Daily Current Affairs 2025  

14/03/2026

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CA-14/03/2026

• Viksit Bharat Vision: The President emphasized that Divyangjan are "equal partners" in the journey toward a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
• National Expansion: While originally starting in Goa, the festival has now expanded to other regions, including the recent event in Delhi and upcoming editions like Purple Fest Arunachal 2026 (rescheduled for later in March).

• Objective: To promote understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society while raising awareness about different disabilities.
• Core Theme: Often referred to as a "Festival of Inclusion," it celebrates diversity and focuses on empowering individuals by treating assistive devices as a right rather than charity.
• Key Activities:
  • Cultural & Sports: Includes inclusive cricket matches, badminton, chess, and cultural performances by artists with disabilities.
  • Exhibitions: Showcases art, literature, and entrepreneurship stalls (e.g., 22 stalls featured in 2025) to provide visibility and financial empowerment to Divyangjan entrepreneurs.
  • Accessibility Features: The festival provides sign language interpretation, tactile interpretation, sensory rooms, and accessible transport to ensure it is a truly inclusive space.
• International Participation: Recent editions (like Goa 2025) have seen participation from nearly 30 countries, facilitating a global exchange of ideas on inclusivity.
• Symbolism of Purple: The colour purple represents power, dignity, and independence, aligning with the goals of the disability rights movement. 

• Inaugural Edition: First held in Panjim, Goa in January 2023.
• Organisers: It is primarily organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, often in collaboration with state governments (like Goa) and international bodies like United Nations India. 

• Joha rice features a unique fragrance, fine short-grain texture, soft cooking quality, and rich flavour, distinct from basmati.
• It is photoperiod-sensitive, tall, and traditionally grown on marginal lands in Assam.
• Cultivated as a Kharif crop in monsoon, harvested in early autumn, using organic methods to preserve purity.​

• Indigenous to Assam, Northeast India, with centuries-old traditional farming by local communities.
• Covers about 20,000 hectares annually, yielding 30,000 MT at 1-1.5 tonnes per hectare over 120-160 days.​
• Linked to Assamese cuisine and festivals; GI tag awarded in 2017 for unique origin and practices.

• Rich in protein (7-8.45%), carbohydrates (65-80%), lipids (2-3%), antioxidants, flavonoids, phenolics, and essential amino acids.
• Contains unsaturated fatty acids: linoleic (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3), aiding physiological health.
• Low glycemic index, high fiber; supports diabetes management, anti-aging, and vegan diets.

• New Hatchlings: Two healthy GIB chicks were born this week at the Sam Conservation Centre in Jaisalmer.
• Technological Success: One chick was born through natural mating, while the other was produced through artificial insemination, demonstrating the success of advanced breeding techniques.
• Planned Wild Release: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that for the first time, some of this year's captive-bred chicks are expected to be soft-released into the wild later in 2026. 

• Objective: To build a self-sustaining captive population as an "insurance" against extinction and to eventually supplement the dwindling wild population (currently estimated at 130–150 birds).
• Project Leadership: The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Rajasthan Forest Department, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• Breeding Facilities: Operates primarily out of two locations in Rajasthan:
  • Sam village, Jaisalmer (established 2018).
  • Ramdevra, Pokhran (established 2022).
• Significant Growth: The captive population has grown from just 16 birds four years ago to 70 birds today.
• Technical Support: The project receives international technical assistance from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation and Reneco, Abu Dhabi.
• Next Phase (2024–2033): An approved budget of ₹56 crore is designated for the next phase, focusing on habitat development, artificial insemination, and the reintroduction of birds into restored grasslands.
• Protection Status: The Great Indian Bustard (locally known as Godawan) is the State Bird of Rajasthan and is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. 

• To provide a unified online interface between Central Notaries and the Government of India, ensuring transparency and efficiency in notarial services.

• Online Application: Submission of applications for appointment as a Notary.
• Eligibility Verification: Digital screening of documents and eligibility for new appointments.
• Digital Certificates: Issuance and downloading of digitally signed Certificates of Practice via DigiLocker.
• Compliance & Lifecycle: Online modules for renewal of certificates, change of practice area, and submission of annual returns.

• Live Modules: Currently, the portal is fully operational for verifying eligibility and issuing new digital certificates.
• Upcoming Features: Modules for routine tasks like annual return submissions and practice area changes are being rolled out in phases.

• For Notaries: Removes the requirement for physical submission of requests and allows for remote progress monitoring.
• For the Public: Increases the speed of notarial appointments, ensuring that legally authorised witnesses are more readily available and verified.
• Governance: Reduces administrative burden and creates a secure digital storage facility for all notary-related records.

• The portal was designed and developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in association with the Department of Legal Affairs. 

