06 February 2026

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has highlighted a policy shift in air pollution control strategy in Delhi-NCR, from primary focus on stubble burning to transport- sector emissions.
• CAQM noted that recent winter seasons have recorded fewer ‘severe’ AQI days, indicating partial improvement.
• The statement comes amid debates on data credibility, effectiveness of stubble-burning controls, and rising vehicular pollution.

Key Points

• Air Quality Trends
  • Fewer days with AQI > 450 (Severe category).
  • 2025 projected as the cleanest year in eight years (excluding 2020).
• Stubble Burning
  • Decline in fire counts in Punjab and Haryana.
  • Burnt-area reduction less significant → indicates evasive practices.
  • Ground-level verification suggests improvement.
• Transport Sector
  • Vehicles now a major contributor to PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR.
  • Focus on public transport strengthening and vehicular emission control.
• Regulatory Measures
  • Inspections of industries and construction sites.
  • Action against industries in non- conforming zones.
  • AQI data sourced from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• Structural Constraints
  • NCR population ~8 crore.
  • Rapid urbanisation and vehicle growth offset pollution-control gains

Static Linkages

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).  
• Sustainable Development principle.
• Negative externalities and state regulation.
• Urban transport emissions as a key pollution source.

Critical Analysis

• Strengths
  • Shift to transport emissions reflects updated source apportionment studies.
  • Decline in extreme AQI days shows policy impact.
  • Stronger enforcement against industrial violations.
• Limitations
  • No time-bound pollution reduction targets.
  • Data credibility concerns weaken public trust.
  • Fragmented Centre–State–Local coordination.
  •  Continued stubble-burning evasions.

Way Forward

• Set sector-wise emission reduction targets aligned with NAAQS.
• Strengthen public transport and last-mile connectivity.
• Expand electric mobility and stricter vehicular emission norms.
• Promote in-situ crop residue management with incentives.
• Independent auditing of air-quality monitoring stations.
• Adopt airshed-based regional governance.

SC FLAGS AD-HOC APPOINTMENTS 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Context of the News

• The Supreme Court observed that several States are deliberately avoiding the appointment of regular Directors-General of Police (DGPs).
• Instead, States are continuing with “Acting DGPs”, violating the Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2006) judgment.
• The issue surfaced during proceedings related to Telangana, where no regular DGP has been appointed since 2017.
• The UPSC informed the Court that States selectively delay sending proposals to retain preferred officers.

Key Points

• Prakash Singh Judgment (2006):
  • Issued under Article 142 of the Constitution.
  • Mandated:
    • Selection of DGPs from three senior- most meritorious officers empanelled by UPSC.
    • Minimum fixed tenure of two years for DGPs.
    • Rejection of the concept of “Acting DGPs”.
• Subsequent Supreme Court Orders (2018 & 2019):
  • States must send proposals to UPSC three months before retirement of incumbent DGP.
  • UPSC to prepare a panel of eligible officers.
  • State must appoint one of the empanelled officers immediately.
• Court observations:
  • Delays deprive senior officers of legitimate career progression.
  • Ad-hoc appointments allow political interference in policing.
• Directions:
  • UPSC to proactively remind States to send proposals.
  • UPSC may approach the Supreme Court if States ignore communications.
• Telangana:
  • UPSC given four weeks to finalize recommendations for appointment of a regular DGP.

Static Linkages

• Police and Public Order: State List (List II), Seventh Schedule.
• Article 142: Power of Supreme Court to do complete justice.
• Rule of Law: Requires impartial and politically neutral police.
• National Police Commission (1977–81):
  • Recommended fixed tenure for police leadership.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC):
  • Emphasized insulating police from political and bureaucratic interference.

Critical Analysis

• Advantages of SC Directions
  • Strengthens institutional autonomy of police.
  • Enhances professionalism and continuity in leadership.
  • Reinforces constitutional morality and judicial authority.
• Issues and Challenges
  • States cite federal autonomy concerns.
  • Absence of statutory backing leads to weak compliance.
  • Political reluctance to surrender control over police leadership.
  • Over-reliance on judicial intervention instead of legislative reform.

