State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 14 Oct 2025

Operation Shikanja

Why in News? 

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Uttar Pradesh Police launched Operation Shikanja from 9th-13th October 2025, resulting in the arrest of 23 absconding economic offenders across the state. 

Key Points 

• Objective: 
  • To nab long-time absconders involved in major financial scams in Uttar Pradesh. 
  • To ensure accountability and recovery of misappropriated public funds. 
  • To strengthen the rule of law against white-collar crimes through coordinated policing. 
• Coordination: Under Director-General Neera Rawat’s directives, eight specialised teams supported by digital intelligence executed simultaneous multi-district raids coordinated through real-time surveillance to prevent escapes.  
• Impact: Within four days, 23 absconders were arrested, long-pending warrants executed, and recovery of defrauded public funds was initiated. 
  • The EOW has announced continued action under Operation Shikanja until all economic fugitives are apprehended. 
• Significance: It represents a coordinated statewide crackdown on financial crimes in Uttar Pradesh through digital surveillance and inter-district collaboration, reinforcing public trust in the EOW’s pursuit of economic justice.

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) 

• About: 
  • It was established in 1970 within the CID to handle economic crimes. 
  • In 1972, the Government assigned EOW the responsibility of investigating offences related to 10 departments — Forest, Transport, Food & Civil Supplies, Local Bodies, Industries, Excise, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj, Minor Irrigation, and Sales Tax. 
  • In 1977, EOW was reorganised as a separate specialised investigation branch of the U.P. Police. 
  • The scope of EOW was expanded in 2006 to cover economic offences involving all Government departments. 
  • In 2018, the Government established four EOW Police Stations in Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, and Kanpur to strengthen its operational reach. 
• Functions: It investigates cases of cheating, fraud, and misappropriation of government funds involving various government entities, may be entrusted with cases concerning private individuals or organisations based on the severity of the offence, and collects intelligence on government revenue losses for appropriate governmental action. 

World Standards Day

Why in News?

Shri Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy lead the World Standards Day programme on 14th October 2025.  

• The event was organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India. 

Key Points

• About: The celebration at the National Institute of Training for Standardization (NITS) featured the release of the National Lighting Code of India 2025, along with the launch of the Learning Management System (LMS) and the Online Standards Development (OSD) Module on the BIS Standards Portal. 
• World Standards Day: 
  • About: The first World Standards Day was first celebrated in 1970 to raise global awareness about the importance of standards in fostering safety, quality, and international trade. 
    • The day was established by International Organization for Standardization(ISO), in collaboration with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to honor the global community of standard developers and their contributions. 
  • Purpose: World Standards Day celebrates the pivotal role of standards in ensuring quality, safety, and sustainability. It recognizes the collaborative efforts of experts—scientists, engineers, policymakers, and innovators—who work to create these frameworks. 
  • Theme: The 2025 theme, “A Shared Vision for a Better World: Standards for Sustainable Development Goals” emphasises the role of international standards in promoting global cooperation towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

• BIS is the statutory national standard body of India established under the BIS Act, 2016, for the harmonious development of the activities of standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods. 
  • It was initially set up as the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) that came into being on 6^th January 1947. 
• It is headquartered in New Delhi. 
• It operates various schemes like Product Certification (ISI mark), Hallmarking of Gold and Silver Jewellers, ECO Mark Scheme (for labelling of environment friendly products).