Daily Current Affairs – 29-03-2026

National News

PM E-DRIVE Scheme Revised with New Deadlines

The Government of India has revised the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, which has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore, to introduce new deadlines and unit caps for electric vehicles.

Under the revised guidelines, electric two-wheelers registered up to July 31, 2026, and electric three-wheelers (including e-rickshaws and e-carts) registered up to March 31, 2028, will be eligible for incentives.

The scheme specifies that the maximum ex-factory price for availing incentives is ₹1.5 lakh for electric two-wheelers and ₹2.5 lakh for electric three-wheelers.

The scheme is fund-limited, and the total incentive disbursement will not exceed the allocated ₹10,900 crore.

Tamil Nadu News

Night Flight Service Launched Between Thoothukudi and Chennai

Night flight services between Thoothukudi and Chennai commenced on March 29, with revised flight schedules announced for operations from Thoothukudi Airport, which was recently expanded and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The airport now has facilities for landing large aircraft and operating night services. A private airline currently operates four flights daily between Thoothukudi and Chennai and one flight between Thoothukudi and Bengaluru, making a total of five daily flights. As per the revised timings, the 8:00 AM Chennai flight departs at 8:10 AM, the 11:25 AM flight at 12:05 PM, the 12:15 PM Bengaluru flight at 1:10 PM, and the 4:15 PM Chennai flight at 4:10 PM, while the 1:50 PM Chennai flight has been converted into a night service. The new night flight departs Chennai at 6:15 PM, arrives at Thoothukudi at 7:55 PM, departs back at 8:15 PM, and reaches Chennai at 9:45 PM.

Airports in Tamil Nadu

· Chennai International Airport – Chennai

· Coimbatore International Airport – Coimbatore

· Tiruchirappalli International Airport – Tiruchirappalli

· Madurai Airport – Madurai

· Salem Airport – Salem

· Tuticorin Airport – Thoothukudi

· Vellore Airport – Vellore

States’ News

Resolution Passed for Amaravati as Sole Capital

A resolution seeking legal protection from the Central Government of India to recognize Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh was passed unanimously in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly during a special session held in Amaravati.

The resolution was introduced under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who stated that permanent legal protection for Amaravati as the only capital requires amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The resolution received support from all members and was declared passed by Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu, and it will be sent to the Central Government.

Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014, leading to the formation of Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital, following which the Amaravati capital project was initiated; later, in 2019, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed a three-capital plan, and after returning to power in 2024, N. Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed Amaravati as the sole capital.

Sports News

Ishan Kishan Reaches 3,000 Runs in IPL

In the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season opener held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Ishan Kishan achieved the milestone of scoring 3,000 runs in IPL matches, becoming one of the fastest Indian players to reach this mark in terms of balls faced. He reached this milestone in 2,180 balls, securing the 6th position among Indian players in the fastest to 3,000 IPL runs list. In this list, Rishabh Pant holds the first position with 2,028 balls, followed by Yusuf Pathan (2,082 balls), Suryakumar Yadav (2,130 balls), Suresh Raina (2,135 balls), and M. S. Dhoni (2,152 balls). The match was played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Hyderabad scoring 201 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs.

Economy News

Rentomojo Files DRHP for ₹1,200 Crore IPO

Rentomojo, a Bengaluru-based furniture and home electronics rental startup, has filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) worth ₹1,100–1,200 crore. The proposed issue includes a fresh issue of ₹150 crore, while the remaining shares will be offered through Offer for Sale (OFS) by existing shareholders. Key investors such as Accel, Chiratae Ventures, and Edelweiss Financial Services, along with founder and CEO Geetansh Bamania, who holds over 14% stake, plan to reduce their holdings. As per the DRHP, about ₹70 crore will be used for debt repayment, ₹42.5 crore for lease rental of warehouses and offline experience centres, and the remaining funds for general corporate purposes. The company has previously raised around ₹400 crore from private investors and recently secured ₹210 crore in funding led by Edelweiss Financial Services at a valuation of ₹850–900 crore.

