Weekly Current Affairs Test : 8th to 14th March 2026

Centre for Science and Environment released State of India’s Environment 2026 report, published yearly since 1982, reviewing floods, extreme weather, wildlife behaviour and air pollution in India. Report warns global temperature may cross 1.5°C, showing the world is nearing a climate tipping point. In 2025, extreme weather occurred on 99% of days, causing 4,419 deaths and damaging 17.41 million hectares crops. States like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh experienced the highest number of extreme weather days. The report stresses the need to shift from disaster relief to climate-resilient planning and infrastructure.

The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was recently used by the United States for the first time in operations by United States Central Command during the conflict with Iran. It is a surface-to-surface guided ballistic missile designed to strike long-distance targets with very high precision. The missile is developed mainly for the United States Army by Lockheed Martin, a major US aerospace and defence company. It has an open system architecture and modular design, allowing upgrades and integration with new technologies.

The Union Minister for Earth Sciences recently visited the Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep to review desalination facilities. Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) is a technology that converts seawater into drinking water by using temperature differences in ocean water. The project is implemented by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. LTTD plants operate on eight Lakshadweep islands including Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti and Kalpeni, improving year-round drinking water supply.

Health officials in Maryland, United States recently reported an increase in mumps cases and issued a health alert. Mumps is a contagious viral disease caused by the mumps virus, which belongs to the paramyxovirus group. The disease mainly causes painful swelling of the parotid salivary glands (parotitis) near the ears and jaw. Humans are the only host, and the virus spreads through respiratory droplets from sneezing, coughing, or contact with infected saliva. There is no specific treatment, and medicines mainly relieve symptoms.

Entomologists discovered two new species of fruit flies named Acidoxantha paratotoflava and Hemilea suneriae in the Himalayan foothills of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. Acidoxantha paratotoflava is a medium-sized greenish-yellow fly with four black stripes on its thorax and large black spots on its abdomen. The species also has distinct hook-like structures in the male anatomy, which help in identification. Hemilea suneriae is a reddish-brown fruit fly with prominent black dots on its body. It has a unique wing pattern with a single clear “window” (hyaline indentation) in a dark wing area, unlike related species that usually have two. The discovery adds to India’s insect biodiversity and improves scientific knowledge of fruit fly taxonomy.

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a highly contagious respiratory virus spreading rapidly on the West Coast of the United States (US). It belongs to the Pneumoviridae family, which also includes Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It mainly causes common cold–like respiratory illness. The virus spreads through air via coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, and touching contaminated surfaces then touching face. Common symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it may lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. No vaccine or specific antiviral treatment; care focuses on symptom management and preventing complications.

Stenothoe lowryi is a rare shrimp-like marine crustacean recently recorded in India for the first time. It was discovered at Arjyapalli Beach by researchers from Berhampur University, Odisha. Earlier, the species was known only from Malaysia waters. It belongs to family Stenothoidae under the order Amphipoda. Amphipods are small invertebrate crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They live in oceans, lakes, rivers, beaches, caves, and moist tropical habitats. The name Amphipoda means “different-footed” because they have different types of legs.

Kheybar Shekan Missile is a long-range solid-fuel ballistic missile developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran. Recently, Iran claimed that IRGC used Kheybar Shekan missiles to target the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an Israeli Air Force command centre. The missile belongs to the Khorramshahr missile family and represents an advanced generation of Iran’s missile system. It has an approximate range of about 1,450 kilometres, enabling strikes across much of the Middle East region. It uses solid fuel technology, which allows faster launch preparation, easier storage, and improved mobility.

Narcotics Control Bureau busted a pan-India drug network “Team Kalki” operating on darknet platforms and the Session since January 2025. Authorities seized 13 domestic parcels and 2 parcels from the Netherlands containing narcotic drugs. NCB, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, was established under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 to enforce drug laws and coordinate intelligence.

BharatNet Project recently helped expand optical fibre networks, 5G services, and digital public infrastructure to over 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in India. It is a Government of India project aimed at providing broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats in rural areas. The objective is to provide open broadband access to telecom service providers such as mobile operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cable television operators, and content providers. This supports services like e-health, e-education, and e-governance in rural and remote regions.

