🔆 India’s Gender Parity, Transport, Trade & Governance – Key Updates (2025) 📍 1. Gender Parity in India: Mixed Progress ✅ India ranked 131/148 in Global Gender Gap Report 2025 (Score: 64.1%). ✅ Education: High parity at 97.1%. ✅ Political Empowerment dropped:  • Women in Parliament: 14.7% → 13.8%  • Ministerial roles: 6.5% → 5.6% ✅ Global concern: Despite 41.2% workforce share, women hold only 28.8% top leadership roles. 📍 2. Gender Gaps in South Asia ✅ South Asia’s Political Empowerment Score: 26.8% ✅ Only Bangladesh achieved head-of-state parity. ✅ Economic participation improving, but estimated income parity fell by 7.8%. 📍 3. Central Schemes Under ‘Effectiveness’ Lens ✅ All centrally funded schemes to show positive outcomes to continue beyond 2026. ✅ Sunset clause and 3rd-party evaluations introduced. ✅ MGNREGS: Outlay now tied to beneficiary count; upward revisions need Finance Dept. nod. 📍 4. Urban Transport & Mobility Shift ✅ PM E-Bus Sewa, PM e-Drive launched; target: 10,000+ e-buses. ✅ Trams offer 45% profitability over 7 decades; e-buses show 82% net loss. ✅ Budget promotes metro networks, but India still lacks mass transit coverage (only 37% urban access). 📍 5. U.S.–India Trade Relations & Tariffs ✅ India has a $35–40B surplus, yet U.S. cites $44B trade deficit using selective data. ✅ India insists on WTO-based, mutually agreed solutions. ✅ Any deal must protect digital services, remittances, and Indian exporters. 📍 6. Sustainability in Transit Planning ✅ India urged to invest in cost-effective, long-term tram systems. ✅ Move seen as a smart & timely shift towards climate-aligned, financially viable urban mobility. #data #gs2 #gs3 #gs1 #essay #social_issue #mains