Daily Current Affairs – 01-03-2026

International News

India–Canada Uranium Supply Agreement for Nuclear Power Production

Canada has agreed to supply uranium to India for its nuclear power generation, and an agreement to this effect was signed between the two countries. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited India on February 27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks in New Delhi at Hyderabad House. During the meeting, both leaders reviewed progress in India–Canada bilateral cooperation and discussed enhancing collaboration in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, education and research. The two sides signed an agreement for the supply of uranium for India’s nuclear energy production, along with other agreements including cooperation in the mineral resources sector. The leaders also discussed increasing bilateral trade to 50 billion US dollars by 2030 and decided to expedite the finalisation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

National News

Pakyong Airport to Be Renamed as Trilochan Pokhrel Airport

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced on 27 February 2026, during the 31st Foundation Day celebration of the Akhil Sikkim Khas Chettri Bahun Kalyan Sangh at Rangpo, that Pakyong Airport will be renamed as Trilochan Pokhrel Airport. Pakyong Airport, located about 30 km from Gangtok, is the only airport in Sikkim and was inaugurated on 24 September 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The renaming honours Trilochan Pokhrel, popularly known as “Gandhi Pokhrel”, who is regarded as Sikkim’s first freedom activist. He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34) and Quit India Movement (1942) and was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. Sikkim became the 22nd State of India in 1975 after a referendum.

Sports News

Auqib Nabi Becomes Third Pacer to Take 60 Wickets in a Ranji Season

Auqib Nabi became the third fast bowler to take 60 or more wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season. He claimed 60 wickets in 17 innings. His tally is two wickets fewer than Dodda Ganesh, who achieved the feat in the 1998–99 Ranji Trophy season for Karnataka, and seven wickets fewer than Jaydev Unadkat, who recorded the milestone in the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy season for Saurashtra.

Jammu & Kashmir Wins Maiden Ranji Trophy Title

Jammu & Kashmir won its maiden Ranji Trophy title by defeating Karnataka in the final held at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium, Hubballi. Entering the fifth day with a lead of 477 runs, J&K batted without losing a wicket and the match was draw, resulting in J&K being declared champions on first-innings lead. In the second innings, Qamran Iqbal remained unbeaten on 160 and Sahil Lotra scored an unbeaten 101, registering his first First-Class century, while Qamran recorded his second. The match scores were: Jammu & Kashmir (1st innings): 584, Karnataka (1st innings): 293, and Jammu & Kashmir (2nd innings): 342 for 4 declared in 113 overs. Karnataka last won the title in 2014–15.

From 2021 to 2025, the Ranji Trophy winners were Vidarbha (2021), Saurashtra (2022), Gujarat (2023), Madhya Pradesh (2024), and Vidarbha (2025).

Daniil Medvedev Wins Dubai Duty Free Men’s Title

Daniil Medvedev of Russia won the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Tennis Championship held in Dubai on February 28. He was scheduled to face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in the final, but Griekspoor withdrew due to injury, and Medvedev was declared champion. This victory marks Medvedev’s second ATP Tour title of the current season and his 26th career title overall. He had previously won the same tournament in 2023, making this his second Dubai title. In the doubles final, the third-seeded pair of Harri Heliövaara (Finland) and Henry Patten (Britain) defeated the second-seeded pair of Marcelo Arévalo (El Salvador) and Mate Pavić (Croatia) with a score of 7-5, 7-5 to win the title.

Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion

The United States military has named its operation against Iran as “Operation Epic Fury”, and this information was released by the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, through a social media post on Saturday. The name signifies it as the largest military operation undertaken by the United States. Meanwhile, Israel has named its attack on Iran as “Roaring Lion”. Earlier, the Trump administration had named the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons programme facilities last year as “Operation Midnight Hammer”.

Economy News

India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Decline – RBI Data

According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves declined to 72,360.8 crore dollars in the week ending February 20, registering a fall of 211.9 crore dollars. In the previous week, the reserves had increased by 866.3 crore dollars to reach a record high of 72,572.7 crore dollars. During the reporting week, Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), a major component of the reserves, decreased by 103.9 crore dollars to 57,256.4 crore dollars. India’s gold reserves declined by 97.7 crore dollars to 12,748.9 crore dollars. The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) fell by 8.4 crore dollars to 1,884 crore dollars, while India’s reserve position in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decreased by 1.8 crore dollars to 471.6 crore dollars.

Prime Minister to Launch ₹4,400 Crore Projects in Madurai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu with his arrival in Chennai and is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹4,000 crore in Madurai. The projects, valued at around ₹4,400 crore, relate to the National Highways Authority, Indian Railways, and Prasar Bharati. During the visit, he will travel from Chennai to Puducherry and then proceed to Madurai. He will also visit the Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple in Madurai for the first time.

Tamil Nadu News

Udangudi Supercritical Thermal Power Plant

A coal-laden vessel carrying 73,000 tonnes of coal from Visakhapatnam has arrived at the Kallamozhi Offshore Coal Jetty in Thoothukudi district for the trial run of Unit I of the Udangudi Supercritical Thermal Power Plant. The plant consists of two units of 660 MW each. During the trial run, Unit I is generating 300 MW of power. The offshore jetty is located about 8 km off the Kallamozhi coast and has a berth measuring 555 metres in length and 24 metres in width, capable of accommodating two vessels and handling five million metric tonnes of coal annually. The coal is transported to the plant through a closed conveyor system constructed across the Tiruchendur–Kanniyakumari road, with a current transfer capacity of 1,600 tonnes per hour and a total capacity of 2,000 tonnes per hour. The project is being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL).

Nine Botswana Cheetahs Released at Kuno National Park under Project Cheetah

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav released nine cheetahs brought from Botswana into enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh. The released group includes six females and three males, raising the total cheetah population in India to 48, comprising 28 Indian-born cubs and 20 adult cheetahs translocated from African nations under the Union Government’s Project Cheetah. This is the third batch of cheetahs brought from Africa, following eight cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022 and twelve from South Africa in February 2023. These nine cheetahs were formally handed over to India during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Botswana in November last year. The cheetahs will undergo a minimum one-month quarantine at KNP and have been fitted with tracking collars for monitoring. Since the launch of Project Cheetah, 21 cheetahs including nine translocated adults and twelve Indian-born cubs have died at Kuno due to various causes.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs Announces Tribal Festivals in March 2026

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has announced a series of events to be held in New Delhi in March 2026 to promote tribal culture and commerce, including the Tribes Art Fest, the Living Roots Music Festival, and the Bharat Tribes Fest 2026. The announcement was made by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who also unveiled the official logos of the festivals. The Tribes Art Fest will be held from March 2 to 13 at the Travancore Palace Art Gallery, featuring over 1,000 artworks representing 30 tribal art forms and participation of more than 70 tribal artists. The Living Roots Music Festival will be conducted from March 13 to 15, with sessions at Bikaner House and Kartavya Path. The Bharat Tribes Fest 2026, a rebranded version of the earlier Adi Mahotsav, will take place from March 18 to 30 at Sunder Nursery and will include a Tribal Business Conclave to promote tribal entrepreneurship.

Important Days

Zero Discrimination Day – March 1

March 1 is observed as Zero Discrimination Day, led by UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS). The day promotes equality before law and society, and highlights the right of every individual to live with dignity without discrimination based on gender, health status, nationality, or social background.