Current Affairs – March 12, 2026

{GS2 – Polity} Supreme Court Applies Passive Euthanasia Framework **

Context (IE): Supreme Court has permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for Harish Rana, who had been in a persistent vegetative state for 13 years.

This is the first time the Supreme Court has actually applied the passive euthanasia framework it laid down in 2018.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia refers to the intentional ending of a person’s life to relieve suffering caused by an incurable disease or severe, unbearable pain.
It is generally carried out under medical supervision to ensure dignity at the end of life.

Types of Euthanasia

Active Euthanasia: Involves deliberate action to cause death, such as administering a lethal injection. Considered illegal in India and punishable under criminal law.
Passive Euthanasia: Involves withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment, such as ventilators, nutrition, or medication. Permitted in India under strict safeguards following Supreme Court guidelines.

Legal Framework of Passive Euthanasia in India

Legal Recognition: Supreme Court recognised passive euthanasia in Common Cause v. Union of India, allowing withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment.
Constitutional Basis: Grounded in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to live with dignity.
Living Will: Individuals can create a living will specifying that life-support treatment should not be continued if they become terminally ill or enter a vegetative state.
Medical Board: Withdrawal of treatment requires approval from Primary Medical Board of treating hospital and a Secondary Medical Board of independent doctors.
Magisterial Oversight: The decision must be communicated to a Judicial Magistrate to ensure transparency and legal oversight.
Applicability: Allowed only for terminally ill patients or those in a persistent vegetative state where treatment provides no reasonable hope of recovery.

Evolution of Supreme Court Guidelines

Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011): SC first recognised passive euthanasia as legally permissible in India, though it wasn’t granted in her specific case.
Common Cause v. Union of India (2018): Declared the right to die with dignity as part of Article 21 and legalised passive euthanasia and living wills.
Supreme Court modification (2023): Simplified the 2018 procedure, introduced timelines for medical boards, and reduced the role of judicial magistrates to make the process practical.

Read More > Passive Euthanasia

{GS2 – Polity} SC Ruled against using Parental Income as the Sole Criterion for OBC Status **

Context (IE): Supreme Court ruled that parental income alone cannot determine creamy layer status for Other Backwards Classes (OBCs).

Post Criterion: For parents employed in PSUs or the private sector, the category of the post (Group A, B, C, or D) should be the primary criterion.
Existing Anomaly: Currently, children of government employees are evaluated based on parental rank, whereas children of PSU and private sector employees are assessed solely by parental salary.
Equality Principle: Treating children of PSU/private employees differently from those of government employees violates the Right to Equality under Articles 14, 15, and 16.

Evaluation of the Ruling

Arguments in Favour

Social Status: Rank-based identification measures social standing more accurately than income alone.
Social Raise: Long service can raise a lower-level employee’s salary without changing social position.
Uniform Standard: Uniform post-based criteria across all employers ensures the fair evaluation of every OBC candidate.

Concerns and Criticisms

Hierarchy Gap: The private sector lacks a standardised rank hierarchy, making it difficult to verify post-based classification.
Income Reality: Rank-based criteria ignore the current economic reality, where income largely determines access to education.
Reservation Access: High-income private-sector families may crowd out economically weaker OBC candidates from reserved seats.

About Creamy Layer

Creamy layer principle identifies and excludes the socially and economically privileged members of OBCs from reservation benefits.
Origin: Supreme Court established this principle in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) to ensure reservation benefits reach the most marginalised.
Determining Factors: Social, educational, and economic statuses are collectively evaluated to determine the creamy layer status.
Income Ceiling: A family is considered a creamy layer if its annual income exceeds ₹8 lakh for three consecutive years.
- Scope: Only income from business, profession, property, or investments counts toward the threshold. Salary and Agricultural income are excluded.
Service Exclusion: Children of parents in Group A / Class I posts or those promoted to Group A before age 40 are automatically excluded from reservation benefits.

Read More > Reservation in India

Context (PIB): NITI Aayog released the second Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026, evaluating the performance of Indian states for financial year 2023–24.

