Legal Current Affairs for 22 March 2026

Definition: Mangroves are salt-tolerant plant communities that thrive in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones where land meets the sea.
Types: Four main types: Red, Black, White, and Buttonwood.
Distribution in India: Mangrove forests span a total of 4,991.68 sq. km across nine states and four Union Territories.
West Bengal holds the largest share at 42.45%, followed by Gujarat and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Threats: Unchecked destruction for infrastructure and development.
Climate change and rising CO2 levels are causing “hypercapnic hypoxia” which is a state of depleted oxygen in mangrove waters that severely threatens their function as fish nurseries.

Objective: To provide guarantee coverage to eligible Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) for financing Non-Banking Financial Company MFI (NBFC-MFI) and MFIs for on-lending to existing or new small borrowers.
NBFC-MFI are non-deposit taking NBFC with minimum 75% of its total assets deployed towards “microfinance loans” (collateral-free loan a household with annual household income up to ₹3,00,000).
Managed and operated by: National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC), wholly owned by Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
Tenure: June 2026 or till guarantees of Rs 20,000 crore are issued

It refers to the provision of small-scale financial services, including loans, savings, and insurance, to individuals and small businesses that lack access to traditional banking services.
Significance of Microfinance in India:
Financial inclusion and Poverty Alleviation: Fills gap left by traditional banks, bringing low-income groups into formal financial system.
Supports MSMEs and entrepreneurship: By providing tailored loans without mandatory collateral requirements.
Women Empowerment: Women borrowers constitute 95% in microfinance sector. (Economic Survey 2025-26).

Birth: Born in village of Mankedi, District Seoni (Madhya Pradesh).
Early Life: Married to Rajput Prince Vikramaditya Singh Lodhi, son of Raja Laxaman Singh of Ramgarh (present-day Dindori, Madhya Pradesh).
After death of Laxman Singh, she assumed the throne of Ramgarh State due to her husband’s ill health.
Military Skills: Skilled swordsmanship, horse riding, guerrilla warfare.
Battle of Kheri, 1857: Defeated British Troops.
Revolt of 1857:Led her own army against British who sought to annex her state under Doctrine of Lapse.
Death: Sacrificed her life amidst British offensive refusing to be captured.
Values: Bravery, Military Leadership, Courage, Resilience, Patriotic Fervour.

Global Terrorism Index, 2026 was recently published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a Sydney-based independent, non-profit think tank.
Key Findings
Top rank: Pakistan recorded the highest score, being the country most impacted by terrorism.
~ 70% of deaths from terrorism occurred in only 5 countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Substantial fall in terrorism: Deaths from terrorism fell 28% and number of attacks declined by ~ 22%.
4 deadliest terrorist organisations (2025): IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and alShabaab.
Indias’ rank: 13th

It is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre leading the global effort to protect Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
India is a regional member country.
Key Findings
Glacier number loss Doubled: Increased from -5.4% between 1990 and 2020 to -10% between 2010 and 2010.
Consistent retreat: 12% reduction in total glacier area and a 9% decline in estimated ice reserves.
Indus River basin lost 6% of its glacier area, while the Ganges and the Brahmaputra River basins experienced reductions of 21% and 16%, respectively.

Aim: To establish 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum (MTPA) of integrated REPM manufacturing facilities,PM Indiainvolving conversion of rare earth oxides to metals, metals to alloys, and alloys to finished REPMs.
Beneficiary allocation: 5 beneficiaries selected through global competitive bidding process, each to be allotted up to 1,200 MTPA of capacity.
Financial outlay: Rs.7,280 crores- Capital subsidy: ₹750 crore, Sales-linked incentive: ₹6,450 crore