MCQ on National Affairs March 2026

Explanation: The Government Bank Dashboard serves as a real-time monitoring tool developed under the CGA’s oversight. It is integrated directly with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS). This integration provides automated alerts for low performance or idle fund balances, thereby tracking key performance metrics like remittance timelines and transaction success rates for state departments.

Explanation: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) initiated a new facility allowing Eligible Manufacturer Importers (EMI) to clear shipments without immediate duty payment. This deferred customs duty payment scheme enables manufacturers to settle their Customs Duty on a monthly cycle. The primary objective is to improve working capital efficiency and support “just-in-time” inventory management for Indian factories.

Explanation: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav welcomed a new group of cheetahs—consisting of six females and three males—from Botswana to expand India’s wild population. This arrival strengthens the India-Botswana partnership regarding biodiversity conservation and elevates India’s total cheetah population to 48 individuals at that point in the project.

Explanation: Researchers identified a unique genus of blind, groundwater-dwelling fish in the Goalpara district of Assam. Named Gitchak nakana, it displays specialized troglomorphic traits, including a tiny 2-centimeter body, no eyes, and a translucent red appearance. The name is derived from the Garo language, where “Gitchak” means red and “Nakana” refers to a blind fish.

Explanation: The DGT has mandated 150 hours of practical industry exposure or group projects for all students enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). This reform deep-links vocational education with actual industry requirements. Annual campus-based classroom hours were also reduced from 1,600 to 1,200 to properly accommodate this direct On-the-Job Training phase.

Explanation: The ASMITA Athletics League is a massive women-only sporting event scheduled for International Women’s Day 2026. As a joint initiative under the Khelo India and MY Bharat programs, competitions were held simultaneously at 250 locations featuring sprint races to promote gender equity in sports and serve as a platform for mass talent scouting.

Explanation: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal initiated a project to install four 100% solar-powered lighthouses along National Waterway-2 in Assam, which is the Brahmaputra River. Located at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat, and Biswanath Ghat, these are the first riverine lighthouses on an inland waterway in India, providing a luminous range of up to 10 nautical miles.

Explanation: The Union Home Ministry introduced the official mascots Pragati (female) and Vikas (male) for the upcoming digital Census-2027. These mascots represent progress and collective growth, aiming to make the census relatable to the youth. The Census-2027 will be India’s first fully digital exercise, allowing citizens to use a self-enumeration portal.

Explanation: The MNRE has defined strict emission thresholds. For Green Ammonia, non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions must not exceed 0.38 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of the product. For Green Methanol, the threshold is slightly higher, set at 0.44 kg CO2 equivalent per kg. These standards will facilitate India’s entry into the international trade of green hydrogen derivatives.

Explanation: The digital campaign titled “Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan” directly confronts the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ culture, where male relatives essentially run the panchayats on behalf of elected women leaders. A short film, “Asli Pradhan Kaun?”, was premiered to encourage leadership and administrative autonomy, ensuring that reservation for women results in genuine political empowerment.

Explanation: A Namibian cheetah named Jwala gave birth to a litter of five cubs at Kuno National Park. This marked her third litter and the 10th successful cheetah litter on Indian soil since the project began. With these new additions, the total number of Indian-born thriving cubs reached 33, elevating the total cheetah population to 53.

Explanation: The government invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to prioritize LPG production for households due to commercial shortages and global energy tensions. Refineries have been directed to maximize LPG production by diverting hydrocarbon streams like propane and butane from industrial use directly to state-run oil companies (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL) to ensure availability for domestic consumers.

Explanation: NHAI is utilizing AI-Powered Dashcam Analytics to conduct weekly audits of road conditions. High-resolution cameras on patrol vehicles use AI/ML models trained to automatically detect over 30 types of defects, including potholes, cracks, and damaged crash barriers in real-time. This system removes human error and drastically speeds up the maintenance process.

Explanation: As of March 2026, PM Modi completed 8,931 days in public office, combining his three terms as Chief Minister of Gujarat and his terms as Prime Minister of India. By reaching this milestone, he surpassed the previous longevity record held by former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, marking a significant legacy in Indian democratic governance.

Explanation: The Union Cabinet revised FDI guidelines for Land Bordering Countries (LBCs) to simplify investments while maintaining national security. Investors with non-controlling beneficial ownership of up to 10 percent from LBCs are now permitted under the automatic route. The move balances the ease of doing business with the need for strategic oversight of foreign capital.

Explanation: The FBI increased the reward from $250,000 to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel. He is wanted for the alleged murder of his wife at a Maryland doughnut shop in 2015 and faces multiple charges including first-degree murder and unlawful flight. The high reward reflects the priority of this decade-old investigation.

Explanation: The new PM E-DRIVE scheme has seen rapid adoption, successfully supporting 18,01,307 EVs as of March 2026. This scheme continues the government’s push for sustainable mobility, succeeding the earlier FAME-II initiative and significantly accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles across the country.

Explanation: The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority became the first Indian port to launch a Digital Twin platform. This system creates a virtual replica of the port’s infrastructure using IoT sensors and GPS tracking. It provides live visualization of berth occupancy and vessel movements, which is expected to reduce vessel turnaround time by up to 25%.

Explanation: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officially declared Madurai Airport an International Airport. The upgrade leverages Madurai’s status as a historic “Temple City,” aiming to promote tourism, facilitate easier travel for the diaspora, and attract direct foreign investment to Southern Tamil Nadu.

Explanation: The “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat” portal has created a repository of over 66,000 Prohibition Officers to facilitate early intervention and stop child marriages. The campaign involves a “Whole of Government” approach, linking emergency services like the Child Helpline (1098) and 112 to ensure a rapid response to any reported cases.