Way Forward

• States should enact comprehensive police reform laws in line with SC directions.
• Make fixed tenure provisions statutory and enforceable.
• Strengthen State Security Commissions and Police Establishment Boards.
• Periodic judicial review of compliance with police reform directives.
• Promote a governance culture prioritizing rule of law over political expediency.

FADING GREEN JURISPRUDENCE

• In December 2025, the Union Government modified the procedure for non-coal mining projects, allowing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) after land acquisition, even without detailed location and area particulars.
• In 2025, the Supreme Court recalled its judgment in Vanashakti vs Union of India, which had prohibited retrospective environmental clearances.
• The Supreme Court, in In Re: Issue Relating to Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges (2025), accepted a height-based (100-metre) definition of the Aravalli ranges.
• Judicial approvals were granted for:
  • Felling of mangroves for industrial and infrastructure projects.
  • Large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Char Dham Highway in Uttarakhand.
• These developments raise concerns regarding environmental protection, constitutional obligations, and sustainable development.

Key Points

• EIA Framework:
  • EIA is governed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and EIA Notification, 2006.
  • Post-facto and conditional clearances weaken preventive environmental regulation.
• Aravalli Ecosystem:
  • Aravallis act as barriers against desertification, aid groundwater recharge, and regulate regional climate.
  • Earlier judicial interpretation treated Aravallis as a continuous geomorphological system, not merely height-based hills.
• Mangroves:
  • Classified under CRZ-I as ecologically sensitive areas.
  • Provide coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support.
• Himalayan Ecology:
  • The Himalayas are geologically young and highly prone to landslides.
  • Infrastructure expansion increases disaster vulnerability.
• Economic Survey 2025–26:
  • Critically noted environmental risks arising from unregulated infrastructure and private investment.

Static Linkages

•  Constitutional Provisions:
  • Article 21 – Right to life includes the right to a clean environment.
  • Article 48A – State obligation to protect and improve the environment.
  • Article 51A(g) – Fundamental duty of citizens to protect the environment.
  • Article 14 – Protection against arbitrariness and unequal classification.
• Environmental Principles:
  • Precautionary Principle
  • Sustainable Development
  • Polluter Pays Principle
  • Public Trust Doctrine  
• Legal Framework:
  • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986  Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
  • Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications

Critical Analysis

• Issues Identified
  • Dilution of the precautionary principle through post-facto clearances.
  • Height-based ecological classification lacks scientific and ecological basis.
  • Over-reliance on mitigation and compensatory mechanisms instead of prevention.
  • Procedural fairness concerns in public hearings and environmental clearances.
  • Increased ecological risks for future generations.
• Constitutional Concerns
  • Potential violation of Article 21 due to environmental degradation.
  • Arbitrary classifications undermining Article 14.
  • Weak enforcement of Articles 48A and 51A(g).

Way Forward

• Reinstate EIA prior to land acquisition as a mandatory norm.
• Adopt ecosystem-based definitions for ecologically sensitive areas.
• Strengthen judicial consistency in environmental jurisprudence.
• Ensure meaningful public participation in environmental decision-making.
• Integrate disaster risk assessment in infrastructure planning.
• Promote development aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs).

• Union Budget 2025–26 announces a double- digit increase (~15%) in defence expenditure.
• Defence outlay reaches around 2% of GDP, reversing a declining trend since 2017.
• Capital expenditure exceeds revenue expenditure, indicating renewed focus on modernisation.
• Budget announced amid heightened global security uncertainty and regional strategic challenges.

Key Points

• Total defence allocation: ~₹6.2 lakh crore (BE).  Capital outlay increased by over 22% (MoD,
• Budget Documents).
• Service-wise capital allocation increase:  
  • Indian Air Force: ~32%
  • Indian Army: ~30%
  • Indian Navy: ~3%
• 75% of capital procurement earmarked for domestic industry (Atmanirbhar Bharat).
• Defence exports: ₹23,000 crore (FY 2023–24) vs ₹1,000 crore in 2014 (MoD).
• Pension expenditure: ~21.8% of defence budget.
• Capital allocation worth ₹12,500 crore lapsed in FY 2024–25 due to procedural delays (PRS India).

