NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Indian Railways Launches ‘SHINE’ App to Empower Women
and Report Workplace Harassment: Indian Railways has launched a customised mobile
application “SHINE” (Sexual Harassment Incident Notification for
Empowerment) to help women employees report sexual harassment complaints
at the workplace.The SHINE app was launched on the occasion of International
Women’s Day (8 March 2026), aiming to strengthen safety and empowerment for
women staff in the railway system.The app allows complaints through the Human
Resources Management System (HRMS) and can also be used to report incidents
involving visitors, contractual staff, students, and others, ensuring
confidential and faster grievance redressal.
2. NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of Fiscal Health
Index 2026 to Assess Financial Performance of Indian States: Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman
of NITI Aayog, and Nidhi Chhibber, CEO of NITI Aayog, released the second
edition of the “Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026” in New Delhi.The Fiscal
Health Index provides a data-driven assessment of the fiscal performance of
Indian states, helping evaluate fiscal soundness, guide reforms, and support
evidence-based policymaking.The 2026 edition expanded coverage from 18
major states to include 10 North-Eastern and Himalayan states, which are
evaluated separately due to structural differences.The report highlights key
priorities such as enhancing revenue mobilisation, improving capital
expenditure quality, rationalising committed expenditure, and strengthening
fiscal management to ensure long-term macroeconomic stability in India.
3. Kirti Vardhan Singh Represents India at Chile
Presidential Inauguration as José Antonio Kast Takes Office: Kirti Vardhan Singh,
Minister of State for External Affairs, arrived in Santiago, Chile
to represent India at the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony.During the
visit, India aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Chile in areas such
as trade, critical minerals, energy, and people-to-people ties.José Antonio
Kast became the President of Chile, succeeding Gabriel Boric, who served as
President from 2022 to 2026.
4. Nashik Municipal Corporation Becomes
Maharashtra’s First to List Green Municipal Bond on National Stock Exchange: Nashik Municipal
Corporation became Maharashtra’s first urban local body to list
its Green Municipal Bond public issue on the National Stock
Exchange.Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rang the ceremonial bell
at the NSE in Mumbai to mark the occasion, celebrating this historic milestone
in urban finance.The Green Municipal Bond initiative will mobilise resources
for public welfare projects, strengthen Nashik’s urban infrastructure, and
support preparations for the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela.
5. Shiv Pratap Shukla Sworn in as 5th
Governor of Telangana, Replaces Jishnu Dev Varma: Shiv Pratap
Shukla took oath as the Governor of Telangana at a ceremony held
at Raj Bhavan.The oath of office was administered by Justice Aparesh Kumar
Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.He replaced Jishnu Dev Varma,
who was transferred as Governor of Maharashtra, and became the 5th Governor of
Telangana since the state was formed in 2014.
6. Rare Blue-and-White Flycatcher Spotted on
Gujarat’s Pavagadh Hill : A
rare sighting of a male blue-and-white flycatcher has been reported from
Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat, drawing attention from bird watchers
and forest officials. The small migratory bird, known for its striking royal
blue upperparts, black face and breast, and white belly, was photographed by a
team of forest officials during a field visit to collect tree seeds in the
forest area. The unexpected observation highlights the occasional appearance of
rare migratory species outside their usual routes. The bird was spotted on
March 8 near the Maachi area of Pavagadh Hill when forest officials,
accompanied by a botany expert, were conducting fieldwork. Range Forest Officer
Jayesh Dumadiya moved to a quiet spot to observe birds and noticed a
blue-and-white bird drinking water nearby. Surprisingly, the bird remained calm
despite human presence, allowing him to capture photographs and record videos
before it flew into the dense forest.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Piyush Goyal Inaugurates 40th AAHAR International Food
and Hospitality Fair in New Delhi: Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and
Industry, inaugurated the 40th edition of the AAHAR International Food and
Hospitality Fair in New Delhi.The event is jointly organised by the
Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the India Trade Promotion
Organisation (ITPO).Italy is the Country Partner for the 40th AAHAR
International Food and Hospitality Fair.
2. Donald Trump Announces $300 Billion ‘America First
Refining’ Project with Reliance Industries in the US: Donald Trump, President
of the United States, announced a $300 billion partnership with Reliance
Industries to establish a new oil refinery project called “America
First Refining.”The project aims to build the first major new oil refinery in
the United States in nearly 50 years, marking a significant development in the
country’s energy sector.The refinery will be located at the Port of
Brownsville in Texas, United States.With an estimated value of $300 billion,
the project is being described as one of the largest investment initiatives in
U.S. history.
3. Pieter Elbers Steps Down as IndiGo CEO; Rahul Bhatia
to Oversee Operations Temporarily: Pieter Elbers has stepped down as the
CEO of IndiGo with immediate effect, following operational challenges
faced by the airline in December 2025.InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the parent
company of IndiGo, announced that Managing Director Rahul Bhatia will
temporarily oversee the airline’s management until a new CEO is
appointed.Pieter Elbers had taken charge as CEO of IndiGo in September 2022,
after a long and distinguished career with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
4. Meta Acquires AI Agent Social Network
Moltbook : Meta, the parent company of
Facebook, has reportedly acquired Moltbook, an experimental social networking
platform designed for artificial
intelligence agents. The
acquisition highlights the intensifying competition among global technology
companies to secure advanced AI talent and tools. Moltbook had earlier
attracted attention after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly joked about the
platform while discussing the future of autonomous AI agents. Moltbook is a
Reddit-style social platform where AI-powered bots interact with each other.
