Current Affairs Quiz 6 April 2026

The 42nd Amendment (1976) first froze seats at 1971 Census levels until Census 2001. The 84th Amendment (2002) extended this freeze further until the first Census conducted after 2026.

This was done because southern states (Kerala, TN, Karnataka, AP) had significantly lower TFR than northern states (UP, Bihar, MP), allocating seats by current population would reward states that did not control population growth. Article 81 governs Lok Sabha composition (currently not exceeding 550 from states + 20 from UTs).

Article 82 requires readjustment after every Census. Article 329(a) bars courts from questioning delimitation.

The Delimitation Commission is appointed under the Delimitation Commission Act, 2002, chaired by a retired SC judge.

The AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 bifurcated Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana. Hyderabad served as the joint capital for 10 years (2014-2024).

CM Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) selected Amaravati in 2015. CM Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSRCP) proposed three capitals in 2019, Amaravati (legislative), Visakhapatnam (executive), Kurnool (judicial), which the AP High Court struck down.

Article 3 gives Parliament the power to form, alter, and reorganise states. The Constitution does not explicitly define state capitals, the First Schedule lists states and territories but not capitals.

Amaravati has historical significance as the capital of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE).

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) was adopted on October 29, 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force on October 12, 2014. It is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992).

IRCCs (Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance) confirm that Prior Informed Consent (PIC) was obtained and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) were established for genetic resource access. India ratified the Nagoya Protocol on October 9, 2012, before it entered into force.

NBA (Chennai) has mobilised Rs 216.31 crore since 2017, with Rs 139.69 crore disbursed to local communities. India’s Biological Diversity Act 2002 predates the Nagoya Protocol itself.

The women’s reservation bill was first introduced in 1996 by the Deve Gowda government but failed repeatedly due to OBC sub-reservation demands. It was passed as the 108th Amendment by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed when the Lok Sabha was dissolved.

Finally passed as the 106th Amendment in September 2023 during the special session in the new Parliament building. Key provision: reservation is to be implemented AFTER the first Census and delimitation conducted after the Act, meaning it required delimitation to proceed first.

Reserved seats will rotate every 15 years. SC/ST women get reservation within the existing SC/ST quota.

The Act applies to Lok Sabha and state assemblies but NOT Rajya Sabha or state legislative councils.

The FDI policy in banking: Private sector banks, 74% (automatic up to 49%, government route beyond); Public sector banks, 20% (government route); Foreign bank subsidiaries, 100% (RBI + government approval). The voting rights cap at 26% means that even with 74% ownership, the foreign investor cannot control the bank’s board or decision-making disproportionately.

RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank, est. 1943, Kolhapur) has ~500 branches. Emirates NBD is the largest banking group in the Middle East (~$250B in assets); Government of Dubai holds 55.8%.

India-UAE CEPA (2022) opened services sectors including banking. The deal requires both RBI and Government of India approval (beyond 49%).

Indian Navy ship classes: Nilgiri-class (Project 17A), stealth frigates (7 ships); Visakhapatnam-class (Project 15B), guided-missile destroyers (4 ships); Shivalik-class (Project 17), predecessor frigates (3 ships); Kamorta-class, ASW corvettes (4 ships); Kalvari-class, Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines (6 ships). SAIL supplies DMR-249A grade steel (~4,000 tonnes per frigate) from Bokaro, Bhilai, and Rourkela.

MDL (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai) and GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders, Kolkata) are the two primary warship builders. The Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy designs these ships indigenously.

India has 60+ ships under simultaneous construction across its shipyards.

Japan-India economic relationship: cumulative FDI since 2000 is ~$40 billion; 1,500+ Japanese companies operate in India. Major Japan-funded projects include the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC, ~$100 billion) and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train (Shinkansen technology).

Japan provides official development assistance (ODA) to India, India is the largest recipient of Japanese ODA globally. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is the implementing body.

The India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership was elevated during PM Abe’s era. Japan’s interest in critical minerals from India relates to rare earths needed for EV batteries and semiconductors, India has significant deposits.

The Quad (India-Japan-US-Australia) has economic security as a key pillar.

The Delimitation Commission (DC) has been constituted four times in India: 1952 (based on 1951 Census), 1963 (1961 Census), 1973 (1971 Census), and 2002 (2001 Census). Article 329(a) provides an absolute bar: “no election shall be called in question on the ground of delimitation.” The 2002 DC was chaired by Justice Kuldip Singh (retd.) and delimited all states except Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and J&K (then a state).

The CEC and respective State Election Commissioners are associate members. Article 82 requires Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act after every Census, this triggers the appointment of the Commission.

