Transformative Reforms for Viksit Bharat@2047

Source: BT 

Why in News?  

As India prepares to celebrate its 100th year of Independence in 2047, the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision aspires to transform the nation into a developed economy of USD 30 trillion, powered by transformative reforms across all sectors. 

What Reforms are Imperative for India to Realise the Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047? 

Governance & Bureaucracy Reforms  

• Mnemonic: CIVIC. 
• C – Cut the Compliance Burden: India faces 69,000+ compliances under 1,500+ laws. Outdated processes persist, making a digital, faceless system vital for deregulation. 
  • Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) helps evaluate if policies work on the ground, improves decision-making, and prevents regulatory failures. 
• I – Institutions for Accountability: Modernise bureaucracy with lateral entry and an independent Civil Services Board to oversee appointments and transfers, reducing political interference. 
  • Strengthen judiciary with more judges, faster trials to curb 'Tareek pe Tareek issue' and tech-enabled contract enforcement. 
• V – Voter & Electoral Reforms:Focus on voter education to empower citizens against misinformation and manipulation.  
  • Also, electoral funding transparency must be enhanced. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, candidates spent an average of ₹57.23 lakh each, often from opaque sources, highlighting the need for electoral reforms to improve transparency and fairness. 
• I – Inclusive Cities & Federalism: Build liveable cities with affordable housing, sanitation, 24x7 utilities, urban green codes. 
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST) has demonstrated the strength of Centre–State cooperation, but future reforms need fairer tax sharing and greater state responsibility for fiscal discipline and spending. 
• C – Cyber & Digital Public Infrastructure: Expand Digital Public Infrastructure with AI-enabled governance. Revamp central know your customer (CKYC) for universal, real-time, secure financial access. 
  • Advance secure, resilient, and citizen-centric digital systems that bridge the divide and drive inclusive growth. 

Economic Reforms 

• Mnemonic: LIBERATE. 
• L – Labour & Land: Implement labour codes and streamline land acquisition to boost formal jobs and investment. 
• I – Inflation Targeting: Strengthen the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket and improve repo rate transmission for better price stability. 
• B – Banks & Bankruptcy: Strengthen banking ecosystem for global competitiveness and speed up resolutions under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). 
• E – Ease of Doing Business: Swift implementation of Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 is needed to decriminalise more minor business offences. 
• R – Research and Development (R&D) : Raise R&D spending to 2% of GDP and integrate private players into innovation ecosystems. 
• A – Asset Sales: Pursue calibrated disinvestment and strategic privatisation of loss-making PSUs to unlock capital. 
• T – Tax Reform (GST): Simplify GST and gradually expand its ambit to include fuel, alcohol, electricity, and real estate under it. 
• E – Empower Consumers & Investors: Enhance trust and participation by ensuring transparent markets, stronger protection mechanisms, and efficient redressal systems, thereby driving financial inclusion and sustained investment growth. 

Industrial & Manufacturing Reforms 

• Mnemonic: MADE (“Made in India”) 
• M – MSMEs & Markets: Revive MSME growth with enhanced credit access, and provide global listing opportunities for Indian firms via GIFT IFSC. 
• A – Atmanirbhar in Defence: Raise Defence Spending to 3% of GDP, scale up domestic production, and foster private–public collaboration to reduce import dependence and position India as a global hub for defence exports. 
• D – Deregulation: Setting up a factory in India requires too much paperwork. A functional single-window system, integrating state and central approvals online with strict timelines, is needed.  
  • Smaller towns should define their own industrial zones, with simpler zoning laws, to become the next manufacturing hubs. 
• E – Energy & Exports: Strengthen renewable energy capacity, optimize energy use, and establish dedicated industrial zones for rare earth metals with simplified clearances, incentives, and e-waste recycling for strategic metals to reduce foreign dependence for energy requirements. 
  • Promote International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)/Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certifications in high-value exports to enhance acceptance and credibility. 

Agriculture Reforms 

• Mnemonic: FARM 
• F – Finance & Fertility: Improve farm credit access. Replace input subsidies with direct cash transfers. Boost fertility via irrigation, mechanisation, climate-resilient seed varieties, and climate-smart farming.  
  • India can reduce 6–12% post-harvest losses by investing in cold storage at farms and mandis. 
• A – Agri Markets & Export: Expand APMC (agricultural produce market committee) coverage, allow private procurement and contract farming. 
  • India can boost agricultural exports to USD 70 billion by focusing on value chains for high-potential items like rice, spices, fruits, and vegetables.  
• R – Rural Livelihoods: Promote dairying, poultry, fishing, and beekeeping to diversify incomes. 
  • India should actively pursue an ethanol blending programme to boost farmers' income, making them 'Urjadata' alongside 'Annadata.'  
    • However, India must balance food and energy security, as 20% ethanol blending diverts grains and sugarcane, risking food shortages.' 
• M – Market & Land Security: Replace MSP (Minimum Support Price) with comprehensive insurance covering market prices & disasters. 
  • Ensure clear land ownership titles via digitalisation and integrate blockchain in Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). 

