EU Proposed 'New Strategic EU-India Agenda'

For Prelims: European Union, Free Trade Agreement, Horizon Europe, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Global Gateway, G20, WTO, UN Security Council, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, MFN clause, DTAA.                             

For Mains: New EU-India Strategic Agenda: Strengthening Bilateral Relations and Their Mutual Significance.

Source: IE  

Why in News?

The European Union has unveiled a New Strategic EU-India Agenda aimed at elevating bilateral relations with India, focusing on five strategic pillars of shared interests and complementary strengths.

• The EU has committed to finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India by the end of 2025, which will be the largest deal of its kind anywhere in the world.

What are the Five Pillars of the ‘New Strategic Agenda’ Between India & the EU?

• Prosperity, Sustainability, Technology & Innovation: The agenda highlights untapped potential in trade and investment, with priority on finalizing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and strengthening supply chains through the Trade and Technology Council (TTC). 
  • It advances tech cooperation through the EU-India Startup Partnership and Horizon Europe, while supporting the green transition and collaboration on food security, health, climate resilience, and disaster management.
• Security & Defence: It focuses on maritime security, cyber defence, counterterrorism, crisis management, and defence industrial cooperation to boost production, technology, and innovation. 
• Connectivity & Global Issues: It supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and Global Gateway, promoting trilateral cooperation with third countries. 
  • It also emphasizes active engagement in multilateral forums to strengthen international law, multilateral values, and global governance.
• People-to-People Cooperation: It promotes skills mobility through the European Legal Gateway Office and a framework for study, work, and research.
  • It also encourages deeper engagement with civil society, youth, think tanks, and businesses, including a proposal for an EU-India Business Forum.
• Enablers across pillars: It aims to enhance EU-India coordination at all levels, build a comprehensive strategic plan based on shared priorities, and align with EU Member States via the Foreign Affairs Council.

What is the Significance of India-EU Relations?

Mutual Significance

• Diplomatic Relations: India established ties with the European Economic Community in 1962; elevated to a Strategic Partnership at the 5th India-EU Summit (2004, Hague).
• Trade Partnership: The EU is India’s second-largest trading partner (€120 billion, 11.5% of trade).
• Strategic Alignment: India and the EU share interests in security, renewable energy, climate action, and multilateralism, through bilateral dialogues on counter-terrorism, cyber security, migration, maritime security, human rights, non-proliferation, and disarmament.
• Infrastructure Cooperation: The India-EU TTC fosters semiconductors, AI, clean energy, and digital finance cooperation, with the EU supporting economic and technological ties aligned to India’s multi-alignment without security dependencies.
• Global Governance: The EU is reducing economic reliance on China, supporting India’s trade diversification, with both advocating a rules-based order in multilateral forums like the G20, WTO, and UN Security Council.

Significance For India

• Economic Relations: India is the EU’s ninth-largest partner (2.4% of EU trade, 2024). FDI inflows from the EU to India valued at USD 107.27 Billion (Apr 2000-December 2023), drives industrial growth, job creation, and technology transfer in India.
  • The EU offers opportunities for IT, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and agriculture exports; bilateral services trade rose 48% (2019–2022).
• Security & Defence: European defence companies support India’s defence modernization under Make in India, e.g., manufacturing Airbus C-295 aircraft locally.
• Technology & Innovation: The India-EU TTC focuses on semiconductors, AI, and clean energy, while digital payments and fintech cooperation expands via cross-border transactions.

Significance For EU

• Market Access: India offers the EU access to a large, growing market, exemplified by the 2024 Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).
• Cultural & Educational Ties: India’s young, skilled workforce strengthens Europe’s talent pool and academic collaborations.
• Geopolitical Cooperation: India’s strategic Indo-Pacific position and growth enhance the EU’s influence in the Global South.
• Security & Stability: India ensures Indian Ocean security, safeguarding over 35% of Europe-Asia trade.

What are the Key Barriers to India-EU Relations?

