CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
CLAT Relevance
- PM CARES, PMNRF, NDF — Parliamentary accountability and Rule 41
- Vande Mataram — national song protocol, constitutional significance
- Central Vista — Seva Teerth, shifting of PMO
- Urban Challenge Fund — municipal governance and urban development
- Vibrant Villages Phase 2 — border area development
- AI regulation — deepfake takedown rules
PM CARES, PMNRF & NDF — Lok Sabha Questions
- PM CARES Fund, PMNRF, NDF — NOT admissible for Lok Sabha questions per Rule 41(2)(viii) and Rule 41(2)(xvii)
- PM CARES: public charitable trust, set up March 27, 2020 (during Covid)
- PMNRF: established 1948 for displaced persons from Pakistan
- NDF (National Defence Fund): Armed Forces welfare, Executive Committee chaired by PM
Legal Analysis: Why Questions Not Admissible
- PM CARES is a public charitable trust, not a government fund — hence no CAG audit, no RTI
- PMNRF is also outside government accounts — operates on public donations
- NDF is managed by an executive committee — not subject to parliamentary scrutiny under Rule 41
Vande Mataram Protocol & AI Content Rules
- MHA’s first Vande Mataram protocol: all 6 stanzas, duration 3 min 10 sec
- Must be sung BEFORE Jana Gana Mana
- Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875
- Included in novel Anandamath (1881)
- First sung at 1896 Congress session
- Tune set by Rabindranath Tagore
Key Facts: AI Content Regulation
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- 3-hour takedown rule for deepfakes on social media
- Mandatory labeling of all AI-generated content
- Platforms must act within 3 hours of receiving complaint
Seva Teerth, Urban Challenge Fund & Vibrant Villages
- Seva Teerth: PMO shifted from South Block (Raisina Hill) to Executive Enclave on Dara Shikoh Road (formerly Dalhousie Road)
- Part of Central Vista project; also houses NSC Secretariat and Cabinet Secretariat
Mnemonic: Urban Challenge Fund
Rs 1 lakh crore = 25% central + 50% from market (municipal bonds, PPP)
Three pillars: C-W-C = Cities as Growth Hubs, Creative Redevelopment, Water and Sanitation
Rs 1 lakh crore = 25% central + 50% from market (municipal bonds, PPP)
Three pillars: C-W-C = Cities as Growth Hubs, Creative Redevelopment, Water and Sanitation
- Vibrant Villages Phase 2: focuses on Indo-Bangladesh border (Phase 1 was Indo-China border)
- Budget: Rs 6,839 Cr, covering 1,954 villages, timeline FY 2028-29
- Covers 17 states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, UP, West Bengal
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
Practice Quiz
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Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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