UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 April 2026

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 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 1:

1. The 1973 Oil Price Crisis

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. Sadhna Saptah 2026 for Civil Servants’ Capacity Building

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. FCRA Amendment Bill 2026
2. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)
3. Raja Ravi Varma
4. GLP-1 Drugs
5. Survey Vessel Sanshodhak

Mapping:

1. Indonesia

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 April 2026

GS Paper 1 :

The 1973 Oil Price Crisis

Source: IE

Subject:

Context: The ongoing West Asia war has triggered a massive energy crisis, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocking approximately 20 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil.

• This supply shock has drawn direct comparisons to the 1973 oil crisis, which fundamentally reshaped the global economy and the geopolitical power of the petrodollar.

About The 1973 Oil Price Crisis:

What It Was?

• The 1973 crisis was a global energy shock triggered when the Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) imposed an oil embargo on nations supporting Israel.
• It marked the first time oil was used as a potent geopolitical weapon, leading to a quadrupling of prices and long-term structural changes in global finance.

Background to the 1973 Oil Crisis:

• Post-War Economic Boom: Industrialized nations, particularly the US, were operating at full capacity with high demand for commodities.
• OPEC’s Rising Leverage: By the early 1970s, OPEC nations had significantly expanded their share of the global oil market.
• Inflationary Pressures: Wholesale prices of industrial commodities were already rising at over 10% annually before the shock hit.
• Lack of Excess Capacity: The US lacked the spare production capacity to meet immediate needs internally when imports were cut.

Reasons for the Crisis:

The embargo was led by Arab members of OPEC against the United States and other Western allies for several reasons:

• Support for Israel: The primary trigger was US aid to Israel during the Yom Kippur War, waged by a coalition of Arab countries led by Syria and Egypt.
• Territorial Reclamation: Arab nations aimed to pressure the US to help them reclaim territories lost during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Monetary Distrust: Arab nations were angered by President Richard Nixon’s 1971 decision to decouple the US Dollar from gold, which devalued their dollar-priced oil revenues.
• Production Cuts: OPEC used sharp production cuts to assert control over global price-setting, moving away from simple production coordination.
• Geopolitical Assertion: The crisis was a move to demonstrate the strategic might of oil-producing states against Western economic dominance.

Events During the Oil Crisis:

• Embargo Implementation: Arab OPEC members officially banned oil sales to the US and reduced production for other supporters of Israel.
• Price Quadrupling: Oil prices in the US surged by 400%, jumping from roughly to nearly per barrel within months.
• Fuel Rationing: The US was forced to initiate fuel rationing and impose national speed limits to conserve energy.
• Industrial Shortages: High energy costs combined with a shortage of industrial components created a most inopportune economic climate.
• Yom Kippur Outcome: Despite the embargo, Israel emerged victorious in the war, though the economic damage to its allies was profound.

Implications for India:

• Massive Import Bill: India’s oil bill skyrocketed from million in 1973 to an estimated million in 1974.
• Inflationary Spiral: The fourfold rise in prices triggered a domestic inflationary crisis and a stagnation of real wages.
• Labour Unrest: In May 1974, India faced its largest-ever railway strike, with two million workers protesting declining living standards.
• Political Instability: Widespread protests led by Jayaprakash Narayan eventually paved the way for the imposition of the Emergency in 1975.
• External Debt: India was forced to seek controversial aid from the World Bank and IMF, which came with demands for economic liberalization.

Post-Crisis Events:

• Birth of the Petrodollar: In 1974, the US and Saudi Arabia agreed to price oil exclusively in dollars and reinvest surpluses into the US financial system.
• Dollar Dominance: This arrangement created a permanent global demand for the US Dollar, boosting Washington’s economic and strategic might.
• Shift in Remittances: India saw an uptick in remittances from Indian expats in West Asia who were flush with new petrodollar revenues.
• Economic Reform Pressures: Global donors pressured India to devalue the rupee and liberalize controls to promote exports.

While the 1973 crisis was a political choice by OPEC, the 2026 crisis is a physical result of active warfare involving the US, Israel, and Iran. The scale of the current disruption is nearly five times larger in terms of volume blocked, making it potentially more devastating for global supply chains than the 1970s shock.

