Why in news?

India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released new GDP estimates to provide a more accurate picture of the economy.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) represents the total market value of all final goods and services produced within India’s borders and indicates the overall size and prosperity of the economy.

Since economies change over time in terms of prices, consumption patterns, and production, GDP calculations are periodically revised.

In the latest revision, 2022–23 has been adopted as the new base year for GDP calculations. Updated GDP figures for subsequent years have been released, and earlier data will be revised accordingly.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• New GDP Series and Improvements in Data Quality
• Key Takeaways from the New GDP Series

New GDP Series and Improvements in Data Quality

• The National Statistics Office (NSO) has released a new GDP series to improve the accuracy of India’s economic data.
• The revision incorporates richer data sources from both formal and informal sectors, updates estimation methods, and addresses criticisms of earlier GDP calculations.
• This new series is designed to better reflect the changing structure of the Indian economy.
• The new series uses GST data to improve quarterly GDP estimates. It also captures the informal sector more accurately through annual surveys of unincorporated enterprises.
• Additionally, the issue of double deflation in agriculture and manufacturing has been addressed, and several key economic ratios have been updated using recent studies.

Key Takeaways from the New GDP Series

• Revision in the Size of the Economy
  • The new GDP series released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) shows that the size of India’s economy is smaller than previously estimated.
  • For example:
    • 2022–23 GDP is now estimated at ₹261 lakh crore, instead of the earlier estimate of ₹269 lakh crore.
    • For the current financial year, GDP is estimated at ₹345 lakh crore, compared to ₹357 lakh crore earlier.
  • This downward revision changes several related economic indicators.
• Lower Per Capita Income
  • Per capita income represents the average income of a person in a country, calculated by dividing GDP by the population.
  • Under the old estimates, the average annual income of an Indian in 2025–26 was about ₹2,51,393.
  • Under the new estimates, it is ₹2,43,180, or roughly ₹20,265 per month.
  • This shows that the average income level in India is lower than previously believed.
• India Further from the $5 Trillion Target
  • The $5 trillion economy target is based on nominal GDP, which measures the value of goods and services at current market prices without adjusting for inflation.
  • For international comparison, nominal GDP in rupees is converted into US dollars using the exchange rate.
• Effect of the New GDP Series
  • Earlier estimates suggested that India’s GDP in 2025–26 had crossed $4 trillion.
  • However, two factors have changed this:
    • Downward revision of nominal GDP, and
    • Depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar.
  • Assuming an exchange rate of ₹88 per dollar, India’s GDP is now estimated at around $3.9 trillion.
  • As a result, India is now further away from the $5 trillion economy milestone than previously thought.

Why in the News?

• A new interim update to the State of the World’s Migratory Species Report warns that nearly half of the world’s migratory species populations are declining and many face growing extinction risks.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• World’s Migratory Species Report (Background, Objectives, etc.)
• Key Findings of the Latest Report

State of the World’s Migratory Species Report

• The State of the World’s Migratory Species Report is a global assessment that evaluates the conservation status of migratory animals across the world.
• It is prepared under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a legally binding international treaty established in 1979 under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The report provides comprehensive scientific information on migratory species, their population trends, conservation status, and the threats they face across their migratory routes.
• The first global State of the World’s Migratory Species Report, released in 2024, was the first comprehensive global assessment of migratory wildlife. It covered 1,189 species listed under the CMS treaty and also analysed trends among more than 3,000 additional migratory species
• The report uses scientific data from sources such as the IUCN Red List, population monitoring studies, and scientific literature to evaluate extinction risks and population changes.

Importance of Migratory Species

• Migratory species play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting human livelihoods. For example:

• Migratory birds help in pollination and pest control.
• Marine animals such as whales and fish help maintain ocean food chains.
• Migratory herds on land distribute nutrients and shape ecosystems across landscapes.

• These species are also important for cultural traditions, tourism, and food systems in many parts of the world.
• However, migration itself creates vulnerability. If a single habitat along their migration route is destroyed, the entire migration chain may collapse. Protecting migratory species, therefore, requires coordinated conservation efforts across multiple countries.

