LEGAL NEWS

Proposal to Expand Lok Sabha seats for Women’s Reservation

• The Government is considering expanding the Lok Sabha strength to implement women’s reservation without disturbing the present state-wise seat balance.

• A proposal suggests increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 members.

• Under this plan, nearly 273 seats (33%) would be reserved for women.

• The changes are expected to be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

• The government is exploring a method to delink women’s reservation from the Census and delimitation process.

• Seat expansion may be done while keeping the existing state-wise seat ratios unchanged in the initial phase.

• Larger states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra may gain more seats due to higher population share.

• The move may lead to major political realignment, affecting party strategies, coalitions, and representation patterns.

• Key concerns include possible federal imbalance, delimitation disputes, legal questions on delinking, and challenges in managing an 816-member House efficiently.

• Constitutional amendments may be required in Article 81, Article 82, and changes linked to the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023, requiring a special majority in Parliament.

NATIONAL NEWS

Govt Allows Superior Kerosene Distribution Under PDS in 21 States/UTs

• The Government has approved the supply of superior-quality kerosene under PDS across 21 States and Union Territories.

• The decision has been taken due to global geopolitical tensions affecting energy supply chains.

• The main aim is to meet basic household needs, especially for cooking and lighting.

• Kerosene distribution is being restarted in some areas where it had earlier been phased out.

• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a formal notification allowing selected fuel stations to stock kerosene.

• A maximum of two fuel stations per district can be authorised, with priority given to public sector oil company outlets.

• Each approved outlet can store up to 5,000 litres, and certain licensing rules for dealers and transporters have been relaxed.

• The kerosene is strictly for domestic use only, covers states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and the order is effective immediately for 60 days, extendable if required.

IndiaSkills National Competition 2025–26 Begins in Greater Noida

• The IndiaSkills National Competition 2025–26 began on 29 March with a grand inauguration in Greater Noida.

• The event is being organised by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with support from the NSDC.

• Over 650 skilled youth from across India are participating in competitions across 63 skill categories.

• The competition is being seen as a major step toward creating a future-ready skilled workforce.

• Participants were selected after qualifying through five regional competitions held across different zones.

• The event received over 3.65 lakh registrations from 36 States and Union Territories.

• Skills such as Electrical Installation, Cyber Security, Robotics, and Cloud Computing are being showcased.

• Backed by 200+ industry partners, the winners will represent India at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, supporting missions like Skill India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Viksit Bharat.

SPORTS

Gurjant Singh Retires from International Hockey

• Indian hockey forward Gurjant Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey.

• The announcement was made during the Hockey India Awards held in New Delhi.

• He played around 130 international matches and scored 33 goals for India.

• He was considered an important player in India’s strong comeback in modern hockey.

• He first came into the limelight after helping India win the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow.

• He made his senior team debut in 2017 and later became a regular member of the forward line.

• He played a key role in India’s bronze medal win at Tokyo Olympics 2020.

• He was also part of the squad that won bronze at Paris Olympics 2024, gold at Asian Games 2022 (Hangzhou), and received the Arjuna Award in 2021.

Virat Kohli Creates New IPL and T20 Record in IPL 2026

• Virat Kohli became the first batter in IPL history to score 4000+ runs in successful run chases.

• He achieved this milestone during the opening match of IPL 2026.

• The record was made in the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

• The match was played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

• This achievement highlights Kohli’s long-term consistency and dominance in run chases.

• Kohli also improved his standing in overall T20 run-scoring rankings.

• He surpassed Shoaib Malik to move to 6th position in total T20 runs.

• Shoaib Malik had scored 13,571 runs in 557 matches (515 innings), with an average of 35.99 and 83 half-centuries.

REPORTS AND INDEX

Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.1% in 2025 Showing Economic Shift

• The unemployment rate (15+ years) under usual status declined to 3.1% in 2025.

• This is an improvement from 3.2% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2022, showing gradual progress.

• Unemployment among educated persons also reduced to 6.5% in 2025.

• Urban female unemployment dropped to 6.4%, indicating better inclusion in the workforce.

• Youth unemployment (15–29 years) decreased to 9.9%, compared to 10.3% in 2024.

• The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) remained stable at 59.3%.

• Around 61.6 crore people were estimated to be employed in India in 2025.

• Average monthly earnings in regular jobs rose to ₹24,217 for men and ₹18,353 for women, along with a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services, indicating structural economic transformation.

DEFENCE

Indian Navy Conducts IMEX TTX 2026 in Kochi

• The Indian Navy organised IMEX TTX 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi.

• The exercise mainly focused on tackling new and emerging maritime security challenges.

• Naval officers and maritime experts from several participating nations took part in the event.

• Discussions were held on shared security threats and improving cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

• Countries participating included Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste.

• India has recently assumed the Chairmanship of IONS for the 2026–2028 term after a gap of 16 years.

• The exercise was conducted in a simulated operational setting, reflecting complex real-world maritime situations.

• The main aim was to strengthen coordination, joint planning, and operational understanding among partner navies.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

First BRIC Research Advisory Board Meeting Held in Faridabad

• The first meeting of the BRIC Research Advisory Board was held at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad on 27–28 March 2026.

• The board was formed to guide, evaluate, and monitor research work across BRIC institutes.

• The meeting was chaired by K. VijayRaghavan, who provided strategic leadership for future biotech planning.

• The main goal is to develop BRIC into a globally competitive biotechnology research institution.

• Key discussions covered national missions, governance improvements, and building shared research infrastructure.

• The importance of multidisciplinary collaboration was stressed to solve complex scientific problems.

• Priority research sectors included human health, agriculture, environment, and AI-based biotechnology research.

• Focus was also placed on developing biomanufacturing hubs, biofoundries, industry partnerships, and strengthening India’s global role in the biotechnology and bioeconomy sector.