X FACTOR
FOR MAINS
BY ADITYA SIR
KARMAYOGI IAS
GS-1: SOCIETY
Caste & Inequality
Caste Discrimination: 40,000+ cases under SC/ST Act (2022).
Manual Scavenging: Still present; 1.58 lakh manual scavengers identified.
Urban Caste Bias: Present in housing, hiring, matrimonial sites.
Women & Gender
Female LFPR: 37% (PLFS 2022–23).
Sex Ratio at Birth: 929 (NFHS-5).
Crimes Against Women: 4.45 lakh cases (NCRB 2022).
Digital Gender Gap: Only 33% of internet users are women (GSMA 2023).
Youth & Demographic Transition
Median Age: 28.4 years.
Youth Unemployment: ~12.5% (CMIE).
Mental Health Crisis: 1 in 7 Indians affected.
Regionalism & Identity
Rising demands: Gorkhaland, Bundelkhand.
Hate Crimes: Threaten communal and social cohesion.
GS-2: POLITY
Constitutional Framework
FR-DPSP Synergy: A21 expanded to health, privacy, environment.
Basic Structure: Reaffirmed in Kesavananda, NJAC verdict.
Key Amendments: 42nd (DPSPs), 73rd/74th (Panchayats/Municipalities), 103rd
(EWS quota).
Legislature
Ordinance Raj: Maharashtra, Odisha lead.
MPLADS: ₹5 Cr/MP/year; underutilization prevalent.
Private Member Bills: Only 14 passed in 70+ years.
Executive
Political vs Permanent Exec: Frequent reshuffles.
Lateral Entry: Used in NITI Aayog, EAC.
Judiciary
Pendency: 5 Cr+ cases; SC alone has 70,000+.
Vacancies: HCs – ~35%.
NJAC Struck Down: No enforceable accountability.
Local Governance
PRI Reps: 32 Lakh+; 14 Lakh women (33%+ reserved).
ULBs: Only 1% of GDP from property tax.
Devolution Index: Kerala, Maharashtra perform best.
GS-2: EDUCATION
Access & Equity
School Enrollment: 26.5 Cr; 98.4% in 6–14 yrs.
Higher Education: 4.1 Cr enrolled; GER ~27%.
Female Share: ~2 Cr.
NEP 2035 Target: 50% GER.
Private vs Public: 44% students in govt schools (rural).
Infrastructure & Investment
Public Spending: 2.9% of GDP; NEP target: 6%.
Internet Access: Only 34% of schools.
Toilet Facilities: 30% rural schools lack girls’ toilets.
Learning Outcomes
Arithmetic Skills: 57.3% rural youth can’t divide (ASER).
Reading English: Only 25% can read Class 5-level text.
NAS 2021: Declining Math & Science scores.
Higher Education & Employability
No Indian University in QS Top 100.
Research Spend: 0.7% of GDP (vs China 2.8%).
Employability: 50% of graduates unemployable.
Skill Development
Formal Skill Training: Just 3.7% youth trained (PLFS).
High Dropout Rates: Economic pressure, poor relevance.
GS-2: HEALTH
Health Spending & Infra
Govt Health Spend: 1.84% of GDP.
OOPE: Down from 64.2% (2014) to 39.4% (2022).
Union Budget 2024–25: ₹90,959 Cr (~1.89%).
Doctor:Population = 1:1,194.
Beds per 1000: 1.3 (India), 2.7 (Delhi).
Medical Colleges: 730 (from 307 in 2014); MBBS Seats: 1 Lakh+.
Health Indicators
MMR: 97 | IMR: 26 | U5MR: 29 | NMR: 18.
Life Expectancy: 67.3 (2021) vs 70.7 (2019).
Anaemia: 67% children, 57% women.
Obesity: 20% adults (urban up to 30%).
Disease Burden
NCDs: 49% of total deaths.
Diabetes: 77–100 million; 26% global share.
Tuberculosis: 2.15 million new cases/year.
Governance Challenges
40% Doctor absenteeism in rural PHCs.
Health Insurance: Only 41% coverage.
CHCs: >70% lack specialist staff.
GS-2: GOVERNANCE
Citizen-Centric Governance
RTI: 30 Lakh+ filed/year; 5.5 Lakh pending in CIC/SICs.
Sevottam Framework: Weak adoption.
Citizen Charters: Present but poorly enforced.