Major Findings of the Latest Report

• Declining Populations of Migratory Species
  • The report highlights alarming trends in migratory wildlife populations.
  • Around 49% of migratory species populations protected under the CMS treaty are declining.
  • Approximately 24% of these species now face the risk of extinction.
  • This represents a worsening situation compared to earlier assessments, with the proportion of declining species increasing by about 5 percentage points in just two years.
  • Out of the 1,189 species listed under the CMS, nearly 582 species show declining population trends.
• Rising Extinction Risks
  • The report found that 26 migratory species have moved into higher extinction-risk categories on the IUCN Red List.
  • Among these, 18 are migratory shorebirds, highlighting severe threats to coastal and wetland ecosystems.
  • Many migratory animals affected include:

• Birds such as cranes and pelicans
• Ungulates like wildebeest
• Freshwater fish species
• Marine animals such as sharks, rays, and turtles
• These findings underline the growing vulnerability of migratory wildlife across multiple ecosystems.

• Habitat Loss and Overexploitation as Major Threats
  • The report identifies habitat loss and overexploitation as the two biggest threats facing migratory species globally.
  • Human activities have disrupted key migratory routes and habitats. Examples include:

• Urban expansion
• Infrastructure development
• Agriculture
• Overfishing and hunting
• Infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, fences, and pipelines are creating barriers that block migration paths of large animals such as ungulates in Central Asia.
• Because migratory species depend on multiple habitats along their routes, damage at even one location can significantly affect their survival.

• Emerging Threat from Avian Influenza
  • The report also highlights the growing impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) on migratory wildlife.
  • The disease has caused mass mortality events among several migratory bird species and has also affected marine mammals.
  • Species impacted include:

• African Penguins
• Humboldt Penguins
• Peruvian Pelicans
• Red-crowned Cranes
• Marine mammals such as the South American Sea Lion and South American Fur Seal have also been affected.
• Disease outbreaks add to existing pressures from habitat loss and climate change.

• Progress in Conservation Efforts
  • Despite the overall decline, the report notes some encouraging conservation successes.
  • Seven migratory species listed under CMS have shown improvements in conservation status, including:

• Saiga Antelope
• Scimitar-horned Oryx
• Mediterranean Monk Seal
• These examples demonstrate that coordinated conservation actions across countries can help restore populations of endangered migratory species.

• Importance of Key Biodiversity Areas
  • The report identified 9,372 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) that are important habitats for migratory species.
  • However, 47% of these areas currently lack protection, leaving many critical migratory habitats vulnerable to human pressures.
  • Strengthening protection of these areas is essential for ensuring the survival of migratory species.

Why in News?

• Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, disruptions in maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial global energy chokepoint—have threatened India’s supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
• Given that over 80% of India’s LPG imports pass through this route, the Government of India has invoked emergency provisions under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to safeguard domestic cooking gas supplies for over 33 crore households.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has directed all oil refiners in India to maximise LPG production and prioritise domestic consumption, preventing diversion to petrochemical manufacturing.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Government’s Emergency Directive
• India’s LPG Demand–Supply Dynamics
• Diversifying Energy Supply Sources
• Energy Security and Strategic Reserves
• Impact on Natural Gas and LNG Supply
• Challenges for India
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Government’s Emergency Directive:

• Invoking the Essential Commodities Act, 1955:
  • The government issued the order under -
    • Section 3 of the Act
    • Petroleum Products (Maintenance of Production, Storage and Supply) Order, 1999
  • These provisions allow the government to regulate production, supply, and distribution of essential commodities during emergencies.
• Key provisions of the Order:
  • Refining companies must maximise LPG production.
  • Propane and Butane streams must be used only for LPG production.
  • Refiners are prohibited from diverting these streams for petrochemicals.
  • All LPG produced must be supplied to public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
• Role of public sector OMCs:
  • The three major OMCs responsible for domestic LPG supply are Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
  • These companies supply almost the entire LPG demand of Indian households.

