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Literature & Awards
Jnanpith Award — Vairamuthu (60th, 2025)
Vairamuthu (born 13 July 1953) is the winner of the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025) — India’s highest literary honour, comprising ₹11 lakh + a bronze Vagdevi statuette + a citation. He is the third Tamil writer to receive it, after P.V. Akilan (1975) and D. Jayakanthan (2002). He has authored 37+ books, won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics 7 times, and holds the Padma Shri (2003) and Padma Bhushan (2014).
International — Cinema
98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026) — Key Winners
Held on 15 March 2026 at Dolby Theatre, Hollywood (host: Conan O’Brien). ‘One Battle After Another’ (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson) won Best Picture with 6 total awards. First-ever Best Achievement in Casting award (won by Cassandra Kulukundis) — only the 2nd new competitive category since Best Animated Feature (2001). Other winners: Michael B. Jordan (Best Actor, ‘Sinners’), Jessie Buckley (Best Actress, ‘Hamnet’), Sean Penn (Best Supporting Actor).
Technology & Governance
NDSA & NETRA — AI for Dam Safety
NETRA (NDSA Engine for Tracking and Review using AI) was developed by NDSA in collaboration with WESEE (Indian Navy). It is an AI-enabled conversational platform for dam safety regulations and documents. NDSA was established under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 (Ministry of Jal Shakti) and inaugurated by Union Minister C.R. Patil. The Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan (RBSD) — a Dam Break Analysis visualisation tool — was developed by C-DAC.
Consumer Affairs
Gold Hallmarking in India — Phase VI (2026)
Mandatory gold hallmarking is implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Phase I began in June 2021 (256 districts); by Phase VI (March 2026), coverage reached 380 districts. Phase VI added 7 new districts including Rupnagar (Punjab), Beed (Maharashtra), and Katihar (Bihar). Hallmarking ensures the purity and authenticity of gold jewellery, strengthening consumer protection.
Space Technology
ISRO CE20 Cryogenic Engine Test — C32 for LVM3
ISRO conducted a 165-second sea-level hot test of the CE20 Cryogenic Engine at 22-tonne thrust (increased from 19-tonne) at IPRC, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The test supports the uprated Cryogenic Stage C32 for LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), India’s heaviest operational rocket (used for Chandrayaan-3). A Nozzle Protection System (NPS) managed flow separation challenges inherent in sea-level testing.
Appointments
KV Ramana Murty — SEBI Whole-Time Member
K.V. Ramana Murty (1991-batch IDAS officer) was appointed as SEBI Whole-Time Member for three years by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by PM Modi. SEBI now has 4 Whole-Time Members: Ramana Murty, Kamlesh Chandra Varshney, Sandip Pradhan, and Amarjeet Singh. SEBI’s full board: 1 Chairman + 4 WTMs + 4 part-time members (from MoCA, MoF, and RBI).
Health & Immunisation
National Vaccination Day — 16 March
Observed on 16 March annually, commemorating the first administration of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in India on 16 March 1995 under the Pulse Polio Programme. India was declared polio-free by WHO in 2014. The day promotes India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) — one of the world’s largest — covering vaccines against tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and hepatitis B.
International Affairs
Jose Antonio Kast — 38th President of Chile
Jose Antonio Kast Rist was sworn in as Chile’s 38th President at the National Congress in Valparaíso. He is the founder and leader of the Republican Party of Chile (a right-wing party) and succeeded Gabriel Boric Font (served since March 2022). India was represented at the inauguration by MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh (Ministry of External Affairs). Kast won the 2025 Chilean presidential election.
Art & Culture
Annapurna Devi — Birth Centenary
Annapurna Devi was a legendary Hindustani classical musician and master of the surbahar (bass sitar). She was the daughter of Allauddin Khan and was married to Ravi Shankar. Known for her reclusive nature, she preferred teaching. India Post released a special cover at Kolkata GPO for her birth centenary. Awards: Padma Bhushan (1977), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2004).
Polity & Constitution
Rajya Sabha — Structure & Electoral Method
Rajya Sabha elections use Proportional Representation through Single Transferable Vote (PR-STV), with elected MLAs as electors. The Rajya Sabha has 245 total seats (233 elected + 12 nominated by the President); members serve 6-year terms with one-third retiring every two years. It is a permanent house (cannot be dissolved). The Vice President of India is its ex-officio Chairman. On 16 March 2026, elections were held for 37 seats (biennial elections).
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Who are the three Tamil writers to have won the Jnanpith Award, and in which years?
P.V. Akilan (1975), D. Jayakanthan (2002), Vairamuthu (2025)
Vairamuthu is the first Tamil winner in 20 years; award includes ₹11 lakh + bronze Vagdevi statuette
Tap to Reveal
Which film won Best Picture at the 98th Oscars, and who directed it?
‘One Battle After Another’ — Paul Thomas Anderson
6 total awards; host was Conan O’Brien; Best Achievement in Casting introduced for first time
Tap to Reveal
What does NETRA stand for, and which two organisations developed it?
NDSA Engine for Tracking and Review using AI; NDSA + WESEE (Indian Navy)
NDSA established under Dam Safety Act, 2021 (Ministry of Jal Shakti)
Tap to Reveal
Which body implements mandatory gold hallmarking in India, and when did Phase I begin?
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS); June 2021
Phase VI (March 2026) covers 380 districts; under Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Tap to Reveal
ISRO’s CE20 engine sea-level hot test supports which cryogenic stage for which rocket?
C32 stage for LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3)
Test at IPRC Mahendragiri; 22-tonne thrust; LVM3 used for Chandrayaan-3
Tap to Reveal
What event on 16 March 1995 gave rise to National Vaccination Day in India?
First administration of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) under Pulse Polio Programme
India declared polio-free by WHO in 2014
Tap to Reveal
Who is Annapurna Devi, and which instrument was she famous for?
Hindustani classical musician; daughter of Allauddin Khan; surbahar (bass sitar)
Was married to Ravi Shankar; awarded Padma Bhushan (1977) & Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2004)
Tap to Reveal
What is the total seat composition of the Rajya Sabha, and who is its ex-officio Chairman?
245 seats (233 elected + 12 nominated); Vice President of India
Permanent house; cannot be dissolved; elections by PR-STV method by MLAs
Think & Discuss
AI in Governance: From Dam Safety to Digital Courts — How Far Should India Go?
Context from today’s quiz: NDSA’s launch of NETRA — an AI-enabled conversational platform for dam safety developed jointly with the Indian Navy’s WESEE — signals a growing trend of deploying artificial intelligence tools in India’s critical infrastructure governance. This raises important questions about the limits and safeguards of AI in high-stakes public administration.
🤔 Your Perspective Matters
India is increasingly deploying AI tools in domains ranging from dam safety monitoring to tax compliance, financial regulation, and agricultural advisories. NETRA represents a shift from data collection to AI-assisted decision support in infrastructure governance — where errors can have catastrophic consequences.
Should India establish a dedicated regulatory framework for AI deployed in critical public infrastructure — or is sector-by-sector oversight (as with NDSA, SEBI, RBI) sufficient?
Should India establish a dedicated regulatory framework for AI deployed in critical public infrastructure — or is sector-by-sector oversight (as with NDSA, SEBI, RBI) sufficient?
- NETRA was developed jointly by a civilian authority (NDSA) and a defence establishment (WESEE/Indian Navy) — what are the advantages and risks of such civil-military technology collaboration in public governance?
- SEBI now has four Whole-Time Members overseeing complex financial markets. How should India’s regulatory bodies like SEBI adapt their oversight capabilities as AI-driven trading and compliance tools proliferate?
- With gold hallmarking under BIS, digital payments under RBI, and dam safety under NDSA, India’s governance architecture is increasingly tech-mediated. Does this strengthen or fragment accountability?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your perspective in the comments.
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