20th March 2026

1. GSI Declares Kalinjar Fort Hill in UP as National Geo-Heritage Site
2. Metropolis by Reliance MET City Becomes India’s First Project to Get LEED Platinum Pre-Certification
3. MoCA Launches ‘Fare Se Fursat’ Scheme with Rewa–Raipur Inaugural Flight
4. Argentina Formally Withdraws from WHO Effective from March 2026
5. Edelweiss AMC Launches India’s 1st Hybrid Passive Index Fund
6. Shipping Corporation of India Signs Contract with Mazagon Dock for Green Methanol Vessel
7. Former Indian Ambassador Jawed Ashraf Conferred France’s Legion d’honour Rank of ‘Commandeur
8. RBI Approves Bain Capital Investment in MFL and its Subsidiaries
9. Global Recycling Day 2026
10. Punjab Government Collaborates with WB to Launch ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti 2.0’ School Programme
11. Sheshnaag-150 (India) drone
12. International Day of Happiness 2026: Why the World Celebrates Happiness on March 20
13. The Golden Road’ Wins Big: William Dalrymple Honored for Reframing Global History
14. Prambanan Temple Restoration: India-Indonesia Partnership Blends Tradition with AI
15. Keel Laying of Next-Gen OPVs Marks Big Step in India’s Defense Manufacturing
16. Who is Bhumika Shrestha? Nepal’s First Transgender Woman MP Makes History
17. One Nation One Election: JPC Gets More Time to Review Key Bill
18. Nita Ambani Gets Major Recognition for Humanitarian Work
19. What Is IOS SAGAR 2026? India’s New Maritime Mission Explained

National News

India partners with Indonesia to restore Prambanan Temple complex

• What: India and Indonesia partnered to restore the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia.
• Tell me more:
  • Prambanan is a 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
  • India has supported heritage restoration in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos.
  • ASI restored Angkor Wat is located in Cambodia, the Mỹ Sơn temples are in Vietnam, the Ananda Temple and the Bagan Pagodas are in Myanmar, and Vat Phou Temple is in Laos

Lok Sabha extends tenure of committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ bills

• What: Lok Sabha extended the time of the Joint Parliamentary Committee studying ‘One Nation, One Election’ bills, so the committee can continue reviewing plans for holding elections together for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
• Tell me more:
  • The committee is examining Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024.
  • The committee is examining Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
  • The bills aim to introduce simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
  • P.P. Chaudhary is the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

State News

Kalinjar Fort hill declared National Geo-Heritage Site by GSI

• What: Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared the hill area around Kalinjar Fort in Banda district, Uttar Pradesh as a National Geo-Heritage Site.
• Tell me more:
  • When a site becomes a geological heritage site, the government protects it, people learn about Earth’s history, tourism increases, and the local area gets more visitors, awareness, and economic support.
  • Kalinjar can be promoted with nearby sites like Khajuraho Temples and Chitrakoot to support the local economy.

‘Fare Se Fursat’ scheme launched with Rewa–Raipur flight

• What: Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) started the ‘Fare Se Fursat – One Route One Fare’ scheme with a new Rewa–Raipur flight, making air travel simple by keeping ticket prices fixed on selected routes.
• Tell me more:
  • Under this scheme, passengers can book tickets at a fixed fare, no matter when they book or travel, and it is implemented on selected routes like Rewa–Raipur, Tirupati–Rajahmundry etc.
  • The scheme applies to six routes operated by Alliance Air.
  • Government received Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support for the Rewa–Raipur route.
  • In addition to this, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) barracks were inaugurated at Khajuraho Airport, Madhya Pradesh. Airports Authority of India (AAI) developed CISF barracks across India with over INR 100 crore investment in five years.

Punjab partners with World Bank for ₹3,500 crore education reform

• What: Punjab partnered with World Bank to launch Sikhya Kranti 2.0 with ₹3,500 crore investment, aiming to improve school education and prepare students with better learning and job-ready skills.
• Tell me more:
  • The programme will run for six years under Punjab Sikhya Kranti 2.0.
  • The funding includes ₹2,500 crore loan from World Bank and ₹1,000 crore from state government.
  • The initiative follows Punjab’s top ranking in PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024.
  • The programme introduces a Career Guidance Portal for student counselling and aptitude testing.

International News

1. Argentina withdraws from World Health Organization
   • What: Argentina withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) to make its own health rules, use its resources better, and take decisions without outside control, while still working with other countries through direct agreements.
   • Tell me more:
     • Argentina sent a formal written note to the United Nations Secretary-General in March 2025 under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, saying it wants to leave WHO.
     • About Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969):
       • The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) is a core UN treaty that guides countries on how to create, understand, change, and end treaties.
       • It entered into force on 27 January 1980 after ratification by the required number of states.
       • As of March 20, 2026, 45 countries have signed the treaty to show interest, while 118 countries have fully accepted it and follow its rules.

   Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker

   • LGBTQ rights activist Bhumika Shrestha became Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker.