India’s LPG Demand–Supply Dynamics:

• High import dependence:
  • The country’s LPG consumption in 2024-25 was around 31 million tonnes of LPG, of which just about 13 million tonnes was the domestic production, which translates to import dependency of around 58%.
  • The disruption in Hormuz shipping lanes therefore creates significant supply vulnerability.
• Sources of LPG imports: India traditionally imports LPG from West Asian countries such as: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait.
• Strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz:
  • The Strait of Hormuz is among the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
  • For India, 80% of LPG, 40% of crude oil, and over 50% of LNG imports pass through it.
  • Any disruption here poses serious energy security risks.

Diversifying Energy Supply Sources:

• LPG import agreement: India recently signed an LPG supply deal with the United States.
• Key features of the agreement: 2.2 million tonnes LPG imports in 2026, around 10% of India’s annual LPG imports, and supply from the US Gulf Coast. This agreement aims to reduce India’s dependence on West Asian suppliers.
• Engagement with global traders: India is also coordinating with international traders and suppliers (Vitol, Trafigura, ADNOC Trading). The objective is to secure additional crude oil and LPG cargoes from alternative markets.

Energy Security and Strategic Reserves:

• Current oil and fuel stocks:
  • Indian refiners currently have crude oil stocks to last around 25 days, and around half of these would be replenished on an ongoing basis as supply from non-Hormuz regions continues unabated.
  • India also has strategic petroleum reserves that are currently estimated to hold crude reserves for another week or so of the country’s daily oil consumption of 5.6 million bpd.
  • Additionally, Indian refiners have sufficient stocks of major fuels like petrol, diesel, and LPG for another 25 days’ of domestic demand.
• Strategic Petroleum Reserves: India maintains emergency reserves at facilities such as Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur Strategic Petroleum Reserves. These reserves act as a buffer against external supply shocks.

Impact on Natural Gas and LNG Supply:

• Vulnerability in LNG supply: India’s cushion is thinner in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector because LNG stockpiling is technically difficult. India is the world’s 4th-largest LNG importer.
• Supply disruptions: Petronet LNG Limited has issued force majeure notices to supplier (QatarEnergy), and domestic gas off-takers. QatarEnergy has also indicated a possible production halt due to the conflict.
• Domestic gas allocation:
  • Natural gas in India is allocated based on priority sectors, including city gas distribution (PNG & CNG), fertiliser industry, power sector.
  • If shortages worsen, the government may reprioritise allocation to ensure supply to critical sectors.

Challenges for India

• Limited domestic LPG production: Despite large refining capacity, propane and butane production is limited.
• LNG storage constraints: Unlike crude oil, LNG storage infrastructure is limited, reducing the ability to build strategic reserves.
• Global price volatility: Conflict situations often lead to spikes in energy prices, affecting fiscal stability and subsidies.

Way Forward:

• Diversification: India must expand imports from the US, Africa, and Latin America to reduce reliance on West Asia.
• Expanding: Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) and exploring LNG storage solutions is essential.
• Boosting: Domestic gas exploration and refining efficiency can increase LPG availability.
• Transition: Accelerating adoption of electric cooking, Biogas and compressed biogas (CBG), and Green hydrogen.
• Cooperation: Strengthening maritime security and diplomatic coordination to ensure safe sea lanes of communication (SLOCs).

Conclusion:

• The government’s decision to invoke emergency provisions reflects a proactive effort to safeguard India’s energy security and household welfare during a volatile geopolitical situation.
• While short-term measures such as maximising LPG production and diversifying imports provide temporary relief, long-term resilience will depend on energy diversification, strategic reserves, and accelerated transition to alternative fuels.
• Strengthening these pillars is critical for insulating India’s economy and citizens from future global energy shocks.

Context

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming modern societies by reshaping communication, innovation, and governance.
• In India, conversations around AI intensified following the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held in February.
• While AI offers immense potential for technological growth and economic development, it also raises serious ethical concerns, particularly regarding women’s safety in digital spaces.
• On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, it becomes essential to address the growing risks posed by AI misuse, online harassment, and digital violence.

