Chapter 5 — April: Temporary Measures, Clear Dates

Coverage window: 1–30 April 2026

Revision checked: 11 October 2026

Question set: CA26-APR-001 to CA26-APR-025

April’s source set is a lesson in reading temporary policy. The official record dated 2 April describes the second meeting of an Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) monitoring the effects of the evolving West Asia situation on India. The release lists several measures with different legal forms, beneficiaries, start dates and expiry dates. They should not be collapsed into a generic statement that “the government gave relief.”

This chapter is limited to what the cited government record says. It does not attempt to independently assess the conflict, predict future effects or repeat unverified claims circulating online. The source and all figure/date notes are in CA26-016.

1. The IGoM and coordination

The 2 April meeting was chaired by the Defence Minister, who is referred to in the source by the office title Raksha Mantri. The IGoM had been formed to monitor the developing West Asia situation and suggest proactive measures to limit its effects on India. The release says the group was briefed by seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries and considered government steps across ministries.

The key exam fact is an institutional relationship: a ministerial group considers cross-ministry developments; groups of secretaries provide briefings on steps within their areas. Do not call the IGoM a constitutional body, a permanent commission or an international organisation. The cited document supports the meeting, chair and stated purpose; it does not provide a legal instrument establishing a new statutory authority.

The first meeting is stated to have taken place on 28 March 2026. Thus, the second meeting on 2 April is a separate event in the same response sequence. The press release date and meeting date happen to be the same here, unlike some post-event releases in the previous chapter. Make the date comparison every time rather than assuming.

2. Four measures, four different kinds of status

Petrochemical customs duty

The release says a notification dated 1 April 2026 provided a full customs-duty exemption for 40 specified critical petrochemical products through 30 June 2026. This is a notification-based temporary measure with a stated product count and end date. It is not a permanent customs policy, and “40 products” does not mean 40 companies.

When revising, keep the noun and unit intact: products, not states, firms or sectors. Keep the period intact: through 30 June 2026. A later extension would require a later official notification; this book’s cutoff does not assume one.

Special one-time measure for eligible SEZ units

The source describes a special one-time relief measure for eligible Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units to sell manufactured goods into the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs-duty rates. The validity stated is 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

SEZ and DTA are not interchangeable. An SEZ is a designated economic area with a distinct policy framework. DTA refers to the domestic area outside the SEZ framework for this transaction. The update concerns specified eligible units, manufactured goods, a concessional rate and a defined time window. It does not establish unrestricted duty-free sales by every SEZ unit.

The date span crosses two financial years in the ordinary April–March cycle: it begins on 1 April 2026 and ends on 31 March 2027. That date pairing is useful for objective questions. The words “one-time” and “eligible” are also qualifiers worth preserving.

GAAR clarification

The release reports a Department of Revenue notification dated 31 March 2026 clarifying that General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) would not be invoked in respect of investments made before 1 April 2017. The exam-safe distinction is between the date of the notification and the investment date to which the clarification relates.

Do not turn this into a broad claim that GAAR no longer applies. The source is limited to a stated category of pre-1 April 2017 investments. For detail on legal scope, the relevant Department of Revenue notification and statutory provisions would need to be read directly.

Aviation Turbine Fuel price cap

The source notes a 25% cap on the monthly increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices for domestic operations, effective 1 April 2026. This is a cap on the monthly rate of increase described in the record; it is not a cap on the absolute price of ATF and does not state a cap for every international operation.

In a multiple-choice question, distractors may change “increase” into “price,” “monthly” into “annual,” or “domestic operations” into all flights. Those small word changes alter the claim. Read scope words and comparison bases carefully.

3. Fuel supply and public-information discipline

The 2 April release also reports measures concerning LPG. It says more than 4.3 lakh 5-kilogram Free Trade LPG cylinders had been sold since 23 March, with the measure aimed at migrant labour and low-consumption households. It reports that commercial LPG supply was being maintained above 80% of pre-crisis levels and describes enforcement against hoarding and black marketing.

These are government-reported operational updates on a particular date. Do not present them as timeless supply statistics. “Above 80% of pre-crisis levels” is not the same as “80% of all national LPG demand.” The denominator is the pre-crisis commercial supply level described by the source. The cylinder count is a reported cumulative figure since a date, not a daily sales rate.

The release states that the government was monitoring misleading or manipulated information and urged citizens to rely on official updates. This is a practical current-affairs habit: in an emergency, do not pass along an alarming image or claim until its source, date and context can be checked. The book records official statements as official statements; it does not use those statements to certify every independent claim about events in the region.

