UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 28 July 2026

K Radhakrishnan Committee: Blueprint for Secure and Transparent Exam Reform in India

July 28, 2026

K Radhakrishnan Committee Latest News

As the Supreme Court heard petitions, seeking changes to NEET examination conduct following the 2026 paper leak controversy, the Centre informed the court that it has constituted a high-powered committee under Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend the next phase of exam reforms.
The same day, the government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha to strengthen the anti-paper leak law. This has renewed attention on an earlier reform blueprint — the K Radhakrishnan Committee report.

Background: Why the K Radhakrishnan Committee Was Formed

Constituted in 2024 following the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak controversy, amid rising public concern over the integrity of entrance tests.
Headed by former ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, the committee submitted its report to the Ministry of Education in October 2024.
The report was prepared after 23 formal full-day physical sittings and more than 37,000 public responses received via the MyGov portal.
Its stated vision: transform the National Testing Agency (NTA) into "a nimble, zero-error, adaptive and integrative process."

Original and Expanded Mandate

Initial mandate: Improve examination processes, strengthen data security, and review the NTA's structure and functioning.
Expanded mandate: Following Supreme Court directions in Vanshika Yadav vs Union of India, additional terms of reference included examination security and administration, technological safeguards, policy and stakeholder engagement, international collaboration, staff training, and mental-health support for students.

Key Findings

The report rejected treating paper leaks as isolated incidents, instead identifying vulnerabilities across the entire "Testing Life Cycle" — from printing and transporting question papers to candidate verification, centre management, and grievance redressal.
It found the NTA operating as a "single window agency" despite having conducted over 240 examinations involving 5.4 crore candidates since inception, concluding its capacity and domain expertise needed significant augmentation.

Key Technological Recommendations

Computer-assisted Secure Pen-and-Paper Testing (CPPT)
- The report's central technological proposal, designed to eliminate breaches during printing, storage, and transportation of question papers.
- Encrypted papers would be transmitted electronically to secure servers at exam centres and printed shortly before the exam — while candidates continue writing conventional pen-and-paper tests.
- This eliminates long-distance transport of printed papers, reducing leak opportunities during transit.
DIGI-EXAM
- A digital authentication framework modelled on "Digi Yatra," ensuring only the candidate who wrote the exam joins the intended programme.
- Proposed continuous multi-stage authentication across application, examination, and admission stages using Aadhaar, biometrics, and AI-based analytics.

Institutional Overhaul of the NTA

Recommended recasting the NTA's Governing Body as an "empowered and accountable Apex Body", headed by a Director General not below the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
Proposed creating 10 dedicated verticals, including Nation-wide Testing Centre Infrastructure, Information Security, Vigilance and Forensics, and Research and Development.
Called for reduced dependence on outsourced agencies for critical examination functions.

Testing Centre Reforms

Recommended developing at least 1,000 "Secure Testing Centres" in phases at reputed government institutions, with adequate power supply, seating, technical support, phone lockers, ventilation, help desks, and family waiting areas.
Proposed mobile testing centre buses equipped with laptops and servers for remote/underserved regions, capable of serving around 150 candidates each.
For large-scale exams, recommended Multi-Session Testing spread over several days/weeks, with NEET-UG Multi-Stage Testing described as "a viable possibility."
Stressed transparent, well-documented score normalisation for multi-session exams.
Recommended long-term transition toward Computer Adaptive Testing, where question difficulty adjusts to candidate performance.

Student Welfare Focus

Recommended a dedicated mental-health cell within the NTA, tele-helplines, counselling services, and teacher sensitisation programmes.
Suggested a regulatory oversight mechanism for coaching institutes, citing concerns over student stress and financial burden on families.
Proposed equipping the NTA's Grievance Reporting and Redressal Cell with AI/ML-based chatbots offering clarifications in candidates' language of choice.

Implementation Mechanism

Recognising that expert reports often remain unimplemented, the committee proposed a high-powered steering committee under the Ministry of Education to oversee implementation "in mission mode and within a time frame" — mentoring the NTA, resolving bottlenecks, and submitting regular progress reports.

Conclusion

The K Radhakrishnan Committee offered a comprehensive, life-cycle approach to exam security — spanning technology, institutional capacity, and student welfare — yet much of it remains unimplemented nearly two years later, as evidenced by the 2026 NEET paper leak.
Its fate underscores a recurring governance challenge: robust reform blueprints often falter not for lack of vision, but for lack of sustained, accountable execution — a gap the new Nilekani-led committee will need to address.