• Core Objective: An integrated scheme designed to improve the production, productivity, and quality of raw silk in India to achieve "Aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) in the sector.
• Implementation Agency: Executed by the Central Silk Board (CSB) under the Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with State Sericulture Departments.
• Tenure: The current phase (Phase 2) spans five years, from 2021–22 to 2025–26.

• Research & Development (R&D): Focuses on breeding disease-resistant silkworm varieties and improving host-plant cultivation.
• Seed Organisations: Strengthening the four-tier silkworm seed production system (nucleus → basic → commercial).
• Infrastructure Support: Financial assistance for silkworm rearing sheds, irrigation, and modern reeling/spinning units.
• Quality Certification: Promotion of the Silk Mark label to ensure purity and enhance the brand value of Indian silk in global markets.

• Targeted Sectors: Covers the entire value chain, including Mulberry, Vanya (Non-mulberry), and Post-cocoon sectors.
• Strategic Focus: A major thrust is placed on increasing the production of International Grade Bivoltine silk to reduce import dependency and boost exports.
• Inclusion: The scheme maintains a strong focus on empowering rural women, who account for approximately 55–60% of the beneficiaries in the sericulture industry.

• Status: It is a permanent statutory advisory body established on March 1, 1959, under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
• Nodal Ministry: Operates under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Primary Function: Acts as the highest advisory body to the Central Government on matters related to Indian shipping and the development of maritime infrastructure.

• Chairman: Recently headed by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare (Retired IAS).
• Parliamentary Representation: Includes six members elected by Parliament—four from the Lok Sabha and two from the Rajya Sabha.
• Additional Members: Up to sixteen members appointed by the government to represent shipowners, seamen, and other central interests.
• Tenure: The Chairman and other members hold office for a period of two years, after which the board is reconstituted.

• Recommending reforms for the modernisation of the Indian shipping industry.
• Ensuring the welfare of seafarers, including safety, training, and social security.
• Promoting Indian Tonnage by encouraging ship registration under the Indian flag.
• Advising on the implementation of the National Maritime Agenda to improve port efficiency. 

• Astronaut photograph (2010) from the International Space Station shows the Central Andes volcanic landscape on the Argentina-Chile border, featuring Nevado Ojos del Salado, Cerro El Cóndor, Peinado, and Laguna Verde. 

• Straddles the Argentina-Chile border in the Andes, within the arid Puna de Atacama region near the Atacama Desert.
• Reaches 6,893 meters (22,615 feet), making it the highest peak in Chile, second-highest in the Southern and Western Hemispheres after Aconcagua, and the tallest volcano on Earth.
• Features two summits: eastern (Argentine) and western (Chilean), both along the international boundary.​
• This astronaut view highlights its position among Central Andean volcanoes, with nearby Laguna Verde visible.​

• Subsurface ice formations protruding through the sandy slopes of Ojos del Salado. 

• Dormant complex stratovolcano with overlapping lava domes, flows, craters, and sparse ice; covers 70–160 square kilometers.​
• Hosts the world's highest crater lake at about 6,390 meters on its eastern side; name translates to "Eyes of the Salty One" from salt deposits resembling lagoons.​
• Evidence of past glaciation includes moraines, cirques, and U-shaped valleys; subsurface ice persists under sand.​
• Subsurface ice protrudes through sandy slopes, illustrating its dry yet icy high-altitude environment.​

• Active during Pleistocene and Holocene with lava flows; last eruption around 750 CE, possible steam emissions in 1993.​
• Fumarolas near the summit indicate ongoing heat, but no historical eruptions due to remote location.​
• Influenced by nearby volcanoes like Nevado Tres Cruces.​

• Popular for expeditions as part of the Volcanic Seven Summits; dry, windy conditions with penitente snow fields at 6,500 meters.
• 2026 climbs advertised from February 13–26 and March 1–14, costing around $4,350 USD full service.
• Extremely arid climate with winter snow only at high elevations; requires desert trekking experience.​
• Penitente fields on the northern face create unique, blade-like snow formations in summer.

• Origin & Tribe: An ancient tribal art form practiced by the Alu Kurumba tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) residing in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu.
• History: It is a prehistoric tradition estimated to be over 3,000 years old, originally found as rock art in caves like Eluthu Paarai in the Kotagiri region.
• Traditional Subjects: The paintings serve as a visual narrative of tribal life, depicting honey hunting, forest wildlife (bees, deer, elephants), traditional weddings, and ancestral spirits.

• Geometric Forms: Uses simple stick-like figures with rectangular bodies, similar to Warli art but unique in its fluid movement.
• Minimal Palette: Traditionally uses only four natural colours—Red, White, Black, and Green.

