Why in news?

The government plans to introduce the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, paving the way for a major reform push in India’s underpenetrated insurance sector.

The Bill is expected to receive approval and is viewed by industry stakeholders as a transformative step that could drive growth, attract capital, and spur innovation over the coming decade.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background: FDI in Insurance Raised to 100%
• Why 100% FDI Could Transform India’s Insurance Sector?
• Easier Entry Norms to Attract More Reinsurers
• Composite Licensing: A Unified Framework for Integrated Insurance
• Lower Capital Requirements to Encourage New and Niche Insurers
• Captive Insurers and Flexible Capital Norms for Corporate Risk Management
• Simplified Registration and Greater Flexibility for Insurance Intermediaries

Background: FDI in Insurance Raised to 100%

• On February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a major reform: increasing FDI in insurance from 74% to 100%.
• This paves the way for significant foreign capital and participation from global insurance giants, boosting competition and operational efficiency.
• To implement the higher FDI cap, amendments will be made to:
  • Insurance Act, 1938
  • Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956
  • IRDAI Act, 1999
• The Finance Minister had indicated that the draft Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill will soon be placed before Parliament.
• Opening the Door for Global Players
  • Of the world’s top 25 insurers, nearly 20 do not operate in India. The new regime may encourage them to enter the market.
  • Existing joint ventures may also see restructuring, with foreign partners choosing to buy out Indian stakeholders and set up fully owned subsidiaries.
  • According to an industry experts, India could move towards a 1,000-insurer ecosystem within the next decade, signalling massive expansion, innovation, and increased consumer choice.

Why 100% FDI Could Transform India’s Insurance Sector?

• Raising FDI in insurance to 100% is expected to infuse much-needed capital, enabling insurers to expand their reach, design better products, and upgrade services.
• The move aims to improve India’s low insurance penetration, which was 3.7% in 2023–24, far below the global average of 7%.
• Greater foreign ownership is likely to bring global expertise in underwriting, digital claims processing, and advanced risk assessment—strengthening efficiency, innovation, and customer experience.
• It also opens the door for new players to target underserved markets, especially with complementary reforms such as composite licences and streamlined capital norms.
• Experts say affordability remains the biggest barrier to wider insurance adoption.
• Higher FDI, they argue, will help insurers expand offerings, improve underwriting quality, and scale distribution to reach more customers.

Easier Entry Norms to Attract More Reinsurers

• The Bill proposes lowering the net owned funds requirement for foreign reinsurers from ₹5,000 crore to ₹500 crore, addressing a long-pending industry demand.
• This relaxation is expected to attract smaller and new-age global reinsurers to India, increasing competition in a market currently dominated by GIC Re.

Composite Licensing: A Unified Framework for Integrated Insurance

• The Bill proposes introducing composite licensing, allowing insurers to sell both life and non-life products under a single licence.
• This replaces the current rigid structure of the Insurance Act, 1938, which limits insurers to their designated segments.
• By breaking this long-standing compartmentalisation, composite licences would enable insurers to offer bundled, holistic products—combining life, health, and general coverage.
• This shift is expected to attract strong interest from established players and align the industry with customer demand for seamless, integrated insurance solutions.

Lower Capital Requirements to Encourage New and Niche Insurers

• The Bill proposes reducing minimum capital requirements—currently ₹100 crore for insurers and ₹200 crore for reinsurers—to make market entry easier.
• This inclusion-focused reform aims to attract specialised and regional players, especially those targeting rural, informal, and underserved markets.
• By broadening participation, it supports India’s long-term vision of achieving “insurance for all” by 2047.

Captive Insurers and Flexible Capital Norms for Corporate Risk Management

• The Bill proposes allowing large corporations to establish captive insurance entities, enabling them to underwrite their own risks and manage claims more efficiently.
• This strengthens self-insurance capabilities and offers greater control over risk exposure.
• It also introduces differentiated capital norms based on an insurer’s size and category, replacing the current uniform requirements.
• This flexibility is expected to foster a more diverse, competitive, and innovation-friendly insurance ecosystem.

Simplified Registration and Greater Flexibility for Insurance Intermediaries

• The Bill proposes one-time, perpetual registration for insurance intermediaries—ending the three-year renewal cycle and reducing regulatory friction.
• Intermediaries would only need to pay annual IRDAI fees.
• It also plans to allow individual agents to sell products from multiple insurers, removing the current restriction of one life and one general insurer.
• This reform is expected to expand distribution, boost competition, and give customers more choice.