• Stalled FTA Negotiations: FTA talks are delayed because the EU wants lower tariffs on automobiles, spirits, and dairy, while India seeks market access for pharmaceuticals and IT services;
  • The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) adds extra challenges for Indian exporters. 
• Investment & Regulatory Barriers: The EU’s restrictive trade regulations, including technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary & phytosanitary (SPS) measures, affect Indian businesses.
  • While European investors seek a predictable policy environment and stronger investment protection, highlighted by Switzerland suspending the Most favoured nation (MFN) clause in its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India.
• Data Privacy Challenges: Strict EU data laws make digital exports costly. India’s lack of EU data adequacy status forces small IT firms to incur high compliance costs, limiting competitiveness.
• Foreign Policy Divergences: India’s involvement in Russian military exercises and purchase of Russian oil hinder closer EU ties, as the EU expects stronger alignment on Russia sanctions, while India continues its neutral diplomacy.
• Supply Chain Risks: Despite efforts to diversify trade, China continues to be a major partner for both India and the EU, posing significant risks to supply chains. 
  • This dependency exposes both regions to geopolitical tensions and disruptions, underlining the need for more resilient and diversified trade routes.

What Strategies Can be Adopted to Strengthen India-EU Relations?

• Accelerate FTA and Trade Facilitation: Resolve tariff disputes and fast-track FTA negotiations to strengthen supply chains and reduce trade barriers. 
  • Promote high-tech exports and attract European investment in India’s manufacturing sector to drive growth.
• Establish a Data-Sharing Framework: Negotiate an EU-US style Privacy Shield for seamless cross-border data flows and implement mutual recognition frameworks to lower compliance costs for Indian firms.
• Green Technology Partnerships: Enhance cooperation in renewable energy, fintech, and data privacy, while collaborating on green hydrogen, electric vehicles, and carbon-neutral technologies.
• Reform Investment Policies: India needs to strengthen intellectual property rights (IPR) protections and ease of doing business to encourage European tech firms to set up R&D hubs.
• Enhance Security Cooperation: Expand joint naval exercises, cyber defense partnerships, and intelligence sharing, while aligning India’s Indo-Pacific strategy with European defense priorities to counter China’s regional assertiveness.

Conclusion

The New Strategic EU-India Agenda underscores the growing significance of India-EU ties in trade, technology, security, and global governance. Strengthening cooperation through FTA, green technology, digital frameworks, and defence partnerships can enhance economic growth, strategic autonomy, and multilateral influence, while addressing challenges like regulatory barriers, data laws, and geopolitical divergences.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the significance of the New Strategic EU-India Agenda for India’s economic and strategic interests. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Questions (PYQs) 

Prelims 

Q. Consider the following statements: (2023)

1. The ‘Stability and Growth Pact’ of the European Union is a treaty that  
2. limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union  
3. makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities 
4. enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies 

How many of the above statements are correct  

(a) Only one  

(b) Only two  

(c) All three  

(d) None  

Ans: (a)

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Q. The term ‘Digital Single Market Strategy’ seen in the news refers to (2017)

(a) ASEAN  

(b) BRICS 

(c) EU  

(d) G20 

Ans: (c) 

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Q. ‘European Stability Mechanism’, sometimes seen in the news is an (2016)

(a) agency created by EU to deal with the impact of millions of refugees arriving from Middle East 

(b) agency of EU that provides financial assistance to eurozone countries 

(c) agency of EU to deal with all the bilateral and multilateral agreements on trade 

(d) agency of EU to deal with the conflicts arising among the member countries 

Ans: (b)

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Mains

Q. ‘The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well for India.’ What is your opinion about this statement? Give reasons and examples to support your answer. (2021)

Stubble Burning in India

For Prelims: Environment Protection Act, 1986 (EPA), Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act, 2021, Southwest Monsoon, Volatile Organic Compounds, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, MSP, Biofuel, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, Biochar.

For Mains: Impacts of stubble burning, reasons behind it, methods for recycling and reuse, and potential solutions for mitigation.

Source: TH  

Why in News?

To address the Delhi pollution crisis, the Supreme Court directed Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to fill State Pollution Control Board vacancies within three months and urged the Union Government to impose penal measures against stubble burning.

What is Stubble Burning?

