Current Affairs – April 01, 2026

{GS1 – IS} World’s Largest Digital Census Begins with Phase I Rollout *

• Context (TH | NOA): Census 2027 Phase I began on 1 April with self-enumeration, while House Listing & Housing Census (HLO), field exercise will run from 16 April to 15 May 2026 in notified States & UTs.

• It is India’s first fully digital Census and the world’s largest population-count exercise.
• Key Focus: This phase records housing conditions, household amenities, and assets, while individual demographic and socio-economic details are collected in Phase II.
• Self-Enumeration: For the first time, respondents can self-enumerate through a secure web portal in 16 languages; this facility is limited to residents present in India.
• Questionnaire: It includes 33 questions covering housing infrastructure and household assets such as internet access, smartphones, cooking fuel, and related amenities.
• Marital Classification: A ‘live-in couple’ treating their relationship as a “stable union” will be recorded as a married couple for census purposes.
• Digital Mapping: Census operations will use digital methods, like web mapping and mobile apps, for house-listing block creation and data collection.

Read More > Houselisting and Housing Census | Census 2027

{GS2 – MoPR} Rural Digital Governance through eGramSwaraj and SabhaSaar **

• Context (PIB): Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has achieved significant milestones in rural digital governance through the eGramSwaraj and SabhaSaar initiatives.

About eGramSwaraj Portal

• It is a unified web portal and mobile application developed by MoPR to strengthen e-governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across India.
• Decentralised Planning: Supports creating and monitoring the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), making local development efforts publicly accessible.
• Transparency: Its integration with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) enables online payments to vendors, reducing delays and corruption.
• Asset Verification: It allows geo-tagging of village assets with GPS for verification and monitoring.
• Digital Procurement: It has been integrated with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for purchasing goods online, ensuring competitive prices.
• Key Achievements: Over 2.59 lakh PRIs use the platform, transferring over ₹3 lakh crore through transparent digital payments.

About SabhaSaar

• It is an advanced AI-enabled voice-to-text meeting summarisation tool launched by MoPR in 2025.
• Integrated with the BHASHINI platform, it enables transcription and translation in major Indian languages.
• Infrastructure: It securely operates on the IndiaAI Compute Portal under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Key Achievements: Supports 23 Indian languages; over 1.15 lakh Gram Panchayats use it for automatic meeting documentation and summarisation.

Read More > E-Governance in India | Artificial Intelligence Transforming Rural India

{GS2 – IR} India–Russia Arctic Partnership **

• Context (DDN): Recent India–Russia bilateral discussions highlighted Arctic collaboration for long-term energy security amidst the escalating Middle East crisis.

Need for India-Russia Arctic Cooperation

• Gas Security: Domestic gas production meets only half of India’s demand; long-term Russian supplies reduce reliance on volatile traditional markets.
• Hydrocarbon Base: The Russian Arctic holds ~80% of its gas reserves and vast untapped oil, which can assist India in diversifying its crude oil imports.
• Critical Minerals: The partnership facilitates access to coking coal, rare earths, and other vital minerals for India’s green energy and high-tech manufacturing.
• Logistics Efficiency: Developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC) reduces transit times compared to the Suez Canal route.
• Geopolitical Balancing: A stronger Indian presence in the Russian Arctic counters China’s expanding influence and its ‘Polar Silk Road’ initiative in the region.

Key Initiatives Driving India-Russia Arctic Partnership

• Policy Framework: The 2025 summit endorsed stronger economic cooperation in the Russian Far East and Arctic under the 2024–2029 programme.
• Joint Projects: Indian companies have stakes in major Russian energy projects and are exploring opportunities for involvement in Arctic LNG ventures.
• Training: Russia is training Indian specialists in polar navigation for year-round Arctic operations.
• Logistical Support: Under the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) agreement, India gained access to Russian Arctic naval bases for replenishment and repairs.
• LNG Engagement: India resumed LNG supply negotiations with Russia, including potential contracts with NOVATEK Arctic projects.

Read More > India-Russia Relations

{GS3 – IE} Energy Statistics India 2026

• Context (PIB): The National Statistics Office has released the 33^rd edition of the Energy Statistics India Report 2026 to provide official energy data.

• Objective: To present integrated statistics on reserves, production, consumption, capacity, and trade of all major energy resources for informed policymaking.

