31st March 2026

1. Overview of World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 held in Telangana
2. Indian Navy conducts IMEX TTX 2026 at Maritime Warfare Centre in Kochi
3. MoEFCC, WWF-India Organise Awareness Campaign to Mark 20 Years of Earth Hour
4. Indian Army signs first-ever Capital Procurement Contract wie CoM Rontol
5. World Archery awards Sheetal Devi 2025 Para Archer of the Year honour
6. ESA launches 1st Celeste satellites from New Zealand to test low Earth orbit navigation
7. Kimi Antonelli wins Japanese GP to become youngest F1 title leader
8. International Day of Zero Waste 2026
9. Waste Segregation Made Mandatory: India’s New Rules from April 1, 2026
10. India’s Fiscal Deficit Narrows to ₹12.5 Trillion in April-February FY26
11. Indian Air Force to Equip MiG-29 Jets with Advanced ASRAAM Air-to-Air Missiles
12. No Social Media for Kids Under 16: Indonesia Starts Enforcing New Law
13. After 10 Years, Great Indian Bustard Chick Birth Revives Survival Hopes in Gujarat

National News

World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 in Hyderabad

• What: Hyderabad will host the World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 from March 26 to 29 to promote global peace and cultural exchange.
• Tell me more:
  • The conference will take place in Hyderabad and Buddhavanam at Nagarjunasagar in Telangana.
  • Buddhavanam, a unit of Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, is organising the conference with the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to showcase Buddhavanam as a Buddhist Heritage Theme Park.
  • The government plans to develop Buddhavanam as a global World Peace Centre.
  • Telangana’s Tourism and Culture Minister, Jupally Krishna Rao, was honoured with the prestigious Grand Prize for Contribution to World Peace.

Government Notifies Solid Waste Management Rules 2026

• What: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to improve waste handling through stricter rules, segregation and circular economy practices.
• Tell me more:
  • The rules will replace the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 from April 1, 2026.
  • The rules promote a circular economy and assign responsibility to producers and bulk waste generators.
  • The rules mandate four-way segregation and proper treatment of each waste type. The rules introduce the polluter pays principle to ensure accountability. The Central Pollution Control Board will track waste through a digital portal.

State News

After 10 Years, Great Indian Bustard Chick Birth Revives Survival Hopes in Gujarat

• A Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick hatched in the wild in Gujarat after nearly a decade, marking a rare conservation success with intensive protection measures for a critically endangered species.
• The event is important because the Great Indian Bustard is critically endangered and very few birds are left, so even one chick increases the population and improves the chances of saving the species from extinction.

International News

European Space Agency Launches Celeste Mission Satellites

• What: European Space Agency (ESA) launched two satellites of the Celeste mission from New Zealand using Rocket Lab Electron launcher to test new navigation technology in low Earth orbit.
• Tell me more:
  • The mission tests a low Earth orbit layer to support Galileo and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).
  • The mission aims to build a Positioning, Navigation and Timing constellation in low Earth orbit from 2030.
  • ESA plans to launch nine more satellites by 2027 into a 560 kilometre orbit.
  • GMV Spain with OHB Germany and Thales Alenia Space France with Thales Alenia Space Italy are developing the project.

Indonesia Restricts Social Media Use for Under-16 Users

• Indonesia introduced new rules to restrict social media use by users under 16 years to reduce risks of cyberbullying, addiction and mental health issues.

Banking and Economy

Fiscal Deficit Narrows In FY26

• What: Controller General of Accounts (CGA) data showed that India’s fiscal deficit reduced to ₹12.5 trillion in April–February FY26, indicating controlled government spending and improved revenue performance.
• Tell me more:
  • Fiscal deficit reached 80.4% of revised estimates during April–February FY26. Fiscal deficit declined by 7% from ₹13.4 trillion in the previous year.
  • Capital expenditure increased by 15% to ₹9.3 trillion, with utilisation reaching 79.7% of revised estimates, showing continued government spending on asset creation.
  • Revenue expenditure grew by 1% and reached 80.5% of revised estimates, leading to a decline in revenue deficit.
  • Fiscal deficit may rise to around 4.5% due to lower nominal gross domestic product (GDP).
  • Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) allocation increased to ₹1 trillion to offset revenue loss and support response to global challenges like the West Asia crisis.

Defence News

Indian Navy Conducts IMEX TTX 2026 Exercise

• What: The Indian Navy conducted IMEX TTX 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre in Kochi to address maritime security challenges and strengthen coordination among Indian Ocean Region navies, reinforcing India’s leadership after assuming Indian Ocean Naval Symposium chairmanship.
• Tell me more:
  • Participating countries included Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Timor-Leste.
  • India assumed the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium for the 2026–2028 period after 16 years.

Indian Army Executes First Capital Procurement Through GeM

• What: The Indian Army signed its first-ever capital procurement contract through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) by purchasing 93 Telescopic Handlers from JCB India Ltd under the Buy (Indian) category at a cost of ₹25.90 crore
• Tell me more:
  • GeM is a national public procurement portal for goods and services by government departments, organisations and public sector undertakings (PSUs).
  • GeM transformed the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, into a digital e-commerce portal.

Indian Air Force Upgrades MiG-29 With ASRAAM Missiles

• What: Indian Air Force (IAF) equipped MiG-29 UPG fighter aircraft with Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) to improve air combat capability and reduce dependence on older missile systems.
• Tell me more:
  • IAF integrated Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), developed by European MBDA, into MiG-29 UPG aircraft to replace older Russian R-73 missiles.
  • ASRAAM travels at speeds above Mach 3 and strikes targets within seconds at ranges beyond 25–30 kilometres.
  • IAF standardises ASRAAM across LCA Tejas, Jaguar and MiG-29 fleets to improve supply chain and maintenance efficiency.

Important Days

Earth Hour Marks 20 Years with Nationwide Activities

• What: World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF-India), with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), organised Earth Hour activities in Gwalior.
• Tell me more:
  • WWF-India conducted activities under the Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) with the theme “Give an Hour for Earth”.
  • The organisation carried out awareness campaigns and exhibitions at The Scindia School and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Gwalior.
  • Earth Hour started in 2007 and grew into a global movement across more than 190 countries.

International Day of Zero Waste 2026 – March 30

• 2026 Theme: Food Waste

Sports

Sheetal Devi Wins Para Archer of the Year 2025

• What: World Archery named India’s Sheetal Devi as Para Archer of the Year 2025.

• Tell me more:
  • Sheetal Devi, a 19-year-old para archer from Jammu and Kashmir, became the first female armless archer to win gold at the World Para Archery Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
  • Sheetal Devi won individual silver medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok.
  • World Archery started the World Archery Awards in 2011 to recognise excellence in archery across categories such as Archer of the Year, Young Archer of the Year and Best Team of the Year.

Kimi Antonelli Wins Japanese Grand Prix

• What: Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix to secure back-to-back Formula One victories and became the youngest driver to lead the World Championship.
• Tell me more:
  • Kimi Antonelli (Italian) drove for Mercedes and won the race at Suzuka.
  • Oscar Piastri (Australian) finished second in the race.

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