Current Affairs 11 March 2026

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs March 11 2026, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2026 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

Our Current Affairs March 2026 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2026 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Dear Aspirants,
With effect from 26 January 2026, the Exam Hint and In-Depth Content of articles (news) will be available exclusively in our Daily PDF (DailyScoop PDF).
To access the DailyScoop PDF, please subscribe to the Crack Current Course on the CareersCloud app or website.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name – Learn Current Affairs – Free Course –Click Here to Download the APP

We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert – English | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 10 March 2026

Click here for Affairscloud Hindu Free Vocabs telegram channel

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

11th Raisina Dialogue Held in New Delhi from 5–7 March, 2026
The 11th edition of the Raisina Dialogue was held from 5–7 March 2026 in New Delhi, Delhi. The Dialogue was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, while President of Finland Alexander Stubb attended the inaugural session as the Chief Guest and delivered the keynote address.

• The three-day global conference was organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI).
• The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, focusing on global strategic issues, technological disruptions, and economic security shaping international relations.

Theme of Raisina Dialogue 2026:
The theme of the 11th Raisina Dialogue was “Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement.” The discussions focused on how technological disruptions, strategic competition, and economic security are transforming global politics and governance.
The discussions were structured across six thematic pillars:

• Contested Frontiers: Power, Polarity, and Periphery.
• Repairing the Commons: New Groups, New Guardians, New Avenues.
• White Whale: The Pursuit of Agenda 2030.
• The Eleventh Hour: Climate, Conflict, and the Cost of Delay.
• Tomorrowland: Towards a Tech-topia.
• Trade in the Time of Tariffs: Recovery, Resilience, Reinvention.

Inauguration: The inaugural Raisina Science Diplomacy Initiative (SDI) was held on 5 March 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as part of the Raisina Dialogue.

Union Minister C.R. Patil Launches Jal Mahotsav 2026 in Gujarat to Promote Rural Water Management
On March 8, 2026, Union Minister Chandrakant Raghunath (C.R.) Patil, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), launched Jal Mahotsav 2026, a nationwide campaign of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS),MoJS,  from Rahej village, Gandevi Block, Navsari district, Gujarat.

• The launch of Jal Mahotsav 2026 coincided with International Women’s Day (8 March), which was observed as ‘Sujalam Shakti Diwas’, highlighting the important role of women in rural water management.

About Jal Mahotsav 2026:
Duration: Observed annually from March 8 to March 22 (culminating on World Water Day).

• The campaign commenced with the observance of Jal Arpan Diwas, symbolising the handing over of rural drinking water assets to Gram Panchayats (GPs) to strengthen community ownership of water infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Objective: To strengthen Jan Bhagidari (community participation) and ensure the long-term sustainability of water infrastructure under the JJM.
Tagline: “गाँव का उत्सव, देश का महोत्सव” (Village’s Festival, Nation’s Festival).
Multi-Level Implementation: The campaign is structured across four administrative levels: National Level,State Level, District Level and Gram Panchayat Level.

India and Uzbekistan Launches Pharma-Nutraceutical Corridor for Eurasian Market
In March 2026, India and Uzbekistan jointly launched a structured pharmaceutical and nutraceutical corridor designed to expand access to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the wider Eurasian healthcare market, estimated to be worth USD 7–10 billion.
About Pharma-Nutraceutical Corridor:
Partnership: The trade corridor was formalised through a partnership between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Nutrify Today, Bengaluru(Karanataka)-based nutraceutical platform), and Pharma Eurasia, a trade and exhibition platform headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Purpose: The Indo–CIS Pharma-Nutraceutical Corridor is a policy-backed platform to promote regulatory alignment, trade facilitation, investment, and commercial engagement between India and the CIS/Eurasian region.
Commercial Launch: The corridor will be commercially activated at Pharma Eurasia 2026, a major industry exhibition scheduled from 20–22 May 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Operational Focus: The corridor will support companies through regulatory harmonisation, supply chain digitisation, investment facilitation, joint ventures, Research and Development (R&D) collaboration, and trade matchmaking to enable seamless market entry and commercialisation.

AIIMS and ISRO Sign MoU to Advance Space Medicine Research in India
In March 2026, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance medical research related to human spaceflight and develop healthcare solutions for astronauts participating in future Indian space missions.