• About: It refers to the practice of setting fire to the leftover straw after harvesting crops like paddy and wheat. 
  • It is commonly used to clear paddy crop residues from fields before sowing wheat, typically between late September and early November. 
  • This practice is most prevalent in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during this period.
• Reason for Stubble Burning: 
  • Mono-Cropping Patterns: The minimum support price (MSP) system primarily favors wheat and rice, encouraging mono-cropping patterns. 
    • As a result, farmers often resort to burning crop residues to quickly prepare their fields for the next planting season.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: It is much cheaper compared to other methods of residue disposal, such as incorporating the stubble into the soil or using machinery like balers or shredders, which require significant investment and labor.
  • Weed Management: Fire helps in eliminating weeds and their seeds present in the crop residues, reducing the need for additional herbicides. It is a simple way to control weed growth before sowing the next crop.
  • Limited Residue Management Options: There is inadequate infrastructure or awareness about alternative residue management practices, such as composting or using crop residue for bioenergy. This makes stubble burning a default practice.
  • Impact of Climate Variability: Erratic monsoons and rising temperatures delay harvesting, pushing farmers to burn stubble to meet sowing deadlines.
• Impacts:
  • Air Pollution: Stubble burning releases major air pollutants like PM10, PM2.5, NOx, methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
    • These pollutants create smog that spreads in the air and raises the risk of asthma, COPD, bronchitis, and lung cancer.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The practice contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, thereby accelerating global warming.
  • Soil Fertility Loss: Burning crop residue destroys nutrients in the soil, reducing fertility. The heat penetration also leads to loss of soil moisture and kills beneficial microbes, further degrading soil health.

What are the Challenges in Controlling Stubble Burning in India?

• Technology and Infrastructure Gaps: Standard combine harvesters leave behind 10–15 cm of stubble, which is difficult to manage without specialized equipment.
  • Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) often lack sufficient machinery, and many farmers face logistical challenges in accessing these resources.
  • The high silica content in paddy straw can damage machinery when used as feedstock, and the absence of an efficient supply chain for biomass collection and processing exacerbates the problem. 
• Policy Hurdles: Unclear definitions of stubble burning and environmental compensation, along with confusing Red Entry compliance markings, create challenges that further burden farmers.
  • Current policies often emphasize penalties over incentives, discouraging farmers from adopting eco-friendly practices.
• Economic and Funding Limitations: Limited subsidies for machinery adoption and weak frameworks for utilizing the environmental compensation fund hinder effective implementation.
• Other Barriers: There is a significant gap in training programs on sustainable alternatives to stubble burning, leading to a reliance on traditional practices.
  

India's Initiatives to Tackle Stubble Burning

• Framework by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):
  • In-Situ Crop Residue Management: Focuses on managing crop residues on the field using farm machinery, Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs), faster-growing paddy varieties, staggered harvesting, and bio-decomposers.
  • Ex-Situ Crop Residue Utilization: Encourages alternative uses of paddy straw, such as biomass power, co-firing in thermal plants, 2G ethanol and compressed biogas production, and making packaging materials.
  • Ban and Enforcement: Imposes prohibition on stubble burning through monitoring, enforcement, and environmental compensation to reduce air pollution from crop residue.
• Financial Support: Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), farmers receive financial assistance for procuring agricultural machinery and equipment, especially small and marginal farmers.
• Technological Interventions:
  • Happy Seeder: Tractor-mounted device, sows wheat, paddy fields, cutting straw, avoiding burning, saving time, improving soil health.
  • Pusa Decomposer: Microbial formulation, converts stubble, compost, enhancing soil fertility.
  • Pelletization: Crop residues, biomass pellets, energy, reducing burning, generating income.
  • Biochar Production: Stubble converted, biochar, improving soil fertility, water retention, microbial activity, carbon sequestration.
• Local Initiatives:
  • Chhattisgarh: Gauthans-village plots where collected stubble is converted into organic fertilizer using cow dung and natural enzymes, creating employment for rural youth.
  • Punjab: Mobile apps i-Khet and Cooperative Machinery Tracker facilitate farmers’ access to crop residue management machinery

What Strategies can India Adopt to Curb Stubble Burning?

• Legal Reforms: A parliamentary standing committee has proposed setting a MSP for paddy residue to reduce stubble burning, a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi. 
  • The recommendation came from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, which reviewed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Rules, 2023.
• Infrastructure and Logistics: Implement real-time crop mapping, forecast crop maturity, build temporary storage facilities, and support local supply chains and aggregators.
• Innovative Farming Technologies: Use tools like Microbe Pusa to turn stubble into compost within 25 days and the Happy Seeder to sow wheat without burning residue.
  • Encourage short-duration paddy varieties, standardize procurement processes, and enforce seed certification to reduce residue.
  • Convert wheat stubble into cattle fodder and recycle it for manure, paper, cardboard, biofuel, and power generation.
• Economic Support and Pricing: Provide guaranteed prices for stubble, set benchmark prices annually, and ensure returns cover collection and labor costs.
• Post-Harvest Solutions: Introduce programs similar to MGNREGA for harvesting and composting stubble, regulate residue management, and reward farmers who adopt eco-friendly practices.

