Why it is in the news
On 24 September 2026, Haryana announced a ‘Parali Protection Force’ of police, Agriculture Department and administrative officers at district and block level to stop paddy-stubble burning in the coming harvest, after Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi reviewed the State’s action plan for compliance with directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The exam angle
Issue: Stubble burning is a symptom of a rice–wheat system and groundwater policy that leave farmers too little time and money to handle straw, yet the response has leaned on policing.