Current Affairs, 6 July 2026

Chair and members

Dr. Rangan Banerjee of IIT-Delhi chaired the committee. Members included line energy-ministry officials and experts from bodies such as TERI and AEEE.

Publisher of Energy Statistics India

MoSPI brings out Energy Statistics India every year. It is the base publication the committee reviewed.

International classifications

The committee urged tabulation aligned with ISIC Rev. 5, NIC-2025 and SIEC, plus uniform conversion factors across energy ministries.

Biofuel data gap

UNSD's World Energy Balance estimates India's biofuel use at about 31-34% of total energy consumption, as India has no consolidated national data. The committee proposed a method to include biofuels in India's energy balance.

Use of ASI and BEE role

The committee suggested using Annual Survey of Industries data to refine industry-wise coal and electricity use. It asked BEE to maintain a database under the PAT scheme.

Captive power and EVs

Captive/off-grid electricity use and EV electricity use are major data gaps. The committee gave an initial framework that needs further refinement.

Don’t confuse with MoSPI vs energy ministries: MoSPI compiles and harmonises energy statistics. Ministries such as Coal, Power and Petroleum generate the underlying sector data.

Don’t confuse with ISIC vs NIC: ISIC is the UN international industry classification. NIC is India's national version aligned to it.

Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.

1. 2009Prelims Q45Which body brings out the publication 'Energy Statistics' from time to time?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Members of EFTA in TEPA

TEPA is India's first trade agreement with the EFTA states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

First with a European bloc

It is India's first operational trade arrangement with a European economic bloc, alongside ongoing talks with the EU and UK.

Investment and jobs target

The agreement aims to facilitate USD 100 billion of investment into India and one million direct jobs.

EFTA is not the EU

EFTA is a separate trade bloc from the European Union. Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are not EU members.

Parties

TEPA is between India and the four EFTA member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

EFTA tariff commitments

EFTA covers 92.2% of tariff lines, which account for 99.6% of India's exports to EFTA.

India tariff commitments

India covers 82.7% of tariff lines, accounting for 95.3% of EFTA exports. Dairy, soya, coal and some farm products are protected, and the effective duty on gold is unchanged.

Investment and jobs

The agreement has an investment commitment of USD 100 billion over 15 years and facilitation of one million direct jobs.

Services

TEPA enables Mutual Recognition Agreements in professions such as nursing, chartered accountancy and architecture.

EFTA nature

EFTA is a trade bloc of four European countries that are not in the European Union. Its headquarters are in Geneva.

Don’t confuse with EFTA vs EU: EFTA has four members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and is separate from the 27-member EU. TEPA is with EFTA, not the EU.

Don’t confuse with TEPA vs CEPA/CECA: TEPA is the name for the EFTA deal. India's pacts with UAE and Japan are called CEPA, and with Australia ECTA.

International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.

1. 2014Mains GS2 · Q17Impact on India of agreements eliminating tariffs on information technology products.
2. 2025Mains GS3 · Q2Challenges to Indian economy as the world shifts from multilateralism to protectionism and bilateralism, and remedies.
3. 2016Mains GS3 · Q5Justify need for FDI, explain MoU-to-actual FDI gap, and suggest remedial steps.
4. 2017Prelims Q82Which country was India negotiating the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) with?

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.

Framework

The plan is a strategic framework built on the One Health approach, covering governance, surveillance, labs, preparedness, risk communication, research, monitoring and financing.

State plans

The national plan will guide States and UTs in drawing up context-specific State Action Plans.

Ten priority zoonoses

The learning package covers anthrax, brucellosis, Kyasanur Forest Disease, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, Nipah, Mpox, rabies, leptospirosis, scrub typhus and Zika.

Surveillance platform

Data sharing is to run through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) 2.0, with more sentinel surveillance sites.

Status

The plan is still a draft; consultation recommendations will be folded into the final plan.

Don’t confuse with One Health vs. National One Health Mission: One Health is the approach linking human, animal and environmental health. The National One Health Programme for zoonoses is a specific programme under which the training resources were developed.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

1. 2014Mains GS3 · Q11Whether overuse of antibiotics causes drug-resistant diseases in India; monitoring mechanisms.
2. 2020Mains GS2 · Q11Centralising tendencies in Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act, and Farm Acts.
3. 2021Mains GS4 · Q10Multiple strategies needed to control COVID-19 transmission in India.

UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.