Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 March 2026

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. Piyush Goyal inaugurated the 40th edition of the AAHAR International Food and Hospitality Fair in New Delhi.

• The fair is jointly organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the India Trade Promotion Organization.
• The fair is running from March 10th to March 14th.
• The Minister stated that exhibitions like this allow India to capitalize on the opportunities created by free trade agreements.
• He further stated that these events contribute to the growth of Indian exports.
• India is currently the seventh largest exporter in the world.
• For the first time, Italy has been selected as the partner country for the fair.
• The fair primarily focuses on business-to-business interactions.
• India has signed nine free trade agreements in the last three and a half years.
• These agreements provide market access to 38 developed countries.
• India now has preferential access to markets covering approximately two-thirds of global trade.

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sectors

2. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that India's food grain production has increased by approximately 44 percent in the last ten years.

• India has set a new record in grain production. Total production has reached approximately 357 million tons.
• India has become the world's largest rice producer. The country has surpassed China in rice production.
• Pulse production in India has also increased significantly, from 19 million tons to approximately 26 million tons.
• The government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Yojana.
• This scheme aims to ensure balanced growth in food grain production.
• It is being implemented in 100 districts across the country.
• He said that the West Bengal government has not implemented this scheme.
• Four districts of the state were selected under the program.
• These districts are Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jhargram.
• The program aims to support farmers in these districts and also aims to increase agricultural production.
• The central government provided fertilizer subsidies last year. The subsidy amount was approximately Rs 1.86 lakh crore.

Topic: State News/Delhi

3. SMART Digital Tool launched by Delhi Cantonment Board to strengthen sanitation monitoring.

• An innovative digital platform named Swachhata Monitoring & Automated Reporting Tool (SMART) has been launched by the Delhi Cantonment Board to improve monitoring of sanitation and civic services.
• The digital initiative has been introduced to enhance effectiveness, transparency and accountability in the supervision of civic operations across the Delhi Cantonment area.
• The tool has been developed to address challenges arising from manual reporting systems, delayed data collection and fragmented monitoring mechanisms.
• Through the SMART system, data collection has been automated and reporting processes have been streamlined to support better performance monitoring across departments.
• The platform enables real-time monitoring of work carried out by staff in sanitation, horticulture, civil and electrical departments.
• Automated reporting functions within the system help reduce manual effort and generate accurate reports for faster and more informed decision-making.
• A centralised dashboard has been incorporated to provide a single digital platform for tracking key performance indicators across all departments.
• The tool operates through a four-tier monitoring structure consisting of the CEO, Officers-in-Charge, Assistant Sanitary Inspectors (ASIs), and Supervisors to ensure verification and timely submission of work reports.
• Supervisors submit daily operational updates while ASIs provide backup support, Officers-in-Charge monitor departmental performance and the CEO reviews consolidated reports for strategic actions.

Topic: Reports and Indices

4. The second edition of Fiscal Health Index 2026 released by NITI Aayog.

• On 11 March, the second annual edition of the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026 has been released by NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
• The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery and Chief Executive Officer Nidhi Chhibber in the presence of senior officials.
• The Fiscal Health Index has been developed as a data-driven framework to assess the fiscal performance and financial sustainability of Indian states.
• The Index has been designed to evaluate fiscal soundness, guide policy reforms and promote evidence-based fiscal policymaking across states.
• The report highlights that state governments play a crucial role in India’s fiscal structure, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s general government debt.
• In its second edition, the Index has been expanded to include the ten North-Eastern and Himalayan states, making the assessment more inclusive and representative.
• Due to structural differences across regions, North-Eastern and Himalayan states have been evaluated and ranked separately from the major states.
• The analysis indicates significant variations in fiscal outcomes among states, with many major states recording moderated Fiscal Health Index scores during 2023–24.
• The report recommends strengthening revenue mobilisation, improving state tax capacity, rationalising committed expenditures and enhancing the quality of capital expenditure.
• The Fiscal Health Index 2026 provides a transparent and comprehensive benchmarking framework that will assist policymakers, researchers and stakeholders in improving fiscal governance and ensuring long-term macroeconomic stability.

Topic: National News

5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Golden Jubilee Sammelan of Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha.