4. Build a status-and-time card

For each temporary measure, make a five-column note:

This format prevents four common mistakes: using the notification date as the commencement date; deleting an expiry date; dropping a word such as “eligible”; and treating a ceiling on an increase as a ceiling on the price itself. It also helps you spot when a later release should update your notes.

5. Andhra Pradesh relevance without unsupported local claims

A national measure may affect sectors or households in Andhra Pradesh, but a national press release cannot establish a state-level impact figure. Do not infer how many AP factories used the SEZ concession or how many households received cylinders from the all-India release. To answer those questions, seek the specific state department, customs, petroleum company or district-level record.

For SI and Constable revision, the state-level lesson is administrative: temporary central policy can involve several ministries and national instruments, while local enforcement and delivery rely on designated agencies. The chapter does not claim an AP-specific distribution number because CA26-016 does not provide one.

6. Four checks before you memorise a number

1. Date check: Is the date when the meeting occurred, the notification was issued, or the measure became effective?

2. Scope check: Does the rule apply to all products, or a specified set? All units, or eligible units?

3. Denominator check: Is a percentage compared with a pre-crisis baseline, total demand or a price increase?

4. Expiry check: Is the action one-time or temporary? When does the stated period end?

Write the answer in one clean sentence: “On [date], [institution] [approved/notified/reported] [measure] for [scope], effective [date] through [end date].” If the source does not give an end date, write “end date not stated in this source,” rather than inventing one.

Quick recall

• Who chaired the second IGoM meeting, and when was it held?
• What was the end date stated for the petrochemical duty exemption?
• Which dates bound the one-time SEZ-to-DTA relief period?
• What investment date is relevant to the GAAR clarification?
• What exactly was capped at 25% for domestic ATF operations?
• Since what date had the release counted sales of 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders?

Complete the 25 original items below. For any miss, identify whether you confused the institution, instrument, scope, effective date or expiry date.

Figure 5.1 — April: response to external shocks. Original teaching visual; schematic, not to scale unless the chapter specifies units.

Original practice questions

1. The second meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) described here was held on:

A. 2 April 2026

B. 28 March 2026

C. 1 April 2026

D. 2 May 2026

Answer: A. The second meeting was held on 2 April. The source says the first meeting occurred on 28 March. Keeping sequence and date together avoids a common mix-up. Source: CA26-016.

2. Who chaired the second IGoM meeting?

A. The Chief Election Commissioner

B. Raksha Mantri

C. The Finance Commission Chairperson

D. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

Answer: B. The PIB release identifies Raksha Mantri as chair. It does not describe a constitutional commission or regulator chairing the group. Source: CA26-016.

3. What was the stated purpose of the IGoM described in the release?

A. To conduct the national census

B. To set state police recruitment dates

C. To monitor the West Asia situation and suggest steps to limit effects on India

D. To decide the Asian Games medal table

Answer: C. The release states that the group monitored the evolving West Asia situation and considered measures to reduce effects on India. Source: CA26-016.

4. The second IGoM meeting was held in:

A. Chennai

B. Amaravati

C. Guwahati

D. New Delhi

Answer: D. The source places the meeting at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi. Source: CA26-016.

5. How many critical petrochemical products were covered by the reported full customs-duty exemption?

A. 40

B. 4

C. 14

D. 400

Answer: A. The release reports an exemption for 40 specified products. This is a product count, not a count of firms or states. Source: CA26-016.

6. The customs-duty exemption for the 40 specified petrochemical products was reported as valid through:

A. 31 March 2027

B. 30 June 2026

C. 1 April 2027

D. 30 June 2027

Answer: B. The release says the full exemption was available till 30 June 2026. It was temporary, not permanent. Source: CA26-016.

7. Which date did the release give for the notification related to the petrochemical exemption?

A. 31 March 2017

B. 30 June 2026

C. 1 April 2026

D. 2 April 2027

Answer: C. The notification was dated 1 April 2026. That date is separate from its stated validity through 30 June. Source: CA26-016.

8. The one-time SEZ measure concerned eligible units selling manufactured goods into the:

A. Special Drawing Rights area

B. Agricultural Produce Market Committee

C. National Capital Territory only

D. Domestic Tariff Area

Answer: D. The release describes eligible SEZ units selling manufactured goods into the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA). Source: CA26-016.

9. The reported SEZ-to-DTA relief period began on:

A. 1 April 2026

B. 31 March 2026

C. 1 April 2027

D. 30 June 2026

Answer: A. The measure was stated to be effective from 1 April 2026. Source: CA26-016.

10. The stated end of the one-time SEZ relief period was:

A. 30 June 2026

B. 31 March 2027

C. 31 December 2026

D. 1 April 2028

Answer: B. The release gives 31 March 2027 as the end date. Always retain both the start and end dates of a temporary measure. Source: CA26-016.

