Prelims General Studies Paper I

The government has circulated three Constitutional Amendment Bills to enable fresh delimitation based on the 2011 Census, raise Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 850 seats, and operationalise one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. These bills aim to implement the long-pending women's quota early while ending mandatory delimitation after every Census. This article explains the key provisions of the bills, the constitutional process of amendment, what delimitation means, how the 2011 Census will be used, the impact on North-South balance.

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Green Asha successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 5, becoming the eighth India-flagged merchant vessel to do so since early March 2026. Carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG, the transit comes amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict that has restricted shipping through this vital chokepoint. After its departure, 16 India-flagged vessels are now present in the Persian Gulf, showing India’s continued efforts to keep LPG supplies flowing despite the restrictions.

While many parts of India are struggling with the LPG crisis caused by rising prices and supply issues due to the West Asia conflict, the small village of Ekauni in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh remains completely untouched. All 500 residents here cook using piped biogas produced from cow dung in a community plant set up in 2022. The story highlights how a simple, locally managed biogas system can provide reliable and cheap clean cooking fuel to rural families.

With just one day left for the voter list to be finalised for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections (scheduled for April 23, 2026), the appellate tribunals set up to hear appeals of “deleted” voters held their first and only hearing so far. Following a Supreme Court order, the tribunal quickly restored the name of Motab Shaikh, the Congress candidate from Farakka in Murshidabad district, who had been removed from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Most other tribunals are yet to start functioning fully, raising concerns about lakhs of voters still waiting for a final decision before the nomination deadline ends on April 6.

US special forces successfully rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet from a remote mountain area inside Iran after the aircraft was shot down on April 3. President Donald Trump announced the high-risk mission and, in strong social media posts, warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday or face severe strikes on its power plants and infrastructure. In response to the fast-moving crisis, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on April 5 to discuss the current situation in West Asia.

On March 28, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it is seriously studying the idea of introducing electronic cheques (e-cheques) as part of its plan to modernise the country’s payment system. The central bank is carrying out a full review of how cheques are designed and secured so that they can combine the trusted features of old paper cheques with the speed and safety of digital payments. This step is aimed at meeting the changing needs of businesses and common people who want quicker and paperless options.

On March 28, 2026, the Rajasthan High Court issued an important order banning night safaris and the use of drones, spotlights, torch lights and similar devices in the Jawai Leopard Reserve in Pali district. The court acted on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by local resident Apoorva Agrawat. It directed the state government to ensure no wildlife spotting activities take place after 7 pm or before 6 am. The bench noted that unregulated tourism, especially at night, was causing serious disturbance and stress to leopards and other animals. This order aligns with similar restrictions already followed in places like Ranthambore National Park.

The month-long war between the US, Israel and Iran entered a dangerous new phase on March 28, 2026, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched ballistic missiles at Israel for the first time since the conflict began. Israel intercepted the missiles, but the attack opened a third front and raised fears of wider disruption to Red Sea shipping. At the same time, an Iranian strike on a US base in Saudi Arabia injured 12 American service personnel. In a separate development, India sent 38,000 metric tonnes of fuel (20,000 MT diesel and 18,000 MT petrol) to crisis-hit Sri Lanka to help ease severe shortages caused by global oil price spikes from the conflict.

On March 26, 2026, a chick of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) hatched in the grasslands of Kutch, Gujarat, for the first time in nearly ten years. This success came through a special “jumpstart” conservation technique where a fertile egg from a captive breeding centre in Sam, Rajasthan, was transported 770 km by road in a portable incubator and placed in the nest of a wild female GIB in Naliya, Gujarat, replacing her infertile egg. The effort was coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, forest departments of both states, and the Wildlife Institute of India. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia described it as a major milestone for the species.

On March 27, 2026, industry experts speaking at Semicon China in Shanghai warned that the ongoing conflict in West Asia has tightened global helium supply, and this shortage has already started affecting tech supply chains. Helium is critical for chipmaking, and companies are now facing delays in production, longer delivery times and higher costs. The news comes as Qatar, which supplies nearly one-third of the world’s helium, faces disruptions, leaving the semiconductor, electronics, automobile and medical device industries scrambling for alternatives.

On March 27, 2026, the government introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to amend 79 central acts administered by 23 ministries and proposes to decriminalise 717 minor procedural offences while removing or changing 67 more provisions. This is the second edition of the Jan Vishwas initiative after the 2023 Act. Congress members raised strong objections during introduction, but the government rejected them, saying there is no precedent for sending such bills to a parliamentary committee at this stage.

On March 27, 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave the green signal to major defence purchases worth Rs 2.38 lakh crore. The biggest item is the approval to buy five additional S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Russia for the Indian Air Force. The clearance also covers medium transport aircraft and remotely piloted strike aircraft. This comes after the S-400 systems proved their worth in Operation Sindoor and is part of India’s ongoing effort to strengthen air defence amid rising regional threats.