{"id":70580,"date":"2026-03-31T18:36:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=70580"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:15:03","slug":"news-in-short-31-03-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-03-2026\/news-in-short-31-03-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 31-03-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Census 2027<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is set to conduct its next population Census digitally, with the exercise scheduled to commence in 2026 and conclude by March 1, 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Census in India<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A census is a survey of the population <\/strong>of an area that includes collecting details of a country\u2019s demographics including <strong>age, sex and occupation<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is typically conducted <strong>every ten years<\/strong> and was scheduled for<strong> 2021 <\/strong>but had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government has made it mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The NPR is prepared under the provisions of the <strong>Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is mandatory for every <strong>\u201cusual resident of India\u201d to register in the NPR.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>History:<\/strong> Under <strong>W.C. Plowden<\/strong>, the Census Commissioner of India, the first synchronous decennial (every ten years) census was conducted in <strong>1881.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Independent India\u2019s first census<\/strong> was held in <strong>1951<\/strong> and since then it has happened in the first year of every decade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Constitution mandates<\/strong> that enumeration is carried out but the <strong>Census of India Act of 1948<\/strong> does not specify its timing or periodicity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The population census is conducted by the <strong>Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India<\/strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Features of Census 2027<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>First Digital Census: <\/strong>The Census will be conducted using digital devices such as mobile phones and laptops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Multilingual Access:<\/strong> The self-enumeration portal will be available in <strong>16 languages.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Caste Enumeration: <\/strong>This will be the <strong>first Census since 1931<\/strong> to capture granular caste data, beyond the broader classifications of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Structural Changes in Administrative Units<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India now has <strong>36 States and Union Territories,<\/strong> marking an increase of one since <strong>Census 2011.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The number of districts has increased significantly from <strong>640 to 784<\/strong>, reflecting administrative reorganization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban Expansion:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Statutory towns<\/strong> increased from <strong>4,041 to 5,128,<\/strong> indicating formal urban growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Census<\/strong> towns rose from <strong>3,892 to 4,580,<\/strong> reflecting rural areas transitioning into urban-like settlements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/178185\/OPS\/GOCFOJI83.1+G9EFPMSV7.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Arab League<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Regional Groupings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Council of the League of Arab States<\/strong> has issued a strong condemnation of Iran\u2019s attacks on several Arab countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Arab League, officially known as the <strong>League of Arab States<\/strong> was established in <strong>Cairo in 1945<\/strong> initially with <strong>seven members.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Seven founding member states: <\/strong>Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Currently it has 22 member states.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The member nations are located in the Middle East and North Africa.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has pledged to cooperate on <strong>economic and military affairs.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The<strong> League Council <\/strong>is the <strong>highest body<\/strong> and is composed of <strong>representatives of member states.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The league makes decisions on a <strong>majority basis,<\/strong> but there is no mechanism to compel members to comply with resolutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are <strong>four nations that were conferred observer status<\/strong>: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/arab-league-condemns-iran-attacks-on-gulf-states-and-backs-right-to-respond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>India Accounting Standard Framework for Insurers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has introduced the<strong> Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS<\/strong>) based Financial Reporting Framework for the <strong>Insurance Sector from April 1, 2026.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pre-2026, Insurers followed<strong> Indian GAAP (I-GAAP) <\/strong>under the <strong>Insurance Act, 1938<\/strong> \u2014 a rule-based, premium-recognition framework unique to the insurance sector.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most listed companies and NBFCs had already migrated to Ind AS &amp; the insurance sector was the last major holdout.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Provisions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Applies to all categories<\/strong> \u2014 Life, General, Stand-Alone Health, Reinsurers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sets framework for recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial statements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parallel reporting for 2 years<\/strong> \u2014 Insurers must submit financial statements under both Ind AS and the existing framework simultaneously.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During forbearance Insurers must still submit <strong>Ind AS-based financial information to IRDAI.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>What is Ind AS?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) \u2014 India&#8217;s accounting framework converged with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notified by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two key standards for insurers:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ind AS 109 <\/strong>\u2014 Financial Instruments (notified February 2015)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ind AS 117 <\/strong>\u2014 Insurance Contracts (notified August 2024); India&#8217;s equivalent of global IFRS 17.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replaces existing <strong>Indian GAAP (I-GAAP) framework<\/strong> under the <strong>Insurance Act, 1938<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>IRDAI is a <strong>statutory body formed under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (IRDA Act, 1999)<\/strong> for overall supervision and development of the Insurance sector in India.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The powers and functions of the Authority are laid down in the same Act, 1999 and Insurance Act, 1938.