Education Reforms 

• Mnemonic: LEARN 
• L – Literacy & Learning: India needs to spend 6% of GDP on public education, focus on foundational skills, teacher training, and accountability. 
• E – Education Regulation: Strengthen higher education regulators like the University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education to reduce administrative burdens, allowing institutions to focus on quality, research, and innovation. 
• A – Acquire Skills Early: Integrate vocational training in schools to bridge the gap between academics and industry needs. 
• R – Reach Global Standards: Invite top foreign universities, aim for an Indian university in the global top 100, and improve sports infrastructure in schools. 
• N – Nurture Innovation & Digital Learning: Digitize curricula, leverage tech in classrooms, encourage private capital in universities, and reform testing mechanisms supported by initiatives like PARAKH. 

Health Reforms 

• Mnemonic: CURE 
• C – Coverage & Care: Guarantee Right to Health with a Universal Health Coverage under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. 
• U – Unified Standards: Mandate hospital accreditation and enforce clear labelling of health products for quality, safety, and affordability. 
• R – Records & Rights: Under the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), ensure health data ownership, explicit patient consent, digital security, and strong oversight for personal health information. 
• E – Encourage Innovation: Promote domestic MedTech start-ups, support early-stage innovations, and create a national trauma care grid for emergency response. 

Environment & Sustainability Reforms 

• Mnemonic: GREEN 
• G – Green Manufacturing & Hydrogen: Mandate eco-friendly industrial practices, promote green hydrogen adoption, and decarbonise key sectors like steel, cement, and metals. 
• R – Renewable Energy & Battery R&D: Expand renewable energy capacity, invest in future battery technology, and reduce dependence on imports for energy storage. 
• E – Emissions & Carbon Trading: Develop structured carbon markets, voluntary crediting mechanisms, and policies to prevent double counting and fraud. 
• E – Environmental Protection & Waste Management: Tackle air pollution by improving district-wise monitoring. 
  • Promote recycling, e-waste management, and create marketplaces for recyclable waste. 
• N – Nature & Climate-Resilient Urban Planning: Under the Smart Cities Mission, plan climate-resilient cities as beacons of India's Green Transition by incentivizing sustainable urban development and linking grants for municipalities to cleanliness and renewable energy adoption. 

Infrastructure Reforms 

• Mnemonic: TRIP 
• T – Transport Modernisation: Future rail mobility requires investments in Hyperloop, bullet, and driverless trains, with policy reforms for fare rationalization and private investment, while maintaining affordability.  
  • Public transport needs efficient bus, rapid rail, and monorail systems and last-mile connectivity to improve state services. 
• R – Regulate & Rationalise: Promote green freight with multimodal hubs and electric trucks for low-carbon logistics.  
  • Introduce single-window vehicle clearances for manufacturing, emissions, and safety approvals. 
• I – Infrastructure Indexing: Create a public district-level infrastructure dashboard tracking health, education, transport, civic amenities, and digital assets to guide policy and ensure equitable development. 
• P – Ports & Logistics: About 95% of India’s trade by volume and 65% by value moves through maritime transport.  
  • As India pursues its ambitious target of 10,000 Million Tonnes Per Annum(MTPA) port capacity by 2047, it requires the development of world-class ports, digitized cargo systems, green freight solutions, and efficient logistics hubs. 

Tech & Digital Reforms 

• Mnemonic: IDEAS 
• I – Invest in AI & Emerging Technologies: Expand India’s domestic AI ecosystem by building robust public compute infrastructure, chip fabrication facilities, and a sovereign cloud to ensure technological self-reliance and global competitiveness 
• D – Digital Rights & Consumer Protection: Swiftly implement Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 to give users control over data, hold companies accountable, and enable secure data transfer, ensuring privacy and trust. 
• E – Education & Skills for the Future: Integrate ethics, arts, climate, and digital civics into STEM to nurture critical thinking and responsible innovation. 
• A – Audits & Ethics in Technology: Mandate Tech Impact Assessments for start-ups and  implement ethical and explainable AI law with bias checks, data consent, and transparency. 
• S – Security, Crypto & Innovation: India needs a modern cybersecurity framework ready to tackle future AI led cyber warfare. 
  • India must set clear crypto rules on taxation, compliance, and consumer protection to boost innovation and global digital economy integration. 

