What to read in Indian Express
4 November 2025
| Headline | Page No. | GS Paper & Topic | Theme / Issue | UPSC Relevance / Analytical Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signs of pullback: Sharp drop in Russia oil exports to India after US sanctions | Page 1 | GS 3 – Economy / Energy Security | Impact of sanctions on energy trade | Highlights challenges in energy diversification and vulnerability of India’s crude imports post-Ukraine crisis. Links to liberalisation effects, energy security, and India’s economic diplomacy. |
| Delhi sinking fastest among Indian megacities | Page 3 | GS 1 – Geography / Urbanisation | Land subsidence and groundwater depletion | Reveals urban environmental crisis due to over-extraction of groundwater and unplanned construction. Relevant for Urbanisation problems, sustainable cities, and mitigation strategies. |
| Rare rodent-borne virus killed African elephant at Delhi zoo: Autopsy | Page 3 | GS 3 – Environment / Biodiversity & Health | Zoonotic diseases and wildlife management | Demonstrates biodiversity-health linkage. Highlights zoonosis prevention, wildlife health monitoring, and biosecurity — useful for environmental biotechnology questions. |
| UAE to have India house, set to declare yoga a competitive sport | Page 7 | GS 1 – Culture / Global Diplomacy | Soft power, yoga & cultural outreach | Enhances India’s soft power via yoga diplomacy. Relevant for Indian culture’s global influence, art & soft diplomacy topics. |
| Intolerable toll (Editorial) | Page 10 | GS 3 – Science & Technology / Health & Environment Interface | Health impact of pollution | Discusses worsening air pollution and health burden; connects to sustainable development, NCAP, and science–policy interface in climate governance. |
| An Indian way for G2 (Editorial) | Page 10 | GS 2 – International Relations / Global Groupings | India’s role in global power dynamics | Analyses India’s positioning between US–China duopoly (“G2”) and its multilateral diplomacy model. Useful for IR essays on strategic autonomy. |
| RBI isn’t getting inflation right | Page 11 | GS 3 – Economy / Monetary Policy | Inflation management & RBI’s credibility | Critiques RBI’s inflation forecasting model; relevant for questions on monetary transmission, price stability, and inflation targeting framework (2016). |
| Chauhan asks officials to probe ‘paltry payments’ under PM Fasal Bima Yojana | Page 12 | GS 3 – Agriculture / Subsidies & Crop Insurance | Implementation of PMFBY | Highlights gaps in insurance payouts, delay in settlement, and accountability; useful for agricultural reforms & risk management questions. |
| Can Advocates be summoned by agencies? What SC held? | Page 13 | GS 2 – Judiciary / Governance | Rule of law & judicial independence | Examines SC’s verdict on advocate–client privilege and limits on investigative agencies. Strengthens governance ethics and accountability discussions. |
| How return of a long throw-ins is posing a problem for football association | Page 13 | Prelims – Sports | Rules of football & innovations in play | Adds to Prelims sports section — focuses on tactical shifts in global football strategies. |
| Pak, China testing nukes: Trump justifies newly announced tests | Page 14 | GS 2 – IR / Global Security | Nuclear arms race & security | Reflects destabilisation of arms control frameworks; relevant for India’s nuclear doctrine and CTBT stance. |
| Arrests in Louvre heist show power of France’s 4.4 mn-strong DNA database | Page 14 | GS 3 – Science & Tech / Biotechnology | Forensic science & ethics | Demonstrates applications of biotechnology in forensics; raises questions on privacy, ethics, and genetic data regulation — connect to DNA Technology (Use & Application) Bill. |