Current Affairs Quiz 8 April 2026

GeM (Government e-Marketplace) was launched in August 2016 as a digital procurement platform replacing the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) paper-based system. It operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The Public Procurement Policy for MSEs, 2012, a separate instrument, mandates that 25% of all Central Government procurement come from MSEs, with a minimum 4% earmarked for SC/ST-owned MSEs. GeM is the platform through which this mandate is operationalised.

As of FY26: 11 lakh+ MSEs registered, cumulative GMV ₹18.4 lakh crore, women-led MSE procurement ₹28,000 crore+ (28% YoY growth), state procurement growth 38.3% YoY. GeM is considered part of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) alongside UPI, Aadhaar, and ONDC.

Article 3 requires that any Bill to form or alter a state be introduced in Parliament only on the recommendation of the President, and the President must refer it to the State Legislature for its opinion within a specified time. However, Parliament is NOT bound by the State Legislature’s opinion, it is required to seek the opinion, not to follow it.

This asymmetry reflects Union supremacy in reorganisation matters. The SR Bommai case (1994) clarified limits on use of Article 356 but did not dilute Article 3 powers.

States in India are not “indestructible”, unlike in the US, Indian states can be reorganised, bifurcated, or merged by simple parliamentary majority plus Presidential assent. The AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 was enacted under Article 3 to bifurcate AP into residuary AP and Telangana.

MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) was adopted in 1973 under the IMO and modified by the 1978 Protocol, hence formally called MARPOL 73/78. It has six annexes: Annex I (oil), Annex II (noxious liquid substances), Annex III (harmful substances in packaged form), Annex IV (sewage), Annex V (garbage, plastics overboard ban), and Annex VI (air pollution, SOx, NOx limits).

India is a member of the IMO and has ratified most MARPOL annexes. The IMO is headquartered in London.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) are the primary enforcement agencies for MARPOL compliance in Indian waters. Tar balls washing ashore are a consequence of violations of MARPOL Annex I (oil pollution) by vessels, often through illegal bilge pumping or tank cleaning at sea.

The Indian Army’s 50-page UAS Technology Roadmap (April 2026) covers five operational categories and 30 UAS types (approximately 80 variants). Key UAS classes: HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance, >15,000 m, >24 hours endurance) for strategic ISR; MALE (5,000–15,000 m, 12–24 hours) for operational surveillance; Mini/Micro (<500 m, <2 hours) for platoon-level; FPV (First-Person View, very low altitude) for precision urban strike; and Swarm Drones for saturation attack.

MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) is also featured, where piloted aircraft and UAS coordinate for extended reach. India’s inducted loitering munitions include Nagastra-1 (Solar Industries).

The MQ-9B Predator HALE drone from the USA is under a ₹32,000 crore deal. DRDO’s Archer loitering munition is under development.

PLI for drones = ₹120 crore incentive scheme.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, notified on September 28, 2023, inserted: Article 330A (reservation in Lok Sabha, one-third of all seats including the SC/ST reserved seats); Article 332A (reservation in State Legislative Assemblies, including NCT Delhi). The reservation will come into force only after the first delimitation exercise following the next Census (Census 2021, delayed to 2025, results expected 2026-27 and delimitation in 2028-29).

The reservation is for 15 years initially. Parliament has the power to extend it.

Within the reserved seats, one-third must go to SC/ST women (where SC/ST reservation exists). The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed unanimously by both Houses of Parliament in the Special Session of September 2023.

MARPOL 73/78 has six Annexes: I = Oil (most important; mandatory for all parties); II = Noxious Liquid Substances (NLS) in Bulk; III = Harmful Substances in Packaged Form (includes labelling and packaging standards); IV = Sewage from Ships (discharge restrictions near shore); V = Garbage (plastics overboard ban, all parties must comply; Annex V is mandatory); VI = Air Pollution (SOx cap, NOx tiers, designation of Emission Control Areas). The Indian Ocean has not been designated as an Emission Control Area (ECA).

The MARPOL Oil Record Book (Annex I) is a key accountability mechanism, ships must log all oil transfers and discharges. If traced for tar ball source, the Oil Record Book is used as evidence.

The Panchamrit (five elements of India’s climate commitment at COP26, Glasgow 2021) comprises: (1) 500 GW non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030; (2) 50% of electricity from non-fossil sources by 2030; (3) Reduce cumulative carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030; (4) Reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 45% (from 2005 level) by 2030; (5) Net-zero by 2070. These were incorporated into India’s Updated NDC submitted to UNFCCC in August 2022.

Wind targets within the 500 GW: Solar 280 GW, Wind 140 GW, Other (hydro, small hydro, bio) ~80 GW. India added a record 6.05 GW of wind in FY26 (previous record 5.5 GW in FY17).

