UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 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 3 :
-
Nalanda Temple Stampede
-
Space Governance
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
-
Purvanchal Mahotsav ‘Maati-9’ Festival
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
-
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS)
-
Artemis II Mission
-
Launch of First Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (Yard 1280, Shachi)
-
Bhavasagara Referral Centre
-
Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot
-
Malwan: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft
Mapping:
-
Algeria
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026
GS Paper 3 :
Nalanda Temple Stampede
Source: HT
Subject: Disaster Management
Context: A tragic stampede at the Maa Sheetla Mandir in Nalanda, Bihar, resulted in the deaths of eight women as massive crowds overwhelmed local barricades.
About Nalanda temple stampede:
What it is?
- The stampede occurred at the Maa Sheetla Mandir in Maghra village, Nalanda district, during a religious gathering. As the volume of visitors surged, the existing barricades came under extreme pressure and eventually failed.
- The lack of effective crowd management led to a sudden panic, causing pilgrims to push one another and fall, resulting in eight fatalities and numerous injuries.
Data and Facts of Stampedes in India:
- Event Frequency: Nearly 4,000 stampede events have been officially recorded in India over the last three decades.
- Death Toll: According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2000 to 2022, a total of 3,074 lives have been lost in such incidents.
- Historical Tracking: The NCRB has been consistently collecting specific data on stampede incidents across the country since 1996.
- Recent Impact: In the year 2025 alone, approximately 90 people lost their lives in various crowd crush events across India.
Factors Leading to Stampedes in India:
- Inadequate Crowd Control Measures: Failure to manage flow leads to sudden surges, as seen in the January 2025 Kumbh Mela incident where 30 died while rushing for a holy dip.
- Structural Failure of Barriers: Overwhelmed physical perimeters can collapse; in the Nalanda case, rising visitor numbers caused barricades to give way.
- Poor Planning and Coordination: Mismanagement of event logistics, exemplified by the Bengaluru IPL celebration tragedy where police failed to estimate the crowd size.
- Rumours and Misinformation: Unverified news can trigger panic, such as the false rumours of free passes that contributed to the Bengaluru stadium crush.
- High Crowd Density and Negotiable Personal Space: Cultural acceptance of tight packing makes crowds prone to compressive asphyxia, a primary cause of death in dense Indian gatherings.
Challenges Associated with Controlling Stampedes
- Massive Scale of Events: Indian gatherings often exceed the scale of those in the rest of the world, making standard management difficult as seen at the Maha Kumbh.
- Societal Disregard for Regulations: A general phenomenon of ignoring rules can lead to chaos, complicating official efforts to maintain order during large religious yatras.
- Late Detection of Danger: Research shows individuals in crowds often do not realize a situation is critical until it is too late to move.
- Rapid Transmission of Panic: Dense packing allows emotions and physical pressure to spread faster than authorities can react, leading to a deadly domino effect.
- Lack of Institutional Memory: Unlike some international counterparts, Indian authorities often struggle to prevent recurring events through remedial measures.
NDMA Guidelines on Stampedes:
- Crowd Monitoring: Recommends using technology like CCTV and drones to track real-time crowd density and movement.
- Infrastructure Design: Emphasizes creating dedicated entry and exit points, emergency lanes, and sturdy barricading systems.
- Capacity Mapping: Mandates that authorities must pre-calculate the holding capacity of a venue and strictly limit entry once that limit is reached.
- Public Address Systems: Advises the use of clear, multi-channel communication to prevent the spread of rumours and provide guidance during a crisis.
Way Ahead:
- Scientific Crowd Modelling: Implement AI-based predictive modeling to simulate crowd behavior before high-capacity events like the Kumbh or IPL celebrations.
- Strict Entry Regulation: Use electronic ticketing and turnstiles even for free events to provide hard limits on the number of people inside a venue.
- Non-Verbal Communication Training: Train on-ground volunteers to recognize the non-verbal cues and body language of a crowd in distress to intervene earlier.
- Standardized SOPs: Develop mandatory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for every large religious site, focusing on structural integrity of barriers and emergency exits.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate citizens on personal safety measures, such as maintaining a cushion of space and remaining calm during sudden crowd surges.
Conclusion:
The Nalanda tragedy serves as a grim reminder that without scientific crowd management and strict adherence to safety protocols, large gatherings remain high-risk zones. While India hosts some of the world’s largest events, the persistent disregard for rules and inadequate planning continue to turn celebrations into disasters.