• The MoU was signed by M. Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, New Delhi, and Dinesh Kumar Singh, Director of the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) of ISRO.

Key Details of MoU:
Objective: The primary objective of the agreement is to promote research, education, and capacity building in space medicine.
Focus: The collaboration will focus on studying the physiological and psychological effects of space travel on astronauts, including the impact of microgravity, radiation exposure, and isolation during long-duration missions.
Key Areas of Collaboration: The MoU focuses on microgravity research, astronaut health monitoring, space radiation studies, psychological health assessments, and specialized medical training, aimed at understanding the effects of space travel on human health and developing medical support systems for astronauts.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

SIPRI Report 2025: India Remains World’s 2nd Biggest Arms Importer after Ukraine
In March 2026, the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its latest report titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2025’ which highlighted that India remained the world’s second-largest arms importer during 2021–2025, accounting for 8.2% of global arms imports, after Ukraine.

• Ukraine emerged as the largest global arms importer, receiving 9.7% of total international arms transfers during the period while Saudi Arabia ranked 3rd with 6.8% of global arms importer.
• The United States of America (USA), France, and Russia were the top 3 global arms exporters during this period.

Global Arms Trends:
Global Rise: Global arms transfers increased by almost 10% during the same period due to heightened geopolitical tensions and expanded defence procurement.
Regional Distribution: Europe emerged as the largest arms-importing region, accounting for 33% of global imports (up from 12%) over the last five years, as countries nearly tripled their purchases to support Russia–Ukraine War.
India Links: India remained the largest recipient of French arms (24% of France’s exports) and the largest destination for Russian arms exports (48%), highlighting India’s diversified defence partnerships.

India and Seychelles Begin Joint Military ‘Exercise LAMITIYE 2026’ in Seychelles
In March 2026, the Indian Armed Forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) commenced the 11th edition of the Joint Military Exercise ‘LAMITIYE-2026’ at the Seychelles Defence Academy (SDA), Victoria, Seychelles.

• The exercise is scheduled to be held for 12 days from 9 March to 20 March 2026.

About Exercise LAMITIYE-2026:
Tri-Service: LAMITIYE-2026 marks the first tri-service participation of the Indian Armed Forces in the exercise.
Participation: The exercise involves the Indian Armed Forces including personnel from the Assam Regiment (AR) along with participation from the Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF).

• IN’s Indian Navy Ships (INS) Trikand warship (Talwar-class frigate) and IAF C-130 transport aircraft are deployed for the exercise.

Operations: The exercise focuses on Sub-Conventional Operations (SCO) in Semi-Urban Environments (SUE) and enhances interoperability in United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations.

FATF Adds Kuwait, Papua New Guinea to Increased Monitoring List
The Financial Task Force (FATF) placed Kuwait, and New Guinea to its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, which is often referred to as ‘Grey List’, thereby bringing  the total number of the countries in the list to 22.

• The decision was taken during the 5th FATF Plenary meeting under the Presidency of Elisa de Anda Madrazo (Mexico) from February 09 to February 13, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Key Details:
Key Reasons: The agency noted strategic deficiencies in these countries to curb money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
Grey List: The Grey list identifies countries with strategic deficiencies in their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CFT) system.

NATO Commences Biennial Arctic Military Exercise ‘Cold Response’ Across Finland and Norway
On March 09 2026, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) commenced its biennial Arctic military exercise named ‘Cold Response 2026’ across Northern Norway and  Finland.

• The military exercise will continue till March 19, 2026, focusing on the role of civilians in supporting military operations.

Key Details of Cold Response:
Objective: This military exercise has now officially become part of Arctic Sentry, The NATO aims to bolster its presence in the polar region.
Key Participants: The exercise is expected to witness the participation of nearly 25,000 troops from 14 NATO countries including 4,000 from the United States of America (USA) and Denmark.
Focus Areas: The Government of Norway has declared 2026 the year of ‘total defence, which focuses on strengthening the readiness of civilians, businesses, and public institutions to face  war and other crises.

