Daily Current Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of the Noida International Airport at Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, on 28 March 2026. The event was attended by UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.

• IATA Code: DXN
• Developer: Zurich Airport International AG under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model; Phase 1 investment: approximately Rs 11,200 crore
• Phase 1 Capacity: 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA); scalable to 70 MPPA with 5 runways by 2040
• Runway: 3,900-metre runway for wide-body aircraft (Boeing 777-300ER etc.); equipped with Instrument Landing System (ILS); all-weather, 24×7 operations
• Cargo: Multi-Modal Cargo Hub; initial capacity over 2.5 lakh metric tonnes/year, expandable to 18 lakh metric tonnes; includes a 40-acre MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility
• Strategic Role: Second international airport for Delhi-NCR alongside Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL); serves Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Agra, and Western UP
• History: Concept first cleared during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government in 2003; originally slated to open December 2024; located along Yamuna Expressway

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest port operator handling nearly 27% of India’s port cargo volumes, operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR) on 27 March 2026.

• Port of Refuge (PoR): Defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a designated location where ships in distress can seek shelter, protect crew lives, and limit environmental damage
• West Coast: Dighi Port, Maharashtra — covers the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf routes
• East Coast: Gopalpur Port, Odisha — covers the Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait routes
• Tripartite MoU: Between APSEZ, SMIT Salvage (division of Royal Boskalis Westminster NV, the Dutch maritime giant), and the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC)
• Services: Salvage and wreck removal; firefighting; pollution containment; emergency coordination
• Key Officials: APSEZ CEO Ashwani Gupta; DG Shipping Shyam Jagannathan (IAS)

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Modified Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN), aimed at strengthening air connectivity to underserved Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

• Financial Outlay: Rs 28,840 crore over 10 years (FY2026-27 to FY2035-36)
• New Destinations: Around 120 new destinations; expected to cater to nearly 40 million passengers
• Original UDAN: Launched in October 2016; full form — Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (Let the common citizen of the country fly)
• Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation

The Union Cabinet approved the extension of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme for five years (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031) with a total outlay of Rs 1,800 crore, aligning with the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

• Implementing Agency: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Bureau of Immigration (BoI)
• Background: Originally approved by CCEA in May 2010 (Rs 1,011 crore, till September 2014); identified as Mission Mode Project under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
• Focus Areas: Emerging technology innovations; transformation of core infrastructure at Immigration Posts, FRROs, and Data Centres; unified digital platforms

The Union Cabinet approved India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031–2035, strengthening India’s climate commitment under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) collaborated with Truecaller to launch TrueCyberSakhi, a women’s digital safety awareness initiative across India.

• TrueCyberSakhi: A Digital Safety Toolkit using quizzes and self-assessment tools to raise women’s awareness of digital risks — spam, phishing, and financial fraud; promotes access to NCW’s 24×7 helpline
• NCW: Autonomous statutory body established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990; came into existence in January 1992; mandated to protect and promote women’s rights

The Digital India BHASHa Interface for India (BHASHINI) Division (DIBD) under MeitY and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) signed an MoU under ‘BHASHINI for Seva–Sanchalan’ on 25 March 2026 to enhance multilingual access to pension services.

• Languages Covered: All 22 Eighth Schedule languages of India — including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, and Sanskrit
• Technology: AI models for real-time translation; voice-enabled interfaces with speech-to-text and text-to-speech; BHASHINI Sahayogi Programme for integration
• BHASHINI: India’s AI-driven language technology initiative under the National Language Translation Mission (MeitY); supports 36 Indian languages, 23 voices, and 35 international languages

Dr. Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay, a noted Bengali writer, has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2025 for his Bengali novel ‘Hara Parbati Katha’ (published 2020). This award returns to a Bengali writer after a gap of 22 years.

• Award: Saraswati Samman — instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation; awarded annually for outstanding literary work in any of the 22 Indian languages by an Indian citizen, published in the previous 10 years
• Prize: Rs 15 lakh in cash, a citation, and a plaque (trophy)
• Selection Committee: Chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri; process involved 22 language committees and 5 regional committees; shortlist of 5 books (Hindi, Telugu, Bodo, Marathi, Bengali)
• Historic Note: First Bengali winner in 22 years (last Bengali winner: 2003); first-ever Saraswati Samman was awarded to Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four-volume autobiography in 1991

World Bipolar Day (WBD) is observed annually on 30 March — chosen to coincide with the birthday of Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (born 30 March 1853), who was posthumously diagnosed as probably having had bipolar disorder. The 2026 theme is ‘#BipolarStrong’.

• Observing Organisations: ISBD (International Society for Bipolar Disorders), IBPF (International Bipolar Foundation), and ANBD (Asian Network of Bipolar Disorders)
• History: Idea originated by ANBD; first officially observed: 30 March 2014; backed by ISBD and IBPF
• Significance: Global prevalence of bipolar disorder estimated at 1–5%; WHO lists it as the 6th leading cause of disability in the world
• Awareness Symbol: Green ribbon — represents hope, strength, and solidarity

Mahavir Jayanti 2026 is observed on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. It marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira (Vardhamana), the 24th and last Tirthankara (spiritual teacher/ford-maker) of Jainism.

• Birth: 599 BCE (some Jain traditions: 615 BCE) in Kundagrama (modern-day Vaishali, Bihar)
• Moksha: Attained liberation at Pawapuri, Bihar
• Status: Gazetted public holiday in India