Current Affairs Quiz 30 March 2026

The lock-in problem in Indian banking is structural. UPI’s interoperability solved payment-execution portability but not mandate portability, you can send money from any app, but all your standing orders are still chained to one specific bank account.

PaSS addresses exactly this gap. Globally, the UK introduced a Current Account Switch Service (CASS) in 2013, within 7 days, all direct debits and credits are migrated automatically; this is the model closest to PaSS.

The regulatory basis for RBI’s payments oversight is the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act). NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) will likely be the implementing body for PaSS, consistent with its role in running UPI, IMPS, NACH, and RuPay.

The FY26 data showed that deposit rate competition between banks has been muted partly because of switching inertia, PaSS is a structural fix for this market failure.

The G20 cross-border payments roadmap was originally developed by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in 2020 and endorsed by G20 leaders. India’s 2023 presidency made this a priority, linking it to the broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda.

India showcased UPI’s bilateral linkages (with Singapore’s PayNow, UAE, France, UK) as proof-of-concept for fast, cheap cross-border payments. The global average cost of sending $200 cross-border is ~6.3% (World Bank data), well above the G20’s 3% target.

For India specifically, reducing remittance costs from the Gulf and US benefits approximately 17 million overseas Indians. The BIS Committee on Payments (CPMI) provides the technical standards, while G20 sets the political targets.

India’s e-Rupee (CBDC) bilateral arrangements (e.g., with UAE) are a future tool for this agenda.

The Maritime Warfare Centre (MWC) Kochi is India’s primary facility for simulation-based naval training, electronic warfare exercises, and multi-force coordination drills. It is under the Southern Naval Command (SNC), headquartered in Kochi.

The IONS was initiated by India in 2008 during a conclave of naval chiefs of Indian Ocean Region littoral states, the founding chair was then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta. IONS operates three Working Groups: WG1 (Information Sharing), WG2 (HADR), and WG3 (Maritime Security/Piracy).

The forum has ~24 member navies as of 2026. France’s presence is notable, France participates because of its Indian Ocean territories (Reunion Island and Mayotte), making it an IOR littoral state technically.

The distinction between IONS and other IOR groupings is frequently tested. IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association): Founded 1997; 23 member states + 7 dialogue partners; focus on trade, blue economy, and economic cooperation, NOT a security forum.

CMF (Combined Maritime Forces): 34 nations; US-led; headquartered in Bahrain; focus on Gulf security and piracy (CTF-150, CTF-151, CTF-152 task forces), India is a partner nation, not full member. IONS: 24 navies; India-initiated; focus on naval cooperation and non-traditional security; no permanent secretariat.

Notably, China has observer status in IONS, its full membership has been deferred due to other members’ concerns. The fact that India initiated IONS is a recurring UPSC question, know it was 2008, conceived under then-CNS Admiral Sureesh Mehta.

The Jan Vishwas Act was recommended by the Advisory Committee for Decriminalisation constituted by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Commerce in 2019. The committee was chaired by former Law Secretary and included industry representatives.

The Act amended 42 Acts spanning 19 ministries, a cross-ministry coordination achievement. Globally, similar decriminalisation exercises were undertaken in the UK (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012) and Singapore (multiple regulatory reform acts).

The 183 offences include violations under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act (minor labelling violations), the Environment Protection Act (minor procedural violations), and the Legal Metrology Act, among others. A key principle: compounding of offences, allowing businesses to pay a fee to extinguish criminal liability, was expanded significantly under Jan Vishwas.

The textiles sector is India’s second-largest employer after agriculture, with approximately 4.5 crore direct and 6 crore indirect jobs. India’s textile exports are ~$40 billion annually, with targets to double by 2030.

Small and medium textile exporters from clusters like Surat (synthetics), Tiruppur (knitwear), Panipat (recycled textiles), and Bhiwandi (powerlooms) are the primary beneficiaries. These clusters have thousands of units with limited legal resources, a criminal prosecution, even if ultimately unsuccessful, causes catastrophic reputational and financial damage.

The warning mechanism (first offence) aligns with the UK’s “advice, warning, then enforcement” regulatory culture. For handloom violations, the penalty range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 replaces up to 3 months imprisonment, similarly proportionate.

APEDA violations now attract fines up to Rs 10,000 or twice the goods’ value.

The SDG target of MMR below 70 is not the same across countries, it is a global aggregate target, meaning some countries must reach much lower levels to offset high-burden countries. India’s internal NHP (National Health Policy) 2017 had set an MMR target of ≤100 by 2020, which was not achieved.

The SRS (Sample Registration System) is India’s primary official data source for MMR, it conducts a continuous survey across ~8,000 sample units. The 2019-21 SRS data showed India’s MMR at 97 (some international estimates differ).

