Authored By : K Shiva
West Asia Conflict Escalation: Iran launched drones and missiles at 17 American bases across West Asia, hitting embassies and damaging air defense infrastructure like the THAAD system.
Targeting Financial Hubs: Tehran’s joint military command announced it will start targeting banks and financial institutions in the Middle East that do business with the U.S. or Israel.
Global Oil Crisis: Iran warned that oil prices could reach $200 per barrel due to regional instability; meanwhile, the IEA agreed to a record release of 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to stabilize markets.
Merchant Ships Attacked: Multiple commercial vessels were hit in the Persian Gulf, including a Thai-flagged bulk carrier bound for Kandla, Gujarat, which was set ablaze.
Aviation Disruptions: Drone attacks near Dubai International Airport (DXB) and missile threats led to thousands of flight cancellations and reroutings across the Gulf region.
Chile's Political Shift: Far-right leader Jose Antonio Kast was sworn in as the President of Chile, marking the nation's most significant shift to the right since 1990.
Sudan School Strike: An explosive-laden drone strike on a secondary school in southern Sudan killed at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls.
Reliance's Historic U.S. Deal: Reliance Industries (RIL) will fund a massive $300 billion oil refinery project in Texas, the first new refinery in the U.S. in 50 years.
Passive Euthanasia Ruling: In a landmark first, the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia for a 32-year-old man, Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for 13 years.
Speaker Removal Motion Defeated: The Opposition's resolution to remove Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker was defeated by a voice vote after a heated debate.
LPG Shortage Concerns: The government ramped up LPG production by 25% to bridge deficits caused by the West Asia conflict and urged citizens to avoid panic buying.
Russian Oil Imports: India's purchase of Russian crude oil surged by nearly 45% in March, reaching 1.5 million barrels per day.
Manipur Infiltration Protests: Tension mounted in Imphal as protesters demanded a National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify "illegal immigrants" before the 2026 Census begins.
Maoist Surrender: In one of the largest such events, 108 Maoists surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, returning weapons, cash, and gold.
SpaceX Starship Challenges: NASA identified the cryogenic propellant transfer between Starships in low-earth orbit as one of the most significant technical risks for the 2028 moon landing.
AI in Education: Experts highlighted how skill-based AI education is becoming essential for students to navigate rapidly changing career paths and market conditions.
Virtual Asset Lab: India is developing an indigenous Virtual Asset Lab to detect unregistered and high-risk offshore virtual asset service providers (oVASPs).
Green Nephrology: Medical discussions emphasized the carbon footprint of dialysis and the move toward "greener nephrology" through better drugs and kidney transplant access.
Robotic Surgery in Vizag: MGM SevenHills Hospital in Visakhapatnam introduced advanced robotic-assisted solutions for total knee replacements and 4K laparoscopic equipment.
Air Quality Monitoring: A study on Delhi’s air quality called for season-specific pollution targets, noting that current annual averages miss the severity of winter pollution peaks.
Andhra Pradesh (Indian School of Agriculture): CM N. Chandrababu Naidu proposed establishing an "Indian School of Agriculture" (ISA) to provide AI-based agritech services to farmers.
Telangana (Tallest Hospital): CM Revanth Reddy inaugurated Medicover Financial District, billed as India's tallest hospital with 550 beds and 350 ICU beds.
Punjab (Investors' Summit): The "Progressive Punjab Investors' Summit 2026" is scheduled for March 13-15 at Plaksha University, Mohali, focusing on industrial revolution and AI.
Assam (Renaming Institution): The Assam cabinet approved dropping former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s name from a government medical college, renaming it Barpeta Medical College & Hospital.
Delhi (Transport Hub): The Delhi government plans to flatten the Bhalswa landfill by the end of 2026 to build a modern Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT).
Meghalaya (Court Ruling): The Meghalaya High Court quashed a notification that made ST certificates mandatory for candidates in the Garo Hills elections.
Vijayawada (Council Clashes): Objections were raised during the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation council meeting regarding water contamination and the slow progress of stormwater drain projects.
Hyderabad (Cyber Crackdown): Telangana police arrested 208 people in a statewide crackdown ("Operation Crackdown 1.0") targeting mule bank accounts used for cyber frauds.
Khammam (Model Colony): Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced the construction of a model colony for displaced poor people in Velugumatla.
Visakhapatnam (AI Protest): A PIL was filed in the A.P. High Court against the proposed Google AI Hub and data centre investment in Visakhapatnam.
Delhi (Crime Rescue): An eight-month-old boy kidnapped near the Khajuri Khas flyover was rescued by Delhi police within days; a couple was arrested.
Prize Money for India: The T20 World Cup-winning Indian team received ₹25 crore in prize money from the ICC.
IPL 2026 Schedule: The first phase of IPL 2026 was announced; the opening match on March 28 will feature defending champions RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.
ICC Rankings: Ishan Kishan rose to a career-high second place in the ICC T20I rankings, while Varun Chakravarthy lost the top spot to Rashid Khan.
Para-Athletics Success: Indian athletes Sirisha (Telangana) and M. Lokesh (A.P.) won silver medals in the 100m sprint at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix.
Formula One Revival: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is leading a new push to revive Formula One racing in India.
Women's Hockey: Navneet Kaur scored a hat-trick to lead India to a victory over Wales in the Women's Hockey World Cup Qualifiers.
