Current Affairs 26 March 2026

Supreme Court Judgment on SC Status

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Scheduled Caste (SC) status is available only to persons professing Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism.

Key Highlights:

• The judgment is based on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
• Clause 3 clearly states:
  • Only persons following Hinduism, Sikhism (added in 1956), and Buddhism (added in 1990) are eligible for SC status.
• Conversion to other religions (like Christianity or Islam) leads to:
  • Immediate loss of SC status
  • Loss of reservation and legal protections (including SC/ST Act)

Case Background:

• Petitioner: Born in SC (Madiga community), later converted to Christianity.
• Filed case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• Court held:
  • Christianity does not recognize caste system
  • Hence, SC benefits cannot be claimed after conversion.

Important Observations:

• “Profess” means publicly practicing a religion, not just personal belief.
• SC status and conversion to other religions are mutually exclusive.

Re-conversion Rule:

To regain SC status, a person must:

• Be accepted back by the community
• Prove original caste
• Show genuine reconversion

DPIIT Signs MoU with Razorpay to Boost Startup Ecosystem

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with fintech company Razorpay to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem.

This Provides access to:

• Financial tools and digital payment solutions
• Mentorship and founder enablement programmes
• Structured guidance and ecosystem support

Startup Sahayak Platform:

A dedicated platform launched under this initiative provides company incorporation support and access to government schemes (central & State).

Cabinet approved New NDC Targets (2031-2035)

The Union Cabinet has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031–2035 under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

Key Targets:

• 47% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2035 (from 2005 levels)
• 60% installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2035
• Creation of a carbon sink of 3.5–4.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forests by 2035
• Long-term target of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070

Important Facts:

• India has already reduced emissions intensity by 36% between 2005 and 2020
• Achieved 52.57% non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity as of February 2026, ahead of the target
• Created a carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2021

Initiatives Supporting Nationally Determined Contribution:

• Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) movement
• National Green Hydrogen Mission
• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
• PM-KUSUM Scheme
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)

International Conference on ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan’

The Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, virtually inaugurated an international conference on “Ekatma Manav Darshan – Bharat’s Worldview” at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru.

Key Highlights:

• Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation
• The conference marks 60 years of Ekatma Manav Darshan (Integral Humanism).
• The philosophy was propounded by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

14th WTO Ministerial Conference

The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be held from 26–29 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, under the chairmanship of Cameroon.

Key Highlights:

• The Indian delegation will be led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal
• The conference will include participation from trade ministers of WTO member countries

Modified UDAN Scheme

The Union Cabinet has approved the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN for a period of 10 years (FY 2026–27 to FY 2035–36) with a total outlay of ₹28,840 crore.

Key Objectives:

• Enhance regional air connectivity to unserved and underserved areas
• Promote affordable air travel for common citizens
• Boost economic growth, tourism, and trade in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities
• Improve emergency services and healthcare access in remote regions

Major Components:

1. Development of Aerodromes (CAPEX):
   • Development of 100 airports
   • Outlay: ₹12,159 crore
2. Operation & Maintenance:
   • Financial support for 441 aerodromes
   • Estimated cost: ₹2,577 crore
3. Development of Helipads:
   • 200 modern helipads to be constructed
   • Outlay: ₹3,661 crore
4. Viability Gap Funding (VGF):
   • Financial support to airline operators
   • Total allocation: ₹10,043 crore
5. Aircraft Acquisition:
   • Procurement of HAL Dhruv helicopters (for Pawan Hans) and HAL Dornier aircraft (for Alliance Air)

Background:

• Over 162.47 lakh passengers served
• Original UDAN Scheme launched in October 2016

Achievements so far:

• 663 routes operationalised
• 95 airports/heliports/water aerodromes connected

Bio-RIDE Scheme

The Government of India has introduced the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme to strengthen biotechnology research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The scheme was launched on 18 September 2024 with an estimated outlay of Rs.9197 crore during the 15^th finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Key Features:

• Integrates three components:
  • Biotechnology Research & Development
  • Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development
  • Biomanufacturing & Biofoundry
• Objective:
  • To promote bio-innovation and entrepreneurship
  • To bridge gap between academic research and industry
  • To Strengthen India’s position in biotechnology and biomanufacturing

Major Achievements:

• Development of India’s first indigenous antibiotic (Nafithromycin)
• Progress in gene therapy for Hemophilia A
• Completion of 20,000 TB genome sequencing (Dare2eraD TB programme)
• Development of COVID-19 vaccines (ZyCoV-D, Corbevax)
• Creation of Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC)
• Launch of 10,000 genome dataset for research

Major Drone Initiatives in India

The Government of India is promoting the drone ecosystem through multiple initiatives, with the SwaYaan Project playing a key role in capacity building in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

Key Highlights:

• Over 32,000 beneficiaries trained under the SwaYaan project
• Training conducted through 900+ activities across India
• Implemented using a hub-and-spoke model involving 30 premier institutions (IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc.)

Focus Areas of SwaYaan:

• Drone Electronics
• Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)
• Aeromechanics
• Drone Applications
• Allied UAS Technologies

Other Major Drone Initiatives:

• Remote Pilot Training Organizations (RPTOs):
  • 251 authorized institutions
  • Over 42,000 trained remote pilots
• Namo Drone Didi Scheme:
  • Training women from SHGs in drone operations
  • 500+ trained drone pilots
• PMKVY 4.0:
  • Skill development in emerging technologies including drones
  • Over 25,000 candidates trained
• PUSHPAK Mission:
  • Focus on indigenous drone technology development