CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
Prelims: PM CARES/PMNRF/NDF admissibility rules, Vande Mataram protocol, Central Vista, Urban Challenge Fund, Vibrant Villages Phase 2
Mains: GS-II — Parliamentary procedures, urban governance, AI regulation, border area development
Judicial Services Relevance: Parliamentary privilege (Art. 105), IT Act provisions for deepfakes, Art. 51A (Fundamental Duties — National Song), Art. 12 (definition of State — Central Vista), Art. 243 (municipal governance)
Parliamentary Questions: PM CARES, PMNRF & NDF Admissibility
A significant procedural development in parliamentary practice concerns the admissibility of Lok Sabha questions regarding three key national funds: PM CARES Fund, the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and the National Defence Fund (NDF). Under Rule 41(2)(viii) and Rule 41(2)(xvii) of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure, questions regarding these funds are NOT admissible.
– PM CARES Fund: Established March 2020 during Covid-19; registered as a public charitable trust; NOT a Government of India fund
– PMNRF: Established 1948 for displaced persons from Pakistan; PM is ex-officio chairman
– NDF: Established for Armed Forces welfare; PM chairs the Executive Committee
– All three are exempt from RTI Act scrutiny as held by the Supreme Court in various decisions
AI Content Regulation & Deepfake Takedown Framework
The Government has mandated a 3-hour takedown window for AI-generated deepfake content, along with mandatory labeling of all AI-generated content. This regulatory framework addresses growing concerns about misinformation, particularly in the context of electoral integrity and personal dignity.
From a judicial services perspective, this engages provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (Sections 66D and 79), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 provisions on defamation and identity theft, and the fundamental right to reputation under Article 21.
Vande Mataram Protocol & Central Vista Developments
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued its first-ever official protocol for the national song Vande Mataram:
- All 6 stanzas to be sung in full
- Duration: 3 minutes 10 seconds
- Sequence: Vande Mataram to be played before Jana Gana Mana
- Composed by: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875
- Published in: Novel Anandamath (1881)
- First Congress session rendition: 1896
• Seva Teerth: PMO relocated from South Block to Executive Enclave, Dara Shikoh Road (part of Central Vista project)
• Urban Challenge Fund: Rs 1 lakh crore corpus — 25% central share, 50% market-based (municipal bonds, PPP)
• Vibrant Villages Phase 2: Indo-Bangladesh border, Rs 6,839 Cr, 1,954 villages (Phase 1 was Indo-China border)
V — Vande Mataram: 6 stanzas, 3:10 duration
A — Anandamath (1881) — the source novel
N — National Song (distinct from National Anthem)
D — Duty under Art 51A to respect it
E — Earliest rendition: 1896 Congress session
• Parliamentary privilege — Art 105 protects proceedings; Rule 41 governs question admissibility
• IT Act provisions — Sections 66D (cheating by personation using computer resource) and 79 (intermediary liability) relevant to deepfake regulation
• Art 51A — Fundamental Duty to respect National Anthem and National Song; enforceable through Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
• Central Vista and Art 12 — definition of “State” includes government bodies executing the project; amenable to writ jurisdiction
• Art 243 — municipal governance framework relevant to Urban Challenge Fund implementation through municipal bonds
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
Practice Quiz
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Practice Quiz — 10 Judiciary Exam-Style Questions
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