UPSC current affairs · Sunday

Current Affairs, 8 March 2026

3 issues picked from 26 PIB releases · about 2 minutes each · written by UPSC Grade, each fact checked against its PIB release or by a second model

How to readRead “Why in news” and “What it is” for every issue. Open For Prelims or For Mains for the exam you’re preparing for, then Test yourself at the foot of each card. Half the news questions in Prelims are answered from background, not the news itself.

In 60 seconds

Digital India Programme. PIB lists Digital India's three pillars and progress in connectivity, public platforms, literacy and skilling.
Women in the Indian Armed Forces. Women officers in the armed forces have grown from about 3,000 to over 11,000 since 2014.
Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions. Centre released Rs 299 crore XV FC grants to Assam's rural local bodies.

Scheme

Digital India Programme

GS3 Science and TechnologyGS2 GovernancePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 8 March 2026, PIB published a explainer on how the Digital India programme (2015) is bridging the digital divide, with updated figures on connectivity, DPI, skilling and computing.
What it is: Digital India, launched in 2015, aims to make digital infrastructure a core utility, deliver services on demand and empower citizens digitally. It rests on three pillars: universal connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure and computing capacity. Schemes such as BharatNet, CSCs, PMGDISHA and PM-WANI serve its aims.

Three pillars: The digital backbone has three linked pillars: connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure and computing capacity.
National Supercomputing Mission: Jointly led by MeitY and the Department of Science & Technology; 38 supercomputers with 44 Petaflops deployed.
CSCs: Assisted digital access points run by Village Level Entrepreneurs (over 6.5 lakh).

Don’t confuse with NDLM/DISHA vs PMGDISHA: NDLM (DISHA) ran 2014-16 and was a general literacy drive; PMGDISHA (2017) targets rural households, one person each.

Don’t confuse with DIKSHA vs SWAYAM: DIKSHA serves school education and teacher training; SWAYAM offers higher-education courses.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Explainer on a lasting scheme (Digital India, 2015). Schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions, but this explainer has few fresh facts to build a statement on.

Source: PIB Headquarters, 8 Mar, 09:41 IST · Release 285341

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Defence and security

Women in the Indian Armed Forces

GS3 SecurityGS1 Role of womenPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On International Women's Day, 8 March 2026, PIB released a note on the expanding roles of women in the Indian Armed Forces. It reports that women officers have risen from about 3,000 in 2014 to over 11,000.
What it is: Women entered the Indian armed forces mainly through medical and nursing roles. Officer-level entry opened in 1992 through short service commissions. Reforms and court rulings since then have widened their roles, including permanent commission, command appointments, combat flying and entry to the NDA.

1992 opening: Officer-level entry opened to women in 1992. The Army began the Women Special Entry Scheme for non-combat branches.
IAF combat roles: Women in combat roles were introduced on an experimental basis in 2015. They were made a permanent scheme in 2022, which opened fighter and other combat streams.
Navy and Agnipath: The Navy has opened all branches except submarines to women. It was the first service to use the Agnipath scheme to recruit women.
UN peacekeeping: Under the UN Gender Parity Strategy, India has reached 22% women among staff officers and observers. The strategy's target for this category is 25% by 2028.

Don’t confuse with Short Service vs Permanent Commission: Short Service Commission is for a limited term. Permanent Commission allows service up to retirement age and a fuller career, including command appointments.

Don’t confuse with Combat support vs combat role: The IAF inducted women pilots in the 1990s in combat support roles. Fighter and combat streams opened only after the 2015 experiment and the 2022 permanent scheme.

Defence: Prelims tests exercises (with whom), equipment (who makes it) and firsts.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting topic with numbers and judicial background, but defence is only 8 of 327 Prelims questions and a Mains question is unlikely.

Source: PIB Headquarters, 8 Mar, 13:17 IST · Release 285344

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions

GS2 Local GovernmentGS3 Fiscal federalismPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 8 March 2026 the Union Government released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants of over Rs 299 crore to rural local bodies in Assam for FY 2025-26.
What it is: The Fifteenth Finance Commission is the Finance Commission set up under Article 280 of the Constitution. It recommended grants to Rural Local Bodies for 2020-21 and for 2021-26, split into untied (basic) and tied parts. The grants carry conditions meant to improve planning, accounts, audit and the State Finance Commission process.

Inter-se State criteria: Grants are distributed among States with 90% weight to population and 10% to area.
Nodal ministries: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj handles untied (basic) grants; the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation handles tied grants.
Disbursal deadline: States must pass grants to panchayats within 10 working days, or pay interest on the delay.
Release in instalments: Grants go to States in two instalments a year, after the Grant Transfer Certificate for the last instalment is received.
Amount released: Rs 256.60 crore of the second instalment of untied grants for 2025-26 went to Assam's eligible rural local bodies.
Withheld portion: Rs 42.70 crore of the withheld part of the first untied instalment was released to three additionally eligible Autonomous District Councils.
Release route: Panchayati Raj and Jal Shakti recommend release of the grants; the Ministry of Finance releases them. Grants come in two instalments a year.
Use of tied grants: Tied grants are for sanitation and ODF maintenance, and for drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
Constitutional basis: The Finance Commission is constituted under Article 280 every five years by the President.

Don’t confuse with Finance Commission vs State Finance Commission: The Finance Commission (Article 280) shares Union taxes with States and recommends grants. The State Finance Commission (Article 243I) reviews finances of panchayats and recommends sharing between State and local bodies.

Don’t confuse with Untied vs tied grants: Untied (basic) grants can be used for local needs except salaries. Tied grants are for specified purposes such as drinking water, rainwater harvesting and sanitation.

Don’t confuse with Eleventh vs Twelfth Schedule: The Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects for Panchayats. The Twelfth Schedule lists 18 subjects for Municipalities.

Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting topic on untied and tied grants and the Eleventh Schedule, but this release is a routine state release, so no question is likely.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, 8 Mar, 18:17 IST · Release 285356

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.