Recently, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) stopped sharing alerts from the Anavaran Deforestation Alert System with states regarding forest loss. The Anavaran Deforestation Alert System is operated by Forest Survey of India (FSI). The Anavaran portal started in 2024 to monitor deforestation using satellite technology. It used satellite data and Machine Learning (ML) to detect forest cover loss and send location-based alerts every 15 days for field inspection. The system runs on Google Earth Engine (GEE) for large-scale geospatial data analysis. It uses Sentinel‑2 images and integrates Sentinel‑1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for monitoring during cloudy or monsoon periods.

Sheshnaag-150 is a long-range swarm attack drone being developed in India for deep-strike military missions. It is being developed by NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT), which focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based unmanned systems and swarm robotics. It is a collaborative swarm drone, meaning multiple drones can coordinate autonomously to carry out saturation attacks on targets. The drone weighs around 150 kg and can carry 25–40 kg payload, including explosive warheads capable of damaging infrastructure or military vehicles.

Recently, about 25 visitors were injured after a swarm of bees attacked tourists at Sinhagad Fort, bringing the historic site into news. Sinhagad, earlier known as Kondhana, is an ancient hill fortress located near Pune, Maharashtra, in the Sahyadri range and is believed to be around 2,000 years old. The fort was captured in 1340 CE by Muhammad bin Tughlaq and later controlled by the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Shivaji captured the fort in 1647, but it was handed to the Mughals under the Treaty of Purandar. It was recaptured in 1670 by Tanaji Malusare during the Battle of Sinhagad, where he sacrificed his life. After this victory, the fort was renamed Sinhagad (Lion’s Fort).

A new study found that Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) not only changed the motion of an asteroid but also slightly altered the orbit of the asteroid pair around the Sun. DART was launched in 2021 by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to test asteroid deflection technology. It was the first planetary defence mission to change an asteroid’s path using the kinetic impact method. The spacecraft targeted a binary asteroid system of Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. In 2022, the spacecraft intentionally crashed into Dimorphos to alter its orbit around Didymos. The impact successfully changed the asteroid’s motion, proving humans can potentially deflect hazardous near-Earth objects in space.

Uttarakhand ranked 1st in implementing the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0, scoring 93.46 on the progress dashboard. The ranking is released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) based on the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) performance. Haryana, Assam, Sikkim, and Madhya Pradesh followed in the rankings. ICJS 2.0 connects Police (CCTNS), e-Courts, e-Prisons, e-Prosecution and e-Forensics through a “one data, one entry” system for seamless data sharing. It supports the implementation of new criminal laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

The Union Government approved a ₹117.54 crore project to renovate the Bascule Bridge at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port. A Bascule Bridge is a movable bridge that lifts upward to allow ships and boats to pass; it is also called a lifting bridge or drawbridge. It works using a counterweight system that balances the movable part of the bridge called the span or leaf. The counterweight is usually heavier than the leaf, making lifting easier and reducing energy use. Bridges may have single or double leaves, and rarely triple or quadruple sections. Cables, chains, and pulleys create mechanical advantage, reducing the force needed to raise or lower the bridge.

A rare sighting of the Blue-and-White Flycatcher was recently reported at Pavagadh Hills, Gujarat. It is a small migratory songbird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It mainly breeds in Japan, Korea, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. During winter it migrates to Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo. It prefers wooded lowlands, submontane forests, taiga, slopes and gullies up to about 1200 metres, and also occurs in scrub, bushes and plantations. Conservation status in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is Least Concern.

India celebrates the Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on 10 March to recognise its role in protecting key national infrastructure. Central Industrial Security Force is a Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs It provides security to about 70 airports and 361 critical national installations such as industries and strategic assets. The headquarter is located in New Delhi and motto is “Protection and Security”.

The Government informed Rajya Sabha about the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP). It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). The main aim is early detection and complete treatment of leprosy to control the disease. Goal is to make India leprosy-free by stopping transmission, removing stigma and ensuring dignified care. The programme provides free prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services through public health facilities. It supports States and Union Territories with technical and financial assistance for detection, confirmation, treatment and disability prevention.

Roopkund Lake, popularly called Skeleton Lake, is a small glacial lake famous for hundreds of human skeletons found around it. It lies at 5,029 metres (16,500 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas near the base of Mount Trishul, Uttarakhand. The lake is only about 130 feet wide and remains frozen for most of the year, revealing skeletons when ice melts. Skeletons were first noticed in 1942 by a British forest ranger. Scientific studies using radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis found over 300 individuals.