Source: IE

K Radhakrishnan Committee FAQs

Q1: Why was the K Radhakrishnan Committee constituted?

Ans: The K Radhakrishnan Committee was formed after the NEET paper leak controversy to strengthen examination security, improve NTA functioning and recommend systemic reforms for public examinations.

Q2: What is the Computer-assisted Secure Pen-and-Paper Testing proposed by the K Radhakrishnan Committee?

Ans: The K Radhakrishnan Committee proposed encrypted electronic transmission of question papers for local printing at exam centres, eliminating transportation-related paper leak risks.

Q3: How does the K Radhakrishnan Committee propose to reform the National Testing Agency (NTA)?

Ans: The K Radhakrishnan Committee recommends restructuring the NTA through dedicated verticals, stronger leadership, reduced outsourcing and enhanced accountability for examination management.

Q4: What student welfare measures were recommended by the K Radhakrishnan Committee?

Ans: The K Radhakrishnan Committee suggested mental health cells, counselling services, AI-enabled grievance redressal and greater regulation of coaching institutes to reduce student stress.

Q5: Why is the K Radhakrishnan Committee important for India's examination reforms?

Ans: The K Radhakrishnan Committee presents a life-cycle approach to examination security by integrating technology, governance reforms, secure testing infrastructure and student-centric measures.

Education Ministry Reforms: Unfinished NEP 2020 Agenda and Challenges Ahead

July 28, 2026

Education Ministry Reforms Latest News

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi took additional charge of the Ministry of Education, succeeding Dharmendra Pradhan.
He inherits a wide range of structural education reforms initiated under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, many of which remain works-in-progress.

Context: Pradhan's Tenure

Dharmendra Pradhan's five-year tenure focused on ramping up implementation of NEP 2020, which the Union Cabinet had approved a year before he took charge.
His education reforms shared common threads: performance evaluation and accountability, skilling-education convergence, promotion of a particular vision of "Indianness,".
However, his ambitious goals were undercut by implementation gaps, and a push for uniformity that critics termed centralisation disregarding diversity.

Foundational Literacy: Nipun Bharat

Launched to address pandemic-era learning losses, Nipun Bharat aims to ensure every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27 — a core NEP recommendation.
Progress: ASER 2024 showed a 7-percentage-point gain in numeracy since 2018. PARAKH 2024 found Grade 3 students benefiting from the mission's first three years outperformed Grades 6 and 9 in language and math.
Gaps remain: Fewer than a quarter of students nationally could read a Grade 2-level text, and Grade 5 reading levels remained roughly at pre-pandemic levels — signalling implementation shortfalls that may necessitate a "Nipun Bharat 2.0."

Teacher Quality Initiatives

National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST): India's first initiative to assess and classify teachers as proficient, expert, or advanced against uniform national standards, with career progression tied to this ladder. Not yet rolled out.
National Mentoring Mission: Aims to identify mentor teachers to guide others up this ladder via online sessions. However, awareness among India's 1 crore teachers remains low, and impact assessments are yet to be formalised.
Since NPST itself hasn't launched, teachers have little incentive to engage with mentoring sessions.

Higher Education Reforms

Controversial UGC changes
- The 2025 draft UGC regulations on appointing teachers, Vice-Chancellors, and staff faced strong opposition — particularly for giving governors a decisive say in Vice-Chancellor appointments and for removing the cap on contractual professorships.
- New UGC undergraduate/postgraduate degree rules — built around flexibility and multidisciplinarity — have been formally in force since the 2025 academic year.
- However, institutions are still struggling with concepts like a commerce student studying science, or transferring credits via the National Credit Framework.
Education-skilling convergence
- Swayam Plus platform offers over 500 industry-developed courses across 15 sectors, including emerging technologies, with 6.5 lakh registrations.
- New "AI for All" modules (AI for Physics, AI for Chemistry, AI in Accounting, AI for Educators, AI/ML using Python) have drawn 1 lakh registrations.
- Key gaps: State university-affiliated colleges remain resistant to flexible credit systems, and there is minimal funding allocated to State universities to implement such flexibility.
- The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, meant to replace the UGC, notably lacks a grant-giving function — a core UGC role.

