GK One-Liners

What: According to the World Bank’s 2025 assessment, India has been placed among the world’s most equal countries, ranking 4th globally with a Gini Index (Gini Coefficient) of 25.5. The Gini Index measures income or wealth inequality on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents perfect equality (everyone has identical income) and 100 represents maximum inequality (one person has all income). India’s low score of 25.5 indicates relatively equitable income distribution, supported by a sharp fall in extreme poverty over the last decade through government welfare programs, rural employment schemes, and inclusive growth policies.

How: India’s improved equality ranking stems from multiple factors including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) providing wage employment to 55+ million households annually, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) eliminating middlemen in subsidy delivery (saving ₹2.7+ lakh crore), financial inclusion through Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity reaching 530+ million previously unbanked individuals, targeted poverty alleviation programs like PM-KISAN (direct income support to 110+ million farmers), and progressive taxation with exemptions for lower-income groups. Additionally, India’s extreme poverty rate declined from 22.5% in 2011 to below 2% in 2023 (World Bank poverty line of $2.15/day), lifting 415 million people above the poverty threshold.

Why: Critical for UPSC Economy (GS3) and Social Justice (GS1) covering inclusive growth and development indicators. Prelims questions test knowledge of Gini coefficient interpretation, poverty measurement methodologies (Tendulkar vs Rangarajan vs Multidimensional Poverty Index), welfare schemes like MGNREGA, PM-KISAN, and SDG Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities). For Mains, this connects to themes of growth with equity, effectiveness of redistributive policies, challenges in measuring informal sector incomes affecting accuracy, urban-rural inequality persistence despite aggregate improvement, and debates around absolute poverty reduction vs relative inequality. Essays may explore whether economic growth automatically translates to equitable distribution or requires active policy intervention. State PSC exams cover state-specific poverty alleviation programs and employment generation schemes.

What: Himachal Pradesh has become the first Indian state to implement Aadhaar-based Face Authentication technology for Public Distribution System (PDS) ration delivery, replacing traditional fingerprint biometrics and OTP-based verification. Beneficiaries can now receive their entitled rations by simply looking into a smartphone camera at Fair Price Shops (FPS), with facial recognition software instantly verifying their identity against UIDAI’s Aadhaar database. This innovation addresses longstanding problems of authentication failures due to worn fingerprints (common among manual laborers, elderly), network connectivity issues affecting OTP delivery, and enhances convenience for beneficiaries.

How: The system uses advanced facial recognition algorithms compliant with UIDAI’s Face Authentication standards, capturing live images through FPS operators’ smartphones equipped with high-resolution cameras. The captured face is matched against the photograph stored in the Aadhaar database using AI-driven pattern recognition analyzing 128+ facial landmarks including eye positioning, nose bridge, jawline contours, and facial geometry. Liveness detection prevents spoofing attempts using photographs or videos. The entire authentication process completes within 3-5 seconds even with 3G connectivity, significantly faster than fingerprint matching requiring multiple attempts. Himachal’s successful pilot covering 13,935 FPS across all districts demonstrated 98%+ authentication success rates compared to 92% for fingerprint biometrics.

Why: Essential for UPSC Governance (GS2) covering welfare delivery and digital innovation. Prelims questions test knowledge of PDS under National Food Security Act 2013 (covering 67% population), Aadhaar authentication modes (demographic, biometric, OTP, face), One Nation One Ration Card scheme enabling portability, and targeted public distribution system reforms. For Mains, this connects to themes of technology improving last-mile service delivery, addressing exclusion errors (eligible beneficiaries denied due to authentication failures affecting 2-5% transactions), privacy concerns in facial recognition deployment (Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgment on proportionality and consent), and challenges in ensuring inclusivity for vulnerable groups, upgrading FPS infrastructure, and maintaining data security against breaches. Ethics questions may explore surveillance implications and balancing efficiency with privacy rights.