These agents exchange code snippets, discuss projects, and reference their
human creators. The platform emerged as a small experiment in January 2026 but
quickly gained attention within the technology community as discussions around
autonomous AI agents intensified. The idea behind Moltbook is to create an
ecosystem where AI programs can communicate, collaborate, and improve their
capabilities.
5. Roopkund Lake: The Mystery of India’s
Himalayan Skeleton Lake: High
in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand lies Roopkund
Lake, one of India’s most mysterious
and intriguing locations. Situated at an altitude of about 5,020 metres, this
small glacial lake is surrounded by towering snow-covered peaks and harsh
mountain terrain. Roopkund has gained global attention because hundreds of
human skeletons have been discovered around its icy waters. The unusual
combination of natural beauty and unexplained remains has fascinated
scientists, historians and trekkers for decades. Roopkund Lake lies between the prominent
Himalayan peaks of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. The lake itself is relatively
small, measuring less than 40 metres in diameter, and remains frozen for most
of the year due to the extremely cold climate. During a brief period in summer
when the ice melts, human bones and skulls become visible in the clear water
and along the lake’s edges. This striking sight is the reason the lake is
popularly known as “Skeleton Lake”.
6. World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan Expands
Through PACS Network: The
Government of India is implementing the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in
the Cooperative Sector to strengthen rural storage infrastructure and improve
foodgrain management. The initiative focuses on developing modern storage
facilities at the level of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and
other cooperative institutions. The programme aims to reduce post-harvest
losses, enhance farmers’ access to storage and improve the efficiency of the
agricultural supply chain. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies are selected
for the programme based on specific financial and operational criteria. The
societies must be identified and approved by District Cooperative Development
Committees (DCDC). Selection is prioritised in locations identified by agencies
such as the Food
Corporation of India (FCI), National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National
Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), where there is a significant
demand or storage gap. In addition, the PACS must have a positive net worth
over the previous two financial years, must not be bank defaulters and should
have recorded profits for at least three consecutive years. The proposed godown
should preferably have a minimum storage capacity of 500 metric tonnes.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. DRDO and Indian Navy Successfully Conduct In-Flight
Trials of Indigenous ADC-150 Air Droppable Container from P-8I Aircraft: DRDO and the Indian
Navy successfully conducted four in-flight release trials of the
indigenous Air Droppable Container (ADC-150) from the P-8I aircraft off
the coast of Goa.The ADC-150 is designed to deliver up to 150 kg payload,
enabling quick supply of critical equipment, medical aid, and stores to naval
ships deployed in deep sea during emergencies.The system was developed with
contributions from Naval Science & Technological Laboratory
(Visakhapatnam), Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment
(Agra) for the parachute system, and Centre for Military Airworthiness &
Certification (Bengaluru) for flight clearance.
SPORTS
1. Anant Rana Creates History by Completing Ironman New
Zealand Triathlon in 11 Hours 50 Minutes: Anant Rana created history by completing the
Ironman New Zealand triathlon in 11 hours and 50 minutes in
Taupo, becoming one of the notable Indian athletes to finish the
challenging endurance event.The triathlon included 3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling,
and a 42 km marathon run, which he successfully completed within the 17-hour
time limit.The 33-year-old athlete from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, associated with
the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, finished swimming in 1h 28m, cycling in 6h
19m, and the marathon in 3h 46m.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. AIIMS New Delhi and ISRO Sign MoU to Collaborate on
Space Medicine Research: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an MoU to
collaborate on research in space medicine.The collaboration will focus on
ground-based and space-based research in areas such as human physiology,
cardiovascular regulation, musculoskeletal health in microgravity, microbiome,
genomics, and behavioural health to support India’s human spaceflight
programme.
2. Devon Island: Earth’s Closest Natural
Laboratory for Mars Exploration: Scientists searching for ways to sustain human life on
Mars are studying one of the most remote places on Earth—Devon Island in
Nunavut, Canada. Known as the world’s largest
uninhabited island, this Arctic landscape provides conditions
strikingly similar to those found on Mars. Its barren terrain, freezing
temperatures and extreme isolation make it a valuable testing ground for future
space exploration technologies and survival strategies. Devon Island is
considered one of the most Mars-like environments on Earth. The island is a
polar desert, meaning it experiences extremely low temperatures, minimal
precipitation and almost no vegetation. One of its most significant features is
the Haughton Impact Crater, a massive 20-kilometre-wide crater formed by a
meteorite impact. Its rocky surface and barren surroundings closely resemble
Martian landscapes, making it ideal for testing scientific equipment intended
for use on the Red Planet.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SBI and MUFG Bank Sign Strategic Partnership to
Strengthen India–Japan Economic Corridor: State Bank of India (SBI) and Japan’s MUFG
Bank signed a strategic partnership agreement to enhance bilateral
financial collaboration and strengthen the India–Japan economic corridor.The
agreement aims to facilitate cross-border capital flows, create synergistic
financing opportunities, and support sustainable economic growth across two of
Asia’s largest economies.
The partnership will support Japanese corporates
expanding in India and Indian enterprises pursuing international growth,
including entry into Japan and other global markets.
2. PhonePe Limited Launches RuPay ‘On-The-Go’ Card to Promote Contactless Public Transport Payments: PhonePe Limited launched the RuPay ‘On-The-Go’ Card, a National Common Mobility Card for contactless payments in public transport.The card supports the Government of India’s “One Nation One Card” initiative, aiming to create a single interoperable transit payment system.
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