Daily Current Affairs- 15th March 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 15th March 2026

Rashtrapati Bhavan Hosts ‘Purple Fest’

In the News:  Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted 'Purple Fest', a day-long celebration organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to honour the talent, achievements, and aspirations of Divyangjan (persons with disabilities). Over 8,000 Divyangjan visited the Amrit Udyan at the Presidential Estate, which was opened exclusively for them. President Droupadi Murmu attended the evening cultural programme and emphasised that Divyangjan are equal partners in India's journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Key Points:

• Purple Fest: Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted the Purple Fest on 13 March 2026, a day-long event organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to celebrate the talent, achievements, and aspirations of Divyangjan (persons with disabilities).
• Participation: Over 8,000 Divyangjan visited the Amrit Udyan at the Presidential Estate, which was exclusively opened for them. Visitors participated in fun games, learning activities, and interactive stalls set up by organisations working for the welfare and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
• President's Address: President Murmu said that the true character of a society is reflected in how it treats its marginalised sections. She noted that Indian civilisation is rooted in sensitivity, inclusivity, and harmony, and that the Constitution provides a framework for social justice, equality, and dignity for all citizens.
• Viksit Bharat and Divyangjan: President Murmu stated that India is moving forward with the collective goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, and that Divyangjan are equal partners in this journey. She called on every member of society to provide Divyangjan with equal opportunities and dignity.
• Constitutional Provisions: The President highlighted that the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) recognise the rights of persons with disabilities to education, work, and public assistance, underscoring India's constitutional commitment to their empowerment.
• About Divyangjan: The term 'Divyangjan' (meaning 'persons with divine body') was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to replace earlier terminology. It reflects a positive and empowering framing of disability. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, is the primary legislation governing the rights and welfare of Divyangjan in India.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: The Ministry is the nodal ministry for the welfare, empowerment, and social justice for Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, persons with disabilities (Divyangjan), senior citizens, and other marginalised communities. Key disability-related schemes include ADIP (Assistive Devices), Unique Disability ID (UDID), and Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan).

HALEU- The fuel for Indian reactors

In the News:  A January 2026 study published in Current Science by scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) concluded that HALEU-Thorium (HALEU-Th) fuel is 'unsuitable' for India's current fleet of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and 'undesirable' for India's three-stage nuclear programme. The study triggered a sharp debate among India's leading nuclear scientists and international experts, with former DAE Chairman Anil Kakodkar and MIT professor Koroush Shirvan challenging the conclusions, while AEC member Ravi Grover defended them. The controversy is linked to India's SHANTI Act 2025, which opened the nuclear sector to private and foreign participation, and an agreement between NTPC and the US-based Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) to explore use of ANEEL fuel in India.

Key Points:

• What is HALEU-Th: HALEU-Th is a nuclear fuel mix combining High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (enriched to 5–20% U-235) with Thorium. The commercial version, ANEEL (Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life), is developed by the US-based company Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE), led by Indian-origin entrepreneur Mehul Shah.
• How It Works: U-235 in HALEU acts as the driver to initiate and maintain the nuclear chain reaction. Thorium-232 (not fissile itself) absorbs neutrons and converts into fissile U-233, which then undergoes fission. This process allows Thorium to be used in existing PHWRs.
• Uranium Enrichment Types: LEU (Low Enriched Uranium): below 5% U-235 — used in most global reactors. HALEU: 5%–20% U-235 — used in ANEEL. HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium): above 20% — weapons-grade; restricted by non-proliferation agreements. No country can enrich beyond 20% for energy production.
• BARC Study Findings: The BARC simulation found HALEU-Th yields the highest burn-up of 50 GWd/t and produces only 14% of the spent fuel of current reactors. However, it also found that HALEU-Th reduces shutdown rod effectiveness by ~26%, requiring significant reactor design changes. BARC concluded it is 'far from a drop-in option' for current PHWRs.
• Critics of HALEU-Th: AEC member and former BARC scientist Ravi Grover defended the study, saying HALEU is commercially limited and expensive, and that India already has a well-planned three-stage programme for using thorium via fast breeder reactors. Analyst R. Srikanth called HALEU-Th a 'distraction' that replaces uranium import dependence with HALEU dependence.
• India's Three-Stage Nuclear Programme: Stage 1: PHWRs using natural uranium; Stage 2: Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) using plutonium (India's first 500 MWe FBR at Kalpakkam is being commissioned); Stage 3: Advanced Heavy Water Reactors using plutonium + thorium, freeing India from uranium imports. India has the world's largest thorium reserves.
• SHANTI Act 2025 & CCTE Agreement: The SHANTI Act 2025 opened India's nuclear power sector to foreign and private participation. CCTE subsequently entered an agreement with NTPC to explore using ANEEL fuel in Indian reactors. In August 2025, CCTE reported high burn-up results at the Idaho National Laboratory, US.

