UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 1/2 :
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Abortion Law in India
GS Paper 3:
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Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV)
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
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Right to Vote in India
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
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The Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Pipeline
-
Randomization of EVM-VVPATs
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Stealth Frigate Taragiri
-
Diego Garcia Island
-
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0)
Mapping:
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The Chambal River
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026
GS Paper 1/2 :
Abortion Law in India
Source: FL
Subject: Women and associated issues
Context: The Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment permitting a woman to terminate her 30-week pregnancy, prioritizing reproductive autonomy over fetal viability.
- The ruling, led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, sets a significant precedent by allowing termination well beyond the 24-week statutory limit for a woman who was a minor at the time of conception.
About Abortion Law in India:
What it is?
- Abortion in India is not an absolute right but a qualified legal right governed by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, and its subsequent amendments. It was enacted to provide a legal exception to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which otherwise criminalizes voluntary termination of pregnancy.
Key Data & Facts
- MTP Amendment Act 2021: This major update increased the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women.
- Maternal Mortality: Unsafe abortions remain a leading cause of maternal deaths in India; the MTP Act was originally designed as a public health measure to provide safe, regulated services.
- Judicial Overreach: Since 2021, over 1,100 cases have reached High Courts and the Supreme Court as women seek permission for abortions beyond the statutory limits.
- 30-Week Milestone: The 2026 judgment is one of the highest gestational ages (30 weeks) ever permitted for termination by the Indian apex court.
- Marital Status: In 2022 (X v. Principal Secretary, Delhi), the SC ruled that unmarried women are equally eligible for abortions up to 24 weeks, ending a long-standing legal discrimination.
Features of Abortion Law in India:
- Tiered Gestational Limits: Up to 20 weeks: Requires the opinion of one Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP).
- 20–24 weeks: Requires the opinion of two RMPs for specific categories (rape survivors, minors, disabled women, etc.).
- No Limit for Abnormalities: The 24-week ceiling does not apply if a state-level Medical Board diagnoses substantial fetal abnormalities.
- Ground of Mental Health: The law uniquely recognizes that a pregnancy causing grave injury to mental health (including contraceptive failure) is a valid ground for termination.
- Confidentiality: The Act mandates that the identity and details of the woman must remain strictly confidential, with penalties for disclosure.
- Consent Framework: For adults (18+), only the woman’s consent is required. Spousal or parental consent is not legally necessary for adult women.
Challenges Associated with Current Law:
- Fetal Viability vs. Autonomy: The 2023 X v. Union of India case highlighted the conflict where courts refuse termination at 26 weeks if the fetus is viable, even if the mother’s mental health is at risk.
- Third-Party Gatekeeping: Despite the law requiring only the woman’s consent, many hospitals still insist on husband/partner consent, as seen in various 2024 rural healthcare audits.
- Access for Minors: Under POCSO, doctors must report sexual activity of minors to police, which often deters young girls from seeking safe abortions for fear of legal proceedings.
- Medical Board Delays: The requirement for a Medical Board for late-term cases often leads to bureaucratic delays; for instance, in the 2026 case, the woman’s pregnancy progressed by several weeks while waiting for court/board decisions.
- Inconsistent Jurisprudence: Different benches of the Supreme Court have issued conflicting orders (the Doctrinal Puzzle between 2023 and 2024/2026), leaving lower courts confused about whether fetal life or maternal autonomy takes precedence.
Way Ahead:
- Standardizing Viability Guidelines: The Supreme Court or Ministry of Health should issue clear protocols on how to handle born-alive risks in late-term terminations.
- Decentralizing Medical Boards: Establishing boards at the district level, rather than just state capitals, to reduce travel time and procedural delays for vulnerable women.
- Sensitizing Healthcare Providers: Massive training for RMPs to ensure they do not demand extra-legal requirements like spouse consent or police FIRs for adult women.
- Rights-Based Approach: Moving the law from a medical necessity framework to a rights-based framework where a woman’s choice is the primary decider.
