Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 March 2026

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. The International Malaria Conference 2026 concluded in New Delhi.

• The conference was organised by the ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research.
• The event took place from 7 to 9 March 2026.
• It brought together scientists, policymakers, public health specialists, and researchers from India and other countries.
• The conference theme was “Discovery, Development and Delivery: Driving Malaria Elimination and Beyond.”
• The event provided a platform to exchange research findings.
• Emerging challenges in malaria prevention and control were also addressed.
• Experts discussed factors influencing malaria persistence. Drug resistance was another key topic.
• Experts reviewed approaches to address residual malaria transmission. Advances in malaria vaccine research were highlighted.

Topic: Important Days

2. CISF Raising Day 2026: 10 March

• CISF Raising Day celebrated every year on 10 March.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day lies every year on 10 March and it is 57th CISF Raising Day this year.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on their Raising Day.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
• It is one of the Central Armed Police Force in India. It was established on 10 March 1969 under an act of Parliament.
• It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Currently, it provides protection to 300 industrial units, government infrastructure projects and establishments in India.
• Its current Director-General is Praveer Ranjan. Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
• Its motto is protection and security.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

3. Indian Railways has approved infrastructure and technology upgrade projects worth over ₹765 crore.

• These projects will be implemented in the East Coast, South Central, and Western Railway zones.
• Over ₹318 crore has been allocated to upgrade the electric traction system on the Duvvada–Visakhapatnam–Vizianagaram section.
• This section falls under the East Coast Railway zone.
• The existing traction system operates on a 1×25 kV configuration. It will be upgraded to a more advanced 2×25 kV traction system.
• The new system will allow trains to carry more cargo and will also support higher train speeds.
• Over ₹259 crore has been approved for another traction upgrade project.
• This project will cover the 126-kilometer-long Raichur–Guntakal railway section.
• This section falls under the South Central Railway zone.
• A separate project worth approximately ₹187 crore has also been approved. This involves laying optical fiber cables on the Western Railway.
• Approximately 1,000 route kilometers of optical fiber cable will be installed.

Topic: National News

4. The Union Cabinet has approved extending the Jal Jeevan Mission until December 2028.

• The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The extension includes restructuring and reorienting the Jal Jeevan Mission’s implementation strategy.
• The programme will now shift its emphasis from building infrastructure to ensuring reliable service delivery of drinking water.
• The total financial outlay for the programme has been increased to about ₹8.69 lakh crore.
• Out of this amount, the central government will provide assistance of around ₹3.59 lakh crore.
• A nationwide digital platform named “Sujalam Bharat” will be introduced as part of the reforms.
• Each village in the country will be given a unique Sujal Gaon or Service Area identification number under this system.
• The Cabinet has also approved granting international airport status to Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu.
• Upgrading the airport to international status is expected to improve global connectivity.

Topic: International News

5. Donald Trump announced a $300 billion partnership between the United States and Reliance Industries Limited.

• The partnership aims to build a major oil refinery in the United States.
• The project is called America First Refining.
• It is expected to be the first major refinery built in the U.S. in nearly 50 years.
• The refinery is being built for the Port of Brownsville in Brownsville, Texas, United States.
• Officials say the project could be the largest investment ever made in the United States.
• Developers claim the facility will be the cleanest refinery in the world.
• This plan supports Trump's America First economic and energy strategy.
• This strategy focuses on reducing taxes and expediting permits for energy projects.

Topic: Defence

6. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy jointly conducted flight trials of the ADC-150.

• The ADC-150 is an indigenous air-droppable container system.
• Four successful in-flight release trials of the ADC-150 were conducted from P8I aircraft off the coast of Goa.
• The testing period lasted from February 21 to March 1, 2026.
• Various extreme release conditions were used during the trials.
• The ADC-150 container is designed to carry a payload of up to 150 kg.
• It is intended to deliver supplies to Navy ships operating offshore.
• This container can deliver essential goods and operational equipment. It can also carry medical supplies in case of emergency.
• This system is expected to be inducted into the Indian Navy soon.

Topic: Sports

7. Anant Rana successfully completed the Full Ironman Triathlon at the Ironman New Zealand competition.

• The event took place in Taupo, New Zealand.
• Rana completed the entire triathlon in a total of 11 hours and 50 minutes.
• He is a 33-year-old athlete from the Sonari area of ​​Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India.
• He is associated with the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation.
• The Full Ironman Triathlon consists of three disciplines.
• Participants must complete a 3.8-kilometer open-water swim.
• This event also includes a 180-kilometer cycling segment.
• Athletes then complete a 42-kilometer marathon run.
• Rana completed the swimming section in 1 hour and 28 minutes.
• He completed the cycling stage in 6 hours and 19 minutes.
• He completed the marathon race in 3 hours and 46 minutes.
• His total finishing time remained within the official 17-hour cutoff limit for the race.

Topic: International News

8. Following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwaha, India has begun building more Bailey bridges in Sri Lanka.

• This work is part of India's humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka.
• Indian Army engineering units are leading the operation.
• They have begun preparations to launch the 240-foot-long Bailey bridge.
• It will be installed at Thoduwawa, near Chilaw, in the North Western Province.
• The bridge aims to repair a vital coastal transport route connecting Colombo to Puttalam.
• The cyclone caused extensive damage to the road link.
• This initiative reflects India's Neighborhood First policy.
• Cyclone Ditwaha:
  • It was a weak but catastrophic tropical cyclone.
  • It brought heavy rain to Sri Lanka and Southern India in late November and early December 2025.
  • It was fourth cyclonic storm of the 2025 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Prasar Bharati will offer logo-free access to daily news content through the PB-SHABD platform.

• The free access will remain available until March 2027.
• The update was announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Prasar Bharati’s Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD) distributes news material to media organizations.
• The platform produces about one thousand news stories every day.
• These stories cover a wide range of news topics.
• The content is available in multiple formats. These include text, audio, and video formats.
• The platform works through a network of over fifteen hundred correspondents.
• It is supported by around sixty dedicated editorial desks. These desks operate throughout the day and night.
• PB-SHABD also provides a live feed service. This feature allows real-time coverage of events.
• All content on the platform is distributed without logos. Users do not need to give credit when using this material.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj organised a one-day National Conference of Women Elected Representatives of Panchayats.

• The event was part of the Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan. It was held in New Delhi.
• The conference marks one year since the launch of the Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan.
• The event aims to celebrate women-led governance at the grassroots level.
• It also seeks to strengthen women’s participation in local governance.
• Outstanding women Panchayat leaders were honoured at the conference.
• These leaders are identified as Beacon Women Leaders by state and union territory governments.
• Rajiv Ranjan Singh, the Panchayati Raj Minister, attended the conference.