11. The SEZ measure described in the release applied to:

A. Every firm in India, without qualification

B. Only government-owned retail shops

C. Eligible SEZ units and manufactured goods

D. All imported consumer goods

Answer: C. The terms “eligible units” and “manufactured goods” narrow the scope. The release does not say the relief applied to every firm or every good. Source: CA26-016.

12. The SEZ measure used which customs-duty description?

A. A permanent zero-GST rule

B. A state road toll rebate

C. An increase in export duty

D. Concessional customs-duty rates

Answer: D. The source describes sales into the DTA at concessional customs-duty rates. Source: CA26-016.

13. The GAAR clarification referred to investments made before:

A. 1 April 2017

B. 1 April 2026

C. 31 March 2027

D. 1 January 2014

Answer: A. The source reports a clarification for investments made prior to 1 April 2017. That is the investment-date threshold, not the notification date. Source: CA26-016.

14. The GAAR-related notification described in the source was dated:

A. 1 April 2017

B. 31 March 2026

C. 2 April 2026

D. 31 March 2027

Answer: B. The release reports that the Department of Revenue notification was dated 31 March 2026. Source: CA26-016.

15. Which statement best expresses the limited scope of the GAAR clarification in this source?

A. GAAR was abolished for every investment

B. All tax rules were suspended until 2027

C. GAAR would not be invoked for the stated pre-1 April 2017 investment group

D. The clarification applied only to investments after 2026

Answer: C. The release describes a limited clarification for investments made before the specified date. It does not say GAAR was abolished generally. Source: CA26-016.

16. The ATF measure described a 25% cap on:

A. The total price of every aviation fuel product

B. Annual passenger growth

C. The number of domestic flights

D. The monthly increase in prices for domestic operations

Answer: D. The source describes a cap on the monthly increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel prices for domestic operations, not a fixed cap on the price itself. Source: CA26-016.

17. The ATF measure was stated to take effect from:

A. 1 April 2026

B. 1 April 2027

C. 31 March 2017

D. 30 June 2026

Answer: A. The release states that the measure took effect on 1 April 2026. Source: CA26-016.

18. The reported sale count for 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders was counted from:

A. 1 April 2026

B. 23 March 2026

C. 2 April 2025

D. 31 March 2027

Answer: B. The release says sales had exceeded 4.3 lakh since 23 March 2026. Source: CA26-016.

19. The 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinder measure was described as supporting:

A. Only international airlines

B. Large refineries alone

C. Migrant labour and low-consumption households

D. Export-only industrial parks

Answer: C. The release names migrant labour and low-consumption households as groups for whom availability was being ensured. Source: CA26-016.

20. The release reported commercial LPG supply at more than what share of pre-crisis levels?

A. 8%

B. 18%

C. 1000%

D. 80%

Answer: D. It reported maintaining over 80% of pre-crisis supply levels for industrial requirements. Do not change the baseline to all national demand. Source: CA26-016.

21. Which phrase correctly describes the customs-duty exemption’s status?

A. A temporary measure with a stated validity through 30 June 2026

B. A permanent rule with no end date

C. A proposal that was never notified

D. A 2027 measure with no 2026 period

Answer: A. The release reports a notification dated 1 April with validity through 30 June 2026. Source: CA26-016.

22. Which institution is the IGoM?

A. A constitutional court

B. A ministerial group described as monitoring a developing situation

C. A permanent UN agency

D. A state police recruitment board

Answer: B. The name expands to Informal Group of Ministers. The source does not establish it as a constitutional body or international agency. Source: CA26-016.

23. When did the release say the first IGoM meeting had taken place?

A. 2 April 2026

B. 1 April 2027

C. 28 March 2026

D. 30 June 2026

Answer: C. The April 2 release says the first meeting took place on 28 March 2026. Source: CA26-016.

24. Why is “25% cap on the price of ATF” an inaccurate summary of the release?

A. ATF means agricultural tax fund

B. No percentage is mentioned

C. The measure concerned only international cargo

D. The source concerns a cap on the monthly increase, not the absolute price

Answer: D. The source limits the measure to the monthly increase in ATF prices for domestic operations. Source: CA26-016.

25. If asked how many SEZ units in Andhra Pradesh used the temporary concession, what evidence is needed?

A. A state-specific official or customs record with a date and defined count

B. The all-India measure alone

C. A guess based on the number of districts

D. The 40-product customs exemption count

Answer: A. A national measure does not establish AP uptake. Use a primary state or customs record and retain its date and definition. Source: CA26-016.