- Expanding Provider Base: Training mid-level healthcare providers (like auxiliary nurses) to perform early-term medical abortions to reduce the burden on specialists.
Conclusion:
The 2026 Supreme Court judgment marks a definitive shift toward recognizing reproductive autonomy as a fundamental right under Article 21. While the MTP Act has evolved significantly since 1971, the tension between statutory limits and constitutional rights remains a challenge for the judiciary. Ultimately, the law must ensure that a woman’s body is not treated as a vessel of the state, ensuring dignity and choice at every stage of pregnancy.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026 – GS Paper 3:
Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV)
Source: TH
Subject: Agriculture/Science and technology
Context: In the 2026-27 Budget, the outlay for the PM-KUSUM scheme nearly doubled to ₹5,000 crore, with the government considering a National Agri-photovoltaics Mission to achieve 10 GW of capacity.
- This move positions Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV) as a primary solution to India’s land-use conflict between food security and the 300 GW solar target for 2030.
About Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV):
What it is?
- AgriPV is a dual-use land technology that integrates solar power generation with agricultural cultivation on the same parcel of land. By mounting solar panels at specific heights or in spaced rows, it allows crops to grow underneath or between them, turning a single field into a powerhouse for both food and energy.
Key Features of agriPV:
- Elevated Mounting: Panels are fixed several meters high to ensure enough clearance for farmers, laborers, and even tractors to operate beneath them.
- Variable Design: Systems can be row-based (panels between crops), vertical (bifacial panels capturing sun from both sides), or greenhouse-integrated.
- Micro-climate Control: The panels create a shading effect that can reduce soil temperature and protect sensitive crops from extreme weather like hail.
- Technical Optimization: Uses specific spacing and tilt to balance the Light Saturation Point of crops with maximum solar energy capture.
Opportunities for India in agriPV:
- Income Diversification: Farmers gain a secondary, stable revenue stream from selling surplus power or leasing land to developers.
Example: A farmer in Maharashtra can earn fixed rent from a developer while still harvesting a full yield of chillies or brinjal.
- Water Conservation: Partial shading reduces evapotranspiration, allowing the soil to retain moisture longer and reducing irrigation needs.
Example: In arid regions of Rajasthan, agriPV can significantly lower the water frequency required for shade-tolerant crops like garlic or onions.
- Land Neutrality: It solves the food vs. fuel debate by utilizing existing agricultural land for solar without diverting it from food production.
Example: With 50% of India’s land under farming, converting even a small fraction to agriPV helps hit the 300 GW solar goal without clearing forests.
- Rural Industrialization: Generated power can run on-farm ancillary services like cold storage, reducing post-harvest losses.
Example: Solar-powered cold rooms in Karnataka can be fueled directly by the overhead panels, increasing the shelf-life of tomatoes.
- Climate Resilience: Panels act as a physical shield against increasing instances of heatwaves and unseasonal heavy rainfall.
Example: In Madhya Pradesh, agriPV structures can prevent heat stress in leafy vegetables, maintaining crop quality during peak summer.
Initiatives Taken:
- PM-KUSUM 2.0: Budget 2026-27 increased funding to ₹5,000 crore to promote decentralized solar power centered on farmers.
- Proposed National Agri-photovoltaics Mission: A dedicated 10-GW component aimed at scaling the technology beyond pilot stages.
- Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Government plans to provide financial support to offset the high initial capital costs of elevated solar structures.
- Pilot Installations: Approximately 50 national-level pilots are currently evaluating different panel-crop combinations across diverse agro-climatic zones.
Challenges Associated:
- High Capital Intensity: Elevated structures require more steel and specialized engineering, making them costlier than ground-mounted solar.
Example: The cost per megawatt for an agriPV plant is significantly higher than a standard utility-scale plant due to the 3-meter high mounting.
- Yield Uncertainty: Incorrect shading or poor design can lead to reduced photosynthesis and lower agricultural output.
