News In Short 31-03-2026

Census 2027

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance

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.
  • The NPR is prepared under the provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
  • It is mandatory for every “usual resident of India” to register in the NPR.
• History: Under W.C. Plowden, the Census Commissioner of India, the first synchronous decennial (every ten years) census was conducted in 1881.
  • Independent India’s first census was held in 1951 and since then it has happened in the first year of every decade.
• The Constitution mandates that enumeration is carried out but the Census of India Act of 1948 does not specify its timing or periodicity.
• The population census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Major Features of Census 2027

• First Digital Census: The Census will be conducted using digital devices such as mobile phones and laptops.
• Multilingual Access: The self-enumeration portal will be available in 16 languages.
• Caste Enumeration: This will be the first Census since 1931 to capture granular caste data, beyond the broader classifications of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Key Structural Changes in Administrative Units

• India now has 36 States and Union Territories, marking an increase of one since Census 2011.
• The number of districts has increased significantly from 640 to 784, reflecting administrative reorganization.
• Urban Expansion:
  • Statutory towns increased from 4,041 to 5,128, indicating formal urban growth.
  • Census towns rose from 3,892 to 4,580, reflecting rural areas transitioning into urban-like settlements.

Source: TH

Arab League

Syllabus: GS2/Regional Groupings

Context

• The Council of the League of Arab States has issued a strong condemnation of Iran’s attacks on several Arab countries.

About

• The Arab League, officially known as the League of Arab States was established in Cairo in 1945 initially with seven members.
  • Seven founding member states: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.
  • Currently it has 22 member states.
  • The member nations are located in the Middle East and North Africa.
• It has pledged to cooperate on economic and military affairs.
• The League Council is the highest body and is composed of representatives of member states.
• The league makes decisions on a majority basis, but there is no mechanism to compel members to comply with resolutions.
• There are four nations that were conferred observer status: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela.

Source: AIR

India Accounting Standard Framework for Insurers

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has introduced the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) based Financial Reporting Framework for the Insurance Sector from April 1, 2026.

About

• Pre-2026, Insurers followed Indian GAAP (I-GAAP) under the Insurance Act, 1938 — a rule-based, premium-recognition framework unique to the insurance sector.
• Most listed companies and NBFCs had already migrated to Ind AS & the insurance sector was the last major holdout.

Key Provisions

• Applies to all categories — Life, General, Stand-Alone Health, Reinsurers.
• Sets framework for recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial statements.
• Parallel reporting for 2 years — Insurers must submit financial statements under both Ind AS and the existing framework simultaneously.
• During forbearance Insurers must still submit Ind AS-based financial information to IRDAI.

Source: TH

AP Poised for a Leap in Shipbuilding, Ship Repair Cluster

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure

Context

• Andhra Pradesh is emerging as a major shipbuilding and repair hub under India’s maritime vision.

About

• The state has a long coastline, policy support, and defence-industrial ecosystem to transform a long-neglected potential into a strategic and economic opportunity.
• Government of India (GoI) identified Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati district as one of the five key sites for its ambitious shipbuilding cluster initiative, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha and Maharashtra being the others.

India’s Maritime Sector

• It currently contributes 4% to India’s GDP and just 1% of global tonnage, the vision is to raise its share to 12% of national GDP.
  • India has a clear goal of ranking among the top 10 maritime nations by 2030 and among the top 5 by 2047 from the current position of 16th.
• Indian seafarers already represent 12% of the global workforce.
  • India has a goal to expand this to around 25%, making shipbuilding and repair central to this transformation.
• The maritime sector handles 95% of India’s trade by volume, underscoring its pivotal role in the economy.
• Cargo management at Indian ports rose by 4.45% in FY24, reaching 819.22 million tonnes.
• Currently, India holds only 0.06% of the global shipbuilding market, a stark contrast to the dominance of China, South Korea, and Japan, which collectively control 85% of the industry.

Source: TH

“Bhavasagara” Referral Centre

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has officially designated the “Bhavasagara” Referral Centre of the Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, Kerala, as India’s National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.
  • The recognition has been granted under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

About

• The designation establishes “Bhavasagara” Referral Centre as a critical national facility for the preservation, study, and documentation of India’s deep-sea biological heritage.
• The Centre currently houses an extensive collection of more than 3,500 taxonomically identified and geo-referenced voucher specimens.
• Under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the Repository is authorised to:
  • Preserve representative biological samples (such as DNA sequences)
  • Act as the official custodian for any new deep-sea species
  • Capacity Building: Aligning with the goals of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

Source: TH

GRSE Delivers 3 Frontline Naval Platforms to Indian Navy

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) delivered three frontline naval platforms, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray,  to the Indian Navy.
• With this GRSE has reached the milestone of building 118 warships, including 80 delivered to the Indian Navy, strengthening India’s indigenous defence ecosystem.

INS Dunagiri (Advanced Stealth Frigate)

• It is the second ship under Project 17A built by GRSE. The 149-metre, 6,670-tonne frigate is equipped with:
  • BrahMos for precision strikes.
  • Advanced AESA radar and integrated combat management systems.
• It operates on a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) propulsion system.
• It is capable of multi-dimensional warfare across air, surface, and sub-surface domains.

INS Sanshodhak (Survey Vessel – Large)

• It is the fourth and final vessel in its class. It is designed for
  • Hydrographic surveys in coastal and deep waters.
  • Collection of oceanographic data.
• It also supports Helicopter operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions and Limited combat roles.

INS Agray (ASW Shallow Watercraft)

• It is designed specifically for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in littoral waters. It features:
  • ~88% indigenous content
  • Lightweight torpedoes and ASW rockets
  • 30 mm naval gun
• Its shallow draught and waterjet propulsion enhance manoeuvrability in coastal areas.

Source: AIR