Daily Current Affairs

The Indian Navy (IN) launched ‘Operation Urja Suraksha’ (meaning: Energy Protection) to escort and safeguard India-bound energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, amid the ongoing West Asia conflict disrupting global maritime energy routes.

• Objective – Protect India’s energy security; 22 India-bound vessels identified for escort, including 20 high-priority ships carrying LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), and crude oil.
• Naval deployment – More than 5 frontline warships deployed around the Strait of Hormuz — a critical maritime chokepoint through which approximately 20% of global oil supply passes.
• Vessels escorted – LPG carriers Pine Gas and Jag Vasant successfully navigated under naval escort; also escorted: LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi, and crude oil tanker Jag Laadki.
• Context – Iran’s partial blockade of the Strait following the US-Israel-Iran conflict caused crude oil prices to surge to $105–$115/barrel; India imports ~85% of its crude oil needs.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) initiated ‘Project Vayu Baan’, a pioneering project to develop India’s first helicopter-launched Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). With this, India joins an elite group of countries — including the USA and China — that have mastered helicopter-dropped drone technology.

• Implementing agency – IAF’s Directorate of Aerospace Design (DAD); issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in March 2026 to domestic vendors for design and development.
• Mechanism – The small autonomous drone is dropped from a moving helicopter mid-flight; after release, it unfolds wings and activates propulsion independently.
• Stand-off capability – Engages enemy targets from a safe distance of over 50 km, keeping helicopter aircrew outside the range of enemy Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS).
• Strategic fit – Aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) defence production policy; reduces reliance on foreign air-launched drone technologies.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (MoRTH) and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways/MIB/MeitY) jointly launched the PRISM-SG Portal (Portal for Rail-Road Inspection & Stages Management – Steel Girders) in New Delhi, to digitise and streamline approvals for Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and railway infrastructure projects.

• End-to-End Digital Workflow (EEDW) – Integrates Quality Assurance Plan, Welding Procedure Specification, Fabrication Stage Inspection, approvals, and report uploads on one platform.
• Real-Time Monitoring System (RTMS) – Progress tracking, audit trails, accountability, and Inspection Management System (IMS) for photos and test results.
• Multi-Stakeholder Integration (MSI) – Connects Road Owning Departments, Indian Railways, contractors, fabricators, and inspection agencies.
• Key impact – Reduces approval and inspection timeline from ~12 months to just 3–4 months, cutting project costs and improving efficiency.

The Ministry of Culture signed an MoU with YouTube in New Delhi to globally promote India’s folk and tribal music. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Culture & Tourism), Vivek Aggarwal (Secretary, Ministry of Culture), and Gunjan Soni (MD-India, YouTube).

• Joint Task Force (JTF) – Led by Ministry of Culture; YouTube acts as Knowledge Partner providing training, analytics insights, monetisation guidance, and rights awareness to folk and tribal artists.
• Infrastructure access – IGNCA (New Delhi), Sangeet Natak Akademi (New Delhi), National School of Drama (New Delhi), Kalakshetra Foundation (Chennai, TN), and Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) across India.
• Vision – Aligns with PM Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local, Local for Global’ philosophy; positions indigenous Indian art in international markets; strengthens India as Vishwa Mitra (Friend of the World).

The Department of Posts (DoP), Ministry of Communications, signed an MoU with TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited), Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), to develop reliable and cost-effective logistics for TRIFED’s e-commerce platforms including the Tribes India marketplace.

• Term – Valid for initial 2 years; renewable by mutual agreement.
• DoP role – End-to-end logistics for TRIFED’s e-commerce orders via India Post’s nationwide network; Speed Post delivery of tribal products.
• BNPL Account – A Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) account created for TRIFED under India Post Nation Account Facility, streamlining booking and payment for shipments.
• TRIFED – Statutory body under Ministry of Tribal Affairs; promotes marketing of tribal handicrafts and products; Tribes India = TRIFED’s flagship retail/online marketplace.

The Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) signed an MoU with IIT Madras (IITM) Pravartak Technologies Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to accelerate indigenous defence technology development under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• NIC – Nodal Indigenisation Centre set up at Avadi, Chennai — serves as a strategic hub for defence innovation and manufacturing, leveraging the Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor (TNDC).
• Scope – Identifies issues in Army equipment; develops and tests prototypes; supports final deployment; focuses on sensing, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), and Autonomous Technologies (AT).
• IITM Pravartak – Technology transfer and commercialisation entity of IIT Madras; facilitates industry-academia collaboration for deep-tech innovation.

The National Housing Bank (NHB), the apex housing finance regulator under the Government of India, launched the ‘Gruh Sugam Portal’ to simplify and digitise home loan access for defence personnel, paramilitary forces, and central/state government employees.

• Function – Digital platform to compare, apply for, and track home loans online via a single interface; eligible beneficiaries can apply through administrative units without visiting banks.
• Key benefit – Defence and government personnel can avail home loans from their place of posting, removing the need for physical presence at banks.
• About NHB – Established in 1988 under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987; statutory body; regulates Housing Finance Companies (HFCs); promotes affordable housing finance; HQ: New Delhi.

Lakshya Asset Management Company (AMC) received approval from SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to commence its Mutual Fund (MF) business in India.

• Sponsor – Wealth First Portfolio Managers — publicly listed wealth management company on both NSE and BSE.
• Leadership – Key members from Benchmark AMC: Sanjiv Shah, Rajan Mehta, and Sanjay Gaitonde.
• HQ significance – Lakshya AMC will be the first AMC headquartered in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) — marks a shift in India’s financial institution geography beyond traditional hubs like Mumbai.
• Benchmark AMC legacy – Founded 2001; India’s first mutual fund exclusively focused on passive and quantitative investments; pioneered ETFs in India — Nifty BeES (India’s first ETF), Gold BeES (Gold ETF), and Liquid BeES.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its Economic Outlook Interim Report — March 2026 titled ‘Testing Resilience’, projecting India’s GDP growth at 6.1% for Financial Year 2026-27 (FY27).

• Revision – Downward revision of 10 basis points (bps) from earlier forecast of 6.2%; citing global uncertainty from West Asia conflict and trade route disruptions.
• Global growth – Global growth for 2026 unchanged at 2.9%; 2027 lowered to 3.0% (from 3.1%).
• About OECD – 38-member intergovernmental organisation; HQ: Paris, France; founded 1961.

The Government of India (GoI) retained the inflation target unchanged at 4% for the next five years (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031), marking the 2nd consecutive instance of the target remaining unchanged. The decision was notified by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

• Legal basis – Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934 — empowers the central government to determine the inflation target in consultation with RBI every five years.
• Tolerance band – Upper tolerance: 6%; Lower tolerance: 2% — unchanged from the previous 5-year period.
• Framework – India’s Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework, introduced in 2016; mandates RBI to maintain CPI inflation at the specified target within a tolerance band.
• Continuity – Previous target was also 4% (2021–2026) — this is therefore the 2nd consecutive 5-year period at 4%.

On 27 March 2026, Balendra Shah (age 35), a leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was sworn in as the youngest Prime Minister of Nepal after his party secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held on 5 March 2026. Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office at Sheetal Niwas (President’s Office), Kathmandu.

• Firsts – Nepal’s youngest-ever PM; first Madhesi (Madhes region, southern plains bordering India) to become PM of Nepal; 47th Prime Minister of Nepal; appointed under Article 76(1) of Nepal’s Constitution.
• RSP result – Won 182 out of 275 seats in House of Representatives (HoR) — first majority government under Nepal’s current federal framework; crossed simple majority threshold of 138 seats.
• Background – Former rapper; structural engineer; 15th Mayor of Kathmandu (2022–2026); first independent candidate elected as mayor; founded RSP in January 2026.
• Context – Succeeded interim PM Sushila Karki (former Chief Justice), who governed for 6 months after KP Sharma Oli’s government was ousted in September 2025 Gen Z-led protests (76 people killed).
• India connection – PM Narendra Modi congratulated Shah; expressed hope to take India-Nepal friendship to greater heights.

