Daily Current Affairs- 18th March 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 18th March 2026

No Age Limit on Maternity Leave for Adoptive Mothers Anymore: Supreme Court Verdict

Why in News: On 17 March 2026, the Supreme Court of India held that adoptive mothers cannot be denied maternity leave merely because the adopted child is older than three months. In Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan held that adoptive mothers are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity benefit irrespective of the child’s age at adoption. The Court said the earlier age-based restriction created an artificial distinction, made the benefit illusory in practice, and violated Articles 14 and 21. The judgment is significant because it broadens the legal understanding of motherhood, childcare, and social security in Indian labour law.

Key Pointers:

• The case was Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India, and the Supreme Court judgment was uploaded on 17 March 2026.
• The Court examined Section 60(4) of the Code of Social Security, 2020, which had restricted maternity benefit for an adoptive mother to cases where the adopted child was below three months of age.
• The Supreme Court held that an adoptive mother is entitled to 12 weeks of maternity benefit from the date the child is handed over to her, regardless of the child’s age.
• The Bench said the three-month cut-off created an artificial distinction between adoptive mothers even though mothers adopting older children are similarly placed in terms of caregiving responsibilities.
• The Court found that the restriction had no rational nexus with the object of the law and violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
• The Court also urged the Union Government to consider recognising paternity leave as a social security benefit, indicating a broader move toward gender-sensitive caregiving law.

Maharashtra Assembly Passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026

Why in News: The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 16 March 2026 and was then cleared by the Legislative Council on 18 March 2026. The State Government said the Bill seeks to prohibit unlawful religious conversions carried out through force, coercion, allurement, misrepresentation, or other fraudulent means. The Bill triggered sharp political debate, with supporters presenting it as a measure against forced conversion and critics calling it vulnerable to misuse and constitutionally problematic. Thus, the issue has become important both politically and legally.

Key Pointers:

• The Bill defines unlawful conversion as conversion from one religion to another through allurement, coercion, deceit, force, misrepresentation, threat, undue influence, or other fraudulent means.
• It gives a broad meaning to allurement, including gifts, material benefits, employment, free education through religious bodies, promise of marriage, better lifestyle, divine healing, and even glorification of one religion over another in certain contexts.
• The Bill requires a person intending to convert, or an institution organising a conversion ceremony, to give a 60-day prior notice to the District Magistrate or another competent authority.
• A marriage undertaken solely for unlawful religious conversion may be declared null and void by a competent court.
• The proposed law makes offences cognisable and non-bailable and places the burden of proving that the conversion was voluntary and lawful on the person causing or aiding it.
• The Bill prescribes imprisonment that may extend to 7 years and a fine of ₹1 lakh for unlawful conversion, with higher punishment in aggravated cases and for repeat offenders.

Gujarat Receives UCC Draft Report from Justice Ranjana Desai Committee

Why in News: The Gujarat Government received the final report of the high-level committee set up to prepare a framework for a Uniform Civil Code in the State. The report was handed over in Gandhinagar by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, former judge of the Supreme Court, to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Officials said the report stresses equal rights, protection of women, and sensitivity to Gujarat’s geographical and cultural diversity. The submission is significant because Gujarat may become the second state after Uttarakhand to move toward implementing a Uniform Civil Code.

Key Pointers:

• The committee was headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• The committee submitted three volumes of the draft or final report to the Chief Minister.
• The report suggests a common legal framework for all religions and communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.
• Officials said the committee prepared the report after a detailed study and district visits to collect public opinion.
• Government sources indicated that Gujarat was preparing to move a draft UCC Bill in the Assembly soon after receiving the report.
• If enacted, Gujarat would become only the second state after Uttarakhand to implement a Uniform Civil Code.

India Metro Network Becomes World’s 3rd Largest Metro Network

Why in News: India has now become the world’s third-largest operational metro network. The operational network has crossed 1,000 km, reflecting a major rise in urban transport capacity over the last decade. The expansion has been presented as part of India’s wider push for modern, sustainable, and integrated urban mobility.

Key Pointers:

• India’s operational metro network expanded from 248 km in 2014 to about 1,095 km in 2025.
• Metro services expanded from 5 cities in 2014 to 26 cities in 2025.
• The official note states that India is now the third-largest operational metro network in the world.
• The figure of 1,095 km includes about 55 km of the Delhi–Meerut RRTS, reflecting growing integration of metro and regional rapid transit systems.
• Since 2014, 38 metro rail projects covering about 1,051 km have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹3.44 lakh crore.
• The annual metro budget rose from ₹5,798 crore in 2013–14 to ₹29,550 crore in 2025–26, indicating the scale of public investment behind the expansion.

Iran War: Why Ras Laffan and South Pars Attacks Compound India’s Worries

Why in News: Iran war has entered a more dangerous phase after South Pars, the world’s largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar, was struck, followed by Iranian missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s biggest LNG hub. This marked a shift from risks to shipping routes alone to direct attacks on energy production and export infrastructure. Oil and gas prices surged, while concerns deepened over prolonged disruption to Gulf energy supplies. For India, the development is especially serious because it depends heavily on Qatari LNG, much of it linked to Ras Laffan.

Key Pointers:

• South Pars is the world’s largest natural gas field, located in the Persian Gulf and shared by Iran and Qatar.
• Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar is the core of Qatar’s LNG system and is associated with roughly one-fifth of global LNG supply.
• Any serious damage to Ras Laffan can keep a major portion of global LNG supply offline and worsen volatility in the international gas market.
• India is highly exposed because Qatar is India’s largest source of LNG, and a substantial share of India’s LNG imports comes from Ras Laffan-linked supply chains.
• The danger is not only supply loss at source but also transport disruption because the conflict threatens traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for Gulf energy exports.
• Disrupted LNG flows from West Asia can force supply adjustments inside India, affecting industries and putting pressure on the broader economy.

The Golden Road’ Wins Big: William Dalrymple Honored for Reframing Global History

Why in News: On 17 March 2026, historian William Dalrymple was named winner of the 2026 Mark Lynton History Prize for his book The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World. The award was announced under the J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project, administered by Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. The judges described the book as a perspective-shifting work that places India at the centre of ancient Asian history and broadens the usual focus beyond the Silk Road. The recognition is significant because it gives major international visibility to a work arguing that India’s ideas, trade, mathematics, religion, and culture were central to shaping the ancient world.

Key Pointers:

• The award-winning book is The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World, published by Bloomsbury.
• The Mark Lynton History Prize carries a cash award of 10,000 US dollars and is given to a book-length work of narrative history that combines intellectual distinction with literary quality.
• The prize forms part of the J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project, established in 1998 and jointly administered by Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard.
• Dalrymple’s book argues that for about 1,500 years, India was a major exporter of art, religion, technology, astronomy, literature, mathematics, and ideas across a vast region stretching from the Red Sea to the Pacific.
• The judges said the book makes it difficult to discuss the Silk Road without also recognising the importance of a “Golden Road” through which Indian influence spread westward and eastward.
• The work highlights India’s role in developments such as the spread of Buddhism across Asia, the transmission of Indian numerals and the concept of zero, and broader cultural links extending to Southeast Asia and the Roman world.