Daily Current Affairs Brief : March 29, 2026

Authored By : K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

Nepal’s Ex-PM KP Sharma Oli Arrested: Former Nepal Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli was arrested on charges of involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement last year, during which 76 people were killed.

Yemen's Houthis Launch Missile Attack on Israel: The Iran-aligned Houthis launched their first ballistic missile attack at southern Israel since the start of the war, targeting military sites in Beersheba.

Iran Targets US/Ukrainian Facilities in UAE: Iran claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone depot in Dubai allegedly used by American forces.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez Defies US Stance: Sanchez is noted as Europe’s only anti-war PM, maintaining a strict stance against the breakdown of international law and barring Spanish ports from ferrying weapons to Israel.

US-Iran-Israel Conflict Impacts Markets: Since the conflict began, India has become the fourth worst-performing market globally, losing $523 billion in market capitalization.

World’s Largest Hindu Temple Restoration: The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu won a UNESCO Award of Merit for restoring 21 entrance towers using traditional techniques.

2. National Current Affairs

PM Modi Inaugurates Noida International Airport: The Prime Minister inaugurated the first phase of the Jewar airport, describing it as a symbol of "Viksit Uttar Pradesh".

India Rejects 'NYT' Report on Elon Musk: The Centre officially denied reports that billionaire Elon Musk joined a telephone call between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump on March 24.

Sugarcane Arrears Rise 32-Fold: A parliamentary panel flagged that sugarcane arrears to farmers have ballooned to ₹16,087 crore in 2025-26, compared to ₹497 crore the previous year.

NDC Climate Goals Updated: The Union Cabinet approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution, targeting 60% electric capacity from non-fossil sources by 2035.

LPG Tankers Bound for India: Two tankers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite regional war tensions to deliver crucial fuel supplies.

PESB Recommendation for SAIL: The Public Enterprises Selection Board has recommended Ashok Kumar Panda for the post of Chairman and Managing Director of the Steel Authority of India.

3. Science & Technology

Microgravity Impacts Reproduction: New research suggests that weightlessness in space impairs sperm navigation, though high doses of progesterone may partially reverse the effect.

Ancient Ape Fossil Found in Egypt: Palaeontologists discovered remains of a new fossil ape species, Masripithecus moghraensis, linking African and Eurasian evolutionary records.

CO2 'Trapping' Tech Demoed: Scientists in Saudi Arabia demonstrated a way to move 131 tonnes of CO2 into basaltic rocks using recirculating water, converting 70% into solid minerals.

Paleolithic Dog Genomes Analyzed: Scientists assembled complete genomes for 15,800-year-old dogs from Turkey, suggesting dogs spread through Europe with hunter-gatherer cultures.

Emergency Cardiac Care Gaps: Research highlights that 80-90% of strokes are preventable, yet India faces a severe shortage of cardiologists, with fewer than 0.45 per 100,000 people.

Al Integrated Toys Warning: Researchers at Cambridge warned that AI toys mimicking friendship could negatively impact children's emotional development if they misread emotions.

4. States Current Affairs

Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati): The State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to grant statutory recognition to Amaravati as the sole capital.

Telangana (Musi Project): CM Revanth Reddy vowed to proceed with the Musi Riverfront Development Project, planning to build religious structures for four faiths along the river to reflect harmony.

Telangana (Metro Takeover): The Legislative Assembly approved a resolution for the State government to take over Phase-1 of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project from L&T.

Tamil Nadu (Polls): The ruling DMK finalized its seat-sharing pact and named candidates for 164 constituencies for the upcoming April 23 Assembly polls.

Gujarat (Great Indian Bustard): A Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch for the first time in a decade following a novel "jumpstart" conservation approach

Assam (Politics): The BJP expelled nine leaders for six years after they rebelled to contest the April 9 Assembly elections as Independent candidates.

5. District & Local News

Cyberabad Clean Sweep Drive: Officials cleared 953 metric tonnes of waste along a 22-km stretch from Patancheru to Manikonda.

Security Guard Arrested in Amaravati: A guard was arrested for arson at a construction material stockyard in the capital region, allegedly due to frustration over work pressure.

Fake 'Darshan' Tickets in Eluru: Two persons were arrested for selling counterfeit tickets at the Chinna Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy temple.

Avalanche in Zojila Pass: The death toll reached seven as rescue teams recovered the body of a missing civilian from the Srinagar-Leh national highway.

Giri Mart in Bhadrachalam: The Telangana Governor inaugurated a new tribal mart set up by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency.

Vizag Airport Summer Schedule: The airport revealed its new schedule featuring 33 daily flights and new international links to Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

6. Sports & Games

IPL 2026 Opener: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener, with star performances from Kohli and Padikkal.

MS Dhoni Injury: Chennai Super Kings confirmed that Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain suffered during practice.

Hockey India Awards: Navneet Kaur was conferred with the prestigious Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player-of-the-Year.

Indian Football Bid: The AIFF received a massive bid of over ₹2,100 crore from Genius Sports for the rights to the ISL and Federation Cup for 20 years.

Skeet Shooting World Cup: Indian shooters struggled in the Tangier World Cup, with Darshana Rathore finishing in 19th place.