The 2023 figure of 116 in the March 2026 study may reflect a different methodology or data adjustment, UPSC candidates should know the approximate current figure (97–116) and the direction of the trend (declining). Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Assam account for ~60% of India’s maternal deaths despite having ~45% of births, the geographic concentration is the core equity problem.

The Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative builds on the LaQshya Programme (Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative, 2017) which certifies individual facilities as LaQshya-compliant. SUMAN goes further by guaranteeing rights at the patient level, it is essentially a Maternal Rights Charter operationalised through public facilities.

The related concept of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) is a global framework that addresses mistreatment of women during childbirth, an underreported problem that reduces willingness to seek institutional delivery in some areas. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Launched 2011; extended free entitlements (medicines, diagnostics, blood, food, transport) for pregnant women and sick newborns at government facilities, SUMAN 2019 is an enhanced version covering more entitlements.

The SUMAN helpline (1800-180-1104) enables complaints about care denial.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (central law) allows senior citizens to approach Maintenance Tribunals (SDM-level courts at district level) for orders of up to Rs 10,000/month maintenance. These Tribunals must decide within 90 days, but in practice, cases drag on for months or years, and even awarded maintenance is difficult to enforce without dedicated machinery.

Telangana’s bill solves the enforcement problem through the payroll system, it does not require the elderly person to approach a court at all; once the complaint is filed with the designated officer, salary deduction can begin. The “whichever is lower” design also means that for a government officer earning Rs 1 lakh/month, the deduction is Rs 10,000 (lower than 15% = Rs 15,000).

For a private employee earning Rs 50,000/month, the deduction is Rs 7,500 (15% = Rs 7,500, lower than Rs 10,000). This creates proportionality.

The DPSP cluster relevant to welfare is Articles 38–51. The key welfare-focused articles: Article 38 (state to secure social order for welfare), Article 39 (equal distribution, adequate livelihood, equal pay), Article 41 (work, education, public assistance in old age/sickness/disability), Article 42 (maternity relief, humane working conditions), Article 43 (living wage), Article 47 (nutrition, public health).

Article 41 specifically covers OLD AGE, making it the most directly relevant DPSP for senior citizen legislation. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents Act 2007 preamble cites Article 41 as the constitutional basis.

India’s NPS (National Pension System), Atal Pension Yojana, and state pension schemes (Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, IGNOAPS) all derive their policy basis from Article 41. IGNOAPS provides Rs 200/month to BPL persons aged 60+, rising to Rs 500 above 80.

The Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) Special Zone is a key Maoist operational area spanning parts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam (AP), Koraput, Malkangiri (Odisha), a remote, forested region with poor connectivity and historically low administrative presence. CPI(Maoist) was formed in 2004 through the merger of CPI(ML)(People’s War) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI).

The Srikakulam Struggle (1967–70) was among the first Naxalite-inspired armed peasant uprisings in India, making the district a historically significant location for the movement. The government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy (central scheme) offers: Rs 50,000 on surrender, vocational training, priority in MGNREGS employment, and Rs 25,000 for arms information.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh have their own enhanced surrender packages.

The UAPA, 1967 was significantly strengthened by the 2008, 2012, and 2019 amendments. The 2019 amendment is most significant: it allowed the government to designate individuals (not just organisations) as terrorists, a provision that became controversial and was challenged in courts for potentially misusing the designation against activists.

The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA, 1985-95) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA, 2002-04) were earlier anti-terror laws, both allowed to lapse. UAPA is the current consolidated anti-terror law.

For UAPA bail: the accused must prove prima facie that the charges are false, reversing the normal presumption of innocence; the Supreme Court has upheld this reversal as constitutionally valid (Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali case, 2018). The NIA has jurisdiction over UAPA offences anywhere in India.

The maternal health scheme timeline also includes: JSSK (Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, 2011), extended free entitlements for pregnant women and sick newborns at government facilities, a precursor to SUMAN; RCH (Reproductive and Child Health Programme, 1997), the original comprehensive maternal-child health framework under which JSY later fitted. ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activists) are the grassroots backbone: ~10 lakh ASHAs facilitate JSY beneficiaries, accompany women to facilities, and conduct home visits.

ASHA performance incentives are linked to institutional deliveries, ANC completion, and full immunisation. The National Health Mission (NHM), launched 2005, is the overall umbrella under which all these programmes are funded and implemented, it has a Rural Health Mission (NRHM) component and an Urban Health Mission (NUHM) component.

North Korea sealed its borders in January 2020, one of the earliest and strictest COVID-19 responses globally. This cut off even the minimal external engagement it had maintained through official visits, trade, and limited tourism.

