Current Affairs Quiz 3 April 2026

Project 17A (P-17A) is India’s most ambitious warship programme, comprising seven advanced stealth frigates —” four from MDL (Mumbai) and three from GRSE (Kolkata). The Nilgiri-class frigates displace approximately 6,670 tonnes and feature advanced stealth features, BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, MRSAM (Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles), and CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) propulsion.

The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) under the Indian Navy designed these platforms indigenously. P-17A represents an evolution over the earlier Shivalik-class (P-17) with improved stealth, sensors, and weapons.

With >75% indigenous content, P-17A is a flagship project under the ‘Make in India’ initiative in defence. The series started with INS Nilgiri, followed by INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri, and now INS Taragiri.

India commissioned four warships in 48 hours in early April 2026 —” INS Taragiri (P-17A MDL frigate), INS Dunagiri (P-17A GRSE frigate), INS Sanshodhak (a naval survey vessel), INS Malwan, and INS Agray (an ASW SWC —” Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft). The Warship Design Bureau (WDB), established under the Indian Navy, has been the design authority for major warship programmes including P-17, P-17A, and P-28 (corvettes).

GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers) in Kolkata and MDL (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited) in Mumbai are the two premier defence PSUs handling complex naval warship projects. This commissioning blitz reflects India’s goal of becoming a top-5 naval power by 2030.

Non-Deliverable Derivatives (NDDs), particularly Non-Deliverable Forwards (NDFs), are offshore forex contracts where two parties agree on an exchange rate for a future date but settle the difference in a hard currency (usually USD) rather than the domestic currency. Because they are settled offshore in USD, they bypass domestic forex regulations.

India’s Rupee NDF market is active in financial centres like Singapore, London, and Dubai. These offshore contracts can influence onshore Rupee rates significantly, especially during periods of volatility.

The RBI’s ban is aimed at preventing speculative positions from amplifying currency depreciation. After the ban, the Rupee recovered to ₹93.10/USD from sharper depreciation levels.

India has historically been cautious about full capital account convertibility, and this move reinforces managed-float exchange rate policy.

GAAR was introduced in the Finance Act 2012 (originally proposed in Budget 2012 by Pranab Mukherjee) but its implementation was repeatedly deferred due to investor concerns. The Parthasarathi Shome Expert Committee (2012) recommended significant safeguards, including the exemption of investments made before a cut-off date.

GAAR was finally made operative from April 1, 2017, with CBDT Rule 10U providing that arrangements entered into before this date are not subject to GAAR. GAAR allows tax authorities to deny tax benefits to arrangements that are deemed to be ‘impermissible avoidance arrangements’ —” those that lack commercial substance and are primarily structured to obtain a tax benefit.

The India-Mauritius DTAA was famously misused for round-tripping investments through Mauritius to avoid capital gains tax —” a loophole partially addressed by the 2016 treaty amendment. The Tiger Global case at the Supreme Court tested whether GAAR could override treaty protections for pre-2017 structures.

RoSCTL (Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies) was introduced to replace the earlier ROSL (Rebate of State Levies) scheme. It is notified by the Ministry of Textiles and refunds all embedded taxes and levies —” State taxes (electricity duty, VAT on fuel, mandi tax) and Central taxes (CGST on inputs not covered by ITC) —” that are incurred during the production and export of garments and made-ups.

The scheme operates through scrip-based rebates administered by DGFT. It is crucial for India’s garment export competitiveness as textile exports are labour-intensive and employ millions, especially women.

India’s textile and apparel sector is the second-largest employer after agriculture. The extension to September 2026 provides policy certainty to exporters who need advance planning for order books.

RoSCTL is distinct from RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products), which covers most other sectors.

India’s National Biofuel Policy 2018 set the framework for blending targets: E10 by 2022 (largely achieved), E20 by 2025 (now being phased in). E20 (20% ethanol, 80% petrol) reduces crude oil import dependence, cuts CO2 emissions by ~6%, and supports farmers by creating additional demand for sugarcane and damaged grain.

E20 requires engine modifications in some older vehicles as higher ethanol concentrations can affect rubber seals and fuel system materials. The 95 RON specification ensures compatibility and performance.

India’s ethanol supply chain draws from sugarcane (first generation) and increasingly from cellulosic sources (second generation) under 2G ethanol projects. The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana supports 2G ethanol plants.

India achieved ~12% ethanol blending in 2023—24, ahead of schedule.