BANKING & FINANCE

PhonePe Launches ‘RuPay On-The-Go’ NCMC Card for Seamless Digital Transit Payments
In March 2026, PhonePe Limited launched the RuPay ‘On-The-Go’ Card, a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) designed for contactless payments across public transport systems in India, supporting the Government of India(GoI)’s ‘One Nation One Card’ initiative for a single interoperable transit payment system.
About RuPay ‘On-The-Go’ Card:
Contactless Payments: The card enables tap-and-pay transactions at NCMC-enabled services such as metro, buses, trains, toll plazas and parking facilities, and supports offline payments without internet connectivity.
Balance : The prepaid card stores value directly on its chip with a maximum balance of Rs 2,000 and supports offline transactions up to Rs 500, enabling quick and secure payments for commuters.
Purchase & Recharge: The card can be issued instantly after One-Time Password (OTP) verification, and can be purchased or recharged using Unified Payments Interface (UPI), cash, or debit/credit cards.
Launch & Expansion: The card was initially launched at Hyderabad Metro ticket counters in Hyderabad, Telangana, in partnership with L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (LTMRHL).

• It is fully interoperable and can also be used at NCMC-enabled transport systems in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN), and Bengaluru (Karnataka).

IRDAI Grants Final Approval to Allianz Jio Reinsurance and Kiwi General Insurance to Start Operations
In March 2026, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted Certificates of Registration (CoR) to Allianz Jio Reinsurance Limited (AJRL) and Kiwi General Insurance Limited, allowing both companies to commence insurance operations in India under the applicable regulatory framework.

• The approvals were issued during the 134th Board Meeting of IRDAI, held in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Key Details:
Allianz Jio Reinsurance: It is a 50:50 joint venture(JV) between Allianz Group (Munich, Germany) and Jio Financial Services Limited and will operate as a domestic reinsurer providing risk coverage to insurance companies in India.

• Apart from the state-owned General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), Valueattics Re is the only other domestic reinsurer in India.

Kiwi General Insurance: It is backed by WestBridge Capital, an American private equity firm, and Neelesh Garg, former Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited, and will provide general insurance services in India

• With this, the total number of general insurers in India has increased to 35, including seven Standalone Health Insurers (SAHIs).
• It also marks the first instance where a majority stakeholder in a health insurance company (WestBridge Capital) has been permitted to establish a general insurance company.

Nashik Municipal Corporation Lists Maharashtra’s First ULB Green Municipal Bond on NSE
On March 9, 2026, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) marked a historic milestone by listing Maharashtra’s first-ever public issue of Urban Local Body (ULB) Green Municipal Bonds on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• The listing ceremony featured the traditional ringing of the bell by Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis, alongside NSE Managing Director (MD) Ashishkumar Chauhan.

Key Highlights:
Fund Utilization: The capital raised through these bonds is used for sustainable urban infrastructure projects, including renewable energy, waste management, clean transportation, sustainable water management, and climate resilience initiatives for urban communities.
Project Specifics: Unlike general-purpose municipal bonds, 100% of the funds raised through green municipal bonds must be allocated exclusively to environmentally sustainable or “green” projects.
Mechanism: These bonds operate similar to conventional municipal bonds, where investors lend money to local governments, but the funds are strictly restricted for green initiatives.
Commitment: The initiative by the Nashik Municipal Corporation supports India’s broader objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2047.
Note: Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (Uttar Pradesh) became India’s first municipal body to issue Green Municipal Bonds in 2021, raising Rs 150 crore to finance a tertiary sewage treatment plant. Later, the Indore Municipal Corporation (Madhya Pradesh) issued green bonds in early 2023 to support a 60-megawatt solar power project aimed at strengthening sustainable urban infrastructure.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Bokaro Steel Plant Receives BIS Certification for Four New Steel Grades
In March 2026, the Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for four new steel grades – ISC 440 LA, ISC 470 LA, ISC 510 LA, and ISC 550 LA, enabling the plant to expand its range of high-quality steel products.

• The approval allows the plant to expand its production of High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) cold-rolled steel, enhancing its portfolio of high-value products.

