14th-16th March 2026

1. National Vaccination Day 2026: Why India Observes It on 16 March
2. ‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Best Picture at Oscars 2026
3. Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor at Oscars 2026 for ‘Sinners’
4. Jessie Buckley Wins Best Actress at Oscars 2026 for ‘Hamnet’
5. Homebound Becomes Only Indian Film Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at Oscars 2026
6. Oscars 2026 Winners List: Full Results of 98th Academy Awards
7. BCCI Naman Awards 2026: Shubman Gill, Mandhana Shines Check Here Full List of Winners
8. Health Ministry Grants Lifetime Validity to FSSAI Licences, Ends Dual Licensing for Street Food Vendors
9. José Antonio Kast Rist Takes Oath as the President of Chile
10. PM Narendra Modi Launches ₹526 Crore Assam Waterways Projects, Dedicates Elevated Port Corridor in Guwahati
11. Yoga Mahotsav 2026 Begins 100-Day Countdown to 12th International Day of Yoga
12. Fitch Raises India’s FY26 GDP Growth Forecast to 7.5% on Strong Domestic Demand
13. Rashtrapati Bhavan Hosts ‘Purple Fest’ to Honour the Talent and Achievements of Divyangjan
14. ISRO Carries Out Successful Ground Test of CE20 Cryogenic Engine
15. PM Narendra Modi Unveils and Lays Foundation for ₹24,000 Crore Projects in Assam
16. Pi Day 2026: Why 14 March is Celebrated as Pi Day
17. U.S. and South Korea Kick Off Massive Joint Military Exercise ‘Freedom Shield’
18. International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2026: Date, History, Significance & UN Resolution
19. Perplexity Launches ‘Personal Computer’ AI Agent: The Smart Assistant That Works for You 24*7
20. South Indian Bank EPF Payment Service Launched with EPFO Integration
21. President Murmu Addresses Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems
22. Cricketers Javon Searles, Griffith and Rathod Suspended Over Bim10 Scandal
23. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy Dedicated Infrastructure Projects and Flagged off Defence Equipment at BHEL Haridwar, Uttarakhand
24. India Post Releases Special Cover to Commemorate Birth Centenary of Legendary Musician Annapurna Devi
25. MSDE Signs MoU with GATI Foundation to Strengthen Global Skill Mobility
26. OIL Signs MoU with NSTFDC to Upgrade Healthcare in Tribal Areas of MP
27. NE Indian Institutions and Japan Sign LoI to form Academic and Research Consortium at IIT-Guwahati
28. NCB, TraceXero Technologies Partner to Support Development of CCU Technologies for Cement Sector
29. T-Hub, Jetro Partner to Strengthen India-Japan Deep-Tech Startup Collaboration
30. ACC Approves Appointment of KV Ramana Murty as Whole-Time Member of SEBI
31. World Rotaract Day 2026
32. Chandrika Pujari Wins Gold at World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 as India Bags Five Medals
33. India Creates History: 208 Medals at World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 in New Delhi
34. Which Actor has Won the Most Oscars?
35. Gujarat Tested Its First Sounding Rocket Successfully Launched Near Dholera
36. 19 Year Old Antonelli Shocks F1 World With Historic Chinese GP Win
37. Scientists Discover New Plant Species And Its Named After Zubeen Garg
38. Motorhead Guitar Legend Phil Campbell Dies at 64
39. Veteran Bollywood Actress Madhu Malhotra Dies at 71
40. Tamil Poet and Lyricist Vairamuthu Wins 2025 Jnanpith Award

National News

Food regulator introduces perpetual licences and compliance reforms

• What: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced reforms that make food business registrations and licences permanently valid and simplify rules for Food Business Operators (FBOs), aiming to improve ease of doing business in India.
• Tell me more:
  • The earlier system required renewal of FSSAI registrations and licences after one to five years, and the reforms follow recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms of the NITI Aayog.
  • Street food vendors registered with Municipal Corporations or Town Vending Committees under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 will receive deemed FSSAI registration, benefiting over 10 lakh vendors.
  • FSSAI increased the turnover limit for simple registration from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore. The revised rule will apply from April 1, 2026.
  • Businesses with turnover up to ₹50 crore will require State licensing, while businesses with turnover above ₹50 crore will require Central licensing.

Yoga Mahotsav 2026 begins 100-day countdown to International Day of Yoga

• What: Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav inaugurated Yoga Mahotsav 2026 in New Delhi, marking the 100-day countdown to the 12th International Day of Yoga and launching new Yoga protocols to promote preventive health.
• Tell me more:
  • The Ministry of Ayush serves as the nodal ministry for the International Day of Yoga and has organised eleven editions of the International Day of Yoga with increasing participation from people worldwide.
    • This year, the Ministry developed an Artificial Intelligence tool through the Ayush Grid to guide correct Yoga postures.
    • The Ministry is also providing the Advanced Y-Break course, and the course is made available on the Karmayogi Bharat platform.
  • The Yoga Mahotsav launched “10 Yoga Protocols for Non-Communicable Diseases and Target Groups” and also launched the “Yoga for Air Travel” protocol.
  • The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Habuild organisation for the “Yoga 365 campaign” to provide free daily online Yoga sessions before International Day of Yoga 2026.
  • As per the Indian Federation of Yoga, the theme for 2026 International Yoga Day is “Yoga for Wellness, Wisdom, and World Peace”. UN may announce its own theme.

Purple Fest 2026 celebrates talent and inclusion of Divyangjan

• What: Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted Purple Fest 2026 to celebrate the talent, achievements and aspirations of Divyangjan, promoting awareness, acceptance and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.
• Tell me more:
  • The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised the Fest at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the President of India Droupadi Murmu attended the evening programme at the Open Air Theatre in the President’s Estate.

Global conference highlights role of women in agri-food systems

• What: The Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems 2026 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the President of India Droupadi Murmu to recognise and strengthen women’s participation and leadership in agriculture.
• Tell me more:
  • The conference took place at the ICAR Convention Centre in New Delhi from March 12 to March 14, 2026, under the theme “Driving Progress, Attaining New Heights”, with representatives from 18 countries.
  • The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission mobilised over 10 crore women through more than 90 lakh Self-Help Groups, on the other hand, 3 crore women became ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and the government aims six crore.
  • The ICAR–Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, established in 1996, works to strengthen women’s role in agriculture, while women’s share in Agricultural Research Service increased from 7.9% to nearly 41%.
  • Women hold 56% of the 57 crore bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, while women also form 68% of the beneficiaries under the Mudra Yojana.
  • The United Nations declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

IIT Guwahati and Japan institutions sign collaboration for education and research

• What: IIT-Guwahati and Gifu University organised the Japan–Northeast Academia Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026, where 22 institutions signed a Letter of Intent to build academic and research collaboration between Northeast India and Japan.
• Tell me more:
  • The institutions agreed to form a North East Region–Japan International Academic and Research Consortium.
  • Japan designated Northeast India as a strategic priority under the MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project in 2022.
  • The collaboration will facilitate visits of 5,000 students from Northeast India to Japanese universities. The programme will also bring 5,000 Japanese students to India within five years.

T-Hub partners with JETRO to boost India–Japan startup collaboration

• What: Hyderabad-based startup hub T-Hub partnered with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) to strengthen collaboration between Indian and Japanese startups and support cross-border market expansion.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership will help Japanese startups enter India and Indian startups expand to Japan through exchange programmes, innovation partnerships, investor connections, regulatory support and collaboration in sectors such as AI, defence, mobility and deep technology.

State News

Infrastructure projects launched in Assam

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated and initiated four infrastructure projects worth ₹526 crore on National Waterway-2 of the Brahmaputra River to improve connectivity, tourism, skilling, and economic activity in Assam.
• Tell me more:
  • The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is implementing the projects under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
  • The projects include an elevated road corridor, two cruise terminals, and a Regional Centre of Excellence. The elevated road corridor connects Pandu Port in Guwahati with National Highway-27.
  • The Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat will support river cruise operations and passenger facilities, while the Cruise Terminal at Neamati will strengthen organised passenger movement and tourism along National Waterway-2.
  • The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) is being developed at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh as the first maritime skill development hub in Northeast India and will train more than 5,000 students annually in maritime operations.
  • PM Modi also inaugurated development projects including the Shillong–Silchar High-Speed Corridor, Silchar flyover, rail electrification across 2,500 km in Assam, and establishment of an agriculture college in Patharkandi in Assam.

