CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
Exam Relevance
Prelims: Key personalities, geographical locations, sports records and awards
Mains: GS-I — Geography (Strait of Hormuz, Brahmaputra tunnel), GS-II — International personalities and developments
Judicial Services Relevance: NGT jurisdiction (Great Nicobar project), Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act (Naneghat caves), UNCLOS (Strait of Hormuz transit passage), Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Durgavati Tiger Reserve)
Prelims: Key personalities, geographical locations, sports records and awards
Mains: GS-I — Geography (Strait of Hormuz, Brahmaputra tunnel), GS-II — International personalities and developments
Judicial Services Relevance: NGT jurisdiction (Great Nicobar project), Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act (Naneghat caves), UNCLOS (Strait of Hormuz transit passage), Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Durgavati Tiger Reserve)
Persons in News
- Poola Anthony (Anthony Poola) — Became the first Dalit Cardinal in the Catholic Church and serves as CBCI (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India) President, based in Hyderabad. This appointment carries significance for social justice discourse under Articles 15 and 17 of the Constitution.
- Narges Mohammadi — Nobel Peace Prize 2023 laureate from Iran, sentenced to 7 additional years of imprisonment. Her case raises questions about international human rights enforcement mechanisms and the limits of diplomatic intervention.
- Tarique Rahman — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader whose party secured a commanding 209 out of 300 seats in Bangladesh elections, reshaping India-Bangladesh bilateral dynamics.
Places in News
Key Places — Quick Reference
• Paradip Port — Won Swachhata Pakhwada 2025 award; major port on Odisha coast
• Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve — 272 hectares diverted (forest clearance); located in Madhya Pradesh; total area 2,339 sq km; connected to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
• Brahmaputra Tunnel — Rs 18,662 Crore; 33.7 km length; connects Gohpur to Numaligarh; EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) model
• Great Nicobar Project — NGT clearance obtained; originally proposed by NITI Aayog (2021); 166 sq km; implemented by ANIIDCO; location includes Indira Point (southernmost point of India)
• Naneghat Caves — 1st century BCE; Satavahana dynasty; features Brahmi script inscriptions; located in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats
• Paradip Port — Won Swachhata Pakhwada 2025 award; major port on Odisha coast
• Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve — 272 hectares diverted (forest clearance); located in Madhya Pradesh; total area 2,339 sq km; connected to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
• Brahmaputra Tunnel — Rs 18,662 Crore; 33.7 km length; connects Gohpur to Numaligarh; EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) model
• Great Nicobar Project — NGT clearance obtained; originally proposed by NITI Aayog (2021); 166 sq km; implemented by ANIIDCO; location includes Indira Point (southernmost point of India)
• Naneghat Caves — 1st century BCE; Satavahana dynasty; features Brahmi script inscriptions; located in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats
Strait of Hormuz — Strategic Geography
– Width: 33 km at narrowest point
– Global oil share: 20-25% of world’s oil passes through
– Connects: Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman (and onward to Arabian Sea)
– Legal regime: Transit passage under UNCLOS Part III — ships and aircraft enjoy freedom of navigation
– Bordering states: Iran (north), Oman (south), with UAE nearby
– Width: 33 km at narrowest point
– Global oil share: 20-25% of world’s oil passes through
– Connects: Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman (and onward to Arabian Sea)
– Legal regime: Transit passage under UNCLOS Part III — ships and aircraft enjoy freedom of navigation
– Bordering states: Iran (north), Oman (south), with UAE nearby
Sports Records & Awards
- Devika Sihag — Won BWF Super 300 badminton title
- India U-19 Cricket — Won 6th U-19 World Cup title; standout performers: Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (scored 175)
- WPL — RCB won repeat championship
- Tejaswin Shankar — Won Asian gold in athletics
- Asian Shooting — India topped the medal tally with 94 medals
- Magnus Carlsen — Won Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess) championship
Awards
• Rouble Nagi — Won $1 Million Global Teacher Prize
• Grammy Awards (68th) — Dalai Lama received a Grammy nomination/award
• Rouble Nagi — Won $1 Million Global Teacher Prize
• Grammy Awards (68th) — Dalai Lama received a Grammy nomination/award
Judicial Services Angle
• NGT jurisdiction — Great Nicobar project clearance under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010; environmental impact assessment under EIA Notification 2006; tribal rights under Forest Rights Act 2006
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 — applicable to Naneghat caves protection; regulated and prohibited areas around protected monuments
• UNCLOS (1982) — Strait of Hormuz falls under transit passage regime (Part III, Articles 37-44); distinct from innocent passage; India ratified UNCLOS in 1995
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — Durgavati Tiger Reserve diversion raises questions about Section 35 (declaration of sanctuaries) and the Forest Conservation Act 1980 clearance process
• Articles 15 and 17 — Poola Anthony’s appointment as first Dalit Cardinal intersects with constitutional anti-discrimination guarantees
• NGT jurisdiction — Great Nicobar project clearance under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010; environmental impact assessment under EIA Notification 2006; tribal rights under Forest Rights Act 2006
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 — applicable to Naneghat caves protection; regulated and prohibited areas around protected monuments
• UNCLOS (1982) — Strait of Hormuz falls under transit passage regime (Part III, Articles 37-44); distinct from innocent passage; India ratified UNCLOS in 1995
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — Durgavati Tiger Reserve diversion raises questions about Section 35 (declaration of sanctuaries) and the Forest Conservation Act 1980 clearance process
• Articles 15 and 17 — Poola Anthony’s appointment as first Dalit Cardinal intersects with constitutional anti-discrimination guarantees
Mnemonic — HORMUZ (Strait Facts)
H — Hub: 20-25% global oil
O — Oman on the south
R — Route: Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman
M — Maritime law: UNCLOS transit passage
U — Ultra-narrow: 33 km
Z — Zone of strategic importance
H — Hub: 20-25% global oil
O — Oman on the south
R — Route: Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman
M — Maritime law: UNCLOS transit passage
U — Ultra-narrow: 33 km
Z — Zone of strategic importance
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
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