19th March 2026

1. British Council Signs MoU to Support SPARK 100K Collective for Women’s Entrepreneurship and Skills in India
2. NIPL Expands UPI Merchant Acceptance in Sri Lanka
3. Scapia Launches ‘Scapia Pay’ App to Earn Rewards Via RuPay Credit Cards
4. Tata Steel Signs MoU with USTB to Develop Low-Carbon Steelmaking Technologies
5. RBI Wins ‘Initiative of the Year’ Award for ‘.bank.in’ Domain Rollout
6. NBSL Appoints Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Brand Ambassador for BHIM Payments App
7. Former AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das Passed Away
8. World Consumer Rights Day 2026
9. Finland Tops World Happiness Report 2026 Again: Why It Remains the Happiest Country
10. Floating LiDAR Buoy System: Purpose, Working, and Why It Matters for India
11. Ugadi 2026: Date, Timings, Rituals and Significance of Telugu New Year
12. Gudi Padwa 2026: Date, History, Significance & Rituals Explained Simply
13. Hurun Rich List 2026: Elon Musk Still No.1, Ambani Tops Asia, Shah Rukh Khan Returns
14. OpenAI Launches It’s Smallest GPT-5.4 Mini and Nano Models
15. FIFA Partner with Youtube For the 2026 FIFA World Cup Matches
16. IIT Guwahati Develops MXene-Based Material for Clean Hydrogen and Desalination
17. Kalinga Stadium Hosts National Para Athletics Championship 2026
18. RBI Injects ₹48,014 Crore into Banking System By VRR Auction

State News

Ugadi 2026 Festival (New Year) of Telugu and Kannada Communities

• What: Ugadi marks traditional New Year for Telugu and Kannada communities on 19 March 2026. It is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.
• Tell me more:
  • Festival is celebrated as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.

Banking and Economy

NIPL Expands UPI Merchant Acceptance in Sri Lanka

• What: National Payments Corporation of India International Payments Limited (NIPL) partnered with LankaPay to expand Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka, enabling Indian tourists to make digital payments and strengthening cross-border payment systems.
• Tell me more:
  • Indian tourists can use UPI apps to scan QR codes and pay in Sri Lanka without cash, making payments between India and Sri Lanka easy, fast, and digitally connected.

Scapia launches UPI-based payment service

• What: Scapia launched ‘Scapia Pay’ feature inside the Scapia app that allows users to make UPI payments using their RuPay credit cards instead of bank account money.
• Tell me more:
  • Users can link Scapia Federal RuPay and Scapia BOBCARD RuPay credit cards for UPI payments.

OpenAI launches faster low cost AI models

• OpenAI launched two new AI models — GPT-5.4 mini and GPT-5.4 nano — to provide faster performance and lower cost for tasks that require quick responses and large-scale usage.
• These models fall under LLMs (Large Language Models).

RBI injects liquidity through VRR auction

• What: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected ₹48,014 crore through seven-day Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction to manage liquidity conditions, ensuring stability in banking system amid liquidity fluctuations due to tax-related outflows.
• Tell me more:
  • The money was given to banks at 5.26% cut-off and weighted average rate.
  • RBI injected liquidity because money in the banking system reduced sharply due to advance tax payments and expected GST outflows, which can tighten liquidity.
  • It helps maintain enough money in banks, keeps interest rates (especially overnight rates) stable, and ensures smooth functioning of the banking system.

Reports and Indices

1. World Happiness Report 2026
   • Released by: United Nations (UN)-backed World Happiness Report in partnership with Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and analytics firm Gallup
   • Total countries: 147
   • Top: Finland ranked 1st for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Costa Rica (4th), Sweden (5th), Norway (6th)
   • India’s rank: 116th in 2026 (improved from 118th in 2025)
   • Parameters of judgement:
     • GDP per capita
     • Life expectancy
     • Social support
     • Freedom to make life choices
     • Generosity
     • Perceptions of corruption
   • Observations of the report:
     • Costa Rica reached 4th position, the highest ever for a Latin American country.
     • Nordic countries continue to dominate the happiness rankings.
     • Heavy social media use reduces young people’s happiness.

