Current Affairs

India’s strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs)-government-controlled crude oil stockpiles in underground rock caverns-hold 3.37 million tonnes against 5.33 million tonnes capacity at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur, covering about 9.5 days at full capacity. Concept began post-1973 oil crisis; used globally in 1991, 2005 and 2022. India imports >88% crude; total stocks ~74 days vs IEA’s 90-day norm; India is IEA associate member. Expansion planned at Chandikhol and Padur (6.5 MT) and proposed at Bikaner, Rajkot (~6 MT).

An incident of hazardous waste misdeclared as scrap metal underscores transboundary waste dumping and EPR violations. Driven by NIMBY syndrome, hazardous waste often moves from developed to developing countries due to weaker regulation, enabling “waste colonialism” in Africa, Latin America and Asia under recycling pretexts, raising environmental justice concerns. Global responses include the Basel Convention (1989), Basel Ban Amendment, and UNwaste (UNODC with UNEP) targeting EU–Southeast Asia trafficking.

Sri Lanka, amid an energy crisis, is advancing the India-backed Trincomalee project for joint development of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm to enhance energy security. Trincomalee, on Sri Lanka’s north-eastern coast, is a natural harbour considered the world’s second best. India–Sri Lanka signed the joint development agreement in 2022. Built by the British in the 1930s for WWII naval fuel, it boosts petroleum storage near key Indian Ocean sea lanes, aligning with India’s MAHASAGAR initiative and Neighbourhood First policy.

Indian Navy will commission indigenously built stealth guided-missile frigate INS Taragiri (F41) at Visakhapatnam under Project 17A; it is the fourth of seven frigates designed by the Directorate of Naval Design (follow-on to Shivalik class) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai. With ~6670-tonne displacement and >75% indigenous content (200+ MSMEs), it features hull shaping/RAM, CODAG propulsion, IPMS, integrated combat management/network-centric warfare, supersonic SSMs, MRSAM, sonar/torpedoes, and can operate MH-60R; enhances IOR presence and sea-lines security.

Election Commission of India announced April–May 2026 schedule for five Assembly elections, renewing debate on voting rights and compulsory voting. Article 326 mandates adult suffrage (18+). Section 19, Representation of the People Act, 1950 requires 18 years and ordinary residence; Section 62, RPA, 1951 grants vote to those on electoral rolls. Supreme Court: voting is statutory, not fundamental; neither duty. Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990) and 255th Law Commission (2015) oppose compulsion; Article 19(1) concerns noted; global examples and awareness/remote voting measures suggested.

World Water Day is observed annually on 22 March (2026 theme: Water and Gender; slogan “Where water flows equality grows”), proposed at UNCED (1993), coordinated by UN-Water, and linked to SDG-6. Women/girls spend ~250 million hours daily collecting water and face exclusion from water governance. India: Ministry of Jal Shakti (2019 merger); NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index; water-stress <1700 m³/person/year; blue vs green water; Green Water Mission; Jal Jeevan Mission; Jal Shakti Abhiyan; Atal Bhujal Yojana (World Bank); Namami Gange; PMKSY; Mission Amrit Sarovar; India has 18% population but 4% freshwater, and is a major groundwater user.

Three initiatives were launched to promote India’s Orange Economy, i.e., idea-, technology-, culture- and intellectual property-driven sectors, strengthening creative and media domains. These include the National AI Skilling Initiative by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with Google and YouTube, implemented through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to train 15,000 participants; the MyWAVES user-generated content platform on Prasar Bharati’s WAVES OTT; and rollout of advanced electronic programme guide and in-built satellite tuners in TV sets.

Election Commission of India (Article 324) completed first randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry Assembly elections. Using EVM Management System software, two-stage allocation is done (district warehouse to constituencies; constituencies to polling stations) in presence of party representatives, with lists shared. Only BEL/ECIL first-level-checked machines are used; VVPAT slip shows choice for 7 seconds; VVPAT verification occurs in five randomly selected polling stations per constituency; storage is in strong rooms with seals, CCTV and CAPF security.

