Current Affairs 17 March 2026

Assembly elections in four States and one Union Territory

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in four States and one Union Territory in 2026. The elections will cover 824 Assembly constituencies with around 17.4 crore voters.

The polling schedule is as follows:

• April 9, 2026 – Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will vote in a single phase.
• April 23, 2026 – Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase.
• West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, 2026.

Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2026

Renowned Saraswati veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh has been selected for the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award. The award will be conferred during the 100th Conference and Concerts of the The Music Academy Chennai, scheduled from 15 December 2026 to 1 January 2027.

At the same event, Bharatanatyam dancer Narendra G. will receive the Nritya Kalanidhi Award, another prestigious honour given by the academy for excellence in dance.

ISRO Report on Flash floods in Uttarakhand

A recent study by scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation has revealed that exposed ice patches on melting glaciers pose a greater disaster risk than previously understood. The study analysed the flash flood that destroyed Dharali village in Uttarakhand on August 5, 2025.

The research found that the collapse of an exposed ice patch on the Srikanta Glacier triggered the devastating flash flood. The glacier is located in the Bhagirathi river basin in Uttarkashi district.

Kimi Antonelli secured his first-ever Grand Prix victory

Italian Formula One driver Kimi Antonelli secured his first-ever Grand Prix victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver became the second-youngest driver in Formula One history to win a Grand Prix, after Max Verstappen.

BCCI Naman Awards 2026

At the BCCI Naman Awards 2026, Indian cricketers Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were honoured as the Best International Cricketers for the 2024–25 season.

• Shubman Gill received the Polly Umrigar Award for the second time.
• Smriti Mandhana won the Best International Cricketer (Women) award for the fifth time.

Additionally, the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on three Indian cricket legends:

• Roger Binny
• Rahul Dravid
• Mithali Raj

Other awards included Best International Debut (Men) for Harshit Rana and Best International Debut (Women) for Shree Charani.

ECI appoints a Special Observer for the Assam Elections

The Election Commission of India has appointed Manjeet Singh as the Special Observer for the Assam Legislative Assembly Elections 2026.

The appointment has been made under the powers of the Commission as per Article 324 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the ECI to supervise and conduct elections.

The Special Observer will:

• Monitor poll preparedness and election conduct in Assam
• Act as the “eyes and ears” of the Election Commission
• Ensure elections are conducted in a free, fair, peaceful, and transparent manner

Sahitya Akademi AwardS 2025

The Sahitya Akademi has announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 in 24 Indian languages. A total of 24 literary works across different genres were selected, including:

• 8 Poetry books
• 4 Novels
• 6 Short story collections
• 2 Essays
• 1 Literary criticism
• 1 Autobiography
• 2 Memoirs

Some notable winners include:

• Telugu: Animesha by Nandini Sidha Reddy (Poetry)
• Tamil: Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal by Sa. Tamilselvan (Literary Criticism)
• Marathi: Kalyanilya Resha by Raju Baviskar (Autobiography)
• Hindi: Jeete Jee Allahabad by Mamta Kalia (Memoir)

Each awardee will receive:

• A copper plaque (casket)
• A shawl
• A cash prize of ₹1,00,000

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on 31 March 2026 in New Delhi.

First National Report (NR1) on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol

India has submitted its first National Report (NR1) on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The report was prepared by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the National Biodiversity Authority, covering the period 2017 to 2025.

Key Highlights:

• India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework operates under the Biological Diversity Act 2002.
• Over 2.76 lakh Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) have been established across India.
• A total of 12,830 ABS approvals were granted during 2017–2025.
• India published 3,556 Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs), contributing to over 60% of global total.

What is 8.2 ka cooling event?

Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, under the Department of Science & Technology, have found that a sudden cooling event in Greenland about 8,200 years ago led to a weakening of the Indian Summer Monsoon.

This climatic phenomenon, known as the 8.2 ka cooling event, is considered one of the largest climate disturbances of the Holocene period.

Key Findings:

• Around 8,200 years ago, Greenland temperatures dropped by ~3°C, affecting global climate systems.
• The event was triggered by a massive freshwater outburst from Lake Agassiz into the North Atlantic, disrupting ocean circulation.
• Scientists discovered evidence of this event in India’s Core Monsoon Zone (CMZ), particularly in Chhattisgarh.

Community Hub Mobile Skill Vans

The National Skill Development Corporation has deployed seven Solar Community Hub Mobile Skill Vans in 2025 under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to promote skill development and digital inclusion in remote areas.

These solar-powered mobile training units began operations in April 2025 and are currently functioning across multiple states to deliver on-the-go training services.

Deployed Locations:

• Rajasthan – Sawai Madhopur
• Madhya Pradesh – Ujjain
• Sikkim – West/East Sikkim
• Jharkhand – Hazaribagh
• Andhra Pradesh – East Godavari
• Karnataka – Kalaburagi
• Maharashtra – Nagpur

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.