March 2026
In short: Andhra Pradesh polity & governance current affairs for March 2026.
Current Affairs — Andhra Pradesh › Polity & Governance · 14 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu
Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.
Andhra Pradesh's March 2026 governance digest — the CM's bid to bring the National Judicial Academy to Amaravati, three Bills passed on March 4, 2026 (compassionate appointment, Fire Service modernisation and the A.P. Jan Vishwas decriminalisation Bill), India's first draft Population Management Policy, a 4.4% fall in crimes against women, and the CISF Raising Day at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
March 2026 — At a Glance
March 2026's governance story in Andhra Pradesh was about justice delivery, legislative clean-up and demographic planning. CM N. Chandrababu Naidu asked the Supreme Court to set up the National Judicial Academy (NJA) in Amaravati as part of a "Justice City". On March 4, 2026 the Legislative Assembly passed three Bills — a compassionate-appointment amendment, the Fire Service (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the A.P. Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026. The state also released a draft Population Management Policy — described as the first of its kind in India — to lift the fertility rate from 1.5 to 2.1. On law and order, the Home Minister reported a 4.4% drop in crimes against women, and the CISF unit of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant celebrated its Raising Day.
1. Judiciary — National Judicial Academy and a "Justice City" for Amaravati
Mediation as a pillar of justice
- What — CM N. Chandrababu Naidu urged the Supreme Court to establish the National Judicial Academy (NJA) in Amaravati.
- Occasion — A state-level mediation conference organised by the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority; the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, was the chief guest.
- State's offer — Land allocation, full administrative support and institutional cooperation for a Model Judicial City.
- Amaravati described as — A futuristic blue-green field capital aligned with the Viksit Bharat–2047 vision, built through voluntary land pooling of nearly 33,000 acres by about 30,000 farmers.
The proposed Justice City would integrate| No. | Institution |
|---|
| 1 | National Judicial Academy |
| 2 | Legal Services Authority |
| 3 | Mediation Centre |
| 4 | International Law University |
| 5 | Bar Council of India |
- Mediation incentives — The CM announced a ₹10,000 honorarium for a successful mediation and ₹3,000 even for an unsuccessful attempt, to build an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) culture.
- CJI's message — Justice Surya Kant called mediation a pillar of justice, not merely an alternative mechanism, noting rising court pendency and that many disputes are family and interpersonal conflicts. He stressed rigorous mediator training, a transparent selection process and confidence in the enforceability of mediated settlements.
- Benefits of mediation — Speedy justice, preservation of relationships, non-adversarial settlement and business continuity; mediation is spreading beyond courts to villages and communities.
Compassionate appointment, fire safety and decriminalisation
The three Bills at a glance| Bill | Core change |
|---|
| AP (Regulation of Appointments to Public Services and Rationalisation of Staff Pattern and Pay Structure) (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2025 | Compassionate government job for a victim of political violence; amends Section 4(2) of the 1994 Act |
| Andhra Pradesh Fire Service (Amendment) Bill, 2026 | Modernises the 26-year-old Fire Service Act; NOC replaced by Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) |
| A.P. Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 | Replaces imprisonment with monetary penalties for minor/technical defaults across State laws |
1. Appointments (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Purpose — To give a Junior Assistant post on compassionate grounds to the son of Thota Chandraiah, a victim of political violence in Palnadu district.
- Why an amendment — Under the 1994 Act, appointments must come through the State Public Service Commission, a Selection Committee or the Employment Exchange; it had no provision for compassionate appointment due to political violence.
- Section 4(2) — The amendment lets the government appoint on the basis of a special resolution of the Council of Ministers, bypassing the competitive exam/employment-exchange route.
- Article 200 — The Bill goes to the Governor for assent under Article 200 — the Governor may assent, withhold assent, return it (if not a Money Bill) or reserve it for the President.
- Article 16 — Article 16 guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment; the Supreme Court treats compassionate appointments as a valid exception when meant to tide a family over sudden financial crisis.
2. Fire Service (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Aim — Modernise the 26-year-old Fire Service Act and align it with the Centre's Model Bill to Provide for Maintenance of a Fire & Emergency Service, 2019 — turning the department from a regulatory body into a proactive Emergency Service.
- NOC → FSC — The No Objection Certificate (NOC) is replaced by a Fire Safety Certificate (FSC).
- High-rise buildings — High-rise is defined as per local municipal laws; special safety mechanisms for Super High-Rise Buildings under construction in Amaravati; all standards must follow the National Building Code (NBC) of 2025.