Space Governance
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: Space governance is facing a critical failure as Earth’s orbits become increasingly crowded and vulnerable to debris, with current regulations failing to keep pace with rapid commercial expansion.
About Space Governance:
What It Is?
- Space governance refers to the international and national frameworks of treaties, laws, and ethical norms designed to manage human activities in outer space. It encompasses the regulation of satellite launches, the mitigation of orbital debris, the management of radio frequencies, and the establishment of liability for space-related accidents.
Key Laws Governing Space:
- Outer Space Treaty (1967): The foundational pillar of international space law. Article VI makes states internationally responsible for national activities in space, including those by private entities, while Article VII establishes liability for damage caused by space objects.
- Liability Convention (1972): Elaborates on Article VII of the Outer Space Treaty, providing specific procedures for claiming compensation for damage caused by space objects.
- National Licensing Regimes: The primary modern mechanism used by countries to enforce orbital responsibility (such as requiring disposal plans) before a mission is approved for launch.
Importance of Governing Space:
- Preventing Collisions: Effective governance ensures satellites are moved or de-orbited safely. Even debris smaller than a coin can destroy active satellites due to high orbital velocities.
- Mitigating Cumulative Harm: Governance is needed to address long-term congestion rather than just individual accidents. Current laws fail to prevent irreversible harm from thousands of fragments generated by each collision.
- Ensuring Intergenerational Equity: Stewardship ensures future generations can still access space. Principles from environmental law suggest our current use should not foreclose future access to orbital resources.
- Protecting Global Services: Reliable governance secures the infrastructure for weather forecasting, GPS, and communication. These essential services are threatened by an ethically under-governed and fragile orbital environment.
- Establishing a Duty-of-Care: Standardized rules create an ethical threshold for acceptable congestion. Without it, responsible operators absorb higher costs while others ignore risks for commercial gain.
Challenges Associated with Space Governance:
- Verification Gap: There is no regular way to confirm if operators actually de-orbit satellites once missions end. Regulators often rely on what companies say they will do rather than what they can confirm in orbit.
- Debris Tracking Limitations: Much of the debris capable of causing significant damage is impossible to track consistently. Authorities often can only identify the source of a fragment after damage has already occurred.
- Information Asymmetry: Access to accurate data about object locations is uneven across countries. Information is often withheld for commercial reasons or kept secret for national security.
- Outdated Legal Assumptions: Existing treaties were written when space was state-controlled and innovation was slow. They do not address the modern era of frequent private launches and massive satellite constellations.
- Permissive Regulatory Forum Shopping: Regulators in different jurisdictions ask for varying levels of detail. This allows operators to register in permissive environments to bypass strict safety standards.
Way Ahead:
- Standardize Licensing: Implement uniform global licensing conditions to prevent operators from choosing the most permissive regulatory environments.
- Mandatory Data Sharing: Move beyond voluntary guidelines to legally mandated data sharing to improve global space situational awareness.
- Enforceable Mitigation Thresholds: Require launch operators to meet measurable and verifiable debris-mitigation and end-of-life disposal thresholds.
- Integrate Environmental Principles: Embed principles like precaution and proportionality into space policy to ensure uncertainty does not excuse inaction.
- India’s Leadership Role: As India develops its national space legislation, it has a unique opportunity to embed orbital responsibility as a mandatory legal requirement for its expanding commercial sector.
Conclusion:
Earth’s orbital environment has shifted from a vast frontier to a fragile resource threatened by a significant gap in ethical and legal governance. Relying on voluntary compliance is no longer sustainable as debris risks multiply and commercial actors increase. For space to remain a viable resource, the international community must transition to enforceable, standardized, and verifiable stewardship.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026 – Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Purvanchal Mahotsav ‘Maati-9’ Festival
Context: Speaker of Lok Sabha addressed the Purvanchal Mahotsav ‘Maati-9’ Festival highlighting the region’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
About Purvanchal Mahotsav ‘Maati-9’ Festival:
What it is?
- MAATI-9 is a premier cultural festival of the Purvanchal region, centred on the theme Maati (soil).
- It celebrates the deep bond between people and their ancestral roots through heritage, food, tourism, and arts.
Host: Organised as part of the Purvanchal Mahotsav with participation from cultural groups, artisans, and community representatives.
Aim:
- To preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Purvanchal.
- To strengthen the connection of youth with their regional identity and traditions.
Key Features:
- Cultural Showcase: Folk arts, music, local dialects, and traditional performances of the Purvanchal region.
