News of The Day : 28th March 2026

News of The Day – 28th March 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-2: Polity and Governance )

• About Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Startups and MSMEs (PRISM) Portal.
• Supports grassroots innovators with funding and technical assistance. 
• Aims to strengthen innovation ecosystem and self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat).
• Managed by Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR).

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• About “Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya” 
  • Initiative under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
  • Targets school-level awareness and prevention of substance abuse.
• Includes curriculum integration, counseling, and community participation.
• Focus on youth empowerment and behavioural change.

(GS-3: Economy)

• RBI’s roadmap for India’s digital payments ecosystem (2023–2028).
• Focus on “E-Payments for Everyone, Everywhere, Everytime” (4Es).
• Targets: enhanced financial inclusion, cross-border payments, fraud prevention, and innovation.
• Builds on the success of UPI, CBDC, and digital infrastructure.

(GS-3: Economy)

• Dispute between Novo Nordisk and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories over similarity in drug names.
• Concerns over brand confusion in anti-diabetic/weight-loss drugs market.
• Highlights importance of trademark protection under IPR regime.
• Reflects growing pharma competition in generics and biologics.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• AI tokens refer to cost units for processing data in AI models (input/output tokens).
• Lower token pricing gives competitive edge in global AI services.
• China leveraging scale, state support, and cheaper computer infrastructure. 
• Implications: global AI competition, cost of innovation, and digital sovereignty.

• Sex Reassignment/Y chromosome (SRY) gene test used to determine biological sex in athletes.
• Helps identify presence of Y chromosome for eligibility in women’s categories.
• Raises ethical concerns over privacy, gender identity, and discrimination.
• Linked to global debate on fairness vs inclusion in sports (e.g., DSD athletes).

• Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite
  • Joint mission by NASA and CNES.
• Measures global surface water levels (rivers, lakes, oceans) with high precision.
• Helps in flood forecasting, climate research, and water resource management.
• First mission to provide a near-global survey of Earth’s surface water.

(GS-3: Environment)

• About Amrabad Tiger Reserve
  • Located in Telangana, part of Nallamala forest.
• One of India’s largest tiger reserves
  • habitat for tigers, leopards, and endemic flora.
  • Important for conservation of dry deciduous forest ecosystem.

(GS-3: Environment)

• New Butterfly species discovered in biodiversity-rich Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Named after Zubeen Garg for cultural recognition.
• Highlights Eastern Himalayas as a global biodiversity hotspot.

(GS-3: Environment)

• International efforts under frameworks like Convention on Migratory Species.
• Focus on preventing overexploitation of migratory species (birds, marine life).
• Promotes cross-border conservation cooperation.
• Important for biodiversity conservation and ecological balance.

(GS-3: Environment)

• Punjab, despite low forest cover, has emerged as a hotspot for wildlife crime (illegal trade, poaching).
• Crimes linked to demand for exotic pets, traditional medicine, and trafficking networks.
• Weak enforcement, porous borders, and lack of awareness contribute to the problem.
• Highlights need for strengthening Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 enforcement and inter-state coordination.