Classical music conference marks birth centenary of Annapurna Devi

• A three-day classical music conference in Kolkata, organised by the Annapurna Devi Foundation, celebrated the birth centenary of surbahar exponent Annapurna Devi.
• Annapurna Devi was a famous Indian classical musician who played the surbahar.

International News

United States and South Korea begin Freedom Shield military exercise

• What: The United States and South Korea began the Freedom Shield joint military exercise involving thousands of troops to strengthen defence coordination, even as the United States remains engaged in an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
• Tell me more:
  • The Freedom Shield exercise will continue until March 19.

Banking and Economy

South Indian Bank launches EPF payment service on SIBerNet

• What: South Indian Bank launched Employees’ Provident Fund payment services on its internet banking platform SIBerNet in collaboration with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, enabling employers to remit provident fund contributions digitally.
• Tell me more:
  • The integration allows employers and establishments to pay Employees’ Provident Fund contributions, dues and related charges digitally through South Indian Bank’s SIBerNet via the EPFO portal, simplifying statutory payments and improving compliance.
  • It means the EPFO website is connected to South Indian Bank’s internet banking system (SIBerNet) so employers can make payments easily.

Union Minister inaugurates solar plant and manufacturing projects at BHEL Haridwar

• Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy inaugurated a 5 MW solar plant at BHEL Haridwar, flagged off the 53rd naval gun, opened a 30-ton furnace, and dispatched an 800 MW turbine-generator for Adani Power’s Raipur project.

NCB collaborates with TraceXero to develop carbon capture technology

• What: The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) partnered with TraceXero Technologies to develop carbon capture and utilisation technologies for the cement and construction materials sector.
• Tell me more:
  • TraceXero Technologies is a start-up working on industrial decarbonisation solutions.
  • The National Council for Cement and Building Materials works in research and technology development for the cement sector.

GDP Forecasts

Fitch raises India’s economic growth forecast for FY26

Science and Technology

ISRO tests CE20 cryogenic engine to enhance LVM3 rocket performance

• What: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a ground test of the CE20 cryogenic engine with higher thrust capability to improve the payload performance of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket.
• Tell me more:
  • ISRO conducted the test at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
  • ISRO completed human-rating of the CE20 engine for the Gaganyaan mission.
  • The higher-thrust CE20 cryogenic engine test will improve the performance of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 rocket and increase its capacity to carry heavier payloads for future satellite and space exploration missions.

Perplexity AI launches Personal Computer AI Agent

• Perplexity AI launched Personal Computer, an always-on artificial intelligence system running on a dedicated Mac mini that performs tasks across files, apps and online tools automatically and continuously for users.
• Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Chatgpt Agent and OpenClaw are major rivals of this new feature. All these, including Perplexity Personal Computer AI, are categorised as Agentic AI or AI Agents. They are different from LLM (Large Language Model).

OSRE launches sounding rocket from Gujarat for first time

• What: OmSpace Rocket and Exploration launched a 4.2-metre sounding rocket from Bavaliyari near Dholera in Gujarat, marking the first rocket launch from the state and testing Indian-developed rocket technologies.
• Tell me more:
  • The launch aims to check Indian-made rocket systems like engines and recovery systems and collect data for developing a larger reusable rocket called Infinity One.

New plant species discovered in Assam named after Zubeen Garg

• What: Botanists from Gauhati University discovered a new plant species named Osbeckia zubeengargiana in the grasslands of Manas National Park in Assam, highlighting the region’s biodiversity.
• Tell me more:
  • The species belongs to the Melastomataceae plant family.
  • It is named it after Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg.

Awards

Oscars 2026 (98th Edition)

• What: Winners List of 2026 Oscars

• Tell me more:
  • From India, Homebound (a 2025 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan) was shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category but did not reach the final list of nominees.
    • Oscar-winning American director Martin Scorsese was an Executive Producer of Homebound.
  • Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the ceremony for the second consecutive year.
  • Film Sinners received 16 nominations, the highest number in the nearly 100-year history of the Oscars.
  • About Oscars:
    • Established in 1929, the Oscar Awards, formally known as the Academy Awards, are prestigious honors given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for excellence in filmmaking.
    • The ceremony, typically held in February or March at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
    • Hollywood actress Katharine Hepburn holds the record for the most Academy Awards in acting, winning four competitive Oscars, all in the Best Actress category.