About Inclusion of New Steel Grades:
Certification Expansion: Earlier, the BIS certification covered steel grades only up to ISC 410. With the latest approval, the new grades are included under IS 513 (Part 2), ensuring compliance with nationally recognised quality standards.
Significance: It will improve product credibility and expand applications across sectors such as infrastructure, engineering, and manufacturing.
Special Electrical Steel: The plant also produced about 1,100 tonnes of 0.5 millimeter (mm) thick IS 18316 LS Grade Non-Grain Oriented (NGO) Electrical Steel for the first time, which is used in electric motors, generators, transformers, and hybrid or electric vehicle rotors to support energy-efficient technologies.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AquaAirX Unveils India’s First Amphibious Surveillance Drone ‘AVATAAR’
In March 2026, AquaAirX Autonomous Systems, a deep-tech startup, introduced ‘AVATAAR (Amphibious Vehicle for Autonomous Tactical Aerial & Aquatic Reconnaissance)’, India’s first amphibious drone capable of operating in both air and underwater to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in maritime and coastal environments.
About AVATAAR Drone:
Dual-Domain Operation: It is a next-generation amphibious surveillance drone designed to operate in both air and underwater, with the ability to transition between the two environments within seconds for real-time maritime monitoring.
Key Features: The system is equipped with multiple sensors such as imaging sonar, Doppler Velocity Logger (DVL), acoustic communication modem, Light-Emitting Diode (LED)  lights and cameras, and Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL) navigation system, enabling underwater navigation and real-time data collection even in low-visibility conditions.

• It also features Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted navigation and mission control software for automated surveillance and inspection missions.

Readiness: The vehicle has achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6), indicating that a functional prototype has been successfully tested in operational environments.

SPORTS

George Russell Won Australian Grand Prix 2026 for Mercedes in F1 2026 Season Opener
On 8 March 2026, George Russell of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One (F1) Team won the 2026 Australian Grand Prix (GP), also known as F1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026) at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, marking the opening race of the F1 World Championship 2026 season and the beginning of F1’s new technical regulation era.

• George Russell secured victory from pole position to lead a 1–2 finish ahead of teammate (Mercedes) Kimi Antonelli on his full-season debut, while Charles Leclerc of Scuderia Ferrari finished third to complete the podium.
• The victory marked George Russell’s sixth F1 Grand Prix win and Mercedes’ 132nd Grand Prix victory with its 61st one-two finish.

2026 Formula One (F1) Regulation Changes:
Hybrid Power: The 2026 F1 regulations introduced major changes to the chassis and power unit, featuring a 50:50 power split between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Electric Power Unit (EPU).

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Women Judges 2026 – March 10
The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of Women Judges (IDWJ) is observed annually across the globe on 10th March to promote the full and equal participation of women in judicial systems and recognise the contributions of women judges in strengthening justice, rule of law and gender equality.

• 10 March 2026 marks the 5th observance of IDWJ.
• 2026 Theme: “Women Judges on the Bench and Beyond: Protecting Access to Justice.”

Background:
Resolution: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolution A/RES/75/274 on 28 April 2021, introduced by Qatar, designating 10 March as the IDWJ.

• The resolution acknowledged the role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its Global Judicial Integrity Network (GJIN) in promoting greater women’s representation in judicial systems.

Observance: The first IDWJ was observed on 10 March 2022.

STATE NEWS

Punjab FM Harpal Singh Cheema Presents Rs 2.60 lakh crore Budget for FY27
In March 2026, Harpal Singh Cheema, Finance Minister(FM) of Punjab, presented the State Budget for the Financial Year 2026–27 (FY27) in the Punjab Legislative Assembly at Chandigarh, Punjab, with a total outlay of Rs 2,60,437 crore.
Highlights of the Budget:
Key Financial Indicators:The GSDP for FY27 is projected to reach Rs 9,80,635 crore, registering a 10% growth over the Revised Estimate (RE) of Rs 8,91,487 crore for FY26.

• CapEx has been increased to Rs 18,381 crore in FY27. The effective revenue deficit is estimated at 2.06% of GSDP, while the fiscal deficit is projected at 4.08% of GSDP.

Key Allocations: Women & Social Welfare(Rs 18,304 crore), Education(Rs 19,279 crore), Health(Rs 6,879 crore), Agriculture & Allied Sectors(Rs 15,377 crore), Industry(Rs 2,805 crore), and Sports(Rs 1,791 crore).
Others: Rs 100 crore allocated to commemorate the 650th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas as a state-level celebration.

• Rs 313 crore provided for the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana, which will facilitate pilgrimage for around 7.15 lakh citizens.

*******

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)