The DC’s orders are laid before Lok Sabha and state assemblies but cannot be modified by either.

DRDO has over 50 laboratories across India. Key naval/maritime labs: NSTL (Visakhapatnam), underwater weapons, torpedoes, sensors; NPOL (Kochi), sonar systems, underwater acoustics; NMRL (Ambernath), naval materials, AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) for submarines; RCI (Hyderabad), missiles guidance and control.

Cavitation is a hydrodynamic phenomenon where rapid pressure changes create vapour bubbles that collapse violently, causing noise and structural damage. For submarines, cavitation is the primary acoustic signature, a noisy submarine is detectable.

The LCT will enable India to design quieter propellers and hull shapes for next-gen submarines and ships, a critical Aatmanirbhar capability.

NALSA v. Union of India (2014): The Supreme Court recognised transgender persons as the “third gender” and affirmed their right to self-perceived gender identity under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21. Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan’s bench held that TG persons have the right to decide their self-identified gender without medical certification.

The original Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was already criticised for requiring a District Magistrate’s certificate instead of self-identification. The 2026 Amendment further tightens this by adding medical board certification as a prerequisite.

This aligns with the Government’s approach of documentary governance but diverges from the SC’s NALSA jurisprudence and the Yogyakarta Principles (international standards on sexual orientation and gender identity).

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 implements India’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992). Three-tier structure: NBA (national, Chennai), regulates foreign access; 29 SBBs (state level), regulate Indian commercial access; ~2.8 lakh BMCs (panchayat level), document local biodiversity through People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs).

India has completed PBRs for over 2.6 lakh panchayats. The Act was amended in 2023 to simplify compliance for Indian researchers and AYUSH practitioners.

Key functions: approve access to bio-resources by foreigners; oppose biopiracy patents worldwide; ensure benefit-sharing with local communities. Famous biopiracy cases: turmeric (1995), neem (1994), basmati (1997), all challenged using Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) containing 3.4 lakh formulations.

Article 3 provisions: (a) form new states by separation/merger; (b) increase/diminish area; (c) alter boundaries; (d) alter name. The Presidential recommendation (proviso) is mandatory for introducing the bill.

The state legislature is given a specified time to express views, if it does not respond within the time, Parliament can proceed regardless. Key historical examples: States Reorganisation Act 1956 (14 states, 6 UTs), creation of Telangana (2014), Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh-Uttarakhand (2000), J&K reorganisation (2019).

Note: J&K was reorganised under Article 370 (now abrogated) and Article 3. The First Schedule (listing states and UTs) is automatically updated when a state is reorganised, no separate amendment needed.

SAMADHAN was the MHA doctrine that guided India’s successful LWE elimination campaign. LWE-affected districts: 126 (2018) → 90 (April 2018) → 70 (2021) → 38 (April 2024) → near zero (March 2026).

Key operational elements: CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), CRPF’s anti-Naxal force (10 battalions); Road connectivity via PM Gram Sadak Yojana Phase III; Mobile towers via BharatNet; Developmental schemes (PM JANMAN, Aspirational Districts Programme). CPI(Maoist), formed 2004 by merger of PWG and MCC, is designated a terrorist organisation under UAPA.

LWE peaked in 2009-10 with 1,000+ annual deaths; by 2025, annual deaths fell below 30 (97% reduction).

The ADC-S project is under Make-II category of DAP 2020, meaning the industry funds the development (unlike Make-I where MoD funds). Expression of Interest (EoI) deadline: April 30, 2026.

The swarm concept allows multiple small, cheap drones to overwhelm air defences that are designed to target individual large aircraft. Each drone carries a 30 kg payload, sufficient for precision-guided munitions or ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) sensors.

C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, and C-295 are the IAF’s transport aircraft fleet. The ADC-S represents a shift from expensive, single-platform strikes to affordable, distributed, AI-enabled warfare.

Israel, USA, China, and Turkey are leaders in swarm drone technology, India is among the first to specify air-dropped canister deployment.

Turmeric patent: US Patent No. 5,401,504 granted to University of Mississippi Medical Centre for turmeric’s wound-healing properties. CSIR challenged it at USPTO, proving prior art from ancient Indian texts.

Revoked 1997. Neem patent: European Patent Office granted a patent to W.R. Grace Company and USDA for neem extract as a pesticide.

India’s Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (led by Vandana Shiva) and European Green Party challenged it. Revoked 2005 after 10-year legal battle.

Basmati: RiceTec Inc. (Texas) tried to patent “Basmati” rice lines in 1997.

India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) challenged it. Several claims withdrawn/narrowed.

TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) was created by CSIR and AYUSH Ministry, available in 5 international patent office languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese) to help patent examiners identify prior art.