Why in news?

To counter China’s overwhelming dominance in rare earth magnet manufacturing, the Indian government has approved a ₹7,280-crore scheme to promote domestic production of rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs).

REPMs are critical components for EVs, renewable energy systems, electronics, aerospace, and defence. China currently controls over 90% of global REPM manufacturing and processing.
This gives it significant geopolitical leverage, which it has used during trade disputes.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why India Needs Urgent Diversification?
• Government’s REPM Scheme: What It Aims to Achieve?
• India’s Heavy Dependence on China
• Global Diversification Efforts Are Growing

Why India Needs Urgent Diversification?

• India plans large-scale expansion in renewable energy and electric mobility, sharply increasing domestic demand for REPMs.
• The government estimates that India’s magnet consumption will double by 2030.
• However, India imports almost all of its REPM needs, making the country highly vulnerable to external shocks and supply disruptions.
• Also, in April 2025, China imposed export controls on magnets in response to US tariff measures, intensifying global supply concerns.
• The newly approved scheme aims to develop domestic capabilities and reduce over-reliance on China.
• While modest compared to China’s scale, the initiative marks a crucial strategic shift as global stakes rise due to prolonged restrictions and supply chain uncertainty.

Government’s REPM Scheme: What It Aims to Achieve?

• The scheme targets creation of 6,000 MTPA of integrated REPM manufacturing capacity.
• This capacity will be divided among five beneficiaries, each eligible for up to 1,200 MTPA through a competitive bidding process.
• Incentives and Financial Support
  • Selected companies will receive:
    • ₹6,450 crore in sales-linked incentives over five years
    • ₹750 crore as capital subsidy for setting up integrated facilities
  • The financial support is designed to encourage large-scale, commercially viable manufacturing.
• Focus on High-Demand NdFeB Magnets
  • The scheme prioritises sintered rare-earth permanent magnets, specifically neodymium–iron–boron (NdFeB) magnets, which are the strongest and most widely used.
  • These magnets rely on:
    • Light rare-earths: Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr)
    • Heavy rare-earths: Dysprosium (Dy), Terbium (Tb) for better high-temperature performance
• What Integrated REPM Manufacturing Involves?
  • The REPM production chain includes:
    • Mining
    • Beneficiation
    • Processing
    • Extraction
    • Refining to rare earth oxides
    • Conversion of oxides to metal
    • Metal to alloy
    • Alloy to magnet
  • The scheme will support facilities capable of performing the final three stages:
    • Rare earth oxide → metal
    • Metal → alloy
    • Alloy → rare earth permanent magnet

India’s Heavy Dependence on China

• India imported over 53,000 tonnes of rare earth magnets in 2024–25, with more than 90% coming from China.
• The new scheme aims to reduce this reliance and build domestic capacity, but major challenges remain.
• Where India Stands in the Global REPM Landscape?
  • Outside China, only countries like Japan and Vietnam produce REPMs, and their global share is limited.
  • India currently has no commercial-scale manufacturing, only small-scale capabilities at select firms.
  • China produces around 2,40,000 tonnes of REPMs annually—far beyond India’s planned 6,000-tonne capacity under the new scheme, underscoring the vast gap.
• Raw Material Bottlenecks: A Key Constraint
• India produces some light rare-earth oxides through IREL—such as neodymium–praseodymium (NdPr) oxides—but no heavy rare-earth oxides like dysprosium and terbium.
• These heavy rare earths are essential for high-strength, high-temperature NdFeB magnets.
• Thus, India will still need to import critical raw materials, limiting true self-reliance.
• The Scale and Cost Challenge
  • China’s dominance comes from:
    • Massive production scale
    • Fully integrated value chain
    • Significant subsidies
  • These factors make China’s magnets far cheaper, making cost competitiveness a major hurdle for Indian manufacturers.
  • Unless mandated through policy, users are unlikely to buy magnets that are significantly more expensive than Chinese imports.