India’s first judicial approval of passive euthanasia

In the News:  In a landmark ruling in Harish Rana v. Union of India & Ors. (2026), the Supreme Court of India permitted passive euthanasia by allowing the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old man who had been in a Permanent Vegetative State (PVS) for over 13 years following a fall from a building in 2013. This marks the first court-approved implementation of passive euthanasia in India, operationalising the right to die with dignity recognised under Article 21 in the Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) judgment.

Key Points:

• The Case: Harish Rana was 19 when he fell from a 4th-floor building in Chandigarh in August 2013, suffering catastrophic brain injuries and 100% quadriplegia. He was sustained solely through CANH via PEG tubes for 13+ years with no sign of improvement. After the Delhi High Court dismissed his father's plea in 2024, the family approached the Supreme Court.

• SC's Ruling: The Supreme Court accepted the unanimous recommendations of medical boards and family members and permitted passive euthanasia — withdrawal of life support. It directed AIIMS, Delhi, to admit Harish Rana to its palliative care department and formulate a robust, palliative, and end-of-life care plan.
• Waiver of 30-Day Period: To prevent unnecessary suffering, the SC waived the standard 30-day reconsideration period, allowing immediate implementation of the medical boards' decision to withdraw treatment.
• About Euthanasia: Euthanasia (from Greek: 'eu' = good + 'thanatos' = death) means mercy killing — ending a life to relieve unbearable suffering from incurable illness, irreversible coma, or persistent vegetative state. It is classified as: Active (deliberate act — e.g., lethal injection) vs Passive (withholding/withdrawing life support); and Voluntary (with patient consent), Non-Voluntary (patient incompetent — e.g., coma), or Involuntary (without consent — illegal).
• Legal Framework in India: Active euthanasia is prohibited under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 under Sections 100 (culpable homicide) and 101 (murder). Passive euthanasia was legalized by the SC in Common Cause v. UoI (2018) as an extension of the right to die with dignity under Article 21. The 241st Law Commission Report clarified that a competent patient's refusal of life-sustaining treatment is valid and doctors cannot be charged with abetment.
• Living Will / Advance Medical Directive: Defined in Common Cause (2018): a written document allowing a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about medical treatment when terminally ill or unable to consent — including authorising family to switch off life support if declared beyond medical help.
• Two-Stage Medical Review Process: Per 2018 guidelines (modified 2023): Primary Medical Board — treating physician + 2 independent doctors (min. 5 years experience); Secondary Medical Board — 3 independent doctors from district panel. Both boards must give opinions within 48 hours; their decision must be communicated to the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) with family consent.
• Landmark Judgments Leading to This Case: Maruti Dubal v. Maharashtra (1987) — Bombay HC: right to die inherent in Article 21. Gian Kaur v. Punjab (1996) — SC reversed, held no right to die. Aruna Shanbaug v. UoI (2011) — SC permitted passive euthanasia under safeguards. Common Cause v. UoI (2018) — SC recognised right to die with dignity, validated living wills. Harish Rana v. UoI (2026) — First actual court-approved implementation.

Atomic Clock on NAVIC Satellite calls time

In the News:  The last functioning atomic clock onboard India's IRNSS-1F navigation satellite stopped working, reducing the number of fully operational NavIC satellites for positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services to just three — below the minimum of four required for reliable navigation. The failure marks a major setback for India's indigenous satellite navigation system (NavIC/IRNSS), which was developed by ISRO at a cost of approximately Rs 2,250 crore. Six of the eleven NavIC satellites launched so far have now failed, primarily due to atomic clock malfunctions.