About Fiscal Health Index

FHI by NITI Aayog is an annual assessment tool to benchmark the financial performance of Indian states. It relies on audited data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
Objective: Identify structural fiscal challenges to guide evidence-based policies for sustainable growth.
Parameters: The index uses five sub-indices
1. Quality of Expenditure: Measures the share of developmental spending relative to non-developmental expenditure.
2. Revenue Mobilisation: Evaluates a state’s ability to independently generate tax & non-tax revenues.
3. Fiscal Prudence: Monitors fiscal and revenue deficits relative to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
4. Debt Index: Analyses the size, composition, and interest burden of outstanding public liabilities.
5. Debt Sustainability: Assesses whether GSDP growth exceeds interest payments, indicating manageable long-term debt.

Key Highlights of FHI 2026

This edition includes 10 North-Eastern and Himalayan states ranked separately along with the 18 major states assessed in previous edition.
Top Performer: Odisha retained top position among major states for the second year due to strong revenue mobilisation and debt management.
Aspirational States: Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh continue to face fiscal stress due to deficits and high committed expenditure.
NE & Himalayan States: Arunachal Pradesh led in this category with high expenditure quality and prudent debt management.
Policy Recommendations: Strengthening state tax capacity, expanding GST base, rationalising committed expenditure, monitoring off-budget borrowings, and adopting medium-term fiscal frameworks.

{GS2 – MoJS} National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)

Context (DDN): Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C. R. Paatil inaugurated the new office of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and launched its official website.

Initiatives: The event introduced digital tools to strengthen dam safety monitoring –
- NETRA: An AI-enabled platform designed to provide quick access to Dam safety guidelines.
- Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan (RBSD): A visualisation platform developed by C-DAC to analyse dam break scenarios and downstream impacts.

About National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)

Statutory Basis: National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) is a statutory body established under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, to regulate dam safety.
Ministry: It functions under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Regulator: NDSA ensures the structural integrity and safe operation of specified dams across India.
Policy Role: It implements policies framed by the National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) and oversees national dam safety standards.
Composition: Headquartered in New Delhi, NDSA is headed by a Chairman and assisted by five members, each leading a specialised wing.
Dispute Resolution: It resolves disputes between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs) or between an SDSO and a dam owner.
Inter-State Roles: NDSA serves as the SDSO for dams that span two or more states, dams situated in one state but owned by another, and dams owned by the Central Government.
Accreditation: It accredits agencies involved in dam construction, design, and alteration activities.

Specified Dams: Dams with a height above 15 m, or 10-15 m height with prescribed structural or risk conditions, as defined under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
NCDS: A statutory body under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, that formulates national dam safety policies and standards, chaired by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC).
SDSO: A body established by each State Government to inspect, monitor, and ensure the safety of specified dams within its jurisdiction under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

{GS2 – IR} India–EFTA TEPA Completes Two Years Since Signing **

Context (DDN): The India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) has completed two years since its signing.

Composition: EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation of four non-European Union countries – Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Implementation: TEPA entered into force on 1 October 2025 after all parties completed ratification.

Key Provisions of India-EFTA TEPA

FDI Commitment: EFTA countries committed to a binding $100 billion FDI over 15 years to create one million direct jobs in India.
Tariff Coverage: Tariffs will be removed on 92.2% of product categories, covering 99.6% of Indian exports to EFTA markets.
India’s Offer: India will lower import tariffs on 82.7% of its tariff lines, excluding sensitive sectors like dairy, soya, and coal.
Services Access: Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) enable Indian service professionals like nurses and accountants to work in EFTA countries.
Safeguard Clause: India can revoke its tariff concessions if EFTA does not fulfil the $100 billion investment commitment.

Key Early Outcomes

Investment: Iceland announced a $30 million investment in India’s fisheries sector under the TEPA.
Facilitation: The India-EFTA Desk operates as a single-window platform to facilitate EFTA investments.
Price Realisation: Average unit export price for Indian agricultural products has increased

{GS3 – IE} Measurement of Employment in India

Context (IE): The announcement of a new GDP series has renewed debates over the accuracy and methodology of employment measurement in India under the PLFS.

