Legal Current Affairs for 31 March 2026

Background: Naxalism or Left Wing Extremism (LWE) originated from the Naxalbari movement of 1967 in West Bengal.
Aim: The movement aims to undermine the Indian state through armed rebellion and parallel governance structures, particularly targeting security forces, public infrastructure, and democratic institutions.
It spread primarily across the “Red Corridor,” affecting states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Key Reasons for Growth: Socio-economic (E.g., social alienation, sub-optimal access to education), Governance issues (E.g., Ineffective implementation of Forest Rights Act and PESA Act), etc.

Current Status: As per Central Pollution Control Board, in 2023-24 total solid waste generated in India was about 1.85 lakh TPD (Tonnes per day).
Around 61% of this gets processed or treated, while rest end up in landfills.
Challenges: Absence of proper collection and segregation at source, limited availability of land, indiscriminate dumping of electronic waste (e-waste), financial constraints with local bodies, etc.
Issues:
Emission of methane (highly potent greenhouse gas), leading to global warming, landfill fires, and explosions.
Leachate (toxic liquid runoff) seeping into the ground, heavily contaminating groundwater.
Open burning of waste releases fine particulate matter, causing smog and severe respiratory diseases.

National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released Energy Statistics India 2026.
Key highlights of Energy Statistics India 2026
Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) grew by 2.95% in FY 2024-25 to reach ≈ 9.3 lakh kilo tonnes of oil equivalent (KToE).
Renewable energy: generation stands at ~ 47 lakh Megawatt as on 31-Mar-2025.
Top 3 States: Rajasthan (23.70%), Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Largest components: Solar energy (~ 71%) followed by wind and large hydro projects.
Coal remains the dominant source.

Government launched the 11th exploration licensing round offering 21 blocks under the OALP.
About OALP
Introduced: in 2016 as part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP).
Objective: allows investors looking to explore hydrocarbons to select blocks after studying the data available through NDR (National Data Repository) without waiting for a formal bid round from the Government.
Salient Features of OALP–XI under HELP: Revenue Sharing Model; Reduced Royalty Rates; No Oil Cess; Single Licence for all hydrocarbon (Conventional and Unconventional); Marketing and Pricing freedom, etc.

IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) has introduced Ind AS (Indian Accounting Standards) based Financial Reporting Framework for the Insurance Sector.
It aims to align the Indian insurance sector with globally accepted standards.
It applies to all categories including life, general, standalone health insurers, and reinsurers.
About Ind AS Framework
Overview: They are a set of financial reporting standards implemented in India to harmonize local accounting practices with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Primary Goal: To enhance the global accessibility, transparency, and reliability of financial statements produced by Indian companies.
Implemented by: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Process: It utilizes agricultural biomass and crop residues as feedstock to produce a renewable, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petroleum-based bitumen.
Bitumen is a highly viscous, black, sticky, and waterproof hydrocarbon material obtained from crude oil refining (or natural deposits).
Significance
Cost reduction and import substitution
Reduction in carbon emissions
Rural/agricultural waste utilisation

It is located at the Center for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE) in Kochi, Kerala.
CMLRE works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Objective: It will serve as a critical national facility for preserving, studying, and documenting India’s deep-sea biological heritage.
Significance: It strengthens India’s “blue economy” and marine biodiversity framework.
Key Responsibilities:
Secure Custody: Preserving biological samples and DNA sequences for future scientific reference.
Holding Type Specimens: Acting as the official custodian for any newly discovered deep-sea species in Indian waters.
Capacity Building: Fostering expertise in deep-sea taxonomy to align with the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030).
Status of Deep Sea Fauna: As of 2021, India is home to 4,371 species of deep-sea fauna, including 1,032 species under the kingdom Protista and 3,339 species under the kingdom Animalia (Zoological Survey of India).