What: The National Biobank has been inaugurated at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) in New Delhi under the ambitious Phenome India Project. A biobank systematically collects, processes, stores, and provides access to biological samples (blood, tissue, DNA, RNA) along with associated health data from large populations for research purposes. The National Biobank aims to create India’s largest repository of genetic and phenotypic (observable characteristics like height, disease susceptibility) data from diverse Indian populations, supporting personalized medicine, drug discovery, and understanding genetic basis of diseases prevalent in India.

How: The Phenome India Project will collect samples from one million Indians representing the country’s extraordinary genetic diversity (over 4,600 distinct population groups including tribal communities), documenting genetic variations, environmental exposures, lifestyle factors, and disease outcomes. Samples undergo whole genome sequencing, metabolomic profiling (studying metabolites in biological fluids), and proteomics analysis (studying proteins). The biobank maintains samples in ultra-low temperature freezers (-80°C to -196°C using liquid nitrogen) ensuring long-term preservation for decades. Researchers can access de-identified data (protecting donor privacy) to study genetic predispositions to diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, cancer subtypes common in Indians, enabling development of India-specific diagnostic tools, therapeutic targets, and precision medicine approaches tailored to Indian genetic profiles rather than relying solely on Western population data.

Why: Critical for UPSC Science & Technology (GS3) covering biotechnology and healthcare innovation. Prelims questions test knowledge of CSIR (India’s largest R&D organization with 37 laboratories), genomics vs genetics distinctions, Human Genome Project, and Department of Biotechnology initiatives. For Mains, this connects to themes of personalized medicine revolution (moving from one-size-fits-all to genotype-based treatments), addressing pharmacogenomic variations (Indians metabolize certain drugs differently than Caucasians affecting efficacy and side effects), indigenous research capacity building reducing dependence on foreign genetic databases, and challenges in informed consent processes for sample collection, ensuring equitable benefit-sharing with tribal communities contributing samples, and maintaining bioethical standards preventing genetic discrimination by insurers or employers. Essays may explore ethical dimensions of genetic research and balancing scientific advancement with privacy rights.

What: According to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025, India has risen to 4th position globally in biofuel consumption (2024), recording strong growth and overtaking China in usage. Biofuels are renewable energy sources derived from biomass (organic matter) including ethanol (from sugarcane, corn) and biodiesel (from vegetable oils, animal fats) used as alternatives to fossil fuels in transportation. India’s biofuel consumption surge reflects aggressive policy support under the National Policy on Biofuels 2018 (revised 2022), blending mandates (20% ethanol in petrol by 2025-26, E20), and strategic push to reduce crude oil import dependence (currently 85% of petroleum needs are imported).

How: India’s biofuel expansion was driven by the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) achieving 15% ethanol blending by 2024 (up from 1.5% in 2014), production capacity augmentation through financial support to distilleries and second-generation (2G) ethanol plants using agricultural residues like rice straw and bagasse, procurement price incentives making ethanol production profitable for sugar mills and farmers, and compressed biogas (CBG) initiatives under SATAT scheme targeting 5,000 CBG plants converting cattle dung, crop stubble into vehicle fuel. Oil marketing companies (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL) procure ethanol at government-fixed prices (₹65-70 per liter), ensuring stable demand while Bharat Stage-VI vehicles are compatible with higher ethanol blends.

Why: Critical for UPSC Environment (GS3) and Economy covering energy security and sustainable development. Prelims questions test National Policy on Biofuels provisions, differences between 1G (food crop-based) vs 2G (non-food feedstock) biofuels, PM-JI-VAN Yojana for 2G ethanol, and SDG Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). For Mains, this connects to themes of import substitution reducing ₹12+ lakh crore annual petroleum import bills, addressing air pollution (biofuels emit 30-50% less CO2 than fossil fuels), supporting farmer incomes through feedstock procurement, and challenges in food vs fuel debate (using sugarcane for ethanol vs sugar production), water-intensive biofuel crop cultivation competing with food crops, and ensuring sustainable sourcing preventing deforestation. Essays may explore energy transition pathways balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.