The Antariksh VC Fund is part of India’s push to develop a commercial space ecosystem following the Space Policy 2023 and the operationalisation of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre). IN-SPACe was created as a nodal body to regulate and promote non-government entities (NGEs) in the space sector.

SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) manages several government-backed VC funds targeting MSME and startup ecosystems. The Antariksh fund being a SEBI Category II AIF means it pools capital from institutional and accredited investors and invests in unlisted space startups.

India’s space startup ecosystem has grown significantly —” companies like Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, and GalaxEye have received funding. The fund is expected to fill the gap in early and growth-stage funding for deep-tech space ventures.

YUVIKA (YUva VIgyani KAryakram) is ISRO’s flagship outreach programme for school students. It targets Class 9 students (post-Class 9 entry) and provides a 3-week residential programme at various ISRO centres, exposing students to basic space science, rocket science, remote sensing, and hands-on experiments.

A key priority is rural students —” a certain percentage of seats are reserved for rural area students to democratise access to science education. The programme covers theoretical sessions, practical experiments, visits to launch facilities, and interaction with ISRO scientists.

YUVIKA was launched by then-ISRO Chairman K. Sivan in 2019. It aligns with NEP 2020’s push for STEM education and the broader national goal of building scientific temperament (a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(h) of the Constitution).

The 2026 cohort continues this tradition of inspiring the next generation of space scientists.

Rice’s Whale was only formally recognised as a distinct species in 2021 (previously lumped with Bryde’s whales). It is named after Dale Rice, a prominent American cetologist.

With fewer than 100 individuals remaining, it is one of the rarest whales in the world and one of the most endangered marine mammals. It inhabits the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, particularly the De Soto Canyon area.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster (BP oil spill —” the largest marine oil spill in US history) caused significant harm through oil exposure and noise from cleanup operations. Threats include vessel strikes, noise pollution from oil/gas operations, entanglement in fishing gear, and continued oil exploration.

The IUCN Critically Endangered designation (population threshold: <250 mature individuals with specific decline criteria) applies here based on small population and ongoing threats.

BHASHINI (Bhasha Interface for India) is a national public digital infrastructure platform developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to support AI-powered translation and transcription in Indian languages. It is part of the National Language Translation Mission.

Nyaya Setu (meaning ‘Bridge of Justice’) is deployed under the DISHA (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) programme of the Department of Justice. The chatbot assists citizens in understanding their legal rights, court procedures, available legal aid, and relevant laws —” bridging the access to justice gap.

India has a massive legal literacy deficit: only ~3% of citizens have ever consulted a lawyer. The DISHA programme aligns with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and the constitutional mandate under Article 39A (free legal aid).

Mascot ‘Dishika’ represents the programme’s approachable, citizen-first ethos.

Gangotri National Park (established 1989) spans 2,390 sq km in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarkashi district. It is a high-altitude park ranging from 1800m to over 7,000m elevation.

Key ecological features include: Gangotri Glacier (30.2 km long —” one of India’s largest), Gaumukh (the glacier snout, the source of the Bhagirathi), alpine meadows (bugyals), and diverse wildlife including snow leopard (~35 individuals), Himalayan brown bear, bharal (blue sheep), musk deer, and golden eagle. The park is part of the Western Himalayan Ecoregion —” a biodiversity hotspot.

Snow leopard conservation here is monitored by the Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India. The Bhagirathi originates at Gaumukh and joins the Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the Ganga.

Climate change-induced glacial retreat is a major concern —” the Gangotri Glacier has retreated by ~22 metres annually in recent decades.

SAMPANN (System for Accounting and Management of Pension) is a web-based pension management platform developed and operated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It was launched on December 29, 2018 to digitise and streamline pension processing for telecom PSU retirees (BSNL/MTNL pensioners).

The platform automates pension calculation, processing, and disbursal, reducing delays and manual errors. Its recent adoption by Goa state government and Cochin Port Authority demonstrates cross-sectoral scalability of DoT’s digital infrastructure.

This is consistent with India’s ‘Government as Platform’ philosophy —” where one ministry’s digital solution is shared with other government entities. SAMPANN integrates with PFMS (Public Financial Management System) for payment processing and provides pensioners with digital access to their pension details, reducing office visits.

UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) was established on March 19, 1978 by UNSC Resolution 425, following Israel’s Operation Litani —” the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon in response to PLO attacks. The mission was originally mandated to confirm Israeli withdrawal, restore peace, and assist the Lebanese government in re-establishing authority in southern Lebanon.

