Seventeen years into the BRICS project, its founding institutions like the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) remain deeply tied to the western financial system they claim to challenge. Despite rhetoric regarding de-dollarisation and alternative financial architectures, the NDB largely issues bonds and loans in U.S. dollars and co-finances projects with the World Bank and IMF. Furthermore, the CRA has never been activated and requires an IMF program for large withdrawals. Consequently, BRICS functions more as a platform for a greater seat at the existing global table rather than a radical systemic alternative.
The New Development Bank (NDB) relies heavily on U.S. dollars and co-financing with traditional western institutions rather than providing a true alternative.
The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) has never been activated in its decade of existence and mandates prior IMF program entry for significant currency withdrawals.
Declarations from BRICS summits increasingly avoid hard de-dollarisation stances due to member fears of western trade reprisals.
Exam Points
The New Development Bank (NDB) was launched in 2015 as the flagship creation of the BRICS grouping.
The U.S. holds 16.49% of IMF voting rights, giving it an effective veto over major decisions requiring an 85% supermajority.
The NDB's total project approvals reached $39 billion by the end of 2024, compared to the World Bank Group's annual commitments of roughly $100 billion.
India accounts for nearly 11% of global road traffic fatalities despite holding only 1% of the world's vehicular fleet. A recent Supreme Court petition highlighted the widespread non-compliance with seat belts, helmets, and child restraint systems, alongside issues of poor policing and tampering-prone manufacturing. Addressing this crisis requires moving beyond individual blame toward a systematic 'Safe System' approach. Governments must engineer safer roads, eliminate accident-prone locations, enforce strict speed management, and improve emergency trauma care rather than relying solely on judicial interventions or punitive fines.
India bears a disproportionate share of global road traffic fatalities despite a relatively small global vehicular fleet share.
Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians constitute the vast majority of road traffic casualties, highlighting structural safety vulnerabilities.
A comprehensive 'Safe System' approach requires infrastructural design that accommodates human error instead of solely penalizing individual road users.
Exam Points
Road Transport Ministry data from 2024 indicates that two-wheeler riders constituted 46.2% and pedestrians 20.6% of total road deaths.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act was enacted in 2019 to incorporate frameworks to prevent road traffic deaths.
India accounts for approximately 11% of global road traffic fatalities while holding only 1% of the world's vehicular fleet.
The tragic collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan, South Delhi, which killed seven people, has exposed the precarious living conditions and widespread regulatory failures governing student paying guest accommodations. With institutional hostel capacity at Delhi University drastically trailing student enrolment numbers, a parallel housing economy of unauthorized building extensions, illegal basements, and flouted safety norms has flourished. The incident highlights systemic apathy from property owners, lax municipal enforcement, and the urgent need for city-wide safety audits and strict licensing requirements for private student housing.
The severe shortage of university hostels has fueled an unregulated parallel housing market of illegal building extensions and commercial PGs.
Unauthorised structural alterations, including illegal basement excavations and heavy load additions, contributed directly to the building's structural failure.
Municipal authorities faced severe criticism for a lack of proactive inspections and enforcement actions against illegal commercial operations in residential zones.
Exam Points
Delhi University has over 2.5 lakh students in conventional programs, but its total hostel capacity is estimated at only around 9,000 beds.
The building collapse in Satya Niketan on September 6, 2026, resulted in seven deaths and led to the suspension of five municipal officials.
Criminal cases were registered under Sections 105, 290, and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The International Border in Punjab has witnessed an alarming surge in cross-border drone incursions orchestrated by hostile agencies to smuggle weapons, fake currency, and narcotics. Despite a multi-tiered security fence and counter-drone technologies deployed by the BSF and Punjab Police, smugglers exploit geographical gaps, adverse weather, and agricultural terrains to drop contraband. Combating this persistent security challenge requires continuous technological upgrades, real-time community intelligence networks, and advanced anti-drone systems featuring automated tracking and neutralisation capabilities.
Cross-border drone infiltration has become a primary tactical method for smuggling arms and narcotics across the Punjab International Border.
Security forces utilize advanced anti-drone systems equipped with radio frequency jamming and GPS spoofing to neutralize airborne threats.
Local village defense committees and community intelligence networks play a vital role in spotting and reporting illicit drone drops.
Exam Points
Over 1,200 drones were intercepted by security agencies in Punjab, highlighting the scale of the aerial smuggling threat.
The 462-km fence along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab features rows of concertina wires and high-voltage electricity.
The 'Hawk Eye' anti-drone system was deployed by the Punjab government in August 2025 to bolster regional border security.
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