UPSC CARE Mains Practice 8th September 2025
Topic – India-China Relations
Q1. Despite multiple rounds of dialogue and agreements like the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement, India and China have failed to clearly define their boundary. Discuss the historical background, efforts made, and reasons for continued indeterminacy. (15 marks, 250 words)
Introduction
India and China share one of the world’s most complex and disputed borders, stretching over 3,488 km. While the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA) sought to institutionalise peace, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains undefined. This ambiguity has kept bilateral relations vulnerable to periodic tensions.
Body
Historical Background of the Dispute
Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 Visit and Confidence-Building Measures
The 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA)
Reasons for Continued Indeterminacy
Way Forward
Conclusion
The India-China border remains undefined not due to lack of dialogue but because of deliberate ambiguity and mistrust. The 1993 BPTA was a milestone, yet peace is fragile as long as the LAC remains a matter of “perceptions.” A durable solution will require political will, mutual concessions, and an understanding that stability on the border is foundational to Asian peace and prosperity.
UPSC Syllabus
India-China Relations
Why was this question asked?
Q. China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia’, In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour. [2017]
Introduction
India and China share one of the world’s most complex and disputed borders, stretching over 3,488 km. While the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA) sought to institutionalise peace, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains undefined. This ambiguity has kept bilateral relations vulnerable to periodic tensions.
Body
Historical Background of the Dispute
The boundary was inherited from colonial legacies — the McMahon Line in the east (1914) and undefined frontiers in the western and central sectors.
China never accepted the McMahon Line and laid claim to large tracts in Arunachal Pradesh, while India opposed China’s claims in Aksai Chin.
The 1962 war hardened perceptions, leaving the border unsettled and mutual distrust high.
Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 Visit and Confidence-Building Measures
Rajiv Gandhi’s landmark visit to Beijing in December 1988 restarted dialogue after decades of hostility.
The Joint Working Group (JWG) was set up, holding six rounds of talks between 1988 and 1993.
Steps included resumption of border trade (1992), reopening of consulates in Mumbai and Shanghai, and initiation of military-to-military contacts.
The 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA)
Finalised during P.V. Narasimha Rao’s September 1993 Beijing visit, it was the first formal agreement to maintain peace on the LAC.
It called for reduction of forces, avoidance of escalation, and establishment of flag-meeting points between military commanders (e.g., Bum La in Arunachal, Chushul in Ladakh).
The BPTA created a framework for confidence-building but did not clarify the LAC’s alignment.
Reasons for Continued Indeterminacy
Ambiguity of the LAC: China side has not exchanged official maps of all sectors, leading to overlapping perceptions.
Strategic Calculations: China prefers ambiguity as it provides leverage during negotiations and military stand-offs.
Trust Deficit: Incidents like Depsang (2013), Doklam (2017), and Galwan (2020) have eroded confidence despite agreements.
Asymmetry of Power: China’s rise as a global power has hardened its bargaining position, while India insists on clarity first.
Way Forward
Mutual recognition of ground realities through exchange of maps and clarification of the LAC.
Strengthening of military communication channels and border trade to deepen interdependence.
Linking boundary talks with broader economic and strategic cooperation to build incentives for peace.
Learning from the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (2015), which showed political will can resolve long-standing disputes.
Conclusion
The India-China border remains undefined not due to lack of dialogue but because of deliberate ambiguity and mistrust. The 1993 BPTA was a milestone, yet peace is fragile as long as the LAC remains a matter of “perceptions.” A durable solution will require political will, mutual concessions, and an understanding that stability on the border is foundational to Asian peace and prosperity.
Topic – SRS Statistical Report 2023
Introduction
India is entering a crucial demographic phase. The SRS Statistical Report 2023 shows the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) declining to 18.4 and the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) falling to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1. At the same time, the proportion of elderly (60+) has risen to 9.7%. These changes demand a shift in focus from population control to population management and welfare.
Body
- Declining Fertility and Uneven Regional Trends
- Demographic Dividend and Its Future
- Towards Population Aging
- National Population Policy and Policy Reorientation
- Global Lessons and India’s Road Ahead
Conclusion
India stands at the intersection of youth and aging. While it continues to harness its demographic dividend, the growing elderly population requires a reoriented policy framework. By combining healthcare reforms, social security expansion, and workforce strategies, India can ensure that it truly “greys with grace,” safeguarding dignity for the elderly while sustaining economic vitality.
UPSC Syllabus
Demographic dividend
Why was this question asked?
Q. “Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable? (2016)
Introduction
India is entering a crucial demographic phase. The SRS Statistical Report 2023 shows the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) declining to 18.4 and the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) falling to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1. At the same time, the proportion of elderly (60+) has risen to 9.7%. These changes demand a shift in focus from population control to population management and welfare.
Body
Declining Fertility and Uneven Regional Trends
- The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman is expected to bear during her lifetime. India’s TFR has fallen to 1.9.
- A TFR of 2.1 is considered replacement level, meaning it is just enough to replace the population without long-term growth or decline.
- India’s TFR at 1.9 therefore indicates that the country is moving towards population stabilization.
- There are sharp regional contrasts: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still record TFR above replacement level, while Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have dropped far below it.
- This duality means some regions will face youth bulges and employment stress, while others may experience labour shortages and rapid aging.
Demographic Dividend and Its Future
- The demographic dividend refers to the economic growth potential that arises when the working-age population is larger than the dependent population (children and elderly).
- India’s young workforce has been a source of the demographic dividend, with more workers than dependents driving growth in recent decades.
- Falling fertility means this advantage may shrink soon, requiring urgent investments in education, skilling, and productivity to sustain growth.
- States with low fertility may face ageing-related labour shortages, while high-fertility states may continue to struggle with unemployment burdens.
Towards Population Aging
- India’s demographic transition mirrors the Demographic Transition Model (DTM), where declining fertility and mortality lead to stabilization but also aging.
- Kerala, with 15% elderly, reflects the demographic future awaiting the rest of India.
- The dependency ratio is changing: child dependency is falling, but old-age dependency is rising, shifting the burden of care to families and the state.
- Without adequate health, pension, and care systems, the elderly risk being marginalized socially and economically.
National Population Policy and Policy Reorientation
- The National Population Policy (2000) was framed with a focus on reducing fertility, universalizing contraception, and lowering maternal and infant mortality.
- With fertility at or below replacement in most states, India’s policy must now reorient towards managing an aging population.
- Priorities should include:
- Strengthening geriatric health care and chronic disease management within universal health coverage.
- Expanding pension, insurance, and social security coverage, especially in rural areas.
- Encouraging productive aging, where the elderly contribute through part-time, community, or knowledge-based roles.
- Facilitating inter-state migration frameworks to redistribute labour across high- and low-fertility states.
Global Lessons and India’s Road Ahead
- Countries like Japan and Italy show the perils of rapid aging without preparation — strained pensions, shrinking workforces, and rising healthcare costs.
- India still has a window of opportunity to prepare by:
- Building a care economy and elderly-friendly infrastructure.
- Investing in skill development to extend the working life of its population.
- Leveraging technology such as telemedicine and e-health platforms for elderly care.
- Constitutional provisions such as Article 41 (public assistance in old age) and schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) form a base but require better implementation and funding.
Conclusion
India stands at the intersection of youth and aging. While it continues to harness its demographic dividend, the growing elderly population requires a reoriented policy framework. By combining healthcare reforms, social security expansion, and workforce strategies, India can ensure that it truly “greys with grace,” safeguarding dignity for the elderly while sustaining economic vitality.
