Practice Current Affairs Quiz to stay updated with national, international, economic, and banking news. This quiz is based on the previous day’s current affairs and is designed to boost your exam readiness, improve speed and accuracy, strengthen memory, and build confidence for competitive exams and interviews.

Daily Current Affairs: 9 March, 2026

Q1. International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed globally on 8 March. Which of the following correctly identifies the official UN theme for International Women’s Day 2026?

(a) DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality

(b) Invest in women: Accelerate progress

(c) Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls

(d) Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow

(e) Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future

Answer: c

Solution:

International Women’s Day is observed every year on 8 March to recognize the achievements, contributions, and struggles of women around the world. The day highlights the importance of promoting gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment across societies.

• International Women’s Day 2026 Theme: The official theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.”
• Objective of the Theme: The theme calls for stronger action to eliminate barriers to equal justice, including discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful social practices that undermine the rights of women and girls.
• Global Campaign Theme: The 2026 celebrations are also marked by a global campaign theme titled “Give to Gain.”
• Purpose of the Campaign: The campaign emphasizes the power of collective support in advancing gender equality. It encourages individuals, organizations, and communities to contribute time, resources, mentorship, and opportunities that help women grow and succeed.
• Historical Background: International Women’s Day originated from labour movements in North America and Europe in the early twentieth century that advocated for better working conditions and equal rights for women.
• United Nations Recognition: The day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977.
• Historical Event Linked to the Date: The date is associated with the 1917 women’s strike in Russia, where women protested demanding “bread and peace.” The strike began on 23 February in the Julian calendar, which corresponds to 8 March in the Gregorian calendar used internationally.

Q2. According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2026, India recorded a significant increase in the number of billionaires, reflecting strong wealth creation and economic momentum. What is the total number of billionaires in India as per the list?

(a) 256

(b) 278

(c) 308

(d) 342

(e) 367

Answer: c

Solution:

According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2026, released in March 2026, the number of billionaires in India has increased to 308, rising by 24 from the previous year, reflecting strong wealth creation and sustained economic growth in the country.

Information Booster:

• Global Ranking: India ranks third globally in terms of the number of billionaires, behind the United States and China.
• New Additions: India added 57 new billionaires during the year, the highest number outside the US and China, while 27 individuals dropped out of the list.
• Total Wealth: The combined wealth of Indian billionaires increased by 10% year-on-year to ₹112.6 trillion. Around 199 billionaires saw their wealth increase, while 109 experienced a decline or no change.
• Women Billionaires: About 7% of Indian billionaires are women.
• Richest Indians:
  • Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, remained the richest person in India and Asia with a net worth of ₹9.8 trillion, registering a 9% increase in wealth.
  • Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, remained the second richest Indian with a net worth of ₹7.5 trillion, despite a 14% decline in wealth.
  • Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies, ranked third with a net worth of ₹3.2 trillion and remained the only woman among India’s top 10 richest individuals.
• Sector-wise Billionaires:
  • The healthcare sector produced the highest number of new billionaires with 53 entrants.
  • Industrial products added 36 new billionaires, while consumer goods contributed 31 new billionaires.
• Wealth Concentration: Despite fewer entrants, the energy sector held the largest wealth concentration, generating about ₹18.3 trillion from just eight billionaires, accounting for nearly 16% of India’s total billionaire wealth.
• Biggest Wealth Gainer: Cyrus S. Poonawalla, founder and chairman of the Serum Institute of India, recorded the largest increase in wealth, adding nearly ₹0.91 trillion during the year.
• City-wise Distribution:
  • Mumbai remained India’s leading billionaire hub with 95 billionaires, though it lost its position as Asia’s billionaire capital to Shenzhen, which has 133 billionaires.
  • Mumbai also recorded 15 new entrants, more than New York (14) and London (9).
• Global City Ranking: New York leads globally with 146 billionaires, followed by Shanghai (120), Beijing (107), and London (102).
• Average Age: The average age of Indian billionaires is 67, slightly higher than the global average of 65.
• Youngest Billionaire: Ritesh Agarwal, founder of Oyo, is India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 32, with a net worth of about ₹14,440 crore.
• Women Billionaires’ Wealth: India has 23 women billionaires, who collectively hold wealth worth around ₹9.8 trillion, reflecting the gradual rise of women entrepreneurs in the country.

Q3. Recently, in March 2026, the ‘Stand With Her’ campaign was launched to promote awareness about women’s safety and encourage youth to act as ambassadors for protecting women. This campaign was launched by which state government?