Formula One Regulations: Max Verstappen faced qualifying difficulties at Suzuka, expressing frustration over new F1 regulations involving 50-50 electrical/conventional power.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

Kritika Kamra Wedding: The actress shared glimpses of her post-wedding vacation with husband Gaurav Kapur on social media.

OTT Releases: Key releases this week include Mardaani 3 (Crime Thriller on Netflix), Kaattaan (Investigative Series starring Vijay Sethupathi on JioHotstar), and House of David Season 2 on Prime Video.

Indian Idol Nostalgia: Veteran star Farida Jalal broke down while remembering Lata Mangeshkar during an emotional tribute performance by Shreya Ghoshal.

Podcast Growth in India: Revenue from the Indian podcast market is expected to surge from $969 million in 2024 to $4.5 billion by 2030.

Actor Vijay’s Political Move: TVK founder and actor Vijay submitted a petition to the Tamil Nadu CEO regarding administrative fairness during election campaigns.

8. General Knowledge (Competitive Jobs)

1. Which major international airport in Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi yesterday, making UP the first state with 5 international airports? Answer: Noida International Airport (Jewar).

2. The "CAPF (General Administration) Bill, 2026," recently introduced in the Rajya Sabha, has sparked a debate over the reservation of senior posts for which group? Answer: IPS Officers. (The bill proposes reserving 100% of Special DG and DG posts in Central Armed Police Forces for IPS officers on deputation.)

3. India recently updated its NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) targets. What is the new goal for non-fossil fuel energy capacity? Answer: 60%. (Increased from the previous 50% target to boost climate action.)

4. Which two IPL giants are facing off today, 29 March, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai? Answer: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

5. The Ministry of Petroleum recently dismissed viral social media claims regarding India’s oil reserves. How many days of "Strategic Petroleum Reserves" (SPR) does India actually maintain? Answer: Approximately 9.5 days. (Combined with oil marketing companies' stock, India has a total cover of about 66 days

6. Which rare and endangered bird species saw a new chick born in Kutch, Gujarat, today after nearly a decade? Answer: Great Indian Bustard.

7. Which country is hosting a regional summit today with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt to discuss ending the West Asia war? Answer: Pakistan.

8. Which global tech giant recently added "Social Media Checks" to its H-1B visa rules, affecting many Indian IT professionals today? Answer: USA (US Citizenship and Immigration Services).

9. Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014: Section 5(2) is the focus of the current legal resolution to name Amaravati as the official capital.

10. World Trade Organisation (WTO): Current reform discussions center on Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status and Special & Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing nations.

11. SARFAESI Act: Used for the securitization and reconstruction of financial assets; frequently cited in bank notices for auctioning immovable properties.

12. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): These are voluntary pledges under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming

13. Bishnoi Community History: Known for the 1730 Khejarli massacre where 363 people died to protect trees; their philosophy was founded by Guru Jambheshwar Ji.

9. Do You Know?

• The 88th Day Ritual: World Piano Day was founded by German composer Nils Frahm in 2015. He chose the 88th day specifically because a standard piano has 52 white keys and 36 black keys, totaling 88.

• The "Hormuz" Escort: Amidst the Iran-Israel-US conflict, two Indian LPG carriers safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz today under naval protection. This strait is so narrow (21 miles) that it carries 20% of the world's total oil.

• Piano vs. Percussion: Despite being played with a keyboard, the piano is technically a percussion instrument because the sound is produced by hammers striking strings.

• The "Triple-Strike" Storm: Australia is currently dealing with Cyclone Narelle, a rare "triple-strike" storm that has crossed multiple states back-to-back, causing a surge in global lithium and iron ore prices today.

• A "Sunday" Budget Fact: As we approach the financial year-end (March 31), remember that the Union Budget 2026 was the first ever presented on a Sunday (Feb 1) to avoid immediate stock market volatility.

• "Sitting is the New Smoking": Health experts warn that prolonged inactivity poses cardiovascular risks similar to smoking.

• Water as "Chemical Ash": Although hydrogen is flammable and oxygen aids combustion, water puts out fires because it is the stable by-product (ash) of the reaction between the two.

• Self-Coup Definition: A sudden overthrow of a government by its own current leader to gain more power.

• Earth Hour: Observed on the last Saturday of March, it involves switching off non-essential lights for one hour (8:30 pm to 9:30 pm) to save energy.

10. Job & Educational Topics

Medical Student Feedback System: The NMC launched its first online feedback form for UG students to anonymously evaluate college infrastructure and faculty.

Aviation Sector Workforce: PM Modi noted that airlines placing orders for hundreds of planes will create a massive demand for operations, servicing, and maintenance staff.

Osmania University Budget: The senate approved a budget of ₹1,723.02 crore for 2026-27, with ₹210 crore dedicated to research and ₹12 crore for gender-specific infrastructure.

Stree Nidhi Recruitment: Telangana announced approval for recruiting 1,600 staff members for the Stree Nidhi scheme.

Admissions Open: NRI University and Karunya Deemed University announced 2026 admissions for various B.Tech and specialized AI/ML courses.

11. Day Special: March 29

Holi Harvest: March typically marks the harvest of opium crops in regions like Neemuch and Ratlam.

Earth Hour Observations: Major landmarks and government buildings across India observed Earth Hour yesterday to highlight climate change awareness.