Conclusion

Stubble burning remains a significant environmental and health challenge in North India, driven by crop patterns, limited alternatives, and climate variability. Combating it requires a multi-pronged approach, combining technological interventions, financial incentives, regulatory measures, and local innovations to ensure sustainable residue management, reduce air pollution, and protect soil fertility.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. Analyze the various factors that perpetuate the practice of stubble burning in North-West India despite the availability of technological solutions and government interventions.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. Consider the following agricultural practices: (2012)

1. Contour bunding 
2. Relay cropping 
3. Zero tillage 

In the context of global climate change, which of the above helps/help in carbon sequestration/storage in the soil? 

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 3 only 

(c) 1, 2 and 3 

(d) None of them 

Ans: (b)

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Mains

Q. What are the major factors responsible for making the rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become bane in India? (2020)

Q. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three mega cities of the country but the air pollution is much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so? (2015)

Kerala Model for Sustainable Urbanisation in India

Source: TH

Why in News? 

Kerala is the first State in India to set up an Urban Policy Commission (KUPC) with a 25-year roadmap to manage rapid urbanisation sustainably. 

• KUPC report, submitted to the State government, has drawn national attention as the Kerala model offers lessons for other States in balancing growth with climate resilience, governance reform, and financial empowerment.

What are the Key Recommendations of the KUPC Report for Sustainable Urbanisation?

• Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC): It was set up to rethink Kerala’s urban future, viewing cities as climate-aware ecosystems rather than just infrastructure clusters. 
  • With Kerala’s urbanisation expected to cross 80% by 2050 and rising climate risks, the KUPC recommends a place-based strategy focusing on climate resilience, finance, governance, city identity, and inclusive well-being.
• Key Recommendations:
  • Climate-Sensitive Urban Planning: Use hazard maps (floods, landslides, coastal risks) in zoning rules to prevent disaster-prone development.
  • Real-Time Urban Data System: Set up a digital observatory using tools like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) satellite data, and weather sensors to guide municipalities.
  • Green Fees & Climate Insurance: Introduce green fees for eco-sensitive projects and parametric climate insurance to fund resilience and disaster response.
  • Municipal and Pooled Bonds: Major cities can issue municipal bonds, while smaller towns should adopt pooled bond models for infrastructure funding.
  • Urban Governance Reforms: Create elected city cabinets led by mayors. Form expert teams in municipalities for waste, climate, transport, etc.
    • Launch “Jnanashree” to recruit skilled youth into local governance.
  • Place-Based Urban Growth and Inclusive Planning: Recognize and promote unique strengths of each city (e.g., Kochi as a FinTech hub, Thiruvananthapuram & Kollam as a knowledge corridor, Kozhikode as a literary city, and Palakkad & Kasaragod as smart-industrial centres). 
    • Restore wetlands, waterways, and heritage zones to preserve local ecosystems and cultural heritage.
    • Establish City Health Councils to provide healthcare and welfare support for migrants, gig workers, and students, ensuring equitable urban services.
  • Community-Driven Data: Advocates blending community experiences (like those of fisherfolk and street vendors) into urban data systems, making planning participatory and grounded.

Urbanisation in India

• According to the World Bank, India’s urban population will reach 600 million (40%) by 2036, up from 31% in 2011, with cities driving nearly 70% of GDP.
• Key Drivers of Urbanisation in India:
  • Demographic Transition & Migration: Rural–urban migration driven by jobs, education, healthcare, and better amenities. 
    • Agrarian distress, shrinking landholdings, and climate change push migration further.
  • Economic Transformation: Shift from agriculture to industry and services. Expansion of IT, manufacturing, and services makes cities engines of growth, innovation, and employment.
  • Policy Push & Urban Missions: Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0, and National Infrastructure Pipeline reshape urban infrastructure, improve housing, and promote entrepreneurial hubs.
  • Technological Integration: AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and digital public infrastructure (DPIs) enable smart governance, efficient service delivery, and better resource management in cities.
  • Globalisation & Aspirations: Integration into global markets and rising aspirations of the youth accelerate demand for urban lifestyles, consumption patterns, and modern urban spaces.