International News

India Seeks Safeguards in WTO Agreements

India has called for the implementation of guardrails (safeguards) before incorporating Plurilateral Agreements into the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO). During the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized that such agreements must be based on consensus and should not affect the rights of non-participating countries. India also reiterated the need for priority resolution of long-pending issues such as Public Stockholding for Food Security, Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), and cotton-related issues. Additionally, India supported the WTO draft declaration to continue negotiations on curbing subsidies related to overcapacity and overfishing, highlighting that these challenges are mainly caused by heavily subsidised industrial fleets and not by small-scale fishermen in developing countries.

Indonesia Enforces Social Media Restrictions for Minors

Indonesia has implemented nationwide restrictions on social media accounts for children under 16 years starting from Saturday, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to introduce such a policy. The measure, influenced by similar regulations in Australia, aims to regulate the use of digital platforms by minors in the world’s fourth-most populous country. The decision has been taken to address issues such as cyber-bullying, pornography, online fraud, and excessive screen usage, as part of broader global efforts to control harmful online content.

Adani Delivers Indigenous LMGs to Indian Army

Under the Make in India initiative, the Adani Defence and Aerospace company has delivered 2,000 ‘Prahaar’ Light Machine Guns (LMGs) to the Indian Army. These weapons were manufactured at the company’s small arms facility located in Gwalior, and the first batch was handed over on March 28 in the presence of officials from the Ministry of Defence and senior Army officers. The project for manufacturing these weapons began about 6 years ago, and the delivery was completed 11 months ahead of schedule. The remaining machine guns under the contract are to be supplied within the next 3 years.

Reports and Indices

Decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio in India

According to a report published by UNICEF under the study “Global Burden of Disease – 2023”, India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined by about 80% over the past 33 years, decreasing from 508 per 1 lakh live births in 1990 to 116 in 2023. In 2023, about 24,700 maternal deaths were recorded in India, while globally 2.40 lakh maternal deaths occurred, with the global MMR at 190.5, reduced from 321 in 1990. As per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries are required to reduce MMR to 70 by 2030, but 104 out of 204 countries have not yet achieved this target. According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021–2023, India’s MMR stands at 88, and a report by the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group noted that India achieved an 86% reduction since 1990, compared to the global reduction of 48%.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Vijaypat Singhania Passes Away at 87

Vijaypat Singhania, Padma Bhushan awardee, former Chairman of Raymond Group, and former Sheriff of Bombay, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 87. He took charge of the Raymond Group in 1980 and expanded its business into textiles, steel, and hospitality, transforming it into a global fashion enterprise. He also held a world record for the highest altitude in a hot air balloon and won a gold medal in an around-the-world air race. In 2015, he handed over the leadership of the company to his son Gautam Singhania.

Messi Stand Announced at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium

Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club, has announced that a spectator stand in its new Nu Stadium will be named after its captain Lionel Messi as the “Leo Messi Stand.” The new stadium, with a seating capacity of 26,700, will host its first match on April 4. The Nu Stadium will serve as the permanent home of Inter Miami, replacing its temporary venue in Fort Lauderdale.

IONS Maritime Exercise IMEX TTX 2026 Held at Kochi

The Indian Navy conducted the IONS Maritime Exercise (IMEX) TTX 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Southern Naval Command, Kochi on March 27, 2026, with participation from member countries of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) along with IOS SAGAR international officers. The exercise focused on addressing non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Participating countries included Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste. The exercise was conducted in a simulated environment to enhance coordination mechanisms such as information sharing and decision-making and to strengthen maritime security frameworks. India has assumed the IONS Chairmanship for the 2026–2028 cycle after a gap of 16 years, and this exercise marked an important step in strengthening regional maritime cooperation.

