Daily Current Affairs – 21-03-2026

International News

7 Nations on Strait of Hormuz Security

A joint statement was issued in London by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada, expressing readiness to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The countries condemned Iran’s attacks on oil and gas facilities in Gulf countries, strikes on unarmed merchant ships, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran was urged to stop activities such as laying mines, conducting drone and missile attacks, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2217. The statement highlighted that freedom of navigation is a principle of international law and disruptions to global shipping and energy supply systems threaten international peace. The countries also stated that they would work with oil-producing nations to stabilize energy markets and provide assistance through the United Nations (UN) and international financial institutions to affected countries. The Strait of Hormuz, located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, carries about 20% of the world’s crude oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Due to conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, the route was closed, causing disruptions, and reports indicate that Iran is planning to impose taxes or customs duties on ships using the strait.

Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow and highly strategic waterway located between Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It lies between Iran (north) and Oman and the United Arab Emirates (south).

• It is about 33 km wide at its narrowest point

• It serves as the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean

What is a Strait?

A strait is a narrow natural water passage that connects two larger water bodies such as seas or oceans, and is usually located between two landmasses.

Tamil Nadu News

Election Commission Guidelines on AI-Based Political Content

Election Commission of India issued guidelines restricting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in political advertisements, particularly prohibiting content that misrepresents an individual’s identity, voice, or appearance. The guidelines mandate that all political parties and candidates must obtain prior approval from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level before publishing advertisements in electronic and social media. Recognised parties must apply at least 3 days in advance, while others must apply 1 week in advance, and applications will be processed within 48 hours, with provisions for appeal to the Election Commission of India. In response to challenges posed by Deepfake technology, it has been made mandatory that all AI-generated content must include at least 10% disclosure indicating AI usage. Any content created using AI without consent that misrepresents identity or appearance is completely banned, and such content on social media will be removed within 3 hours. Additionally, during voter list revision, 75,037 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were engaged, and their annual honorarium has been increased from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000, along with an incentive of ₹2,000, with a total allocation of ₹99.81 crore. To improve urban voter participation, 14 polling booths were established within apartment complexes and housing societies during the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process.

Election Commission Order on Disclosure of Criminal Background

Election Commission of India directed that candidates involved in criminal cases must publicly disclose their case details through advertisements. As per the notification issued by Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, candidates are required to publish details of their criminal cases in newspapers and television channels, and political parties must also disclose such information in print media, electronic media, and party websites. These advertisements must be released three times on different days, starting from the day after the last date for withdrawal of nominations until 48 hours before polling concludes. The detailed instructions of the Election Commission of India and the list of approved newspapers and television channels are available on the official website.

National News

National Dental Commission Replaces Dental Council of India

Central Government established the National Dental Commission (NDC) to replace the Dental Council of India (DCI), as announced by the Union Health Ministry. The reform aims to improve the quality of dental education and align it with global standards. The National Dental Commission Act came into force on March 19, leading to the repeal of the Dentists Act, 1948 and dissolution of the Dental Council of India. The Commission is responsible for framing rules under the Act, conducting quality assessment of dental institutions, promoting research, regulating fee guidelines in private dental colleges, and setting standards in public health dentistry, education, research, and professional ethics. Dr. Sanjay Tiwari has been appointed as the Chairman, and Dr. Mousumi Goswami as a part-time member. Along with the Commission, three autonomous boards have been established: the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board, the Dental Assessment and Rating Board, and the Ethics and Dental Registration Board to oversee education, accreditation, and professional conduct.

Economy News

RBI Variable Rate Repo Auction and Liquidity Measures

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted a 3-day Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction, through which banks received ₹25,101 crore to manage liquidity in the banking system. The VRR is a mechanism where the interest rate is determined through an auction based on market conditions, instead of a fixed rate, allowing banks to bid for short-term funds. Due to factors such as advance tax payments at the end of the financial year, liquidity pressure was observed, and the RBI had announced an auction of ₹75,000 crore, though only ₹25,101 crore was availed. As per estimates, the banking system had a surplus of around ₹16,875.36 crore, and some banks parked excess funds in the RBI’s Standing Deposit Facility (SDF). As part of ongoing liquidity management, since January, the RBI has injected about ₹3.50 lakh crore into the market through Open Market Operations (OMO) by purchasing government securities, and earlier provided ₹48,014 crore through a 7-day VRR auction, indicating continuous measures to maintain stable liquidity.

Flipkart CFO Resignation Ahead of IPO

In Bengaluru, the Flipkart Group announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sriram Venkataraman has stepped down from his position ahead of the company’s planned Initial Public Offering (IPO). The leadership change occurred during the company’s IPO preparation phase. Sriram Venkataraman will continue in the organisation for a transition period to ensure continuity and smooth handover of responsibilities, during which Ravi Iyer will oversee the overall finance operations. Additionally, the company has appointed Nishant Verman as Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development and Partnerships.

