Legal Current Affairs for 2 April 2026

Location: Banswara, Rajasthan near the Mahi Dam on River Mahi.
Capacity: 4 x 700 MWe PHWR (4 nuclear power units of Indigenous PHWRs (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors)).
PHWRs use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water (deuterium oxide) as coolant and moderator.
Development: By Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam (ASHVINI), a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited (NPCIL) and National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC).
The project is part of India’s “fleet mode” initiative.
Under this Initiative, ten identical 700 MW reactors are being built across India under uniform design and procurement plans.

Aim: Provide “Housing for All” in Rural Areas.
It helps financial assistance to eligible rural households, including houseless families and those living in zero, one, or two-room kutcha houses, to construct pucca homes with basic amenities.
Targets: Government initially set a target of 2.95 crore houses for FY 2016– 17 to FY 2023–24 and approved continuation for another five years (FY 2024–25 to FY 2028–29) with an additional target of 2 crore houses.
Financial Assistance: Minimum Unit Size of 25 sq. m. and Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly states.
Funding: Cost of unit assistance is to be shared between Central and State Government in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and the Himalayan States.
Beneficiary Selection: Using housing deprivation parameters in the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, which is to be verified by the Gram Sabhas.

Defined by Code on Social Security 2020, Gig worker is a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns from such activities outside of traditional employer-employee relationship.
Scale: Gig workers increased from 77 lakh workers in FY21 to 120 lakh workers in FY25, representing over 2% of India’s total workforce.
Challenges: Income and job volatility, challenging in accessing credit, financial inclusion, algorithmic biases, lack of social security, safety concerns etc.
Code on Social Security 2020: It provides a formal recognition to Gig workers and Platform workers.
Aggregators are required to contribute 1-2% of their annual turnover (capped at 5% of payments made or payable to gig/platform workers) to a Social Security Fund.
The fund finances a range of welfare schemes for these workers.
Each worker will receive a unique Aadhaar-linked ID generated through registration on e-Shram, allowing their social security benefits to be portable across platforms.

It is an 80:20 mix of petrol and ethanol.
The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018(amended in 2022): Advanced the target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol to Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26 from 2030.
Benefits: Improves fuel performance, Strengthens energy security etc.
Concerns: Reduced fuel efficiency in some vehicles, corrosion or damage to older vehicles, etc.

It is the 16th Census in the series and the 8th since Independence.
The last Census was conducted in 2011.
It is the world’s largest and first digitallly conducted Census with the option of Self-Enumeration.
Self-Enumeration is a secure web-based facility for entering information online in 16 languages before the door-to-door survey.
To be conducted in two phases, House Listing (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE).
It will include the first nationwide caste enumeration in independent India (last done in 1931) for all communities (beyond Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes).
Conducted by: Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs (decennially)
Legal Backing: Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990.

Malwan: The second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), indigenously designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited at Kochi.
Named after the historic coastal town of Malwan, reflecting the rich maritime legacy associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Capabilities: underwater surveillance and anti-submarine and mine warfare.
Three frontline Naval platforms built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), Kolkata:
Indigenous Stealth Frigate Dunagiri: Fifth ship of Nilgiri Class (Project 17A), it is capable of striking designated targets with missiles.
Fourth Survey Vessel (Large) Sanshodhak: Carry out coastal and deep-water Hydrographic surveys
‘Agray’: The fourth of eight ASW SWC, designed to destroy enemy submarines.

A Mauryan emperor and the grandson of Emperor Ashok, born to father Kunal and mother Kanchanmala.
Known as Indrapalit, Sangat and Vigatashok; his life is described in Jain scripture like ‘Sampratikatha’, ‘Parishistaparva’, and ‘Prabhavakcharita’.
Pivotal role in spreading Jainism (also referred to as ‘Jain Ashoka’) and the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) across the subcontinent.
He is known to have built and repaired many Jain temples.

Luni River originates from western slopes of the Aravalli ranges near Ajmer.
Traversing a course of 511 km in Rajasthan, it finally flows into Rann of Kachchh.
Its Tributaries include Jojari, Bandi, Mithri, Lilari, Sukri, Jawai etc.

RPSA aims to develop Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), known as Ghatak UCAVs.
UCAVs usually carries aircraft ordinances such as missiles and/or bombs and is used for drone strikes and other military operations.
Ghatak is a stealth-capable UCAV, based on a flying-wing configuration.
Once operational, Ghatak could undertake deep-strike missions, penetrating heavily defended airspace to hit high-value targets without placing pilots at risk.