Global Diversification Efforts Are Growing

• A 2022 US Department of Energy report shows that 93% of the global NdFeB magnet market is dominated by sintered magnets—and China controls almost the entire supply chain, from mining to magnet manufacturing.
• This has pushed countries worldwide to reduce dependency on China.
• International Initiatives to Secure Critical Minerals
  • Quad Initiative (2024) - In July, the Quad countries — India, Australia, Japan, and the US — launched a supply chain initiative to secure access to critical minerals, reducing reliance on China.
  • G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan (2024) - India endorsed the G7’s Critical Minerals Action Plan, which focuses on building diversified and resilient global supply chains.
• India’s National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM)
  • Launched in January 2024 for seven years (2024–25 to 2030–31), the NCMM aims to secure India’s critical mineral supply chain through:
    • Reliable domestic and overseas mineral access
    • Strengthening exploration, processing, and recycling
    • Improving technology, regulation, and financing
  • The mission has an outlay of ₹16,300 crore.
• Reforming Domestic Mineral Governance
  • In 2023, India identified 30 minerals as “critical”.
  • The government amended the MMDR Act, 1957, giving the Centre exclusive powers to auction critical and strategic minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements.
  • Since the amendment, 34 critical mineral blocks have been auctioned.
• Securing Overseas Resources: The Role of KABIL
  • India established Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), a joint venture tasked with identifying and developing critical mineral assets abroad.
  • KABIL has signed an agreement with Camyen, a state-owned firm in Catamarca, Argentina, to explore and mine five lithium brine blocks, expanding India’s access to essential battery minerals.

Context:

• The debate on states’ fiscal autonomy has intensified in recent years, particularly in the backdrop of changes introduced by the 14th, 15th, and 16th Finance Commissions (FCs).
• States argue that their fiscal space is shrinking, especially due to rising non-sharable cesses and surcharges, evolving devolution formulas, and post-GST structural issues.
• Fiscal space consists of states’ own revenue receipts and the total transfers that they receive from the Centre, including the FC transfers.

Understanding Fiscal Transfers - Components and Trends:

• Structure of transfers:
  • Transfers from the Centre to the states consist of tax devolution (largest share) and FC and non-FC grants.
  • Tax devolution and FC grants (tied, untied, sector-specific grants) are determined by the FC whereas non-FC grants are at the discretion of the central government.
  • States’ own revenue receipts (SORR) consists of both tax and non-tax revenues.
• Combined revenue receipts: Measured as the sum of Centre and states’ revenue receipts, used to assess relative fiscal space.

Major Changes Across Finance Commissions (14th FC - A Landmark Shift):

• States’ share in the divisible pool increased from 32% (13th FC) to 42%.
• States’ share in combined revenue receipts rose from average of 15% (13th FC) to 19.2%, that is an increase of 4.25 percentage points.
• The share of states after transfers (fiscal space) increased from 63.85 to 68.08% of combined revenue receipts. Thus, the relative shares of Centre and states were reversed.

15th Finance Commission - A Mild Contraction:

• Fall in States’ fiscal space: States’ share of aggregate revenue receipts fell from 68.08% (14th FC) to 67.39% - a drop of 0.70 percentage points.
• Reasons for decline:
  • Reduction in tax devolution share - fell by 1.05 percentage points to 18.2%.
  • Rise in cesses and surcharges - these are non-sharable, reducing states’ share in the divisible pool.
  • Decline in states’ own revenue receipts - fell by 0.47 percentage points.
  • It may be noted that for the 15th FC period, the number of states had been reduced to 28 (post J&K bifurcation).
  • Offsetting increase in FC and non-FC grants - net fall in transfers is only 0.23 percentage points.

Sharper Impact on High-Income States:

• States considered: Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.
• Trends:
  • From 13th to 14th FC, there is no net change in fiscal space, but higher transfers offset by lower SORR.
  • From 14th to 15th FC, fall in the fiscal space of high-income states, amounting to 0.38 percentage points of combined revenue receipts (decline in SORR - 0.25 percentage points, decline in transfers - 0.13 percentage points).
• Causes of decline:
  • Higher cesses and surcharges, reducing sharable pool.
  • Horizontal devolution formula potentially less favorable.
  • Post-GST issues like GST 2.0 reforms (rate reductions) and the discontinuation of the GST compensation cess.

