Current Affairs – March 31, 2026

{GS1 – IS} Delimitation Exercise to Begin after Census 2027 **

Context (TH): The upcoming Census 2027 will trigger the long-overdue delimitation exercise to readjust parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

About Delimitation in India

Delimitation is the process of redrawing the boundaries of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly constituencies to reflect population changes.
Core Principle: The primary goal is to ensure “one person, one vote, one value” by making constituency populations nearly equal.
Constitutional Mandate: Article 82 (Parliament) and Article 170 (State Assemblies) mandate readjustment of seats and boundaries after every decennial census.

About Delimitation Commission

Delimitation Commission is an independent body appointed by the President, tasked with redrawing constituency boundaries and determining seat reservations.
Legal Finality: Its orders carry the force of law and cannot be challenged in any court.
Composition: It consists of a serving or retired Supreme Court judge as Chairperson, the Chief Election Commissioner, and the State Election Commissioner of the concerned state.
Associate Members: Up to 10 associate members (MPs and MLAs) from each state are appointed for consultation without any voting rights.
Reservation Mandate: Article 330 (Lok Sabha) and Article 332 (State Assemblies) require the Commission to reserve seats for Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes based on their population proportions.
No Modification: The Commission lays copies of its orders before the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, but neither body holds any power to modify them.
Effective Date: The new boundaries come into effect on a date specified by the President of India.

History of Delimitation in India

Commissions: India has constituted four Delimitation Commissions in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.
Seat Freeze: 42^nd Amendment (1976) froze inter-state seat allocation at 1971 levels to encourage population control. 84^th Amendment (2001) extended this freeze until the first census after 2026.
Redrawing Basis: The 87^th Amendment (2003) revised the basis for redrawing boundaries from the 1991 Census to the 2001 Census, while keeping seat totals per state at 1971 levels.
Latest Exercise: The 2002 delimitation exercise redrew internal boundaries based on the 2001 Census but did not change seat totals per state.

Challenges with Delimitation Exercise

Demographic Penalty: Population-centric delimitation reduces the political weight of states that achieved population control targets.
Representation Gap: The 1971 seat freeze creates a democratic deficit, with some MPs representing populations twice the national average.
Timeline Pressure: The postponement of the 2021 Census significantly compresses the window available to redraw boundaries before the 2029 elections.
Urban-Rural Imbalance: Rapid internal migration since 2001 renders current constituency boundaries outdated and unrepresentative of the actual population distribution.
Logistical Strain: A major expansion of the Lok Sabha would require large administrative upgrades and new legislative infrastructure.

Proposed Solutions for Equitable Delimitation

Seat Expansion: Expansion of Lok Sabha seats to ~888 would ensure that no state loses its current representation, even as high-growth states gain additional seats.
Weighted Metrics: A weighted allocation model based on literacy, healthcare, and economic contribution could supplement population-based seat allocation to incentivise state efficiency.
Finance Formula: Fiscal transfers should remain insulated from delimitation outcomes to prevent states from being financially penalised for reduced political weight.
Representation Floor: A constitutional “representation floor” would legally guarantee that no state’s seat count falls below its 1971 level, regardless of population shifts.
Hybrid Allocation: Adopting a hybrid allocation model combining 1971 and current census data could bridge the gap between historical stability and modern demographic reality.

Read More > Delimitation Process in India

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections} PLFS 2025 Highlights Persistent Gender Pay Disparities

Context (IE | BS): Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 shows faster wage growth for women, but a persistent gender wage gap remains across job categories.

PLFS is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to generate essential employment and unemployment indicators.

