Current Affairs Quiz - March 2026

Notes:
A recent study warns that climate change may restrict the habitat of the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon to a few isolated pockets in the Western Ghats by the end of the century. It is an endemic pigeon species of the Western Ghats in India. It is large, dark in colour, with a distinctive checkerboard pattern on its nape. It lives in high-elevation wet evergreen, moist evergreen, semi-evergreen forests and shola forests. It is mainly found in the Nilgiris and Anamalai Hills, with isolated populations in Biligirirangan Hills, Nandi Hills and northern Maharashtra.

Notes:
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary hosted the second edition of the two-day Indian Bison Fest. It is located in Bargarh district of Odisha near Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River. Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world. The sanctuary is linked with freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, whose base at Barapathara was here during revolt against British rule.

Notes:
An indigenously developed 30 kiloWatt Wide Band Gap based Integrated Drive System for Electric Vehicles was launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in Chennai. It was developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing Thiruvananthapuram with Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Lucas TVS under National Mission on Power Electronics Technology. It was launched by the Secretary of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at IIT Madras. The 30 kiloWatt system suits electric passenger vehicles like compact cars and fleet mobility. It reduces import dependence on semiconductor-based Electric Vehicle powertrain systems.

Notes:
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the 70th Foundation Day of Central Warehousing Corporation on 2 March 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Central Warehousing Corporation is a Central Public Sector Enterprise under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and supports food security, storage and logistics. In Financial Year 2024–25, it recorded highest turnover ₹2,776.88 crore and Profit Before Tax ₹711.60 crore, higher than Financial Year 2023–24. It proposed ₹160.10 crore dividend and aims for higher growth in Financial Year 2025–26 through digital and infrastructure expansion.

Notes:
India will host Bharat Steel 2026 in New Delhi from 16 April 2026 as a two day global summit. It will bring together leaders from steel, technology, mining and trading sectors to discuss the next generation steel ecosystem. The summit will act as a platform for policy and business dialogue to shape the future of the steel industry. It aims to promote sustainable industrial growth. The event will showcase India’s strength in the steel sector and enhance its global position.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth Rs 5,083 crore for defence acquisitions. Procurement includes six Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III in Maritime Role for the Indian Coast Guard. Contracts also cover Surface-to-Air Vertical Launch (SAM) Shtil missiles for the Indian Navy. Shtil missile is a medium-range, ship-based, vertical-launch surface-to-air missile system developed by Russia. It primarily uses the 9M317ME semi-active radar homing (SARH) missile.

Notes:
The High Court of Karnataka directed the State government to issue a notification to include left-out areas of Kappatagudda reserve forest in the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary. Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Karnataka. It has diverse habitats—dry deciduous forests, grasslands, scrublands, and riverine zones—earning it the nickname “Western Ghats of North Karnataka.” The sanctuary has historical significance with ancient temples and ruins on the hillsides. These structures reflect dynasties like the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the Tamil Nadu Women Entrepreneur Empowerment Scheme (TWEES) to support one lakh women in starting businesses over five years. The scheme is designed by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department to promote women’s entrepreneurship across the State. The scheme aims to provide training, resources, and opportunities to encourage women-led enterprises.

Notes:
Gujarat is establishing its first hi-tech nursery in Davas village, Deesa taluka, Banaskantha district to boost afforestation and conserve rare plant species. The project will cover 13 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore, implemented by the Gujarat Forest Department and Social Forestry Department, under Forest and Environment Minister Pravin Mali. The nursery aims to produce high-quality, disease-free, and robust saplings using advanced technologies, controlled environments, and scientific cultivation methods.

Notes:
Centre for Science and Environment released State of India’s Environment 2026 report, published yearly since 1982, reviewing floods, extreme weather, wildlife behaviour and air pollution in India. Report warns global temperature may cross 1.5°C, showing the world is nearing a climate tipping point. In 2025, extreme weather occurred on 99% of days, causing 4,419 deaths and damaging 17.41 million hectares crops. States like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh experienced the highest number of extreme weather days. The report stresses the need to shift from disaster relief to climate-resilient planning and infrastructure.