Subject Reference: GS Paper III (Agriculture - Cooperatives & Markets)
- The News (Dec 2025): RPSs, once the backbone of Kerala's rubber farmers, are collapsing due to stagnant prices (below ₹180) and high production costs (tapping costs ~₹200).
- Apt Topic: "The Crisis of Smallholder Cooperatives in a Globalized Market"
- The Middlemen Problem: As RPSs weaken, private traders (middlemen) are regaining control, buying rubber at ₹5–₹10 below the official rate.
- Import Dynamics: Tyre companies are favoring imported block rubber over domestic "Ribbed Smoked Sheets" (RSS4), leading to a demand slump.
- UPSC Perspective: Discuss the need for a Price Stabilization Fund and the "Value Addition" of turning raw latex into specialized products like surgical gloves or high-tech adhesives to save the cooperative model.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