Total wind capacity crossed 56 GW. India is the 4th largest wind nation globally (after China, USA, Germany).

MNRE is the nodal ministry for wind energy.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was established on July 1, 1916 under the initiative of Lord Carmichael, then Governor of Bengal. It maintains the National Zoological Collections, over 1 million specimens.

ZSI has 16 regional centres across India including Marine Biological Station (Chennai), Desert Regional Station (Jodhpur), and Freshwater Biology Regional Centre (Hyderabad). The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890, Forest Survey of India (FSI) in 1981.

Corononema dhriti is only the 4th known species of its genus globally (others known from Australia, Thailand, Vietnam). Epacanthion indica has specialised mandible-like structures and functions as a microscopic benthic predator.

Both are meiofauna, microscopic organisms (0.1–1 mm) living in marine sediments. Nematodes are among the most abundant and diverse animal groups on Earth.

India currently has 24 women in the Rajya Sabha (out of 245 seats = ~10%) and 82 women in the Lok Sabha (out of 543 = ~15%), both significantly below the global average of ~27% for national legislatures (IPU, 2025). The 106th Amendment, passed unanimously in the Special Parliament Session of September 18-22, 2023, will take effect only after (1) the first Census following the Act (Census 2021, delayed to 2025) and (2) the subsequent delimitation exercise, estimated at 2028-29.

The reservation applies to one-third of total seats including existing SC/ST reserved seats. One-third of SC/ST reserved seats must go to women.

The 15-year sunset clause allows Parliament to extend it through subsequent legislation. States that already have higher women’s representation (e.g., Bihar assembly after 2020) will still apply the new constitutional mandate.

Jyotirao (Jotiba) Phule (1827–1890) was a Maharashtrian social reformer and thinker of the Mali (Shudra) caste. His major contributions: opened first school for girls in Pune (1848, with wife Savitribai Phule); established the Satyashodhak Samaj (1873); wrote Gulamgiri (1873, comparing Brahminical domination to American slavery); published Shetkaryacha Asud (Cultivator’s Whipcord) on peasant exploitation.

The Satyashodhak Samaj rejected Brahmin priests, promoted inter-caste social events, and emphasised direct access to God without priestly intermediaries. Phule was posthumously awarded the Mahatma title.

His work is considered a precursor to Ambedkar’s constitutional project, Article 17 (Abolition of Untouchability) and the social justice framework in Part III reflect Phule’s intellectual legacy. April 8, 2026 editorials (Indian Express) explored how Phule’s thought is a “constitutional project.”

The One Health concept was formally operationalised at the international level through the “One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA)” published in 2022 by WHO, FAO, UNEP, and WOAH, the “Quadripartite.” The 2025 WHO Pandemic Agreement reinforces One Health principles, mandating stronger zoonotic disease surveillance. India’s National One Health Mission (announced in Union Budget 2023-24) aims to: (1) build One Health labs in states; (2) integrate human and veterinary disease surveillance; (3) create an early warning system for zoonotic outbreaks.

Zoonotic diseases, diseases that jump from animals to humans, include COVID-19, Nipah, Ebola, SARS, H5N1, Rabies, Brucellosis. India has documented Nipah outbreaks in Kerala (2018, 2023).

Approximately 60% of all known human infectious diseases are zoonotic. World Health Day 2026 (April 7) theme: "Together for Health.

Stand with Science."

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 bifurcated the combined state of AP on June 2, 2014, creating Telangana as the 29th state. Section 5 of this Act addressed capital arrangements, designating Hyderabad as joint capital for a maximum of 10 years.

The AP High Court was set up in Amaravati in 2019 after operating initially from Hyderabad. The YSRCP government (2019-24) passed the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act (2020) to create three capitals.

The AP HC declared this Act unconstitutional in March 2022, noting that the Act violated land pooling commitments and due process. The Supreme Court stayed the AP HC order in April 2022 (before the YSRCP could enforce the three-capital plan effectively).

Following TDP’s return to power (June 2024), Parliament passed the AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 formally notifying Amaravati as the sole capital.

Marine nematodes (roundworms of the Phylum Nematoda) are one of the most abundant multicellular organisms on Earth, with approximately 4,400 marine species described globally, but scientists estimate hundreds of thousands remain undescribed. Meiofauna (size range 0.1–1 mm) inhabit marine benthic sediments at densities of thousands per 10 cm².

They are: (1) critical for nutrient cycling (remineralising organic matter); (2) bioindicators of sediment health and pollution; (3) important in marine food webs as prey for benthic fish and invertebrates. India’s documented marine biodiversity covers approximately 30,000 species, but systematic surveys of meiofauna along India’s 7,516 km coast remain incomplete.

The genus Corononema has now 4 known species worldwide: from Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and India. ZSI’s Marine Biological Station in Chennai is the primary centre for such marine invertebrate taxonomy work.

