NEWS 1 : Iran Grants Hormuz Passage to India and 4 Other Nations
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Selective Passage Granted: Iran has allowed ships from five “friendly nations”—India, China, Russia, Iraq, and Pakistan—to move through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iran claims to have established its “sovereignty” over the strategic waterway .
- Context of Conflict: The Strait of Hormuz, through which more than a hundred ships passed daily before the war, has seen traffic plunge to single digits since the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict began on February 28, 2026 .
- Indian Vessels Transited: At least four India-flagged ships—Jag Vasant, Pine Gas, Shivalik, and Nanda Devi—have successfully transited the strait since the war began .
- Thanks to India and Sri Lanka: Araghchi thanked India and Sri Lanka for their “significant help” after the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was sunk by a U.S. Navy submarine on March 4 off the coast of Sri Lanka. Two other Iranian ships—IRIS Lavan and IRIS Bushehr—have since docked in Kochi and Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee, respectively .
- No Talks with U.S.: Araghchi firmly stated that there are “no negotiations” with the U.S., though messages are being exchanged through intermediaries (Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt). Pakistan’s Deputy PM confirmed “indirect talks” with the U.S. sharing 15 points for Iran’s deliberation .
- U.S. Posture: President Trump stated Iran should “better get serious soon” in talks, while the Pentagon reportedly sends more troops to West Asia for a possible ground offensive .
Prelims 360
India–Iran: Common International Organisations
1. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- ✅ Both are full members
- Iran became full member in 2023
- Focus:
- Regional security (terrorism, extremism)
- Economic & connectivity cooperation
👉 Very important for Prelims
2. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
- Both are members
- Focus:
- Strategic autonomy
- Not aligning with major power blocs
3. Group of 77 (G-77)
- Coalition of developing countries at UN
- Focus:
- Economic cooperation
- South–South solidarity
4. United Nations (UN) System
- Both are members of:
- UN
- Specialized agencies like:
- WHO
- IMF
- World Bank
👉 Iran is member of multiple UN-linked bodies
News 2 :India Has Oil for 60 Days, LPG for a Month: Centre
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Energy Stock Update: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) announced on Thursday that India has secured crude oil supplies for 60 days and LPG supplies for one month , with constant additional procurement ongoing. This represents an increase from the 50 days of total stocks reported at the start of the war .
- Domestic LPG Production Boost: India’s domestic LPG production has been ramped up by 40% following a control order issued earlier. Daily output now stands at 50,000 tonnes , meeting more than 60% of domestic requirements .
- Imports Secured: Approximately 8,00,000 tonnes of LPG cargoes are en route to India from the United States, Russia, Australia, and other countries .
- Total Storage Capacity: India has a total reserve capacity of 74 days of fuel stocks , including crude oil, petrol, and diesel .
- Supply Chain Assurance: Vikas Kaushal, CMD of Hindustan Petroleum, reported a 15% surge in petrol and diesel demand over the past two days (with some locations seeing spikes of over 50%), but assured that supply chains remain strong and outlets are fully stocked .
- Government Warning: The Ministry warned of action against misleading social media posts and fabricated claims of shortages .
PRELIMS 360
PROCESS OF EXTRACTION OF LPG
1. Extraction from Crude Oil (Refining Process)
Step-by-step process:
1. Fractional Distillation
- Crude oil is heated in a fractional distillation column.
- Different components separate based on boiling points.
👉 LPG is obtained from the top section (low boiling fractions).
2. Gas Separation
- The top gases contain:
- Methane, ethane
- Propane, butane (LPG components)
- These are separated using:
- Compression
- Cooling (condensation)
3. Conversion Processes (Optional but important)
- Additional LPG is produced through:
- Cracking → breaking heavy hydrocarbons
- Reforming
These increase LPG yield in refineries.
🔶 2. Extraction from Natural Gas
Step-by-step process:
1. Gas Processing Plant
Raw natural gas contains:
- Methane
- Ethane
- Propane
- Butane
- Impurities (H₂S, CO₂, water)
2. Removal of Impurities
- Acid gases removed by amine treatment
- Water removed by dehydration
3. NGL Recovery (Natural Gas Liquids)
- Gas is cooled to very low temperatures
- Heavier hydrocarbons condense → called NGLs
4. Fractionation
NGLs are separated into:
- Ethane
- Propane
- Butane
👉 Propane + Butane = LPG
🔶 3. Liquefaction & Storage
- LPG is:
- Compressed under moderate pressure
- Converted into liquid form for storage
Advantages:
- Easy transport
- High energy density
🔶 Important Prelims Points
- LPG is a by-product, not a primary extraction product
- Stored in liquid form under pressure
- Heavier than air → safety concern
- Odorless → ethyl mercaptan added for smell
NEWS 3 :Home Ministry Sends 290 Takedown Notices a Day
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Scale of Takedowns: The Union Home Ministry issued an average of 290 takedown notices every day between March 2024 and March 2025, totalling 1,11,185 suspicious online content blocks under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 .
