1 Poet-lyricist Vairamuthu receives Jnanpith Award
Renowned Tamil poet and lyricist Vairamuthu has been awarded the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2025. This honor recognizes his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature and poetry. He also won the Sahitya Akademi Award (2003) for his novel Kallikattu Ithihasam. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. The Jnanpith Award is considered India’s most prestigious literary honor, given annually to writers who have produced outstanding literary works in Indian languages. Vairamuthu is widely known for his influential poems, literary writings, and thousands of songs written for Tamil cinema. The Jnanpith Award is considered India’s most prestigious literary honor. It is presented annually to a writer from an Indian language for their outstanding contribution to literature. This honor recognizes creative excellence and a writer’s long-term influence on literary traditions. Since its inception in 1961, the award has been given to many of India’s greatest literary figures.
2 Education Ministry in collaboration with IIT Kanpur launched SATHEE portal
In a significant step towards democratising quality education , the Ministry of Education in collaboration with IIT Kanpur has launched the SATHEE (Self-Assessment, Test and Help for Entrance Exams) platform . SATHEE is a completely free digital learning platform aimed at providing opportunities to students who cannot afford expensive private coaching. Initially launched for preparation for JEE (Engineering) and NEET (Medical) exams, it has now expanded to include preparation for exams like CUET, SSC, IBPS, ICAR, CLAT, and RRB. The educational content is developed by faculty from prestigious institutions including IIT, IISc, and AIIMS.
3 Jayanthi Kumaresh selected for Sangeet Kalanidhi Award
Renowned veena player Jayanti Kumaresh has been selected by Chennai-based The Music Academy for the prestigious Sangeet Kalanidhi Award . This honor is considered the most prestigious award in the field of Carnatic music . Born and raised in a family of Carnatic musicians, Kumaresh (who is married to violinist Kumaresh Rajagopalan) began learning the majestic ‘Saraswati Veena’ when her mother gifted her a baby version of it.
4 Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 to be inaugurated on March 18 in New Delhi
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, is organizing the India Tribes Fest 2026 from March 18-30, 2026, at Sunder Nursery , New Delhi , bringing together tribal artisans, entrepreneurs, and cultural artists from across the country. The festival will be inaugurated by the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, on March 18, 2026, in the presence of the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, and other dignitaries at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi. The festival will continue until March 30. Over 200 stalls from 78 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VVKs) across the country will be showcased, with participation from over 300 tribal artisans.
5 12 weeks maternity leave will be available even if a child is adopted: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court struck down a law that stated that only women who legally adopt a child under three months of age are entitled to maternity leave. The court stated that regardless of the age of the adopted child, the mother must receive 12 weeks of maternity leave . The bench stated that the protection of maternity benefits cannot be limited to the child’s age. The court also directed the central government to introduce a provision recognizing paternity leave as a social security benefit. Previously, the law stipulated that a woman who adopted a child up to three months of age was eligible for 12 weeks of maternity leave. However, the Supreme Court deemed this provision to be unreasonable and discriminatory. The court struck down Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, stating that this provision violates Article 14 (the right to equality) and Article 21 (the right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.
The prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for Literature, presented by the Government of India , has been announced for 2025. This year, the award for the Sanskrit language has been presented to the eminent scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdasji for his work, ” Prasthanchatushtaye Brahmaghosa .” Selected as India’s finest Sanskrit work, this work comprehensively expounds the essence of Brahman, drawing on the major scriptures of Hinduism—the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahmasutras—as well as the Vachanamrit (words of speech) given by Lord Swaminarayan. Written in a sutra-style poetic form, this work has been recognized by scholars as a masterpiece of philosophical poetry. Considering its literary merits and profound philosophical content, the selection committee has selected it as the best Sanskrit work of the year 2025.
7 National Defence Industries Conclave 2026: To be held in Delhi on March 19-20
The Ministry of Defence ‘s Department of Defence Production is organizing a major event, dubbed the ” National Defence Industries Conclave 2026. ” The conclave aims to promote the production of indigenous defense equipment . The event will be held at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi on March 19th and 20th. The conclave will help establish a robust ecosystem for manufacturing defense equipment in India. Particular emphasis is being placed on integrating small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) into this sector so that they can also participate in defense manufacturing. According to the Ministry of Defence, the event will be held at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi on March 19th and 20th. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate this important event. This year, the focus is on new and advanced technologies. The theme is “Advanced Manufacturing Technologies,” including artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, 3D printing (additive manufacturing), and smart materials.
8 RBI receives ‘Initiative of the Year Award’
In today’s digital age, where one-click money transfers and online shopping have become commonplace, the threat of cyber fraud has also steadily increased. To address this challenge, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has launched a major initiative that has now received international acclaim. The prestigious London-based central banking institution has announced that it will honor the RBI with the ” Initiative of the Year Award .” The RBI received this honor for launching the ” .bank.in ” domain . With this, India has become the first country in the world to mandate a secure and exclusive internet domain for the banking system . Now, the official websites of all banks will be based on this domain, making fraudulent websites extremely difficult. According to the RBI, this initiative will increase consumer confidence, reduce digital payment fraud, and further strengthen the financial system.
9 West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini removed from her post
On March 16 , the Election Commission removed West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty from her post . Nandini is the first woman Chief Secretary of West Bengal . She was appointed to this post on January 1, 2026. Nandini is a 1994 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre. In place of Nandini Chakraborty, 1993 batch IAS officer Dushyant Nariala has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the state. On the second day of the announcement of the dates of assembly elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission transferred 6 officers. Siddhnath Gupta has been made DGP in place of Director General of Police (DGP) Piyush Pandey . 1997 batch IAS officer Sanghamitra Ghosh has been appointed Home Secretary in place of the state’s Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.
10 Arun Mamen reappointed as President of ATMA
The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has announced the re-election of Arun Mammen as Chairman . Arun Mammen is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MRF Ltd. The announcement, effective March 16, 2026, marks a continuation of leadership in India’s automobile tyre sector.
The Gujarat government has launched a statewide Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination campaign to protect livestock and prevent the spread of the disease . The campaign is being run across the state from March 1 to April 15. It is being implemented under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), which aims to eliminate major animal diseases in India. The campaign is being carried out on a large scale to prevent the rapidly spreading infectious disease among livestock. Animals like cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats are being vaccinated under it. Veterinary teams are visiting villages and dairy farms across the state to carry out vaccination and health monitoring.