Current Affairs 17 March 2026

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Assam & WB on March 13-14, 2026
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Assam and West Bengal (WB) from 13–14 March 2026, where he inaugurated projects, dedicated infrastructure to the nation, and laid foundation stones including Bhoomi Poojan for multiple development projects worth over Rs. 66,280 crore, with Rs. 47,600 crore in Assam and Rs. 18,680 crore in WB.
Highlights of the Visit:
Visit to Assam: PM Narendra Modi launched, inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure, energy, railway, waterways, welfare and education projects worth Rs 47,600 crore across Kokrajhar (Assam), Guwahati (Assam) and Silchar (Assam).

• Bhoomi Poojan was performed for Assam Mala 3.0 (AM 3.0), a road infrastructure programme worth Rs 3,200 crore that will construct over 900 kilometres (km) of roads across 34 districts and include 37 bridges to strengthen inter-state connectivity.

Visit to WB: Development projects worth around Rs 18,680 crore covering road infrastructure, ports and railways were inaugurated in Kolkata (WB).
National Highway (NH) projects with a combined length of over 420 km worth about Rs 16,990 crore were inaugurated and launched to improve connectivity and road safety.

Sagar Defence Lays Foundation of World’s First Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding Centre in AP
In March 2026, Sagar Defence Engineering Private Limited, a defence technology company, laid the foundation stone for the world’s first Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding and Systems Centre at Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh (AP). 
About World’s First Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding Centre:
Advanced Shipyard: The proposed Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding Centre will operate as an advanced shipyard integrating robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into key production processes to improve shipbuilding efficiency, workforce productivity, and sustainability.
Integrated Facilities: The centre will house autonomous shipbuilding units, testing infrastructure, a Research and Development (R&D) centre, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, and a specialised training hub within a single integrated campus.
Technologies: The shipyard will adopt smart manufacturing technologies, including robotic fabrication systems for welding, cutting, painting, and assembly, along with automated guided vehicles and additive manufacturing (3D printing) for rapid production of specialised components.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Announced Rs 100 Crore Integrated Aqua Park Project in J&K
In March 2026, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), announced the sanction of a Rs 100 crore Integrated Aqua Park project in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

• The announcement was made during the first-of-its-kind National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries organised by the Department of Fisheries (DoF), MoFAH&D at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar (J&K).

Key Highlights of the Conference:
Guidelines: Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan also released the Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-Water Fisheries (MG-CWF) to promote scientific and sustainable development of the sector.

• The guidelines provide a framework covering Scientific Seed Stocking (SSS), Cage and Pen-Based Aquaculture (CPBA), governance mechanisms, Biodiversity Conservation, value-chain development and monitoring systems.

Awards: Awards were presented to Best Fisheries Cooperative Societies (BFCS), Progressive Fish Farmers (PFF), Kisan Credit Card (KCC) beneficiaries and Fisheries Start-ups (FSU) for their contributions to fisheries development in J&K.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

IISc Professor Arpita Patra Summits World’s Highest Volcano Nevado Ojos del Salado
In March 2026, Arpita Patra, Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru(Karnataka), successfully summited Nevado Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest volcanic peak and the highest mountain in Chile, located on the Chile–Argentina border in the Atacama Desert.

• With this achievement, she became the second Indian woman to scale the peak after Arunima Sinha, who completed the climb in 2019.

Details of Summit:
Expedition: Arpita Patra reached the summit of Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 metres) on 6 March 2026. The climb took her close to 7,000 metres(m) altitude, making it the highest elevation she has ever reached.
Previous Mountaineering Achievements: In May 2025, she became the first Indian woman to summit Mount Giluwe, and in October 2025, she became the second Indian woman to scale Pico de Orizaba.

•  She has previously climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Africa, Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) in Europe, Mount Giluwe (4,367 m) in Oceania, and Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m) in North America.

BANKING & FINANCE

MoF restructured norms for Minimum Public Shareholdings
In March 2026, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) revised the rules related to minimum public shareholding (MPS) for large companies planning to list on stock exchanges.