Example: If panels are too dense, sun-loving crops like certain cereal varieties may see a drop in grain weight.
- Regulatory Hurdles: Lack of clear guidelines on land-use classification (Agri vs. Industrial) can lead to legal and tax complications.
Example: Farmers may fear losing agricultural status and associated subsidies if their land is reclassified for commercial power generation.
- Technical Skill Gap: Maintaining both a high-tech solar array and a sensitive crop matrix requires a dual skill set that most farmers currently lack.
Example: Cleaning dust off panels without damaging the crops below or using heavy machinery in restricted spaces remains a logistical challenge.
- Grid Connectivity: Many remote farms lack the last-mile infrastructure to feed surplus power back into the national grid.
Example: A successful agriPV farm in a remote tribal belt might struggle to sell power if the local substation is overloaded or too far away.
Way Ahead:
- Region-Specific Planning: Develop a Crop-Matrix for different states (e.g., Ragi for Karnataka, Turmeric for MP) to optimize shade-yield ratios.
- Clear Governance Frameworks: Establish uniform Dual-Use land laws to protect farmer land rights and provide long-term revenue clarity.
- Accessible Finance: Create low-interest Agri-Solar Loans and involve FPOs to aggregate small landholdings for better bargaining power.
- Standardization of Design: The CWC and Ministry of Power should issue benchmark designs for mounting structures to reduce investor uncertainty.
- R&D Expansion: Increase the number of Live Labs across all 15 agro-climatic zones to gather more empirical evidence on long-term soil health.
Conclusion:
AgriPV represents a transformative shift from competing land use to complementary land synergy, harmonizing India’s hunger for energy with its need for food security. By integrating this into the PM-KUSUM framework and providing fiscal support, India can empower its farmers to become Urjadatas (energy providers) alongside being Annadatas (food providers). Ultimately, this dual-purpose model is the backbone of a resilient, net-zero rural economy for 2070.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026 – Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Right to Vote in India
Context: The Supreme Court of India recently raised concerns regarding mandatory voting during a poll-related hearing amid the 2026 Assembly election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India.
About Right to Vote in India:
What it is?
- The right to vote is a statutory right that enables citizens to participate in the democratic process by electing their representatives.
- It is not a fundamental right, but a constitutional/statutory right derived from law.
Constitutional & Legal Provisions:
- Article 326: Provides for universal adult suffrage (18+ citizens eligible to vote, subject to disqualifications).
- Representation of the People Act, 1950: Defines eligibility for voter registration (Section 19).
- Representation of the People Act, 1951: Grants the right to vote to registered electors (Section 62).
Nature of Right:
- The Supreme Court of India has clarified that:
- Voting is a statutory right
- However, aspects like NOTA and free choice are linked to Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of expression)
Committee Recommendations:
- Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990)
-
- Opposed compulsory voting → Cited practical difficulties in enforcement
- Recommended voter awareness campaigns instead
- Law Commission of India – 255th Report (2015):
-
- Acknowledged increase in turnout (~7%) in countries with compulsory voting
- However, concluded that it depends on strict penalties, which may be harsh and impractical in India
- Stated compulsory voting is neither desirable nor feasible
Key Issues with Compulsory Voting
- May violate Article 19(1)(a) → Right to expression includes right not to vote
- Administrative burden in a large, diverse democracy
- Penal measures (fine, denial of services) → socially inequitable
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus
- GS Paper II (Polity & Governance)
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- Electoral reforms and democratic participation
- Role of institutions like Election Commission of India
- Constitutional provisions (Article 326, RPA Acts)
- GS Paper IV (Ethics)
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- Duty vs Choice debate in democracy
- Ethical issues in coercion vs voluntary participation
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
The Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Pipeline
Source: BS
Subject: Economy/International Relations
Context: The ongoing West Asia crisis has disrupted energy supplies, exposing India’s heavy dependence on imported gas.
