March 2026 Week 3 Current Affairs
Covering March 15–21, 2026 — RELIEF Export Scheme (Rs.497 crore), World Happiness Report 2026 (Finland 1st, India 116th), NavIC IRNSS-1F atomic clock failure, India awarded 2028 World Indoor Athletics at Bhubaneswar, Vikram Doraiswami as India's new China Ambassador, and more. Essential for UPSC, SSC, Banking and Railway aspirants.
RELIEF Scheme — Rs.497 Crore Package to Shield Indian Exporters from West Asia Crisis
The Central Government approved the Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme on March 19, 2026, announced by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. With a total outlay of Rs.497 crore, this time-bound package protects Indian exporters from rising freight costs, inflated insurance premiums and export risks triggered by the West Asia conflict and disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz. ECGC Limited is the nodal and implementing agency.
- Component I (Rs.56 cr): Covers exporters with existing ECGC cover for consignments shipped February 14 to March 15, 2026; up to 100% additional war and political risk coverage at pre-disruption premium rates
- Component II (Rs.159 cr): For upcoming consignments March 16 to June 15, 2026; ECGC cover up to 95%; target countries — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Yemen
- Component III (Rs.282 cr — largest): For MSME exporters without ECGC cover; up to 50% reimbursement of additional freight and insurance surcharges
- ECGC Limited: Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India; established 1957; under Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India–West Asia exports: West Asia accounts for approx 10–12% of India's total merchandise exports annually
- Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG): Constituted early March 2026 for rapid implementation including relaxations for stranded cargo
Cabinet Approves Rs.2,584 Crore Small Hydro Power Scheme
The Union Cabinet approved a new Small Hydro Power (SHP) Scheme with central financial assistance of Rs.2,584 crore. Targets projects of up to 25 MW capacity under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). India's installed SHP capacity is approximately 5,000 MW; scheme aims to add over 2,000 MW more. Priority given to North-East India, J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand.
- Small Hydro Power: Run-of-river projects; no large reservoir; minimal environmental displacement; decentralised power for remote hilly communities
- India's total hydro potential: 1,45,320 MW at 60% load factor; only around 35% developed so far
- Why small hydro? Lower transmission losses; faster to build; no large-scale displacement of communities
World Happiness Report 2026 — Finland Tops for 9th Year; India Ranks 116th out of 147
The World Happiness Report 2026 was released on March 20, 2026 — the International Day of Happiness. Published by the Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN), the report ranks 147 countries on a Cantril Ladder scale (0–10). The 2026 edition focused on the link between heavy social media use and declining youth wellbeing in English-speaking nations.
- 1st: Finland — retains top position for the 9th consecutive year
- Top 5: Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica (historic 4th — highest-ever Latin American rank), Sweden
- Last: Afghanistan (147th), Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe
- India: Ranked 116th — improved from 118th (2025) and 126th (2024)
- India vs neighbours: Below Nepal (99th), Pakistan (104th); above Bangladesh (127th), Sri Lanka (128th)
- Youth paradox: In English-speaking nations, youth aged 15–24 report lower life satisfaction than those aged 60+
- Cantril Ladder: 0 = worst possible life; 10 = best possible life — used in Gallup World Poll surveys
- GNH: Gross National Happiness — Bhutan's alternative metric measuring wellbeing, sustainability, culture and governance; referenced in the report
Azim Premji University — State of Working India 2026: Youth in the Labour Market
Azim Premji University released the State of Working India 2026 with the theme Youth in the Labour Market. Between 2004 and 2023, India added roughly 5 million graduates annually but only 2.8 million entered employment — a structural graduate surplus. India's working-age population share is projected to begin declining after 2030.
- Demographic dividend: Period when working-age (15–64) exceeds dependants; India's window estimated until 2030–2041
- Informal sector: Employs around 90% of India's workforce despite rising education levels
- Gig workers: Currently 77 lakh; projected 2.35 crore by 2029-30 (NITI Aayog)
- Female LFPR: Rose to 41.7% in 2023-24 (PLFS) — a record high, still below global average
NavIC Crisis — IRNSS-1F Atomic Clock Fails; Positioning Satellites Drop Below Minimum
ISRO confirmed the atomic clock onboard IRNSS-1F stopped functioning on March 13, 2026. Without a functioning atomic clock, IRNSS-1F can no longer provide positioning data, reducing NavIC's positioning-capable satellites to three — below the minimum four required for reliable coverage over India.
- NavIC full name: Navigation with Indian Constellation; official name: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)
- Coverage: India and up to 1,500 km beyond India's borders; accuracy approximately 10 metres
- Constellation design: 7 satellites — 3 in GEO and 4 in GSO at around 35,000 km altitude
- IRNSS-1F: Launched March 2016; had completed its 10-year design mission life by March 2026
- Atomic clock importance: Even 1 nanosecond error causes approximately 30 cm positioning inaccuracy
- NVS series: New-generation satellites carry India-developed Rubidium atomic clocks with 12-year design life; L1 frequency adds consumer device compatibility
- NVS-02 milestone: Launched January 2025 by GSLV-F15 — ISRO's 100th launch mission
- Strategic uses: Military navigation, missile guidance, disaster management, fishing vessel tracking, precision agriculture
NDIC 2026 — India to Become Global Hub for Drone Manufacturing
The National Defence Indigenisation Conclave (NDIC) 2026 was held in New Delhi under the theme Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for India to become a global hub for indigenous drone manufacturing. Conclave launched DISC-14 (Defence India Start-up Challenge 14th edition) and ADITI Challenges 4.0.