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Section 14 of the IRDA Act,1999<\/strong> specifies the Duties, Powers and Functions of the Authority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>AP Poised for a Leap in Shipbuilding, Ship Repair Cluster<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Andhra Pradesh<\/strong> is emerging as a <strong>major shipbuilding and repair hub<\/strong> under India\u2019s maritime vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The state has a <strong>long coastline, policy support, and defence-industrial ecosystem<\/strong> to transform a long-neglected potential into a strategic and economic opportunity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Government of India (GoI) identified Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati district as one of the<strong> five key sites<\/strong> for its ambitious<strong> shipbuilding cluster initiative, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha and Maharashtra<\/strong> being the others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Maritime Sector<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It currently contributes <strong>4% to India\u2019s GDP<\/strong> and<strong> just 1% <\/strong>of <strong>global tonnage,<\/strong> the vision is to raise its share to <strong>12% of national GDP.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has a clear goal of ranking among the <strong>top 10 maritime nations by 2030 and among the top 5 by 2047 from the current position of 16th.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indian seafarers<\/strong> already represent <strong>12% of the global workforce<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has a goal to expand this to around <strong>25%,<\/strong> making shipbuilding and repair central to this transformation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The maritime sector<\/strong> handles <strong>95% of India\u2019s trade by volume<\/strong>, underscoring its pivotal role in the economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cargo management <\/strong>at Indian ports <strong>rose by 4.45% in FY24,<\/strong> reaching 819.22 million tonnes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Currently,<strong> India holds only 0.06% <\/strong>of the global shipbuilding market, a stark contrast to the dominance of China, South Korea, and Japan, which collectively control 85% of the industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/ap-poised-for-a-leap-in-shipbuilding-ship-repair-cluster\/article70797338.ece#:~:text=The%20potential%20for%20development%20of,State%20government%20is%20closer%20to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cBhavasagara\u201d Referral Centre<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has officially designated the \u201c<strong>Bhavasagara\u201d Referral Centre of the Centre for Marine Living Resources &amp; Ecology (CMLRE)<\/strong>, Kochi, Kerala, as India\u2019s National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The recognition has been granted under the<strong> Biological Diversity Act, 2002.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The designation establishes <strong>\u201cBhavasagara\u201d Referral Centre<\/strong> as a critical <strong>national facility<\/strong> for the <strong>preservation<\/strong>, <strong>study<\/strong>, and <strong>documentation <\/strong>of India\u2019s <strong>deep-sea biological heritage<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Centre currently houses an extensive collection of <strong>more than 3,500 taxonomically identified and geo-referenced voucher specimens<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under the <strong>Biological Diversity Act, 2002<\/strong>, the Repository is authorised to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Preserve representative biological samples<\/strong> (such as <strong>DNA sequences)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Act as the official custodian<\/strong> for any new deep-sea species<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capacity Building:<\/strong> Aligning with the goals of the <strong>UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021\u20132030).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Centre for Marine Living Resources &amp; Ecology (CMLRE)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Established in 1998, <strong>Centre for Marine Living Resources &amp; Ecology (CMLRE) <\/strong>is a premier institute under the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is dedicated to the <strong>exploration, management, and conservation of marine living resources.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CMLRE works in India\u2019s <strong>Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)<\/strong>, and the adjacent deep seas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>GRSE Delivers 3 Frontline Naval Platforms to Indian Navy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE)<\/strong> delivered three frontline naval platforms<strong>, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray,<\/strong>\u00a0 to the Indian Navy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With this GRSE has reached the milestone of building <strong>118 warships<\/strong>, including <strong>80 <\/strong>delivered to the Indian Navy, strengthening India\u2019s indigenous defence ecosystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>INS Dunagiri (Advanced Stealth Frigate)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the <strong>second ship under Project 17A<\/strong> built by GRSE. The 149-metre, 6,670-tonne frigate is equipped with:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>BrahMos <\/strong>for precision strikes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advanced AESA radar and integrated combat management systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It operates on a <strong>Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) propulsion system.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is capable of <strong>multi-dimensional warfare<\/strong> across air, surface, and sub-surface domains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>INS Sanshodhak (Survey Vessel \u2013 Large)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the<strong> fourth and final vessel <\/strong>in its class. It is designed for\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hydrographic surveys <\/strong>in coastal and deep waters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collection of oceanographic data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also supports <strong>Helicopter operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions and Limited combat roles.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>INS Agray (ASW Shallow Watercraft)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is designed specifically for<strong> anti-submarine warfare (ASW)<\/strong> in littoral waters. It features:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>~88% indigenous content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lightweight torpedoes and ASW rockets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30 mm naval gun<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its <strong>shallow draught and waterjet propulsion<\/strong> enhance manoeuvrability in coastal areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/grse-delivers-3-frontline-naval-platforms-to-indian-navy\/#:~:text=(GRSE)%20delivered%20three%20frontline%20Naval,designed%\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India is set to conduct its next population Census digitally, with the exercise scheduled to commence in 2026 and conclude by March 1, 2027. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Census in India <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> A census is a survey of the population of an area that includes collecting details of a country\u2019s demographics including age, sex and occupation. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It is typically conducted every ten years and was scheduled for 2021 but had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The government has made it mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-03-2026\/news-in-short-31-03-2026 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70580"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70584,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70580\/revisions\/70584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}