CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 28, 2026
CLAT GK + CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase I of the Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, marking a landmark moment in India’s aviation infrastructure expansion. The airport, developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) — a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG — is the second international airport for the National Capital Region and is expected to serve as a critical relief valve for the congested Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
Phase I of the airport features a single runway, a passenger terminal with capacity to handle 12 million passengers annually, and a dedicated cargo terminal. The project, estimated at Rs 34,000 crore across all phases, involved the acquisition of approximately 5,000 hectares of land from six villages in Jewar tehsil. The land acquisition process, conducted under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act 2013, displaced over 7,000 families who were provided compensation packages including land-for-land swaps, rehabilitation allowances, and employment guarantees.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
- Entry 29, Union List (List I): Airways, aircraft, air navigation, and aerodromes are Union subjects under the Seventh Schedule.
- Article 300A: No person shall be deprived of property save by authority of law (inserted by 44th Amendment 1978, replacing the former Fundamental Right to Property).
- LARR Act 2013: Replaced the colonial Land Acquisition Act 1894; mandates Social Impact Assessment, consent requirements (80% for private projects), and fair compensation (2x market value in urban, 4x in rural areas).
- 44th Amendment Act 1978: Removed Right to Property from Part III (Fundamental Rights) and placed it as Article 300A.
- Airports Authority of India Act 1994: Constituted the AAI by merging National Airports Authority and International Airports Authority of India.
- Olga Tellis v. BMC (1985): Right to livelihood as part of Article 21 — relevant to displacement caused by large infrastructure projects.
- Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (2000): Balanced development needs against displacement rights, holding that large projects must ensure proper rehabilitation.
The airport’s development raises important constitutional questions about the balance between infrastructure development and citizens’ property rights. While Article 300A protects against arbitrary deprivation of property, the LARR Act 2013 provides the legislative framework for compulsory acquisition. The Supreme Court in Indore Development Authority v. Manoharlal (2020) held that once land is acquired and vests in the State, it cannot revert to the original owner merely due to procedural delays, reinforcing the finality of acquisition proceedings.
Why This Matters for CLAT 2027
This topic is a convergence of constitutional law, administrative law, and current affairs. CLAT can test the distinction between Fundamental Rights and Constitutional Rights (Article 300A is NOT a Fundamental Right), the 44th Amendment’s significance, LARR Act provisions including the Social Impact Assessment requirement, and landmark cases on eminent domain. The PPP model in infrastructure also connects to Entry 29 of the Union List, federalism questions about state consent for Union projects, and the broader debate about development vs. displacement that features prominently in legal reasoning passages.
The economic impact of the airport extends beyond aviation. The Uttar Pradesh government has designated a 5,000-hectare area around the airport as a special economic zone, expected to attract Rs 50,000 crore in investment and generate 100,000 jobs. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has been actively developing logistics hubs, IT parks, and residential townships in the airport’s catchment area, transforming the agrarian landscape of western UP.
Key Facts at a Glance
| What | Noida International Airport (Jewar) Phase I inaugurated |
| Where | Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh |
| Developer | YIAPL (Zurich Airport International AG subsidiary) |
| Phase I Capacity | 12 million passengers per annum |
| Full Build-Out | 70 million passengers per annum |
| When | March 2026 |
| Legal Provisions | Entry 29 List I, Article 300A, LARR Act 2013, AAI Act 1994 |
Memory Mnemonic
JEWAR: J — Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar | E — Entry 29, Union List (aerodromes) | W — Wider NCR connectivity | A — Article 300A (property right) | R — Rehabilitation under LARR Act 2013
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