Daily Current Affairs: 16 March 2026

Annapurna Devi Honoured with Special Cover by India Post

Key Updates:

• India Post released a special cover to commemorate the birth centenary of the legendary Surbahar player and Indian classical musician Annapurna Devi.
• The special cover was released on 9 March 2026 at the Kolkata General Post Office (GPO) in the presence of Sukriti Gupta, Director Postal Services, Kolkata Region.
• Annapurna Devi was an artist of the Maihar Gharana, the daughter of Baba Alauddin Khan, and the sister of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
• Her name was bestowed upon her by Maharaja Brijnath Singh of the Maihar State.
• Her notable students included Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ashish Khan, Dakshina Mohan Tagore, Basant Kabra, Sudhir Phadke, and Nityanand Haldipur.
• The Annapurna Devi Foundation organised a three-day classical music festival from 6 March to 8 March 2026 at G.D. Birla Sabhagar to mark the centenary celebration.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Expands Mandatory Gold Hallmarking to 380 Districts

[Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)]

Key Updates:

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has expanded mandatory gold hallmarking to seven additional districts under the sixth phase of implementation.
• The newly added districts include Rupnagar (Punjab), Banda (Uttar Pradesh), Beed (Maharashtra), Gomati (Tripura), Katihar (Bihar), Beawar (Rajasthan), and Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh).
• With this expansion, the total number of districts covered under the mandatory hallmarking regime in India has reached 380.
• Mandatory hallmarking is applicable to gold jewellery and artefacts of 14, 18, 20, 22, 23, and 24 carats.
• The BIS launched the first phase of the programme on June 23, 2021, initially covering 256 districts.
• Subsequent roll-outs included Phase 2 (April 2022) with 32 districts, Phase 3 (September 2023) with 55 districts, Phase 4 (November 2024) with 18 districts, and Phase 5 (July 2025) with 12 districts.
• As of March 5, a total of 60 crore gold items have been hallmarked to ensure consumer protection and certify gold purity.

Government appoints Kompella Venkata Ramana Murty as Whole-Time Member of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

[Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)]

Key Updates:

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Kompella Venkata Ramana Murty as a whole-time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of three years.
• Murty is a 1991-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) and previously served as the Additional Controller General of Defence Accounts.
• The appointment increases the total number of whole-time members on the SEBI board to four, alongside Sandip Pradhan, Kamlesh Chandra Varshney, and Amarjeet Singh.
• Tuhin Kanta Pandey is the current Chairman of SEBI, having assumed the position on March 1, 2025.
• The SEBI board structure consists of a chairman, four whole-time members, and four part-time members representing the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the Ministry of Finance, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Murty previously served as a part-time member on the SEBI board as a representative of the MCA.

Jal Shakti Ministry launches NETRA AI platform and RBSD for Dam Safety

Key Updates:

• Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil inaugurated the new office of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) at R.K. Puram, New Delhi.
• The Minister launched NETRA (NDSA Engine for Tracking and Review using AI), an artificial intelligence-enabled platform developed in collaboration with the Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE) of the Indian Navy.
• NETRA is integrated with DHARMA, the national repository of dam safety data covering more than 6,600 specified dams and thousands of inspection reports.
• The Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan (RBSD) visualisation platform, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), was launched to present Dam Break Analysis (DBA) results through digital mapping.
• A new NDSA website was launched featuring a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Specified Dams section to provide map-based information on dams across the country.
• Rooftop solar power plants with capacities of less than 25 kilowatts were remotely inaugurated across seven buildings of the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Union Minister Unveils Solar, Defence, and Foundry Projects at BHEL Haridwar

[Uttarakhand, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)]

Key Updates:

• Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy dedicated a 5-MW ground-mounted solar power plant at the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) facility in Haridwar.
• The solar installation comprises over 11,000 solar modules and is expected to generate approximately 90 lakh kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually to support India’s Net Zero target by 2070.
• A 30-ton Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) was inaugurated at the Central Foundry and Forge Plant of BHEL to enhance domestic manufacturing capacity for critical components in power and strategic industries.
• The Minister flagged off the Upgraded Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) for the Indian Navy, an indigenous weapon system capable of firing 120 rounds per minute with a range of 35 kilometres.
• A large turbo generator manufactured at the Haridwar facility was dispatched for a major power project, highlighting BHEL’s expertise in high-capacity electricity infrastructure.
• The projects were launched under the national visions of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India to strengthen industrial resilience and reduce import dependence.

MSDE-GATI MoU to deepen coordination in India's global skills mobility ecosystem

Key Updates:

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed an MoU with GATI Foundation on 13 March 2026 to strengthen overseas workforce mobility.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, and Shri Niranjan Kumar Sudhansu, Additional Secretary, MSDE.
• This is the first Central government partnership for the GATI Foundation.
• The partnership aims to align national skilling priorities with state-level implementation for overseas employment pathways.
• Arnab Bhattacharya, CEO, GATI Foundation, stated the goal is to accelerate India’s journey toward becoming the global skills capital by 2047.