Explanation: UIDAI launched a structured Bug Bounty Programme to enhance Aadhaar security. A panel of 20 cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers are invited to identify and responsibly report potential vulnerabilities in digital platforms like the myAadhaar portal. Rewards are granted based on the severity of the identified vulnerability, from Low to Critical risk.

Explanation: The Indian government is planning a massive ₹1 trillion fund to expand domestic chip manufacturing. This fund will provide subsidies for chip design, supply chain development, and manufacturing equipment projects. It builds on the earlier $10 billion incentive program to decrease dependency on imported semiconductors for various tech sectors.

Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 22nd installment of PM-KISAN, transferring over ₹18,640 crore. To simplify the administrative process for beneficiaries, a new Face-Authentication Mobile App was launched. This app enables farmers to seamlessly complete their e-KYC from their homes, eliminating the need for separate biometric devices.

Explanation: The NHDC launched the “Virasat Shakti” expo at Handloom Haat in New Delhi. Running from March 7 to 14, 2026, it features 60 skilled weavers and provides a direct market platform for authentic handloom textiles, traditional sarees, and natural dyes. It is a major step toward the economic empowerment of women in the handloom sector.

Explanation: Professor Arpita Patra successfully scaled Ojos del Salado, which holds the record as the world’s highest volcano. Standing at 6,893 meters (22,615 feet) on the border of Chile and Argentina, her climb involved crossing the Atacama Desert. She is pursuing the “Volcanic Seven Summits” challenge, scaling the highest volcano on each continent.

Explanation: To strengthen adoption procedures and privacy, CARA’s new guidelines guarantee adoptees the right to conduct a “Root Search.” This allows them to seek information about their biological origins and background. Additionally, the guidelines strictly prohibit the disclosure of a child’s identity, photos, or videos on social media to maintain confidentiality.

Explanation: The Online Gaming Act 2025 was implemented to ban all forms of online money games, regardless of whether they are classified as games of skill or chance. Financial transactions related to these prohibited games are banned through banks and all payment systems, and violators face imprisonment up to three years and hefty fines.

Explanation: The “Gyan Bharatam” National Manuscript Survey aims to document and map India’s vast manuscript heritage using digital and geo-tagging tools. A “Manuscript Presence Map” will be developed to facilitate systematic conservation of manuscripts covering science, mathematics, philosophy, and medicine held in private homes, temples, and libraries.

Explanation: The Government established the National Dental Commission (NDC) to replace the Dental Council of India and the Dentists Act of 1948 with a transparent, merit-based structure. Dr. Sanjay Tewari was appointed as the first Chairperson of the Commission, which consists of autonomous boards overseeing education, ratings, and ethics.

Explanation: Minister C.R. Patil unveiled the guidelines for JJM 2.0 on World Water Day, marking a shift toward “source sustainability” and service delivery. The mission has been officially extended to December 2028 to ensure that 100% of rural households in India receive functional tap water connections.

Explanation: Zydus Lifesciences introduced an affordable Semaglutide injection (under brand names like SEMAGLYN) following its patent expiry. The drug is a low-cost alternative for treating Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity. With an average monthly cost of around ₹2,200 and a reusable pen design, it makes GLP-1 therapy far more accessible to the Indian public.

Explanation: Minister J.P. Nadda launched the 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Campaign. The campaign focuses on tribal and migrant populations across 1.58 lakh villages. It utilizes the BPaLM regimen and a new AI-enabled chatbot named “Khushi” to provide real-time guidance on TB symptoms, aiming to eliminate TB well before the global 2030 deadline.

Explanation: Among the five new reforms authorized by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw under the Reform Express Initiative, the Railways abolished the requirement to file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) for e-ticket refunds. The process has been fully automated to remove fake accounts and make refunds faster and more convenient for passengers.

Explanation: The Transgender Persons Protection Amendment Bill 2026 revised the regulatory framework by omitting the self-identification provision. Certificates of identity are now subject to scrutiny by a District Magistrate, and issuance will involve consultation with designated medical experts. This move has sparked concern and protests from sections of the community.

Explanation: All Akashvani stations have transitioned from playing only the first two stanzas (65 seconds) to broadcasting the complete six-stanza version of Vande Mataram. The full broadcast duration is now 3 minutes and 10 seconds. The inaugural version was performed by classical vocalist Pandit Chandrashekhar Vaze in Raag Des.

Explanation: To make educational institutions the first line of defence against drugs, a joint advisory was issued mandating that areas within a 500-metre radius of all schools must be declared as drug-free zones. School heads are required to report any violations within this radius to the local police for immediate action.

Explanation: In the Finance Bill 2026, to promote entrepreneurship and ease the compliance burden, the government hiked the turnover threshold for startups to qualify for a tax holiday from ₹100 crore to ₹300 crore. Additionally, share buyback taxation was shifted to the shareholder level, and 17 critical life-saving drugs were exempted from Basic Customs Duty.

Explanation: The MIB replaced the 2014 guidelines with the new TV Rating Policy 2026. A key rule to prevent market bias is that viewership from “Landing Pages” (the default channel that appears when a set-top box is turned on) will no longer be counted in measurements. The policy also mandates scaling the sample size to 80,000 metered homes within 6 months.

Explanation: Oil India Limited recorded its highest-ever daily output in the last 10 years, reaching a daily crude oil production of 80,060 barrels. The company is actively pursuing the “Mission 4+” strategy to produce 4 MMT of crude oil annually, drilling a record 73 wells during the fiscal year to boost national energy security.

Explanation: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) designated Dighi and Gopalpur ports as India’s first “Ports of Refuge”. These ports serve as safe havens where international vessels in distress can stabilize their condition, receive specialized firefighting and salvage services, and prevent environmental pollution.