Current Affairs

Indian Navy hosted the IONS Maritime Exercise Table Top Exercise 2026 in Kochi, as India assumed the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) chairmanship for 2026. IONS is a voluntary initiative for maritime cooperation among navies of Indian Ocean Region littoral states. Membership applies to nation-states with territory abutting or lying within the Indian Ocean; IONS has 25 members. Chairmanship rotates every two years by consensus.

IIM Kozhikode entered the global top 100 in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. Quacquarelli Symonds publishes QS rankings annually, using academic and employer reputation, overall score and employment outcomes, via a framework of lenses, indicators and metrics. India recorded 120 new entries (fourth globally; behind US, China, UK) and has the fourth-largest institutional presence. Six Indian institutions are in top-100 computer science. IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and IIM Ahmedabad ranked 21; strengths include mineral and mining engineering, and business management and marketing.

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha, amends the 2019 Act. It narrows “transgender” to socio-cultural identities and congenital intersex variations, excluding self-perceived identity and trans man/woman. It clarifies “appropriate government” (Centre, State, UT Administrator under Article 239), mandates a medical board, and makes District Magistrate certification compulsory, including for gender change with surgery details. It alters National Council representation, expands offences with penalties up to life imprisonment and heavy fines, provides no Consolidated Fund expenditure, and enables rule-making for procedures.

Water samples from Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra) show rising toxicity, signalling pollution and habitat degradation in this Ramsar site (2022). Notified Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018 under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; managed by Maharashtra Forest Department. Estuarine Arabian Sea inlet with Ulhas freshwater and saline inflow; mangroves, mudflats and tidal creeks. IBA (BirdLife); Central Asian Flyway; >1 lakh Greater/Lesser flamingos and ~200 bird species; migrants Oct–May (peak Feb–Mar), breed in Kutch. Threats: high TDS/BOD/COD, sewage, plastic, urbanisation, habitat loss, climate change.

A study finds beavers (genus Castor: Castor canadensis, Castor fiber) can turn riverbeds into carbon sinks by creating wetlands that trap organic matter and store carbon. Semi-aquatic rodents, they are ecosystem engineers and keystone species, second-largest rodent after capybara. They inhabit temperate/boreal river corridors and occur in Europe, North America, parts of Asia; India had Manipur beaver (Trogontherium cuvieri) till ~1905. Dams alter hydrology/sedimentation, filter nitrates/phosphates, aid flood–drought–wildfire buffering; threats include dam dependence, seasonal carbon release and human conflict. Both extant species are IUCN Least Concern.

In 2024–25, Indian agriculture contributed nearly one-fifth of GVA and employed ~46% workforce. Foodgrains hit 357.73 MT; horticulture 362.08 MT. India ranked 1st in pulses, millets, dry onion (25% global), coconut, spices; 2nd in cereals, rice, wheat, fruits-vegetables, sugarcane, cotton, tea. Exports rose to $51.1 bn (FY25) from $34.5 bn (FY20); processed share 20.4% (FY25) vs ~15% (FY18). PM-KISAN support exceeded ₹4.27 lakh crore (Mar 2026); PMFBY covered 4.19 crore farmers (2024–25); 7.72 crore KCC accounts; missions on nutrition, pulses, edible oils; ~25 crore Soil Health Cards (2025), 6.85 lakh seed villages; 1.8 crore farmers on e-NAM; 10,000 FPOs by Feb 2026.

Union Government approved continuation of the central sector, fully Union-funded Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme for 2026–2031 (launched May 2010). Nodal ministry: MHA; implemented by NIC with MHA. It modernises immigration, visa issuance and foreigners registration via integrated tracking, linking immigration posts, FRRO/FRO and adopting emerging technologies. Key outputs include e-Visa, Fast Track Immigration e-gates at 13 airports (~30 seconds), mandatory registration for certain visa holders staying >180 days within 14 days on FRRO portal, and Form C reporting by hosts via Bureau of Immigration portal, strengthening security and facilitating travel/business.

The Supreme Court directed grant of permanent commission and pensionary benefits to eligible women officers in the armed forces, reiterating equal service opportunities for women. It reaffirmed the 2020 Babita Puniya judgment, which held women officers eligible for permanent commission and command posts. It noted denial stemmed from institutional bias and structural inequality, and said ACR-based evaluation and cut-off systems need review for future batches.

Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 introduced in Lok Sabha, referred to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee; amends Companies Act, 2013 and LLP Act, 2008 to streamline regulation and decriminalise minor offences via monetary penalties. CSR profit threshold: Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore; 2% of 3-year average profits; unspent transfer: 90 days (from 30). Expands “small company” definition, relaxes auditor/fee/CSR norms; permits AGMs/EGMs via VC/AV with one physical AGM in 3 years; replaces affidavits with self-declarations; allows SEBI/IFSC-registered specified trusts’ conversion into LLPs.

Patent expiry of semaglutide in India has enabled multiple generics, cutting prices by 70–90%, improving access for obesity (BMI ≥30) and type 2 diabetes (India: ~77–101 million adults). Semaglutide is a GLP‑1 receptor agonist mimicking GLP‑1 to reduce hunger and increase satiety; tirzepatide is dual GIP/GLP‑1. Generics (bioequivalent) are regulated by CDSCO. Patents get 20-year TRIPS protection; Patents Act, 1970 Section 3(d) curbs evergreening. PMBJP (Jan Aushadhi) supports affordable generics. Variants include Semanat, Semafull, Semaglyn, Mashema, Alterme, Noveltreat; injector devices include Semanext, Livarise, Sembolic.

Iran reportedly employed Qader cruise missiles in recent hostilities targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier. Qader is a medium-range anti-ship cruise missile, an upgraded system based on Iran’s Noor missile (itself derived from China’s C-802). It has ~300 km range, ~200 kg high-explosive warhead, sea-skimming low-altitude profile with low radar cross-section, inertial guidance with terminal active radar homing, and can be launched from land, sea, and air to hit naval vessels and coastal targets.

National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA), established in 2007 under the 11th Five Year Plan, is a Ministry of Culture initiative implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India to create national registers of unprotected monuments and antiquities through digitised, standardised records (20 parameters for monuments; 21 for antiquities). It has documented 1.84 lakh monuments and 17.20 lakh antiquities, aligns with UNESCO conventions, and supports retrieval of antiquities.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has undertaken digitisation of historical and religious sites and antiquities, reinforcing heritage conservation and archaeological research. Established in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, ASI is headed by a Director General in New Delhi and operates through 24 circles, museums and specialised branches. It is governed by the 1958 Act and the 1972 Act, and maintains over 3,690 nationally important monuments.

World Tuberculosis Day (24 March 2026) marks Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; 2026 theme: “Yes We Can End TB-led by countries, powered by people”. TB is airborne; active TB is symptomatic/transmissible, latent TB asymptomatic/non-transmissible; treated with 6-9 months antibiotics (preventive therapy for latent). WHO and Stop TB Partnership coordinate efforts. In 2024: 10.7 million cases, 1.23 million deaths; India ~27% burden. India’s TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan targets elimination by 2025; Nikshay portal, Nikshay Poshan (₹500/month), mandatory private notification; drug-resistant TB remains a key challenge.

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.