Way Ahead:

• Strategic Diversification: India and other major importers must accelerate the shift toward renewable energy to reduce absolute dependence on the volatile West Asian corridor.
• Strengthening Strategic Reserves: Nations need to expand their Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) to survive prolonged physical blockades of maritime chokepoints.
• Diplomatic Resolution: Urgent international mediation is required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to prevent a total global economic collapse.
• Inflation Management: Central banks must prepare for long-term elevated fuel prices (+ per barrel) even after the military conflict concludes.

Conclusion:

The 1973 crisis taught the world that energy is the ultimate geopolitical lever, birthing a dollar-denominated global economy that lasted for decades. However, the current war in West Asia presents an even more dire threat, as the physical blockade of 20 million bpd dwarfs historical supply shocks. Without a swift diplomatic end to the blockade, the global economy faces an era of hyper-inflation and structural instability far worse than the Gate of Tears seen in the 1970s.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 April 2026 – Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Sadhna Saptah 2026 for Civil Servants’ Capacity Building

Context: Prime Minister of India launched Sadhna Saptah 2026 as a week-long initiative for strengthening the capacity of civil servants.

• The programme is being organised under Mission Karmayogi by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

About Sadhna Saptah 2026 for Civil Servants’ Capacity Building:

What it is?

• Sadhna Saptah 2026 is a week-long national capacity-building programme for civil servants across Union ministries, departments, organizations, and states.
• It is aligned with Mission Karmayogi’s vision of building a future-ready, citizen-centric civil service.

Aim:

• To improve capacity, performance, and efficiency of civil servants
• To align governance skills with the vision of Viksit Bharat

Key Features:

1. Nationwide Participation: Officers and employees from all levels of Union and State governments participate.
2. iGOT Platform Integration: Uses the iGOT Karmayogi platform for end-to-end digital learning.
3. Multi-Domain Learning: Covers behavioural, functional, and domain-specific courses.
4. Future-Oriented Modules: Includes courses on technology, AI, governance reforms, and indigenous knowledge systems.

Significance:

1. Administrative Efficiency: Strengthens governance delivery through better-trained civil servants.
2. Citizen-Centric Governance: Promotes transparency, responsiveness, and service-oriented administration.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

• GS Paper II
  • Governance
  • Civil services reforms
  • Role of bureaucracy in public administration
• GS Paper IV (Ethics)
  • Probity in governance
  • Aptitude and integrity in public service

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

FCRA Amendment Bill 2026

Source: IE

Subject: Important Bills and Acts

Context: The Union government has deferred discussions on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, following intense opposition and concerns regarding its impact on minority-led institutions.

About FCRA Amendment Bill 2026:

What It Is?

• The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, which governs how individuals, associations, and companies in India accept and utilize foreign donations. It introduces a stricter framework for managing assets and funds when an organization’s registration is cancelled, surrendered, or expires.

Aim: The primary objective is to streamline the management of foreign assets and ensure that inflows do not adversely affect national interest, public order, or national security.

Key Provisions Proposed:

• Creation of a Designated Authority: The Bill empowers the Central government to appoint a Designated Authority to take over, supervise, and manage foreign contributions and assets if a registration is cancelled, surrendered, or ceases.
• Expansion of Ceased Registration: A registration certificate is deemed to have ceased if no renewal application is made, if renewal is denied, or if it is not obtained before the expiry date.
• Provisional vs. Permanent Vesting:
  • Provisional: Assets vest temporarily with the Authority during suspension or renewal delays; they are returned if registration is restored.
  • Permanent: Assets vest permanently if the person fails to renew registration within a prescribed period or if the entity becomes defunct.
• Asset Disposal: The Authority can transfer permanently vested assets to government departments or dispose of them via sale, with proceeds credited to the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Religious Places of Worship: For places of worship, the Authority can entrust management to a prescribed person, ensuring the religious character of the site is maintained.
• Expanded Prohibitions: The Bill expands the category of persons prohibited from accepting foreign aid to include any person (not just associations/companies) engaged in news production or broadcast.
• Legal Protections and Penalties:
  • Appeals: Aggrieved persons can appeal an order of the Authority to a District Judge within 90 days.
  • Reduced Penalties: The maximum imprisonment for contravening the Act is reduced from five years to one year.
  • Prior Approval: Central government approval is now required to initiate any investigation for offences under the Act.

