UPSC current affairs · Monday

Current Affairs, 9 March 2026

7 issues picked from 73 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

PM SETU (Upgraded ITIs). Cabinet-approved PM SETU upgrades 1,000 ITIs and five NSTIs through industry-led hub-and-spoke model.
National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI). NHAI and NRSC publish first satellite-based green cover index for National Highways.
MSME Green Schemes (MSE-GIFT, MSE-SPICE, ADEETIE). Ministry lists subsidies and interest support to help MSMEs adopt green and energy-efficient practices.
Project Cheetah. Jwala's five cubs lift India's cheetah count to 53, with 33 Indian-born cubs.
Gyan Bharatam Mission. Rs 491.66 crore sanctioned for 2025-31 to survey, conserve and digitise India's manuscripts.
India Energy Stack. Power Ministry builds India Energy Stack, a digital blueprint; five pilots due FY 2026-27.
Green Energy Corridors and Renewable Integration. Government outlines transmission, storage and rooftop solar plans to integrate rising renewable energy into the grid.

Scheme

PM SETU (Upgraded ITIs)

GS2 Governance · Skill developmentGS3 EmploymentPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development told the Lok Sabha that the Cabinet has approved PM SETU, a scheme to upgrade ITIs and NSTIs.
What it is: PM SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) is a scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It aims to raise the quality and industry relevance of vocational training in Government ITIs and National Skill Training Institutes. It uses industry-led governance to link training with jobs.

Component I: Upgrades 1,000 Government ITIs in a hub and spoke model: 200 Hub ITIs and 800 Spoke ITIs.
Component II: Capacity augmentation of five NSTIs (Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Ludhiana), with sector-specific National Centres of Excellence and training of trainers.
Industry-led SPVs: Industry-led Special Purpose Vehicles lead the upgradation and can propose curriculum, delivery, infrastructure, exposure and placement changes.
Governance: A National Steering Committee gives policy guidance; State Steering Committees chaired by the Chief Secretary monitor progress in states/UTs.
Employability Skills: A mandatory 120 hours of Employability Skills training for one-year ITI courses, covering entrepreneurship, financial literacy and digital literacy.

Don’t confuse with ITI vs NSTI: ITIs are the training institutes being upgraded in Component I (1,000 Government ITIs). NSTIs are national institutes for training of trainers, with five covered in Component II.

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.

Test yourself

Source: PIB, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 9 Mar, 16:01 IST · Release 285394

Issue page →

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

Report or index

National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI)

GS3 Environment · Remote sensing and highwaysPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, NHAI released the first annual report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26, prepared with ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre.
What it is: The NH-GCI is a satellite-based measure of vegetation within the Right of Way along National Highways. It is reported as a percentage of land under green cover, at one-kilometre granularity. It rests on a three-year NHAI–NRSC MoU and is meant to track plantation progress year on year.

Publisher: The report is released by NHAI, the agency under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Partner: It was prepared with the National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO.
Method: Green cover is derived from chlorophyll content detected by high-resolution satellite sensors.
Unit: NH-GCI is a percentage of land under green cover within the Right of Way, at one-kilometre granularity.
Coverage: About 30,000 km across 24 States, for July–December 2024.
MoU: It runs under a three-year NHAI–NRSC MoU signed in January 2024.

Don’t confuse with NRSC vs ISRO: NRSC is the ISRO centre in Hyderabad that handles remote sensing data; ISRO is the parent space agency.

Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.

Test yourself

Source: PIB, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, 9 Mar, 17:42 IST · Release 285416

Issue page →

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

Scheme

MSME Green Schemes (MSE-GIFT, MSE-SPICE, ADEETIE)

GS3 Economy · MSMEs and green financeGS3 EnvironmentPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, the MSME Ministry told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply about its schemes for energy efficiency and green practices in MSMEs: MSE-GIFT, MSE-SPICE, ZED support and the BEE's ADEETIE scheme.
What it is: These are central schemes that help micro and small enterprises cut energy use and move to circular, low-waste production. MSE-GIFT gives interest subvention, MSE-SPICE gives capital subsidy, and ADEETIE is run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power. ZED certification and lean support come under the MSME Champion Scheme.