Jyoti Jyot Diwas of Guru Angad Dev Ji is observed on March 22, 2026, marking his death anniversary (union with the divine). Guru Angad (birth name Lehna), the second Sikh Guru (1504–1552), associated with Khadur Sahib, succeeded Guru Nanak Dev Ji and was succeeded by Guru Amar Das. He standardised Gurmukhi, collected Nanak’s hymns, wrote Bhai Bala Janamsakhi, expanded langar with Mata Khivi, promoted sangat, education, equality and seva, and encouraged discipline and physical fitness.

Mission Mausam, a fully Union-funded Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, was launched in November 2024 and inaugurated on 14 January 2025 on IMD’s 150th anniversary. Implemented by IMD, NCMRWF, IITM and ISRO, it covers India, surrounding regions and Antarctic stations Maitri and Bharati, delivering 5×5 km forecasts (10–15% higher accuracy), hourly nowcasts, expanded radars/sensors, HPC (Pratyush, Mihir) with AI/ML, and alerts via Meghdoot, Damini, SMS (CAP) and disaster authorities, targeting household-level last-mile dissemination by 2030.

Union Cabinet approved BHAVYA Scheme (launched March 2026) to develop 100 future-ready plug-and-play industrial parks across India by 2032. A Central Sector scheme with state participation and PPP, it is led by Ministry of Commerce and Industry and implemented by NICDC (DPIIT) during FY2026-27 to FY2031-32, prioritising eight industrial corridors. Parks (100–1000 acres; 25 acres in hilly/NE) provide pre-developed land, utilities and approvals, selected via challenge mode, with support up to ₹1 crore/acre, 25% external infra, PM GatiShakti alignment, green compliance and 60-day single-window clearance.

INS Trikand of the Indian Navy is participating in Exercise Lamitiye 2026 in Seychelles. Exercise Lamitiye is a biennial military exercise conducted between India and Seychelles, governed since 2001, and held in Seychelles. The 2026 edition is significant as it is the first tri-services exercise since the exercise’s inception.

Drones and counter-drone technologies are central to modern warfare, enabling real-time surveillance, swarm saturation of air defences, low-cost deep-strike capability, and electronic warfare (jamming/spoofing radar and communications). India is building a domestic drone ecosystem via the PLI scheme, banning drone imports in CBU/SKD/CKD forms, reducing GST to 5%, promoting innovation through Bharat Drone Shakti, Bharat Drone Mahotsav and Drone International Expo, and capacity-building under the SwaYaan programme to achieve strategic autonomy and stronger defence.

Kisan Mahapanchayat v. Union of India flagged conflict between duty-free yellow dal imports and domestic pulses, as cheaper imports depress prices and weaken crop diversification (shifting to new crops/systems for income and sustainability). It noted wheat–paddy dominance, groundwater/soil stress, and pulses’ nitrogen fixation and nutrition gains. Key schemes include CDP (PM-RKVY), Mission for Aatmanirbharata on Pulses, NMEO-Oilseeds and MIDH. Pulses often sell below MSP due to weak procurement; import duties should align with MSP via coordinated, stable policy.

India–China border trade will resume from June 1 via Shipki La Pass, Himachal Pradesh, after disruptions due to the Doklam standoff and COVID-19. Designated trade passes are Lipulekh (Uttarakhand; near India–China–Nepal tri-junction), Shipki La (connects India with Tibet, China; also called Pema La/Shared Pass; Sutlej enters India here) and Nathu La (Sikkim), aiding connectivity and confidence-building.

A reported strike on Iranian targets highlighted the Caspian Sea’s strategic importance. It is the world’s largest inland water body, technically a saltwater lake, located in central Eurasia. It is an endorheic basin with no ocean outlet, bordered by Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran. Major inflow rivers include Volga (largest), Ural and Emba. It has major petroleum and gas reserves, is the largest sturgeon spawning ground (caviar source), and hosts the endemic Caspian seal.