BCCI’s Naman Awards 2026

Vairamuthu to receive the 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025

• What: Bharatiya Jnanpith selected Tamil poet, lyricist and writer R. Vairamuthu for the 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025, recognising his outstanding contribution to Tamil literature and strengthening national recognition of the Tamil literary tradition.
• Tell me more:
  • Only two Tamil writers earlier received the Jnanpith Award: P. V. Akilan in 1975 and D. Jayakanthan in 2002.
  • R. Vairamuthu has authored more than 37 books, including poetry collections and novels such as Kallikattu Ethikasam, Karuvachi Kaaviyam, Thanni Desam and Moondraam Ullaga Por.
  • His Awards:

• The Jnanpith Award includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh and a bronze statuette of Vagdevi, the Goddess Saraswati.
• Writer Pratibha Ray chaired the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee.

Important Days

National Vaccination Day – March 16

• The day commemorates the launch of the India’s Pulse Polio Immunization Programme in 1995. India eliminated polio and become polio-free in 2014.

Pi Day 2026 – March 14

• Theme: Mathematics and hope
• Pi Day started in 1988 when physicist Larry Shaw celebrated it at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The United States recognised March 14 as National Pi Day in 2009. The date is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

International Day to Combat Islamophobia 2026 – March 15

World Rotaract Day – March 13

Sports

ICC suspends players and officials over alleged Bim10 match-fixing

• The International Cricket Council provisionally suspended West Indies player Javon Searles, team owner Chitranjan Rathod and official Trevon Griffith over alleged match-fixing and anti-corruption breaches during the 2023–24 Bim10 League.
• Bim10 is a Barbados-based T-10 league (meaning 10-over-per-side cricket format) under Cricket West Indies (CWI) jurisdiction.

World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok

World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 in New Delhi

• India finished the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 in New Delhi with 208 medals in track and field events, including 75 gold, 69 silver, and 64 bronze medals.
• Russia finished second with 35 medals (15 gold, 14 silver and six bronze), while Bosnia and Herzegovina secured third place with three medals, including one gold and two silver.
• Indian Winners:

Kimi Antonelli wins Chinese Grand Prix at age 19

• What: Italian driver Kimi Antonelli won the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming a Formula One race winner and the second-youngest winner in Formula One history.
• Tell me more:

Memorandum of Understanding

MSDE signs MoU with GATI Foundation to expand overseas jobs

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Global Access to Talent from India Foundation to strengthen global workforce mobility and create structured overseas employment opportunities.

MoU signed to improve healthcare in tribal areas

• What: Oil India Limited (OIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation to improve healthcare facilities in tribal areas of Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh.
• Tell me more:
  • The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, set up in 2001, works under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Appointments

José Antonio Kast Rist Takes Oath as the President of Chile

K. V. Ramana Murty appointed whole-time member of SEBI

• What: The Government of India appointed Kompella Venkata Ramana Murty as Whole-Time Member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for three years, strengthening the regulatory board overseeing India’s capital markets.
• Tell me more:
  • The SEBI board consists of one chairman, four whole-time members and four part-time members.
  • Tuhin Kanta Pandey serves as Chairman of SEBI.
  • Whole-time members handle decision-making, investigations and policy implementation related to capital markets.

Miscellaneous

Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell passes away at 64

• What: Veteran guitarist Phil Campbell, known for his long association with the heavy metal band Motörhead, passed away.
• Tell me more:
  • Phil Campbell played notable guitar riffs on songs such as Deaf Forever, Eat the Rich and Born to Raise Hell.
  • Phil Campbell released his debut solo album Old Lions Still Roar in 2019.
  • Phil Campbell recorded three albums with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.

Actress Madhu Malhotra passes away at 71

• Veteran actress Madhu Malhotra, known for roles in films such as Hero and Satte Pe Satta, died at the age of 71.

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