4.5/5
Current Affairs 29th March 2026
NICKNAMES
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Ahmedabad – Manchester of India
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Kanpur – Leather City
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Coimbatore – Manchester of South India
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Jamshedpur – Steel City of India
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Dhanbad – Coal Capital of India
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Haridwar – Gateway to Gods
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Rishikesh – Yoga Capital of the World
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Tirupati – Spiritual Capital of Andhra Pradesh
1. Sikkim’s Stuti Pradhan Selected for World Youth Parliament 2026
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Recognition of Global Leadership: Stuti was chosen for this international forum, which brings together youth delegates from nations like South Korea, UAE, and Thailand to collaborate on youth-led policy solutions for global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development.
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A Proven Track Record: Her selection follows a string of high-profile achievements, most notably winning the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 at the state level and serving as an anchor for the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue at Bharat Mandapam in January 2026 in the presence of the Prime Minister.
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Representation for Sikkim: As a voice for both her state and country, she will present the perspectives and aspirations of Sikkim's youth on a global stage. Her consistent excellence in parliamentary debate led to her being honored as a Special Guest at Lok Bhawan during Sikkim's Republic Day 2026 celebrations.
Footnotes- Sikkim’s Capital: Gangtok, Governor: Om Prakash Mathur, CM: Prem Singh Tamang
2. US President's signature on Dollar Bills approved
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First for a Sitting President: This marks the first time in history that a sitting US President’s signature will appear on paper currency. Traditionally, banknotes have only featured the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the US Treasurer. The first notes to feature the new design—the $100 bills—are scheduled to begin printing in June 2026.
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Ending a 165-Year Tradition: To accommodate the President’s signature, the Treasury has decided to remove the signature of the US Treasurer from the bills. This ends a continuous lineage dating back to 1861, when federal paper money was first introduced during the Civil War.
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Commemorating the Semiquincentennial: The move is officially tied to the 250th anniversary of American Independence (the Semiquincentennial) on July 4, 2026.
Footnotes- US's Capital:Washington, President: Donald Trump, Vice President: JD Vance
3. India Emerged as Major Global Hub for Electro-Technology Manufacturing
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Gateway to the "Age of Electricity": The WEF report identifies India as a global leader in bypassing the fossil fuel-heavy growth models of the West and China. By leveraging cheap solar power and storage—now costing roughly half as much as new coal in India—the country is building a superior energy future.
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Massive Production and Export Growth: India’s electronics sector has grown six-fold in a decade, reaching a value of $130 billion by early 2026. Solar module production capacity has surged twelve-fold to 120 GW, making India not only self-sufficient but a major potential supplier to the world.
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Strategic Policy Support (ECMS & PLI): To deepen the domestic ecosystem, the Union Budget 2026–27 increased the outlay for the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to ₹40,000 crore.
4. Naba Kumar Pal appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Chad
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Senior Diplomatic Profile: Shri Naba Kumar Pal is a member of the 2008 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Prior to this ambassadorial appointment, he served as a Director within the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, where he handled key departmental responsibilities.
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Strategic Role in Central Africa: As the Ambassador to Chad, Pal will be responsible for strengthening India’s bilateral ties with this landlocked Central African nation. His role is critical in advancing India’s interests in sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure development, while also coordinating on regional security and counter-terrorism initiatives.
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Focus on Development Partnership: India’s relationship with Chad is heavily defined by developmental cooperation and capacity building. Pal is expected to oversee various Lines of Credit (LoC) and scholarship programs (ITEC).
5. IAF Launches India’s First Helicopter-Dropped Drone Project ‘Vayu Baan’
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Stand-off Strike Capability: Conceived as an Air-Launched Effect (ALE), the Vayu Baan is a small, autonomous drone dropped from a moving helicopter mid-flight. Its primary goal is to allow pilots to engage and destroy enemy targets from a safe distance of over 50 km, keeping the helicopter safely outside the range of enemy Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS).
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Dual-Role Hybrid Platform: The system is designed to function as both a high-definition ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) asset and a loitering munition (Kamikaze drone). Once released, it unfolds its wings and can either transmit real-time video to operators for 30 minutes or carry out a precision strike using an onboard warhead (500g to 1kg).
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GNSS-Denied Navigation: A critical technological feature of Vayu Baan is its ability to operate effectively in electronic warfare zones. It is engineered to navigate autonomously using AI-based target identification.
Footnotes- Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, HQ: New Delhi, Estd: 1950
6. Indian men’s team forward Gurjant Singh announced his retirement from Int. Hockey
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A Decade of Modern-Day Revival: The 31-year-old striker from Amritsar concludes a decorated nearly 10-year career that saw him earn 130 international caps and score 33 goals. He was a cornerstone of India’s modern hockey resurgence, most notably as a key member of the back-to-back Olympic Bronze medal winning teams at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
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Injury and Career Shift: Gurjant cited a persistent back injury sustained during the FIH Pro League in June 2025 as the primary reason for his decision. After being sidelined for nearly eight months and struggling to break back into the national side, he chose to step down to give younger talents a chance.
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Legacy of "Big-Match" Goals: Known for his speed and clinical finishing, Gurjant first rose to fame by scoring in the final of the 2016 Junior World Cup to help India clinch gold. He also holds the record for the fastest goal by an Indian in international hockey, scoring just 13 seconds into a match against the Netherlands in 2020.
7. IIM Ahmedabad Launches Krishnamurthy Tandon School of AI
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Landmark Philanthropic Endowment: The school has been established through a ₹100 crore endowment from Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon (an IIMA alumna, PGP 1975) and her husband, Ranjan Tandon. This contribution is one of the largest alumni gifts ever received by an Indian management institution, aimed at positioning India as a global leader in the "Age of AI."
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Focus on "Translational AI": Unlike technical engineering schools, this center will operate at the intersection of technology and management. Its primary mission is "translational research"—converting complex AI advancements into practical, deployable tools that enhance corporate decision-making, boost productivity, and address large-scale societal challenges in sectors like healthcare and agriculture.
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The "AI Value Compass" Framework: Alongside the launch, the school released its first major research report in collaboration with Persistent Systems. The report introduced the AI Value Compass, a holistic framework designed to help business leaders navigate the "failure trap".
Footnotes- IIM's Chairman: Pankaj Patel, Estd: 1961
8. DPIIT–KRAFTON signed MoU for strengthening startup & innovation ecosystem
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Targeting the "Creative Economy": The partnership focuses on nurturing product-based startups in high-growth sectors, specifically online gaming, esports, interactive media, and AI-driven technologies. It aims to provide these startups with a "strategic launchpad" to build globally competitive Intellectual Property (IP) and scalable solutions.
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Structured Mentorship & Support: Under the agreement, startups will gain access to KRAFTON's global expertise through structured mentorship, industry insights, and knowledge-exchange platforms. The collaboration is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs achieve critical milestones such as Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development, market access, and integration into global industry ecosystems.
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CapacityBuilding Initiatives: DPIIT and KRAFTON will co-organize innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge framework. This includes hosting targeted hackathons, workshops, and masterclasses across specialized domains like game design, animation, immersive technologies (AR/VR), and esports management.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?
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Earth Hour 2026 – March 28th
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Global Schedule: Observed on last Saturday of March, from 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM local time
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The 2026 event marks the 20th milestone year since the movement first began in Sydney (2007)
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