Employment Measurement Framework

India’s employment data is primarily measured through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under MoSPI.

Measurement Approaches

PLFS uses three activity-status approaches based on different reference periods –

Usual Status: It measures chronic or long-term labour-force status by assessing a person’s activity over the last 365 days.
- Usual Principal Status: UPS classifies a person by the activity occupying the major part of the year.
- Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status: UPSS counts a person as employed if they worked at least 30 days during the year.
Current Weekly Status: measures short-term or seasonal unemployment over a 7-day reference period.
- Criterion: It counts a person as employed if they worked at least 1 hour on 1 day during the week.
Current Daily Status: CDS records daily labour activity for each day of the seven-day reference week.

Key Labour Market Ratios

Labour-market outcomes are assessed using three key indicators derived from PLFS data –

Unemployment Rate: UR measures the percentage of unemployed persons in the total labour force.
Labour Force Participation Rate: LFPR measures the share of the working-age population that is working or actively seeking work.
Worker Population Ratio: WPR measures the percentage of employed persons in the total population.

Issues with India’s Employment Data

Broad Definition: CWS classifies a person as employed if they work just 1 hour in a week, masking underemployment and distress self-employment.
Participation Bias: The survey struggles to distinguish voluntary labour participation from economic compulsion, potentially inflating LFPR.
Quality Gap: PLFS does not adequately measure job quality indicators such as wages, hours worked, job tenure, or social security coverage.
Data Consistency: Early PLFS rounds were not comparable to previous NSS surveys, leading the ILO to omit them from global labour estimates.
Sample Volatility: A smaller sample size and high frequency in recent monthly estimates increase statistical volatility and complicate the interpretation of short-term trends.

Other Employment Data Sources

Establishment Survey: The Labour Bureau conducts the All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES) covering organised and unorganised sectors.
Administrative Data: Payroll-based employment estimates are derived from subscriber data of EPFO, ESIC, and NPS.
Private Estimates: The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) publishes monthly unemployment estimates through its Consumer Pyramids Household Survey.
Census Classification: Census of India classifies people as Main Workers, Marginal Workers, and Non-workers, giving the most granular geographic workforce data.

Read More > Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

{GS3 – Envi} Concentrated Solar Thermal as a Renewable Energy Source **

Context (TH): Geopolitical disruptions to gas supplies have renewed interest in Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) as a domestic renewable source of industrial heat.

Heat Share: Industrial heat accounts for about 25% of India’s total energy consumption.

About Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST)

Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) uses mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight onto a receiver and produce heat for generating electricity.
Contrast: Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity, whereas CST concentrates sunlight to generate heat and produce steam.
Mechanism: Concentrated sunlight heats a working fluid that either generates steam to power turbines or transfers heat into storage media like molten salt.

Major Types of CST Technologies

CST Technology	Core Design	Key Feature
Parabolic Trough	Curved mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a receiver tube	Most widely deployed CST technology
Solar Power Tower	Thousands of heliostat mirrors focus sunlight onto a receiver atop a tower	Highest efficiency and large thermal storage
Linear Fresnel	Rows of flat mirrors reflect sunlight onto a fixed receiver above	Lowest cost and simplest design
Parabolic Dish	Dish-shaped mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a central receiver	Best suited for small modular systems

Strategic Advantages of CST

Thermal Storage: Molten salt reservoirs allow CST plants to store surplus heat and generate electricity even after sunset.
Grid Role: CST can deliver electricity on demand via thermal storage, offering more stable baseload power than intermittent PV or wind.
Industrial Use: High-temperature heat from the system supports industrial processes, water desalination, and green hydrogen production.
Resource Footprint: CST utilises abundant materials like molten salt and mirrors, reducing reliance on critical minerals used in battery systems.

Key Challenges of CST

Capital Cost: Large mirror fields, receivers, and thermal systems make CST plants significantly costlier than solar PV arrays.
DNI Requirement: CST systems operate efficiently only in regions with very high Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and consistently clear skies year-round.
Water Paradox: Steam turbines require large volumes of cooling water, even though optimal sites are usually arid deserts.
Land Use: CST requires roughly 1.5 to 3 times more land per MW than solar PV; large mirror arrays need contiguous flat terrain to avoid shading.

