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Daily Current Affairs Quiz 17th March 2026 Check Important Questions Here |

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: 17 March 2026

Q1. The Jnanpith Award, regarded as India’s highest literary honour, was conferred on a renowned Tamil poet and lyricist for the year 2025, whose works have significantly influenced modern Tamil poetry and film music for over four decades. Who was selected as the recipient of the 60th Jnanpith Award?

(a) Jayakanthan

(b) Akilan

(d) Vairamuthu Arivumathi

(e) Sujatha Rangarajan

Answer: c

Solution:

Tamil poet, lyricist, and author R. Vairamuthu has been selected for the 2025 Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour.
The award marks the 60th edition of the Jnanpith Award, recognising Vairamuthu’s significant contribution to Tamil literature and his wide influence as a poet and lyricist.
Vairamuthu, aged 72, becomes the third Tamil literary figure to receive the Jnanpith Award.
Earlier Tamil recipients of the award include Akilan (1975) and Jayakanthan (2002).
Vairamuthu is the first Tamil writer to be honoured primarily for poetry, whereas the earlier recipients were recognised mainly for prose works.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, his poetry and lyrics have played an important role in shaping modern Tamil literature and popular music.
He had earlier received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for his work “Kallikattu Ithikasam.”
The Jnanpith Award, presented annually since 1964 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organisation, includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze statuette of Goddess Saraswati, and a citation presented by the President of India.

Q2. The BCCI Naman Awards 2026 honoured outstanding performances by Indian cricketers across international and domestic formats. Who received the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Men’s Cricketer?

(a) Virat Kohli

(b) Abhishek Sharma

(d) Yashasvi Jaiswal

(e) Hardik Pandya

Answer: c

Solution:

At the BCCI Naman Awards 2026, Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named India’s Best International Cricketers (Men’s and Women’s) for their outstanding performances.
Shubman Gill received the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Men’s Cricketer, marking his second Cricketer of the Year award after 2023.
Smriti Mandhana was awarded Best International Women’s Cricketer, receiving the honour for the fifth time.
Mandhana scored 1,703 international runs in 2025, including 1,362 runs in ODIs, the highest by any woman cricketer in a calendar year.
She became the first batter in women’s ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
The Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid, and Mithali Raj for their immense contributions to Indian cricket.
Other award winners included Shafali Varma (Best Woman Cricketer – Senior Domestic One-Day), Ira Jadhav (Best Woman Cricketer – Domestic), Harsh Dubey (Best All-Rounder in the Ranji Trophy), and Ayush Mhatre (Best All-Rounder in Domestic Limited-Overs Competitions) for their performances in the 2024–25 domestic season.

Q3. To streamline electronic toll collection and maintain infrastructure funding, the National Highways Authority of India revised the FASTag Annual Pass fee for the financial year 2026–27. What is the revised FASTag Annual Pass fee for FY 2026–27?

(a) ₹3,025

(b) ₹3,050

(d) ₹3,100

(e) ₹3,075

Answer: e

Solution:

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a revision in the FASTag Annual Pass fee for the Financial Year 2026–27.
The annual fee has been increased from ₹3,000 to ₹3,075.
The revised fee will come into effect from 1 April 2026.

Q4. The inflation rate based on the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) provides insights into price movements at the wholesale level in the economy. What was the annual WPI-based inflation rate (provisional) in India for February 2026 (over February 2025)?

(a) 1.82%
(b) 2.13%
(c) 2.45%
(d) 2.75%
(e) 3.02%

Answer: b

Solution:

The annual rate of inflation based on the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) stood at 2.13% (provisional) in February 2026, compared with February 2025.
The positive rate of inflation in February 2026 was mainly driven by an increase in prices across several sectors.
The sectors contributing to the rise in WPI inflation included other manufacturing, manufacture of basic metals, non-food articles, food articles, and textiles.
The Wholesale Price Index measures changes in the prices of goods at the wholesale level, reflecting price movements in the production and supply chain.

Q5. The World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 – New Delhi leg took place from March 11-13, 2026. Which country finished at the top of the medal table at the event?

(a) India

(b) China

(d) Japan

(e) Brazil

Answer: a

Solution:

India finished at the top of the medal standings at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 – New Delhi leg, which concluded after a three-day competition at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
The host nation won a total of 208 medals, including 75 gold, 69 silver, and 64 bronze medals.
Russia secured the second position in the medal tally with 35 medals.
Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third with three medals.