Current Affairs Quiz - March 2026

Notes:
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a new geopolitical grouping called the Hexagon Alliance, with India at its centre. The alliance, also called the “Hexagon of Alliances,” would include Israel, India, Mediterranean partners like Greece and Cyprus, and other Arab, African, and Asian states. It is designed to operate across three tracks: economic cooperation, diplomatic alignment, and security collaboration. For India, participation would expand its strategic footprint in the Mediterranean and West Asia, complementing initiatives like the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor.

Notes:
Rare Disease Day is observed globally every year on the last day of February (28 February or 29 February in leap years). It was first held on 29 February 2008 and is now observed in more than 100 countries. The day raises awareness for over 300 million people worldwide living with rare diseases and promotes equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, research, and social care. In India, rare diseases affect a small proportion of the population, often requiring specialised diagnosis and care. More than 6,000 rare diseases have been identified, with nearly 72% being genetic.

Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully conducted three consecutive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. VSHORADS stands for Very Short-Range Air Defence System and it is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS). It is indigenously designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat under DRDO with other laboratories and production partners. It is a lightweight, short-range, surface-to-air missile used to destroy aircraft and helicopters. Maximum range is 8 kilometres and it can engage targets up to 4.5 kilometres altitude.

Notes:
The Amondawa tribe lives deep inside the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Researchers found that they live without clocks, calendars, or counting numerical age. Their language has no words for time, week, month, or year. They describe events in sequence but do not treat time as an abstract concept. They do not track birthdays or calculate age in numbers. Life stages are marked through identity and name changes. As a person grows, they receive new names at different stages. Their society is organised around natural cycles and social identity, not numerical time.

Notes:
Recently, the Meghalaya government issued an advisory after a meningococcal infection scare, urging people to avoid crowded places and follow health protocols. Meningococcal infection is a severe and rapidly progressing disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. It can lead to meningitis, which is inflammation of the meninges covering the brain and spinal cord, or meningococcemia, which is blood poisoning. It spreads through respiratory and throat secretions like saliva during close or prolonged contact. It is less contagious than common cold or flu infections.

Notes:
A new groundwater fish species, Gitchak nakana, has been discovered in Assam. It belongs to a newly described genus under the family Cobitidae (loaches). The name comes from the Garo language: “Gitchak” means red, referring to its blood-red colour, and “na-tok” and “kana” mean blind fish. It shows subterranean adaptations like absence of visible eyes, translucent pigmentless body, and extreme miniaturisation. It completely lacks a skull roof, with the brain covered only by skin. It lives in groundwater aquifers, which are difficult to access.

Notes:
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has launched the world’s first Sovereign Financial Cloud Services Infrastructure (SFCSI). It is developed with Core42, a subsidiary of G42. The platform ensures data sovereignty, meaning financial data remains within the UAE’s legal and security boundaries. It offers integrated cybersecurity, unified multi-cloud management, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based analytics. It allows real-time processing, automation, and predictive risk analysis for licensed financial institutions. It reduces dependence on foreign cloud providers and strengthens regulatory control.

Notes:
Villages of Excellence was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Israel in February 2026. The Villages of Excellence is a collaborative initiative between India and Israel aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and farmer income. It aims to bring Israeli agricultural technology from centralized research centers directly to villages, increasing productivity and income for lakhs of Indian farmers.

Notes:
Researchers detected a lightning-like “whistler” radio signal in the Martian ionosphere, first evidence of such electromagnetic activity on Mars. Detection was made using data from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. The MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It is the first spacecraft dedicated to studying the Martian upper atmosphere to understand how the planet lost its atmosphere and water over time.

Notes:
The Delhi government, under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, launched the Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana (restructured Ladli scheme), Meri Poonji Mera Adhikaar, Saheli Pink Smart Card for free bus travel, and a free LPG cylinder scheme for 15 lakh poor families. The new schemes aim to instil confidence in women and encourage them to achieve new heights. The launch event was attended by government officials and Delhi administration representatives.