UPSC CARE Mains Practice 9th December 2025
Mains Practice Questions for the Day
- The IndiGo flight cancellations triggered by the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms reveal deeper structural and regulatory weaknesses in India’s aviation sector. Analyse. (GS Paper – III Infrastructure)
- What are the new UNESCO recommendations for neurotechnology use? Discuss their significance for responsible and ethical innovation. (GS Paper III – Science & Technology, Biotechnology)
1Q. The IndiGo flight cancellations triggered by the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms reveal deeper structural and regulatory weaknesses in India’s aviation sector. Analyse. (GS Paper – III Infrastructure)
Introduction:
The cancellation of over 1,000 IndiGo flights in December 2025, following the enforcement of Phase-2 FDTL norms, represents one of India’s most significant aviation disruptions. While FDTL revisions aim to reduce pilot fatigue and enhance safety, the crisis highlighted serious gaps in airline preparedness and regulatory oversight.
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Airline-Level Challenges
a) Misjudgement in crew planning
- IndiGo underestimated staffing needs:
- Captains needed: 2,422 vs available 2,357
- Heavy reliance on night operations and high aircraft utilisation (2,300+ flights/day).
b) Tight scheduling model
- Minimal standby pilots.
- High frequency, short turnarounds, and dependence on red-eye operations collapsed once rest requirements increased.
Regulatory and Governance Issues
a) Oversight gaps in DGCA
- Insufficient verification of airline preparedness for FDTL rollout.
- Understaffed Flight Operations Inspector (FOI) cadre.
b) Balancing safety with operational feasibility
- DGCA had to grant temporary exemptions to avoid national-level aviation collapse.
Structural Weaknesses in Aviation Sector
- Chronic pilot shortages and training bottlenecks.
- Congested airports operating at near-saturation.
- High operating costs (ATF prices, leasing).
- Weak passenger protection laws.
- Overdependence on IndiGo (60% market share) — a “too-big-to-fail” risk.
Way Forward
- Strengthen manpower buffers and forecasting.
- Enhance DGCA staffing, audits, and risk-based regulation.
- Modernise airspace systems and expand airport capacity.
- Implement robust passenger compensation norms.
- Diversify market share and support smaller carriers.
Conclusion:
The IndiGo–FDTL crisis demonstrates that safety reforms must be supported by operational readiness, strong regulatory capacity, and resilient aviation infrastructure. Without structural reforms, similar disruptions may recur as India’s aviation market continues rapid expansion.
2Q. Discuss the significance and limitations of the global nuclear governance framework, with special reference to the NPT, NSG and challenges posed by non-signatory nuclear state
(GS-3: Nuclear technology, space tech)
Introduction:
Neurotechnology—ranging from brain–computer interfaces to AI-assisted neuroimaging—can now access, decode, and influence neural activity. While it promises breakthroughs in treating paralysis, mental illness, and cognitive disorders, it also creates risks of mental privacy violations, manipulation, discriminatory profiling, and commodification of the human mind. In November 2025, UNESCO released the world’s first global normative ethical framework on neurotechnology to ensure that innovation advances without undermining human dignity, autonomy, or rights.
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1. Core Ethical Principles of the UNESCO Framework
UNESCO establishes foundational principles to guide all neurotechnology research and deployment:
- Human dignity and human rights as the central pillars.
- Beneficence, non-maleficence, proportionality to ensure interventions are justified and safe.
- Autonomy, freedom of thought, free will, and robust mental privacy protections.
- Non-discrimination, inclusivity, and epistemic justice to avoid reinforcing inequalities.
- Transparency, accountability, and trustworthiness in both public and private innovation.
- Protection of future generations and intergenerational impacts.
2. Explicit Prohibitions on Misuse
The framework bans:
- Using neural or non-neural data for political persuasion, psychological manipulation, or behavioural targeting.
- Employment or insurance profiling based on brain data.
- Any coercive extraction of neural data.
- Deceptive, manipulative, or commercial misuse of brain signals.
3. Protection of Neurodata & Informed Consent
- Neurodata must be treated as highly sensitive, with strict safeguards akin to genomic data.
- Emphasises informed, continuous, and revocable consent, recognising the irreversible nature of brain interventions.
- Enhanced protection for children, elderly populations, and individuals with disabilities.
4. Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
UNESCO mandates:
- Anticipatory risk assessment before deployment.
- Public and stakeholder participation.
- Ethics-by-design in neurotechnology development.
- Institutional mechanisms such as ethics boards and monitoring bodies.
5. Balancing Open Science with Intellectual Property (IP)
- Encourages open science—free sharing of data, methods, and software—to democratise neurotechnology access.
- Warns against excessive commodification of human neural functions through restrictive patents.
- Calls for patent pools and free licensing, especially benefiting developing countries.
6. Global Context and Need
The framework builds on earlier OECD guidelines (2019) but expands them into a human-rights-centred global standard, addressing gaps in governance amid rising private-sector dominance (e.g., Neuralink) and massive investments in neurotech.
Conclusion:
UNESCO’s recommendations provide a comprehensive global blueprint for ethical neurotechnology governance. By safeguarding neurorights, regulating data use, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting responsible, transparent innovation, the framework ensures that neurotechnology enhances human well-being without enabling manipulation, inequality, or violations of cognitive liberty. Its success will depend on national adoption, regulatory capacity, and cooperation between governments, industry, and researchers.