• Pigments: Sourced from the forest, including Vengai tree resin (for yellow-brown/black) and crushed Pachaikeeda leaves (for green).
• Tools: Applied using banyan tree aerial roots, fine twigs, or bamboo sticks instead of commercial brushes.

• Traditionally, only male temple priests were allowed to paint the village walls and temples, while women decorated doors and floors with kolams. 
   

• Status & Origin: Established in 1957 as an autonomous international organisation within the United Nations system, inspired by U.S. President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech.
• Headquarters: Located in Vienna, Austria.

• Peaceful Use: Promoting the safe and peaceful application of nuclear energy for development, health, and agriculture.
• Non-Proliferation: Implementing a "safeguards" system to verify that member states do not divert nuclear material for military purposes.
• Nuclear Safety: Establishing and monitoring global safety standards to prevent radiological accidents.
• Membership: Recently consists of over 178 member states, with India being a founding member.

• General Conference: The main policy-making body consisting of all member states, meeting annually in September.
• Board of Governors: A 35-member body that oversees the agency’s programme and budget; it holds regular meetings in March, June, September, and November.

• Ukraine Conflict: Actively monitoring the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, negotiating local ceasefires to repair critical power lines, and maintaining a permanent presence of experts on-site.
• Iran Monitoring: Investigating and reporting on the Iranian nuclear programme to ensure compliance with international commitments, especially following recent regional military tensions.
• Fukushima: Providing independent verification for the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. 

• Definition: Peptides are short strings of 2 to 50 amino acids. They are essentially smaller versions of proteins (which typically have over 50 amino acids).
• Biological Function: They act as signaling molecules or "messengers" in the body, functioning as hormones, neurotransmitters, and regulators for metabolism, tissue repair, and immune response.
• Therapeutic "Dimmer Switch": Unlike traditional drugs that may completely override a biological process, peptide therapy often acts like a dimmer switch, modulating processes more naturally with potentially fewer side effects.

• Metabolics: Over 50% of recent market growth is tied to metabolic diseases, particularly GLP-1 agonists used for diabetes and obesity.
• Longevity & Skincare: Peptides are the top skincare trend of 2026, used to signal collagen production and skin barrier repair.
• Antibiotic Resistance: Researchers are designing synthetic peptides as a new frontier to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• Approved Drugs: More than 80 peptide-based drugs are currently approved globally, with over 150 more in various stages of clinical trials.
• Delivery Methods: Most are currently delivered via subcutaneous injection because they are easily broken down by digestive enzymes, though oral peptide technology (like daily weight-loss pills) is a major focus for late 2026.

1. It is organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
2. The festival was first held in Panjim, Goa in 2023.
3. The colour purple symbolises charity and welfare for persons with disabilities.

• Statement 1 – Correct: The festival is organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Statement 2 – Correct: The first edition of Purple Fest was held in Panjim, Goa, in January 2023.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: Purple symbolises power, dignity, and independence, not charity.

1. Joha rice originates from Assam and received its GI tag in 2017.
2. It is a long-grain aromatic rice similar to basmati.
3. It has a low glycaemic index and is rich in antioxidants.

• Statement 1 – Correct: Joha Rice from Assam received a GI tag in 2017.
• Statement 2 – Incorrect: It is short-grain aromatic rice, unlike Basmati Rice, which is long-grain.
• Statement 3 – Correct: It has low glycaemic index, antioxidants, flavonoids, and essential amino acids, making it nutritionally valuable.

1. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
2. The species is the State Bird of Rajasthan.
3. The captive breeding programme is implemented only by the Wildlife Institute of India.

• Statement 1 – Correct: The Great Indian Bustard is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Statement 2 – Correct: It is the State Bird of Rajasthan and locally known as Godawan.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: The programme is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Wildlife Institute of India, and the Rajasthan Forest Department.

1. The main breeding centres are located at Sam village in Jaisalmer and Ramdevra in Pokhran.
2. Artificial insemination techniques are being used in the breeding programme.
3. The programme is supported technically by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation.

• Statement 1 – Correct: Breeding centres are located at Sam village in Jaisalmer and Ramdevra in Pokhran in Rajasthan.
• Statement 2 – Correct: Artificial insemination is used along with natural mating to improve breeding success.
• Statement 3 – Correct: Technical support is provided by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation and Reneco, Abu Dhabi.

1. It provides an online interface between Central Notaries and the Government of India.
2. Digitally signed Certificates of Practice can be accessed through DigiLocker.
3. The portal has been developed by the Election Commission of India.

• Statement 1 – Correct: The Notary Portal provides a unified digital interface between Central Notaries and the Government of India.
• Statement 2 – Correct: Digitally signed Certificates of Practice can be issued and downloaded via DigiLocker.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: The portal was developed by the National Informatics Centre with the Department of Legal Affairs, not the Election Commission.

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