Current Affairs Quiz - March 2026

Notes:
The United Nations observes International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness on March 5 to promote understanding of disarmament, especially among young people. Multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to UN efforts to maintain international peace and security. Weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, remain a primary concern due to their destructive power and threat to humanity. Excessive conventional weapons accumulation and illicit trade in small arms endanger peace, security, and development.

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Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones for four riverine lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River, the first such lighthouses on an inland waterway in India. The lighthouses will be constructed at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat, and Biswanath Ghat along National Waterway-2, with a total investment of ₹84 crore. The project aims to strengthen inland waterways as a sustainable, cost-efficient transport mode, reducing carbon emissions compared to road transport.

Notes:
8 March 2026 marks International Women’s Day, celebrated globally to honour women’s achievements and push for gender equality. The United Nations theme for 2026 is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The focus is on addressing legal gaps worldwide, as women currently hold only about 64% of the legal rights that men have globally. The campaign aims to move beyond “rights on paper” to ensure laws are enforced in daily life. In India, the focus includes women’s safety, equal pay, and improved access to justice in both rural and urban areas.

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World Engineering Day (WED) is celebrated on 4 March every year to recognise engineering’s role in sustainable development. UNESCO officially recognises the day, and it is delivered globally by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO). The Adani Group has been named as an official partner for WED 2026, marking the first time an Indian organisation has been selected by WFEO for this global recognition. The theme for WED 2026 is “Smart engineering for a sustainable future through innovation and digitalisation.”

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.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Earth Sciences recently visited the Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep to review desalination facilities. Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) is a technology that converts seawater into drinking water by using temperature differences in ocean water. The project is implemented by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. LTTD plants operate on eight Lakshadweep islands including Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti and Kalpeni, improving year-round drinking water supply.

Notes:
Researchers found that Deinococcus radiodurans can survive extremely high pressures of 14,000–24,000 Earth atmospheres, similar to pressures during planetary impacts. It is a bacterium famous for its extreme resistance to ionizing radiation, earning the nickname “Conan the Bacterium.” The organism is gram-positive, non-motile, and reddish in colour. It was first discovered in 1956 in radiation-treated canned meat. It can survive radiation doses thousands of times higher than those fatal to humans, making it one of the most radiation-resistant organisms on Earth.

Notes:
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a highly contagious respiratory virus spreading rapidly on the West Coast of the United States (US). It belongs to the Pneumoviridae family, which also includes Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It mainly causes common cold–like respiratory illness. The virus spreads through air via coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, and touching contaminated surfaces then touching face. Common symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it may lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. No vaccine or specific antiviral treatment; care focuses on symptom management and preventing complications.

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Proba-3 recently made news after European Space Agency lost contact with one of its two spacecraft. It is European Space Agency’s first mission focused on precision formation flying, where two satellites operate in extremely accurate coordination. The mission aims to create an artificial solar eclipse to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere (corona). This helps scientists observe the faint solar corona, which is normally hidden by the Sun’s intense brightness. The mission includes two small satellites: a Coronagraph spacecraft and an Occulter spacecraft shaped like the solar disc.

Notes:
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), with Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, launched the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge to strengthen India’s rural climate resilience. The initiative aims to build a National Climate Stack, integrating fragmented climate datasets into a unified digital platform. It will develop 10–15 year climate hazard forecasting frameworks for risks like heatwaves, floods, droughts, and cyclones affecting agriculture. The project will also create practical dashboards for agriculture, rural finance, and public planning decisions.