Key Challenges:

• Rising non-sharable cesses and surcharges: Dilutes the divisible pool, and reduces predictability of transfers.
• Declining States’ own revenue: As they depend on the Centre increases, and GST structural issues affect buoyancy.
• Horizontal devolution concerns: High-income states claim that the FC transfer formula penalizes efficiency. For example, distance criterion in the horizontal distribution may disadvantage developed states.
• Greater expenditure responsibilities: Fiscal stress post-COVID on social sector, infrastructure, climate adaptation.
• GST compensation cess withdrawal: Affects fiscal capacity of manufacturing-heavy and consumption-heavy states.

Way Forward:

• Reforming the transfer architecture: Ensure equitable yet efficiency-enhancing distribution. Hopefully, the 16th FC has taken into account these concerns and modified the weight attached to the distance criterion in the horizontal distribution.
• Limiting non-sharable levies: The Centre should curb excessive use of cesses and surcharges, and move towards greater transparency and predictability.
• Strengthening revenue buoyancy: Improve GST compliance and widen base. Enhance states’ own tax capacity (property tax, excise reforms).
• Cooperative federalism: Institutionalise Centre-state dialogue on fiscal reforms. Strengthen GST Council mechanisms for compensation alternatives.
• Rationalising expenditure: Outcome-based budgeting, better targeting of subsidies.

Conclusion:

• Factors such as rising cesses and surcharges, changes in devolution formulas, and GST-related challenges have constrained states’ autonomy.
• As the 16th Finance Commission submits its recommendations, ensuring a balanced, predictable, and equitable system of fiscal transfers is essential for strengthening fiscal federalism.
• This will improve development outcomes, and enable both the Union and states to meet mounting socio-economic challenges.

Why in the News?

• India is witnessing an urgent environmental crisis triggered by decades of unchecked waste generation, industrial pollution, pesticide accumulation, oil spills, and heavy-metal contamination.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Bioremediation (Concept, Types, Need for Bioremediation, Current Progress, Global Trends, Risks & Challenges, Way Forward)

Understanding Bioremediation

• Bioremediation literally means “restoring life through biology.” It relies on naturally occurring or engineered microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, algae, or plants to break down dangerous pollutants into harmless by-products.
• These pollutants range from oil and pesticides to plastics and toxic heavy metals.
• Microbes metabolise pollutants as food, converting them into water, carbon dioxide, or organic acids, while certain organisms transform metals into safer, non-leaching forms.

Types of Bioremediation Techniques

• In Situ Bioremediation

• Treatment occurs directly at the contaminated site.
• Examples include oil-eating bacteria deployed over ocean spills.

• Ex Situ Bioremediation

• Contaminated soil or water is removed, treated in a facility, and then returned.
• This approach allows controlled treatment for complex pollutant mixtures.

• Modern bioremediation blends traditional microbiology with advanced biotechnology, enabling precise identification of biomolecules and replication of microbes tailored for specific environments like sewage systems or agricultural fields.
• Synthetic biology has introduced:

• GM microbes for tough pollutants such as plastics and oil residues,
• Biosensing organisms that change colour or fluoresce when detecting toxins, aiding early warnings and monitoring.

Urgent Need for Bioremediation in India

• India’s rapid industrialisation and urbanisation have come with steep environmental costs.
• Heavily polluted rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, untreated sewage, toxic effluents, oil leaks, pesticide residues, and heavy metals have created widespread ecological degradation.
• Traditional clean-up systems, thermal treatments, chemical neutralisation, and mechanical extraction are expensive, energy-intensive, and often produce secondary pollution.
• Bioremediation stands out as a cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally sustainable alternative, especially critical for a country dealing with:

• Large polluted land areas,
• Limited resources for remediation,
• Dense urban centres are overwhelmed by waste.

• India’s natural biodiversity gives it an additional advantage. Indigenous microbes adapted to extreme environments (heat, salinity, acidity) can outperform imported strains in cleaning local contamination.

India’s Current Progress in Bioremediation

• India’s bioremediation ecosystem is growing but remains mostly at the pilot-project stage. Key developments include:
• Government-Led Initiatives

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) supports bioremediation projects through its Clean Technology Programme, encouraging partnerships between universities, research institutes, and industries.
• The CSIR–NEERI has a mandate to develop and implement bioremediation programmes nationwide.

• Research Innovations

• IIT researchers created a nanocomposite material from cotton to clean oil spills.
• Scientists have identified bacteria capable of degrading soil pollutants.

• Start-up Participation
  • Companies now offer microbial formulations for cleaning wastewater and soil, indicating growing commercial adoption.