The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) is the Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation responsible for designing all major warships. WDB designed the INS Vikrant (aircraft carrier), Nilgiri-class (frigates), Visakhapatnam-class (destroyers), and Kamorta-class (corvettes).

This is distinct from the Scorpene-class (Kalvari) submarines which are built under French (Naval Group) licence. Project 17A cost: Rs 45,000+ crore for 7 ships.

SAIL’s DMR-249A steel is a high-strength, low-alloy steel specifically developed for naval applications, its indigenous production is strategically critical since warship-grade steel is subject to export controls. MDL (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai) is a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Defence; GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata) is also under MoD.

The voting rights cap in Indian banking is specified under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and RBI master directions on bank ownership. The 26% cap was introduced when FDI limits were raised to 74% in 2021, explicitly to prevent foreign entities from controlling Indian banks’ governance.

This is distinct from insurance sector FDI (also 74% since 2021) where voting rights are not capped at 26%, an inconsistency that reflects different regulatory philosophies at RBI vs IRDAI. Public sector banks have 20% FDI limit with similar voting restrictions.

The “fit and proper” test under RBI guidelines assesses financial soundness, integrity, and governance track record of any entity acquiring 5%+ of a bank’s shares.

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 implements India’s CBD obligations. NBA (Chennai): regulates access by foreign nationals/companies; approves transfer of research results; opposes biopiracy patents. 29 SBBs: regulate access by Indian commercial entities. ~2.8 lakh BMCs: document local biodiversity through PBRs.

The 2023 Amendment simplified compliance for Indian researchers and codified AYUSH practitioners’ access to biological resources, previously AYUSH companies faced the same compliance burden as foreign entities. India has completed PBRs for over 2.6 lakh panchayats, the world’s largest grassroots biodiversity documentation effort.

TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) is a separate initiative by CSIR/AYUSH Ministry, not part of the BD Act but complementary.

The demographic divergence between northern and southern India is stark: southern states achieved replacement-level TFR by 2000-2010 through investments in women’s education, healthcare, and family planning. Northern states caught up much later.

If Lok Sabha seats were reallocated strictly by current population: UP would jump from 80 to ~120+ seats; Bihar from 40 to ~70+; while Kerala would drop from 20 to ~14; TN from 39 to ~30. PM Modi’s assurance, that no southern state will lose seats, means the total seats must expand (543→816) to accommodate the north’s population growth without reducing the south’s share.

This is similar to the principle behind the US Senate (equal representation) vs House (population-based), but India’s Lok Sabha is purely population-based.

The three-capital controversy: CM Jagan proposed decentralising governance to ensure regional balance across AP’s three regions, Coastal Andhra (Amaravati for legislature), Uttarandhra/North Coastal (Visakhapatnam for executive), and Rayalaseema (Kurnool for high court). The AP High Court struck it down, holding that changing the capital without Central approval (under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014) was unconstitutional.

After TDP returned to power in 2024 (as part of NDA), Naidu pushed for parliamentary legislation to permanently designate Amaravati. The 2026 amendment to Section 5 settles the matter legislatively.

Amaravati is on the Krishna River between Krishna and Guntur districts, historically significant as the Satavahana capital.

DRDO has 50+ laboratories across India. Key naval/defence labs: NSTL (Visakhapatnam), developed Varunastra heavyweight torpedo, lightweight torpedo TAL, underwater mines; NPOL (Kochi), developed HUMSA (Hull Mounted Sonar Array), USHUS (submarine sonar), Mihir sonar; GTRE (Bengaluru), developing Kaveri turbofan engine for Tejas MkII; DMRL (Hyderabad), develops maraging steel for missile casings, titanium alloys for aircraft, nickel-based superalloys for jet engines; RCI (Hyderabad), missile guidance; DRDL (Hyderabad), missile design; ASL (Hyderabad), missile assembly.

Hyderabad has the largest cluster of DRDO labs in India. Bengaluru has HAL, GTRE, ADE (Aeronautical Development Establishment), CABS (Centre for Airborne Systems).

Japan-India relations: India has been the largest recipient of Japanese ODA since 2003, receiving billions annually through JICA soft loans. DMIC (Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor) is a ~$100 billion mega-infrastructure project connecting Delhi to Mumbai through a dedicated freight corridor, substantially funded by JICA.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (Bullet Train) project uses E5 Shinkansen technology (same as Japan’s Tohoku Shinkansen). Construction began in 2020; target completion is 2028.

Route: ~508 km, 12 stations. Japan’s Act East Forum (2017) specifically targets India’s Northeast, JICA has funded projects in Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland for road connectivity, urban development, and livelihood programmes.