Daily Current Affairs 30 March 2026 — UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway | ExamTheta

Who is Balen Shah? The Extraordinary Biography

Balen Shah is a structural engineer, rapper, and politician — a combination without parallel in Himalayan political history. Born on 27 April 1990 in Mahottari district in the Madhes region of Nepal, he pursued a degree in engineering before gaining national fame as a rapper with politically conscious lyrics. He entered formal politics as an independent candidate in the 2022 Kathmandu Metropolitan City election, winning the mayorship — the first independent candidate to hold that office. As mayor, he introduced reforms in waste management, traffic enforcement, and illegal structure demolition, building a reputation for results-driven governance. He was included in TIME Magazine’s Top 100 list in 2023.

In December 2025 he formally joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and resigned as Mayor of Kathmandu in January 2026 to contest the 2026 Nepalese General Election as the RSP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. He stood against four-time former PM K.P. Sharma Oli in the high-profile Jhapa-5 constituency, defeating him with 68,348 votes — the highest vote total ever recorded in Nepal’s parliamentary election history, with a margin of 49,614 votes. The RSP won 182 of 275 seats in the House of Representatives — a near-supermajority — qualifying for government formation under Article 76(1). Balen was officially elected to the House on 7 March 2026.

Balen Shah is also Nepal’s first Madhesi Prime Minister — representing the historically marginalised Terai plains communities that border India. His diverse cabinet of 15 ministers includes five women. Finance Minister is Swarnim Wagle (RSP Vice-Chair); Foreign Minister is Shishir Khanal; Home Minister is Sudan Gurung, who rose to prominence during the Gen-Z protests.

The Gen-Z Uprising That Made This Possible

The political context of Shah’s rise is inseparable from Nepal’s September 2025 Gen-Z protests — a youth-led anti-corruption movement that toppled the K.P. Sharma Oli government, leaving 76 people dead. While Balen did not directly participate, he publicly supported the demonstrators and emerged as a voice of generational change. The 2026 general election — Nepal’s first since the protests — became a verdict on the political establishment. RSP’s landslide devastated the traditional parties: Nepali Congress and CPN (UML). On the eve of his swearing-in, Shah released a new rap song titled “Jay Mahakaali” with lines about unity and hope for Nepal, which garnered nearly three million views within hours.

What Did PM-KUSUM 1.0 Achieve — and Where Did It Fall Short?

The original PM-KUSUM scheme had an ambitious target of adding 34,800 MW of solar capacity by March 2026, backed by a central financial support of ₹34,422 crore. Progress, while real, fell short of targets. By February 2026, only 12,164 MW — approximately 35% of the target — had been installed. The scheme covered three components: Component A (10,000 MW decentralised solar plants on agricultural land), Component B (installation of 14 lakh standalone solar pumps in off-grid areas), and Component C (solarisation of 35 lakh grid-connected pumps). Over 10 lakh solar pumps were installed/solarised in total, with FY25 recording a 4.2-fold jump in Component B installations — but overall targets remained unmet due to financial closure delays, coordination gaps between central and state agencies, and high upfront costs for farmers.

The structural problem PM-KUSUM 2.0 must solve is an energy timing mismatch: agricultural electricity demand peaks in the early morning and persists through the day, while solar generation peaks around midday and tapers off by evening — precisely when some farm operations continue. Without storage, much of the solar energy generated goes unused or is fed to the grid at low tariffs, undermining the economic case for farmers.

PM-KUSUM 2.0: Key Upgrades

The defining new feature of PM-KUSUM 2.0 is the integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). However, even this has exposed an inter-ministerial dispute: the Ministry of Power proposes 4 hours of battery backup, while MNRE recommends a 2-hour capacity — reflecting different assessments of operational requirements and cost viability. The government is expected to resolve this shortly. Other upgrades include: a ₹50,000 crore total outlay (a ~45% increase from ₹34,422 crore), an annual budget allocation of ₹5,000 crore (double the previous ₹2,600 crore), sharper focus on agrivoltaics (growing crops under elevated solar panels), stronger private sector participation, and improved financial mechanisms to reduce farmer upfront costs from 40% to a smaller share through enhanced bank financing.

What Are CAPFs and Why Does This Bill Matter?

India’s CAPFs are the six paramilitary organisations that constitute the backbone of India’s internal security architecture: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the National Security Guard (NSG). Together they employ approximately 9-10 lakh personnel. The CAPFs operate under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Bill’s core provision is that Director General (DG) and Additional Director General (ADG) level posts across CAPFs shall be held by Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on deputation — effectively codifying the existing but contested practice of IPS primacy in paramilitary leadership. The legislation also mandates that Inspector General (IG) level posts will see mandatory two-year central stints for IPS officers to build operational familiarity with CAPF structures.