Scientists from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new lichen moth species: Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa in the eastern Himalayas. Caulocera hollowayi was found near Golitar, Sikkim and identified through unique wing patterns, colour bands, and microscopic body structures. Asura buxa was discovered at Panijhora, West Bengal, recognised by distinct wing colours and unique internal anatomical features. Lichen moth caterpillars feed on lichens, organisms extremely sensitive to air pollution. Since lichens react quickly to polluted air, the presence or absence of these moths helps scientists monitor air quality and ecosystem health.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was recently confirmed by NASA to not collide with the Moon in 2032. It is an Apollo-type asteroid, meaning its orbit crosses Earth’s orbit but remains mostly outside it. It was discovered in 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. In its name, Y indicates discovery in the second half of December, while R4 shows it was the 117th asteroid identified in that period. It is a Near-Earth Object (NEO) with size about 174–220 feet (53–67 metres). It likely originated from the central Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.

India became the largest supplier of cotton products (apparel and home textiles) to the United States in 2025, replacing China, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). US imports of cotton products remained stable at 3.3 million tonnes, close to the 15-year average. Imports from China fell to about 0.5 million tonnes, while India exported around 0.6 million tonnes to the US. High US tariffs on China (10–125%) and diversification of supply chains reduced dependence on China. India benefits from vertically integrated textile supply chains, helping meet traceability standards. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and geopolitical risks also reduced US sourcing from China.

Chhattisgarh government approved the draft Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 in a Cabinet meeting at Raipur. The Bill aims to prevent religious conversions through force, inducement, fraud, undue influence, or misrepresentation. It focuses on regulating conversion from one religion to another within the state. The proposed law will be introduced in the ongoing Budget Session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. The objective is to strengthen legal measures against unlawful religious conversions in the state.

Shailesh Kumar won gold medal in men’s high jump T63 at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, New Delhi. He achieved a best jump of 1.84 m, below his personal best of 1.91 m, but was satisfied as it was the season opener. Shailesh hails from Bihar and targets the Asian Para Games, focusing his training program on that event. At the 2025 World Championships, Shailesh attempted 1.94 m thrice, exceeding the championship record but missing the world record.

A new parasitic wasp species Chelonus (Carinichelonus) mahadeb has been recently recorded from Nahortoli Tea Estate in Assam. It belongs to the genus Chelonus, whose members are very tiny parasitic wasps but play an important ecological role in insect population control. The discovery is significant because the subgenus Carinichelonus is extremely rare and poorly documented worldwide. This species is only the second newly described species of the subgenus Carinichelonus from India in recent times, making the finding scientifically important.

Van Allen Probes A satellite, weighing about 600 kg, is re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, raising discussion about possible ground risks. The Van Allen Probes mission by NASA was the first mission to study Earth’s radiation belts using two spacecraft together. The twin spacecraft Van Allen Probe A and Van Allen Probe B were launched on 30 August 2012 to explore Earth’s radiation environment. They studied the Van Allen Radiation Belts, which are rings of energetic charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. These belts are named after space scientist James Van Allen, who discovered them in 1958.

Kurumba Art is an ancient tribal painting tradition now facing the threat of extinction. It is a prehistoric art form estimated to be over 3000 years old, created by the Kurumba Tribe living in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Traditionally, the paintings were made on rocks and cave walls in the high hills of the Nilgiri Hills. Artists prepare natural pigments from forest resources, such as yellow-brown and black from Vengai tree resin and green from crushed leaves. They use simple tools like fine twigs, bamboo sticks, and brushes made from natural fibres to create the paintings.

Yoga Mahotsav 2026 was inaugurated in New Delhi by Prataprao Jadhav, marking the 100-day countdown to the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026. The event launched “10 Yoga Protocols for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)”, where NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) include lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The programme is organised by the Ministry of Ayush, the nodal ministry responsible for promoting IDY globally. A special “Yoga for Air Travel” protocol was introduced, consisting of a 5-minute seated routine of yogic postures, breathing exercises, and short meditation to reduce travel stress and improve blood circulation during flights.

Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) is a multilingual Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Digital Public Infrastructure platform announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 with an allocation of ₹150 crore. It has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare as a nationwide voice-first AI system to provide real-time, location-specific and personalised agricultural advisories to farmers. The platform integrates government databases and scientific practices from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to deliver information on crop management, weather updates, market prices, pest and disease alerts, and soil health insights.