(a) Karnataka

(b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Andhra Pradesh

(d) Maharashtra

(e) Telangana

Answer: e

Solution:

The Telangana Government launched the ‘Stand With Her’ campaign on 7 March 2026 to promote women’s safety and create greater public awareness about preventing violence against women. The initiative was launched by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who urged young people to act as ambassadors for women’s safety and emphasized that protecting women is a shared social responsibility.

• Campaign Launch: The ‘Stand With Her’ campaign was launched by the Women Safety Wing of the Telangana Police.
• Objective: The campaign aims to prevent violence against women by promoting awareness and encouraging responsible behaviour in society.
• Focus on Prevention: The initiative adopts a prevention-focused approach, highlighting that violence against women often begins with seemingly small acts of disrespect.
• Forms of Harassment Highlighted: The campaign identifies behaviours such as staring, sexist remarks, stalking, online harassment, and groping as early warning signs that can escalate into more serious forms of abuse.
• Role of Youth: The Chief Minister called upon young people to become ambassadors of women’s safety and actively contribute to building a safer environment for women.
• Social Responsibility: The initiative emphasizes that ensuring women’s safety is not only the responsibility of law enforcement but also of society as a whole.

Q4. The inaugural edition of the franchise-based golf tournament DP World PGTI’s 72 The League concluded recently with a decisive victory in the final. Which team emerged as the champion after defeating UP Prometheans?

(a) Delhi Drivers

(b) Rajasthan Regals

(c) Mumbai Eagles

(d) Punjab Panthers

(e) Bengaluru Strikers

Answer: b

Solution:

• Rajasthan Regals won the inaugural edition of the DP World PGTI’s 72 The League, defeating UP Prometheans in the final.
• The final was held at the Qutab Golf Course in New Delhi.
• Rajasthan Regals secured a dominant 12–3 victory over UP Prometheans, who had finished first in the league stage.
• Rajasthan Regals had earlier lost to UP Prometheans in the league stage, but they avenged that defeat in the final to claim the title.
• With this victory, Rajasthan Regals became the first champions of India’s first franchise-based professional golf league.
• The winning team received a trophy and ₹1 crore as prize money, while the runner-up team UP Prometheans received ₹50 lakh.
• UP Prometheans fielded their strongest players, including captain Shaurya Bhattacharya and Arjun Prasad, in the singles matches during the final.

Q5. Recently, in March 2026, the Governor of Tamil Nadu administered the oath of office to the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Madras High Court at Lok Bhavan in Chennai, following the issuance of a warrant of appointment by the President of India. Who was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court?

(a) S. Manikumar

(b) Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari

(c) Sanjiv Khanna

(d) Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud

(e) Dipankar Datta

Answer: b

Solution:

• On 6 March 2026, N. Ravi, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, administered the oath of office to Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• The swearing-in ceremony took place at Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
• During the ceremony, the Governor also handed over the warrant of appointment issued by Droupadi Murmu, the President of India.
• Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari became the 55th Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• The Madras High Court, one of India’s oldest High Courts, was established in August 1862 during the British colonial period.

Practice Current Affairs Quiz to stay updated with national, international, economic, and banking news. This quiz is based on the previous day’s current affairs and is designed to boost your exam readiness, improve speed and accuracy, strengthen memory, and build confidence for competitive exams and interviews.

Daily Current Affairs: 8 March, 2026

Q1. In March 2026, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the Aerodrome License for the Noida International Airport at Jewar. The project has been developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), which is a subsidiary of which international airport operator?

(a) Changi Airport Group
(b) Heathrow Airport Holdings
(c) Zurich Airport International AG
(d) Fraport AG
(e) Dubai Airports Company

Answer: c

Solution:

• In March 2026, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the Aerodrome License to Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) for the Noida International Airport located at Jewar, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
• The airport is being developed by YIAPL, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG.
• The project is being implemented under the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model, involving collaboration between the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India.
• The concession agreement for the airport project commenced on 1 October 2021 and will remain valid for a period of 40 years.
• Once operational, Noida International Airport is expected to significantly enhance aviation connectivity, passenger traffic, and economic development in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Q2. Recently, in March, 2026, The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched a moonshot research project, aimed at developing advanced brain co-processors integrating neuromorphic hardware and AI algorithms to restore neurological functions. The project is financially supported by which organization?