Despite being called ‘Interim’, UNIFIL has operated continuously for over 45 years. After the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war (Second Lebanon War), UNSC Resolution 1701 expanded UNIFIL’s mandate and troop ceiling to ~15,000.

India is one of the largest contributors to UNIFIL, with an infantry battalion deployed. The recent killing of Indonesian peacekeepers highlights the dangerous operating environment where UNIFIL forces are caught between Hezbollah and Israeli military operations.

Under the UN Charter, attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.

Samrat Samprati ruled the Mauryan Empire after a period of succession struggles following Ashoka’s death. He was the grandson of Ashoka (son of Kunala, who was Ashoka’s son).

Samprati was a devout Jain and under the influence of Jain monk Suhasti Suri became a great patron of Jainism. The Jain tradition credits him with constructing 1,25,000 Jain temples across India and sending Jain missionaries to regions including Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and even the Middle East.

He is compared to Ashoka in terms of religious missionary zeal —” hence ‘Jain Ashoka’. The Samprati Museum at Koba, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) is a major Jain cultural institution showcasing his legacy.

The Mauryan succession after Ashoka: Ashoka → Kunala (blinded) → Samprati → later emperors until Brihadratha (last Mauryan, killed by Pushyamitra Shunga c.185 BCE).

Burkina Faso (capital: Ouagadougou) is a landlocked country in the Sahel region of West Africa, sharing borders with Mali, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. It has been severely destabilised by Islamist jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda (JNIM) and ISIS-affiliated groups since 2015.

Two military coups occurred in 2022, with the current junta expelling French forces and pivoting toward Russia and Wagner Group. The humanitarian crisis is severe —” over 4.5 million people are food insecure and over 2 million internally displaced.

India’s 1,000 MT rice aid is part of its ‘Voice of the Global South’ initiative and demonstrates food diplomacy. India is the world’s largest rice exporter and has used food aid as a foreign policy tool across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme also provides development assistance to African nations.

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of birds caused by Avian Paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1). It affects all species of birds and causes major economic losses in the poultry industry globally.

Newcastle Disease is NOT a zoonotic disease —” it does not cause illness in humans except for mild conjunctivitis in people with direct exposure to infected birds (e.g., poultry workers). This distinguishes it critically from Avian Influenza (H5N1, H7N9) which can infect humans.

The disease manifests in three forms: lentogenic (mild), mesogenic (moderate), and velogenic (severe). Newcastle Disease should not be confused with Avian Influenza —” ND is caused by paramyxovirus while AI is caused by influenza A virus.

India mandates ND vaccination in commercial poultry. The OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health, now WOAH) classifies ND as a notifiable disease.

MSME TEAM (Technology, Enhancement, Access to Market) is a flagship initiative under the RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) scheme, which is a World Bank-supported programme of the Ministry of MSME. RAMP was approved with a total outlay of ₹6,062.45 crore (with World Bank loan of $500 million).

The TEAM initiative specifically focuses on technology upgrading, enhancing market access through digital platforms (ONDC —” Open Network for Digital Commerce), and formalisation of micro enterprises. NSIC (National Small Industries Corporation) plays a key role in implementation.

The ₹277.35 crore TEAM initiative aims to benefit 5 lakh MSEs with a strong gender focus (50% women-owned enterprises). India’s MSME sector contributes ~30% to GDP and ~49% of exports, employing over 11 crore people.

Women-owned MSMEs face barriers including limited collateral, social norms, and lower digital literacy —” targeted programmes like TEAM address these structural gaps.

Earthquake Lights (EQLs) are unusual luminous phenomena associated with seismic activity, reported for centuries but only recently studied systematically. The leading scientific explanation involves the piezoelectric effect —” when quartz crystals in rocks are subjected to intense mechanical stress during fault movement, they generate electrical charges.

These charges can migrate to the surface, ionise air molecules, and create plasma-like luminous effects visible as glowing orbs, columns of light, or flashes. EQLs have been reported before (precursor), during, and after earthquakes.

Historical records from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1995 Kobe earthquake, and recent Turkey/Greece seismic events include EQL observations. However, they are NOT reliably predictable —” they do not occur before all earthquakes and can occur without subsequent major seismic events, making them unsuitable for operational early warning systems currently.

The Multi-Hazard Early Warning System under India’s Mission Mausam focuses on meteorological and hydrological hazards, not seismic EQL monitoring.

Mongolia is a landlocked nation between Russia (north) and China (south), with a population of approximately 3.4 million. It operates as a parliamentary democracy —” the Great Khural (parliament) elects the Prime Minister.

