Prelims Focus 7th April 2026

07/04/2026

40 3 minutes read

GSC-7 (Gobhi Sarson Canola-7)

In News: GSC-7 is a high-yielding “double-zero” (low erucic acid and low glucosinolate) Gobhi Sarson variety developed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Released in 2014–15, it contains less than 2% erucic acid and below 30 ppm glucosinolates, producing healthier, mildly pungent oil with about 42% oil content.

Key Features and Advantages:

Quality: Classified as canola-quality oil, making it safer and healthier than traditional mustard oils with high erucic acid.
Productivity: Delivers high yields ranging from 1911 to 2190 kg/ha.
Adaptability: Suitable for cultivation in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and other north-western regions.
Disease Resistance: Shows resistance to major diseases and is suitable for commercial farming.
Nutritional Value: Lower erucic acid enhances oil quality, while reduced glucosinolates improve the suitability of seed meal for livestock feed.

Gujarat UCC Bill, 2026

In News: The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill on March 25, 2026, making Gujarat the second state after Uttarakhand to implement a common personal law system. The law aims to standardize rules related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance across religions, promoting gender equality and banning practices like triple talaq and polygamy.

Key Provisions:

Mandatory Registration: Marriage and divorce must be registered within 60 days; live-in relationships must be registered within one month.
Inheritance Equality: Ensures equal property rights for women across all communities.
Marriage Norms: Prescribes a uniform minimum age for marriage.
Implementation: Passed after extensive deliberation, based on a committee report, with the objective of fostering “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.”
Scope: Applicable to all residents of Gujarat, covering both traditional and non-heteronormative relationships.

Yuva Sangam

In News: Institution-led exposure tour registrations were conducted in relation to Yuva Sangam Phase- VI, including 22 States and Union Territories.

It is a Government of India effort to enhance people-to-people relationships between young people of various States/UTs of India.
The Ministry of Education came up with a conceptualisation of this in tandem with several other ministries and departments, and was launched under the umbrella of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB).
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) was introduced on 31st October 2015 in order to enhance national unity through the enhancement of links between States and Union Territories.
It has been arranged in cooperation with the model of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS).

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)

In News: The PM Modi was conducting a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to discuss the situation and mitigation measures against the current West Asia Conflict..

It is the highest decision-making organ in India, which is concerned with national security and defence spending, and strategic issues.
It deals with the crisis situation, defence issues, and high-stakes decision making.
The Prime Minister chairs it and is accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Home Affairs, Finance, and External Affairs, and the National Security Advisor serves as a coordinator.
It is an extra-constitutional institution established in the name of the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, of the Government of India.

Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI)

In News: The crisis in West Asia has seen the Manufacturing PMI of India drop to 56.9 in February 2026 relative to the reading of 53.9 in March 2026.

PMI is an economic indicator that is survey-based, which is used to capture the variations in the business conditions with respect to the month before.
It offers an insight into the present and future economic patterns.
It is made as a separate manufacturing statistic, services, and as a composite index.
PMI is not calculated below 0 to 100. A value above 50 will reflect expansion, a value below 50 will reflect contraction, and a value of 50 will reflect no change.
IHS Markit, which is now owned by S&P Global, compiles PMI on a global basis for several economies.