• On 11 March, the Golden Jubilee Sammelan of the Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha has been attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kochi.
• During the event, the commitment of the NDA government towards the welfare and development of the fishermen community was reaffirmed.
• The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts and contribution of the fishing community during the 2018 floods in Kerala, recognising their role in relief operations.
• The Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha was praised for working consistently for the rights and welfare of fishermen and for promoting harmony between livelihood, development and nature.
• It was highlighted that the Dheevara community follows the Indian philosophy by considering the oceans as their ‘amma’ or mother.
• Prime Minister Modi also congratulated the people of Kerala after the Union Cabinet approved the renaming of the state as “Keralam”, stating that the state has received its rightful name.
• The Prime Minister criticised previous governments for neglecting the fishermen community and not recognising its economic potential.
• The NDA government was credited with establishing a separate Ministry of Fisheries to focus on the development of the sector.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a financial provision of around ₹1400 crore has been allocated for Keralam to strengthen fisheries development.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

6. The world's first precision glaucoma surgery using Hydrus Microstent performed at the Army Hospital in Delhi.

• A global milestone in glaucoma treatment has been achieved at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi with the successful performance of a pioneering minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
• The procedure involved the world’s first implantation of the Hydrus Microstent guided by intraoperative aqueous angiography along with cataract surgery.
• The advanced surgical intervention was performed on 10 March 2026 using sophisticated surgical instrumentation and imaging technologies.
• The operation utilised the Heidelberg Retina Angiograph (HRA) to visualise aqueous outflow pathways in real time during surgery.
• The innovative technique allows precise and targeted placement of the implant inside Schlemm’s canal, which improves the drainage of aqueous fluid from the eye.
• By enhancing the natural drainage pathway, the procedure significantly improves treatment outcomes for patients suffering from glaucoma.
• The surgery represents a major advancement in the field of precision Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS).
• The achievement highlights the growing role of advanced imaging and precision techniques in modern ophthalmic surgery.
• The breakthrough reflects the continued modernisation and innovation in medical services within the Indian Armed Forces healthcare system.
• The initiative has been carried out under the leadership of Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin.

Topic: International News

7. The International Energy Agency decided to release emergency oil reserves.

• The agency plans to supply about 400 million barrels of oil.
• This will be the largest emergency oil release in the agency’s history.
• The decision was taken due to rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
• Member countries of the International Energy Agency collectively hold more than 1.2 billion barrels of government-controlled emergency oil stocks.
• Apart from public reserves, about 600 million barrels are stored by private industry.
• International Energy Agency is an  autonomous intergovernmental organization. It is based in Paris. It was established in 1974.
• It provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

8. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems 2026 in New Delhi.

• The conference will run for three days. The theme of the conference is “Driving Progress, Attaining New Heights.”
• The venue is the convention centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the event.
• Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research M. L. Jat said the conference is being held during the International Year for Women Farmers 2026.
• International Year for Women Farmers 2026 was declared by the United Nations.
• The conference aims to support gender-responsive agricultural policies. It also promotes technological innovation in agriculture.

Topic: Defence

9. INS Trikand takes part in the National Day celebrations of Mauritius.

• The celebrations mark the 58th National Day of the country. The event was held on March 12.
• INS Trikand arrived at Port Louis before the celebrations on March 11.
• The deployment is part of India’s operational mission in the South-West Indian Ocean Region.
• A marching contingent from the ship participated in the parade. The naval band of the vessel also performed during the event.
• An integral helicopter from the ship joined the celebrations.
• The parade was organised at Champ de Mars.
• Sachin Kulkarni was the Commanding Officer of the ship.
• The visit aims to enhance maritime cooperation. It also seeks to improve operational interoperability.
• INS Trikand is a Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy. INS Trikand was built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• INS Trikand was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 29 June 2013.

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

10. Gujarat plans to introduce the “Lake and Air Watch” initiative.

• The programme will focus on monitoring environmental conditions in urban areas.
• Air quality monitoring systems will be installed in 152 municipal areas.
• The project will also cover 17 municipal corporations.
• The initiative will be implemented by the Gujarat Urban Development Mission.
• The programme will monitor the condition of lakes. It will also track air pollution levels in cities.
• The initiative will connect monitoring systems across government departments to support coordinated environmental management.
• The mission plans to build an integrated digital platform that will collect and analyse environmental data.