Current Affairs 26 March 2026
What are SPRs?
- About: These are stockpiles of crude oil, maintained by the government to ensure energy security to be used during supply disruptions.
- These exist in addition to the commercial stocks held by oil companies.
- Implementing Agency: under Special Purpose Vehicle called Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), established in 2004.
- Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- Storage Technology: Crude oil is stored in underground rock caverns, located deep below the ground, usually near coastal areas.
- Locations (refer map)
- Phase-I SPR Facilities (5.33 MMT): Currently operational at three locations
- Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
- Mangaluru (Karnataka)
- Padur (Karnataka)
- Phase-II (approved in 2021, with additional 6.5 MMT): Future expansion planned at
- Chandikhol (Odisha)
- Padur Phase-II
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
- Genesis: Initially constituted in 1988, as a non-statutory body; now a statutory body via SEBI Act, 1992.
- Headquarter: Mumbai; Regional Offices: New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad
- Objectives: To safeguard investors from fraud, insider trading, and unfair practices.
- Functions: Registration and regulation of intermediaries (brokers, mutual funds, merchant bankers, credit rating agencies), and overseeing company takeovers; etc.
- Powers of SEBI: draft rules and regulations (e.g., Insider Trading Regulations); impose penalties in cases of fraud or unethical practices; and enforce regulations against violators.
Tuberculosis (TB)
- It is a contagious airborne disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is preventable and curable.
- It primarily affects the lungs, but can also impact other organs such as the brain and kidneys.
- Transmission: It spreads through air via coughs, sneezes, or close contact with an infected person.
- India has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminate TB by 2025 in line with the global SDG target 3.3.
Lebanon (Capital: Beirut)
- Recently, there have been discussions in Israel about extending the country’s northern border to the Litani River.
- Israeli forces occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000.
- Political Features
- Location: A narrow strip of territory in the Levant region of West Asia.
- Bordering Countries: Syria (North and East) and Isreal (South).
- Maritime borders: Cyprus
- Bordering Water Bodies: Mediterranean Sea.
- Geographical Features
- Highest Peak: Qurnet Al Sawda
- Major Valley: Bekaa (Al-Biqa)
- Mountains: Lebanon Mountains (Jabal Lubnan), Hermon Ranges.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- Established: Current body was constituted under Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
- Previous BIS functioned under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 (modified form of Indian Standards Institution, formed in 1947).
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Five Regional Offices: Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi.
- Core Functions: Standards Formulation (e.g. Indian Standards codes); Product Certification (e.g. ISI mark for quality assurance); Compulsory Registration Scheme (Mandatory certification for electronics & IT goods).