- Fire Safety Supervisor — A new post responsible for regular maintenance and quality control of in-building fire safety installations such as sprinklers and alarms.
- Penalties — Standard fines raised from ₹500 to ₹10,000; daily default fines from ₹100 per day to ₹1,000 per day; the government can seize buildings that blatantly violate fire norms.
3. A.P. Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026
- Inspiration — The Centre's Jan Vishwas Act of 2023; philosophy of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" and trust between State and citizens.
- Objectives — Ease of Doing Business, reducing judicial burden, rationalising (graded) penalties and cleaning the statute book.
- Mechanisms — Decriminalisation (fines instead of jail for technical violations such as filing a report late), administrative adjudication within departments, and compounding of offences.
- Repeal — Targets outdated drainage cess Acts of 1985 and 1986.
- Scope — Amends over 12 State enactments — e.g. the A.P. Municipalities Act, CRDA Act, Metropolitan Region Development Acts, A.P. Excise Act, A.P. Prohibition Act, Land Reforms Act, A.P. Industrial Corridor Development Act, Dairy/Bovine breeding Acts and the A.P. Fire Service Act.
3. Demography — Draft Population Management Policy (2026)
From population control to population management
- What — CM N. Chandrababu Naidu introduced a draft Population Management Policy — the first of its kind in India — which incentivises families to have more children. It was placed in the State Legislative Assembly, opened for one-month public consultation, and is slated for implementation from April 1, 2026.
- Core goal — Raise AP's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 1.5 to the replacement level of 2.1.
- Why — AP's TFR fell from 3.0 in 1993 to about 1.5 today; about 23% of the population may be above 60 by 2047 (about 10% now); fewer births mean a shrinking workforce; and after delimitation, slower-growing states may lose Lok Sabha seats.
Fertility snapshot quoted in the policy debate| Indicator | Value |
|---|
| Replacement-level TFR | 2.1 |
| AP TFR — 2003 / 2023 | 2.2 / 1.5 |
| India TFR | 1.9 |
| Tamil Nadu / Karnataka / Kerala | 1.3 / 1.5 / 1.5 |
| Bihar / Uttar Pradesh | 2.8 / 2.6 |
| Median age — AP / India | 32.5 years / 28.4 years |
Five components of the draft policy| Component | Focus |
|---|
| Matrutva | Maternal health and well-being |
| Shakti | Greater participation of women in the workforce |
| Kshema | Better elderly care services |
| Naipunyam | Skills and workforce capacity, including healthcare workers |
| Sanjeevani | Digital public health systems |
- Birth incentive — ₹25,000 one-time incentive at the birth of a second or third child.
- Poshana–Shiksha–Suraksha package — For a third child: ₹1,000 per month for the first five years and free education up to 18 years (for second and third children in government institutions).
- Election rules — Proposes removing the rule that disqualified people with more than two children from contesting local body elections.
- Parental support — 12 months' maternity leave for a third child, 2 months' paternity leave, working women's hostels and more childcare centres and crèches.
- Health targets — Subsidised IVF through PPP models; cut C-section births from 67.5% to below 40%; reduce teenage pregnancies; train 10,000 healthcare assistants annually.
- Workforce target — Raise female labour force participation from about 31% to nearly 59%.
4. Law & Order — 4.4% Drop in Crimes Against Women
Preventive policing and the Shakti Teams
- What — AP's Home Minister said crimes against women in the State decreased by 4.4%.
- Where — At the Women's Safety Week rally in Vijayawada, where the "Shakti Team" brochure was unveiled.
- New step — A sexual offender sheet will be opened against repeat offenders.
- Approach — Preventive policing, community awareness, monitoring habitual offenders, gender sensitisation and equal upbringing, with support from the Women's Commission and district administration.
- Way forward (as suggested) — Fast-track courts, expanding Shakti Teams across all districts, stronger cyber-crime monitoring and gender education in schools.
5. Internal Security — CISF Raising Day at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant
- What — The CISF unit of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, run by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), celebrated its Raising Day at Ukkunagaram, Visakhapatnam.
- Chief participant — Manish Raj Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of RINL, who praised CISF personnel for securing the plant.
- Highlights — Ceremonial parade by four platoons, operational demonstrations, a firefighting demonstration by the CISF Fire Wing, a Dog Squad performance and cultural programmes.
- About CISF — A Central Armed Police Force established in 1969 under the CISF Act, 1968, working under the Ministry of Home Affairs; created to protect PSUs and now also guarding airports, metros, seaports, nuclear and space installations.