- Legal Framework: Section 79(1) of the IT Act shields online platforms from legal liability for user-generated content. However, Section 79(3)(b) removes this protection if platforms fail to take down content within the stipulated timeframe after being flagged by government authorities .
- Implementation Agency: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) was designated as the Ministry’s agency to perform these functions on March 13, 2024 .
- Takedown Timeline: Social media platforms and intermediaries are required to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving a reasoned intimation from the Appropriate Government or its agency, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) .
- Legal Challenge: Social media platform X had challenged this provision and the Sahyog portal in the Karnataka High Court, but the petition was dismissed in 2025 .
- Rise in Cybersecurity Incidents: CERT-In recorded 29.44 lakh cybersecurity incidents in 2025 , the highest in five years, up from 20.41 lakh in 2024 .
PRELIMS 360
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is a key initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs to combat cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner across the country.
📌 Overview
- Established: 2018
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
- Nature: Not a constitutional/statutory body → Executive (administrative) body
- Purpose: To provide a centralized framework for tackling cybercrime in India.
🎯 Objectives
- Strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to deal with cybercrime
- Improve coordination among States/UTs and Central agencies
- Provide early warning systems for cyber threats
- Create public awareness about cyber safety
- Facilitate cybercrime investigation and forensics
🏢 Key Components of I4C
- National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU)
- Big data analytics for cyber threats
- Identifies trends like phishing, fraud patterns
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- Website: citizens can report cybercrime
- Especially focuses on financial frauds & women/child-related crimes
- Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit
- Coordinates between stakeholders (banks, ISPs, police)
- National Cyber Crime Training Centre (NCTC)
- Training for police, prosecutors, judicial officers
- National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (NCFL)
- Digital evidence analysis
- Assists investigation agencies
- Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Teams (JCCTs)
- Region-based coordination (multi-state operations)
🇮🇳 Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the national nodal agency for cybersecurity incident response in India.
📌 Overview
- Established: 2004
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Legal Status: Statutory body under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (Section 70B, amended in 2008)
🎯 Core Functions
CERT-In primarily deals with technical cybersecurity operations:
1. 🛡️ Incident Response
- Responds to cyber incidents like:
- Hacking
- Ransomware attacks
- Data breaches
- Website defacement
2. ⚠️ Alerts & Advisories
- Issues real-time alerts on:
- Malware threats
- Vulnerabilities
- Phishing campaigns
3. 🔍 Vulnerability Handling
- Identifies and disseminates information on security flaws in systems/software
4. 🤝 Coordination
- Coordinates with:
- Government agencies
- ISPs, banks, private sector
- International CERTs
5. 📊 Cybersecurity Guidelines
- Issues directions (e.g., log retention rules, incident reporting timelines)
⚖️ Legal Powers
Under the IT Act:
- Can call for information from service providers, intermediaries
- Can issue directions for cybersecurity compliance
- Non-compliance can attract penalties
NEWS 4 : President Urged Not to Grant Assent to Transgender Amendment Bill
Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)
- Opposition to Bill: A day after the Rajya Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, around 140 lawyers and women’s rights activists wrote to President Droupadi Murmu urging her not to grant assent. They cited “constitutional violations” and “procedural infirmities” in the way the Bill was passed .
- Petitioners: The letter was submitted by the All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), a pan-India collective of grassroots organisations, and the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR), a forum of lawyers and legal professionals .
- Procedural Concerns: The groups noted “undue and unjustifiable haste” in passing the Bill and alleged violation of the Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, 2014, as public and stakeholder consultations were not conducted. Members of the National Council for Transgender Persons reportedly were not consulted, with two members resigning after the Bill was passed .
- Constitutional Violations: The letter cited the NALSA (National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, 2014) judgment, where the Supreme Court held that the right to self-determination of gender is a fundamental right under Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution .
- Key Contentious Provisions:
- Medical Board Requirement: Introduction of a medical board whose recommendation is required before issuing a certificate of identity, which contradicts NALSA’s rejection of such a requirement .
- Removal of Self-Perceived Identity: Removal of the guarantee of self-perceived identity .
- Narrowed Definition: Narrowing of the definition of who qualifies as transgender .
- Impact: Activists argue that these changes will “erase and make invisible” many transgender persons .
PRELIMS 360
Issue Highlighted
- Civil society groups and activists criticized the “undue and unjustifiable haste” in passing the law.
- They argued that proper consultation procedures were not followed.
🔹 Violation Alleged
1. Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, 2014
- This policy mandates:
- Public consultation before introducing a Bill.
- Draft legislation must be placed in the public domain.
- Stakeholder feedback should be actively sought.
👉 Allegation:
- The Bill was passed without adequate public or stakeholder consultation, violating this policy.
2. National Council for Transgender Persons
- A statutory body meant to:
- Advise the government on transgender welfare.
- Represent community voices.
👉 Issue:
- Members of this council were not consulted during the legislative process.
- Two members resigned in protest after the Bill was passed.