What Measures Can the Kerala Model Offer for India’s Urban Planning?

• Mnemonic: KERALA 
• K – Knowledge & Community Data:  Blend satellite and sensor data with citizen inputs, ensuring policies reflect lived realities.
• E – Elected & Specialist Governance: Shift from bureaucratic inertia to elected city cabinets, specialist municipal cells, and youth technocrats.
  • Set up time-bound urban commissions tailored to local geography, culture, and climate instead of relying only on centralised frameworks.
• R – Resilience & Climate Integration: Make hazard mapping and resilience integral to every stage of planning, not an afterthought.
• A – Autonomy in Finances:  Equip municipalities with tools like pooled bonds, green fees, and climate insurance for fiscal autonomy.
• L – Livelihood & Land-sensitive Planning: Promote regional economic hubs rooted in local strengths while safeguarding commons, culture, and heritage.
• A – Awareness & Citizen Participation: Strengthen voluntarism, community engagement, and public participation in urban planning decisions.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. India’s urban planning must shift from bureaucratic inertia to participatory and place-based governance. Discuss

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year’s Question (PYQs)

Mains:

Q. The frequency of urban floods due to high intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (2016)

Q. Do government schemes for up-lifting vulnerable and backward communities by protecting required social resources for them, lead to their exclusion in establishing businesses in urban economies? (2014)

India-AI Impact Summit 2026

Source: PIB

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has revealed the official logo and key flagship initiatives for the India-AI Impact Summit February 2026. This event marks a historic occasion as it is the first time a Global South nation will host the summit.

• Flagship Initiatives: AI Pitch Fest (UDAAN) (showcasing Tier 2 & 3 AI startups), Global Innovation Challenges (promoting AI solutions for public issues), and AI Expo.
• Official Logo: The logo features the Ashoka Chakra, symbolizing ethical governance and constitutional values, with neural network flares representing AI’s transformative impact across languages, industries, and geographies.

India-AI Impact Summit 2026

• Hosted by MeitY, it will be held in February 2026 in New Delhi.
• Summit Sutras: Guided by the principles or Sutras of People, Planet, and Progress.
  • People: AI must serve all humans inclusively, respecting culture and ensuring accessibility.
  • Planet: AI should be resource-efficient, eco-friendly, and aligned with sustainability goals.
  • Progress: AI benefits must be equitable, with open access to data, compute, and applications in key sectors.
• Seven Chakras: Sutras are implemented via seven Chakras, focusing on multilateral cooperation to achieve tangible AI outcomes.

• MeitY also launched eight indigenous AI foundational model projects targeting multilingual, healthcare, scientific, industrial, governance, and agricultural applications.

Read more: India’s AI Revolution

Swachhata Hi Seva 2025

Source: PIB

The Government of India launched the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2025 campaign, conducting cleanliness drives nationwide.

• Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2025 continues the momentum of the Swachh Bharat Mission (2014), reinforcing India’s commitment to sanitation and hygiene. 
• SHS 2025 theme, “Swachhotsav”, blends the spirit of festive celebrations with the responsibility of cleanliness. 
• The campaign focuses on voluntarism, collective action, and public participation, promoting the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to engage citizens in maintaining clean surroundings.

Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM)

• Launch & Objective: SBM (Grameen) and SBM (Urban) were launched in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation in rural and urban India.
• SBM-Grameen: 
  • Phase I (2014-2019): Achieved 100% sanitation coverage, over 10 crore household toilets, and declared all villages ODF.
  • Phase II (2020-2025/26): Focuses on sustaining ODF, solid and liquid waste management, and transforming villages to ODF Plus Model.
• SBM-Urban (SBM-U):
  • Phase I (2014-2021): Targeted ODF cities and 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste across 4,041 statutory towns.
  • Phase II / SBM-U 2.0 (2021-2026): Aims for “Garbage Free” cities, institutionalizing Swachh behavior, and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.
• Impact: SBM has significantly improved sanitation, hygiene, and waste management infrastructure, contributing to public health, quality of life, and urban-rural transformation.

Read more: Making Swachh Bharat Mission A Reality