🚨 UPSC EXAM NOTES presents the March edition of our comprehensive monthly guide. Access it  to enhance your preparation. We value your input - share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments section or via email at Support@upscexamnotes.com 🚨

Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on April 29, 2025

Daily Insights and Initiatives for UPSC Exam Notes: Comprehensive explanations and high-quality material provided regularly for students

In 2024, India’s military expenditure was nine times that of Pak.: SIPRI

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international Significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - Security Issues

Context:

India’s military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan’s expenditure, according to a study released on Monday by a leading Swedish think tank that comes amid growing tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack

Read about:

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

What is the Indigenization of defence?

Key takeaways:

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

• The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is a world-renowned independent organization dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament. It was established in 1966, in the aftermath of Sweden’s decision to celebrate 150 years of unbroken peace.
• The idea behind its founding was to create a body that could provide data, analysis, and recommendations based on factual and unbiased research, aimed at promoting international peace and security.
• Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, SIPRI operates with a commitment to transparency and neutrality. Its work is particularly valued because it relies heavily on open sources — information that is available publicly — ensuring that its findings can be verified and trusted by policymakers, researchers, and the public alike.
• SIPRI publishes annual reports, the most notable being the SIPRI Yearbook, which covers key developments in armaments, disarmament, and international security. This publication is widely referenced by governments, international organizations like the United Nations, and scholars across the world.
• The research carried out by SIPRI spans several crucial areas. It examines trends in military expenditure, international arms transfers, and the production of weapons by major arms manufacturers.
• It also focuses on nuclear forces, efforts toward arms control, non-proliferation treaties, and emerging threats like cyber security and the environmental impacts of conflict.
• Beyond this, SIPRI increasingly explores how global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and pandemics can contribute to conflict, thereby broadening the traditional definitions of peace and security.
• An important aspect of SIPRI’s work is its databases, which are considered authoritative sources of information on arms trade, military spending, and peacekeeping operations. By providing reliable data, SIPRI supports informed decision-making and encourages dialogue between nations, organizations, and civil society on issues related to peace and conflict resolution.
• Governed by an international board of distinguished experts and diplomats, SIPRI maintains its independence by operating without political or commercial pressures.
• It is funded through a combination of government grants (especially from Sweden), project-specific fundi