Wage Growth: Women’s wages increased more rapidly than men’s across regular jobs, self-employment, and casual labour during 2025.
Pay Gap: Women earned only 76% of men’s wages in regular salaried jobs; this ratio has stayed almost the same since 2022.
Casual Labour: Female casual workers earned 69% of male wages in 2025, up from 66% in 2024, while men’s wages declined slightly.
Self-Employment: Women earn only 36% of men’s income in self-employment, making it the sector with the largest gender income disparity.
Formalisation: Women’s share in salaried jobs increased from 16.6% in 2024 to 18.2% in 2025, reflecting improved employment quality.
Workforce Participation: Women constituted 32.5% of total employment (20 crore out of 61.6 crore), highlighting a structural gender imbalance.
Caregiving Burden: Around 40% to 44% of women outside the labour force cite caregiving as the main reason for not seeking a job, compared to less than 1% of men.

Read More > PSLF 2025

{GS2 – Governance} Government Planning to Expand Online Content Regulation **

Context (TH | IE): The Union government has proposed amendments to the Information Technology Rules 2021 to expand regulation of online content and social media.

Takedown Powers: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting may issue takedown notices directly to individual social media users.
Scope Expanded: Earlier limited to news publishers, rules now apply to non-publisher users posting news and current affairs content.
Safe Harbour Risk: Non-compliance may lead to loss of safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act.
Compliance Time: Takedown timelines have been reduced to 2–3 hours from 24–36 hours.
Expanded Role of IDC: The Inter-Departmental Committee will now hear broader grievances and government-referred matters.
Concerns: It is a major expansion of censorship powers and may circumvent court-imposed restrictions on earlier IT Rules.

Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021

Legal Basis: Notified under IT Act, 2000, to regulate digital intermediaries and online content.
Objective: To ensure accountability of social media platforms & regulate digital news & OTTs.
Intermediary: Social media platforms are classified into intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs) based on user base.
Safe Harbour Provision: Platforms enjoy safe harbour protection but must follow due diligence to retain immunity from liability.

{GS3 – IE} IRDAI Approves Ind AS Framework for Insurance Sector

Context (TH): Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approved the adoption of Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) for insurance reporting, from April 2026.

About IRDAI

IRDAI is a statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of Finance, regulating and promoting the insurance and reinsurance sectors. It is based in Hyderabad, Telangana.
It was constituted under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, based on the R.N. Malhotra Committee (1994) recommendations.

About the Ind AS Framework

Ind AS are principle-based accounting guidelines designed to make Indian companies’ financial statements more transparent and globally comparable.
It replaces the Indian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (IGAAP) for insurance reporting.
Applicability: Mandatory for life insurers, general insurers, standalone health insurers, and reinsurers.
Nodal Agencies: IRDAI enforces adoption; Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) notifies standards framed by ICAI and recommended by NFRA.
Core Standards: The transition is driven by two primary standards — Ind AS 117 on insurance contracts and Ind AS 109 on financial instruments.
Key Feature: It introduces market-based valuation, unlike IGAAP’s historical-cost accounting.
Global Alignment: Ind AS align with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), harmonising India’s insurance reporting with global standards.
Significance: The transition will attract more FDI to India’s insurance sector, supporting its integration into global markets.

NFRA: National Financial Reporting Authority is a statutory regulator under the Companies Act, 2013, overseeing auditing, standards, and compliance for large and listed companies.
ICAI: Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is a statutory body under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, that regulates the profession and drafts accounting standards.

Read More > New Insurance Bill, 2025

{GS3 – IE} Green Exit from the Urea Trap

Context (IE): India’s heavy dependence on imported natural gas for urea production, rising subsidy burden, and environmental damage from overuse are driving the push for green urea.

Urea Dependence in India

Usage Share: Urea accounts for ~56% of total fertiliser consumption; most widely used fertiliser.
Nitrogen Dependence: It constitutes nearly 80% of nitrogenous fertilisers.
Import Dependence: ~90% of urea consumption is import-dependent, either directly or through imported natural gas.
Energy Linkage: Domestic urea production depends largely on natural gas, linking agriculture to global energy markets.
Fiscal Burden: Heavy dependence has led to a huge subsidy burden (~₹1.65 lakh crore).
Environmental Impact: Excessive urea use leads to soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Grey Urea: Produced using natural gas, leading to high emissions and import dependence.
Green Urea: Produced using green hydrogen (via electrolysis) and captured CO₂, powered by renewable energy, making it sustainable and low-carbon.