- Cuisine & Heritage Promotion: Highlights traditional food, crafts, and tourism potential of the region.
- Diaspora Engagement: Recognises contributions of the Purvanchali diaspora in preserving cultural values globally.
Significance:
- Cultural Preservation: Protects local traditions, language, and community identity in a globalised world.
- Economic Opportunity: Promotes cultural tourism, local entrepreneurship, and sustainable regional development.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- GS Paper I
- Indian culture and regional traditions
- Diversity and heritage conservation
- GS Paper III
- Tourism as an economic driver
- Local entrepreneurship and regional development
- Essay / Society
- Culture and identity
- Tradition and modernity
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS)
Source: News on Air
Subject: Environment
Context: India has emerged as the global leader in biodiversity compliance, issuing 3,561 Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs), which accounts for over 56% of the total certificates issued worldwide under the Nagoya Protocol.
About Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS):
What it is?
- The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
Adopted in: October 29, 2010, in Nagoya, Japan.
Entered into Force: October 12, 2014.
Members:
- There are currently 141 parties to the Nagoya Protocol (including 140 UN member states and the European Union).
India and the Nagoya Protocol:
- Signatory: India signed the protocol in 2011 and ratified it in 2012.
- Legal Framework: India implements the protocol through the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004.
- Authorities: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), headquartered in Chennai, acts as the primary body.
Key Features:
- Access Obligations: Creates predictable conditions for access to genetic resources, ensuring Prior Informed Consent (PIC) is obtained from the provider country.
- Benefit-Sharing Obligations: Ensures that benefits (monetary or non-monetary) are shared fairly with the provider country based on Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT).
- Compliance Obligations: Requires parties to take measures to ensure that genetic resources utilized within their jurisdiction have been accessed in accordance with the provider country’s laws.
- Traditional Knowledge: Covers traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources held by indigenous and local communities.
- ABS Clearing-House: An IT platform for exchanging information to help implement the protocol.
About Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs):
What It Is?
- An IRCC is an electronic permit generated through the ABS Clearing-House that serves as official evidence that a user has legally accessed a genetic resource.
- It proves that Prior Informed Consent (PIC) was granted and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) were established between the user (e.g., a researcher or company) and the provider (e.g., a local community or national government).
How It Works?
- Application: A user applies to the National Competent Authority (in India, the NBA) for access to a biological resource.
- Agreement: The authority ensures the user has obtained consent (PIC) and negotiated how benefits will be shared (MAT).
- Permit Issuance: Once the national permit is granted, the authority uploads the information to the international ABS Clearing-House.
- Generation of IRCC: The Clearing-House then converts this national permit into an IRCC, making the legal status of that resource visible to all parties globally.
Significance:
- Provides users with clean legal titles to the resources they are using, which is often required for patent applications or product commercialization.
- Allows provider countries to track how their genetic resources are being used across international borders.
Artemis II Mission
Source: IE
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: NASA is set to launch the Artemis II mission on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, marking the first time humans will venture to the Moon’s neighbourhood since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
About Artemis II Mission:
What It Is?
- Artemis II is the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis program. It is a test-ride mission designed to fly a crew of four astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth without landing on the lunar surface.
Organisation Involved: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Timeline & Current Status
- Debut of Systems: The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft first debuted during the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022.
- Artemis II Launch: Scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Aim: The primary objective is to test and validate the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems with a crew on board. It serves as a foundational step for deeper space exploration and future lunar landings.
How It Works?
- Launch: The mission uses the SLS rocket, the most powerful launch vehicle currently available to NASA.
- Earth Orbits: The Orion spacecraft will complete two rounds of the Earth to gain necessary velocity and test systems before departing for the Moon.
- Lunar Transit: It will take three to four days to reach the Moon’s neighborhood, following a quicker, high-power trajectory similar to the Apollo missions.
- Lunar Flyby: Orion will circle the Moon, reaching a distance of approximately 6,500 km from the far side of the lunar surface.
- Return: After the flyby, the spacecraft will embark on a return journey, concluding the 10-day mission with a splashdown on Earth.
Key Features:
- Crewed Debut: This is the first time the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are being used to carry human astronauts.
- Powerful Propulsion: Unlike fuel-efficient uncrewed missions (like Chandrayaan-3) that take weeks, Artemis II uses a powerful SLS rocket to reach the Moon in just a few days.
- Deep Space Trajectory: The spacecraft will travel farther into space than any previous human mission, exceeding the 110 km altitude reached by Apollo missions on the far side of the Moon.
