Legal Current Affairs for 4 April 2026

Article 44 of the Constitution, under the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), directs the state to strive for a UCC for all citizens across India.
In Goa, a form of common civil code is in practice under the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867.
Need in India:
Equality before the Law: Uniform laws replace community-based personal laws. E.g., Hindu Marriage Act, Muslim Personal Law (Sharia), etc.
Ensures Gender Justice: E.g., Women’s rights vary vastly depending on their religion, and customary laws are often patriarchal, depriving women of equal inheritance, property rights, etc.
Supreme Court (SC) in various cases (such as Shah Bano Case (1985), Sarla Mudgal Case (1995, etc.) highlighted need of implementing UCC to deal with such issues.
National Integration: Separates religion from personal laws, promoting social harmony.
Challenges in implementing UCC: Threatens diversity and religious freedom, lack of consensus among communities, etc.

Objective: To minimise plastic waste generation, promote recycling and ensure environmentally sound disposal.
Key Features
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Producers, Importers and Brand Owners responsible for collection, recycling and disposal of plastic waste.
Ban on single-use plastics (2022 Amendment): Prohibition of identified single-use plastic items to reduce plastic pollution.
Plastic thickness norm: minimum thickness of 120 microns to promote reuse and reduce littering.
Traceability (2025 Amendment): From July 1, 2025, all plastic packaging must carry a barcode or QR code to enable digital tracking from production to disposal.
Role of local bodies: Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats responsible for collection, segregation and processing of plastic waste.

General Min Aung Hlaing has been elected as the President of Myanmar.
Myanmar has been under military rule since the Myanmar coup d’état in 2021.
Political Features:
Largest country in mainland Southeast Asia by land area.
Location: Western portion of mainland Southeast Asia.
Bordering Nations: China (North and Northeast), Laos (East), Thailand (South East), Bangladesh (West), India (North West).
Bordering water bodies: Andaman Sea (South), Bay of Bengal (South West).

An ad valorem tariff is a customs duty calculated as a percentage of the total value of imported goods.
Unlike fixed-fee tariffs, which are based on weight or quantity, these tariffs fluctuate depending on the declared value of the product.
These tariffs are widely used to regulate trade, protect domestic industries, and generate government revenue.

Approved: in 2024 with an outlay of ₹8,500 crore to promote coal and lignite gasification projects in public and private sectors.
Objective: To reduce dependence on imported petroleum, ammonia and fertilisers by promoting production of syngas and value-added products from coal.
Categories:
Category I: PSU-led projects
Category II: Private and PSU projects
Category III: Demonstration and small-scale projects

Origin and Formation: WDs forms over the Mediterranean Sea region due to interactions between contrasting air masses.
WDs are embedded within the mid-latitude Subtropical Westerly Jet (SWJ), which guides their eastward movement.
Season and Area of Impact: Boreal winter (December to March), impacting western Himalaya, as well as to surrounding areas of north India, Pakistan, and the Tibetan Plateau.
Significance for India: Crucial for Rabi crops (e.g., wheat, mustard), replenishing glaciers in the Himalayan region, etc.
Associated Weather hazards: Heavy snowfall, hailstorms, fog, cloudbursts, avalanches, frost, and cold waves.

Overview: Launched in 2017 with $150 million, led by Government of India.
Objective: Supports Global South in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and shared prosperity.
Approach: supports Southern-owned and led, demand-driven and country-led sustainable development projects.
Focus Areas: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Implementation: managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and executed by UN agencies with partner governments.

Norms set by to regulate air pollutants from internal combustion engines, including motor vehicles, based on European regulations (Euro norms), first introduced in 2000.
Implementation: Standards and timelines are set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
BSVI: Implemented nationwide from April 2020 to significantly curb vehicular pollution.
India moved from BS-IV to BS-VI, skipping BS-V to adopt stricter norms directly.
Sulphur content reduced from 50 ppm (BS-IV) to 10 ppm
Significant reduction in PM and NOx emissions
Introduction of advanced technologies like DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter)