Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 and 30 March 2026

Topic: Sports

1. Gurjant Singh has retired from international hockey following a successful career with the Indian men's team.

• This announcement was made during the Hockey India Awards ceremony held in New Delhi.
• He represented India in approximately 130 matches and scored 33 international goals.
• He was regarded as a key contributor to India's resurgence in modern hockey.
• He first gained recognition by helping India win the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow.
• He made his debut for the senior team in 2017 and became a regular forward.
• He played a pivotal role in helping India secure a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
• He was also part of the team that won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
• He contributed to India winning the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
• He received the Arjuna Award in 2021 for his achievements.\

Topic: International News

2. Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s Youngest Democratically elected Prime Minister.

• On 27 March, Balendra Shah, the parliamentary party leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has been sworn in as the youngest democratically elected Prime Minister of Nepal.
• The oath of office and secrecy has been administered by Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas.
• The appointment has been made following his election as the parliamentary party leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
• He became the 47th Prime Minister under Article 76(1) of the Constitution.
• The party secured a near two-thirds majority in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.
• His elevation marks a significant political shift driven by youth-led support.
• He is the first democratically elected Prime Minister after the ousting of the previous government.
• The earlier government led by K P Sharma Oli was removed following protests against corruption and governance issues.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

3. Great Indian Bustard Chick born in Kutch marking conservation breakthrough.

• A chick of the extremely rare Great Indian Bustard, locally known as Ghorad, has been born in Gujarat’s Kutch district after nearly a decade.
• The birth has been reported from the grasslands of Abdasa and is being considered a major milestone in conservation efforts.
• It has been observed that earlier eggs laid by female bustards in Kutch remained unfertilised due to the absence of male birds.
• To address this issue, an ‘Operation Egg Transfer’ was carried out by the State Forest Department.
• A fertilised egg was transported from a breeding centre in Rajasthan to Kutch using a portable incubator.
• The transfer journey was completed over a duration of approximately 19 hours by road.
• The fertilised egg was placed in the nest of a female bustard on March 22 by replacing an unfertilised one.
• After natural incubation by the female bird, a healthy chick hatched on March 26.
• The success has been described as an effective use of modern conservation techniques by authorities.

Topic: National News

4. IndiaSkills National Competition 2025–26 commenced in Greater Noida Showcasing Skilled Talent.

• On 29 March, the IndiaSkills National Competition 2025–26 has been commenced in Greater Noida with a grand opening ceremony.
• The event has been organised under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with support from the National Skill Development Corporation.
• Over 650 skilled youth from across the country have been brought together to compete across 63 skill categories.
• The competition is being recognised as a significant milestone in building a future-ready workforce in India.
• Participants have been selected after qualifying through five regional competitions held across different zones.
• The event has recorded more than 3.65 lakh registrations from 36 States and Union Territories.
• A wide range of skills including Electrical Installation, Cyber Security, Robotics, and Cloud Computing are being showcased.
• The platform is supported by over 200 industry partners ensuring alignment with real-world standards.
• Winners of the competition will represent India at the WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026.
• The initiative reinforces national priorities such as Skill India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Viksit Bharat.

Topic: Reports and Indices

5. Unemployment Rate declined to 3.1% in 2025 indicating structural economic shift.

• The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above has been recorded at 3.1% in 2025 under the usual status.
• This figure has declined from 3.2% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2022, indicating gradual improvement in employment conditions.
• It has been reported that unemployment among educated individuals has also reduced to 6.5% in 2025.
• A decline in urban female unemployment to 6.4% has been observed, reflecting better workforce participation.
• Youth unemployment in the 15–29 age group has decreased to 9.9% from 10.3% in 2024.
• The labour force participation rate has remained stable at 59.3% during the year.
• Around 61.6 crore persons have been estimated to be employed in the country in 2025.
• In regular wage/salaried employment, the average earnings of men increased from ₹22,891 in 2024 to ₹24,217 in 2025 (an increase of approximately 5.8%), while for women, earnings rose from ₹17,126 to ₹18,353 (an increase of approximately 7.2%).
• A structural shift has been noted with a decline in agriculture employment and a rise in manufacturing and services sectors.
• The data indicates gradual economic transformation with improved employment distribution across sectors.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. The first meeting of BRIC research advisory board held to strengthen biotechnology ecosystem.

• The first meeting of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council Research Advisory Board has been held at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad on 27th-28th March 2026.
• The board has been constituted to guide, review, and monitor research activities across BRIC institutes.
• It has been chaired by K. VijayRaghavan to provide strategic direction for biotechnology research.
• The objective has been set to transform BRIC into a globally competitive biotechnology research institution.
• Discussions have focused on national missions, governance reforms, and shared infrastructure development.
• The role of multidisciplinary collaboration has been emphasised to address complex scientific challenges.
• Strategic areas such as human health, agriculture, environment, and AI-based research have been highlighted.
• The development of biomanufacturing hubs and biofoundries has been identified as a key strength of BRIC.
• The importance of industry linkages and innovation-driven growth has been discussed extensively.
• The meeting has aimed at positioning India as a global leader in biotechnology and bioeconomy development.

Topic: Defence

7. The Indian Navy organized IMEX TTX 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre in Kochi.

• The primary focus of this exercise was on emerging challenges related to maritime security.
• Naval officers and experts from several countries participated in this event.
• The participants discussed mutual cooperation and shared security concerns within the Indian Ocean Region.
• Countries such as Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, the Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste took part in this exercise.
• India recently assumed the Chairmanship of the 'Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' (IONS) for the 2026–2028 term, following a gap of 16 years.
• This exercise was conducted in a simulated operational environment, which replicated complex, real-world scenarios of the maritime domain.
• The objective of this exercise was to enhance mutual coordination among the navies of various nations.

Topic: National News

8. The government has authorized the distribution of superior-quality kerosene under the Public Distribution System (PDS) across 21 states and Union Territories.

• This decision is linked to global geopolitical tensions that have disrupted energy supplies.
• The objective of this measure is to address the basic household needs of citizens, with a primary focus on requirements for cooking and lighting.
• Kerosene is being reintroduced in certain regions where its distribution had previously been phased out.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has issued a notification in this regard, authorizing select fuel stations to stock kerosene.
• A maximum of two fuel stations per district may be designated for this purpose. Priority will be accorded to outlets operated by public sector oil companies.
• Each designated outlet is permitted to stock up to 5,000 liters of kerosene. Certain licensing conditions applicable to dealers and transporters have been relaxed.
• This kerosene is intended exclusively for domestic use and may not be utilized for any other purpose.
• The states covered under the purview of this initiative include Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
• This order has come into effect immediately and shall remain valid for a period of 60 days.
• Its implementation may be extended until further instructions are issued.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed an MoU with the Delhi Police.

• This agreement focuses on technology-based policing. Its objective is to improve public safety systems.
• C-DOT operates under the Department of Telecommunications.
• This partnership will enhance operational efficiency. It will strengthen emergency response systems.
• It also improves surveillance capabilities. Secure communication systems will be upgraded.
• C-DOT will deploy nine advanced solutions designed for modern policing.
• A facial recognition system will be introduced to assist in identifying suspects and locating missing persons.
• It can detect habitual offenders. It will aid in investigative processes.
• It will assist in crowd monitoring. It will help in identity verification.
• C-DOT's integrated communication solution, the SAMVAD platform, will enable secure communication.
• SAMVAD Prime will provide secure messaging devices. These will be utilized by senior officials.
• These devices will ensure confidentiality during operations.
• C-DOT Meet, a secure web-based video conferencing solution, will facilitate video conferencing. It will assist in coordination and training.
• An AI-based attendance system, utilizing facial recognition technology, will be implemented.

Topic: Sports

10. Virat Kohli created a new IPL record by becoming the first batter to cross 4000 runs in run chases.

• This milestone was achieved in IPL 2026 during the opening match of the season.
• The match featured Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They played against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The game was held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
• Kohli’s record highlights his consistency in chases. Kohli also improved his T20 rankings.
• He surpassed Shoaib Malik in total runs. He moved to sixth place in T20 cricket.
• Shoaib Malik had scored 13,571 runs. He played 557 matches in T20s. He batted in 515 innings.
• He had an average of 35.99. He scored 83 half-centuries.