- ADITI: Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX — offers grants up to Rs.25 crore to defence start-ups
- iDEX: Innovations for Defence Excellence — set up 2018 under DRDO umbrella; engages start-ups, MSMEs and academia
- India's drone market: Expected to grow to $23 billion by 2030
- Defence production target: Rs.1.75 lakh crore including Rs.35,000 crore in exports by FY 2028-29
Vikram Doraiswami Appointed India's New Ambassador to China
MEA announced on March 19, 2026 that Vikram K. Doraiswami (IFS: 1992 batch) has been appointed India's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, succeeding Pradeep Kumar Rawat. He was serving as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He holds a Master's in History from Delhi University and a diploma in Chinese from New Asia Yale-in-Asia Language School, Hong Kong.
- Galwan clash (June 2020): 20 Indian soldiers killed; triggered complete diplomatic freeze
- Disengagement: Completed October 2024 at Depsang Plains and Demchok — the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh
- India–China trade (2024-25): Around $120 billion bilateral; India's deficit approximately $85 billion — largest with any single country
- IFS: Indian Foreign Service — recruits through UPSC Civil Services Examination
India Awarded 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
World Athletics awarded India the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships — India's first hosting of this biennial event. Venue: Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha — previously hosted FIH Hockey World Cups of 2018 and 2023. Previous hosts: Glasgow (2024), Nanjing (2025).
- World Athletics: Global body for track and field; HQ Monaco; formerly IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) — rebranded 2019
- Odisha sports investment: Rs.3,200 crore since 2018; sponsors national hockey teams
- India's indoor stars: Dutee Chand (sprints), M. Sreeshankar (long jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put)
KV Ramana Murty Appointed Whole-Time Member of SEBI
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved K.V. Ramana Murty as a Whole-Time Member of SEBI. SEBI was established in 1988 as a non-statutory body and given statutory powers under the SEBI Act, 1992. It regulates stock exchanges, mutual funds, depositories, brokers, and listed companies.
- SEBI HQ: Mumbai | Current Chairperson: Tuhin Kanta Pandey (appointed March 2025)
- Board: Chairman + 2 MoF members + 1 RBI member + 5 Whole-Time Members
- Jose Antonio Kast: Sworn in as 38th President of Chile in March 2026; India represented by MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh
| Date | Day / Observance | Theme 2026 / Key Fact | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15 | World Consumer Rights Day | Inspired by JFK's 1962 consumer message; led by Consumers International since 1983 | Global |
| Mar 16 | National Vaccination Day (India) | Observed since 1995 — first Oral Polio Vaccine given under Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme | Health |
| Mar 17 | World Sleep Day | Held on Friday before Spring Equinox; raises awareness about sleep disorders and insomnia | Health |
| Mar 18 | Ordnance Factories Day (India) | Commemorates India's indigenous defence manufacturing heritage and Ordnance Factory Board | National |
| Mar 20 | International Day of Happiness | Declared by UNGA 2012; first observed 2013; World Happiness Report released on this date annually | UN |
| Mar 20 | World Sparrow Day | Initiated by Nature Forever Society India; raises awareness about declining house sparrow populations | Environment |
| Mar 21 | World Down Syndrome Day | Date 21/3 reflects trisomy of chromosome 21 — the genetic cause of Down syndrome | Health |
| Mar 21 | International Day of Forests | Declared by UNGA 2012; India has approximately 24% forest and tree cover of total geographical area | Environment |
| Mar 21 | World Poetry Day | Declared by UNESCO 1999; promotes linguistic diversity and endangered languages through poetry | Culture |
| Mar 21 | Int'l Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination | Commemorates 1960 Sharpeville massacre in South Africa; declared by UN in 1966 | UN |
SCB Medical College Fire — 10 Patients Killed in Cuttack, Odisha (March 16)
On March 16, 2026, a fire broke out at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha — established in 1944 — killing at least 10 patients. The fire started in the ICU ward during early morning hours when ventilator-dependent patients could not be evacuated quickly. An inquiry committee was constituted; NDRF assisted in rescue operations.
- SCB full name: Shri Ram Chandra Bhanj Medical College and Hospital; one of eastern India's largest government hospitals
- NDRF: National Disaster Response Force — constituted under Disaster Management Act 2005; 16 battalions; under Ministry of Home Affairs
- Also in Week 3: 7 people killed in EV charging station short circuit fire in Indore, Madhya Pradesh — raising EV safety infrastructure concerns
India and Indonesia Partner to Restore Prambanan Temple Complex
India and Indonesia formalised a partnership to restore the Prambanan Temple Complex in Yogyakarta, Java using the anastylosis technique — reassembling original stones with minimal new material, as done earlier at Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and My Son Sanctuary (Vietnam). The project covers Prambanan, Sewu, and Plaosan temples and reflects India's Act East Policy.
- Prambanan: 9th-century Hindu compound dedicated to the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva); UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991
- Anastylosis: Greek term for column re-erection; original materials reassembled in their original positions with minimal new material
- Act East Policy: Evolved from India's 1992 Look East Policy; deepens ASEAN and East Asia ties through trade, culture and connectivity
Wipro Launches AI Hub at GIFT City for BFSI Sector
Wipro Limited launched an AI Hub at GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City), Gandhinagar focused on AI-driven fraud detection, risk analytics, compliance automation, and personalised financial services for the BFSI sector.
- GIFT City: India's first operational greenfield smart city and IFSC; under Special Economic Zones Act, 2005
- IFSCA: International Financial Services Centres Authority — unified regulator for GIFT City; established 2020
- India AI Mission: Rs.10,371 crore approved March 2024 for AI computing, datasets, and indigenous AI models
🎯 Practice MCQ Quiz — March 2026 Week 3
10 carefully crafted questions on RELIEF Scheme, World Happiness Report, NavIC failure, Athletics Championship and more. Detailed explanations after every answer.
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