Significance of Green Urea

Environmental Sustainability: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over 60%, along with lowering soil and water pollution caused by excessive conventional urea use.
Energy Security: Shifting to green urea reduces reliance on imported natural gas.
Fiscal Savings: Transitioning to green urea can reduce the fertiliser subsidy burden by ~65%, which currently stands at ₹1.65 lakh crore (2022–23).
Cost Advantage: Green urea is projected to become 20% cheaper than grey urea by 2030.
Agricultural Sustainability: Promotes balanced fertiliser use and improved nitrogen efficiency, enhancing soil health and long-term productivity.
Clean Energy Integration: Encourages adoption of green hydrogen and renewable energy, linking agriculture with clean energy transition.

Potential Benefits by 2040 of Green Urea Transition

~90% of urea production can shift to green hydrogen-based methods;
~30% area under non-chemical farming, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers.
Nitrogen use efficiency can improve by ~30%.
India can eliminate urea imports, enhancing self-reliance.
Total economic gains could exceed ₹1 trillion over 25 years.

{GS3 – IS} India is Declared Free of Naxal Violence **

Context (NDTV): Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has officially stated that India has achieved its target of becoming Naxal-free.

Deadline: The government met its deadline of March 31, 2026, to eradicate Maoist violence and dismantle extremist networks.

Current Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) Landscape

Affected District: Total LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to approximately 7 by early 2026.
Most Affected: Only 3 districts remain in the “most affected” category – Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur; all in Chhattisgarh.
Legacy and Thrust: 31 districts are now classified as “Legacy and Thrust” districts, where violence has ended but continuous state support remains essential to prevent relapse.
Violence: LWE-perpetrated violence decreased by 88%, from 1,936 incidents in 2010 to 234 in 2025.
Fatality Decline: Total annual deaths dropped by 90%, from 1,005 in 2010 to 100 in 2025.

Factors Driving Successful LWE Eradication

Tactical Dominance: Elite units like COBRA and Greyhounds used Company Operating Bases to seize the insurgents’ traditionally inaccessible “liberated zones.”
Infrastructure Integration: The construction of 12,000 km of all-weather roads physically dismantled the geographical isolation that sheltered rebel units.
Information Warfare: Over 9,000 mobile towers delivering 4G services neutralised Maoist propaganda by connecting remote tribal populations to the national digital narrative.
Financial Asphyxiation: Systematic asset seizures by the NIA and Enforcement Directorate choked the “urban nexus” and internal funding channels.
Human Capital: The Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation policy incentivised over 10,000 cadres since 2014 to defect by offering immediate cash grants and long-term vocational training.
Administrative Saturation: Creation of Eklavya Schools and Aspirational District projects replaced the Maoist “Janatana Sarkar” (parallel government) with visible, functional state services.
Unified Command: A Unified Command structure synchronised operations across state borders, ending the “border-jumping” tactics that previously allowed militants to evade pursuit.

Persisting Security and Governance Challenges

Guerrilla Residuals: Highly mobile “hardcore” splinter cells remain embedded in the Abujhmaad forest in Chhattisgarh, posing a persistent threat of high-impact asymmetric strikes.
Clandestine Networks: Neutralising underground urban networks is a complex intelligence task, as these groups pivot from armed conflict to ideological subversion.
Security Overstretch: Forward Operating Bases are logistically expensive to sustain, yet any withdrawal risks create a power vacuum.
Economic Recidivism: The lack of local value-added industries for forest produce could drive unemployed youth back into militancy.
Border Vulnerability: Porous inter-state boundaries continue to offer tactical ‘safe zones’ for fleeing cadres unless intelligence sharing becomes permanently unified.