Mongolia’s economy is heavily dependent on mineral exports (copper, coal, gold), making it vulnerable to commodity price cycles and Chinese demand fluctuations. The country has experienced frequent governmental changes reflecting coalition instability.

Mongolia pursues a ‘Third Neighbour’ foreign policy —” maintaining strong ties with the US, EU, Japan, South Korea, and India as counterbalances to Russian and Chinese dominance. India-Mongolia relations are warm: India provides development assistance, and Mongolia is a Buddhist nation with historical cultural ties to India through Tibetan Buddhism.

Mongolia’s coal exports through China have been a source of tension, and recent economic reforms aim to diversify export routes (including a rail line through Russia to avoid China dependence).

Min Aung Hlaing was Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar’s military (Tatmadaw) when he orchestrated the coup on February 1, 2021, detaining State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The coup was justified by the military’s false claims of massive electoral fraud in the November 2020 elections (which the NLD had won in a landslide).

Since the coup, Myanmar has descended into civil war —” the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) have fought the Tatmadaw, with the military losing significant territory. Min Aung Hlaing faces international sanctions (US, EU, UK), ICC investigation referral, and ICJ proceedings related to the Rohingya genocide (pre-coup).

His election as President (429/584 votes) through the SAC-controlled process is widely viewed internationally as illegitimate. India has taken a cautious approach to Myanmar —” balancing border security concerns, the Kaladan Multimodal Project, and not wanting to push Myanmar further toward China.

Mission Mausam is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) aimed at transforming India’s weather and climate science capabilities. It focuses on three pillars: (1) upgrading observational infrastructure (radar network, radiosonde stations, ocean buoys), (2) enhancing weather modelling capabilities (next-generation NWP models, supercomputing), and (3) improving dissemination of weather warnings to the last mile.

The Multi-Hazard Early Warning System improvement —” extending forecasts from 5 to 7 days and achieving >90% automation —” enables India to issue colour-coded alerts (Green/Yellow/Orange/Red) for cyclones, heavy rainfall, heat waves, cold waves, fog, and thunderstorms well in advance. IMD (India Meteorological Department) is the nodal agency.

India has been globally recognised for cyclone early warning —” the dramatically reduced mortality in recent cyclones (Amphan, Yaas, Biparjoy) compared to historical disasters is largely attributed to improved early warning and evacuation systems.

Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, several forms govern electoral registration: Form 6 —” new voter registration (including 18-year-olds and transfers), Form 6A —” overseas voter registration, Form 7 —” objection to another person’s inclusion, Form 8 —” correction of entries, Form 8A —” transposition of entry. The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls annually, during which Form 6 submissions spike.

Controversies arise when political parties allege that forms are submitted in bulk for ghost voters or for transferring voter blocs to specific constituencies —” a practice called ‘booth capturing’ through roll manipulation. The West Bengal controversy likely involves allegations of mass enrolment of non-existent or ineligible voters.

The ECI has digital safeguards —” Voter Helpline 1950, Voter Portal, and NVSP (National Voters’ Service Portal) for verification.

RoSCTL (Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies) was introduced for the garment and made-up textile sector, replacing ROSL (Rebate of State Levies). RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) replaced the older MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme) for all other export categories.

Both schemes were designed to comply with WTO rules —” MEIS was challenged at WTO by the US as an export subsidy; RoDTEP and RoSCTL are structured as tax remission (refunding embedded taxes), not subsidies, making them WTO-compliant. DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) under the Ministry of Commerce administers both through electronic scrips credited to exporters’ ICEGATE accounts.

These scrips can be used to pay basic customs duty or transferred to other importers. Rates are notified periodically by the respective ministries based on an independent assessment of embedded tax incidence.

The Parthasarathi Shome Expert Committee was constituted in 2012 after Budget 2012 proposed GAAR (and controversially also proposed retrospective tax amendments targeting the Vodafone deal). The committee’s key recommendations included: (1) GAAR should not apply retrospectively, (2) a monetary threshold (transactions below ₹3 crore tax benefit should be exempt), (3) GAAR should be invoked only as a last resort after considering treaty provisions, (4) the burden of proof should shift to tax authorities after initial notice.

CBDT Rule 10U implemented the safe-harbour: investments made before April 1, 2017 are exempt from GAAR. This was crucial for FIIs and PE funds with pre-2017 Mauritius-routed investments.

The retrospective tax controversy (Vodafone, Cairn India) cost India significantly in investor confidence and resulted in international arbitration losses —” the Shome Committee’s anti-retrospective stance was directly responsive to this reputational damage.