Global Trends in Bioremediation

• Japan uses plant- and microbe-based systems in urban waste strategies.
• The European Union funds multinational collaborations for oil spill clean-up and mining land restoration.
• China applies engineered bacteria to restore industrial wastelands under its soil pollution control programme.

• These global examples underline how bioremediation can be mainstreamed in national environmental management.

Opportunities for India

• India has immense opportunities to integrate bioremediation into:

• River rejuvenation (e.g., Namami Gange), Sewage treatment infrastructure, Land reclamation, Industrial clean-up missions.

• Beyond environmental benefits, bioremediation can create jobs in:

• Biotechnology research, Waste management, Environmental consulting, Local start-up ecosystems.

Risks and Regulatory Challenges

• Bioremediation also carries risks, especially when using genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Poor containment or inadequate testing can harm ecosystems. India currently faces:

• A lack of unified national standards for bioremediation, Insufficient site-specific data, Weak biosafety guidelines, and Limited trained personnel.

Way Forward

• Creating national bioremediation standards and certification systems,
• Building regional bioremediation hubs linking universities, industries, and local governments,
• Supporting start-ups under the DBT-BIRAC ecosystem,
• Engaging communities to dispel myths and build acceptance of microbial clean-up technologies.

Context

• On October 8, 2025, India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) observed World Habitat Day under the theme Urban Solutions to Crisis.
• Even as national missions such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and the Smart Cities Mission advance, a quieter emergency is unfolding: a surge in cardiovascular disease and diabetes across urban India.
• Cardiovascular ailments now account for major urban deaths, with prevalence nearly twice that of rural regions and increasing cases among individuals under 50.

The Urban Living Paradox: Opportunity and Ill-Health

• Urban life promises mobility and opportunity, yet long commutes, polluted air, shrinking green cover and rising stress shape unhealthy routines.
• Access to care remains uneven because hospital distribution follows profit rather than need, with high-income neighbourhoods attracting most facilities while vast areas remain underserved.
• This creates an urban paradox, prosperity for some, heightened lifestyle disease risks for many.

Fragmented Urban Planning and Its Health Consequences

• India’s rapid urbanisation has been accompanied by fragmented planning. Transport networks, housing developments, and environmental systems often evolve in isolation.
• Such disjointed growth locks in sedentary lifestyles, increases emissions, and reduces access to natural spaces.
• Expressways deepen car dependence; concentrated fast-food zones shape unhealthy diets; and gridlocked roads intensify exposure to PM2.5, a major trigger for heart attacks and strokes.
• Without health-oriented design, cities unintentionally create environments that endanger cardiovascular health.

Towards Health-Centred Urban Design

• Integrated planning offers a path toward healthier cities.
• The experience of global Healthy Cities initiatives shows that embedding health into urban governance reduces chronic disease risks.
• Coordinating land use, mobility, environment and public health can reshape Indian cities into more resilient and human-centred spaces.
• Five pillars underpin heart-healthy urban planning:
  • Walkability and Active Mobility: Shaded sidewalks, cycling lanes and safe pedestrian crossings encourage routine physical activity, lowering hypertension and diabetes risk.
  • Green Infrastructure: Tree cover, urban forests and parks cool neighbourhoods, filter air and reduce heat stress, cutting pollution-linked cardiovascular events.
  • Mixed Land Use: Combining residential, commercial and recreational spaces reduces commute times and promotes active living, making neighbourhoods more liveable.
  • Robust Public Transport: Affordable, clean-energy systems cut emissions, shorten sedentary travel and improve access for low-income groups.
  • Healthy Food Ecosystems: Local markets, community gardens and limits on junk-food advertising improve dietary choices and support heart-friendly habits.
• Together, these interventions create compact, green and transit-friendly urban environments that support healthy lifestyles and reduce pollution.

Invisible Threats and Technological Remedies

• Many urban risks remain unseen but deadly. PM2.5 from vehicles and industry, heat trapped by concrete-heavy layouts, and inadequate water and waste systems significantly worsen cardiovascular health.
• Without intervention, Asia could face a 91% rise in cardiovascular mortality by 2050.
• Holistic planning can mitigate these threats. Expanding green cover improves ventilation; renewable energy lowers emissions; and modern water and waste systems reduce toxic exposure.
• Digital tools, AI-enabled sensors, heat-mapping platforms and citizen-reporting apps, make invisible risks visible, enabling targeted urban action and strengthening public preparedness.

