State PCS - Odisha (OPSC)

• 12 Mar 2026

Union Cabinet Approved Madurai Airport as International Airport

Why in News? 

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister  Narendra Modi, has approved the declaration of Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu as an international airport, marking a significant development in India’s aviation sector to enhance global air connectivity and regional growth.  

Key Points: 

• Location: Madurai Airport is situated in the Temple City of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, serving as a key gateway to southern parts of the state. 
• Historical Role: The airport has been one of the older aviation hubs in the state and already operated with customs and limited international services, including direct flights to cities like Colombo, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.  
  • The upgrade will enhance global connectivity, allowing international travellers, especially tourists and pilgrims, to access southern Tamil Nadu directly. 
• Impact: The approval is likely to promote tourism, trade, and investment, supporting economic development across the region. 
  • Madurai’s rich cultural heritage, including the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple, positions the airport to attract more international visitors, reinforcing the city’s historic and religious significance.  
• Strategic Importance: The move aligns with broader national objectives to expand international air travel infrastructure beyond major metro cities, supporting balanced regional growth and global accessibility. 

Read More: Tourism 

Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0: Extension and Restructuring

Why in News? 

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) until December 2028. This new phase, dubbed JJM 2.0, shifts the national focus from merely creating infrastructure to ensuring sustainable, citizen-centric service delivery. 

Key Points: 

• Extended Timeline: The mission period is now extended to December 2028 to achieve 100% saturation across all 19.36 crore rural households. 
• Enhanced Financial Outlay: The total budget has been increased to ₹8.69 lakh crore. 
  • Central Assistance: Elevated to ₹3.59 lakh crore, an increase of ₹1.51 lakh crore over the original 2019 allocation. 
• Structural Reform: Implementation is being restructured to move away from an "infrastructure-centric" model to a "utility-based service delivery" approach. 
• New Initiatives under JJM 2.0: The restructured mission introduces several governance and digital reforms to ensure long-term sustainability: 
  • Sujalam Bharat Digital Framework: A uniform national digital platform will assign every village a unique Sujal Gaon/Service Area ID.  
    • This will map the entire supply chain from the water source to individual household taps. 
  • Jal Arpan Initiative: Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) will be formally involved in the commissioning and handover of water schemes to foster community ownership. 
  • Har Ghar Jal Certification: A Gram Panchayat can only certify itself as 'Har Ghar Jal' after confirming that adequate Operation and Maintenance (O&M) mechanisms are locally in place. 
  • Jal Utsav: An annual community-led event to review the functioning of water systems and promote water sustainability at the village level. 
• Current Progress and Impact: As of March 2026, significant milestones have been recorded since the mission's launch in 2019: 
  • Coverage Growth: Tap water connections have risen from 17% (3.23 crore) in 2019 to approximately 81.6% (15.80 crore) of rural households. 

Read More:Jal Jeevan Mission 

Supreme Court Permits Passive Euthanasia in Harish Rana Case

Why in News?

In a landmark judicial intervention, the Supreme Court of India has for the first time passed an order allowing the practical application of passive euthanasia for an individual patient. 

Key Points: 

• Case : A bench comprising Justices J. B. Pardiwala and K. V. Viswanathan permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who had been in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for over 13 years. 
• The Plea: His parents approached the Court stating that their son’s condition was "beyond recovery" and that maintaining him in a vegetative state was an affront to his dignity. 
• Judicial Decision: The Court authorised the withdrawal of Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration (CANH).  
  • It directed that the patient be moved to the Palliative Care Centre at AIIMS-Delhi to ensure a "humane and dignified" end. 
• Legal Evolution of Euthanasia in India:The concept of "Right to Die with Dignity" has evolved through several key judicial pronouncements: 
  • Aruna Shanbaug Case (2011): The SC recognised passive euthanasia in principle for the first time but rejected the specific plea for Aruna Shanbaug. 
  • Common Cause v. Union of India (2018): A Constitution Bench declared that the "Right to Die with Dignity" is a fundamental right under Article 21. It legalised "Living Wills" (Advance Medical Directives). 
  • 2023 Amendment: The SC simplified the 2018 guidelines, making the process of withdrawing life support less bureaucratic by removing the mandatory presence of a Judicial Magistrate. 
  • The 2026 Order: While the law existed on paper, this is the first time the Court has actively applied these guidelines to permit the death of a specific individual. 
• Best Interests Principle: The Court applied the "Best Interests" test, concluding that when medical treatment is futile and offers no hope of recovery, prolonging life becomes a form of "cruelty" rather than care. 
• Bodily Autonomy: The ruling reinforces the idea that an individual (or their legal guardians, in cases of incompetence) has the right to refuse medical intervention that only serves to delay the inevitable. 

Read More: Passive Euthanasia