- This has revived discussion on past pipeline projects like the Iran–Pakistan–India (IPI) and Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI)
About The Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Pipeline:
What it is?
- A proposed 2,775 km natural gas pipeline designed to transport gas from Iran’s South Pars field to Pakistan and India. Often referred to as the Peace Pipeline, this project was intended to link the energy-rich Persian Gulf with the energy-starved South Asian economies.
Established In: Conceptually originated in the 1990s; gained significant diplomatic momentum between 2004 and 2005.
Aim: To provide a cost-effective, land-based alternative to expensive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports for India and Pakistan’s industrial and power sectors.
Key Features:
- Capacity: Designed to supply 60 mmscmd (million standard cubic meters per day) each to India and Pakistan.
- Economic Impact: Offered lower transit costs compared to maritime shipments.
- Strategic Leverage: Aimed to foster regional cooperation and peace through economic interdependence.
Current Status: Dormant/Recast. India effectively exited negotiations in 2007 due to U.S. sanctions (CAATSA pressure), pricing disagreements, and security fears regarding the pipeline passing through Balochistan.
About The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline:
What it is?
- An 1,814 km trans-regional pipeline project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to bring gas from Central Asia to South Asia. Following the stalling of IPI, India shifted its focus to this Central Asian alternative, which enjoyed broader international and institutional backing.
Established In: India officially signed the intergovernmental agreement in 2010, though the idea dates back to the mid-90s.
Aim: To diversify India’s energy basket away from West Asian volatility by tapping into the world’s second-largest gas field.
Key Features:
- Source: Originates from the Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan.
- Capacity: Projected to transport 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually.
- Diplomatic Support: Unlike IPI, TAPI was promoted by the U.S. as part of the New Silk Road strategy to stabilize Afghanistan’s economy through transit fees.
Current Status: Partially Active/Stalled.
- While the Turkmen-Afghan section was inaugurated in October 2025 (linking Serhetabat to Herat), the extension to Pakistan and India remains stalled.
Randomization of EVM-VVPATs
Source: PIB
Subject: Polity
Context: The Election Commission of India has completed the first stage of EVM-VVPAT randomization across Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry to prepare for the upcoming April 2026 Assembly elections.
About Randomization of EVM-VVPATs:
What It Is?
- It is a two-stage, software-driven process used to allocate voting machines to various constituencies and polling stations. It ensures that no one—including election officials—knows in advance which specific machine will be deployed to which polling station.
Started In:
- While EVMs were introduced in the late 90s, the formalized EVM Management System (EMS) for computerized randomization was streamlined and made mandatory for all general and assembly elections in the mid-2000s to enhance institutional integrity.
Aim:
- The primary objective is to eliminate human intervention and bias in the distribution of machines, thereby ensuring electoral neutrality and boosting public confidence in the voting process.
How It Works?
The process is executed in two distinct phases:
- First Stage (District to Constituency): Machines that have passed the First Level Checking (FLC) are randomly shifted from the District Warehouse to the specific Assembly Constituency (AC).
- Second Stage (Constituency to Polling Station): Once the list of contesting candidates is finalized, the machines are again randomized to be assigned to specific Polling Stations within that constituency.
Key Features
- EVM Management System (EMS): A specialized software used to conduct the draw, ensuring the process is mathematical and unpredictable.
- Multi-Stakeholder Presence: Conducted by the District Election Officer (DEO) in the direct presence of representatives from recognized National and State political parties.
- Strong Room Security: After the first randomization, machines are moved to AC-specific Strong Rooms, which are sealed and guarded 24/7.
- List Sharing: The serial numbers of the randomized machines are shared transparently with political parties and candidates at every stage.
Significance:
- By involving political parties in the room during the draw, it eliminates black box suspicions regarding machine deployment.
- Since the location of a specific machine is unknown until the last moment, it is impossible to pre-program a machine for a specific booth.
Stealth Frigate Taragiri
Source: News on Air
Subject: Security
Context: The Indian Navy is set to commission the stealth frigate ‘Taragiri (F41)’ on 03 April 2026 at Visakhapatnam.
