CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
CLAT Relevance
• India-US Interim Trade Agreement — tariff reductions and $500 billion purchase intent
• New START Treaty expiry — nuclear arms control
• Exercise KHANJAR — India-Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise
• India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
• India-Seychelles, India-Greece defence cooperation
• CTF 154 — Indian Navy command of Combined Maritime Forces
• India-US Interim Trade Agreement — tariff reductions and $500 billion purchase intent
• New START Treaty expiry — nuclear arms control
• Exercise KHANJAR — India-Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise
• India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
• India-Seychelles, India-Greece defence cooperation
• CTF 154 — Indian Navy command of Combined Maritime Forces
India-US Interim Trade Agreement
Key Facts — India-US Trade Deal
• Tariffs lowered from 50% to 18% (reciprocal 25% + penal 25% for Russian arms/crude)
• India to eliminate/reduce tariffs on US industrial goods, food, agricultural products (DDGs, sorghum, tree nuts, soybean oil, wine)
• Section 232 concession on aircraft parts
• India “intends” to buy $500 billion of US energy, aircraft, tech, precious metals over 5 years
• Tariffs lowered from 50% to 18% (reciprocal 25% + penal 25% for Russian arms/crude)
• India to eliminate/reduce tariffs on US industrial goods, food, agricultural products (DDGs, sorghum, tree nuts, soybean oil, wine)
• Section 232 concession on aircraft parts
• India “intends” to buy $500 billion of US energy, aircraft, tech, precious metals over 5 years
New START Treaty — Expired February 5, 2026
- New START = last US-Russia nuclear arms control treaty
- Limits: deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems
- History: START-I (1991, force 1994) → SORT (Treaty of Moscow) → New START
- No successor treaty in sight — raising global nuclear proliferation concerns
Defence Exercises & Partnerships
Exercise KHANJAR — India-Kyrgyzstan
Exercise KHANJAR Details:
– Edition: 13th
– Location: Misamari, Sonitpur, Assam
– Duration: 14 days
– Focus: Special Forces, urban warfare, counter-terrorism under UN mandate
– Frequency: Annual since 2011
– Edition: 13th
– Location: Misamari, Sonitpur, Assam
– Duration: 14 days
– Focus: Special Forces, urban warfare, counter-terrorism under UN mandate
– Frequency: Annual since 2011
BCIC — BRICS Centre for Industrial Competencies
- India joined BCIC in partnership with UNIDO
- One-stop support for manufacturing and MSME across BRICS nations
- Focus on Industry 4.0
Bilateral Relations Roundup
India-Malaysia
- PM Modi’s 3rd visit (Feb 7-8, 2026)
- Elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (August 2024)
- Indian diaspora: 2.9 million (3rd largest globally), 2.75 million PIO
- Joint exercises: Harimau Shakti (Army), Samudra Laksamana (Navy), Udara Shakti (Air Force)
India-Seychelles
- President Dr Patrick Herminie — 6-day State visit (Feb 5-10)
- $175 million Special Economic Package ($125M rupee-denominated LoC + grant assistance)
- 7 MoUs: pharma, health, science, meteorology, culture, digital transformation, maritime research
India-Greece Defence Cooperation
- Joint Declaration of Intent + 5-year roadmap
- Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan 2026
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh + Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias at Manekshaw Centre
CTF 154 — Indian Navy Command
- Commodore Milind M Mokashi takes command
- Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) — HQ in Bahrain, 46 nations
- Established May 2023
- 5 pillars: MDA, Law of Sea, Interdiction, Maritime Rescue, Leadership Development
Mnemonic — India-Malaysia Exercises (HSU):
H — Harimau Shakti (Army)
S — Samudra Laksamana (Navy)
U — Udara Shakti (Air Force)
H — Harimau Shakti (Army)
S — Samudra Laksamana (Navy)
U — Udara Shakti (Air Force)
CLAT Angle — International Relations
• Joint military exercises with country pairings are frequently tested
• Nuclear treaties (START, NPT, CTBT) are core GK for law entrances
• India-US trade dynamics directly impact CLAT current affairs section
• Bilateral visit outcomes (MoUs, partnerships) appear as factual MCQs
• Joint military exercises with country pairings are frequently tested
• Nuclear treaties (START, NPT, CTBT) are core GK for law entrances
• India-US trade dynamics directly impact CLAT current affairs section
• Bilateral visit outcomes (MoUs, partnerships) appear as factual MCQs
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding with these 10 MCQs:
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
Want structured CLAT preparation? Try our free 5-day Bodh Demo Course with live classes and expert guidance. Start Free →
Quick answers
Under the India-US Interim Trade Agreement, tariffs were lowered from 50% to:
18%. Tariffs were lowered from 50% to 18% under the India-US Interim Trade Agreement.
The New START Treaty expired on:
February 5, 2026. The New START Treaty, the last US-Russia nuclear arms control treaty, expired on February 5, 2026.
Exercise KHANJAR is a joint military exercise between India and:
Kyrgyzstan. Exercise KHANJAR is the annual India-Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise, held since 2011.
Exercise KHANJAR 2026 was held at:
Misamari, Sonitpur, Assam. The 13th edition of Exercise KHANJAR was held at Misamari, Sonitpur, Assam.
India-Malaysia relations were elevated to:
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. India-Malaysia relations were elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024.
What is the size of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia?
2.9 million. Malaysia has 2.9 million Indian diaspora (3rd largest globally) with 2.75 million PIO.