The commissioning of four warships in 48 hours represents India’s most intensive naval induction period in recent history. Each vessel type serves a distinct strategic role: P-17A frigates (INS Taragiri, INS Dunagiri) —” blue-water combat, surface warfare, ASW, and air defence using BrahMos and MRSAM.

Naval survey vessels (INS Sanshodhak) —” hydrographic survey, oceanographic research, navigational chart preparation for safe maritime passage. ASW SWCs (INS Agray) —” coastal and shallow-water anti-submarine warfare, protecting harbours and approaches from submarine threats.

INS Malwan was also commissioned in this window (possibly a patrol vessel or small craft). This fleet expansion supports India’s goal of achieving 200 warships by 2027 and becoming a ‘net security provider’ in the Indian Ocean Region, aligned with the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.

CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) propulsion is a naval propulsion architecture where the ship uses diesel engines for economical cruising and gas turbines (which provide much higher power output) for high-speed runs. Alternatives include: CODAG (Combined Diesel and Gas —” both run simultaneously for maximum power), CODLAG (Combined Diesel-Electric and Gas —” diesel drives electric motors; gas turbines for high speed), and CODAD (Combined Diesel and Diesel).

BrahMos is a joint India-Russia supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8) with a range of ~300+ km —” now being upgraded to a hypersonic variant (BrahMos-II/NG). MRSAM (Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile) is a joint India-Israel development (DRDO + IAI) providing fleet air defence against aircraft and missiles up to 70+ km.

The combination makes P-17A frigates among the most capable in the Asia-Pacific for multi-domain operations.

Uttarakhand’s major protected areas by district: Uttarkashi district —” Gangotri National Park (2,390 sq km), Govind Pashu Vihar National Park. Chamoli district —” Nanda Devi National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Valley of Flowers National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Rudraprayag district —” Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Dehradun district —” Rajaji National Park (shared with Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal).

The Gangotri-Gaumukh ecosystem is critical for the Ganga river system: Bhagirathi (from Gaumukh/Gangotri Glacier) + Alaknanda (from Satopanth Glacier, Chamoli) meet at Devprayag to form the Ganga. Nanda Devi NP is home to the Snow Leopard Conservation Programme and is a biosphere reserve.

Gaumukh (meaning ‘cow’s mouth’) marks the snout of the Gangotri Glacier at ~3,900m altitude.

The e-Courts Mission Mode Project is a separate Supreme Court-led initiative for digitising court records, implementing case management systems, and providing online access to case status —” it is under the judiciary’s administration with technical support from NIC. Nyaya Setu, in contrast, is an executive-branch (Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice) initiative under DISHA to provide legal information to citizens.

DISHA (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) has multiple components: Tele-Law (legal advice through Common Service Centres), Nyaya Mitra (retired judicial officers as para-legal guides), Pro Bono Legal Services, and now Nyaya Setu (AI chatbot). BHASHINI provides the multilingual backbone.

VP C.P. Radhakrishnan is a former MP and member of the Rajya Sabha who became VP in 2022 (14th Vice President). The mascot Dishika reflects DISHA’s approachable branding for access-to-justice services.

India is consistently among the top 5—7 troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations globally. India’s peacekeeping heritage dates to 1950 (Korean War medical support) and has expanded through missions in Congo, Cyprus, Lebanon (UNIFIL), South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and over 50 missions historically.

India has lost over 168 peacekeepers in UN missions —” the highest among troop contributors. In UNIFIL specifically, India’s infantry battalion has served in southern Lebanon, operating in a volatile environment between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

The killing of Indonesian peacekeepers in 2026 highlights the inherent dangers of peacekeeping in active conflict zones. Under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, all member states are prohibited from the use of force against UN peacekeepers —” attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

India’s ‘Government as Platform’ approach is a core principle of Digital India —” the government builds robust, reusable digital infrastructure (platforms, APIs, identity systems) that any government entity or even private sector players can plug into, rather than each department building siloed systems. Examples: Aadhaar (identity platform used across dozens of government services), GSTN (tax compliance platform), UPI (payment infrastructure), DigiLocker (document storage), BHASHINI (multilingual AI), and now SAMPANN (pension management).

The IndiaStack ecosystem represents this layered public digital infrastructure approach. SAMPANN’s extension to Goa and Cochin Port Authority demonstrates horizontal scaling: the DoT’s pension processing expertise and system become available to other government bodies without them building from scratch.

This saves public money, ensures consistency, and accelerates digital governance adoption across smaller entities that lack IT development capacity.