and financial resources, and strengthen wildlife protection strategies. Nepal’s membership is particularly significant given its success in tiger conservation, with populations increasing through community-based protection models and trans-boundary cooperation with India.

How: IBCA facilitates collaboration through multiple mechanisms including knowledge sharing on anti-poaching technologies (camera traps, drone surveillance, AI-based monitoring), capacity building for forest officials and wildlife rangers, coordinated research on big cat ecology and genetics, habitat corridor management across international boundaries, and mobilizing financial resources for conservation projects. The alliance addresses common threats including habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, poaching for illegal wildlife trade, and climate change impacts on high-altitude species like snow leopards. Member countries can access technical expertise, participate in joint monitoring programs, and benefit from successful conservation models like India’s Project Tiger and Project Cheetah reintroduction initiative.

Why: This topic is important for UPSC Environment and Biodiversity (GS Paper 3) covering wildlife conservation, international environmental cooperation, and India’s soft power diplomacy through conservation leadership. Questions may test knowledge of IBCA’s founding (April 2023), member countries, the seven big cat species covered, and comparison with other conservation frameworks like Global Tiger Initiative. Nepal-India cooperation on tiger conservation, including trans-boundary reserves like Valmiki-Chitwan corridor, is a specific example. For state PSC exams, understanding Project Tiger reserves in respective states, conservation challenges, and community participation models is relevant. Banking/SSC exams test basic facts about endangered species, conservation programs, and India’s biodiversity hotspots. The topic connects to India’s environmental diplomacy and leadership in South-South cooperation.

What: Rajiv Ranjan, an Executive Director at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been appointed as Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of the New Development Bank (NDB) for a five-year term beginning September 2025. The NDB, established by BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in 2014 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, serves as an alternative to traditional Western-dominated institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). As VP and CRO, Rajiv Ranjan will oversee risk management frameworks, credit risk assessment for infrastructure projects, operational risk controls, and compliance with international banking standards.

How: The New Development Bank focuses on financing infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies, with cumulative loan approvals exceeding $35 billion across sectors like renewable energy, transportation, water management, and digital infrastructure. As Chief Risk Officer, Rajiv Ranjan will evaluate country risk for loan proposals, establish risk appetite frameworks aligned with NDB’s development mandate, monitor portfolio quality across diverse emerging markets, and ensure prudential norms are maintained while supporting growth-oriented lending. His RBI experience in monetary policy, financial stability, and regulatory oversight will inform NDB’s risk management approach. The bank operates with equal shareholding among founding BRICS members, ensuring balanced governance.

Why: This appointment is significant for UPSC International Relations and Economy (GS Papers 2 & 3) covering multilateral development banks, BRICS cooperation, and India’s role in reforming global financial architecture. Questions may test knowledge of NDB’s establishment year (2014), headquarters (Shanghai), authorized capital ($100 billion), and comparison with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and traditional Bretton Woods institutions. The appointment of an Indian national to a senior NDB position reflects India’s influence in BRICS mechanisms. For banking exams, understanding NDB’s lending priorities, its local currency financing capabilities, and recent project approvals is relevant. The topic connects to the broader narrative of emerging economies creating parallel financial institutions to reduce dependence on Western-controlled funding mechanisms.

What: The Finance Ministry has announced a one-time, irreversible window for central government employees to shift from the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to the National Pension System (NPS), subject to specific eligibility criteria and time limits before retirement. This policy decision allows employees to choose between UPS’s assured pension payout (50% of average basic pay from last 12 months of service for 25+ years of service) and NPS’s market-linked returns with individual retirement accounts. Employees opting to switch to NPS will forfeit UPS’s guaranteed benefits, but will receive the government’s 4% differential contribution (beyond the standard 10% employer contribution) credited to their NPS corpus, increasing total government contribution to 14%.

How: Under UPS, implemented from April 2025, employees receive defined benefits including assured pension, family pension, assured minimum pension (₹10,000 per month for 10+ years service), dearness relief linked to inflation, and gratuity. The NPS, operational since 2004 for new central government recruits, operates on a defined contribution model where employee contributions (10% of basic + dearness allowance) and government contributions (14% under this special window) are invested in equity, corporate bonds, and government securities based on employee choice. Returns depend on market performance, with no guaranteed pension amount. Employees must assess their risk appetite, remaining service period, expected returns, and post-retirement financial needs before making the irreversible choice.

Why: This policy shift is crucial for UPSC Economy and Governance (GS Paper 3) covering pension reforms, fiscal sustainability, and social security systems. Questions frequently test differences between Old Pension Scheme (OPS), NPS, and UPS, government’s pension liability concerns, and the debate over fiscal burden versus employee welfare. The UPS was introduced after employee demands for assured pensions, representing a middle path between OPS’s unfunded liabilities and NPS’s full market exposure. For banking exams, understanding pension fund management, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), and government securities investment is important. The topic connects to public finance management, demographic challenges with an aging population, and balancing employee security with fiscal prudence. The 14% total government contribution under the switch option is a specific factual detail.

What: Fitch Ratings, one of the three major global credit rating agencies alongside Moody’s and S&P, has reaffirmed India’s sovereign credit rating at BBB- (triple B minus) with a stable outlook. This rating, the lowest investment-grade category, is one notch above speculative or “junk” status. Fitch projects India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at approximately 6.5% for Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), citing strong underlying economic growth momentum, robust domestic consumption, increasing capital expenditure, and a solid external sector position characterized by healthy foreign exchange reserves and manageable current account deficit. The stable outlook indicates Fitch expects the rating to remain unchanged over the medium term.

How: Credit rating agencies assess sovereign creditworthiness by analyzing multiple factors including GDP growth trajectory, fiscal deficit and government debt levels, inflation trends, external vulnerability indicators (forex reserves, current account balance, external debt), political stability, institutional quality, and structural reform progress. India’s BBB- rating reflects positive factors like strong growth potential, large domestic market, improving ease of doing business, and growing manufacturing sector under PLI schemes, balanced against concerns about relatively high public debt (around 81% of GDP), fiscal consolidation challenges, and per capita income still below investment-grade peers. The 6.5% FY26 growth projection, while robust in global context, represents moderation from recent higher growth rates.

Why: This rating reaffirmation is important for UPSC Economy (GS Paper 3) covering macroeconomic indicators, sovereign credit ratings, and India’s economic management. Questions frequently test knowledge of the three major rating agencies (Fitch, Moody’s, S&P), their current ratings for India, factors affecting sovereign ratings, and implications for foreign investment flows and borrowing costs. The BBB- rating with stable outlook is a factual recall point. For banking exams, understanding how sovereign ratings influence capital flows, bond yields, and economic confidence is crucial. The topic connects to India’s fiscal policy (tax-GDP ratio improvement, subsidy rationalization), monetary policy credibility, and structural reforms (GST, IBC, labor codes). India’s aspiration to achieve ‘A’ category investment-grade rating requires sustained fiscal consolidation and further reform implementation. The 6.5% FY26 growth estimate positions India among the fastest-growing major economies globally.