1. SUPREME COURT ALLOWS PASSIVE EUTHANASIA FOR COMA PATIENT
SUBJECT: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
- In a landmark ruling (Harish Rana vs Union of India), the Supreme Court permitted the withdrawal of artificial life support for a 35-year-old man in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade.
- The Court formally replaced the term “Passive Euthanasia” with “Withdrawing or Withholding of Medical Treatment (WWMT)”, clarifying that active euthanasia remains strictly illegal.
- The Bench emphasized the “Right to Die with Dignity” as an intrinsic part of the Right to Life under Article 21, aiming to avoid the artificial prolongation of suffering.
- New guidelines direct Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to form Secondary Medical Boards to expedite decisions, reducing the judicial burden on families.
- The ruling addresses the procedural complexities of the 2018 Common Cause judgment, making “Living Wills” more accessible and implementable at the grassroots level.
- Concepts: Article 21 – Protection of Life and Liberty; Doctrine of Parens Patriae – The State’s role as a guardian for those unable to care for themselves.
2. CENTRE INVOKES ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT AMID LPG SHORTAGE
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ISSUES
- The Ministry of Petroleum has invoked the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955, to regulate the supply and distribution of natural gas and LPG across India.
- The move comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively choked due to escalating West Asia tensions, disrupting 85% of India’s LPG import route.
- Diversification efforts are underway, with India sourcing crude from over 40 different countries to mitigate the 90% import dependency on West Asian oil.
- Opposition MPs staged protests at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, demanding government transparency over the rising prices and shortage of commercial cylinders.
- Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured the Lok Sabha that while panic exists, the non-Hormuz crude sourcing has increased to 70%, securing the current supply position.
- Concepts: Section 3 of ECA – Power to control production and supply; Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) – India’s 9.5-day buffer vs. the IEA-recommended 90 days.
3. MADURAI AIRPORT GRANTED INTERNATIONAL STATUS
SUBJECT: TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS / INFRASTRUCTURE
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, officially approved the declaration of Madurai Airport as an International Airport, a long-standing demand of Southern Tamil Nadu.
- PM Modi inaugurated development projects worth ₹5,600 crore in Tiruchirappalli, including new railway lines and 5G-enabled digital infrastructure.
- Data released by the State Home Secretary indicates a steady decline in crime rates in Tamil Nadu over the last five years, specifically in murder and custodial death cases.
- Tamil Nadu is witnessing a surge in women’s agricultural labor, with women now accounting for up to 61% of total farm operations in certain districts.
- The state government has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on custodial torture, highlighting transparent inquiries into recent incidents in Sivaganga and Tuticorin.
- Concepts: PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan – Multimodal connectivity for logistics; Federalism – Central funding for state-specific infrastructure milestones.
4. RETAIL INFLATION HITS 10-MONTH HIGH OF 3.2%
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- India’s retail inflation (CPI) quickened to 3.2% in February 2026, driven primarily by a spike in food and tobacco categories according to NSO data.
- This is the second edition of the new CPI series (Base Year 2022-23), which offers a more accurate reflection of current consumption patterns.
- The Indian Rupee reached a record low of ₹92 against the USD, pressured by geopolitical instability and $2.5 billion in foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows.
- NITI Aayog released the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026, ranking Odisha as the top state in managing debt-to-GSDP ratios and fiscal deficits.
- Economists warn of “imported inflation” in March as fuel supply disruptions from the Middle East begin to reflect in electricity and transport costs.
- Concepts: CPI vs. WPI – Retail vs. Wholesale price tracking; Fiscal Health Index – Metric for assessing a state’s financial sustainability and debt management.
5. DEFENCE MINISTRY SHIFTS TO 100% INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION
SUBJECT: DEFENCE
- The Ministry of Defence has scrapped several import deals for Coast Guard helicopters and short-range missiles to prioritize 100% domestic production by December 2025.
- Under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026, new rules mandate a minimum of 70% indigenous content for all frontline military hardware.
- Agni-4 and Shaheen-II comparisons have surfaced in strategic circles as India bolsters its long-range deterrence capabilities amid regional instability.
- India has dispatched humanitarian assistance to Madagascar for disaster relief, showcasing the Indian Navy’s role as a “Net Security Provider” in the Indian Ocean.
- A roadmap for Integrated Theatre Commands aims to transform the Armed Forces into a technologically integrated multi-domain military by 2047.
- Concepts: Strategic Autonomy – Reducing foreign hardware reliance; Defence Indigenization Lists – Positive lists that ban the import of specific military items.