DEPwD–Coalition of the Willing MoU for life-cycle empowerment of persons with hearing impairment

Key Updates:

• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment signed an MoU with the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ on 12 March 2026 in New Delhi.
• The coalition includes Yunikee (Gopalakrishnan Foundation for the Deaf), Blee Tech Innovations Pvt. Ltd., Training and Educational Centre for Hearing Impaired (TEACH), WinVinaya Foundation, Buddy4Study India Foundation, VCrop Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).
• The partnership will design and implement interventions covering awareness, assistive technologies, early identification, education, skill development, employment, scholarships, Indian Sign Language digital content and sustainable livelihoods.
• The initiative aims to create an integrated life-cycle empowerment model for persons with hearing impairment from early intervention to social inclusion.

Oil India and NSTFDC MoU: ₹86.27 Lakh Sanctioned for Tribal Healthcare Infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh

[Oil India Limited, National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), Madhya Pradesh]

Key Updates:

• Oil India Limited (OIL) signed an MoU with the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) on 12 March 2026 at OIL’s corporate office in Noida.
• The MoU sanctions ₹86.27 lakh for upgrading healthcare facilities in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, an Aspirational District under the Government of India’s programme.
• Funds will strengthen Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) by providing ambulances, life-care and diagnostic equipment, ventilators, CPAP machines, BiPAP machines, and USG machines.

IIT Guwahati and Gifu University sign LoI to create North East Region–Japan International Academic and Research Consortium

[Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati), Gifu University]

Key Updates:

• IIT Guwahati (IIT-G) and Gifu University, Japan, jointly organised the two-day Japan-NER Academia-Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026 (JNTCS 2026).
• 22 institutions from Northeast India signed the Letter of Intent (LoI) to join the North East Region–Japan International Academic and Research Consortium.
• IIT-G will be the nodal institution on the Indian side and Gifu University the coordinating institution on the Japanese side.
• Japan designated Northeast India a strategic priority under the MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project in 2022.
• The consortium targets 5,000 students from Northeast Indian institutions visiting Japanese universities and an equal number coming to India within the next five years.

Illegal earth cutting near Deepor Beel wetland persists despite Gauhati High Court and Assam Forest Department bans

[Assam]

Key Updates:

• Residents of the Seventh Mile area allege that a group of middlemen and miscreants have been illegally excavating soil for over a month from the Kalshila wetland connected to Deepor Beel.
• The illegal excavation occurs mostly at night from around 8 pm, with dumpers transporting soil excavated using JCB machines to various locations for commercial gain.
• The Gauhati High Court and the Assam Forest Department have imposed prohibitory orders, yet the activity continues unabated on government land and wetlands.
• The wetland lies near the training school of the Assam Police Radio Organisation and the Assam Engineering College under the jurisdiction of Jalukbari Police Outpost.
• Locals warned that repeated excavation since 2021 during the dry season threatens the biodiversity of the Kalshila wetland and the sensitive ecological zone of Deepor Beel.
• The citizens have urged the Kamrup (Metro) district administration, city police, and forest authorities to conduct an immediate spot inquiry and take strict legal action against those involved.

National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) partners with TraceXero Technologies to advance carbon capture and utilisation in cement sector.

[National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB)]

Key Updates:

• The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) has partnered with TraceXero Technologies to develop and technically validate carbon capture and utilisation technologies for the cement sector.
• TraceXero Technologies is a start-up focused on industrial decarbonization and carbon capture solutions.
• The cement sector contributes about 7 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions and is considered a difficult-to-abate sector due to its process-related emissions.
• Carbon Capture and Utilization has been identified as one of the critical levers to support the goal of Net Zero in the cement industry.
• TraceXero has been developing a technology that captures carbon dioxide using a proprietary solvent process and converts it into graphitic carbon and eventually graphene.
• The European Union is imposing a carbon tax (carbon border adjustment mechanism) on certain sectors.

T-Hub and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) partner to boost India–Japan deep-tech startup exchange.

[T-Hub, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO)]

Key Updates:

• T-Hub and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) signed a partnership on Thursday to strengthen India–Japan startup collaboration.
• The collaboration targets sectors including pharma and medical equipment, space and aerospace, defence, mobility, smart infrastructure, deeptech, AI, emerging technologies, and Industry 4.0.
• Initiatives include startup exchange programmes, corporate open-innovation partnerships, market access support, regulatory guidance, and investor connect platforms.
• T-Hub will assist Japanese startups, corporates, and investors entering India and help Indian startups expand into Japan.
• T-Hub’s prior Japanese partners include NEC, Suzuki, Denso, Panasonic, Toyota, and Nitto Denko.
• T-Hub CEO Kavikrut stated the partnership will create global pathways for startups building from India.
• JETRO Bengaluru Director General Toshihiro Mizutani said the move will further strengthen Japan–India startup collaboration and innovation partnerships.

