News 1 :Will Completely Close Hormuz Strait: Iran After Trump’s Threat
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Iran’s Escalatory Threat: The Iranian military on Sunday threatened to completely shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz and attack U.S. infrastructure, including energy facilities in the Gulf, if President Trump acts on threats to target Iran’s power plants .
- Trump’s Ultimatum: President Trump on Saturday threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours . This came barely a day after he spoke of “winding down” the war .
- India’s Crisis Response: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Sunday to assess the conflict’s impact and suggest mitigating measures. A Group of Ministers (GoM) and a group of secretaries will work on a “whole-of-government approach” to the crisis .
- Diversification Push: The CCS discussed diversifying sources of major imports, including fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals . Ensuring adequate coal stocks at power plants and fertilizer availability for the kharif season were prioritized .
Prelims 360
Strait of Hormuz – UPSC Prelims Quick Notes
📍 Location
- Narrow strait connecting:
- Persian Gulf (inside)
- Gulf of Oman → leads to Arabian Sea
- Lies between:
- Iran (north)
- Oman (south; Musandam Peninsula)
📏 Key Physical Features
- Width: ~33 km (narrowest point)
- Shipping lanes: Only ~3 km wide in each direction
- Deep and navigable → suitable for large oil tankers
🌍 Strategic Importance
- One of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints
- Connects major oil-producing countries of the Persian Gulf to global markets
- Vital for energy security of Asia, Europe, and beyond
⛽ Oil & Gas Significance
- Around 20–25% of global petroleum trade passes through it
- Major exporters using this route:
- Saudi Arabia
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar (LNG leader)
Cabinet committee on security
Constitutional Status ❗ (Very Important for Prelims)
👉 No direct mention in the Constitution
Related Constitutional Provisions:
- Article 74
→ President acts on aid & advice of Council of Ministers - Article 75
→ Deals with appointment and responsibility of Council of Ministers
👉 CCS is NOT created by Constitution
👉 It is an extra-constitutional body
ypes of Bodies in Indian Polity
🔹 1. Constitutional Bodies
✅ Definition:
Bodies created directly by the Constitution of India
🔑 Features:
- Mentioned explicitly in the Constitution
- Powers, functions, and composition defined there
- High degree of autonomy
- Difficult to abolish (needs constitutional amendment)
Statutory Bodies
✅ Definition:
Bodies created by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature
🔑 Features:
- Not mentioned in Constitution
- Powers derived from the law that created them
- Can be modified/abolished by amending the law
- Moderate autonomy
Extra-Constitutional (Non-Constitutional) Bodies
✅ Definition:
Bodies not mentioned in Constitution AND not created by law
🔑 Features:
- Created by executive resolution/order
- Flexible structure and functions
- Can be easily changed or abolished
- Advisory or coordination role mostly
News 2 :How AgriPV Can Turn India’s Farms into Dual-Purpose Powerhouses
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Budgetary Signal: In the 2026-27 Budget, the outlay for the PM-KUSUM scheme nearly doubled to ₹5,000 crore , signalling the government’s renewed emphasis on increasing solar power production centred on India’s farmers .
- The AgriPV Concept: Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV) integrates solar systems with farming, allowing farmers to generate electricity and cultivate crops on the same parcel of land. Panels are mounted at suitable heights to allow farm operations below, spaced between crop rows, or integrated into greenhouses .
- Energy Transition Context: India aims for 300 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Utility-scale solar requires large tracts of land, while agriculture is already under pressure from competing land uses. AgriPV can ameliorate this conflict .
- Current Status: There are around 50 pilot agriPV installations nationwide , with various panel-crop combinations under evaluation. Recent policy discussions have increasingly referenced agriPV, but large-scale replication has yet to commence .
- Policy Pathway: The government may include agriPV in a proposed ‘National Agri-photovoltaics Mission’ as a dedicated 10-GW component, with viability gap funding to offset capital costs .
- Environmental Co-benefits: Partial shading can reduce evapotranspiration, enhance water-use efficiency, and protect crops against extreme heat, rainfall, and hail .
Prelims 360
AgriPV (Agrivoltaics) is the simultaneous use of land for agriculture and solar photovoltaic power generation.
👉 Crops are grown under or between solar panels, allowing dual land use.