CST Landscape in India

Capacity: India has ~343 MW of awarded CST capacity, though only ~101 MW is fully operational.
Potential: MNRE estimates 6.45 GW of CST potential in industries like dairy, textiles, and chemicals.
Hubs: High-irradiance states like Rajasthan and Gujarat account for most of the CST deployment.
CCTS Gap: Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) does not recognise avoided emissions from direct-heat technologies such as CST.
Policy Blindspot: India lacks a dedicated national policy to promote renewable industrial heat technologies such as CST.

{GS3 – S&T} AI Sovereignty and India’s Strategic Digital Autonomy

Context (TH): IRIS Dena incident has highlighted Western bias in global AI systems, strengthening arguments for algorithmic and AI sovereignty for countries like India.

A U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, triggering debates over the legality of military actions under United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
An AI system initially declared the attack “not illegal,” reflecting Western interpretations of international maritime law.

AI and Structural Bias in International Law

Training Data: Most AI systems are trained on Western literature, legal scholarship, and policy documents, leading to a dominance of Western legal interpretations.
Interpretation Bias: AI often presents Western interpretations of international law as the default view, while perspectives of the Global South appear as secondary.
Geopolitical Power Structures: AI outputs can unintentionally replicate existing global power asymmetries, favouring dominant states’ legal and strategic narratives.
Language Bias: Most training data is in English, excluding legal scholarship published in other languages.

Algorithmic Sovereignty: The ability of a country to design, control, and govern its own AI systems, algorithms, and data infrastructure without excessive dependence on foreign technology.

Global AI Landscape

Bipolar Structure: The global AI ecosystem is increasingly dominated by two major powers, the United States and China.
U.S. AI Ecosystem: Driven by companies like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), and Anthropic (Claude), with strong influence in global AI standards, research, and datasets.
China’s AI Ecosystem: Built around firms such as Baidu, Deepseek, and Tencent, supported by strong state involvement.
Third Path: Countries like India are exploring sovereign AI ecosystems to ensure technological autonomy and representation of diverse global perspectives.

Sarvam AI

Sarvam AI is a Bengaluru-based company founded in 2023 to develop advanced AI technologies.
It has been selected under IndiaAI Mission to help build indigenous foundational AI models for India.
Goal: To build a sovereign AI ecosystem for India, enabling AI systems that reflect Indian languages, culture, and governance needs.
Recent AI models: Launched Sarvam-30B and Sarvam-105B large language models in 2026 for multilingual and enterprise applications.

Need for Sovereign AI

Strategic Autonomy: Reduces dependence on foreign AI ecosystems (mainly U.S. and China) and strengthens national control over critical digital technologies.
Data Security: Ensures that sensitive national data, strategic information, and government datasets remain under domestic control.
Reducing Bias: Sovereign AI can incorporate local knowledge, languages, and Global South perspectives, ensuring balanced and context-specific outputs.
Policy Making: AI systems aligned with domestic priorities can better support policy-making, defence, and economic planning.
Innovation: Developing indigenous AI ecosystems promotes domestic research, startups, and technological competitiveness.
Regulatory Control: Enables governments to establish national standards for AI governance, ethics, and data protection aligned with local values.

IndiaAI Mission

Approved in 2024, the mission aims to build a comprehensive AI ecosystem in India and position the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
Infrastructure: Establishes a national AI computing facility with high-end GPUs to provide affordable compute access to startups, researchers, and academia.

Read More > AI For Viksit Bharat

{Prelims – MIH – Events} Dandi March

Context (PIB): PM Modi honoured Dandi March participants, recalling its message of truth and sacrifice.

The Dandi March, also called the Salt March or Dandi Satyagraha, was a nonviolent protest led by Mahatma Gandhi. It marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
The march began from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930 and ended at Dandi with breaking of the salt law on 6 April 1930.
- The Salt Act, 1882, granted the British government a monopoly on salt production and imposed a heavy tax on salt.
Cause: Lord Irwin’s refusal to address Gandhi’s 11-point demands, including the abolition of the salt tax, sparked the march.

