News of The Day – 1st April 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: Art & Culture)

• Dedicated to Samprati Maurya, grandson of Ashoka.
• Known for patronage of Jainism and temple construction.
• Highlights Mauryan-era cultural and religious expansion.

(GS-1: Geography)

• About Bab el-Mandeb Strait
  • connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
• Critical for global oil & trade routes.
• Vulnerable to geopolitical tensions impacting global shipping.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• The Supreme Court of India stressed the need for a uniform Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• Focus on victim rescue, rehabilitation, inter-state coordination.
• Linked to laws like Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act & IPC provisions.
• Highlights gaps in implementation and need for institutional coordination.

• AI-based legal assistance tool to improve access to justice.
• Part of DISHA programme for legal awareness.
• Promotes digital governance & legal literacy.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Based on recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
• Includes grants for rural local bodies & urban local bodies.
• Strengthens fiscal federalism and grassroots governance.

• Published by MoSPI, provides data on energy production, consumption & efficiency. 
• Covers coal, petroleum, natural gas, renewable energy.
• Important for energy security, climate commitments & policy planning.

(GS-3: Economy)

• Central Board of Direct Taxes signed highest-ever APAs.
• APA ensures certainty in transfer pricing for multinational companies.
• Reduces tax disputes, promotes ease of doing business.

(GS-3: Environment)

• About CMS
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
  • COP15 added 40 species to protected lists.
• Focus on migratory species conservation, habitat protection & international cooperation.

(GS-3:Science and Technology)

• INS Dunagiri is part of Project 17A stealth frigates.
• Enhances naval combat capability with stealth and advanced sensors.
• Built under Make in India for naval modernisation.

(GS-3: Defence & Security)

• About ‘Ex Dweep Shakti’ 
• Tri-services exercise focusing on amphibious warfare.
• Enhances jointness and maritime dominance operations.
• Conducted in island territories (likely Andaman & Nicobar).