Key Highlights of the Energy Statistics India 2026

• Energy Supply: India’s Total Primary Energy Supply increased by 2.95% in FY 2024–25, reaching 9,32,816 Kilo Tonnes of oil Equivalent (ktoe).
• Renewable Energy Potential: India’s RE potential stands at 47 lakh MW, with solar energy contributing ~71%, followed by wind and hydro.
• Regional Concentration of RE: Over 70% of RE potential is concentrated in six states—Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Renewable Capacity: Installed renewable energy capacity increased from 90,134 MW (2016) to 2,29,346 MW (2025), recording a CAGR of 10.93%.
• Renewable Power Generation: Renewable electricity generation rose from 1,89,314 GWh to 4,16,823 GWh (2015–16 to 2024–25), growing at a 9.17% CAGR.
• Energy Consumption: Per capita energy consumption increased to 18,096 megajoules/person, reflecting higher demand due to development.
• Power Efficiency: Transmission & Distribution losses reduced from 22% to 17%, indicating better efficiency in electricity delivery.
• Coal: Coal remains the primary energy source, with supply rising to 5,52,315 Ktoe, highlighting dependence on fossil fuels.
• Final Energy Demand: Total Final Consumption increased by over 30%, driven by industrialisation and economic expansion.
• Financial Support: Credit flow to the energy sector grew over six times from ₹1,688 crore (2021) to ₹10,325 crore (2025).

{GS3 – Envi} CMS COP15 Concluded in Campo Grande, Brazil **

• Context (DTE): 15^th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the CMS concluded in Campo Grande, Brazil, under the theme “Connecting Nature to Sustain Life“.

• Next COP: Germany will host COP16 to the CMS in Bonn in 2029, coinciding with the 50^th anniversary of the Convention.

Key Outcomes of CMS COP15

• Species Protection: 40 species, subspecies, and populations were added to the CMS Appendices. Giant Otter, Striped Hyena, and Thresher Sharks were added to Appendix I.
• Mining Moratorium: Countries were urged to pause deep-seabed extraction until scientific evidence confirms the safety of migratory marine ecosystems.
• Enforcement Body: COP15 established the Global Initiative on the Taking of Migratory Species (GTI) to combat illegal hunting and exploitation of migratory species.
• Blue Corridors: Transboundary migration routes for whales, turtles, and sharks were promoted for protection under the Blue Corridors Framework.
• Seamount Designation: Seamounts were designated as Critical Habitat, calling for restrictions on bottom-trawling and commercial fishing.
• Ocean Flyways: Six major flyways were mapped for the first time to coordinate avian protection over open oceans.
• Infrastructure Standards: National planning was urged to integrate wildlife-friendly infrastructure standards for roads and railways.
• Hemispheric Flyways: Atlas of the Migratory Routes of the Americas was launched to synchronise bird conservation across the Western Hemisphere
• Noise Limits: Shipping and seismic surveys were targeted by updated guidelines on underwater noise to minimise physiological trauma to deep-diving cetaceans.
• Catfish Protection: The Amazonian Catfish Action Plan was adopted to protect the world’s longest freshwater migration route in the Amazon basin.

Read More> Conservation of Migratory Species

{GS3 – DM} India’s Disaster Funding Framework under 16^th Finance Commission

• Context (TH): India’s disaster funding framework underwent a structural overhaul under the 16^th Finance Commission (2026-31)

Disaster Funding Formula under 16^th Finance Commission

• Model Shift: The earlier additive disaster-funding model was replaced by a multiplicative Disaster Risk Index (DRI).
• Formula: DRI measures state disaster risk as a purely multiplicative formula: Hazard (H) × Exposure (E) × Vulnerability (V).
  1. Hazard (H): Historical frequency and severity of 10 specific natural disasters.
  2. Exposure (E): Projected population for October 2026, used as a proxy for lives, assets, and infrastructure at risk.
  3. Vulnerability (V): Per-capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP); lower-income states score higher due to their limited fiscal cushion.
• DRI Logic: States with equal risk (H × E × V) receive identical DRI allocations. The formula does not adjust funding based on a state’s institutional readiness.

Financial Allocation

• Total Corpus: ₹2,04,401 crore was allocated for state-level disaster management over five years, a 27.6% increase over the 15^th Finance Commission.
• Fund Split: The corpus is split 80:20 between the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF).
• Centre-State Ratio: The Centre-State funding ratio is 75:25 for general category states and 90:10 for NE and Himalayan states.
• Release Terms: Funds are released in two equal annual instalments, provided that states validate disaster data via the National Disaster Management Information System (NDMIS) portal.
• Withholding Rule: If a state’s unspent SDRF balance exceeds its past three years’ annual allocation, the Centre may withhold further releases until the balance drops.
• State Flexibility: States may use up to 10% of their SDRF for locally severe disasters not covered under the nationally notified list.

Issues with Disaster Funding under 16^th Finance Commission

• Population Bias: Population-based Exposure (E) weighting reduces fiscal support for sparsely populated zones facing extreme ecological risks.
• Climate Blind Spot: Static historical averages for the Hazard (H) variable fail to account for the nonlinear acceleration of modern climate-induced disasters.
• Digital Bottlenecks: Mandatory NDMIS data validation disadvantages technologically lagging states, risking aid delays during active emergencies.
• Administrative Friction: The withholding rule does not account for legitimate delays such as procurement cycles and seasonal weather windows.
• Safety-Net Erosion: Discontinuing Revenue Deficit Grants removes the primary fiscal cushion for mountain states with permanent structural vulnerabilities.

Proposed Reforms for Disaster Funding

• Ecological Weighting: Replace population proxies in Exposure (E) with ecological risk factors to ensure sparsely populated, high-risk zones receive adequate fiscal support.
• Efficiency Rewards: Reintroduce Capacity (C) into the DRI as a positive multiplier to incentivise states for institutional disaster preparedness.
• Dynamic Modelling: Incorporate predictive climate simulations alongside historical averages to account for the non-linear acceleration of modern disasters.
• Equalisation Grants: Establish a dedicated Climate Resilience Grant for mountain states to replace the fiscal cushion lost with the removal of Revenue Deficit Grants.
• Risk Pooling: Develop a National Disaster Insurance Pool to reduce the direct fiscal burden on state budgets for high-magnitude catastrophes.

Read More> 16th Finance Commission | Climate Finance

{GS3 – S&T} NASA’s Artemis II Mission *

• Context (IE): NASA’s Artemis II mission launches today, making it the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.
• It will carry four astronauts, including the first woman and the first person of colour.
• International Partners: NASA has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for its Artemis program.
• Launch Vehicle: It will launch on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft.
• Significance: It is the first crewed Artemis mission and the foundational step for upcoming missions aimed at a renewed human lunar landing and a sustained presence.

Artemis II Flight Path and Phases

• Lift-off Phase: The SLS lifts off and places the crewed Orion spacecraft into an elliptical high Earth orbit (HEO) to test onboard life-support systems.
• Lunar Phase: Orion will orbit the far side of the Moon, reaching ~7,600 km beyond the lunar surface, enabled by a Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI).
• Return Path: It uses a free-return trajectory, letting the Moon’s gravity redirect it to Earth, ensuring passive safety if engines fail.
• Re-entry Phase: Orion will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at about 40,000 km/h, testing the largest heat shield ever built before Pacific Ocean splashdown.

Read More > NASA’s Artemis Mission

{GS3 – S&T} BRIC-Research Advisory Board Holds First Meeting

• Context (PIB): BRIC-Research Advisory Board held its inaugural meeting at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad.
• BRIC-RAB is a high-level statutory scientific body that defines research priorities and sets strategic direction for the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC).

About Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC)

• BRIC is the apex autonomous body under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Establishment: It was founded in 2023 to unify 14 autonomous institutions into a national biotechnology framework.
• Model: BRIC operates a decentralised national laboratory model to pool specialised expertise and strengthen global competitiveness.
• Alignment: It supports the BioE3 Policy to help grow India’s bioeconomy to ₹300 billion by 2030.
• Access: Through the SAHAJ scheme, BRIC provides nationwide access to advanced laboratory infrastructure and high-end scientific instrumentation.
• Governance: Union Minister for Science and Technology serves as President, and the DBT Secretary serves as ex officio Director General.

{Prelims – Species} Neoloboptera peninsularis *

• Context (NDTV): Researchers have identified Neoloboptera peninsularis, a new cockroach species, in Pune, Maharashtra.
• India Record: It is only the third Neoloboptera species recorded in India and the first cockroach identified using DNA technology.
• Appearance: The species has a glossy, yellowish-brown body with asymmetrical cerci.
• Habitat: It was found in palm shrubs and dry, decaying leaf litter.
• Distribution: N. peninsularis is endemic to Peninsular India.