Tags: FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, Foreign Contribution Regulation Act India, foreign funding law UPSC, NGO regulation foreign donations, national security and FCRA, minority institutions FCRA bill, foreign contribution compliance India, Consolidated Fund of India FCRA.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)

Source: HT

Subject: Polity

Context: Prime Minister chaired the second special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review India’s preparedness and mitigation strategies amid the escalating West Asia conflict.

About Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS):

What It Is?

• The Cabinet Committee on Security is the topmost decision-making body in India regarding matters of national security, defense expenditure, and foreign affairs. It is one of the specialized committees of the Union Cabinet that handles sensitive strategic issues requiring high-level governmental intervention.

Chaired By: The CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

Members:

The committee traditionally consists of the senior-most ministers of the Union Cabinet:

• Prime Minister (Chair)
• Minister of Defence
• Minister of Home Affairs
• Minister of External Affairs
• Minister of Finance

Aim: The primary aim of the CCS is to ensure national security by reviewing and approving major defense acquisitions, formulating strategies to counter internal and external threats, and managing diplomatic and economic responses to global crises that affect India.

Functions:

• Crisis Management: Reviewing and directing measures during international conflicts, such as the current West Asia crisis, to protect national interests.
• Supply Chain Security: Ensuring the stability of essential commodities like LPG, LNG, and fertilisers during global volatility.
• Defense Procurement: Assessing and approving high-value capital acquisitions for the Indian Armed Forces.
• Economic Mitigation: Discussing interventions across sectors like agriculture, shipping, aviation, and MSMEs to mitigate emerging global challenges.
• Internal Security: Formulating policies to handle domestic issues such as terrorism, insurgency, and law and order.
• Public Communication: Underlining the need for the timely flow of authentic information to prevent misinformation and rumour-mongering during crises.

Significance:

• It provides a centralized platform for the highest level of leadership to make rapid, coordinated decisions on sensitive security matters.
• By reviewing fuel duty reductions and supply diversification, the CCS plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of domestic prices and essential supplies.

Raja Ravi Varma

Source: TOI

Subject: Art and Culture

Context: Raja Ravi Varma’s painting ‘Yashoda and Krishna’ has become the most expensive work of modern Indian art ever sold at auction, fetching a record-shattering ₹167.2 crore.

About Raja Ravi Varma:

Who He Was?

• Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was a celebrated Indian painter and artist, widely considered the father of modern Indian art. He is renowned for achieving a unique fusion of European academic techniques with purely Indian sensibilities and subjects.

Early Days:

• Birth: Born in 1848 into an aristocratic family in the princely state of Travancore (present-day Kerala).
• Training: He mastered the medium of oil painting and European realism, which were unconventional for Indian artists at the time.

Contribution to Indian Art:

• Fusion of Styles: He integrated European oil painting techniques (such as perspective and chiaroscuro) with Indian mythological and social themes.
• Mass Production: In 1894, he established a lithographic press to mass-produce his paintings as affordable oleographs.
• Democratization of Art: By creating these prints, he brought high-quality art and Hindu iconography into the homes of ordinary Indians for the first time, breaking the monopoly of the elite on sacred imagery.
• Standardizing Deities: His depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses were so influential that they still shape the popular visual consciousness of deities in India today.

Important Paintings:

• Yashoda and Krishna: A tender portrait of maternal love painted in the 1890s, recently sold for a record price.
• Shakuntala: A famous depiction of the character from the Mahabharata looking back for Dushyanta.
• Saraswati & Lakshmi: His iconic representations of the goddesses of knowledge and wealth became the standard for calendar art.
• Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair: Showcasing his skill in portraiture and capturing local Indian life.

Significance:

• His works are categorized as National Treasures due to their immense cultural and historical value to India
• He bridged the gap between traditional Indian art and the modern era, influencing generations of artists and the Indian film industry.

GLP-1 Drugs

Source: ET

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: The Indian government has intensified surveillance and inspected 49 businesses following the flooding of the market with generic GLP-1 drugs and a significant drop in their prices.

About GLP-1 Drugs:

What It Is?

• Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a class of medications that mimic a natural hormone produced in the intestines.
• In India, these medicines are strictly regulated and can only be prescribed by endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, and cardiologists.

Developed By:

• These drugs were originally developed by global pharmaceutical companies (such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) to manage chronic metabolic conditions.
• Recently, generic versions produced by various manufacturers have flooded the market, leading to increased accessibility and crashing prices.