   Hurun Global Rich List 2026

   • World’s Richest:

• India’s Specific:
  • India has 308 billionaires, making it the third country with the highest number of billionaires in 2026.
  • Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian and the richest Asian, with a net worth of $109 billion.

Source: TP

Science and Technology

India tests floating LiDAR buoy system

• What: A Floating LiDAR Buoy System is a device that floats on the sea and uses laser signals to measure wind speed, direction, and air conditions up to 300 metres above the sea.
• Tell me more:
  • The system was developed and successfully tested by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, off the coast of Muttom, Tamil Nadu.
  • It helps in better weather forecasting, improved storm and cyclone tracking, and understanding ocean-atmosphere interactions, while also reducing dependence on foreign technology and strengthening indigenous capabilities.

IIT Guwahati develops dual hydrogen desalination material

1. What: Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) developed a new MXene-based material that can produce hydrogen from water and also help in desalination.
2. Tell me more:
   • The material splits water to produce clean hydrogen fuel and uses solar power to remove salt from seawater to make it drinkable. This reduces pollution, supports clean energy, and helps solve water shortage cheaply.
   • The research was carried out by a team at IIT Guwahati, led by Prof PK Giri along with researchers Koushik Ghosh and Sanjoy Sur Roy.

Awards

RBI wins award for bank domain initiative

• What: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) won ‘Initiative of the Year’ award from Central Banking for launching ‘.bank.in’ domain. It was launched in February 2025.
• Tell me more:
  • Reserve Bank of India launched ‘.bank.in’ domain for only licensed banks to stop fake websites, help users identify real bank sites, prevent misuse, reduce phishing attacks, with phased rollout and deadline for banks.
  • Central Banking is an international organisation and publication that focuses on central banks and financial systems, and it gives awards to recognise important initiatives by central banks around the world.

Important Days

World Consumer Rights Day 2026 – March 15

• Theme – “Safe Products, Confident Consumers”

Sports

FIFA partners YouTube for World Cup 2026

• What: FIFA partnered with YouTube for the 2026 FIFA World Cup meaning official broadcasters can show the first 10 minutes of a match on YouTube for free, then viewers must switch to TV or official apps to watch the full match.
• Tell me more:
  • YouTube is being used to attract viewers first, then send them to the main platform for full viewing.
  • The tournament will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will feature 48 teams and 104 matches.

National Para Athletics Championship begins in Bhubaneswar

• What: National Para Athletics Championship will be held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, from 19 to 21 March, with 1,460 athletes competing in 145 events, serving as selection platform for Asian Para Games and international competitions.
• Tell me more:
  • Athletes from 28 states, Border Security Force (BSF), and Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) will participate.
  • Event will include Paralympic, Asian Games, and World Championship medalists.
  • Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is organising the event.
  • Championship will help identify athletes for Asian Para Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan.

Memorandum of Understanding

British Council signs MoU for women entrepreneurs

• What: British Council partnered with Women’s Collective Forum and Alliance for Global Good to run SPARK programme, which will help one lakh women entrepreneurs across 300 locations grow and expand their businesses.
• Tell me more:
  • Programme provides resources, training, and networks to women, while British Council builds English and digital skills, helping women grow from small businesses to larger enterprises and connect with global markets.

Tata Steel signs MoU for low carbon steel

• What: Tata Steel signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) to develop low-carbon steelmaking technologies.
• Tell me more:
  • Low-carbon steelmaking technologies are methods to make steel while producing less pollution (carbon emissions).

Appointments

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Becomes Brand Ambassador For BHIM Payments App

• NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL) appointed former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador for BHIM Payments App, which is now being presented and promoted as “Bharat Ka Apna Payments App.”
• MD & CEO of NBSL – Lalitha Nataraj

Miscellaneous

Former AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das passes away

• Kushal Das, a Chartered Accountant and former All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary from 2010 to 2022, passed away at 66 after contributing to football administration in India.

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