Government Development and Stabilisation Initiatives

Village Saturation: Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) is saturating over 63,000 tribal villages with 25 key interventions to achieve 100% coverage in housing, water, and electricity.
PVTG Support: PM-JANMAN targets 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) to provide basic infrastructure and healthcare in the most remote habitations.
Trust Building: Civic Action Programme (CAP) has funded security forces to distribute essential supplies and medical aid.
Forest Economy: Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) scheme has established over 2,200 clusters for processing minor forest produce to ensure tribal communities receive fair market value.
Digital Integration: The 4G Saturation Plan is installing over 8,500 additional mobile towers to ensure that even the deepest forest habitations are connected to the national digital grid.
Skill Integration: Kaushal Vikas Yojana has established 46 ITIs and 49 Skill Development Centres in LWE districts to provide youth with immediate employment linkages.

{GS3 – S&T} AI in Internal Security **

Context (IE): Ministry of Home Affairs is integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen internal security through predictive policing, cyber monitoring, and fraud detection.

Objective: AI is being used to enable faster decision-making, real-time surveillance, and crime pattern analysis across police, paramilitary, and law enforcement agencies.

Key Initiatives under MHA’s AI Vision

Cybercrime Complaint: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is developing an AI-enabled system for the 1930 helpline to enable faster, multilingual complaint registration.
Fraud Monitoring: Collaboration with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) aims to enable real-time detection and prevention of fraudulent financial transactions.
Mule Account Detection: AI models are being developed with IIT Bombay to assign suspect scores to mule bank accounts used by criminals.
Mule Hunter Application: An AI/ML-based Mule Hunter app is being enhanced to identify and mitigate risks related to mule accounts in banking systems.
Dark Web Monitoring: AI tools are being used to monitor the dark web, phishing networks, and scam websites for early detection of cybercrime activities.
CSEAM Detection Tool: AI-based tool by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing is used to detect and verify child sexual abuse material from cyber tiplines.
Surakshini Initiative: A proposed system to create a hash bank of illegal content for proactive detection and prevention on digital platforms.
AI in Forensics: AI tools are being explored for digital investigations, though use in document forgery detection is still under development.
IVFRT 3.0: The Immigration, Visa Foreigners Registration and Tracking system (IVFRT 3.0) will use AI/ML for intelligent traveller profiling and explore blockchain for secure records.

Read More> AI And National Security

{Prelims – A&C} Mahavir Jayanti

Context (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu extended greetings on Mahavir Jayanti on March 31, 2026.

Mahavir Jayanti or Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak commemorates the birth anniversary of Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24^th Tirthankara of Jainism.

About Vardhamana Mahavira

He was born around 599 BCE at Kundagrama near Vaishali in modern-day Bihar, into the royal Kshatriya family of the Ikshvaku dynasty.
His father was King Siddhartha of the Jnatri clan, and his mother was Queen Trishala, a Lichchhavi princess. He married Princess Yashoda and had a daughter named Priyadarshana.
Enlightenment: He gave up royal life at age 30 to follow ascetism and attained Kevala Jnana at age 42 under a Sal tree by the Rijupalika River.
Pancha Mahavratas: Preached five vows — Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha, and Brahmacharya as the core ethical principles for liberation.
- The vow of Brahmacharya was Mahavira’s addition; the other four vows were established by his predecessor, Parshvanatha.
Nirvana: He died at the age of 72 at Pavapuri near present-day Rajgir in Bihar.

Read More > Vardhamana Mahavira | Philosophy of Jainism

{Prelims – Geo} Solar Study Explains Long-Standing Radio Burst Mystery *

Context (DDN): Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics solved a long-standing mystery about solar radio burst emissions.