Aim:

• The primary objective of GLP-1 drugs is to treat Type 2 diabetes by stimulating insulin production.
• They are also specifically approved for the medical management of obesity.

Key Characteristics:

• Hormone Mimicry: They function by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.
• Blood Sugar Regulation: They stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas in response to rising blood glucose levels.
• Digestion Satiety: These drugs slow down gastric emptying, making the patient feel full for a longer duration.
• Diverse Formulations: Available as both injectable and oral medications depending on the specific generic or brand version.

Misuse:

• Unauthorised Sale: Growing on-demand availability through retail pharmacies, online platforms, and wellness clinics without proper medical oversight.
• Improper Prescriptions: Instances of drugs being sold without valid prescriptions from the authorized specialist categories.

Survey Vessel Sanshodhak

Source: PIB

Subject: Security

Context: The Indian Navy officially received ‘Sanshodhak’ (Yard 3028), the fourth and final ship of the Survey Vessel (Large) project.

About Survey Vessel Sanshodhak:

What It Is?

• Sanshodhak is the final vessel of the four Survey Vessel (Large) (SVL) class ships steered by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• The name ‘Sanshodhak’ means Researcher, reflecting the ship’s primary role as a data-collection platform.
• It follows its sister ships—INS Sandhayak, INS Nirdeshak, and INS Ikshak—to complete the indigenous project signed in October 2018.

Developed By:

• Designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• The ship boasts an indigenous content of over 80% by cost, involving a large number of Indian industries and MSMEs.

Aim:

• The primary aim of the SVL project is to replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with more capable, state-of-the-art platforms.
• It seeks to achieve self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) in specialized warship construction while enhancing maritime prowess in the Indian Ocean Region.

Key Features:

• Dimensions: The ship has an overall length of 110 meters and a displacement of approximately 3,400 tons.
• Propulsion: Powered by two diesel engines, allowing the vessel to achieve speeds in excess of 18 knots.
• Advanced Sensors: Equipped with a Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV).
• Positioning & Sonar: Features DGPS long-range positioning systems and Digital Side Scan Sonar for high-resolution underwater imaging.
• Timeline: The keel was laid in June 2022, and the ship was launched in June 2023, followed by a comprehensive schedule of sea and harbour trials.

Applications:

• Hydrographic Surveys: Capable of performing full-scale coastal and deep-water surveys of port and harbour approaches.
• Navigational Mapping: Determination of critical navigational channels and routes for safe maritime passage.
• Data Collection: Gathering vital oceanographic and geophysical data.
• Dual Use: The data collected serves both defence applications (naval operations) and civil applications (maritime trade and environmental research).

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 April 2026 Mapping:

Indonesia

Source: NDTV

Subject: Mapping

Context: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Northern Molucca Sea, resulting in at least one death and damage to buildings across West Java and North Sulawesi.

About Indonesia:

What It Is?

• Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state, located in Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is a sovereign nation composed of thousands of islands and is recognized as a tectonically complex region due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Capital: Jakarta (located on the island of Java).

Bordering Nations:

Indonesia shares land borders with three countries:

• Malaysia: On the island of Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak).
• Papua New Guinea: On the island of New Guinea.
• Timor-Leste: On the island of Timor.

Key Geological Features:

• Pacific Ring of Fire: Indonesia sits on this seismically active belt, which is characterized by a high concentration of volcanoes and frequent earthquake activity.
• Volcanic Arc: The nation hosts one of the highest densities of active volcanoes in the world, stretching from Sumatra through Java to the Lesser Sunda Islands.
• Molucca Sea: A highly active tectonic zone in the northern region where the recent magnitude 7.6 earthquake originated at a depth of 35 km.
• Mountainous Interior: Most large islands, such as Sulawesi and Sumatra, feature dense tropical rainforests and rugged mountain ranges formed by tectonic plate movements.
• Continental Shelves: The country sits between the Sunda Shelf and the Sahul Shelf, creating diverse deep-sea trenches and shallow coastal waters.

Significance:

• Due to its unique position at the meeting point of several tectonic plates, Indonesia is a critical site for studying earthquake dynamics and tsunami modeling.
• Its islands harbor some of the world’s highest levels of biodiversity and vast tropical forest reserves.

2nd April 2026 Current Affairs Video

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