Rising Digital Threats Against Women

• With the expansion of internet access, women increasingly face online harassment, cyberbullying, doxxing, and digital humiliation.
• Studies estimate that between 16% and 58% of women have experienced some form of online abuse.
• These incidents demonstrate that gender-based violence is no longer confined to physical spaces but has expanded into the digital ecosystem.
• In the physical world, individuals may adopt certain precautions to enhance safety, although such measures are not always effective.
• However, in digital spaces, protection becomes far more difficult due to the anonymity of perpetrators, rapid content circulation, and limited platform accountability.

The Rise of Deepfakes and AI-Driven Abuse

• Deepfakes involve the use of AI to create manipulated images, fabricated videos, or synthetic audio that falsely portray individuals saying or doing things they never did.
• These technologies have been increasingly used to create non-consensual sexualised content, disproportionately targeting women.
• Controversies involving the AI chatbot Grok AI developed by xAI illustrate the potential misuse of such tools.
• Reports indicate that AI systems can be exploited to generate sexualised deepfakes, leading to severe psychological harm, social stigma, and privacy violations.
• In societies already struggling with gender inequality and violence against women, such misuse of technology deepens existing vulnerabilities.

Significant Challenge in Addressing AI-Related Harms: Gender Gap in AI Development

• Research by UN Women shows that many deepfake tools, largely designed by male developers, rarely target images of men, reflecting potential algorithmic bias and design imbalance.
• Data from the United Nations Development Programme indicates that women constitute only about 22% of AI professionals, with fewer than 14% occupying senior roles.
• This lack of gender diversity limits the range of perspectives influencing technological design and policy.
• Greater inclusion of women in AI research, innovation ecosystems, and technology leadership can significantly improve the development of safer digital tools.
• Diverse teams are more likely to identify ethical risks, strengthen content moderation systems, and design technologies that promote inclusive digital environments.
• Integrating women’s experiences into technological design can reshape the ethical foundations of AI and ensure that innovation benefits society more equitably.

Effective Measures to Prevent the Misuse of AI

• Strengthening Legal and Regulatory Frameworks
  • Strong cyber laws, timely investigations, and firm platform responsibility are necessary to protect individuals from digital harm.
  • In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has introduced guidelines requiring online intermediaries to remove deepfake content within three hours of receiving a takedown notice.
  • Although debates continue regarding implementation challenges and oversight mechanisms, such policies represent important steps toward digital governance and legal accountability.
  • Strengthening regulatory frameworks can help curb AI misuse, ensure faster responses to harmful content, and protect victims from irreversible reputational damage.
• Promoting Digital Safety Education
  • A large proportion of internet users today are children and young adults, often referred to as digital natives because of their constant interaction with technology.
  • Since nearly one-third of internet users belong to this group, integrating digital safety education into school curricula is crucial.
  • Students should be educated about online consent, cyber ethics, AI misuse, and responsible technology use.
  • Awareness programmes can help young users recognise risks such as deepfake manipulation, online exploitation, and cyber harassment.
  • Building a culture of responsible digital behaviour from an early age can significantly reduce future misuse of AI technologies.

Conclusion

• Artificial Intelligence will continue to influence economic growth, governance, and everyday life. Resisting technological change is neither realistic nor sustainable.
• However, ensuring that AI development aligns with ethical responsibility, gender equality, and digital safety is essential.
• Protecting women in digital spaces requires a comprehensive approach that includes ethical AI design, greater female participation in technology, robust legal frameworks, and widespread digital education.
• As the world observes International Women’s Day, prioritising women’s digital safety becomes a critical step toward building a secure, inclusive, and responsible digital future.

Context

• International Women’s Day, observed on March 8, highlights the global demand for equal rights, justice, and meaningful action for women and girls.
• The significance of the day in 2026 is reinforced by its recognition as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, drawing attention to the crucial yet under-recognised role of women in agriculture.
• In India, women contribute extensively to agri-food systems, yet they remain largely excluded from legal recognition, land ownership, and access to institutional support.
• The disconnect between progressive laws and everyday realities reveals deep structural inequalities that affect women farmers’ economic security, health, and nutritional well-being.