{Prelims – Envi} Centre Notifies Bhavasagara as National Deep-Sea Fauna Repository *

• Context (PIB): Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) designated “Bhavasagara” Referral Centre as India’s National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.

• The recognition was conferred under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• Bhavasagara is situated at the Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE) in Kochi, Kerala.
• Collection: It holds over 3,500 geo-referenced specimens of identified deep-sea vertebrates and invertebrates for scientific research.
• Custodianship: It is now the legal custodian for preserving the genetic data of newly discovered species within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Significance: The designation strengthens India’s Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) and aligns with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

{Prelims – S&T} CSIR Transfers Indigenous Bio-Bitumen Technology *

• Context (PIB): Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) transferred indigenously developed Bio-Bitumen technology for large-scale industry adoption.

• Collaboration: CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) jointly developed the technology.
• Significance: Industrial adoption will decrease India’s bitumen import costs, while utilising crop residue will aid in reducing stubble burning.

About Bio-Bitumen

• Bio-bitumen is a renewable, low-carbon structural binder made from non-food biomass, such as agricultural and forestry residues.
• It acts as a sustainable substitute for fossil-fuel-based asphalt in road construction applications.
• Composition: Contains lignin polymers, bio-oils, resins, and saturates derived from biomass. Biochar is sometimes incorporated to enhance its hardness and thermal resistance.
• Production Process: Agri-waste undergoes pyrolysis at 400–600°C in oxygen-free conditions to produce bio-oil, which is refined into road-grade bio-bitumen.
• Climate Impact: It lowers lifecycle carbon footprint by 30–40% and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to conventional bitumen.
• Key Milestones: India became the first country to produce bio-bitumen commercially; the first national highway section using a 15% bio-bitumen blend was inaugurated on NH-44 in 2024.

Read More > India Becomes First Country to Commercially Produce Bio-Bitumen

{Prelims – S&T} IIT Guwahati Develops PCM Bricks for Energy-Efficient Buildings

• Context (TH): Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed energy-efficient bricks that provide passive cooling for buildings.

• Thermal Stability: The bricks use Phase Change Materials (PCM) to stabilise indoor temperatures.
• Heat Cycle: During the day, the PCM melts to absorb excess heat; as temperatures drop in the evening, it solidifies to release the stored heat gradually.
• PCM Type: OM35, with a melting point of 35°C, was chosen for its suitability in tropical climates.
• Leakage Control: Porous, carbon-rich biochar absorbs and retains molten PCM within the brick matrix.
• Performance: These bricks can lower indoor wall temperatures by about 3°C, potentially reducing cooling energy demands by 10-20%.

{Prelims – Exercise} IONS Maritime Exercise (IMEX) TTX 2026 *

• Context (PIB): The Indian Navy hosted IMEX TTX 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi.

• Organisation Involved: Under the framework of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
• Participation: Included navies from Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste.
• Nature of Exercise: It was a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) conducted in a simulated environment.
• Focus Areas: It focused on tackling non-traditional maritime security challenges such as piracy, trafficking, and maritime disasters in the IOR.
• Strategic Importance: The exercise addressed security concerns in the IOR, which is vital for global trade, energy supply routes, and connectivity.
• India’s Role: IMEX TTX 2026 coincides with India assuming the IONS

{Prelims – Defence} INS Agray *

• Context (PIB): ‘Agray’, the fourth Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), was recently delivered to the Indian Navy.

• INS Agray is an Arnala-class ASW SWC with over 80% indigenous content, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• It is designed for sub-surface surveillance, search-and-attack missions and anti-submarine operations; also supports mine-laying and low-intensity maritime operations (LIMO).
• Arnala-class vessels are the largest water-jet-propelled warships (77 m) in the Indian Navy.
• Speed: It can attain ~25 knots, allowing for high manoeuvrability in shallow waters.
• Weapon Systems: Equipped with indigenous rocket launchers, lightweight torpedoes, a 30 mm Naval Surface Gun, Stabilised Remote-Controlled Guns, and an advanced SONAR suite.
• Significance: The Arnala-class will replace the Abhay-class ASW Corvettes to strengthen coastal anti-submarine capability and advance the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Read More > Arnala