⚙️ Key Features
- Solar panels installed at elevated height or spaced out
- Allows sunlight filtering suitable for crops
- Water-efficient (reduced evaporation due to shade)
- Improves land productivity per unit area
What is Photovoltaics?
Photovoltaics (PV) is the technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials.
👉 Based on the photoelectric effect (light → electrons → electricity)
How it Works
- Sunlight (photons) hits a solar cell
- Electrons get excited and start moving
- Movement of electrons creates electric current (DC)
- An inverter converts DC → AC for use
What is the role of a semiconductor in PV?
In photovoltaic (PV) cells, semiconductors:
- Absorb sunlight (photons)
- Release electrons → generate electric current
- Enable formation of p–n junction (essential for electricity flow)
🔬 Common Semiconductors Used in PV Cells
1. 🟢 Silicon (Most Important)
- Most widely used (~90% of solar cells)
- Types:
- Monocrystalline Silicon (high efficiency)
- Polycrystalline Silicon (cheaper)
- Amorphous Silicon (thin-film)
✔ Abundant, stable, well-developed technology
❗ UPSC: Most probable answer → Silicon
2. 🟡 Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)
- Thin-film technology
- Lower cost, less material required
- Moderate efficiency
❗ Issue: Cadmium is toxic
News 3 : Rice, Wheat Procurement Is ‘Consistently’ Low: Panel
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Committee Findings: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, chaired by DMK MP Kanimozhi, has expressed concern that actual procurement of rice and wheat has consistently remained below estimates in recent years and below targets in States such as Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh .
- Procurement Gap: Since 2022-23, procurement of wheat and rice has been less than 30% of total production. Actual wheat procurement was 76.71%, 71.35%, and 87.29% of estimates for 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 respectively. Rice procurement has been below target since 2022-23 .
- State-Level Shortfalls:
- Kharif 2024-25 (Rice): Andhra Pradesh (25.60 lakh tonnes against 35 lakh tonnes target); Karnataka (0.003 lakh tonnes against 5.29 lakh tonnes); Punjab (116.13 lakh tonnes against 124 lakh tonnes)
- Rabi 2025-26 (Wheat): Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh — all below target
- Government’s Explanation: Fluctuation in estimated vs actual production; procurement depends on multiple factors—production, market surplus, MSP, prevailing market rates, demand-supply, and private trader participation .
- Committee’s Recommendations: Strengthen procurement planning and coordination with States; review estimation methodology; enhance real-time monitoring; work closely with States where procurement has fallen short .
Prelims 360
Rice Production – Key Facts
🌦️ Climatic Conditions
- Type: Tropical crop (can also grow in subtropical regions)
- Temperature:
- Sowing: 20–25°C
- Growth: 25–35°C
- Rainfall:
- Ideal: 100–200 cm annually
- Requires standing water (flooded fields) → hence called a water-intensive crop
- Humidity: High humidity is essential during growth
- Sunlight: Bright sunshine during ripening stage
👉 Grown in Kharif season (monsoon crop), though also cultivated in Rabi/Zaid in some regions (like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh)
🌱 Soil Type
- Best Soil: Clayey or clay loam soils
(retain water, ideal for paddy cultivation) - Other Suitable Soils:
- Alluvial soils (very productive)
- Deltaic soils
- Soil Characteristics:
- High water retention capacity
- Slightly acidic to neutral pH
📍 Major Rice Producing States
Top Producers:
- West Bengal (Largest producer)
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
Wheat Production – Key Facts
🌦️ Climatic Conditions
- Type: Subtropical crop (Rabi crop in India)
- Temperature:
- Sowing: 10–15°C
- Growth: 15–20°C
- Ripening/Harvest: 20–25°C (needs warm, dry weather)
- Rainfall:
- Ideal: 50–100 cm annually
- Too much rain or humidity → harmful (causes diseases)
- Sunlight: Bright sunshine during ripening is essential
- Frost: Harmful during flowering stage ❌
👉 Requires cool growing season + warm dry harvesting season
🌱 Soil Type
- Best Soil: Well-drained fertile loamy soil
- Most suitable:
- Alluvial soil (North Indian plains)
- Clay loam (with good drainage)
- Soil Characteristics:
- Good moisture retention
- Rich in nutrients (especially nitrogen)
📍 Major Wheat Producing States
Top Producers:
- Uttar Pradesh (Largest producer)
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Madhya Pradesh (rapidly rising production)
- Rajasthan