MSE-GIFT: Gives 2% interest subvention to micro and small enterprises for adopting green or energy-efficient technologies.
MSE-SPICE: Gives 25% capital subsidy to micro and small enterprises for circular economy practices.
ZED support: Up to Rs 2 lakh per unit as consultancy support for ZED-certified units, and Rs 3 lakh for technology upgradation.
ADEETIE implementer: ADEETIE is run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power, not by the MSME Ministry.
ADEETIE coverage: Offers 3-5% interest subvention and technical support, covering 14 energy-intensive sectors across 60 industrial clusters.

Don’t confuse with MSE-GIFT vs MSE-SPICE: MSE-GIFT gives 2% interest subvention for green or energy-efficient technology. MSE-SPICE gives 25% capital subsidy for circular economy practices.

Don’t confuse with MSME Ministry vs BEE schemes: MSE-GIFT, MSE-SPICE and ZED are MSME Ministry schemes. ADEETIE is implemented by BEE under the Ministry of Power.

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: Lasting scheme set with specific numbers, but new or minor schemes; no clear news-linked Prelims pattern. Card only.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises, 9 Mar, 13:07 IST · Release 285377

Issue page →

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

Species and protected area

Project Cheetah

GS3 Environment and BiodiversityPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said Jwala, a Namibian cheetah, gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park. India's cheetah population is now 53.
What it is: Project Cheetah is India's programme to reintroduce the cheetah, declared extinct in India in 1952. Cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were first brought to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, in 2022. It is run by the Environment Ministry with the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Central team: The team has the NTCA Inspector General of Forests and two officers of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
State response: Madhya Pradesh formed a Special Task Force of forest and police officers; the central team will also review security protocols and protection measures.
Extinction and reintroduction: The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952; the first cheetahs came to Kuno in 2022 from Namibia, with more from South Africa later.
Location of death site: The cheetah was found outside the protected area, in territorial forests of Morena, showing animals stray beyond Kuno's boundary.
Population: India now has 60 cheetahs, of which 41 were born in India.
Mother: KJP21 is the third Indian-born female to give birth, after Mukhi and KGP12.
Botswana lineage: The cubs' father is a Botswanan male, so a new genetic lineage begins in India.
Location: Kuno National Park is in Madhya Pradesh.
Extinction: The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. The species is Acinonyx jubatus.
Total population: India's cheetah population reached 53 after Jwala's litter.
Indian-born cubs: The number of Indian-born thriving cubs rose to 33. This was the 10th successful litter on Indian soil.
Botswana cheetahs: Nine cheetahs (6 females, 3 males) from Botswana were put in quarantine enclosures at Kuno on 28 February 2026 for acclimatisation and health monitoring.
Founder animals: Jwala is a Namibian cheetah, now a third-time mother. Gamini, from South Africa, recently had her second litter of four cubs.
New source country: Botswana is the new source of cheetahs, after Namibia and South Africa. Nine animals arrived: 6 females and 3 males.
Capture and transfer: The cheetahs were captured in the Ghanzi region of Botswana and held in quarantine at Mokolodi Nature Reserve before the transfer to India.
Transport to India: The Indian Air Force airlifted the animals from Gaborone to Gwalior. They then went by helicopter to Kuno.
Extinction in India: The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
Litter count: The new birth is the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil.
Surviving Indian-born cubs: 27 Indian-born cubs are alive.
Mother of the cubs: Gamini is a South African cheetah and a second-time mother.
First translocation: 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa came to India in 2022-23, described as the world's first inter-continental translocation of a large carnivore.
First release: PM Modi released the first eight cheetahs on 17 September 2022.

Don’t confuse with Territorial forest vs protected area: Territorial forest divisions are ordinary State forest areas, while a national park is a protected area with stronger legal protection.

Don’t confuse with Cheetah vs leopard: The cheetah has solid black spots and tear-line marks on the face and is built for speed. The leopard has rosettes and climbs trees. The cheetah cannot roar.

