Gujarat Assembly

♦ The Gujarat Assembly on 24 March 2026 passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, became the second state to pass such legislation after Uttarakhand. The Bill proposes a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion. 

♦ In February 2024, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. 

♦ However, the bill document states that the code will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and certain groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.

♦ The bill also prohibits bigamy, meaning a person cannot enter into a second marriage while their spouse is alive. It states that a marriage is considered valid under the code only if neither party has a living spouse at the time of marriage.

Supreme Court

♦ Supreme Court on 24 March 2026 said no person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism shall be a member of Scheduled Caste. It held that a person from the Scheduled Caste community lost the status after converting to a religion other than Buddhism and Sikhism and could not invoke Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

♦ A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan said the bar under Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 was "categorical and absolute". It said conversion to any religion not specified in Clause 3 resulted in immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status regardless of birth.

♦ The bench noted that Clause 3, which was originally enacted in 1950, restricted Scheduled Caste status to persons professing the Hindu religion only.

♦ It was amended in 1956 to include the Sikh religion and extended to the Buddhist religion in 1990.

♦ The court upheld the order of Andhra Pradesh HC, which had quashed a case under SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act on the gro-unds that the complainant had embraced Christianity and could not invoke the law. With respect to Scheduled Tribes, the bench clarified that unlike the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 did not prescribe religion-based exclusion.

Kalinjar Fort

♦ The hill area around the historic Kalinjar Fort in Banda district has been declared a National Geo-Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The recognition highlights the region’s rare geological formation known as the Eparchaean Unconformity, which records a long gap in Earth’s geological history. The hill exposes nearly 2.5 billion year old Bundelkhand granite overlain by 1.2 billion year old Kaimur sandstone, making it an important record of Earth’s evolution. Experts said the natural rock formations also played a role in providing strategic defence to ancient rulers who built the fort.

♦ GSI has installed a special information board at the site to explain the geological importance of the formation and raise awareness among visitors.

Himachal Pradesh

♦ The Himachal Pradesh govt has signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to strengthen the state's dairy sector and improve milk processing infrastructure. These agreements focus on forming the Kangra Milk Union, establishing new milk processing plants and chilling centres, and implementing digital management systems in the state dairy cooperative.

♦ Under the agreement, two milk processing plants with a capacity of 20,000 litres per day each will be set up at Nahan in Sirmaur district and Nalagarh in Solan district. Additionally, two milk chilling centres of the same capacity will be established at Jalari in Hamirpur district and Jhalera in Una district.

♦ A third MoU focuses on implementing enterprise resource planning software in the state dairy federation to ensure transparency and efficient management.

♦ A major project is the automated milk processing plant being developed at Dhagwar in Kangra district at a cost of Rs 250 crore. The plant will initially process 1.5 lakh litres of milk per day, with the potential to expand capacity to 3 lakh litres.

Zubeen Garg

♦ Botanists from Gauhati University have identified a new plant species from the grasslands of Manas National Park and named it after Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg.

♦ The newly identified species, Osbeckia Zubeengargiana, belongs to the Melastomataceae family. 

♦ The researchers discovered the plant during botanical surveys conducted between 2021 and 2025 in the grasslands of the national park in Assam’s Baksa district.

♦ The discovery adds to the known diversity of the genus ‘Osbeckia’, which includes more than 40 species distributed mainly across South and Southeast Asia.

♦ The flowers measure roughly 2.5 to 3 cm in length and bloom between mid-Sept and Jan.

Arunachal Pradesh

♦ Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India have rediscovered a rare plant species endemic to Arunachal Pradesh nearly 189 years after it was last recorded during a field survey in Lohit district on 14 March 2026.

♦ The species, Henckelia monophylla, had not been documented since the early 19th century, making the finding a significant addition to botanical records of the Eastern Himalayas.

♦ Belonging to the Gesneriaceae family, Henckelia monophylla is a perennial herbaceous plant usually found in humid forest environments.

♦ Species of the genus Henckelia generally have erect or slightly creeping stems and simple leaves that may be ovate or lance-shaped.

♦ The plants produce axillary inflorescences bearing one or several tubular or funnel-shaped flowers, often with delicate colouration.

♦ Their fruits develop as elongated capsules containing numerous tiny seeds, enabling them to reproduce effectively in suitable ecological niches.

Karnataka

♦ The Karnataka government has proposed banning social media use for children below the age of 16, marking the first attempt by an Indian state to impose age-based restrictions on digital platforms. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the proposal while presenting the State Budget for 2026-27. 

♦ If implemented, Karnataka would become the first state in India to introduce such restrictions.

♦ A state budget of Rs 4,48,004 crore for the financial year 2026–27, outlining plans centred on technology-driven growth, infrastructure development and environmental sustainability.

Kerala Health Department

♦ Kerala Health Department has launched the MeHEALTH app for getting information about the nearby government health facilities. With the help of this app, users can find details of nearby hospitals within 10 kilometres, including available specialities, laboratory tests and their rates. 

♦ Information on services such as blood banks, radiology units, pharmacies, and pay wards in hospitals is also available on the platform. The app also allows patients to book Doctor appointments.