Key constitutional amendments in India’s governance history: 42nd Amendment (1976, “Mini Constitution,” expanded Union powers); 44th Amendment (1978, restored fundamental rights diluted by Emergency); 52nd Amendment (1985, anti-defection law, 10th Schedule); 61st Amendment (1988, voting age 18 from 21); 73rd Amendment (1992, Panchayati Raj); 74th Amendment (1992, Municipalities); 84th Amendment (2001, freeze delimitation on 1971 Census); 86th Amendment (2002, Article 21A, Right to Education); 91st Amendment (2003, coalition government defection law); 101st Amendment (2016, GST, Article 246A, 279A); 102nd Amendment (2018, NCBC constitutional status); 103rd Amendment (2019, EWS 10% reservation); 105th Amendment (2021, states’ power to identify OBCs); 106th Amendment (2023, women’s reservation 330A, 332A).

The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014 created Telangana as the 29th state (subsequently, Telangana became the 29th and Andhra Pradesh was the residuary state; with later additions Telangana is no longer the most recent state, Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated in 2019 and J&K/Ladakh were redesignated UTs). The 10-year joint capital arrangement meant both states shared Hyderabad’s infrastructure (Secretariat, Assembly, High Court, civil services) for administrative continuity.

The residuary state AP was required to develop its own capital, hence the Amaravati project. The land pooling from 29 villages under the Land Pooling Scheme involved farmers giving up ~35,000 acres of fertile agricultural land in exchange for developed plots in the new capital city.

As of 2026, approximately ₹7,000 crore has been spent on Amaravati infrastructure.

I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, USA) was formalised during US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Israel in October 2021. The first leaders’ summit took place in July 2022 with PM Modi, PM Lapid (Israel), PM Sheikh Mohammed (UAE), and President Biden (USA), held virtually.

Key I2U2 projects: $2 billion food security corridor (integrated agri parks in India, funded by UAE); clean energy projects in India (solar, wind, nuclear); connectivity projects linking Gulf and Mediterranean. India’s “Bombay school” foreign policy toward Arab Gulf states, pragmatic, commerce- and diaspora-driven engagement, contrasts with traditional Non-Aligned Movement ideology.

India has approximately 9 million diaspora in the UAE and Gulf countries, remitting $45+ billion annually. In April 2026, India’s support for Arab Gulf states against Iranian strikes was described by analysts as a revival of this Bombay school of pragmatic Gulf engagement.

The 106th Amendment was passed during the Special Parliament Session of September 18-22, 2023. Both Houses passed it unanimously, a historic political consensus.

However, the implementation timeline is opaque: the next Census (Census 2021, delayed to 2025) must first be conducted, then its data used for delimitation. Delimitation typically takes 2-3 years after Census data is available.

So realistic implementation is estimated at 2029-30 (post-2028 general elections). Within the reserved seats: one-third of SC-reserved seats must go to SC women; one-third of ST-reserved seats must go to ST women.

After every delimitation, the rotation of reserved seats will occur, so reserved seats won’t permanently fix in one constituency. As of 2026, 82 women are in the Lok Sabha (15%), and the first direct impact of this amendment would be at the General Elections of approximately 2034 (if 2028 delimitation is completed by then).

MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) originated in the US Army’s aviation doctrine. The concept allows a piloted helicopter to control an unmanned system, share sensor feeds in real time, and assign engagement targets without returning to base.

This dramatically extends the operational radius and situational awareness of manned aviation. In Ukraine-Russia conflict, Ukrainian attack helicopters increasingly rely on FPV drones as lead elements, a form of improvised MUM-T. India’s Army UAS Roadmap (April 2026) emphasises indigenous development for all five UAS categories.

Key platforms: Nagastra-1 (loitering munition, Solar Industries), Rustom-2/TAPAS (MALE, DRDO, under trials), MQ-9B Predator HALE (USA, ₹32,000 crore contract), Drishti-10 Starliner (maritime, inducted Navy/Coast Guard). PLI for drones = ₹120 crore. iDEX challenges are the key mechanism for startup engagement in military UAS development.

India submitted its first NDC in 2015 (at Paris COP21) and an Updated NDC in August 2022. Original 2015 NDC: 450 GW RE by 2030, 40% non-fossil share by 2030, 33-35% emissions intensity reduction.

Updated 2022 NDC: 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030, 50% non-fossil share by 2030, 45% emissions intensity reduction. The 500 GW target breakdown (approximate): Solar 280 GW, Wind 140 GW, Hydro 55 GW, Nuclear 20 GW, Others 5+ GW.

In FY26: India added 6.05 GW of wind (record) and approximately 25 GW of solar. To achieve 500 GW by 2030, India needs to add approximately 50+ GW/year of non-fossil capacity from 2026-30.

