PIB Summary- 21th April, 2025 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Largest-Ever Representation of 74 Women IAS Officers in a Batch of 180, Nearly 41 Percent

​Historic Women Representation in Civil Services

• Record-breaking Participation: 74 women in a batch of 180 IAS officers (~41%)—the highest-ever female representation.
• Trend of Gender Inclusion: Reflects deepening gender parity in elite government services.
• Policy Outcome: Attributed to the consistent focus on women-led development.
• Symbolic Shift: Moves the civil services closer to being gender-inclusive and more representative of India’s demographic profile.

Broader Diversity and Democratization of Civil Services

• Geographical Spread: Increased selections from Punjab, Haryana, and the North-East—traditionally underrepresented regions.
• Educational Diversity: 99 engineers, alongside professionals from medicine and technical fields.
• Age Advantage: Officers aged 22–26—implying a longer career span and greater adaptability to tech-driven governance.

Vision for Civil Services Reform and Capacity Building

• Civil service reform is undergoing a foundational shift through Mission Karmayogi (NPCSCB)—a competency-based, role-driven approach to training.

Key Aspects of Mission Karmayogi:

• iGOT Karmayogi platform for anytime-anywhere digital learning.
• Capacity Building Commission to monitor training quality and outcomes.
• Annual Capacity Building Plans for ministries tailored to real-time functional needs.

Assistant Secretary Programme:

• Initiated in 2015 by PM Modi.
• Provides 8-week exposure to 46 Central Ministries.
• Early grooming in policy formulation and bureaucratic functioning.

Impact of Programme:

• Strengthens real-time decision-making.
• Proven success during COVID-19 for district-level crisis management.
• Marks its 10th anniversary in 2025, signifying institutional maturity.

Technology, Innovation & Governance

• Tech-Literate Bureaucracy: Encouragement to embrace platforms like iGOT Karmayogi for continuous learning.
• Technocrats as Assets: Engineers and technical professionals vital for implementing flagship schemes (e.g., Digital India, Smart Cities).

Bridging the Digital Divide:

• Swamitva Yojana as a case in point—leveraging drones to democratize land rights.
• Technology seen as a “great leveller” in governance access.

Human-Centric and Responsive Governance

• 98% resolution rate, ~26 lakh cases, average disposal time of 13 days.
• Incorporation of ‘human desk’ for emotional closure—beyond technical fixes.
• Emphasis on Empathy: Governance framed not just as procedural but deeply human and emotional in nature.

Long-Term Administrative Vision: 
Viksit Bharat @2047

• Call to Service: Officers urged to align with the vision of a fully developed India by 2047.
• Emphasis on Antyodaya—uplifting the most marginalized.
• Future-Ready Bureaucracy: Advocacy for flexible cadre rules—officers can gain external experience and return as domain specialists.
• Potential model for “dynamic civil services,” promoting both innovation and institutional memory.

Knowledge Continuity and Retirement Engagement

• Digital Repository of Expertise: Encourages retired officers to contribute post-retirement.
• Promotes inter-generational knowledge transfer.
• Anubhav Awards: Incentivize officers to document experiences for institutional learning and mentorship.

Indian Air Force Participates In Multinational Exercise Desert Flag 10 in UAE

Context and Composition

• Venue: Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE
• Dates: 21 April – 8 May 2025

IAF Assets Deployed:

• MiG-29 – air superiority fighter (multi-role capability)
• Jaguar – deep penetration strike aircraft

Other Participating Nations:

• Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States

Highlights

• India’s inclusion among top global air powers

Objectives of Exercise

• Combat Readiness: Engaging in complex, multilateral air combat scenarios to test readiness under real-time stress.
• Knowledge Exchange: Sharing best practices and operational strategies among elite air forces.
• Interoperability Enhancement: Fosters joint planning, coordination, and execution of air operations across different doctrines and technologies.
• Strategic Signaling: Asserts India’s defence diplomacy and growing aerospace capabilities in a multipolar security environment.

Strategic and Geopolitical Relevance

• Reinforces India-UAE defence ties, which have seen growing cooperation in joint exercises, port calls, and strategic dialogues.
• Enhances India’s presence in West Asia (Middle East)—a critical region for energy, diaspora, and strategic interests.
• Helps India build trust-based relationships with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and NATO partners.

Showcasing Air Force Capabilities

• Deployment of older platforms like MiG-29 and Jaguar in advanced air combat drills reflects:
• Continued relevance through upgradation (e.g., MiG-29 UPG variants).
• Strategic balance between legacy systems and new inductions (like Rafale, Su-30MKI).
• Demonstrates IAF’s logistical and operational reach, sustaining missions abroad in harsh desert conditions.

Enhancing Multilateral Cooperation

• India aligns with like-minded democracies and key regional actors for cooperative security.
• Builds synergy for future humanitarian assistance, disaster relief (HADR), and joint peacekeeping missions.
• Reinforces India’s position as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Interoperability for Joint Operations

• Boosts technical and doctrinal compatibility with Western and regional air forces.
• Prepares India for combined operations in multi-domain warfare (air, space, cyber).
• Supports long-term goals of defence technology co-development and standardization.