State PCS - Chhattisgarh (CGPSC)

• 24 Mar 2026

Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026

Why in News?

The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly recently passed the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak (Freedom of Religion Bill), 2026, introducing stricter provisions against unlawful religious conversions, including life imprisonment for mass conversions.

Key Points 

• Purpose: The legislation aims to prevent religious conversions through force, fraud, coercion, or inducement, while regulating voluntary conversions. 
• The new bill replaces the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968.
• Punishment: The law prescribes 10 years to life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹25 lakh for conducting “mass conversions,”.
  • If the victim is a minor, woman, person of unsound mind, or from OBC/SC/ST communities, punishment ranges from 10–20 years imprisonment with a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh.
  • Compensation of up to ₹10 lakh may be provided to victims of illegal conversion.
• Declaration: Individuals intending to change religion must submit a declaration to the competent authority [District Magistrate or an officer (not below Additional District Magistrate rank) authorised by them], after which authorities may conduct verification and allow objections. 
• Marriage-Related Provision: Religious conversion solely for the purpose of marriage is treated as invalid unless proper legal procedures and declarations are followed.
• Nature of Offences: Offences under the law are cognisable and non-bailable, allowing authorities to take immediate legal action in suspected illegal conversion cases.
• Investigation & Trial: Cases may be investigated by a police officer (e.g., sub‑inspector rank) and tried in a special court, or if none is designated, in a sessions court. Trials are to be completed within six months of filing the chargesheet.
• Additional Key Provisions: 
  • Mass Conversion: The bill defines mass conversion as the conversion of two or more persons in a single event.
  • Digital Platforms Included: The Bill prohibits religious conversions carried out through force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, fraudulent means, or marriage, including through digital platforms such as social media and electronic communication.
  • Reconversion to Ancestral Religion: Reconversion to one’s ancestral religion is not treated as a conversion under the bill, exempting it from the declaration requirement.
  • Public Display of Conversion Details: Authorities are required to maintain and publicly display on official platforms (such as government websites or notice boards) the details of people who intend to convert, allowing public scrutiny and objections.
  • Allurement & Coercion: The Bill broadens the definition of allurements to include monetary benefits, gifts, employment, free education or medical facilities, promises of better lifestyle, or marriage. 
    • “Coercion”, according to the Bill, includes psychological pressure, physical force, or threats, including social boycott.

Read More: Religious Conversion

World TB Day 2026

Why in News?

World TB Day is observed on 24th March 2026 to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and to strengthen global efforts to eliminate the disease. 

Key Points

• Historical Background: World TB Day is observed annually on 24 March to commemorate the discovery of the tuberculosis bacterium by Robert Koch in 1882, which enabled the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
• Theme 2026: “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by countries, powered by people.”
• Global Burden: Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s leading infectious diseases. 
  • In 2024, around 10.7 million people fell ill with TB and about 1.23 million deaths were reported globally.
• About Tuberculosis (TB):
  • Causative Agent: Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mainly affects the lungs but can also damage other organs.
  • Transmission: TB spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, making early diagnosis and treatment critical.
  • High-Burden Countries: Countries such as India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, and Pakistan account for a large share of global TB cases.
  • Prevention and Treatment: TB is preventable and curable with early diagnosis, antibiotic treatment, vaccination (BCG vaccine), and improved public health systems.
    • Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is caused by bacteria resistant to key first-line drugs like rifampicin and isoniazid. MDR-TB can still be treated with alternative drugs, though these are costlier and have more side effects. 
    • In severe cases, extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) develops, leaving very limited treatment options. 
    • WHO recommends shorter 6-month all-oral regimens (BPaLM/BPaL) for eligible patients (including for MDR-TB patients), which are more effective and reduce treatment burden.
• Global Strategy: WHO’s End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 95% and TB incidence by 90% by 2035 compared with 2015 levels.
  • The World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership lead international campaigns and programs to control and eliminate tuberculosis.
  • SDGs: Ending TB is part of Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to eliminate the TB epidemic by 2030.
• India Initiatives:
  • Nikshay Portal: A digital platform for tracking TB patients, treatment, and case management across the country.
  • Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Provides ₹500 per month nutritional support to TB patients during treatment.
  • Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: A national initiative launched to accelerate India’s goal of TB elimination by 2025 (not yet fully eliminated).

Read More: WHO, SDGs