March 31, 2026 - Current Affairs

High Maternity deaths in India: Lancet Study

Context

A study published in The Lancet found that India remains among the countries with the highest number of maternal deaths globally.

Major Findings

The progress slowed down post 2015 after years of rapid decline.

Around 2.4 lakh women died globally in 2023 due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes.

India accounted for about 24,700 of the 2.4 lakh deaths, placing it among the highest-burden countries alongside Nigeria, Pakistan and Ethiopia.

Iranian Parliament Mulls Possible Exit from Nuclear Treaty

Context

As per the Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Iran’s Parliament is reviewing a possible exit from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

About

The proposed legislation, according to lawmakers, would:

Withdraw Iran from the NPT;

Remove legal commitments tied to the 2015 nuclear deal;

14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization

Context

The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization concluded in Yaoundé without consensus on extending the e-commerce duty moratorium.

What is the E-commerce Moratorium?

WTO members agreed in 1998 not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions, which include:

Digital goods such as e-books, software, music, and video games.

Services delivered electronically such as streaming platforms.

Rocket Re-entry Triggers Atmospheric Pollution

Context

A recent study has found that the re-entry of rockets such as the Falcon 9 is altering the chemistry of the upper atmosphere, leading to a tenfold surge in lithium atoms.

Atmospheric Pollution from Space Activity

Satellites and rockets contain aluminum alloys and Lithium-ion batteries. During re-entry these materials burn and vaporize, releasing metals into mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT region).

Dangers of Space debris: They are defined as all non-functional, man-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in Earth orbit or re-entering into Earth's atmosphere.

News In Short 31-03-2026

Context

India is set to conduct its next population Census digitally, with the exercise scheduled to commence in 2026 and conclude by March 1, 2027.

Census in India

A census is a survey of the population of an area that includes collecting details of a country’s demographics including age, sex and occupation.

It is typically conducted every ten years and was scheduled for 2021 but had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

The government has made it mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.