GPS Spoofing, RBI Repo Rate Hold & Heatwave मानदंड — UPSC Prelims SEE Snapshot

Key Insight

GPS spoofing, RBI repo hold & heatwave thresholds – key UPSC exam triggers

Key Facts

1. GPS spoofing = transmission of counterfeit GPS signals; GPS jamming = overpowering authentic signals with strong radio emissions (GS3).
2. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) include GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and India's NavIC.
3. On 8 April 2026, RBI's Monetary Policy Committee kept the policy repo rate at 5.25%, projecting GDP growth of 6.9% for FY 2026‑27 and average inflation of 4.6%.
4. IMD declares a heatwave when max temperature ≥40°C (plains), ≥37°C (coastal), ≥30°C (hilly) or temperature departure >4.5°C; severe heatwave at ≥47°C (plains).
5. Heatwave alert requires the criteria to be met at a minimum of two stations in a sub‑division for two consecutive days, with announcement on the second day.
6. Wet‑bulb temperature combines heat and humidity, indicating physiological stress during heatwaves.
7. A heat dome is a persistent high‑pressure system that traps warm air, prolonging extreme heat events.

Background

These developments intersect with UPSC GS‑3: GPS spoofing/jamming raise cyber‑security concerns for defence and civil aviation; RBI's repo‑rate hold reflects monetary policy tools and inflation targeting under the RBI Act (2016 amendment); and IMD's heatwave criteria link climate variability to public‑health and disaster‑management challenges.

UPSC Syllabus

• GS3 — Indian Economy - Planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
• Essay — Economy, Development and Inequality
• Prelims_CSAT — Decision Making
• GS2 — Government policies and interventions for development
• GS3 — Cyber security and communication networks in internal security
• GS4 — Information sharing, transparency, RTI, codes of ethics and conduct
• GS2 — Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India
• GS3 — IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and IPR
• Essay — International Relations and Geopolitics