The Three-Language Policy Controversy

Pradhan pushed NEP adoption — particularly the three-language formula — by tying central funding for primary education schemes to state compliance.
Tamil Nadu remains a holdout, though West Bengal's new government has accepted it.
In CBSE schools, Pradhan mandated learning two Bharatiya languages from Classes 6 to 12, prioritising Indian languages over English.
Some relief was granted to current students, but the government has held firm on this as the norm going forward — even though NEP itself, while championing Indian languages, simultaneously emphasises learning English and other foreign languages.

Conclusion

Pralhad Joshi takes charge of an education agenda rich in ambition but uneven in execution — from foundational literacy gains undercut by persistent learning gaps, to higher education reforms hampered by funding shortfalls, to a language policy facing continued federal pushback.
Carrying these reforms to genuine completion, rather than just headline announcements, will define the next chapter of India's education transformation.

Source: TH | TI

Education Ministry Reforms FAQ

Q1: Why are Education Ministry Reforms entering a new phase?

Ans: Education Ministry Reforms are entering a new phase as the new leadership seeks to complete unfinished NEP 2020 initiatives while addressing implementation and funding challenges.

Q2: How have Education Ministry Reforms strengthened foundational literacy?

Ans: Education Ministry Reforms have advanced foundational literacy through the NIPUN Bharat Mission, although learning gaps continue to require sustained policy attention and implementation.

Q3: What teacher-related initiatives are part of the Education Ministry Reforms?

Ans: Education Ministry Reforms include the National Professional Standards for Teachers, the National Mentoring Mission and competency-based career progression to improve teacher quality.

Q4: Why do higher education remain a challenge under the Education Ministry Reforms?

Ans: Education Ministry Reforms face challenges due to funding constraints, slow adoption of flexible credit systems and resistance to multidisciplinary learning in many institutions.

Q5: Why are the Education Ministry Reforms significant for India's future?

Ans: Education Ministry Reforms are essential for improving learning outcomes, strengthening human capital, enhancing employability and ensuring successful implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.

Number of Rs. 100 Crore Income Earners Cross 500 in FY25

July 28, 2026

Income Earners Latest News

The Government informed Parliament that the number of individuals reporting a gross total income of Rs. 100 crore or more increased to 576 in Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, marking a fourfold rise over the past five years.

Background

The issue came into focus after the Ministry of Finance, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, shared data on taxpayers reporting gross total income of Rs. 100 crore or more.
The response was provided by the Minister of State for Finance in reply to a parliamentary question regarding the increasing number of billionaires in India.
The government clarified that there is no statutory definition of the term "billionaire" under either the Income-tax Act, 2025 or the erstwhile Income-tax Act, 1961.
Therefore, instead of providing data on billionaires based on wealth, it furnished statistics on individuals who reported an annual gross income of at least Rs. 100 crore in their Income Tax Returns (ITRs).
The latest figures indicate a significant increase in the number of ultra-high-income taxpayers.
At the same time, the government stated that it does not maintain data on the aggregate wealth of taxpayers, making income tax return statistics one of the few official sources for analysing the distribution of high incomes in the country.
The disclosure comes at a time when the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is conducting India's first National Household Income Survey, which aims to generate comprehensive data on household incomes, sources of income, and the impact of technology on wages.
The survey commenced in April 2026 and is expected to conclude in March 2027.

Key Highlights of the Government Data

Rise in Rs. 100 Crore Income Earners
- The number of individuals reporting a gross total income of Rs. 100 crore or more has increased substantially over the past five assessment years.
- The latest figure represents:
- A 39% increase over the previous assessment year
- More than a fourfold increase compared to AY 2021-22
Assessment Year and Financial Year
- The government clarified that an Assessment Year (AY) refers to the year in which income earned during the preceding Financial Year (FY) is assessed for tax purposes. For example: FY 2024-25 -> AY 2025-26.
- Thus, the latest data relates to income earned between April 2024 and March 2025.
No Official Definition of Billionaire
- The Ministry clarified that the term "billionaire" has no legal or statutory definition under India's income tax laws.
- While media reports often use the expression "rupee billionaire" for individuals earning at least Rs. 100 crore annually, the government officially reports only gross total income declared in Income Tax Returns, not billionaire status.
- It also noted that one billion rupees is equivalent to Rs. 100 crore, which explains the popular usage of the term "rupee billionaire."
No Official Wealth Database
- The government informed Parliament that it does not maintain data on the aggregate wealth of taxpayers. Consequently:
  - Official information is available on declared income, not on net wealth.
  - Estimates of wealth concentration generally rely on studies conducted by independent organisations rather than government databases.