Participation: Gandhi began the march with 78 followers and was joined by thousands on the way.
Salt Symbolism: Gandhi selected salt because it was a universal necessity and could unite poor and rich across caste and religious divisions.

Read More > PMF IAS Modern Indian History

{Prelims – IR} India Joins UN Member States to Call for Protection of Peacekeepers in Lebanon

Context (TH): India joined almost 35 UNIFIL troop-contributing countries, voicing concern over increasing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah (Lebanese paramilitary).

UNIFIL: The United Nations Interim Force, a peacekeeping mission established in 1978, is currently monitoring hostilities in Lebanon. India is the fourth-largest troop contributor to UNIFIL.

The countries reaffirmed support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and urged full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
- Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah war & created a permanent ceasefire framework.
India emphasised safeguarding United Nations peacekeepers, citing UNSC Resolution 2589 (2021).
- Resolution 2589, adopted during India’s UNSC presidency, urges states to prosecute those who attack UN peacekeepers.

{Prelims – IR} India–Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP)

Context (NOA): India recently supplied 5,000 metric tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh through the India–Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP).

Inaugurated in 2023, it is the first cross-border petroleum pipeline between India and Bangladesh.
It stretches 131.5 km from Siliguri (West Bengal) to Parbatipur (Bangladesh).
Capacity: Up to 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD).
Significance: The all-weather pipeline supports India’s Neighbourhood First policy and reduces Bangladesh’s fuel transportation costs by nearly 50%.

Read More > India–Bangladesh Relations

{Prelims – Envi – Pollution} Black Rain *

Context (DDN): World Health Organisation (WHO) warned about health risks from “black rain” that recently occurred in Tehran, Iran.

Airstrikes on Iranian oil refineries released large quantities of toxic hydrocarbons that, combined with rainwater, resulted in dark, oily rainfall.
Black rain occurs through atmospheric scavenging, a natural process where precipitation removes suspended pollutants from the air.
Major Causes: Nuclear explosions, oil fires, Industrial pollution, large wildfires, and volcanic eruptions.
Health Impact: Immediate effects include respiratory distress, skin irritation, headaches, and chemical burns; prolonged exposure increases cancer risk.
Historic Example: Hiroshima atomic bombing caused black rain, leading to Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) symptoms like vomiting, fever, and hair loss.

{Prelims – S&T} Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor *

Context (TH): Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued an advisory to regulate the promotion and marketing of prescription drugs for obesity and metabolic disorders.

The advisory stresses strict compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
Special focus has been placed on GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are increasingly used to treat obesity and metabolic conditions.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor

Physiological Role: The GLP-1 receptor is activated by the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which helps regulate glucose metabolism and appetite.
Location: GLP-1 receptors are mainly found in the pancreas, brain, stomach, and intestines, where they influence insulin secretion and digestion.
Blood Sugar Control: Activation of the receptor stimulates insulin release and suppresses glucagon, helping control blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 Diabetes.
Effect on Appetite and Weight: GLP-1 receptor activation slows gastric emptying and increases feelings of fullness, which helps reduce food intake and support weight loss.
Medical Use: Drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists target this receptor and are widely used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and obesity under medical supervision.

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease requiring comprehensive management, including diet, physical activity, and medical supervision.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} INS Trikand *

Context (NOA): INS Trikand took part in the 58^th National Day celebrations of Mauritius.

INS Trikand is a Talwar-class stealth guided-missile frigate built in Russia for the Indian Navy.
It operates under the Western Naval Command (WNC) headquartered in Mumbai.
Design: It features a low-observable hull to minimise radar cross-section and detection.
Propulsion System: It is driven by four gas turbines that enable speeds of up to 30 knots.
Combat Systems: It is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Shtil-1 medium-range surface-to-air missiles, naval guns, and torpedoes.
Air Capability: It can carry a Kamov-31 (Airborne Early Warning), Kamov-28 (Anti-Submarine), or ALH Dhruv helicopter.