Schizophrenia Awareness: Actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee spoke about her childhood experiences caring for her mother during schizophrenia attacks to raise mental health awareness.
Typecasting Issues: Telugu actress Hari Teja expressed frustration over being typecast in "maid" roles since her performance in the film A Aa.
Film Piracy Crackdown: The Centre directed Telegram to disable access to several channels within three hours for distributing pirated films and web series.
All-Women Cast Film: The trailer for Lechindi Mahila Lokam, a film featuring an all-women cast, received a positive response from audiences.
Cultural Tourism via AI: Minister Kandula Durgesh discussed using AI-based initiatives to promote cultural tourism in Andhra Pradesh with Eros Innovation.
Which historic anniversary is observed in India today, marking the beginning of the Salt Satyagraha in 1930? Answer: Dandi March Anniversary. (On this day in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began his 24-day march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi to protest the British salt tax.)
Which specialized Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is celebrating its Raising Day today ? Answer: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). (Established in 1969, the CISF is responsible for providing security to major critical infrastructure like airports, nuclear power plants, and the Delhi Metro.)
Which global health awareness day is observed today, 12 March 2026, focusing on kidney health for all? Answer: World Kidney Day. (The 2026 theme is "Kidney Health for All: Advancing Equitable Access to Care and Optimal Medication Practice.")
The Union Cabinet recently approved the extension of which flagship mission until 2028 with an outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore? Answer: Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). (The focus will now shift from infrastructure creation to "sustainable service delivery" and water governance.)
Which Indian city’s airport was recently granted "International Airport" status by the Union Cabinet? Answer: Madurai Airport (Tamil Nadu).
Amid the West Asia crisis, the Indian government has invoked which act to divert natural gas to priority sectors? Answer: Essential Commodities Act.
The Supreme Court recently ordered the immediate dissociation of textbooks from a specific team after controversy over a chapter on "judicial corruption." Which organization is involved? Answer: NCERT.
Which international port, one of the world's busiest, is featuring in current global trade news due to its strategic importance in the East China Sea? Answer: Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (China).
Who has been announced as the captain leading the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in the IPL 2026 season opener on March 28? Answer: Virat Kohli. (The IPL 2026 schedule was released yesterday; RCB faces SRH in the first match.)
Which veteran Congress leader and 5-time Lok Sabha MP from Assam passed away recently at the age of 81? Answer: Biren Singh Engti.
Euthanasia Types: Active euthanasia remains illegal in India; passive euthanasia (withdrawing life support) is now legally recognized as a right to die with dignity under Article 21.
National Science Day: Observed on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928.
Strait of Hormuz Importance: Roughly one-fifth of the world's total oil consumption (approx. 20 million barrels daily) passes through this narrow channel.
NCERT Controversy: The Supreme Court ordered the dissociation of three experts from the NCERT textbook development team for misrepresenting the Indian judiciary in Class 8 social science books.
Constitutional Right: The right to die with dignity is recognized as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
The 240-Mile Walk: During the Dandi March, Mahatma Gandhi and 78 of his followers walked 240 miles (385 km). He was 61 years old at the time and refused to use any vehicle, inspiring millions to join the non-violence movement.
The "Silent" Guardian: The CISF is the only force in India that has its own specialized "Fire Wing." They don't just protect against intruders; they are trained to handle industrial fires in high-risk environments like refineries.
Kidney Filters: Your kidneys are roughly the size of a large computer mouse, yet they filter about 180 liters of blood every single day. That's enough to fill a large bathtub!
Sunday Budget Secret: The Union Budget 2026 was presented on a Sunday for the first time in history to ensure that stock markets were closed, preventing immediate panic selling or volatile swings during the speech.
LPG "Strategic" Fact: India is the second-largest consumer of LPG in the world. However, did you know that India's current strategic LPG reserves (underground caverns) can only sustain the national demand for less than two days?
Passive Euthanasia Terminology: The Supreme Court suggested replacing the term "passive euthanasia" with "Withdrawing or Withholding of Medical Treatment" to avoid confusion.
Starship Proportions: SpaceX’s Starship is taller than a 15-storey building and uses 1,200 tonnes of cryogenic propellants (liquid methane and oxygen).
LPG Import Dependence: India imports approximately 60% of its total LPG consumption, making it highly vulnerable to shipping disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
Clean Air Days: Despite some improvements in annual PM2.5 averages, Delhi did not record a single "clean air" day during the 2024-25 winter season.
UPSC CSE Results: Hearty congratulations were extended to successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025; VisionIAS reported 7 out of the top 10 selections.
UGC/NET Preparation: Educational ads highlighted intensive crash courses for LAWCET, CUET, and CLAT 2026/2027 starting in March 2026.
Teacher Hiring: iTeach Schools announced walk-in interviews for primary and secondary teachers in Navi Mumbai with salary ranges from ₹36,000 to ₹50,000.
Medical Education: The Under Graduate Medical Education Board allocated 1,600 medical seats in Karnataka for the upcoming academic year
Administrative Appointments: Former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
No Smoking Day: Observed on the second Wednesday of March (March 11 in 2026), aiming to spread awareness about the health risks of tobacco.
National Gynaecological Cancer Day: Observed with mass screening camps in rural Andhra Pradesh using "Pink Buses" to diagnose cervical cancer.
Get Knowledge Gainers updates on our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels