Daily Current Affairs

The Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 commenced in Chhattisgarh on 25 March 2026 and will run through 3 April 2026, organised across three host cities: Raipur, Jagdalpur, and Surguja.

• Participants: Over 6,000 participants, including approximately 2,300 athletes from across India.
• Sports featured: Archery, Athletics, Football, Hockey, Swimming, Weightlifting, Wrestling; Mallakhamb and Kabaddi as demonstrative disciplines.
• Tribal Significance: Over 32% of Chhattisgarh’s population belongs to tribal communities — making it a fitting host.
• Khelo India Programme: Launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) to revive India’s sports culture at the grassroots level.

Union Minister of Coal G. Kishan Reddy stated that India possesses the world’s fifth-largest coal reserves, sufficient to meet the country’s energy needs for 60 to 70 years.

• Global Position: India is the world’s 2nd-largest producer and 2nd-largest consumer of coal.
• Power Dependency: Approximately 74% of India’s electricity is generated by coal-based thermal power plants.
• Reforms: Coal block allocation made more transparent; intensified exploration activities; streamlined approval process.
• Milestone: India crossed 1 Billion Tonne (BT) coal production for the second consecutive year — achieved on 20 March 2026.
• Key Bodies: Ministry of Coal | Coal India Limited (CIL) — primary PSU; HQ: Kolkata.

Delhi Chief Minister and Finance Minister Rekha Gupta presented the Delhi government’s Budget for FY 2026-27 with a total outlay of Rs 1,03,700 crore on 24 March 2026, describing it as a ‘Green Budget’ with the slogan ‘Viksit Delhi, Harit Delhi’.

• Green Allocation: 21% of total budget allocated for environmental initiatives.
• Tax Revenue: Estimated at Rs 74,000 crore; Revenue surplus: Rs 9,092 crore.
• Delhi Per Capita Income: 3rd highest in India at Rs 5,31,610 (growth of 7.92% as per Advance Estimate).

Goldman Sachs lowered India’s GDP growth forecast for calendar year 2026 to 5.9% — the second downgrade in under a month, driven primarily by the Iran-US conflict and resulting disruption to global oil supply.

• Forecast Trajectory: Pre-conflict estimate: 7.0% → Cut on 13 March 2026 to 6.5% → Current cut to 5.9%.
• Key Trigger: Effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz (responsible for 20% of global oil supply); elevated crude prices and rapid Rupee depreciation.
• Brent Crude Projections: $105/barrel (March 2026) → $115/barrel (April 2026) → potential cooling to $80 in Q4 2026.
• Inflation: CPI headline inflation projected at 4.6% (up from 3.9%); within RBI’s target band of 2–6%.
• Rate Action: Goldman anticipates a 50 basis points hike in policy repo rate (currently 5.25%) in 2026.
• Current Account Deficit (CAD): Projected to widen to 2% of GDP in 2026 (up from 1.3% in Q3 FY26).

At the JSW Indian Open 2026 squash tournament held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India’s Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh claimed the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively on 22 March 2026.

• Women’s Final: Anahat Singh (India, Top Seed, World No. 20) def. Hana Moataz (Egypt, World No. 29) — 3-1 (11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6). Anahat’s second consecutive Indian Open title.
• Men’s Final: Abhay Singh (India, 2nd Seed) def. Veer Chotrani (India, 4th Seed) — 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-4). All-Indian final; Abhay’s first Indian Open title.
• Anahat Singh: 18 years old; youngest Asian player to break into PSA World Top 20, surpassing Nicol David’s record in 2026; 16th PSA title overall.
• Indian Squash Milestone: India now has four men in PSA World Top 50.
• Olympic Debut: Squash set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028.
• Organiser: JSW Sports (Parth Jindal, Founder & MD).

The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed globally on 25 March every year, established by the UN General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/62/122 in December 2007, first observed on 25 March 2008.

• 2026 Theme: ‘Justice in Action’ — calls on the global community to confront this history, advance dignity, and transform discriminatory systems.
• Why 25 March: Commemorates the passing of the Slave Trade Act by the British Parliament on 25 March 1807, abolishing the transatlantic slave trade.
• Historical Scale: Over 15 million men, women, and children trafficked from Africa over 400 years; UNGA called it ‘the worst violation of human rights in history’.
• Permanent Memorial: ‘The Ark of Return’ unveiled at UN Headquarters, New York on 25 March 2015.
• UN Outreach Programme: Established in 2007 to educate public and combat racism.
• SDG Links: SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) & SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

World Theatre Day is observed globally on 27 March every year. It was established by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1961 during the IX World Congress of the ITI in Vienna, Austria. The first World Theatre Day was celebrated on 27 March 1962.

• Purpose: Promotes the value of theatre art in all its forms; raises awareness of theatre’s importance across cultures and societies.
• Tradition: A renowned theatre personality delivers an International Message — translated into more than 50 languages.
• Organiser: International Theatre Institute (ITI); affiliated with UNESCO.