Equity: The Foundation of a Healthy City

• Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects low-income communities, which endure the worst air quality, the least greenery, the poorest connectivity and the scarcest health services.
• The disease burden among marginalised groups has risen sharply, underscoring structural inequities.
• To create healthier cities, equity must anchor all planning decisions.
• Prioritising vulnerable neighbourhoods, conducting equity audits and ensuring community involvement can prevent green gentrification, where improvements displace those they aim to benefit.
• Such participation strengthens trust, embeds prevention in daily life and supports national health initiatives.

Conclusion

• Cardiovascular disease reflects not only individual choices but the design of cities themselves.
• The air people breathe, the routes they travel and the spaces they inhabit shape health outcomes profoundly.
• As India seeks urban solutions to its crises, the most enduring one lies in building cities that protect and strengthen the human heart.

Context

• India’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR 2.0) for 2025–29 arrives at a moment when AMR affects human health, veterinary practices, aquaculture, agriculture, waste systems and food chains.
• NAP-AMR 2.0 offers a strong scientific and strategic foundation, but its success hinges on robust Centre–State coordination.
• Antibiotic residues, resistant organisms and environmental discharge circulate across soil, water, livestock and markets, making AMR a quintessential One Health challenge that demands coordinated governance across sectors.

Evolution and Achievements of the First Plan

• The 2017 National Action Plan marked a major step in recognising AMR as a national priority.
• It advanced multi-sectoral engagement, expanded surveillance networks, improved laboratories and promoted stewardship.
• Importantly, it embedded AMR within a One Health framework that linked human, animal and environmental health.
• However, implementation remained uneven. Only a few States, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Sikkim and Punjab, developed formal State Action Plans, and even fewer advanced towards full implementation.
• Most States continued to rely on fragmented, sector-specific actions.
• The limited progress stemmed from the fact that health services, pharmacy regulation, veterinary oversight, agricultural practices, food-chain safety and waste governance fall largely under State jurisdiction.

NAP-AMR 2.0: Advances and Strengthened Vision

• NAP-AMR 2.0 provides a more implementation-oriented and operationally specific framework. It outlines clearer timelines, resource planning and responsibilities.
• A critical improvement is the explicit recognition that the private sector delivers a major share of human and veterinary health services, and its involvement is essential for national AMR control.
• The plan deepens its One Health approach by strengthening attention to food systems, environmental contamination and waste management, which are major pathways for resistant organisms.
• It proposes integrated surveillance systems across human, animal, agricultural and environmental sectors, promoting more harmonised monitoring.
• In governance, NAP-AMR 2.0 elevates national oversight by placing intersectoral coordination under NITI Aayog through a dedicated Coordination and Monitoring Committee.
• It emphasises that every State and Union Territory should establish State AMR Cells and prepare State Action Plans aligned with the national framework, supported by a national dashboard for tracking progress.
• These shifts indicate a growing understanding of AMR as a multi-departmental development challenge, not just a technical health issue.

Persistent Gaps: The Missing Centre–State Mechanism

• Despite major improvements, a core structural limitation remains.
• The plan urges States to create AMR Cells and Action Plans but does not establish a mechanism to ensure compliance.
• There is no formal Centre–State review platform, no statutory requirement for States to notify plans, no joint monitoring process, and no financial incentives linked to implementation, such as under the National Health Mission.
• Because most AMR determinants lie under State authority, this absence of accountability structures is a critical weakness.
• Without mechanisms for political engagement and administrative follow-through, even a well-designed plan risks achieving limited impact.

The Path Forward: The Need for a Unified and Accountable Structure

• Effective implementation requires a clear Centre–State architecture.
• A national–State AMR council, chaired by the union Health minister and guided by NITI Aayog, could serve as the apex decision-making and review body connecting human health, veterinary systems, agriculture, aquaculture, food safety and environmental governance.
• State participation would strengthen if the Union Government formally requested all States to prepare and notify State AMR Action Plans with defined timelines and annual reviews.
• High-level communication through Chief Secretaries can elevate AMR on administrative agendas.
• Additionally, conditional financial support under the NHM, even modest, can enhance surveillance, stewardship, infection control and laboratory strengthening.