Good Governance Initiatives
Good Governance Index: Top – Gujarat, Maharashtra.
Mission Karmayogi: Civil service reform.
PRAGATI & e-SamikSha: Real-time governance tracking.
Digital Governance
JAM Trinity: Saved ₹2.25 Lakh Cr.
DigiLocker: 7,000+ services.
MyGov, CPGRAMS: Enhancing feedback systems.
GS-2: SOCIAL JUSTICE
Marginalised Groups
SC/ST Budget: ₹1.26 L Cr (SC), ₹0.98 L Cr (ST).
OBC Quota in NEET AIQ: Implemented from 2021.
Disability & Elderly
PwD Population: 2.21% (Census 2011); undercounted.
Schemes: UDID, Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan.
Elderly: 19% by 2050 – rising demand for geriatric care.
Minorities
Schemes: Pre & Post Matric Scholarships.
Issues: Reduced funds, poor execution.
Transgender Rights
Trans Act 2019: Recognition given but certification process criticized.
Few states like Kerala, TN lead in inclusion initiatives.
GS-3: INDIAN ECONOMY
Growth Trends
GDP: ~7.6% (2023–24); among fastest globally.
PCI: ₹1.96 Lakh (2023–24), doubled since 2014.
CPI Inflation: Avg. 5.1% (FY24).
Fiscal Deficit: 5.8% (FY24); FY25 target: 5.1%.
Employment
Urban Unemployment: 6.7%; Rural: 4.2% (PLFS).
LFPR: 57.9%.
Gig Workers: 7.7M (2023); may reach 23.5M by 2030.
Formalisation: 28 Cr+ on e-Shram; EPFO coverage rising.
Financial Sector
Credit Growth: 16.4% YoY.
NPAs: 3.2% – lowest in a decade.
UPI: 117 Bn txns; ₹182 Lakh Cr (2023).
Welfare & Inclusion
Poverty: 24.8 Cr lifted since 2014 (NITI Aayog).
DBT Transfers: ₹34.6 L Cr since inception.
PMGKY: 81 Cr+ beneficiaries during pandemic.
External Sector
Exports: ~$775 Bn (FY24); Goods – $437 Bn.
CAD: 1.2% of GDP.
Forex: ~$650 Bn (Mar 2024) – record high.
Taxation & Budget
Capex: ₹11.1 L Cr (2024–25).
GST: ₹1.72 L Cr (April 2024) – highest ever.
Direct Taxes: ₹19.5 L Cr collected in FY24.
GS‑3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Air Pollution
In 2024, India ranked 5th most polluted country; PM2.5 averaged 50.6 µg/m³—over
10× the WHO safe level.
Delhi remained the most polluted capital; AQI exceeded 357 (PM2.5) in early 2025,
with ozone levels breaching 100 µg/m³ on 83 of 92 days during March–May(.
Long-term PM2.5 exposure reduces average Indian life expectancy by 5.3 years.
Solid Waste & Water Stress
India generates over 100 million tonnes/year of municipal waste; nearly 40%
remains uncollected due to governance gaps.
Floods from extreme weather displaced 5.4 million people internally (2023–2024),
with Assam disproportionately affected.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
India’s share of global GHG emissions reached 7.8%—a 1 pp increase (2020–2023).
On the Environmental Performance Index, India ranks 177th/180, performing poorly
in air quality, biodiversity, and emissions.
GS‑3: INTERNAL SECURITY
Left-Wing Extremism (Naxalism)
As of April 2024, only 38 districts in nine states affected—down from 126 in 2013.
Naxalite incidents dropped by 81% (1,936 in 2010 → 374 in 2024); deaths fell by 85%
(1,005 → 150).
Cybersecurity & Surveillance
Cybercrime cases reached 1.1 million in 2023; financial frauds form 75% of total
(Add citation if available).
Annual malware detections exceeded 369 million incidents .
Police & Accountability
Police-to-population ratio: ~153/100,000 (UN recommends 222); state-level
vacancies remain at ~20% .
"उद्यमेन हि सिद्ध्यन्ति कार्याणि न मनोरथैः।
न हि सुप्तस्य सिंहस्य प्रविशन्ति मुखे मृगाः॥"
“Success is achieved only through effort and not by mere
dreams.
Just as a deer doesn’t enter the mouth of a sleeping
lion.”