Conclusion 

Achieving Viksit Bharat@2047 requires bold reforms across governance, economy, agriculture, education, and technology. TThese transformative measures will drive inclusive growth, global competitiveness, sustainable development, and strengthen India’s position as a Vishwaguru in the world economy. 

Drishti Mains Question: Discuss the reforms required to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047?

Revolutionizing India’s Patent Ecosystem

Source: TH

Why in News?

Innovation lies at the heart of India’s Make in India ambition, and a strong patent ecosystem is pivotal to this journey. As Nobel laureate David Gross noted, India must “discover, invent, and then make.” By deepening R&D and accelerating patent creation, India can evolve from a technology user to a global technology innovator. 

What are the Key Trends in India’s Patent Landscape? 

• India has achieved a historic milestone by ranking 6th in global patent filings in 2023. In FY24, India granted more than 1 lakh patents, marking a 17-fold increase since 2015. 
• Over the last 5 years, India saw a 44% rise in total IP filings, including patents, trademarks, designs, and geographical indications (GI). 
• Universities are boosting India’s patent ecosystem through IP cells and legal support units aiding filing, technology transfer, and monetisation.  
  • For instance, IIT Madras doubled its patents in 2022- 2023. 
• In trademarks, India ranked 4th globally in WIPO 2024, with applications rising from around 2 lakh in 2016–17 to around 4.8 lakh in 2023–24, despite a slower growth rate.

What are the Key Challenges in India’s Patent Ecosystem? 

India’s patent ecosystem faces persistent challenges, reflected as CLOG in the Patent Pipeline:  

• C - Concentrated on Foreign Filings: India's innovation is overshadowed as over 74% of patents in India are granted to foreign entities. 
• L - Low R&D Investment: With just 0.67% of GDP spent on R&D, the country lacks the foundational research needed to generate a high volume of quality patents. 
• O - Overburdened & Outdated Processes: A critical shortage of skilled examiners and inefficient processes lead to an average patent approval time of 58 months, whereas the same takes 20 months in China and 21 months in US, a significant roadblock for innovators. 
• G - Gaps in Enforcement: Gaps in IP protection, slow judicial processes, and growing digital piracy continue to limit the effective safeguarding of creators’ rights in India.  
  • Also, though India has made significant strides in patent filings, the translation of these patents into large-scale commercialisation remains limited. 

What Measures Should be Taken to Transform India’s Patent Ecosystem? 

To clear the CLOG, India must implement a strategic plan for REFORM to transform its patent ecosystem.

• R - Regulatory & Legal Reforms: Establish dedicated IP courts for speedy dispute resolution and strengthen penalties for infringement.  
  • The government must also review outdated laws, such as Section 3(k) of Patents Act, 1970 to encourage the patenting of emerging technologies like AI. 
• E - Ecosystem Building: Foster strong partnerships between academia, industry, and government. This will create a supportive environment for innovation hubs and incubators that drive new research and filings. 
• F - Fuel R&D Investment: Provide robust tax incentives and venture capital funding to the private sector to increase R&D spending. 
• O - Optimize Processes: Modernize the patent office with user-friendly digital portals and leverage AI for prior-art searches. This will help streamline the entire patenting journey, from filing to grant. 
• R - Resource Mobilization: Strengthen India’s IP capacity by expanding skilled examiners, upgrading patent offices with modern digital infrastructure, deploying AI-enabled tools for faster scrutiny, and creating dedicated training hubs for continuous upskilling. 
• M - Mobilize Global Partnerships: Engage in international collaborations with bodies like World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to facilitate cross-border filings and attract foreign investment, opening the door for global cooperation. 

Conclusion

India's future as a global innovator rests on its ability to overcome deep-seated systemic hurdles. By embracing a comprehensive revitalization strategy, focused on strengthening R&D, streamlining the IP ecosystem, and nurturing a creative talent pool, India can unlock its full potential, transforming into a self-reliant and globally competitive nation. 

Drishti Mains Question: Despite a significant rise in patent filings in India, the rate of commercialisation of these patents remains low.” Critically analyse the factors responsible for this gap and suggest measures to enhance the commercial impact of India’s intellectual property.

Satellite Internet

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

Starlink has received a Unified Licence to provide satellite internet services in India. 

How Does Satellite Internet Work? 