- It marks a major milestone in India’s push towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous naval capability under Project 17A.
About Stealth Frigate Taragiri:
What it is?
- Taragiri (F41) is a stealth guided-missile frigate of the Project 17A class, designed for multi-dimensional naval warfare including surface, air, and sub-surface operations.
Built in:
- Constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
- Features over 75% indigenous content, involving 200+ MSMEs.
Aim:
- To strengthen India’s maritime combat capability with advanced stealth and weapon systems.
- To promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing and reduce import dependency.
Key Features:
- Stealth Capability: Reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) minimizes detection by enemy radars, enabling surprise attacks and enhanced survivability in hostile waters.
- Displacement (~6,670 tonnes): Large tonnage allows carriage of advanced weapons, sensors, and fuel, supporting long-duration multi-role operations in blue-water environments.
- Propulsion (CODOG): Combines diesel engines for fuel-efficient cruising and gas turbines for high-speed bursts, ensuring optimal balance between endurance and rapid response.
- Weapon Systems: Equipped with supersonic anti-ship missiles, air defence missiles, and ASW systems, enabling effective engagement across surface, aerial, and underwater threats.
- Combat Management System: Integrates sensors, weapons, and data networks into a single interface, allowing real-time situational awareness and faster decision-making during combat.
- Operational Flexibility: Designed for diverse roles including warfare, escort duties, surveillance, and HADR missions, making it adaptable to both military and humanitarian scenarios.
Significance:
- Strengthens indigenous defence ecosystem and MSME participation.
- Enhances India’s capability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) amid growing geopolitical competition.
Diego Garcia Island
Source: LM
Subject: International Relations
Context: the U.K. condemned a reckless Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting the joint U.K.-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, marking a significant escalation in the 2026 Iran war.
About Diego Garcia Island:
What it is?
- A tropical footprint-shaped atoll that hosts one of the most secretive and critical overseas military installations for the United States and the United Kingdom. Diego Garcia is the largest and most strategically vital island of the Chagos Archipelago, serving as a cornerstone of Western military power in the Indian Ocean.
Located in: Situated in the central Indian Ocean, approximately 1,796 km southwest of India and 3,535 km east of Tanzania, forming part of the underwater Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.
History:
- Discovery: Found by Portuguese explorers in the early 16th century; later used by the French for coconut plantations.
- British Rule: Transferred to the UK after the Napoleonic Wars (1814) and administered from Mauritius.
- Depopulation: Between 1968 and 1973, the UK forcibly removed the native Chagossian population to Mauritius and Seychelles to clear the island for military use.
Current Control:
- Sovereignty: Currently part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), though a 2025 treaty initiated the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.
- Operational Control: Under a 99-year lease (signed in 2025/2026), the base remains under joint U.K.-U.S. military administration, with the U.S. Navy and Air Force as primary operators.
Key Geological Features:
- Atoll Structure: A classic coral atoll consisting of a rim of land surrounding a large, deep natural lagoon.
- Strategic Anchorage: The lagoon provides a protected deep-water harbor capable of docking massive naval vessels, including aircraft carriers and submarines.
- Low Elevation: Like most coral islands, it is extremely low-lying, with an average elevation of only a few feet above sea level.
- Chagos-Laccadive Ridge: It sits atop a vast underwater mountain range that extends from the Lakshadweep islands down to the southern Indian Ocean.
- Seclusion: Its extreme geographic isolation provides a natural security buffer, making it nearly impossible to monitor or attack without long-range assets.
Significance:
- It serves as a critical launchpad for long-range bombers (like the B-52) and global surveillance operations across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.
- It allows the U.S. to project power over the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Malacca Strait, the world’s most vital energy and trade chokepoints.
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0)
Source: PIB
Subject: Government Scheme
Context: The Government of India has launched the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) to inject ₹20,000 crore into the microfinance sector.
About Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0):
What it is?
- A specialized credit guarantee framework where the government provides a guarantee to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) against potential defaults on loans extended to NBFC-MFIs and other MFIs. This scheme acts as a financial cushion for banks, encouraging them to lend to microfinance bodies that might otherwise be considered high-risk during periods of financial stress.
Launched In: March 2026
Organizations Involved:
- Department of Financial Services (DFS): The nodal government department.
- NCGTC (National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited): The agency responsible for managing and providing the guarantee cover.
Aim: To strengthen the liquidity of MFIs and ensure an uninterrupted flow of credit to small borrowers, thereby bolstering financial inclusion and rural economic stability.
Key Features of the Scheme:
- Tiered Guarantee Coverage: Provides a safety net covering 80% of the defaulted amount for small MFIs, 75% for medium, and 70% for large MFIs, prioritizing smaller players.
- Interest Rate Caps: Loans from banks to MFIs are capped at EBLR/MCLR + 2%; when MFIs lend to the public, they must cap rates at 1% below their average lending rate of the past six months.
- Low Guarantee Fee: A nominal fee of 0.50% p.a. is charged to the lending institutions, making the risk-mitigation affordable.
- Defined Timeline and Scale: The scheme is valid until June 30, 2026, or until a total guarantee limit of ₹20,000 crore is reached.
- Targeted Beneficiaries: Focuses exclusively on small borrowers as defined by the RBI, ensuring that the capital reaches those with the least access to formal banking.
Significance:
- It empowers NBFC-MFIs, which are the primary vehicles for delivering credit to rural and semi-urban areas where traditional bank branches are scarce.
- By targeting 36 lakh borrowers, the scheme supports self-employment, women’s empowerment through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and poverty alleviation.
Facts for Prelims – Current Affairs Video
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 March 2026 Mapping:
The Chambal River
Source: NIE
Subject: Mapping
Context: The Ministry of Environment has directed the Central Water Commission (CWC) to ensure environmental flows in the Chambal River to protect the endangered Ganges River Dolphin.
About The Chambal River:
What it is?
- A perennial, rain-fed river in central and northern India, forming a vital part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The Chambal is one of India’s most pristine and ecologically significant rivers, remarkably known for being nearly pollution-free and hosting a rich diversity of rare aquatic fauna.
Origin: It rises at Janapav (Singar Chouri peak) in the Vindhya Range, just south of Mhow in the Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, at an elevation of approximately 843 meters.
States Flow Through: It flows through three primary states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
- It also serves as a natural boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Tributary: It is the chief and largest tributary of the Yamuna River. It joins the Yamuna at Pachnada (near Bhareh, UP) in a unique confluence of five rivers.
Other Tributaries of Chambal:
- Left Bank: Banas (rising in the Aravallis), Mej.
- Right Bank: Kali Sindh, Parbati, Shipra, Kuno, Seep, and Kwari.
Key Features of the Chambal River:
- Badland Topography: The lower course is famous for the Chambal Ravines (badlands), a 16-km belt of deep gullies caused by accelerated soil erosion.
- Ancient Lineage: Geologically, it is an anterior-drainage river, meaning it is much older than the Yamuna and Ganges rivers into which it eventually flows.
- Untouched Purity: Unlike many Indian rivers, it is considered legendary for being pollution-free, largely due to local myths that once kept industrial and human activity away from its banks.
- Deep Pools: During the summer or lean seasons, the river forms deep natural pools which become critical refuge points for large aquatic mammals and reptiles.
- Steep Gradient: In its initial 16-km stretch, the river falls nearly 305 meters, eventually passing through dramatic gorges like the one near Chaurasigarh Fort.
Significance:
- It is the primary habitat for the Gharial (critically endangered), the Ganges River Dolphin, and eight species of freshwater turtles.
- A large stretch is protected as the National Chambal Sanctuary, which is vital for the conservation of the Red-crowned roofed turtle and smooth-coated otters.
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