UPSC CARE Mains Practice 25th August 2025

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UPSC CARE Mains Practice 25th August 2025

MAIN QUESTIONS

Q1. “The recent Supreme Court order on stray dogs in Delhi attempts to balance compassion with public safety. Discuss the significance of the order, challenges in implementation, and suggest a way forward.” (250 words, 15 marks)

Topic – Public health and animal welfare

Source: The Hindu

Introduction	The Supreme Court of India’s recent directives on stray dogs in Delhi reflect a significant judicial attempt to reconcile animal welfare with public health and safety. The orders highlight the challenges of managing the large population of free-roaming dogs in urban India while addressing the grave threat of rabies. These directions underline the need for humane population control aligned with existing laws such as the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Body	Judicial Interventions and Orders Animal Welfare Laws and Sterilisation Programs Challenges in Implementation Way Forward: Policies and Solutions
Conclusion	The Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs highlights the delicate balance between compassion and safety in managing urban animal welfare. While existing constitutional mandates and animal laws provide a robust foundation, the efficacy depends largely on implementation, funding, and public participation. A holistic, humane, and scientifically driven approach, supported by policy reforms and community engagement, is imperative to ensure safety, dignity, and harmony between citizens and animals in India’s cities.

UPSC Syllabus	Public health and animal welfare
Why was this question asked?	Q. ‘Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyze. (2021)
Introduction	The Supreme Court of India’s recent directives on stray dogs in Delhi reflect a significant judicial attempt to reconcile animal welfare with public health and safety. The orders highlight the challenges of managing the large population of free-roaming dogs in urban India while addressing the grave threat of rabies. These directions underline the need for humane population control aligned with existing laws such as the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Body	Judicial Interventions and Orders The Supreme Court’s order on August 11, 2025, initially directed municipal authorities to round up stray dogs for sheltering, but was revised later permitting release post-sterilisation, vaccination, and deworming of non-aggressive dogs. This ensures humane treatment alongside public protection from rabies. Past judgments such as Animal Welfare Board of India vs. Nagaraja (2014) have emphasised the scientific and compassionate approach to animal welfare, upholding ABC programs and humane methods. The court’s evolving position underscores the challenge of balancing ecological integrity, public health, and ethical obligations. Animal Welfare Laws and Sterilisation Programs The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 establishes legal safeguards against animal cruelty and empowers the government to enforce welfare standards. Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023 provide framework for sterilisation, vaccination, and release of street dogs with a target sterilisation coverage of at least 70% for effective population control. Sterilisation programs aim to manage stray populations humanely, prevent rabies spread, and reduce human-dog conflicts. However, challenges like insufficient resources and systemic neglect result in low coverage, impeding success. Challenges in Implementation Infrastructure Deficiency: Urban local bodies lack adequate funding, veterinary staff, and space to implement large-scale sterilisation and shelter programs effectively. Fragmented Governance: Coordination gaps between states and local authorities, weak enforcement, and inadequate monitoring impair program outcomes. Public Attitude: Cultural tolerance towards street dogs and practices like feeding them complicate population and behavioural control. Health Risks: Failure to manage aggressive or rabid dogs perpetuates rabies hazards, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Way Forward: Policies and Solutions Enhance fiscal and human resources for municipal bodies to upgrade shelter infrastructure and veterinary services. Introduce rigorous monitoring systems with transparent reporting on sterilisation targets and health metrics of street dog populations. Promote public awareness about responsible pet ownership, discourage pet abandonment, and regulate feeding practices constructively. Enact a modernized comprehensive animal welfare law to replace the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, incorporating classifications for adoptable, shelter-bound, and unfit dogs, with mandatory minimum shelter standards. Foster collaboration across state governments, municipal corporations, and national veterinary bodies to implement a unified, evidence-based stray dog management policy.
Conclusion	The Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs highlights the delicate balance between compassion and safety in managing urban animal welfare. While existing constitutional mandates and animal laws provide a robust foundation, the efficacy depends largely on implementation, funding, and public participation. A holistic, humane, and scientifically driven approach, supported by policy reforms and community engagement, is imperative to ensure safety, dignity, and harmony between citizens and animals in India’s cities.