WTO Committee on Market Access Reform

World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted a new mechanism to reform its Committee on Market Access (CMA), introducing a structured system to monitor the resolution of trade concerns raised by member countries . During the March 16–17 CMA meeting, a total of 33 trade concerns were raised, including six related to India’s policies such as import restrictions on pulses, tyres, pocket lighters, and air-conditioners, along with quality control orders . India also raised concerns on seven issues against other members, including the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU Deforestation Regulation . As part of the reform, a new agenda item titled ‘Reports on resolution of trade concerns’ will be included in all CMA meetings to track progress on previously raised issues before addressing new ones . The mechanism clarifies that absence of discussion does not indicate resolution, and only explicit confirmation by members determines status, while preserving the right to raise issues again or pursue action under the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding . The WTO Secretariat will review unresolved concerns every two years and a new section will be added to the CMA’s annual report to the Council for Trade in Goods to provide an overview of all trade concerns

Noida International Airport Inauguration

In New Delhi, it has been reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Noida International Airport located at Jewar in Greater Noida on March 28 . The project was highlighted earlier on March 18 in Lucknow by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and the inauguration is linked to the completion of nine years of the Uttar Pradesh government . The airport has received key regulatory approvals including security clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and an aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), confirming compliance with safety and operational standards . A validation flight was conducted in December 2024 by IndiGo using an Airbus A320 to test navigation and air traffic systems . The airport infrastructure has been prepared with support from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for communication and navigation systems, and operations are planned with airlines including IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express

Guindy Children’s Park Closed Due to H5N1 Avian Influenza

Guindy Children’s Park was closed to the public from March 20 following an outbreak of Avian Influenza (H5N1) after around 40 birds died since March 13 . Laboratory tests conducted by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus . The first deaths were reported in the Vedanthangal Aviary of the park, and subsequent bird deaths occurred between March 13 and March 18, with test confirmation received on March 19 . The outbreak coincided with a broader avian influenza alert in Chennai and surrounding areas, including Adyar, Velachery, and Thiruvanmiyur, where bird deaths were reported . The park houses around 150 birds across 10 species, and continuous monitoring is being carried out, with bio-security measures such as use of protective masks and gloves by staff.

HDFC Bank Action on Credit Suisse AT1 Bonds Issue

In Mumbai, HDFC Bank dismissed three senior executives over their alleged involvement in the mis-selling of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds, which were marketed as safe investment assets in 2025. The development followed the resignation of former non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty over differences related to values and ethics. The executives removed include Sampath Kumar (Group Head of Branch Banking), Harsh Gupta (Executive Vice-President – Middle East, Africa and NRI Business), and Payal Mandhyan (Senior Vice-President). The issue emerged after NRI customers filed complaints with the Maharashtra Police Economic Offences Wing, Nagpur in July 2025 regarding the sale of these bonds through the DIFC branch in May 2021. The AT1 bonds lost their value in March 2023 following the collapse of Credit Suisse, which was later merged with UBS in June 2023. The affected investors, including Narendra Singru, Ashutosh Tiwary, Pankaj Sinha, and Varun Mahajan, had invested around ₹20–25 crore with promised returns of 10–13%. Following the incident, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) imposed restrictions on HDFC Bank from onboarding new customers in Dubai due to lapses in the sales process.

What are AT1 Bonds?

AT1 (Additional Tier 1) Bonds are a type of bank capital instrument issued by banks to strengthen their financial stability under Basel III norms.

• They are also called perpetual bonds (no fixed maturity)

• Issued to absorb losses during financial stress

• Offer higher interest rates compared to normal bonds

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What is Credit Suisse AT1 Bonds?

Credit Suisse AT1 Bonds are AT1 bonds issued by the Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

• Investors were promised high returns (10–13%)

• Marketed as safe or high-yield investments

• But they are actually high-risk instruments

Committee Formed to Redraft NCERT Judiciary Chapter

Central Government informed the Supreme Court of India that it has constituted a committee to redraft the controversial chapter on the judiciary in NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) textbooks. The committee includes former Supreme Court judges Indu Malhotra and Aniruddha Bose, and former Attorney General K.K. Venugopal. The information was presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V.M. Pancholi, following which the court disposed of the Suo Motu case related to the issue. Earlier, the court had expressed concern over the rewritten Class 8 social science chapter on “corruption in judiciary” by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, and had directed that the revised content should not be published until reviewed by experts.

Sports News

Ronnie O’Sullivan Sets Record Snooker Break

During the World Open Snooker Tournament, Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time World Champion, created history by achieving the highest-ever break of 153 points in professional snooker at the age of 50. The record was set in the first frame of his 5–0 victory over Ryan Day. The previous highest break in competition was 148 points, recorded by Jamie Burnett in the 2004 UK Championship qualifiers. This performance established a new milestone in professional snooker history.

LeBron James Equals NBA Appearance Record

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), LeBron James equalled the all-time record for most appearances by playing his 1,611th regular-season game for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Miami Heat. With this, he matched the record held by Robert Parish, which stood for nearly 30 years. At the age of 41, LeBron James recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in the match, leading the Lakers to a 134–126 victory and marking their eighth consecutive win. Over his career, he has played 23 seasons, earned 22 All-Star selections, and 21 All-NBA team selections, while scoring over 50,000 total points (including regular season and playoffs), with 43,229 regular-season points as of March 2026, and achieving 1,297 consecutive games with 10+ points. He is also ahead of Russell Westbrook by 310 games among active players.

Trump Image Approved on US Gold Coin

US Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of a 24-carat commemorative gold coin featuring the image of President Donald Trump, as part of preparations for the 250th anniversary of the United States . The coin design includes Trump’s portrait on one side and an eagle symbol on the reverse, and is part of a plan to issue at least three coins, including a $1 coin . The commission, which advises federal agencies on design matters, gave unanimous approval, and the design was reportedly personally approved by Donald Trump . The move has raised legal concerns in relation to the Thayer Amendment (1866), which states that only portraits of deceased individuals may appear on US currency and securities . The coins are being produced under the authority of the US Mint, with further decisions regarding size and value pending, and are expected to have a value of several hundred dollars each .