Income Inequality in India

During the parliamentary discussion, the government was also asked whether it had studied the impact of increasing concentration of income and wealth on inequality, employment, investment, and inclusive growth.
Government's Position
- The government cited recent official data to indicate improvements in several socio-economic indicators.
Declining Gini Coefficient
- According to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24, the Gini Coefficient declined to 0.237 in rural areas & 0.284 in urban areas.
- The government stated that these figures indicate an improvement in consumption inequality.
Improvement in Labour Market Indicators
- The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above declined from 3.6% in 2022 to 3.1% in 2025.
- Labour markets have recovered beyond pre-pandemic levels in both rural and urban India.
Government Measures
- Progressive income tax structure
- Increased expenditure on food security
- Higher public spending on health and education
- Housing initiatives
- Expansion of social security programmes
Independent Estimates
- Independent studies present a different perspective on inequality.
- According to the World Inequality Report 2026, published by the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics:
  - The top 10% of income earners account for nearly 58% of India's national income.
  - The bottom 50% receive only about 15% of the national income.
  - The richest 10% own approximately 65% of total wealth.
  - The top 1% alone hold nearly 40% of the country's wealth.
The report concludes that income and wealth inequality in India remain among the highest globally.

Significance

The latest tax data provides important insights into the changing distribution of high-income taxpayers in India. It highlights:
- Rising number of individuals reporting very high incomes.
- Growing importance of tax return data for analysing income distribution.
- Need for reliable household income statistics.
- Continuing policy debate on income and wealth inequality.
- Importance of balancing economic growth with inclusive development.
The ongoing National Household Income Survey is expected to provide a more comprehensive picture of income distribution and complement existing tax-based data.

Source: IE | TOI

Income Earners FAQs

Q1: How many individuals reported an income of Rs. 100 crore or more in AY 2025-26?

Ans: According to the Ministry of Finance, 576 individuals reported a gross total income of at least Rs. 100 crore.

Q2: Does India have a statutory definition of a billionaire?

Ans: No. Neither the Income-tax Act, 2025 nor the Income-tax Act, 1961 provides a statutory definition of the term "billionaire."

Q3: What is the difference between an Assessment Year and a Financial Year?

Ans: A Financial Year (FY) is the year in which income is earned, while the Assessment Year (AY) is the following year in which that income is assessed for taxation.

Q4: What is the Gini Coefficient?

Ans: The Gini Coefficient is a statistical measure of inequality that indicates how evenly income or consumption is distributed within a population. A lower value represents greater equality.

Q5: What is the objective of the National Household Income Survey?

Ans: The survey aims to generate comprehensive data on household incomes, sources of income, and the impact of technology on wages, providing India with its first official nationwide household income database.

National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026 – Towards Fertilizer Self-Reliance

July 28, 2026

National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026 Latest News

Possible fertilizer shortages are expected during the ongoing kharif season, driven by geopolitical tensions in West Asia, increased fertilizer demand linked to El Niño, and concerns over excessive urea consumption.
Amid these concerns, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026.
The policy seeks to boost domestic urea production, reduce import dependence, and ensure long-term fertilizer security.

NIPU-2026

Reasons for launching:

- India remains heavily dependent on imported urea to bridge the gap between domestic production and rising demand.
- Global supply disruptions and volatile international markets have highlighted the need for greater self-reliance in fertilizer production.
- The policy aims to -
  - Encourage investment in new gas-based urea manufacturing plants.
  - Enhance domestic production capacity.
  - Strengthen India's fertilizer security and reduce import dependence.
Features: Compared with the previous policy framework, NIPU-2026 introduces several reforms -
- Separation of fixed and variable costs to improve transparency in pricing.
- Return on Equity (RoE) framework with a minimum (floor) of 12%, and maximum (ceiling) of 16%.
- Foreign exchange risk mitigation by converting fixed costs into Indian Rupees after four years based on prevailing exchange rates.
- Investment-friendly framework aimed at attracting both public and private sector participation.