The Dandong-Sinuiju border crossing (major land crossing between China’s Liaoning Province and North Korea) also saw passenger movement drop to near zero. North Korea was formally placed under UNSC sanctions from 2006 (first nuclear test, UNSC Resolution 1718), with progressively tighter sanctions after 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017 nuclear tests (Resolutions 2094, 2270, 2321, 2375, 2397).

China’s compliance with sanctions has been incomplete, it remains the primary conduit for sanctions evasion. Kim Jong-un has not made any foreign visit since 2020, the 2026 flight resumption signals potential resumption of DPRK external engagement.

The distinction between Rayleigh and Mie scattering: Rayleigh scattering occurs when the scattering particle is much smaller than the wavelength of light (molecules, very fine dust); it preferentially scatters short wavelengths (blue). Mie scattering occurs when the particle is comparable in size to the wavelength (coarser dust, water droplets, aerosols); it scatters all wavelengths more equally, producing white-grey haze rather than blue skies.

Cyclone Narelle was a Category 4 tropical cyclone (peak wind speeds >200 km/h) that affected the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, including Shark Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Denham, Exmouth, and Karratha. The cyclone classification in Australia uses a 1–5 scale (different from the Saffir-Simpson scale used for Atlantic hurricanes).

Australia’s cyclone season runs November through April (Southern Hemisphere summer).

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is responsible for the welfare of marginalised groups: Scheduled Castes, OBCs, persons with disabilities, elderly, and transgender persons. Key MoSJE schemes: Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (assistive devices for elderly), Scheme for Prevention of Alcoholism (de-addiction), National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, and SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise, for transgender persons and beggars).

ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India) is a PSU under MoSJE. Separately, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare runs maternal health schemes (JSY, PMSMA, LaQshya, SUMAN).

This ministry-scheme mapping is a recurring UPSC source of confusion.

APEDA’s 14 scheduled product groups (from the APEDA Act Schedule): (1) Fruits & Vegetables, (2) Meat & Meat Products, (3) Poultry & Poultry Products, (4) Dairy Products, (5) Confectionery, Biscuits & Bakery Products, (6) Honey, Jaggery & Sugar Products, (7) Cocoa & its Products, (8) Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, (9) Cereal & Cereal Products, (10) Groundnuts, Peanuts & Walnuts, (11) Pickles, Papads & Chutneys, (12) Guar Gum, (13) Floriculture & Seeds, (14) Herbal & Medicinal Plants. India’s agri-exports under APEDA reached ~$24 billion in FY24 (of India’s total agri-exports of ~$50+ billion, the remainder including unprocessed commodities falls outside APEDA’s 14 groups).

APEDA provides financial assistance for export infrastructure: cold chain, packaging, certification, and market promotion.

The LaQshya Programme (2017) directly addresses this quality gap by certifying labour rooms and maternity OTs against a standard checklist. LaQshya-certified facilities are required to have: trained staff in EmOC (Emergency Obstetric Care), functional equipment, clean delivery kits, blood storage, referral protocols, and respectful care practices.

As of 2024, ~2,500 facilities have received LaQshya certification, a fraction of India’s ~30,000 delivery points. The Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) definition in India (nurse, midwife, ASHA in some training) is different from WHO’s SBA definition (only trained nurse-midwife or physician), this definitional gap inflates India’s SBA coverage statistics.

The three delays model (Delay 1: deciding to seek care; Delay 2: reaching facility; Delay 3: receiving quality care at facility) shows maternal deaths in India are now concentrated in Delay 3, the quality gap at facility level.

The SAGAR doctrine has five pillars: (1) ensure the security of India’s territory and maritime zones, (2) resolve bilateral disputes peacefully with regional partners, (3) strengthen economic and security cooperation with maritime neighbours, (4) develop collective response to maritime non-traditional threats, and (5) work with global partners for maritime security in IOR and beyond. SAGAR was further operationalised through the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC), first held in Singapore (2016) and hosted subsequently by regional partners.

India’s IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region), established in Gurugram in December 2018, is the institutional implementation of SAGAR’s information-sharing pillar. As of 2026, IFC-IOR has partnerships with 24 nations and 6 international organisations for white shipping information exchange.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Parliament to enhance the 2007 Act, it proposed expanding coverage to include in-laws, increasing the maximum maintenance amount, and adding more categories of relatives. As of 2026, this amendment has not been enacted into law.

The 2007 Act’s appellate structure: orders of Maintenance Tribunals (SDM-level) can be appealed before the Appellate Tribunal (headed by a District Magistrate or District Collector); Appellate Tribunal orders can then be challenged before the High Court. Section 23 of the Act allows senior citizens to recover transferred property if the recipient fails to provide maintenance, a reverse transfer provision to protect against exploitation.