The Controversy: CAPF Cadre vs IPS Deputation

The Bill has attracted sharp criticism from CAPF officers who argue it institutionally disadvantages the dedicated cadre. Officers who enter CAPFs through direct recruitment often wait decades for senior promotions, since the top tiers are now being legally reserved for IPS deputation. Critics also point out that the Bill appears to directly contradict the Supreme Court’s 2025 Sanjay Prakash judgment, which directed the government to progressively reduce IPS deputation at the IG level within two years. The legislation’s opponents argue that an IPS officer trained in district policing may not possess the specialised skills required for border guarding (BSF), industrial security (CISF), or counterterrorism (CRPF) roles.

About the Great Indian Bustard

The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) — known as Godawan in Rajasthan — is one of the heaviest flying birds on the planet and one of the most endangered. It is the State Bird of Rajasthan. The species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated wild population of fewer than 150 individuals remaining — primarily in the Thar Desert grasslands of Rajasthan, with smaller groups in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. Key threats include habitat destruction (grassland conversion to agriculture and solar farms), power line collisions, hunting, feral dogs, and pesticide contamination of food sources.

The Supreme Court of India has been monitoring GIB protection, including orders on underground power line diversion in critical GIB habitats in Rajasthan — a contentious intersection between renewable energy development and wildlife conservation. The bird is also protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and listed under CITES Appendix I.

The “Jumpstart” Technique and Conservation Breeding

The “jumpstart” technique involves collecting eggs from wild GIB females, incubating them under controlled conditions, and then re-introducing the chicks into protected enclosures before eventual release into suitable wild habitat. The approach is modelled on conservation breeding programmes successfully employed for other critically endangered species globally. In India, the government’s GIB conservation breeding programme, operating at the Desert National Park (DNP), Jaisalmer, under the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and now extended to Gujarat, has been the primary vehicle for this effort.

About Agnikul Cosmos and the Significance of 3D Printing in Rocketry

Agnikul Cosmos, founded in 2017 and incubated at IIT Madras, has been at the forefront of India’s private space revolution. The company is developing the Agnibaan — a semi-cryogenic, fully configurable small satellite launch vehicle targeting the rapidly growing global market for dedicated small satellite launches. Agnikul became globally recognised in May 2024 when it conducted the world’s first flight of a single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine, the Agnilet, aboard a sub-orbital demonstration vehicle.

The Agnite is the next-generation, higher-thrust booster engine in Agnikul’s propulsion family. Three-dimensional printing (additive manufacturing) allows rocket engine components to be manufactured as single integrated units, dramatically reducing part counts, assembly time, and manufacturing cost — while enabling geometric complexity impossible through traditional machining. This approach is central to reducing the cost of access to space, a core requirement for commercial viability.

About Balirajgarh and Its Historical Significance

Balirajgarh is a 176-acre fortified archaeological mound — one of the largest of its kind in eastern India. It was declared a protected archaeological site by ASI in 1938. The site has long been associated in local tradition and some scholarly literature with the ancient Videha Kingdom — the realm associated with King Janaka, father of Sita in the Ramayana, and the setting of significant events in the Vedic and epic periods of Indian history. While not yet conclusively proven, the association makes Balirajgarh a site of both archaeological and cultural-heritage importance.

The excavation aims to reach what archaeologists call “virgin soil” — the deepest, undisturbed base layer of the site — to determine the earliest period of human settlement. Preliminary analysis suggests habitation potentially dating back to the Iron Age (1000–800 BCE). Evidence of continuous occupation across five major historical phases has already been identified: Mauryan (NBPW ware), Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, and Pala periods — spanning over 1,500 years of urban continuity. The use of satellite imagery and systematic scientific trenching marks a significant methodological advancement over earlier excavation approaches at the site.

Adani Defence Delivers Prahaar LMG — Make in India Milestone

Adani Defence and Aerospace has manufactured and delivered the first batch of the ‘Prahaar’ Light Machine Gun (LMG) to the Indian Army under the Make in India initiative. This is a significant step in India’s defence indigenisation journey. The Prahaar LMG is designed for infantry use, providing high sustained firepower in combat scenarios. Its delivery marks Adani Defence’s entry into the small arms segment for the Indian Army — complementing the company’s existing aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities.

The LMG delivery directly supports India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat goals in defence manufacturing. The Indian Army has long sought to indigenise its LMG inventory, having relied on the Soviet-era RPK and imported platforms. Adani Defence operates facilities in Hyderabad and has partnerships with global OEMs for technology transfer in areas including helicopters (AH-64 Apache sub-components), ammunition, and now small arms.

Euthalia zubeengargi — New Butterfly Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Scientists have discovered a new butterfly species named Euthalia zubeengargi in Arunachal Pradesh — named in honour of renowned Assamese musician and singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg. The species belongs to the family Nymphalidae, and its discovery adds to the remarkable biodiversity of India’s northeastern region. Arunachal Pradesh, part of the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions and regularly yields new species to science. This discovery underscores the urgency of conservation efforts in a region under pressure from infrastructure development and climate change.

Earlier in 2024, a butterfly was discovered in Assam and named after Zubeen Garg’s mother Majoni Garg. The tradition of naming newly discovered species after cultural and artistic figures helps generate public awareness and connect communities to conservation priorities.