ISTS (Inter-State Transmission System) charge waiver till 2032 and Wind RPO (Renewable Purchase Obligation) trajectory for DISCOMs are the two key policy instruments driving wind expansion.

The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, established in 1978 under the DICGC Act, 1961. It provides deposit insurance for: savings accounts, fixed deposits, current accounts, and recurring deposits.

The ₹5 lakh limit covers each depositor in each bank, if you have deposits in two banks, each gets ₹5 lakh coverage. Interbank deposits, government deposits, and state co-operative bank deposits with the State Co-operative Bank are excluded from DICGC cover.

The premium is paid by member banks (currently 12 paise per ₹100 of assessable deposits per annum). India’s per-capita deposit insurance coverage relative to per-capita income is lower than international standards recommended by IADI (International Association of Deposit Insurers).

The 2021 DICGC Act amendment required banks to pay insured amounts to depositors within 90 days of liquidation, an important investor protection mechanism.

India’s drone policy evolution: (1) DGCA issued interim rules in 2018 (very restrictive); (2) UAS Rules 2021 (March 2021, still restrictive); (3) Drone Rules 2021 (August 2021, liberal framework with “green, yellow, red” airspace zones; no-permission, no-takeoff digital control); (4) Drone (Amendment) Rules 2022 (further simplified). Key initiatives: PLI for Drones (₹120 crore, 3-year period, for manufacturers and component producers); iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) challenges; Drone Shakti programme; Positive Indigenisation List for UAS (import ban, mandatory domestic procurement).

India exported Nagastra-1 loitering munitions to a friendly country in 2025, first such defence export. The MQ-9B Predator HALE drone procurement (₹32,000 crore, 31 drones: 16 Navy, 8 Army, 7 Air Force) was cleared in 2023 from USA under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) framework.

Jayaraj (59) and his son Beniks (31) were arrested on June 19, 2020 by Tamil Nadu Police for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond COVID-19 lockdown hours. They died in judicial custody on June 22-23, 2020, after alleged brutal torture at Sathankulam police station, Thoothukudi district.

Medical evidence and witness testimonies described severe physical injuries. A CBI investigation was ordered; the chargesheet named 12 accused (nine convicted, including the station inspector).

Provisions used: Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 330 (causing hurt to extort confession), and 34 (common intention). The case triggered national outrage and highlighted chronic custodial violence in India.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data: 2,544 cases of deaths in custody in 2022, of which 1,968 were in judicial custody and 175 in police custody. Conviction rate in custodial death cases remains below 5%.

GeM was launched on August 9, 2016 by Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman. It replaced the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) as the primary platform for Central Government procurement.

Digital India was announced on July 1, 2015 (with PM Modi and Mark Zuckerberg at its launch). The Public Procurement Policy for MSEs, 2012, notified under the MSME Development Act, 2006, mandates: 25% total from MSEs; 4% from SC/ST-owned MSEs; 358 items reserved for purchase from MSEs only.

GeM’s architecture as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) includes: real-time price comparison, reverse auctions for bulk purchases, quality certification system (QCI), and GeM-GST integration for automatic reconciliation. GeM processes both goods procurement and service contracts, it expanded from goods-only in 2017 to include services in 2018.

India’s net-zero by 2070 commitment was made by PM Narendra Modi at COP26 Glasgow (November 2021). Key reasons India chose 2070 over 2050: (1) India’s per-capita emissions are approximately 2.9 tonnes CO2e, far below the US (14.7) and EU (7.3); (2) India needs 6-8% GDP growth over decades to eliminate poverty; (3) Historical responsibility: CBDR-RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities) principle.

India’s Updated NDC 2022 has four quantified commitments: 500 GW non-fossil by 2030; 50% non-fossil electricity share by 2030; 45% emissions intensity reduction by 2030; net-zero by 2070. Countries with 2050 net-zero targets: USA, EU-27, UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea.

Countries with 2060 targets: China, Russia. Countries with 2070: India.

India’s record FY26 wind addition of 6.05 GW must accelerate to ~12 GW/year to reach 140 GW by 2030.

The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is maintained by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, established in 1895. Key ICZN principles: (1) Principle of Priority, first valid published name wins; (2) Principle of Typification, each species name is attached to a specific type specimen (holotype), deposited in an institution; (3) Principle of Homonymy, a name already used for another animal (homonym) cannot be used again; (4) Principle of Coordination, names at different ranks (species, subspecies) are coordinated.

For plants, the equivalent is the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). The binomial nomenclature system was formalised by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753) and Systema Naturae (1758).

ZSI deposits type specimens of newly described species in the National Zoological Collection, ensuring scientific verifiability. The discovery of Corononema dhriti and Epacanthion indica required the scientists to verify the ICZN priority rule that no prior description of these species existed.