News In Shorts 28 September 2026: Census 2027, NDTS, DCR & Typhoon Dujuan

Census 2027

Context: Recently, Prime Minister urged citizens to actively participate in Census 2027, describing it as a national responsibility. 

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About Census 2027

• World’s Largest Census Exercise: Census 2027 will be the world’s largest census exercise.
• 16th Census: Census 2027 will be the 16th Census in the series of Indian censuses and the 8th since Independence.
• Census 2027 Mascots: “Pragati” (female enumerator) and “Vikas” (male enumerator) were unveiled as the mascots for Census 2027.
• Legal Framework: The Census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990, along with amendments made thereunder.
• Two-Phase Exercise: Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases:
  • Phase I: Houselisting and Housing Census.
  • Phase II: Population Enumeration.
• Digital Census: For the first time, the Census will be conducted through digital means, with enumerators using a mobile application for data collection. 
  • The Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal will facilitate management and monitoring of the exercise.
• Self-Enumeration: For the first time, respondents will have the option to self-enumerate their household information online through a dedicated web portal.
  • Self-Enumeration ID: Upon successful submission, a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) will be generated. The respondent will share this ID with the enumerator, who will use it to verify/confirm the submitted information.
• Caste Enumeration: Caste enumeration will be undertaken during the Population Enumeration phase.
• Data Security: Individual-level Census data will be kept confidential, with only aggregated data published

National Digital Tourism Stack

Context: The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has launched a project to build the National Digital Tourism Stack. 

About the National Digital Tourism Stack

• Digital Public Infrastructure: The NDTS is an open digital public infrastructure initiative for the tourism sector, aimed at making India’s tourism offerings more discoverable, accessible and trustworthy.
• Shared Digital Ecosystem: It seeks to bring tourism providers and services onto a shared digital ecosystem, enabling tourists to discover, book, and pay for tourism offerings more seamlessly.
• Objective: To address fragmentation in tourism services and provide a more connected, seamless travel experience.

Key Features

• Tourism Experiences & Homestays: Targets onboarding 23,000 tourism experiences and homestays by the end of 2028.
• AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be at the front end of the project.
• One Ticket, One Pass: Envisions a “One Ticket, One Pass” approach to facilitate seamless travel across India.
• Collaborative Model: Involves the Ministry of Tourism, States, Union Territories, and the tourism industry.
• Phased Implementation: The program will be implemented in phases.
• Digital Convenience: Enables tourists to discover more of India, travel with confidence, book and pay easily, while reducing paperwork.

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Begonia rajvikramanii

Context: Researchers from JNTBGRI identified a new Begonia species, Begonia rajvikramanii, from Rosemala in Kollam district, Keralam.

About Begonia rajvikramanii

• Begonia rajvikramanii is a new perennial flowering plant species identified from the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
  • It is named after R. Raj Vikraman, former Head of the Garden Management Division at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) Thiruvananthapuram , Keralam.
• Genus: It belongs to the genus Begonia and family Begoniaceae.
  • Begonia has around 2,200 accepted species, mainly distributed across tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and America.
• Distribution: The species is currently known only from its type locality at Rosemala, Kollam, in Kerala’s Western Ghats.
• Key Features
  • Habitat: It grows in wet habitats, particularly on rocky cliffs and road-cut walls at elevations of approximately 200–350 metres.
  • Flowering Period: Its flowering and fruiting occur from August to April, indicating a prolonged reproductive period.
  • Population and Status: Around 200 mature individuals have been observed across an area of less than 5 km²; it is currently assessed as Data Deficient (DD) under IUCN criteria.
• Significance: Its discovery highlights the exceptional plant diversity and continuing scope for botanical exploration in the Western Ghats.

Digital Connectivity Rating Platform

Context: Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched the Digital Connectivity Rating (DCR) Platform to make the digital connectivity of properties visible, standardised and verifiable for consumers. 

About The DCR Platform

• DCR Platform is an integrated platform launched by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to assess, certify, and publicly display the digital connectivity rating of properties.
• Regulatory Framework: The platform implements the framework under:
  • Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity) Regulations, 2024.
  • Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.

Key Features

• Common Platform: Connects Property Managers (PMs), Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs) and consumers on a common digital interface.
• Property Registration: PMs can register public, government, commercial, private and other properties.
• Digital Assessment: Supports assessment of both constructed and under-construction properties.
• End-to-End Workflow: Covers application, assessment, report generation, certification and publication of ratings.
• Mobile App: Enables authorised DCRAs to conduct in-building digital connectivity measurements.
• Consumer Access: Consumers can search, view, verify and compare ratings using the property name, certificate ID or location.
• Digital Verification: Digitally signed certificates can be verified through Quick Response (QR) codes.
• Digital Services: Supports eSign, online payments, email/SMS alerts and secure storage of property records, test results, certificates and audit logs.

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About Digital Connectivity Rating (DCR) Framework

• The DCR Framework provides a standardised method for evaluating digital connectivity within properties.
• Key Parameters: Assesses fibre readiness, mobile network availability, in-building solutions and Wi-Fi infrastructure.
• Benchmarks: Applies prescribed benchmarks for different categories of properties.
• Objective: Encourages incorporation of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure at appropriate stages of property development and facilitates assessment of connectivity performance in existing properties.

Typhoon Dujuan

Context: Typhoon Dujuan brought record-breaking rainfall to eastern Japan in September 2026, with 832 mm recorded on Izu Oshima in 48 hours.

About Typhoon Dujuan

• Typhoon Dujuan was a tropical cyclone in the Northwest Pacific that brought torrential rainfall, flooding and landslides to eastern Japan.
• Origin: It developed over the western Pacific Ocean 
  • It strengthened while moving towards the Pacific coast of Japan.
• Affected Regions: It impacted the Philippine Sea and the coastal waters of eastern Japan, including regions like the Izu Islands and the Kanto coastline. 

About Typhoon

• A typhoon is a tropical cyclone occurring in the northwestern Pacific Ocean; the terms hurricane and cyclone are used for similar systems in other oceanic regions.
• Key Conditions for Formation
  • Warm Ocean Water: Sea-surface temperatures generally above 26.5–27°C provide the heat and moisture required for tropical cyclone development.
  • Coriolis Force: Earth’s rotation provides the necessary spin, so tropical cyclones generally do not form within about 5°N/S of the Equator.
  • Low Vertical Wind Shear: Weak changes in wind speed and direction with altitude allow the developing storm to maintain its organised structure.
  • Moist Atmosphere and Disturbance: Abundant moisture and a pre-existing low-pressure disturbance provide favourable conditions for cyclone formation.
• Key Features of Typhoons
  • Latent Heat: Condensation of rising water vapour releases latent heat, which supplies additional energy and intensifies the storm.
  • Eye and Eyewall: A mature typhoon develops a relatively calm eye, surrounded by an eyewall containing the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall.
  • Weakening: A typhoon generally weakens after moving over land or cooler waters because its supply of heat and moisture declines.

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