Kpop Demon Hunters wins Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song

Key Updates:

• Kpop Demon Hunters secured two Oscars: Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song.
• Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle LM Wong accepted the Best Animated Feature award.
• Ejae accepted the Best Original Song award for Golden, the film’s breakout ballad.
• Golden became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy last month.

Preeti Pal wins 200m gold as India finishes with 208 medals at World Para Athletics Grand Prix

Key Updates:

• Preeti Pal claimed the women’s 200m (T35-T37) gold with a time of 30.26 seconds at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix.
• India topped the medal table with 208 medals: 75 gold, 69 silver and 64 bronze.
• Russia finished second with 35 medals (15 gold, 14 silver, 6 bronze).
• Bosnia and Herzegovina placed third with three medals (one gold, two silver).
• Shubham Juyal won the men’s shot put F57 gold with a throw of 14.45 metres.
• Vinay secured the men’s 200m T35 gold in 28.18 seconds.
• Rakeshbhai Bhatt won the men’s 200m T37-T44 gold in 25.20 seconds.
• Manojkumar Sabapathi took the men’s 800m T53-T54 gold in 1:57.41.

BCCI Naman Awards 2026 honour Shubman Gill, Smriti Mandhana and domestic stars

[Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)]

Key Updates:

• Shubman Gill won the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) 2024-25.
• Smriti Mandhana won the Best International Cricketer (Women) 2024-25 for the fifth time.
• Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj received the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Harshit Rana won Best International Debut (Men) 2024-25.
• N Sree Charani won Best International Debut (Women) 2024-25.
• Deepti Sharma took the most wickets for India Women in ODIs during 2024-25.
• Ayush Mhatre (Mumbai) won the Lala Amarnath Award for Best All-rounder in Domestic Limited-Overs Competitions 2024-25.
• Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha) won the Lala Amarnath Award for Best All-rounder in Ranji Trophy 2024-25.
• Ira Jadhav (Mumbai) won Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Jr Domestic) 2024-25.
• Shafali Verma (Haryana) won Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Sr Domestic) 2024-25.
• Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) topped wicket-takers in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Kishan Sarkar (Tripura) topped wicket-takers in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Shanthanu Singh (Uttar Pradesh) topped run-scorers in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Pritam Raj (Bihar) topped run-scorers in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Hemchudeshan J (Tamil Nadu) topped wicket-takers in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Arkajit Roy (Tripura) topped wicket-takers in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Nitya J Pandya (Baroda) topped run-scorers in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Ragavan Ramamoorthy (Puducherry) topped run-scorers in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Vicky Ostwal (Maharashtra) topped wicket-takers in U23 Col. C K Nayudu Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Dipjyoti Saikia (Assam) topped wicket-takers in U23 Col. C K Nayudu Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Macneil H N (Karnataka) topped run-scorers in U23 Col. C K Nayudu Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• R Jashwanth Shreeram (Puducherry) topped run-scorers in U23 Col. C K Nayudu Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha) topped wicket-takers in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Suchith J (Nagaland) topped wicket-takers in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Y V Rathod (Vidarbha) topped run-scorers in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group.
• Snehal Kauthankar (Goa) topped run-scorers in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Plate Group.
• Mumbai Cricket Association won Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments 2024-25.
• Ulhas Gandhe (Vidarbha C A) won Best Umpire in Domestic Cricket 2024-25.

Chandrika Pujari wins gold at World Boxing Futures Cup

Key Updates:

• India concluded the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok with a total of five medals, including one gold, three silver, and one bronze.
• Chandrika Pujari won the gold medal in the women’s 51 kg category by defeating Uzbekistan’s Mardonova Nazokat with a unanimous decision.
• Gunjan (48 kg) and Joyshree Devi (54 kg) secured silver medals after losing their respective final matches to boxers from England and the United States.
• L. Ambekar Meetei earned a silver medal in the men’s 50 kg category after losing the final bout to an opponent from Ukraine.
• Radhamani Longjam secured a bronze medal for India in the 57 kg weight category.

Rotaract Festival scheduled for March 14 in Uganda

[Uganda]

Key Updates:

• The Rotaract Festival is scheduled to take place on March 14 at the Legends Rugby Grounds to mobilise resources for community development projects.
• The event marks the conclusion of the annual Rotaract Week, which is observed from March 9 to March 14.
• Geoffrey Martin Kitakule serves as the District Governor of Rotary District 9213.
• Rotaract is a global youth leadership programme operating under the aegis of Rotary International.
• The organisation adheres to the official motto Service Above Self.
• Rotaract clubs in Uganda support community initiatives in sectors including health, education, environmental conservation, and youth empowerment.