News of The Day – 11th March 2026

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

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• Chandigarh achieved 99.93% literacy, becoming the first Union Territory to be declared “fully literate.”
• Achieved through adult literacy programmes and community learning initiatives.
• Supports the objectives of the New India Literacy Programme (2022-2027) aimed at adult education.
• Literacy includes basic reading, writing, numeracy and digital literacy skills.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
  • Launched in 2019 to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to rural households.
• Aims to supply 55 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water.
• The mission extended to 2028 to ensure universal coverage and strengthen water infrastructure.
• Emphasises source sustainability, community participation and water quality monitoring.

( GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• PB-SHABD (Prasar Bharati – Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcasting Dissemination) platform launched by Prasar Bharati.
• Provides news, audio, video and multimedia content for media organizations and digital platforms.
• Designed to enable content sharing and collaboration with private broadcasters and digital media.
• Supports dissemination of public service broadcasting content across India.

(GS-2: International Relations)

• Oman has historically maintained a neutral and balanced foreign policy in West Asia.
• It often acts as a mediator in regional conflicts, including Iran-US diplomatic backchannels.
• Strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route.

(GS-3: Economy)

• About Natural Farming .
  • It is a chemical-free farming system relying on on-farm biological inputs such as cow dung and urine, crop residues, and natural microbial cultures.
• Promoted as a low-cost and climate-resilient agricultural model reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
• Helps reduce cost of cultivation, improve soil health, biodiversity and water retention.
• Studies show natural farming can reduce water and energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions while maintaining comparable yields in some crops.

(GS-3: Economy)

• EASE (Enhanced Access and Service Excellence) reforms launched in 2018 for modernization of Public Sector Banks.
• EASE 8.0 focuses on digital banking, improved customer service, risk management and operational efficiency.
• Includes initiatives such as paperless banking processes, AI-based analytics, and faster loan processing.
• Objective: strengthen financial stability and enhance the competitiveness of PSBs.

(GS-3: Economy)

• 4th National Agro-RE Summit 
• Focuses on integration of Renewable Energy (RE) with agriculture.
• Promotes solar irrigation, bioenergy and decentralized renewable power for rural areas.
• Linked with initiatives such as the PM-KUSUM scheme, which supports solar pumps and grid-connected solar plants for farmers.
• Aim: reduce diesel dependence and enhance energy security for the farm sector.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• India plans to establish a high-energy proton accelerator research facility in Visakhapatnam.
• Particle accelerators accelerate charged particles using electromagnetic fields to study nuclear physics, materials science and medical applications.
• Useful in cancer therapy (proton beam therapy), isotope production and advanced physics research.
• Project expected to strengthen India’s capabilities in frontier particle physics and accelerator technology.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• Designer proteins are artificially engineered proteins created using biotechnology or AI-assisted molecular design.
• Scientists modify amino-acid sequences to produce proteins with specific structures and functions.
• Applications: drug development, industrial enzymes, vaccines, biosensors and disease treatment.

(GS-3: Science and tech)

• About Asteroid YR4 
  • Newly identified near-Earth asteroid tracked by global space agencies.
• Asteroids are rocky remnants from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago.
• Monitoring is done through planetary defense systems to detect potential Earth-impact risks. Observations help scientists study solar system formation and planetary evolution.

(GS-3: Environment)

• Green Cover Index measures vegetation and plantation along National Highways.
• Implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Tracks highway-side plantations and ecological restoration under programmes like Green Highways Policy (2015).
• Helps monitor carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection and climate-friendly infrastructure development.

(GS-3: Environment )

• Researchers compiled a national checklist of firefly species (family Lampyridae) in India.
• Fireflies are bioluminescent beetles producing light through a chemical reaction involving luciferin and luciferase enzymes.
• Important indicators of ecosystem health and biodiversity.
• Threats include habitat loss, pesticide use and light pollution.

(GS-3: Environment)

• About Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment (SAEIA)
• Proposed institutional body to streamline the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. EIA assesses environmental consequences of major development projects before approval
• Aims to balance economic development with environmental protection.