• About: Satellite internet uses orbiting satellites or mega-constellations- hundreds to thousands of satellites at varying altitudes to transmit data between user terminals on Earth and space-based infrastructure. 
• Working Mechanism: Satellite internet operates through a two-segment system: the space segment and the ground segment. 
  • Space Segment:  It comprises satellites in different orbits equipped with communication payloads for data transmission.  
    • Satellites receive data signals from user terminals or ground stations, process or relay them, and transmit them back to Earth. 
    • LEO mega-constellations incorporate on-board signal processing and optical inter-satellite links, allowing direct satellite-to-satellite communication and reducing reliance on ground stations. 
  • Ground Segment: It consists of user terminals (antennas, modems) and ground stations that communicate with the satellites. 
    • Terminals send requests to satellites, which route the data through the constellation or ground infrastructure to reach the internet backbone. 
• Orbital Deployment: Satellites are deployed in 3 main orbits: 
  • Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO): Lies around 35,786 km above the equator. A single GEO satellite covers nearly one-third of Earth’s surface.  
    • It has broad coverage, but high latency, so unsuitable for real-time applications. Example: Viasat Global Xpress. 
  • Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): Lies at 2,000–35,786 km altitude. It has lower latency than GEO but requires constellations for global coverage. Example: O3b MEO. 
  • Low Earth Orbit (LEO): Lies at less than 2,000 km altitude. Very low latency, smaller satellites, and rapid deployment, but smaller coverage per satellite. 
    • LEO satellites form “mega-constellations” for global reach. Example: Starlink with over 7,000 satellites. 

What are the Key Potential Applications of Satellite Internet? 

• Connectivity & Communications: Provides internet in remote areas via compact user terminals. 
  • Future direct-to-smartphone services aim to integrate connectivity into smart devices, enabling the Internet of Everything (IoE). 
• Transport, Logistics & Public Services: Enhances navigation, supports autonomous vehicles, improves logistics, powers smart cities, provides early warning systems, and enables coordinated disaster response. 
• Healthcare & Agriculture: Facilitates telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, and supports precision farming, crop health monitoring, and optimized resource use. 
• Strategic, Industrial & Environmental Uses: Aids defence operations, environmental monitoring, energy exploration, and tourism, while its dual-use nature requires integration into national resilience plans, bridging the digital divide, and shaping international governance for strategic advantage. 
• Disaster Response & Emergency Communication: It allows rapid deployment of connectivity in disaster-affected regions, supporting emergency management. 
  • During Hurricane Harvey (2017), satellite internet enabled rescue operations when terrestrial networks failed.  

Golden Dome Missile Defense System

Source: DD

The US has finalized the design of the Golden Dome missile defense system.

Golden Dome Missile Defense System 

• About: It is an advanced multilayered missile defense system with space-based sensors and interceptors to protect the US from foreign missile attacks. 
  • It is designed to counter hypersonic, ballistic, cruise missiles, and drones globally through satellite-based sensors. 
  • It is inspired by Israel's Iron Dome and former US President Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars Programme). 
  • It will integrate components from existing US missile defense systems, including Patriot batteries, THAAD, Aegis BMD, and Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD). 
• Functioning: Using a network of hundreds of satellites, it targets missiles in the boost phase, immediately after launch, intercepting them before or shortly after they enter space.

Global Missile Defence Systems

System	Range (km)	Features
Iron Dome (Israel)	70	Intercepts rockets and drones targeting populated areas; radar-based detection
S-400 Triumph (Russia)	400	Multi-missile system; engages stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, and multiple targets
Barak-8 (Israel/India)	70–100	Land and naval system; 360° protection against aircraft, missiles, and UAVs
HQ-9 (China)	125	Inspired by S-300; intercepts UAVs, aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles

Read More: Strategic Defence Technologies in India

Aurobindo Ghose

Source: IE 

The birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo—a political thinker, leader, activist-journalist, and scholar of Indian civilization and culture—was celebrated on 15th August 2025. 

Aurobindo Ghose 

• About: Aurobindo Ghose, born on 15th August 1872 in Calcutta, was a yogi, philosopher, poet, seer, and nationalist. He died on 5th December 1950 in Pondicherry.  
  • He qualified for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) but skipped or failed the horse-riding tests, renouncing a career in the British Raj bureaucracy. 
• Contributions: 
  • Revolutionary Career: Advocated radical nationalism and called for mass mobilization before Gandhi’s leadership. 
    • New Lamps for Old was a series of articles by Aurobindo Ghose that criticized the Congress for its moderate policies. 
    • He was arrested in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908) and successfully defended by Chittaranjan Das. 
  • Spiritual and Philosophical: He established the Sri Aurobindo Ashram (1926) in Pondicherry and collaborated with Mirra Alfassa (The Mother), who later founded Auroville, a universal township. 
  • Literary: He authored seminal works including The Life Divine, Savitri, Essays on the Gita, The Synthesis of Yoga, and Defense of Indian Culture. 
    • He founded and contributed to revolutionary journals like Bande Mataram, Jugantar, and Karmayogi, and was associated with youth organizations like Anushilan Samiti. 
    • He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature (1943) and Nobel Peace Prize (1950). 
• Legacy and Influence: He was an early proponent of India as a Vishwa Guru, stressing spiritual leadership, decolonization, and pride in Indian civilization.