The Invisibility of Women Farmers

• Most agricultural land and property continue to be registered in men’s names due to patrilineal inheritance, social norms, and administrative barriers.
• Women who manage day-to-day farming operations, purchasing inputs, supervising labour, and maintaining cultivation, often do so without formal recognition as farmers.
• The absence of legal ownership has significant consequences. Many agricultural programmes require documentation linked to land ownership, which excludes women from institutional credit, crop insurance, irrigation schemes, extension services, and climate-resilient technologies.
• Such eligibility conditions create systemic barriers that reinforce women’s marginalisation in agriculture.
• Consequently, their labour remains undervalued, and their central role in rural food production remains largely invisible.

The Feminisation of Agriculture and Its Challenges

• The increasing migration of men from rural areas has led to the feminisation of agriculture, with women assuming greater responsibility for cultivation, risk management, and household food provisioning.
• While this transition could potentially enhance women’s agency, it often results in greater workloads without corresponding access to resources.
• Women farmers frequently balance productive work in the fields with reproductive responsibilities such as childcare, cooking, and household management.
• The lack of drudgery-reduction technologies and an adequate care ecosystem, intensifies this burden, creating severe time poverty.

Nutrition, Health, and Intergenerational Consequences

• Maternal undernutrition and anaemia contribute to low birth weight, stunting, and impaired child development.
• Rural diets often remain heavily cereal-centric, lacking sufficient pulses, fruits, vegetables, and animal-source foods necessary for balanced nutrition.
• India has introduced an extensive right-to-food framework through the National Food Security Act, which guarantees subsidised cereals, supplementary nutrition for pregnant and lactating women, and maternity entitlements.
• Some states have expanded programmes to include millets and fortified foods.
• However, improvements in women’s nutritional outcomes remain uneven, and anaemia rates continue to raise concern.

The Gap Between Entitlements and Reality

• Welfare schemes often remain focused on cereal distribution rather than diverse and nutrient-dense foods.
• Frontline workers, responsible for delivering welfare programmes, are frequently overburdened, which affects the quality-of-service delivery and community awareness.
• At the same time, increasing digitalisation of welfare systems has introduced new barriers for women lacking digital literacy, documentation, or reliable connectivity.
• As a result, many women farmers struggle to fully claim and benefit from their legal entitlements to food and social protection.

Key Priorities for Empowering Women Farmers

• First, improving the visibility of women farmers in law, policy, and gender-disaggregated data is essential.
  • Recognising a farmer based on agricultural activities rather than land ownership ensures inclusion of landless cultivators, sharecroppers, agricultural labourers, and tribal gatherers.
• Second, strengthening women’s land rights and access to productive resources such as water, credit, and common lands is critical.
  • Measures such as joint spousal titles, enforcement of inheritance laws, and gender-sensitive land registration processes can enhance women’s economic security and decision-making power.
• Third, aligning food systems and social safety nets with nutritional objectives is essential.
  • Public procurement policies should support the cultivation of nutri-cereals, pulses, fruits, and vegetables by small-scale women farmers and distribute them through public distribution systems, Anganwadis, and school meal programmes.
• Fourth, women farmers must gain equitable access to agricultural technologies and extension services.
  • Labour-saving tools can reduce physical strain and time poverty, while improved access to training, market information, and sustainable farming practices strengthens women’s agency, productivity, and resilience.

Women as Drivers of Sustainable Agriculture

• When women farmers gain access to knowledge, resources, and institutional support, they often become leaders in climate-resilient agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and nutrition-sensitive farming.
• Their participation enhances household food security, strengthens community resilience, and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.
• Empowering women farmers is therefore not only a matter of gender justice but also a crucial strategy for building resilient food systems and sustainable rural development.

Conclusion

• Achieving the goals of Rights, Justice, Action requires more than symbolic recognition of women’s contributions.
• Recognising women as farmers, securing their land rights, ensuring access to productive resources, and enabling them to fully claim their right to food and nutrition are essential steps toward an equitable and sustainable future.
• Strengthening women’s position in agriculture will promote equity, improve nutrition outcomes, and build a more resilient India where those who feed the nation can also achieve dignity, recognition, and well-being.