Mystery: The study explains why harmonic emissions sometimes appear stronger than fundamental emissions, contrary to earlier scientific expectations.
Findings: Type II Solar Radio Bursts are caused by shock waves from solar flares and coronal mass ejections moving through the Sun’s corona at ~1000 km/s.
Findings will improve space weather forecasting, especially for satellite communication and navigation systems.

Solar Radio Burst Emissions

Radio burst emissions are intense, short-duration bursts of radio waves produced by energetic events in space, especially from the Sun.
They are commonly generated during solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) due to accelerated charged particles.
Radio bursts are detected using radio telescopes and observatories on Earth and in space.
They are important indicators of space weather events that can affect satellites, GPS, and communication systems.
Variations in their strength and frequency help scientists study solar activity and predict disruptions on Earth.

{Prelims – Eco} Additional Tier-1 (AT1) Bonds *

Context (TOI): HDFC Bank has dismissed three employees after an internal probe revealed the mis-selling of high-risk AT1 bonds to NRI clients.

AT1 bonds are perpetual debt instruments issued by banks to strengthen their capital base.
Nature: They have equity-like features; no fixed maturity and higher risk than regular bonds.
Returns: Offer higher interest rates (yields) to compensate for higher risk.
Loss Absorption: Can be written off or converted into equity if the bank faces financial stress.
Repayment: Rank lowest among debt instruments; investors are paid last in case of bankruptcy.
Risk Factor: Considered high-risk instruments, not suitable for conservative investors.

Mis-selling refers to the practice of selling financial products by giving misleading information or hiding risks, leading investors to make unsuitable investment decisions.

{Prelims – IR} WTO E-Commerce Moratorium Expires

Context (TH): World Trade Organisation (WTO) e-commerce moratorium expired after members failed to reach consensus at the WTO’s 14^th Ministerial Conference (MC14).

It is a multilateral agreement where WTO members don’t impose customs duties on electronic transmissions like software downloads, streaming media, e-books, video games, and data flows.
It was initially adopted in 1998 as a temporary measure to promote the emerging digital economy, but has since been renewed.
Core Debate: Developed countries favour extending it for affordable digital trade, but developing countries oppose, arguing it mainly protects foreign tech monopolies.
India’s Stance: India opposes extension, citing revenue loss, an asymmetric playing field, and constraints on domestic digital industrialisation.

{Prelims – Species} Jungle cat (Felis chaus) *

Context (TH): The first comprehensive population assessment of the jungle cat estimates approximately 3,08,585 individuals in India.
It is a medium-sized wild cat also called “swamp cat” or “reed cat” due to its affinity for wetlands.
Appearance: The cat has a uniform sandy or reddish-brown coat, very long legs, a short tail with black rings, and tall ears tipped with black tufts.
Habitat preference: Despite the name, it avoids dense forests and occupies wetlands, swamps, littoral zones, and irrigated agro-pastoral landscapes.
Distribution: Its range extends from the Middle East and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and southern China.
- India Range: It is India’s most common small wild cat and occurs in almost every state except high altitudes and extreme deserts.
Diet: Jungle cat is an opportunistic mesopredator, with rodents forming nearly 70% of its diet.
Ecological Role: It serves as a vital biological pest controller in agricultural landscapes.
Key threats: Habitat loss, road accidents, predation by stray dogs, and retaliatory killing by farmers.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern; CITES: Appendix II; WPA: Schedule I

{Prelims – In News} Morung Education System

Context (DDN): PM Modi recently praised the Morung education system for preserving cultural heritage while promoting modern education.

Morung is a traditional, community-based indigenous educational institution that forms the social framework of several Naga tribes.
It served as a training ground and socialisation centre for village youth (primarily boys), often called a ‘bachelor’s dormitory’.
Core Functions: It trained youth in crafts, agriculture, and warfare; transmitted culture through oral traditions; instilled discipline; and served as a village council and guardhouse.
Modern Evolution: Morung centres are now being integrated with formal education through the ‘Samagra Shiksha Nagaland’ initiative, combining modern and traditional learning.