Read More: Sri Aurobindo

US-Russia Alaska Summit

Source: IE 

The US-Russia Alaska Summit ended without a final agreement, leaving the Russia-Ukraine conflict unresolved. Its failure has spotlighted potential challenges in US-India ties over tariffs on India's Russian oil imports.

• India’s Concerns on US Tariffs: The US announced a combined 50% tariff on Indian exports, comprising the existing 25% tariff and an additional 25%.  
  • This could significantly disrupt India's trade relations, increasing costs of Indian goods in the US market and complicating economic negotiations. 
  • The US aims to cut Russia’s oil revenue by pressuring importers like India (imports 35-40% of its crude oil from Russia). A Bill in US Congress proposes tariffs up to 500% on states aiding Russia’s war economy. 
• India’s  Strategic Autonomy: India aims to maintain strategic autonomy, balancing ties with Russia and the US while keeping its trade, energy security and defence choices driven by national interest. 
• Geo-Political Impact: The failure of the US- Russia Alaska Summit to finalize a peace deal prolongs the uncertainty surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, complicating global diplomatic efforts, and raising concerns over security guarantees, territorial concessions, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) role.

Read more: Russia-Ukraine Conflict  US Tariff on Indian Imports

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

Source: TH 

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP) in Assam is witnessing significant ecological changes due to native and invasive plant species.

Major Threats: 

• Invasive Plants: Species like Chromolaena odorata, Ageratum conyzoides, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Mikania micrantha outcompete native flora, degrade grasslands, and threaten grassland-dependent fauna. 
• Native Grassland Invaders: Bombax ceiba (Simalu) and Lagerstroemia speciosa (Ajar) alter natural vegetation, increasing shrubland and degraded forest cover. 
• Flooding and Anthropogenic Pressures: Recurring Brahmaputra floods, forest villages, grazing, and resource extraction causing soil erosion, fragment habitats, and accelerating biodiversity loss. 
• Land Use & Land Cover Changes (2000–2024): Conversion of Grasslands and semi-evergreen forests to shrubland and degraded forests reducing habitat for endemic and grassland-dependent species like Bengal florican, Hog deer, and Swamp grass babbler, and threatening endemic feral horses (around 200 individuals left). 

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP) 

• Location: Located in Assam, is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers(north) and Dibru River (south). 
• Biosphere Reserve: In 1997, UNESCO designated the area as a Biosphere Reserve. 
• Vegetation & Climate: Semi-evergreen, deciduous, littoral, swamp, and wet evergreen forests, including the largest Salix swamp forest in northeast India. 
  • It has a tropical monsoon climate with hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters. 
• Flora & Fauna: Flora: Dillenia indica, Bischofia javanica, Bombax ceiba, Lagerstroemia parviflora.  
  • Fauna: tiger, elephant, leopard, jungle cat, bears, small Indian civet, squirrels, Gangetic dolphin, slow loris, Assamese macaque. 
  • It is an important Bird Area (IBA) with 382+ bird species, including greater and lesser adjutant storks, greater crested grebe. 

Read More:Concerns Over Drilling in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

Escherichia coli bacteria

Source:TH    

Researchers have successfully transformed genetically engineered Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) into self-powered chemical sensors. 

• E. coli, a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae family, resides in human and animal intestines. It helps maintain gut microbiota balance and indicates fecal water contamination. 

Engineered E. coli 

• About: Engineered E. coli acts as a bio-sensor, capable of detecting chemicals, processing signals, and producing electrical outputs. 
• Significance:  Traditional biosensors, like enzyme-based ones, are fragile, costly, and slow in complex environments. Whole-cell biosensors using living microorganisms can self-repair and function in contaminated samples. 
  • It can be used as a cheaper, robust, and programmable alternative to conventional enzyme-based biosensors. 
• Applications: Biosensors detect water toxins, monitor pollution, warn public health risks, work with portable electronics, and advance programmable bioelectronics. 

Read more: Sensor for Parkinson’s Disease Management