Conclusion

• AMR spreads through hospitals, farms, markets, food systems and waste streams; therefore, national plans cannot succeed without strong State participation.
• India now has an opportunity to build a coordinated, accountable model for AMR control that could serve as an international example.
• With political commitment, integrated governance and sustained support, NAP-AMR 2.0 can become a transformative milestone rather than a statement of intent.

About Norovirus:

• It is a common and highly contagious virus that causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines, a condition known as gastroenteritis.
• It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘winter vomiting bug’.
• Norovirus outbreaks usually happen seasonally in colder months.
• People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus, which spreads very easily and quickly.
• Transmission:
  • It gets transmitted from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces.
• Symptoms:
  • Vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramp, nausea, fever, and tiredness.
  • In extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.
• Treatment:
  • Most people recover completely without treatment.
  • No vaccines are currently available to prevent norovirus.
  • It is important to maintain hydration in the acute phase.
  • In extreme cases, patients have to be administered rehydration fluids intravenously.

What is the Difference Between Norovirus and the Stomach Flu?

• Norovirus causes gastroenteritis, which some people may call the “stomach flu.”
• The influenza virus causes respiratory flu, not gastroenteritis.

About Sariska Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Alwar district, Rajasthan.
• It is a part of the Aravali Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests eco-region.
• It became a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1979.
• It holds the distinction of being the world's first reserve to successfully relocate tigers after local extinction due to poaching in 2004.
• It is also famous for old temples, palaces, and lakes such as Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajabgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake, and Jai Samand Lake.
• Topography: It possesses a rocky landscape, scrub thorn arid forests, grasses, hilly cliffs, and semi-deciduous wood.
• Vegetation: The vegetation of Sariska corresponds to Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Northern Tropical Thorn
• Flora:
  • The area of this reserve is covered with dhok trees.
  • Other species found include salar, kadaya, gol, ber, Banyan, gugal, bamboo, kair, adusta, etc.
• Fauna: A variety of other wild animals, like the leopard, sambhar, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, wild boar etc are found in the reserve apart from the tiger.

About Svalbard:

• It is a Norwegian archipelago that is situated in the Arctic Ocean, to the north of the European mainland.
• It is located about halfway between the North Pole and the northern part of Norway.
• It is the northernmost place in the world with a permanent population.
• Discovery: It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz in 1596.
• The Svalbard Treaty, 1920 established Norwegian sovereignty over the Svalbard Islands.
• Spitsbergen is the largest and most populous
  • The island is bounded by the Arctic Ocean, the Greenland Sea, and the Norwegian Sea.
  • The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is also located on Spitsbergen. It is the largest backup facility for the world’s crop diversity.
• Climate: The archipelago features an Arctic climate, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude.
• Due to its location in the northern part of the Arctic Circle, the Svalbard Islands experience the midnight sun during the summer months and polar night during the winter months.
• Vegetation consists mostly of lichens and mosses; the only trees are the tiny polar willow and the dwarf birch.
• Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer, the arctic fox, and certain marine mammals.

Key Facts about Walrus:

• It is a large mammal that lives in the cold Arctic seas of Europe, Asia, and North America.
• It is closely related to the seals.
• The walrus can be told apart from seals by the two large upper teeth, called tusks, that stick down from its mouth.
• Scientific Name: Odobenus rosmarus.
• There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) and the Pacific walrus (O. rosmarus divergens).
• Features:
  • The walrus has a stocky body and a rounded head.
  • It has flippers instead of legs. Its mouth is covered with stiff whiskers.
  • The skin is wrinkled and grayish brown. A thick layer of fat below the skin, called blubber, keeps the walrus warm.
• Conservation Status: Vulnerable.

About Ramban Sulai Honey:

• Ramban Sulai Honey, produced in the Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir, is known for its rich taste, aromatic floral undertones, and high nutritional value.
• Extracted from Sulai plants growing in the Himalayas, it is valued for its medicinal properties and purity.
• The bees forage on the nectar of snow-white blossoms of Sulai during the months of August to October to produce this well-rounded, naturally sweet honey with floral undertones.
• This crystal-clear honey, ranging from white to amber, contains essential minerals, enzymes, and vitamins that enhance its health benefits.
• Due to superior bee strains and favourable climatic conditions, the honey yield in Ramban is significantly higher than in other regions.
• It earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2021.
• The Government of India declared Ramban Sulai Honey as the district’s “One District, One Product.”