Violence has escalated in Jonglei state of South Sudan, a landlocked country in East Africa with capital Juba. It borders Sudan to the north; Ethiopia to the east; Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south; and the Central African Republic to the west. Other conflict-affected areas include the Abyei region, Equatoria, Upper Nile region, Warrap State and Lakes State.

Government plans to allocate dedicated airwave spectrum for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology to improve road safety and enable intelligent transport systems in India. V2X enables wireless communication between vehicles and their environment: V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle), V2P (vehicle-to-pedestrian/cyclist) and V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure such as traffic signals and road signs). Expected outcomes include real-time hazard detection, reduced accidents, optimised traffic flow, lower congestion, and support for connected/autonomous mobility.

Karnataka High Court halted the KPCL Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydropower Project (proposed 2017) in the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary (Shivamogga, Karnataka) in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, citing likely felling of ~7,000–8,000 trees and risks to wet evergreen forests and endemic endangered lion-tailed macaque. The 2,000 MW “water battery” uses two reservoirs (70–80% round-trip efficiency) to support solar/wind integration. Sanctuary: 1972; expanded/renamed 2019; 431.23 sq km. Sharavathi originates at Ambutirtha (Thirthahalli), flows ~130 km to Arabian Sea at Honnavar; dams include Linganamakki, Gersoppa, Hirebhaskara (submerged); Jog Falls lies on it.

“Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2025” (UN IGME), released by UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation with UNICEF, WHO, World Bank and UN DESA, estimates 4.9 million under-5 deaths in 2024 (2.3 million newborns) and 2.1 million deaths (5–24 years). Under-5 mortality halved since 2000, slowing post-2015; Sub-Saharan Africa has 58%. India under-5 mortality fell 92 (2000) to ~32 (2024); neonatal 57 (1990) to 17 (2024), aided by UIP, IMNCI and newborn care.

Government identified 4,391 ha degraded forest land for eco-restoration under the Green Credit Programme (GCP), a market-based Central Sector Programme (2023) notified via Green Credit Rules, 2023 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Nodal ministry: MoEFCC; administrator: ICFRE. It incentivises voluntary actions (LiFE). Credits, mainly from afforestation/restoration using indigenous species, are issued after 5 years with ≥40% canopy density; can be traded/used for compliance via Green Credit Portal; land is identified by State Forest Departments, avoiding double-counting.

Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended expanding PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2021 by restructuring the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, to add a light breakfast and extend coverage beyond Classes 1–8 to Class 10 immediately and Class 12 phased. PM POSHAN serves one cooked meal daily in government/aided schools to ~11.8 crore children, with norms of 450 kcal/12 g protein (primary) and 700 kcal/20 g (upper primary); budget >₹1.3 lakh crore (2021–26) and >100 crore meals/month.

Nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) are intense convective pre-monsoon thunderstorms (March–May) affecting eastern India (West Bengal, Assam, Odisha) and Bangladesh, with NW–SE winds (50–100 km/h). They arise from strong heating over the Chota Nagpur Plateau, Bay of Bengal moisture, and cold dry NW winds meeting warm moist air; vertical wind shear builds 18–20 km cumulonimbus, often triggered by sea-breeze convergence. They relieve heat and aid crops but cause infrastructure/crop damage and lightning deaths. IMD alerts: Green, Yellow, Orange, Red; they signal pre-monsoon–monsoon transition.

Election Commission of India facilitates postal ballots for inclusive voting by service voters, absentee voters and election duty staff. Service voters include armed forces, CAPF and government employees abroad; absentee voters include senior citizens (85+), PwDs (≥40%), essential services and authorised media. ETPBS digitally transmits ballots to service voters for physical return; home voting covers 85+ and PwDs. Forms: 12, 12D. Legal basis: RPA 1951 Section 60(c), Conduct of Elections Rules 1961; Article 326. DEO/RO supervise; ballots must reach RO by 8:00 AM on counting day; counted before EVM votes.