Noida International Airport Phase I Inauguration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Phase I of Noida International Airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh on March 28, 2026, developed with an investment of about ₹11,200 crore. The airport project was originally approved in 2003 during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The project is expected to benefit regions including Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Etawah, Bulandshahr, and Faridabad. With this development, Uttar Pradesh has become one of the states with the highest number of international airports in India, with a total of 17 airports. The region is also emerging as a logistics hub, supported by two major freight corridors intersecting at Dadri. The initiative is part of broader infrastructure growth under schemes like UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), under which over 1.6 crore passengers have benefited, and an expansion plan of about ₹29,000 crore aims to build 100 new airports and 200 helipads. India currently has more than 160 airports, reflecting rapid expansion in the aviation sector.

Gurjant Singh Retires from International Hockey

Gurjant Singh, an Indian men’s hockey team forward, announced his retirement from international hockey at the Hockey India Awards ceremony held in New Delhi on March 28, 2026. The 31-year-old player completed nearly a decade-long career with 130 international caps and 33 goals. He first gained prominence during the 2016 Junior Hockey World Cup held in Lucknow, where India won the title. He made his senior team debut in 2017. Gurjant Singh was part of the Indian team that won Olympic bronze medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, with the Tokyo 2020 medal ending a 41-year Olympic medal drought for Indian hockey. He also contributed to India’s gold medal wins in the 2022 Asian Games (Hangzhou) and the 2017 Asia Cup, along with victories in the Asian Champions Trophy. In 2021, he received the Arjuna Award, one of India’s highest sporting honours.

Leadership Change at Airtel Africa

Sunil Bharti Mittal announced that he will step down as Chairman of Airtel Africa in July 2026, after serving since the company’s listing in 2019. Following his exit, Gopal Vittal will assume the role of Non-Executive Chair, while Shravin Bharti Mittal will become Deputy Chair. Under the leadership of Sunil Bharti Mittal, Airtel Africa expanded its operations across 14 African countries, providing mobile voice, data, and mobile money services. Gopal Vittal is currently the Chairman of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), representing over 750 mobile operators worldwide. Shravin Bharti Mittal is also associated with the Airtel Money Board, which manages the digital payments segment in Africa.

Ramnath Goenka Journalism Awards 2026

The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards 2026 recognized 24 journalists across 19 categories for contributions to Indian journalism, and the awards were presented in New Delhi by the Vice-President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan. The awards are instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation and honour reporting across print, digital, and broadcast platforms. The awards are named after Ramnath Goenka, known for his role in Indian journalism, especially during the Emergency period. The jury panel for 2026 included B. N. Srikrishna, C. Raj Kumar, Rohini Nilekani, and S. Y. Quraishi. Key awardees include Avadhesh Akodia (Dainik Bhaskar) in Hindi print, Sarvapriya Sangwan (BBC News Hindi) in broadcast/digital Hindi, Muhammad Sabith and Akhil Sivanand (Mathrubhumi) in regional print/digital, Fauziya Mustafa (Malayalam 24*7) in regional broadcast/digital, Jayshree Nandi and Tannu Jain (Hindustan Times) in environment, science and technology reporting, Deeptiman Tiwary (The Indian Express) in politics and government reporting, Srikkanth Dhasarathy (DT Next) in sports journalism, Mridulika Jha (Aaj Tak) in investigative reporting, Praveen Jain (The Print) in photojournalism, and Aparajith Ramnath (Penguin Random House) in books (non-fiction).

Nandamuri Balakrishna Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at IFFD 2026

Veteran Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD 2026) held on March 26, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, in recognition of his contribution to cinema for over 50 years; his film ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’, directed by Anil Ravipudi, was specially screened at the event and had earlier won the Best Telugu Film award at the 71st National Film Awards; he is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2025), India’s third-highest civilian award, and is the son of N. T. Rama Rao, who contributed to women’s empowerment and established institutions such as Padmavati University.