Q 2: Discuss the recent developments of funding cuts and visa scrutiny in US universities and analyse their impact on Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States. Suggest ways to mitigate these challenges. (250 words, 15 marks)

Topic – India-US relations

Source: The Indian Express

Introduction	The higher education ecosystem in the United States is undergoing significant turbulence due to federal funding cuts, new visa rules, and heightened immigration scrutiny. These changes have affected staff layoffs, research activities, and student admissions at elite institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia. Indian students, constituting a major portion of international enrolment in the US, face uncertainties in funding, visa issuance, and career prospects, impacting their academic and professional futures.
Body	Federal Funding Cuts in US Universities Visa and Immigration Policy Changes Impact on Indian Students Challenges Faced by Indian Students Way Forward
Conclusion	The convergence of federal funding austerity and stringent visa policies in the US poses multifaceted challenges for Indian students pursuing higher education abroad. Addressing these requires collaborative efforts among governments, educational institutions, and civil society to ensure equitable access, safeguard rights, and provide seamless academic journeys for the future global workforce.

UPSC Syllabus	India-US relations
Why was this question asked?	Q. The quality of higher education in India requires major improvements to make it internationally competitive. Do you think that the entry of foreign educational institutions would help improve the quality of higher and technical education in the country? Discuss. (2015)
Introduction	The higher education ecosystem in the United States is undergoing significant turbulence due to federal funding cuts, new visa rules, and heightened immigration scrutiny. These changes have affected staff layoffs, research activities, and student admissions at elite institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia. Indian students, constituting a major portion of international enrolment in the US, face uncertainties in funding, visa issuance, and career prospects, impacting their academic and professional futures.
Body	Federal Funding Cuts in US Universities Recent austerity measures and legislative actions, including the H.R.1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), have frozen or significantly reduced billions in federal research grants critical to university funding. Universities depend on this funding for supporting graduate research assistantships, faculty salaries, and cutting-edge research programs, directly affecting students’ financial aid and employment opportunities. Elite institutions such as Harvard faced multi-billion-dollar grant cuts, compelling mass layoffs and program scaling down, disrupting academic environments and research outputs. Visa and Immigration Policy Changes The US State Department revoked over 6,000 student visas in 2025, citing alleged criminal violations and “support for terrorism,” linked often to political activism. Visa processing saw increased scrutiny with requirements to disclose and publicly share social media profiles; visa interview appointments are paused or delayed, slowing international admissions. The introduction of a Visa Integrity Fee and mandatory in-person interviews from September 2025 further raise the cost and procedural barriers for Indian students. Impact on Indian Students Funding cuts translate into reduced assistantships (RA/TA) critical for international students to finance education, risking many losing F-1 visa status if unable to maintain full-time enrolment. The barriers in visa issuance and increased monitoring create uncertainties in travel, academic continuity, and future H-1B work visa applications. Reduced campus research opportunities diminish chances for publishable work, internships, and professional network building—key to securing work visas and employment in the US post-graduation. Challenges Faced by Indian Students Navigating complex and inconsistent visa policies amid political sensitivities around activism threatens student rights and freedoms. Dependence on unstable funding streams for scholarships and stipends increases vulnerability to external geopolitical and fiscal pressures. Rising costs and administrative hurdles add financial burdens, causing deferments or cancellations of study plans. Way Forward Indian government and educational institutions should enhance support systems offering financial assistance, counselling, and legal advice on visa and immigration issues. Strengthening digital diplomacy and bilateral education cooperation can help negotiate smoother visa norms and protect student interests. Diversification of student destinations to other countries and expansion of quality higher education domestically can mitigate over-reliance on US institutions. Universities must adopt transparent, fair policies on visa and enrolment management for international students to uphold academic inclusivity.
Conclusion	The convergence of federal funding austerity and stringent visa policies in the US poses multifaceted challenges for Indian students pursuing higher education abroad. Addressing these requires collaborative efforts among governments, educational institutions, and civil society to ensure equitable access, safeguard rights, and provide seamless academic journeys for the future global workforce.