What: PM Narendra Modi attended the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (6-7 July 2025), where Indonesia was formally inducted as a full member, expanding the bloc to 11 countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, plus Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and now Indonesia). The summit’s Rio de Janeiro Declaration outlined new initiatives on climate finance, artificial intelligence governance, global health cooperation, and called for comprehensive reforms in global institutions including the United Nations Security Council, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and give greater voice to developing nations.

How: Indonesia’s entry was unanimously approved, adding Southeast Asia’s largest economy (GDP $1.4 trillion) and fourth most populous nation (280+ million) to BRICS, strengthening the bloc’s representation across continents. The summit discussions focused on creating alternative payment mechanisms reducing US dollar dependence through bilateral trade in local currencies, establishing a BRICS Climate Finance Facility mobilizing $50+ billion for renewable energy projects in member states, developing responsible AI frameworks addressing algorithmic bias and ethical deployment, and enhancing vaccine manufacturing capacity across BRICS nations (collectively producing 60% of global vaccines). PM Modi emphasized stronger counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly targeting cross-border terrorism, and advocated for reformed multilateralism ensuring equitable global governance.

Why: Essential for UPSC International Relations (GS2) covering multilateralism and global governance. Prelims questions test BRICS origins (2009, initially BRIC adding South Africa in 2010), New Development Bank (NDB) headquartered in Shanghai, Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) providing financial stability, and recent expansion adding six new members in 2024. For Mains, this connects to themes of multipolar world order challenging Western-dominated institutions, Global South solidarity on development priorities, India’s balancing act managing China’s dominance in BRICS while advancing national interests, and challenges in consensus-building among ideologically diverse members (democracies like India, Brazil vs authoritarian regimes), competing with G7 influence, and operationalizing declarations into concrete outcomes. Essays may explore whether BRICS offers genuine alternative to Western-led order or remains symbolically important without substantive power.

What: Sahil Kini, co-founder of fintech firm Setu (account aggregator platform enabling consent-based financial data sharing), has been named CEO of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), bringing deep expertise in fintech innovation and digital public infrastructure (DPI). The RBIH, established in 2022 and wholly owned by RBI, serves as an innovation catalyst promoting cutting-edge financial technologies, supporting startups developing solutions in digital payments, lending, regulatory technology (RegTech), and cybersecurity. Kini’s appointment signals RBI’s commitment to fostering innovation while maintaining financial stability and consumer protection in India’s rapidly evolving fintech ecosystem.

How: As CEO, Kini will lead RBIH’s initiatives including operating regulatory sandboxes (controlled environments where fintechs test innovative products under RBI supervision before full-scale launch), hackathons addressing specific challenges like financial inclusion in remote areas, proof-of-concept development for emerging technologies (blockchain for trade finance, AI for credit assessment), and research collaborations with IITs, IIMs on topics like Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) use cases. Kini’s experience building Setu’s Account Aggregator infrastructure (powering 500+ million data-sharing consents) and contributing to IndiaStack ecosystem (UPI, Aadhaar, OCEN) positions him to bridge technology innovation with regulatory requirements, ensuring scalable solutions benefit 1.4 billion Indians while managing risks.

Why: Important for UPSC Economy (GS3) covering fintech regulation and digital innovation. Prelims questions test knowledge of RBIH’s mandate, regulatory sandbox framework, Account Aggregator system under RBI Master Directions, UPI ecosystem governance, and Digital Personal Data Protection Act implications for fintech. For Mains, this connects to themes of balancing innovation with stability (preventing unregulated growth risking systemic crises like 2008), promoting inclusive finance through technology (reaching 200+ million underbanked Indians via digital credit, micro-insurance), developing indigenous fintech champions reducing dependence on foreign payment networks, and challenges in cybersecurity threats requiring constant upgradation, ensuring interoperability across platforms, and addressing data privacy concerns in consent-based data sharing. Essays may explore technology as democratizing force in financial services access.