• The amendment introduced a graded framework, allowing companies to offer a smaller proportion of shares to the public at the time of their Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Key Highlights
Listing Reforms: The amendment to the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957 reduces the MPS required at the time of listing from 5% to 2.5%.
Categories Expanded: Earlier, the norms for achieving the 25% MPS were based on 3 categories of post-issue capital: Rs 1,600 crore (Cr), Rs 1,600 Cr to Rs 4,000 Cr and Rs 4,000 Cr to Rs 1 lakh Cr.

• Now, the framework has been expanded to six categories:
• Up to Rs 1,600 Cr,
• Rs 1,600 Cr to Rs 4,000 Cr,
• Rs 4,000 Cr to Rs 50,000 Cr,
• Rs 50,000 Cr to Rs 1 lakh Cr,
• Rs 1 lakh Cr to Rs 5 lakh Cr and
• More than Rs 5 lakh Cr.

RBI Imposes Rs 2.7 Lakh Penalty on Manappuram Finance for KMP Compensation Guideline Violation
In March 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.70 lakh on Manappuram Finance Limited, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), for non-compliance with Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) compensation guidelines.
Key Details of Penalty:
Inspection Basis: The violation was identified during the statutory inspection conducted by RBI based on the company’s financial position as of 31 March 2025.
Action: The RBI clarified that the penalty, imposed under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, addresses regulatory deficiencies and does not affect the validity of existing customer transactions.
Impact: Manappuram Finance has revised its Remuneration Policy to include mandatory deferral, malus, and clawback provisions. The board has also begun recovering the deferred compensation from the concerned KMPs in installments to ensure compliance with the Scale Based Regulation (SBR) framework.

DCM Shriram Secured USD 90 Million Funding from World Bank’s IFC
In March 2026, DCM Shriram Limited secured USD 90 million from International Finance Corporation(IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), via sustainability-linked Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs).
Key Details:
Key Focus: The funds will be used to strengthen the company’s strategic initiatives and support long-term growth, including the expansion of downstream chemicals business.

• Also, the proceeds will be used to finance capital expenditures in its agri-businesses to create rural jobs through extensive engagement with farmers at ground level.

Alignment: The deal aligns with the global sustainability financing standards set by the International Capital Market Association(ICMA)’s Sustainability-linked Bond Principles and the Loan Market  Association(LMA)’s Sustainability Linked Loan Principles.
Validated by: DCM’s newly developed sustainability-linked framework was independently validated by CareEdge Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), a specialized subsidiary of CARE Ratings, ensuring transparency and validity of the sustainability framework.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Fitch Ratings Raises India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 7.5% in FY26 
In March 2026, Fitch Ratings, a global credit rating agency, released its ‘Global Economic Outlook – March 2026’, projecting India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 7.5% for the Financial Year 2025–26 (FY26), mainly supported by strong domestic demand and stable economic indicators.
Key Findings:
FY27 Forecast: For FY27, the agency revised its growth projection upward to 6.7%, compared to 6.4% projected in December 2025.

• Fitch also expects growth to remain around 6.5% in FY28.

Global Outlook: Fitch projected global GDP growth at  2.6% in 2026, slightly lower than 2.7% recorded in 2025.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

98th Academy Awards- Oscars 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ wins six Oscars for Best Picture 
The 98th Edition of the Academy Awards (Oscars 2026), organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), was held on 15 March 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the United States of America (USA), honoring the best films released in 2025 across 24 categories.
Highlights of Oscar 2026:
Most Awards: The film “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, emerged as the biggest winner at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026), winning six Oscars—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Casting.
Maximum Nominations: The film “Sinners” received 16 nominations, the highest among all films at the 98th Academy Awards.
New Category: The Academy introduced a new category – Achievement in Casting, with ‘Cassandra Kulukundis’ winning the inaugural award for the film “One Battle After Another.”
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film “Sinners.”
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley became the first Irish actress to win Best Actress for the film “Hamnet.”
Indian Representation: Priyanka Chopra presented the Best International Feature Film award along with Spanish actor Javier Bardem.