Significance:
- It represents the first human return to the lunar vicinity in over five decades.
- By reaching 6,500 km from the Moon’s far side, the crew will venture farther into space than humans have ever gone before.
Launch of First Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (Yard 1280, Shachi)
Source: ANI
Subject: Security
Context: The Indian Navy marked a major indigenous shipbuilding milestone with the launch of Shachi (Yard 1280), the first of eleven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs), at Goa Shipyard Limited.
About Launch of First Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (Yard 1280, Shachi):
What It Is?
- Shachi is the lead ship of the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) The name is derived from Indian mythology, meaning one who renders assistance. These vessels are designed to be highly versatile, indigenously built platforms that will significantly augment the Indian Navy’s existing fleet of ten Offshore Patrol Vessels.
Built By:
The construction of the eleven-ship NGOPV project is being undertaken concurrently at two major Indian shipyards:
- Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Goa: Builder of the first ship, Shachi.
- Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata: Working on subsequent vessels in the class.
Aim: The primary objective of the NGOPV project is to strengthen India’s maritime security by providing advanced platforms capable of performing multi-domain operations.
Key Features:
- Indigenous Design: The ships are entirely designed and built within India, showcasing domestic engineering capabilities.
- Multi-Domain Versatility: Capable of executing a wide array of missions, including:
- Defence and Surveillance: Monitoring maritime boundaries and territorial waters.
- Search and Rescue (SAR): Conducting life-saving operations at sea.
- Protection of Offshore Assets: Guarding critical infrastructure like oil rigs and pipelines.
- Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR): Providing rapid aid during natural calamities.
- Anti-Piracy Missions: Securing sea lanes against maritime crime.
- Symbolic Identity: The crest design of the NGOPV class features the Ursa Major constellation and a red and white lighthouse, symbolizing guidance and vigilance.
Significance:
- The project is a major step in the Indian Navy’s pursuit of indigenous shipbuilding, reducing reliance on foreign hardware.
- The launch is in strict consonance with the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) and Make in India initiatives.
Bhavasagara Referral Centre
Source: PIB
Subject: Environment
Context: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has officially designated the Bhavasagara Referral Centre at CMLRE, Kochi, as a National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
About Bhavasagara Referral Centre:
What It Is?
- The Bhavasagara Referral Centre is a specialized scientific hub and India’s newly designated National Repository dedicated to the preservation, study, and documentation of deep-sea marine life. It serves as a centralized custody center for deep-sea specimens and their associated genetic data.
Parent Organisation: The Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, Kerala.
Ministry: Functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Statutory Recognition: Officially designated as a National Repository on March 30, 2026, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Aim:
- The primary objective of the centre is to provide a foundational resource for ocean scientists to unlock the mysteries of the deep sea while strengthening India’s blue economy and marine biodiversity framework.
- It aims to foster expertise in deep-sea taxonomy in alignment with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).
Key Features:
- Extensive Collection: Houses over 3,500 taxonomically identified and geo-referenced voucher specimens.
- Diverse Biological Range: The collection includes invertebrates (cnidarians, annelids, molluscs, arthropods, echinoderms) and vertebrates (elasmobranchs and teleostean fishes).
- Secure Custody: Authorized to preserve representative biological samples along with critical data such as DNA sequences for future reference.
- Custodian of New Species: Acts as the official repository for any new deep-sea species discovered within Indian waters (Type Specimens).
- Scientific Hub: Provides a centralized platform for researchers and academic institutions to access deep-sea natural history.
Significance:
- Marks a significant leap in India’s ability to protect and document its deep-sea biological heritage.
- Provides the scientific data necessary to support sustainable economic growth related to ocean resources.
Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot
Source: PIB
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: The Vice-President of India and the Minister of Law and Justice unveiled the Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot and its official mascot, Dishika, during the DISHA programme.
About Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot:
What It Is?
- Nyaya Setu is a voice-first, multimodal, and multilingual AI-powered legal assistant. It serves as a comprehensive digital bridge designed to simplify complex legal information for citizens.
Developed By: The platform was built and is owned as a turnkey AI implementation by the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD).
Aim: The primary goal of Nyaya Setu is to democratize access to justice by ensuring that language and procedural complexities are no longer barriers for citizens seeking to understand their legal rights and processes.
How It Works?
- End-to-End Voice Stack: The platform enables seamless, voice-led user journeys by integrating a complete AI stack.
- Speech Recognition: It utilizes BHASHINI ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) to understand spoken queries in various Indian languages.