Key Points:

• Clock Failure — IRNSS-1F: The last functional atomic clock on IRNSS-1F stopped working on 13 March 2026. The satellite, launched on 10 March 2016, had already completed its 10-year design mission life. It had been operating with only one of its three onboard atomic clocks. It will now only provide limited one-way broadcast messaging services.

• Impact on NavIC: The failure reduces fully operational NavIC satellites for PNT services to just three — IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I, and NVS-01 (IRNSS-1J). A minimum of four satellites is required for accurate position, navigation, and timing services. Location services provided by NavIC in India are now going to be affected.
• NavIC Constellation Status: Of the 11 satellites launched for NavIC since 2013: 3 provide PNT services, 5 provide one-way broadcast messaging only, 1 was decommissioned, 1 (NVS-02/IRNSS-1K) failed to reach optimum orbit in 2025, and 1 (IRNSS-1H) also failed to reach orbit in 2017.
• Why Atomic Clocks are Critical: Navigation systems determine position by measuring the time taken for signals to travel from satellites to Earth. Small atomic clock errors can skew position data by several hundred kilometres. Each satellite carries three onboard atomic clocks as backup systems to ensure uninterrupted operation.
• History of Clock Failures: Six NavIC satellites have failed primarily due to atomic clock malfunctions: IRNSS-1A (2013), IRNSS-1C (2014), IRNSS-1D (2015), IRNSS-1E (2016), IRNSS-1G (2016), and now IRNSS-1F (2026). The clocks were imported from a European supplier under a ~USD 4 million deal for an estimated 45 clocks.
• Origin of NavIC — Kargil Connection: ISRO began work on the IRNSS/NavIC programme in 1999 after the Kargil War, when India's defence forces were denied access to the US-owned GPS system for locational support in the conflict zone. This highlighted India's strategic vulnerability to foreign-controlled navigation systems.
• Indigenous Atomic Clock Progress: Earlier NavIC satellites used atomic clocks imported from SpectraTime, Switzerland (and later a European supplier). NVS-01 (IRNSS-1J, launched 2023) is the first satellite with a mix of indigenous and foreign atomic clocks. NVS-02 (IRNSS-1K, 2025) also carried indigenous clocks but failed to reach its intended orbit.

‘Tiger Deaths’  in country

In the News:  Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik informed the State Legislative Council during the Budget session that 166 tiger deaths were recorded across India in 2025, of which 41 occurred in Maharashtra — the highest share among all states. The data was sourced from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The disclosure came in response to queries about recent tiger deaths at the Pench Tiger Reserve, Nagpur, and has renewed focus on anti-poaching measures, human-wildlife conflict, and the proposed downgrading of leopard protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Key Points:

• Tiger Deaths in 2025: A total of 166 tigers died across India in 2025 as per NTCA data. Maharashtra recorded 41 deaths — the highest share — followed by deaths reported from states including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttarakhand, and others.
• Pench Tiger Reserve Deaths: Recent deaths in Pench Tiger Reserve, Nagpur, include one adult tiger and two cubs. A cub death on 7 January 2026 was attributed to a fight among tigers, while another decomposed carcass appeared to be due to natural causes.
• Anti-Poaching Measures: Maharashtra has deployed: Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for regular patrolling; dog squads to monitor hunting; M-Stripes app on field staff mobiles to track suspicious movements; informers at range level; wireless communication in hypersensitive areas; and checkposts for vehicle inspections.
• Wildlife Crime Cell & Cyber Cell: A Wildlife Crime Cell has been established at the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Nagpur. A Cyber Cell at Melghat Tiger Reserve tracks accused individuals involved in poaching. A Rapid Rescue Unit and Transit Treatment Centre have also been created.
• Leopard Protection Controversy: The Maharashtra State Cabinet has approved a proposal to move leopards from Schedule I (highest protection) to Schedule II (less stringent penalties) of the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), and has approached the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to formalise the change.
• About NTCA: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (amended 2006). It oversees Project Tiger and monitors tiger populations and deaths across India.
• Wildlife Protection Act — Schedules: Schedule I of the WLPA provides the highest level of legal protection to listed species, with the most stringent penalties for hunting or trade. Schedule II offers lower-level protection with less severe penalties. Tigers are listed under Schedule I.