R. Vairamuthu Honoured with 2025 Jnanpith Award; Third Tamil Writer to Receive Honour
In March 2026, renowned Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu (Vairamuthu Ramasamy) was selected for the 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025, India’s highest literary honour.

• With this recognition, he became the third Tamil writer to receive the prestigious award after P. V. Akilandam (Akilan) in 1975 and Jayakanthan in 2002.

About Jnanpith Award 2026:
Institution: The Jnanpith Award is presented annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith, instituted in 1961 and first awarded in 1965, for outstanding contribution to Indian literature.
Eligibility: The Jnanpith Award is conferred for outstanding literary works written in any of the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Prize Components: The award carries a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), and a citation.

ENVIRONMENT

New Plant Species ‘Osbeckia zubeengargiana’ Discovered in Manas NP, Named After Zubeen Garg
In March 2026, researchers from Gauhati University discovered a new plant species, Osbeckia zubeengargiana, in the grassland ecosystems of Manas National Park(NP), a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, in Assam.

• The species was named after Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg, and the discovery was published in the scientific journal Phytotaxa.

About Osbeckia zubeengargiana:
Research Work: It was documented during floristic surveys conducted between 2021 and 2025, in Baksa district (Assam).
Genus Family: The newly identified species, Osbeckia zubeengargiana, belongs to the Melastomataceae family.
Key Features: The species exhibits similarities with Osbeckia rostrata but differs in several morphological traits like: leaf structure, flower arrangement, hypanthium shape and seed size.

• The researchers described the new plant species  as a perennial erect shrub that can grow a maximum 3.5 metres(m) in height and produces distinctive pink tetramerous flowers.
• The plant typically flowers and bears fruit between mid-September and January.

Significance: The discovery enriches the botanical diversity of Assam and contributes to scientific knowledge of the genus Osbeckia, which is widely distributed across Southeast Asia including several endemic species in Eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats.

SPORTS

India Tops Medal Table at World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 with 208 Medals in New Delhi 
India topped the medal standings at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix (WPAGP) 2026 – New Delhi leg, the second stop of the 13th Grand Prix season, winning 208 medals (75 gold, 69 silver, and 64 bronze) at the three-day event held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi(Delhi), from 11–13 March 2026.

• Russia finished second with 35 medals (15 gold, 14 silver, and 6 bronze), while Bosnia & Herzegovina secured third place with 3 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, and 0 bronze).

About World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026:
Organizer: It is organised by World Para Athletics (WPA), a division of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) with support from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
Events:  The competition featured more than 90 track and field events across various classification categories for para-athletes.

• The competition featured track events (100 meters (m), 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m races), field events (long jump, high jump, javelin throw, shot put, and discus throw), as well as wheelchair racing and other adapted athletics events.

Qualification Pathway: The World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026, served as a key qualifying event, offering classification and performance opportunities for the 2026 World Para Athletics Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.

Mayank Chakraborty Becomes India’s 94th Grandmaster 
In March 2026, Mayank Chakraborty, a 17-year-old International Master (IM) from Guwahati(Assam), created history by becoming India’s 94th Grandmaster (GM) and the first-ever Grandmaster from the North East region of India.

• He achieved this milestone at the First Hotels Young Talents Tournament held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Achievement of Grandmaster Title:
Final GM Norm: Mayank Chakraborty secured his third and final GM norm at the 8th GM Tournament by finishing first with a score of 7/9 points.
Tournament Performance: During the tournament, he won six games, drew two, and lost one, finishing half a point ahead of Aksel Bu Kvaloy of Norway to clinch the title.
FIDE Rating Requirement: Along with achieving three GM norms, he also crossed the mandatory 2500 rating of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), thereby fulfilling all criteria required for the Grandmaster title.