- Conversational AI: It processes these queries through multilingual Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems to provide context-aware responses.
- Legal Guardrails: The AI is trained on frameworks such as the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) to ensure responses are safe, responsible, and legally sound.
Key Features:
- Multilingual Support: Offers services across 36 text and 23 voice languages, including complex tribal dialects.
- Voice-First Design: Prioritizes voice interactions to assist users who may face literacy or linguistic challenges.
- Turnkey Implementation: Demonstrates a ready-to-use, scalable digital public infrastructure for justice delivery.
- Real-Time Processing: Capable of handling millions of daily inferences to provide immediate legal guidance.
About Mascot DISHIKA:
What It Is?
- Dishika is the official mascot and friendly digital interface of the Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot.
Aim: The mascot is designed to enhance user engagement, trust, and accessibility, acting as a supportive guide for individuals—especially first-time users—navigating the complexities of the Indian justice system.
Features:
- Friendly Interface: Provides a welcoming and non-intimidating digital presence.
- Guided Navigation: Leads users through legal queries and explains the next steps in a simplified manner.
- Trust Builder: Helps bridge the gap between citizens and formal legal structures through interactive and relatable digital assistance.
Malwan: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft
Source: TOI
Subject: Security
Context: The Indian Navy marked a significant step in its maritime defense capabilities with the official delivery of ‘Malwan’, the second of eight indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC).
About Malwan: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft:
What It Is?
- Malwan is a high-tech, waterjet-propelled warship designed specifically for specialized naval operations in coastal and shallow waters. It is the second vessel in a series of eight ASW SWCs currently being commissioned by the Indian Navy to replace and upgrade its aging fleet.
Developed By:
- Manufacturer: The ship was indigenously designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
- Specifications: It was built to the Indian Navy’s specific requirements and adheres to the Classification Rules of DNV (Det Norske Veritas).
Origin and Legacy:
- Historical Link: The name is derived from the coastal town of Malwan in Maharashtra, which is historically significant for its ties to the maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
- Naval Tradition: The vessel continues the legacy of the erstwhile INS Malwan, a naval minesweeper that served the nation until 2003.
Aim: The primary objective of this craft is to provide the Indian Navy with advanced capabilities for underwater surveillance and specialized combat in littoral (near-shore) zones, where larger submarines or ships might struggle to operate.
Key Features:
- Dimensions: The vessel measures approximately 80 metres in length and has a displacement of 1,100 tons.
- Propulsion: It utilizes advanced Waterjets for high maneuverability in shallow coastal regions.
- Offensive Weaponry: It is armed with torpedoes and multifunctional anti-submarine rockets.
- Sensors and Tech: Equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, including advanced radar and sonar systems for detecting submerged threats.
- Multi-Role Capability: Beyond anti-submarine warfare, it is capable of Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and mine warfare.
Significance:
- With over 80% indigenous content, the ship is a major milestone for the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative.
- The project successfully integrated systems developed by the domestic defense manufacturing ecosystem, including various MSMEs.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026 Mapping:
Algeria
Source: News on Air
Subject: Mapping
Context: The 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Algeria was held in Algiers where both nations agreed to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and combat terrorism.
About Algeria:
What It Is?
- Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the Arab world by land area. It is a sovereign North African nation with a rich history, serving as a gateway between Africa and Europe.
Located In:
- Region: North Africa (The Maghreb).
- Coastline: It has a long northern coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.
Capital: Algiers.
Bordering Nations:
Algeria shares land borders with seven entities:
- Tunisia: To the northeast.
- Libya: To the east.
- Niger: To the southeast.
- Mali and Mauritania: To the southwest.
- Western Sahara: To the west.
- Morocco: To the northwest.
Key Geological Features:
- The Sahara Desert: Covers more than 80% of the country’s territory in the south.
- Atlas Mountains: Two parallel ranges (Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas) run across the north, separated by high plateaus.
- Ahaggar Mountains (Hoggar): A highland region in central Sahara with dramatic volcanic peaks.
- Tell Region: The fertile coastal strip along the Mediterranean where most of the population resides.
Significance to India:
- Algeria is a major producer of oil and natural gas, making it a strategic partner for India’s energy diversification.
- As a source of phosphates and urea, Algeria is critical for India’s food security and agricultural sector.
- Bilateral trade is growing (currently 1.7 billion dollars) with significant opportunities in pharmaceuticals, mining, and higher education.
Facts for Prelims – April 1 Current Affairs Video
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