Evolution of India’s Urea Policy

Earlier policy initiatives:
- 2012 and 2013: National Investment Policy introduced to encourage fresh investment.
- 2014 Amendment: Further incentives provided for new projects.
- 2015 Amendment: Focused on improving efficiency of existing gas-based plants.
Major outcomes:

- Six new urea plants were established: Four through Joint Venture Companies (JVCs) of nominated Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and two by private companies.
- India currently has 33 operational urea manufacturing units with an installed/reassessed capacity of 269.42 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT).
- Production from existing gas-based plants increased by 20–25 LMT annually after the 2015 reforms.
- Total domestic urea production rose from 225 LMT (2014–15) to 314.07 LMT (2023–24).
- Production during 2025–26 stood at 293.30 LMT, indicating continued fluctuations despite capacity expansion.
Urea availability during Kharif:
- Estimated requirement (2025–26) is 370.84 LMT, total availability is 432.44 LMT, and sale under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is 381.59 LMT.
- The Government has maintained that availability exceeds projected demand, helping avoid shortages during the kharif season.

India’s Fertiliser Subsidy Burden

Fertilizer subsidy remains one of the largest components of agricultural support.
Subsidy (2025–26):

- Total fertilizer subsidy: ₹2,17,281.10 crore
- Urea subsidy: ₹1,42,175.74 crore
- Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizer subsidy: Approximately ₹75,000 crore
- The government also provides limited support for organic fertilizers, though the allocation remains relatively small.
The rising subsidy bill reflects continued dependence on subsidised chemical fertilizers, especially urea.

DBT in Fertilisers and Balanced Fertiliser Use

DBT: Subsidised fertilizers are distributed through the DBT system, where -
- Sales occur through Point of Sale (PoS) devices at retail outlets.
- Beneficiaries are authenticated using Aadhaar, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Voter ID, and other approved identity documents.
- The system improves subsidy targeting, transparency and monitoring.
Government initiatives for balanced fertilizer use:
- Recognising the environmental costs of excessive urea application, the Government promotes Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), which advocates -
  - Balanced use of chemical fertilizers, organic manure, and bio-fertilizers.
  - Scientific nutrient management to improve soil health.
  - Sustainable crop productivity while maintaining long-term soil fertility.
- The Government has also promoted Nano Urea as an alternative to conventional urea. However, its adoption remains limited due to debates regarding its scientific efficacy and field-level performance.

Challenges and Way Forward

Challenges:
- Continued dependence on imports despite rising domestic capacity.
- Growing fertilizer subsidy burden.
- Overuse of urea leading to soil degradation, nutrient imbalance and environmental concerns.
- Slow adoption of sustainable alternatives such as organic fertilizers and Nano Urea.
Way forward:
- Accelerate investment in efficient gas-based fertilizer plants under NIPU-2026.
- Promote balanced nutrient application through INM and soil health management.
- Strengthen domestic production to reduce exposure to global supply disruptions.
- Encourage scientific validation and farmer awareness for innovative fertilizers.
- Improve subsidy efficiency while gradually promoting sustainable fertilizer practices.

Conclusion

The NIPU-2026 represents India's renewed push towards fertilizer self-reliance, improved investment climate and long-term food security.
While expanding domestic production is essential, sustainable nutrient management, rational fertilizer use and subsidy reforms will remain equally important to ensure agricultural productivity, fiscal prudence and environmental sustainability.

Source: TH

National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026 FAQs

Q1: How does the NIPU-2026 aim to strengthen India's fertilizer security?

Ans: By encouraging investment in gas-based urea plants, improving investment viability, reducing import dependence, etc.

Q2: Why does India's fertilizer subsidy continue to impose a significant fiscal burden?

Ans: Because subsidised urea prices, rising demand, and dependence on affordable fertilizer support keep subsidy expenditure high.

Q3: How does the DBT system improve fertilizer subsidy delivery in India?

Ans: It ensures targeted and transparent subsidy distribution through PoS devices linked with Aadhaar.

Q4: What is the role of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) in promoting sustainable agriculture?

Ans: INM advocates the balanced use of chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and bio-fertilizers to improve soil health.

Q5: What are the major challenges to achieving self-reliance in India's urea sector?

Ans: Persistent import dependence, rising subsidy burden, excessive urea consumption, global supply disruptions, etc.