Banking and Economy

Edelweiss launches India’s first hybrid passive index fund

• What: Edelweiss Asset Management Company (AMC) launched India’s first hybrid passive index fund.
• Tell me more:
  • A passive fund is a fund that tracks an index and does not actively select stocks or bonds. It simply follows the index composition.
  • It is India’s first because it is a hybrid passive index fund, which combines both equities and government bonds in a single passive structure, a category not introduced earlier.
  • Unlike other funds, it combines equity and debt in one passive fund, offers automatic monthly rebalancing, and does not require active decision-making or stock selection.
  • It aims to generate returns by replicating the Nifty LargeMidcap250 Plus 8–13 yr G-Sec 70:30 Index through passive investment in equity and government securities.

Bain Capital gets RBI approval for joint control of Manappuram Finance

• What: US-based private investment firm Bain Capital received Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval to jointly run Manappuram Finance.
• Tell me more:
  • Bain Capital plans to acquire up to 41.66% stake in Manappuram Finance.
  • The deal includes subsidiaries of Manappuram Finance – Asirvad Micro Finance Limited and Manappuram Home Finance Limited.
  • So, Bain Capital will get joint control, along with existing promoters of Manappuram Finance, over all these companies together, including the main company.

Defence News

Indian firms develop long-range kamikaze drones for modern warfare

• What: Indian defence companies developed new kamikaze drones under Project KAL and Sheshnaag-150, aiming to improve long-range attack ability and showing how modern wars are increasing the use of low-cost drone technology.
• Tell me more:
  • IG Defence, a Noida-based company, is developing Project KAL as a long-range drone.
  • NewSpace Research and Technologies is developing Sheshnaag-150.
  • The drone can fly for 3 to 5 hours for watching targets and then attacking them.

Keel laying of next generation offshore patrol vessels held in Ratnagiri

• What: Keel laying ceremony of two Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) was held in Ratnagiri.
• Tell me more:
  • The vessels include AI-based maintenance, drones, IBS, and IPMS systems.
  • Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) is designing and building the ships in India.
  • The project follows the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, and the contract for six OPVs was signed on December 20, 2023.

Second edition of IOS SAGAR begins to boost maritime cooperation

• What: Indian Navy started the second edition of Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR to improve cooperation and security in the Indian Ocean Region by training and working together with other countries.
• Tell me more:
  • Indian Navy became chair of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in February 2026.
  • The programme includes participation from 16 IONS countries of the Indian Ocean Region.
  • Training begins at Indian Naval establishments in Kochi.

Awards

Metropolis by Reliance MET City gets India’s first LEED Platinum Pre-Certification

• What: Metropolis by Reliance MET City in Haryana became India’s first project to receive LEED Platinum Pre-Certification for planning a city using eco-friendly and sustainable methods.
• Tell me more:
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the world’s most widely recognised green building and community certification framework.
  • U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) creates LEED and green‑building standards, while Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is its partnered, independent body that certifies projects and professionals against those standards worldwide.

France awards Legion of Honour to former envoy Jawed Ashraf

• What: France awarded Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur to former Indian envoy Jawed Ashraf for strengthening India-France relations.
• Tell me more:
  • Jawed Ashraf served as Indian envoy to France from 2020 to 2024.
  • India’s Ambassador to France (as of March 2026) – Sanjeev Kumar Singla
  • France’s Ambassador to India (as of March 2026) – Thierry Mathou
  • The Legion of Honour, established in 1802 with multiple levels, includes the Commander level as a top civilian honour, which only seven Indians received earlier, and Jawed Ashraf became the first Indian diplomat recipient.
    • Earlier Recipients are JRD Tata, Ratan Tata, Amartya Sen, Ravi Shankar, Satyajit Ray, SH Raza and Manna Dey.
  • Jawed Ashraf became chairman of Indian Trade Promotion Organization after retirement in 2024.

William Dalrymple wins Mark Lynton History Prize 2026

• What: William Dalrymple received the Mark Lynton History Prize 2026 for his book The Golden Road.
• Tell me more:
  • The award recognises his book for strong research, writing quality, and social relevance, and it is given annually for excellence in historical writing with a cash prize of $10,000.
  • The Mark Lynton History Prize (author of a World War II memoir) is part of the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize.
  • Nieman Foundation for Journalism and Columbia University School of Journalism administer the prize.

Nita Ambani receives honorary doctorate and humanitarian award

• What: Nita Ambani received an honorary doctorate and KISS Humanitarian Award 2025 in Bhubaneswar, recognising her contributions to education, healthcare, sports, and community development, highlighting her role in nation building.
• Tell me more:
  • Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University (KIITU) conferred the honorary doctorate and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) presented the Humanitarian Award 2025.

Important Days

Global Recycling Day 2026 – March 18

• Theme – “Don’t Think Waste – Think Opportunity”

International Day of Happiness 2026 – March 20

Memorandum of Understanding

SCI signs green methanol vessel contract with Mazagon Dock

• What: Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) signed a contract with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd to build a green methanol-powered vessel.
• Tell me more:
  • SCI will build a ship that uses green methanol – a cleaner fuel, which reduces pollution, supports greener shipping in India, and helps the company move towards modern, environment-friendly technology for future operations.

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