(a) Tata Trusts

(b) Pratiksha Trust

(c) Infosys Foundation

(d) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

(e) Azim Premji Foundation

Answer: b

Solution:

• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched a moonshot research project on March 4, 2026 aimed at developing advanced brain co-processors to enhance or restore brain functions.
• The project is financially supported by the Pratiksha Trust, founded by Senapathy ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan and Sudha Gopalakrishnan.
• The initiative seeks to create brain co-processors that integrate neuromorphic hardware with Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to assist or restore neurological functions.
• Brain co-processors represent an emerging technological approach designed to augment the natural capabilities of the human brain in real-world situations.
• The project aims to develop an AI-enabled closed-loop system that can connect with different regions of the brain to help restore smooth and coordinated motor movements.
• It is a multidisciplinary initiative, evolving from an earlier pilot programme under IISc’s Brain, Computation and Data Science initiative.
• The key objective of the project is to develop both implantable and non-invasive brain co-processors capable of:
  • Decoding brain activity from neural recordings
  • Processing the signals through AI algorithms
  • Re-encoding the signals back into the brain using neural stimulation or neurofeedback.
• The research aims to lay the groundwork for a first-of-its-kind brain co-processor that can restore complex sensorimotor functions in stroke survivors.

Q3.  In March 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted the Committee of Privileges, a parliamentary panel responsible for examining cases related to breaches of parliamentary privilege and recommending appropriate action. Who has been appointed as the Chairperson of the reconstituted Committee of Privileges?

(a) Ravi Shankar Prasad

(b) Jagdambika Pal

(c) Manish Tewari

(d) T. R. Baalu

(e) Kalyan Banerjee

Answer: a

Solution:

• Recently, in March 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reconstituted the Committee of Privileges of the Lok Sabha, which examines cases related to breaches of parliamentary privilege and recommends appropriate action. The committee will be chaired by BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.
• The other nominated members are Brijmohan Agrawal, Tariq Anwar, Manickam Tagore, T. R. Baalu, Kalyan Banerjee, Shrirang Barne, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Jagdambika Pal, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Jagadish Shettar, Manish Tewari, and Dharmendra Yadav.

Q4. In a pioneering effort to bridge the gap between education and employability, which Indian state recently launched the ‘Saksham Skill Survey’, an AI-based door-to-door initiative to map the vocational interests of youth aged 18 to 40?

(a) Gujarat

(b) Karnataka

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Tamil Nadu

(e) Maharashtra

Answer: e

Solution:

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Mumbai’s suburban district has launched the ‘Saksham Skill Survey’, an extensive programme aimed at assessing the skills of youth aged 18 to 40 years and improving their employability. The survey was launched in March 2026 in Mumbai by Maharashtra’s Minister of Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, Ashish Shelar.

• Objective: The initiative aims to identify the skills, educational qualifications, and training needs of young people to enhance their employment opportunities.
• Survey Coverage: The survey is expected to cover around 55,000 households in the H-West ward of Mumbai.
• AI-Based Survey: It will be conducted through an AI-based door-to-door survey, where officials will collect data on candidates’ educational background, skill interests, and required training.
• Training and Opportunities: Based on the findings, candidates will be provided with a list of government-approved training institutions and relevant skill development courses.
• Target: The programme aims to train at least 15,000 youth by next year and enable 5,000 of them to become self-reliant through employment or entrepreneurship.
• Implementation Agency: The survey will be conducted by Sapio Analytics over the next few months.

Q5. Amid rising concerns regarding digital addiction among school-going children, the Karnataka government announced a proposal during the State Budget presentation to restrict social media usage among minors. According to the announcement, children below what age will be banned from using social media in Karnataka?

(a) 12 years

(b) 13 years

(c) 15 years

(d) 16 years

(e) 18 years

Answer: d

Solution:

• In March 2026, the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh announced plans to restrict social media use among children in order to address rising concerns about digital addiction.
• Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, informed the State Assembly during the Budget presentation that children below 16 years of age will be banned from using social media platforms.
• The proposal has been introduced under the School Education section of the Karnataka Budget, with the objective of reducing the negative impacts of excessive mobile phone and social media use among students.
• The move aims to address concerns such as:
  • Increasing screen time among children
  • Negative mental health impacts
  • Declining academic performance.
• Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, announced in the State Assembly that the government plans to ban social media use for children below the age of 13.
• The Andhra Pradesh government stated that the proposal will be implemented within 90 days.
• The initiative reflects growing concern over mobile and social media addiction among school-going children.
• Earlier, the Karnataka government launched the ‘Mobile Bidi, Pustaka Hidi’ campaign, which means “Leave the phone, pick up a book”, to encourage students to reduce mobile usage and develop reading habits.