The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) is distinct from other Indian bilateral treaties by its unique provisions: citizens of both countries can live, own property, and work in each other’s country without visa or work permit, this is unprecedented in any other India bilateral arrangement. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) was constituted in 2016 by both governments to review the 1950 Treaty and suggest updates, it submitted its report in 2018, but Nepal has not formally shared it with India as of 2026 due to political sensitivities.

Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured 182 of 275 seats in the House of Representatives in the 2026 elections, a historic landslide on an anti-corruption platform. RSP is broadly pro-India but has called for renegotiation of some 1950 Treaty provisions.

The India-Singapore UPI-PayNow linkage (launched February 2023) was the world’s first real-time payment system linkage between two countries, it allows instant transfer between Indian UPI accounts and Singapore PayNow accounts. The India-UAE corridor (with NPCI International in partnership with Al Etisalat) allows Indian workers in UAE to send money home via UPI-linked accounts.

France (specifically at Eiffel Tower and other tourist sites) allows UPI QR code payments, this is UPI as a cross-border merchant payment system, not just P2P. Bhutan was the first country to accept UPI payments (since 2021).

NPCI International (wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI) manages all UPI international linkages. ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a separate digital commerce initiative unrelated to UPI international.

The absence of a permanent IONS secretariat is a deliberate design choice, it keeps the forum voluntary and prevents any one country from institutionalising dominance through secretariat control. This is similar to the QUAD (no secretariat, no treaty) and SAARC (secretariat in Kathmandu, but decisions by consensus making it practically stalled).

The issue of China’s IONS membership is important: China has been discussed for observer or full membership, but several IONS members (including India) have been cautious given China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Australia, despite having an Indian Ocean territory (Christmas Island, Cocos Islands), has observer status in IONS.

The rotating chair model means IONS’s priority areas shift with the chairmanship nation, India’s 2026–2028 chairmanship will likely emphasise MDA and counter-piracy.

The exact JSY amounts are: rural beneficiaries: Rs 1,400; urban beneficiaries: Rs 1,000, UPSC has tested these exact figures. In high-focus states (EAG states, Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Odisha, MP, Chhattisgarh + Assam, J&K), the JSY provides enhanced ASHA incentive of Rs 600 per delivery for rural and Rs 400 for urban, additional to the mother’s entitlement.

The ASHA worker facilitating the delivery receives Rs 600 incentive in rural EAG states. JSY is credited as the single biggest driver of the institutional delivery rate rise from 38.7% (2005) to 89% (2020), a massive behavioural change achieved through financial incentivisation rather than mandates.

The 2019 SUMAN launch is a logical progression: once women reach institutions (JSY success), ensure quality and dignity at those institutions (SUMAN mandate).

The Jan Vishwas Act’s approach to environmental statutes was carefully calibrated. Under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, substantive violations (exceeding pollutant limits, operating without consent, discharging into water bodies) remain criminal.

Only procedural violations (failure to file certain reports, minor labelling issues) were decriminalised. Similarly, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, adulteration and mislabelling causing health risk remain criminal; only minor procedural violations (paperwork delays, certain import-related reporting) were decriminalised.

This selectivity was the result of stakeholder consultations, environmental and consumer organisations successfully argued that full decriminalisation would create impunity. The MSME sector lobbied strongly for full decriminalisation and achieved it for most technical violations in trade, agriculture, and commerce.

The appellate structure under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents Act 2007: Maintenance Tribunal (SDM-level; hears complaints; orders maintenance) → Appellate Tribunal (District Magistrate / District Collector level; hears appeals against Tribunal orders; 60-day decision timeline) → High Court (writ jurisdiction for legal challenges to Appellate Tribunal orders). This three-tier structure mirrors other quasi-judicial tribunals.

ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India) is under MoSJE and manufactures/distributes assistive devices under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, ADIP scheme (Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances), and Svavlamban Health Insurance Scheme for disabled. ALIMCO has a manufacturing unit in Kanpur and distribution centres across India.

SAMADHAN, announced in 2017 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, provides the policy framework for LWE response across 35+ central government schemes. The Aspirational Districts Programme (2018), which covers 112 districts, many in former LWE-affected areas, is the development arm of the LWE response, addressing root causes (poverty, tribal alienation, lack of infrastructure).

Surrender and rehabilitation benefits: Rs 50,000 per cadre on surrender, Rs 25,000 for arms/ammunition information, vocational training for 3 years, priority in MGNREGS and government schemes. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Bihar are the states with remaining LWE presence.

The Bastar region (Chhattisgarh) and Saranda forest (Jharkhand) are the most difficult residual zones. The Maoists’ strategy since 2022 has been to maintain presence through tactical withdrawal and guerrilla operations rather than offensive activity.