Former Pakistan Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed Announces Retirement from International Cricket
In March 2026, former Pakistan cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket, concluding a career that spanned nearly two decades (2007–2023)
About Sarfaraz Ahmed:
Career Span: Sarfaraz Ahmed made his international debut for Pakistan in 2007, while his final appearance came in a Test match against Australia at Perth, Australia in 2023.
Matches Played: During his international career, Sarfaraz Ahmed played 54 Test matches, 117 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 61 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), totaling 232 matches, and scored 6,164 runs, including 6 centuries and 35 half-centuries across formats.
Wicketkeeper: He recorded 315 catches and 56 stumpings across international formats.
Achievements: He captained Pakistan in 100 international matches, leading the team to the No.1 T20I ranking, a record 11 consecutive T20I series wins, and the International Cricket Council(ICC) Champions Trophy 2017 title, after earlier winning the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2006 as captain.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Mathematics 2026 – March 14
International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is observed annually across the world on 14 March to highlight the importance of mathematics in fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), climate change, energy, and sustainable development.

• 14 March 2026 marks the 7th observance of the IDM.
• 2026 Theme: “Mathematics and Hope”.

Background:
UNESCO Proclamation: The 40th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 2019 proclaimed 14 March as the IDM through Resolution 40C/30.

• The first IDM was celebrated on 14 March 2020.

Organising Bodies: The International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is coordinated by UNESCO’s International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) with support from several international and regional organisations.
Observance in India:  India observes National Mathematics Day annually on 22 December to commemorate the birth anniversary of renowned mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

International Day of Action for Rivers 2026 – March 14
The International Day of Action for Rivers, previously known as International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water and Life, is annually observed across the globe on 14 March to highlight the importance of rivers in sustaining ecosystems, supporting livelihoods and ensuring water security.

• 14 March 2026 marks the 29th observance of the International Day of Action for Rivers.
• 2026 Theme: The theme for 2026 is “Protect Rivers, Protect People.”

Background:
Origin: The International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water and Life was established in March 1997 during the International Meeting of People Affected by Dams (IMPAD) held in Curitiba, Brazil, an idea that originated from the Movement of People Affected by Large Dams (MAB) annual meeting.
Declaration: During the first IMPAD, participants adopted the International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water, and Life, and representatives from 20 countries including Taiwan, Brazil, Chile, Lesotho, Argentina, Thailand, Russia, France, Switzerland, and the United States of America (USA), designated 14 March, aligning it with Brazil’s Day of Action Against Large Dams.
Observance: The first International Day of Action for Rivers was observed on 14 March 1998.

STATE NEWS

Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Launches Gaudham Yojana to Establish 1,460 Cattle Shelters
In March 2026, Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh Vishnu Deo Sai, launched the Gaudham Yojana at Lakhasar village in Takhatpur development block of Bilaspur district (Chhattisgarh), to establish 1,460 cattle shelters across the state to provide protection and proper management for stray and abandoned cattle.

• During the event, he virtually inaugurated 29 Gaudhams across 11 districts from the auditorium of Guru Ghasidas Central University in Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), marking the first phase of the initiative, under which all shelters will be officially named Surabhi Gaudham.

About Gaudham Yojana:
Target: The Government of Chhattisgarh plans to establish 1,460 Gaudhams across the state with 10 shelters in every Development Block, each having a capacity of around 200 cattle.
Training: The Gaudhams will function as Training Centres offering training in Animal Husbandry, Green Fodder Cultivation and production of Value-Added Products (VAP) from cow dung.
Assistance: Chhattisgarh will provide Daily Feed Assistance (DFA) per cattle—Rs 10 per day in Year-1 (Y1), Rs 20 in Y2, Rs 30 in Y3 and Rs 35 from Y4 onwards, along with Rs 5 lakh annually for Infrastructure Development and Maintenance (IDM).
Support: Shepherds will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,916 and Gausevaks Rs 13,126, while financial assistance of Rs 47,000 per acre annually will be provided for Fodder Development up to five acres (Rs 2.35 lakh per year).

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