Stuti Pradhan, a young leader from Sikkim, was selected to represent India at the World Youth Parliament (WYP) 2026, highlighting India’s growing youth role in global policy, leadership, and diplomacy.

• WYP – International platform uniting young delegates from countries including South Korea, UAE, Kuwait, Chad, Thailand, Yemen, and others; focuses on youth-led policy solutions on climate change, education, and sustainable development.
• Pradhan’s credentials – Winner of Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 (state winner); honoured as special guest at Lok Bhawan, Sikkim on Republic Day 2026.

Spanish badminton legend Carolina María Marín Martín (age 32) announced her retirement from professional badminton after failing to recover from a third serious knee injury.

• Olympic gold – 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games (Brazil) — first non-Asian woman in history to win the Olympic singles badminton gold medal.
• World Championships – 3 World titles — 2014, 2015, 2018 (Nanjing) — first woman ever to win the World Badminton Championship three times.
• World No. 1 – Held World No. 1 ranking for a record 66 weeks during her career.
• Legacy – European Championship titles; multiple BWF World Tour titles; considered the greatest female badminton player in European history.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved a landmark policy titled ‘Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport’, replacing the 2021 framework. The new policy takes effect from the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic Games (scheduled 14–30 July 2028, USA), without retroactive application.

• SRY screening – Athletes must be SRY-negative (Sex-determining Region Y Gene negative) to compete in female categories.
• Ineligibility – SRY-positive athletes — including XY transgender individuals and those with androgen-sensitive DSD (Differences/Disorders of Sex Development) — are ineligible for female events; exceptions for CAIS (Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) and certain DSD cases without testosterone advantage.
• Scope – Applies to all IOC events — Olympic Games, Youth Olympics, and qualifiers; implemented by National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs) under joint oversight.
• Rationale – Upholds fairness, safety, and integrity; protects rights of female athletes based on scientific evidence of biological advantages in strength, power, and endurance.

Earth Hour 2026 was observed on Saturday, 28 March 2026, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM local time, marking the 20th anniversary of the global environmental campaign. Organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour is the world’s largest participatory environmental movement, uniting millions of people across 190+ countries.

• 2026 Theme – ‘Biggest Hour for Earth’ / ‘Give an Hour to Earth’ — marking 20 years of collective climate and nature action since the inaugural event in 2007.
• First observance – Launched on 31 March 2007 in Sydney, Australia — 2.2 million people and over 2,000 businesses switched off lights; coined as ‘The Big Flick’ in 2006 by WWF-Australia and Leo Burnett Sydney advertising agency.
• Global growth – Within one year (2008), expanded to 35 countries including Bangkok, Chicago, Copenhagen, and Toronto. First Canadian Earth Hour: 29 March 2008 in Toronto. Now spans 190+ countries.
• Symbol – ’60+’ — representing the 60-minute lights-off as a minimum commitment; the ‘+’ symbolises going beyond the hour to take positive environmental action.
• Significance – Highlights interconnection between climate change and biodiversity loss; WWF’s Living Planet Report warns global wildlife populations have declined by 73% over recent decades.

World Bipolar Day is observed annually on 30 March, chosen to coincide with the birthday of Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (30 March 1853), who is believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder.

• Organising bodies – Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder (ANBD), International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF), and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD).
• Purpose – Raise awareness about bipolar disorder and eliminate social stigma globally.
• Van Gogh connection – Born 30 March 1853; Dutch Post-Impressionist painter; believed to have had bipolar disorder — chosen as the symbolic date for the observance.