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Topic-shaped analysis of the day's editorials for the RPSC RAS Mains, dated 17 July 2026.
The US Trade Representative has proposed tariffs on about 60 countries under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, 1974, and a separate Bill in Congress would penalise buyers of Russian oil, including India. With a 10% 'universal' tariff window closing around 24 July, India is negotiating a trade deal while guarding its energy and export interests.
Mains question (10 marks): "Trade pressure is best treated as leverage, not destiny." In the light of recent US tariff moves, examine how India can balance market access with strategic autonomy in its external economic policy.
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From exam scandals to polluted air, crumbling cities to unaddressed grievances, public life increasingly runs on the passive voice — where things 'happen' but no one is named as having done them. A hunger strike demanding a single minister's resignation is, at heart, a demand that democratic politics recover a grammatical subject: someone who can be held responsible.
Mains question (10 marks): "Democratic accountability requires a grammatical subject — someone who can be held responsible." Discuss with reference to the convention of ministerial responsibility and the dangers of diffusing blame across 'the system'.
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The 2026 NATO Summit signalled that the alliance is entering a phase of strategic transformation. Its two messages — that Russia remains its principal security challenge for years to come, and that Europe must do far more for its own defence — reshape global supply chains and open new possibilities for a non-aligned but increasingly connected India.
Mains question (10 marks): "A transforming NATO reshapes the global security and technology landscape." Examine the opportunities and dilemmas this poses for India's policy of strategic autonomy.
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When some e-rickshaws in Delhi suddenly stalled in the middle of the road, the cause was not a mechanical fault but their Battery Management Systems (BMS) — software-defined, connected systems that could be exploited remotely. The episode is a small warning about a large risk: as everyday devices become connected computers, their security becomes a matter of public safety and critical infrastructure.
Mains question (10 marks): "As everyday devices become connected computers, their security becomes a matter of public safety." In the light of vulnerabilities in EV battery systems, discuss the institutional and policy measures India needs for securing connected devices and critical infrastructure.
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