Static Linkages

• Defence budget presented under Article 112 of the Constitution.
• Capital vs Revenue expenditure classification (NCERT – Public Finance).
• Defence procurement governed by Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
• Role of defence industrial base in national power (NCERT – Security Studies).
• R&D expenditure and economic growth relationship (Economic Survey).

Critical Analysis

• Positive Aspects
  • Higher capital spending strengthens long-term military capability.
  • Emphasis on indigenous procurement boosts domestic defence manufacturing.
  • Export growth supports foreign exchange earnings and strategic autonomy.
  • Defence infrastructure spending has spillover effects on regional development.
• Concerns
  • Rupee depreciation increases cost of imported defence equipment.
  • Procedural delays lead to underutilisation of capital funds.
  • L-1 procurement system limits participation of innovative firms.
  • Fragmented defence R&D ecosystem reduces technology absorption.
  • Rising pension liabilities reduce fiscal space for modernisation.

Way Forward

• Establish Non-Lapsable Defence Modernisation Fund for continuity of projects.
• Reform procurement norms to include quality- cum-cost based selection.
• Strengthen long-term defence planning and assured order pipelines.
• Integrate public and private sector defence R&D.
• Rationalise pension expenditure through structural reforms.
• Align defence expenditure with economic growth and industrial policy.

INTENT AND OUTCOME

Context of the News

• Since Union Budget 2021–22, climate-related allocations have gradually increased, coinciding with post-COVID recovery and global energy transition.
• Union Budget 2026–27 focuses on selective climate-linked sectors rather than economy- wide decarbonisation.
• A major announcement is a ₹20,000 crore five- year outlay for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).
• The budget is framed amid emerging global trade pressures such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) affecting carbon-intensive exports.

Key Points

• Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
  • ₹20,000 crore over five years; indicates pilot and demonstration phase.
  • Applicable mainly to hard-to-abate industrial sectors: cement, steel, fertilisers, aluminium.
  • High capital costs, energy penalty, and infrastructure needs limit rapid scaling.
• Trade and Competitiveness
  • EU’s CBAM will impose carbon-linked levies on imports of steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers.
  • India’s exports to the EU are significantly concentrated in steel and aluminium, increasing vulnerability.
• Decentralised Renewable Energy
  • PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana allocation increased to ₹22,000 crore in 2026–27.
  • Benefits include reduced transmission losses, lower land requirements, and household energy savings.
• Solar Irrigation
  • PM-KUSUM allocation sustained at ₹5,000 crore; revised estimates show improved absorption.
• Nuclear Energy
  • Zero basic customs duty on nuclear plant equipment extended till 2035.
  • Private participation enabled through legal changes; concerns remain regarding safety, liability, and financing.
• Green Hydrogen
  • Budgetary support continues, but actual expenditure remains limited, indicating implementation challenges.

Static Linkages

• India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement:
• Reduction in emissions intensity of GDP.  50% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
• Hard-to-abate sectors identified in:
  • Economic Survey (Energy Transition sections).
  • NITI Aayog’s long-term low-emission development strategy.
• Decentralised renewable energy emphasised in:
  • National Electricity Policy.
  • India Year Book (Energy chapter).
• Nuclear power categorised as non-fossil energy in India’s climate accounting.

Critical Analysis

• Strengths
  • Acknowledges the need for industrial decarbonisation.
  • Encourages decentralised energy systems.
  • Aligns climate policy with export competitiveness concerns.
• Limitations
  • CCUS funding inadequate for commercial- scale deployment.
  • Sector-specific approach lacks an integrated climate finance framework.
  • Persistent gap between budget announcements and actual utilisation.
  • Heavy dependence on private investment without adequate risk-sharing mechanisms.
  • Nuclear expansion constrained by long gestation periods and liability concerns.

Way Forward

• Establish a National CCUS Mission with clear sectoral prioritisation.
• Develop blended finance and risk-mitigation instruments to mobilise private capital.
• Integrate climate spending into a medium-term green fiscal strategy.
• Strengthen discom reforms and credit access for rooftop solar.
• Align industrial, trade and climate policies to address CBAM-related risks.