March 2026 (4th week) Current affairs Practice Questions

The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, notified on April 9, 2026, after presidential assent, acts as a unified legislation regulating recruitment, service conditions, and deputation for Group A officers in five key CAPFs—CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB. It formalizes higher IPS deputation quotas—50% for Inspector General (IG) and 67% for Additional Director General (ADG) posts—replacing scattered rules with a centralized framework

• I. Correct: Women now constitute approximately 42% of agricultural labour in India, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2024. This reflects the “feminisation of agriculture” as men increasingly migrate to urban areas for non-farm work.
• II. Correct: Women in India own less than 15% of agricultural land. Specifically, data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) indicates ownership is as low as 8.3%, while other sources like the Agricultural Census place the figure at approximately 14%.
• III. Correct: A primary objective of the year is to address gender equity. It aims to close gaps in land rights, access to credit, and technology, while supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• IV. Incorrect: The year was declared by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), not the World Bank. The UN Resolution A/RES/78/279, adopted in May 2024, officially proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

• I. India releases approximately 3.9 lakh tonnes annually: Correct. A 2026 report indicates that India releases around 3.9 lakh tonnes of microplastics into water bodies annually, making it one of the top global contributors.
• II. Major sources include textile washing and tyre wear: Correct. Synthetic textiles (microfiber shedding) and tyre wear are widely recognized as primary sources of microplastics.
• III. They are regulated under specific Microplastics Act: Incorrect. While India has Plastic Waste Management Rules (including 2024 amendments) and a 2022 ban on certain single-use plastics, there is currently no specific, dedicated “Microplastics Act”.
• IV. They pose risks to marine ecosystems and human health: Correct. Microplastics have been found in 100% of sampled seafood, bottled water, and salt in India, causing risks such as bioaccumulation, toxicity, endocrine disruption, and inflammatory reactions

I. It contains 5-20% Uranium-235: Correct. HALEU is defined as uranium enriched to greater than 5% and less than 20% of the U-235 isotope.
II. It is used in Small Modular Reactors: Correct. HALEU is required for many advanced power reactor fuels and about two-thirds of the SMR designs in development.
III. India has significant Thorium reserves for three-stage program: Correct. India holds approximately 25% of the world’s thorium reserves, which is central to the third stage of its nuclear program.
IV. It is currently produced commercially in India: Incorrect. HALEU is not yet widely available commercially. At present, only Russia and China have the infrastructure to produce HALEU at scale, with the USA in the demonstration phase

I. TB incidence has dropped 21% since 2015: Correct. As per the Global TB Report 2025, India’s TB incidence fell from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh in 2024, a 21% reduction.
II. India aims to eliminate TB by 2025: Correct. India set an ambitious target to eliminate TB by 2025, which is five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 2030.
III. Nikshay Poshan Yojana provides nutritional support: Correct. This scheme provides financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to all notified TB patients. The monthly support was recently increased from ₹500 to ₹1,000.
IV. India accounts for less than 10% of global TB burden: Incorrect. India has the highest TB burden in the world, accounting for approximately 25-26% of global TB case

The Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026, released by NITI Aayog, evaluates the fiscal performance of Indian states across five core pillars. 

Debt to GSDP ratio of states: Evaluated under the Debt Index and Debt Sustainability pillars, which track outstanding liabilities relative to the state’s economic capacity.
Revenue and fiscal deficit levels: Measured through the Fiscal Prudence pillar, which assesses deficit management and adherence to statutory limits like the FRBM Act.
Capital expenditure as percentage of GSDP: Captured under the Quality of Expenditure pillar, which focuses on the share of developmental and capital outlay versus committed expenses like salaries and pensions.
State-level finances (not only Central): Unlike Option IV, the index specifically focuses on sub-national (state) finances rather than central government finances, as states account for nearly one-third of India’s general government debt

Regarding carbon credit trading in India, statements I, II, and III are correct, while statement IV is incorrect. 

I. India has a Carbon Credit Trading Scheme: India officially notified the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) in June 2023 to develop a domestic carbon market.
II. It is governed under Energy Conservation Act: The legal foundation for the scheme was established through the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which empowers the government to specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
III. There is debate on benefit sharing with local communities: There are ongoing discussions and challenges regarding how financial benefits from carbon projects (especially in forestry and agriculture) are shared with local communities to ensure equity and transparency.
IV. India opposes all forms of carbon trading: This is false. India is actively promoting carbon trading to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and achieve Net Zero by 2070.

The Bill actually removes the right to self-perceived gender identity previously granted under Section 4(2) of the 2019 Act. It replaces this administrative process with a mandatory Medical Board recommendation.

• I. They operate below 450 km altitude: Correct. VLEO is typically defined as the region between the Karman line (~100 km) and approximately 450 km.
• II. They offer better resolution than traditional LEO: Correct. Being significantly closer to Earth allows for high-resolution imaging with smaller, more cost-effective optics compared to traditional LEO satellites operating at higher altitudes.
• III. They face challenges of atmospheric drag: Correct. The residual atmosphere at these low altitudes creates significant drag, which is the primary challenge for maintaining a stable orbit in VLEO.
• IV. They remain in orbit for decades without propulsion: Incorrect. Without continuous or frequent propulsion to counteract atmospheric drag, VLEO satellites would naturally de-orbit within weeks to a few years

Statement IV is incorrect because the Namami Gange Programme is an ongoing mission that has been extended to March 2026. While it has achieved significant milestones, it has not yet met all its targets, such as the full realization of its sewage treatment capacity goals