Current Affairs 20 March 2026
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
- The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, enacted following the NALSA v. Union of India (2014) judgment, provides legal recognition and rights to transgender persons in India.
- Definition of Transgender: Defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth, inclusively covering trans men, trans women, intersex persons, and socio-cultural identities like kinner and hijra, regardless of medical interventions.
- According to Census 2011, India’s transgender population stands at approximately 4.88 lakh, with Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra being the top three states.
- Right to Self-Identification: Grants the right to self-perceived gender identity. A certificate of identity is issued by the District Magistrate through a purely administrative process, without any medical examination.
- Prohibition of Discrimination: Forbids discrimination in education, employment, healthcare, and public facilities.
- Institutional Mechanism: Establishes a National Council for Transgender Persons to advise the government on welfare policies, monitor implementation, and coordinate inter-ministerial efforts.
- Offences & Penalties: Prescribes punishment (6 months to 2 years imprisonment and fine) for offences like forced labour and abuse.
The Lok Sabha approved Demands for Grants worth over Rs 53 lakh crore for 2026–27 using the Guillotine procedure, passing most ministry-wise expenditures without detailed parliamentary discussion.
- Meaning of Guillotine: In parliamentary practice, the Guillotine refers to clubbing and fast-tracking financial business, where all pending Demands for Grants are put to vote together without discussion due to time constraints.
- Budget Process Context: After the Budget is presented, Parliament goes into a recess of about three weeks, during which Department-related Standing Committees examine Demands for Grants.
- Once reassembled, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) schedules discussions on selected key Ministries.
- Application of Guillotine: Due to limited time or continuous disruptions, the Speaker applies the Guillotine on the last day of discussion, putting all remaining Demands for Grants to vote at once, regardless of whether they were debated.
- Implications: While the Guillotine ensures timely passage of the Budget and prevents a funding crisis, it reduces parliamentary scrutiny over large public expenditure, raising concerns about accountability.
- Post-Guillotine Stage: After the Guillotine is applied, the Finance Bill and Appropriation Bill are passed, authorizing expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India.
- Institutional Significance: The process is exclusive to the Lok Sabha, which holds the power of the purse, while the Rajya Sabha can only discuss and recommend on Demands for Grants.
China-bound sanctioned Russian tanker (Aqua Titan), part of the ‘dark fleet’, was diverted mid-route to India.
- Dark Fleet: The ‘Dark Fleet’ or ‘shadow fleet’ refers to a growing armada of aging, often uninsured commercial vessels utilized specifically to transport petroleum products subject to international sanctions, primarily from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
- Modus Operandi:
- Disabling AIS: These ships routinely turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders to “go dark” and evade satellite tracking.
- Ship-to-Ship (STS) Transfers: They engage in risky mid-ocean transfers (Bunkering) to mix sanctioned crude with non-sanctioned oil, thereby masking its true origin.
- Flags of Convenience: They register under countries with lax maritime oversight (e.g., Panama, Liberia) and frequently use shell companies to obscure ownership.
- All vessels must fly a flag indicating their legal jurisdiction, as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which determines a ship’s nationality. However, limited enforcement in international waters (high seas) allows shadow fleets to exploit regulatory grey zones and evade oversight.
🎨 Important Tribal Paintings of India
🖌 Warli (Maharashtra)
Simple geometric figures; depicts daily life, farming, rituals.
🖌 Gond (Madhya Pradesh)
Intricate dots & lines; themes of nature, Tree of Life, animals.
🖌 Pithora (Gujarat & MP)
Ritual painting by tribes; made to fulfill wishes.
🖌 Saura (Odisha)
Wall paintings (Italons); shows village life & rituals.
🖌 Sohrai (Jharkhand)
Colorful mural art; linked with harvest & cattle.
👉 Art = Culture + Identity of Tribal India 🌿🎨