Don’t confuse with Asiatic vs African cheetah: The cheetah that once lived in India was the Asiatic cheetah, now surviving only in Iran. The animals brought to Kuno are African cheetahs from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

Don’t confuse with Project Cheetah vs Project Tiger: Both involve the National Tiger Conservation Authority's support, but Project Cheetah is a reintroduction of an extinct species, while Project Tiger protects existing tiger populations.

Don’t confuse with African cheetah vs Asiatic cheetah: The cheetahs brought to India are African cheetahs. The Asiatic cheetah survives only in Iran in small numbers.

Species and protected areas: 12 Prelims questions since 2013; they test legal status, location and the year of designation.

Why it matters

Cheetah reintroduction is a test of India's grassland and big cat conservation capacity.
Poaching deaths affect public trust in the programme.
Births in India show the reintroduced population is breeding and becoming self-sustaining.
A new Botswana lineage widens the gene pool and reduces inbreeding risk.
Reintroduction of an extinct large carnivore aims to restore grassland and open-forest ecosystems.
Successful breeding on Indian soil shows the animals are adapting to local conditions.
Restores a lost top predator and grassland ecosystem in India.
Adds a source population outside Africa, supporting global cheetah conservation.
Restores a lost apex predator and grassland ecosystem role.
Shows India's capacity for large-scale conservation translocation.

Problems

Cheetahs range widely and leave the protected area into human-use landscapes.
Local retaliation, snares or illegal firearms threaten animals outside the park.
The founder population is small, so genetic diversity stays limited.
Cheetahs need large open grassland, and Kuno has limited space and prey.
Limited space and prey in Kuno may constrain a growing population.
Animals face risks from disease, injuries and conflict outside protected areas.
Limited space and prey base in Kuno, and the risk of animals straying out of the park.
Mortality in the early years and dependence on imports for genetic diversity.
Limited space at Kuno and the need for more sites for a viable population.
Cub and adult mortality, and human-wildlife conflict outside protected areas.

Way forward

Strengthen monitoring and community engagement around Kuno and extend protection to the wider landscape.
Ensure swift investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime.
Build more sites, such as other protected areas, and manage the animals as a metapopulation.
Improve prey base and habitat, and keep exchanging animals with African countries.
Expand the habitat through other landscapes and manage animals as a connected metapopulation.
Keep up health monitoring and continue exchange of animals with African countries.
Expand habitat to other sites such as Gandhi Sagar and build a connected metapopulation.
Continue scientific monitoring and community involvement near release sites.
Develop additional habitats and manage the cheetahs as a connected metapopulation.
Continue monitoring and veterinary care with exchanges of animals from African countries.

Put in your answer

Central probe team: The Centre sent NTCA and WCCB officers to examine the death and review security protocols.

Project Cheetah population: India has 60 cheetahs, 41 of them born in India, showing local breeding success.

Botswana partnership: International cooperation on translocation: Botswana was chosen as a new source, with an Indian delegation visiting in September 2025 to plan logistics and clearances.

Population milestone: India's cheetah population reached 48, including 28 India-born cubs, as evidence of breeding success.

Global first: The 2022-23 translocation of 20 cheetahs was the first inter-continental translocation of a large carnivore.

Test yourself

Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 9 Mar, 14:12 IST · Release 285379

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

Gyan Bharatam Mission

GS1 Art and culturePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, the Culture Minister told the Lok Sabha that the Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for the Gyan Bharatam Mission for 2025-2031.
What it is: Gyan Bharatam Mission is a Ministry of Culture initiative announced in Union Budget 2025-26 to survey, document, conserve and digitise India's manuscripts. It works through partner centres and builds a National Digital Repository for access by scholars and the public.

Origin and ministry: Announced in Union Budget 2025-26; run by the Ministry of Culture.
Outlay: The Standing Finance Committee sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for 2025-2031.
Delivery structure: Works through Cluster Centres and Independent Centres; States/UTs act as Nodal Coordinating Authorities.
Digital access: Over 8 lakh manuscripts are digitised; over 4.40 lakh are on the Gyan Bharatam portal in view mode.
Centre network: The Mission is to set up a nation-wide network of Cluster Centres and Independent Centres, chosen on set criteria such as size of collection, capacity, manpower and regional representation.
Digitisation: Over 8 lakh manuscripts are digitised nationally; over 3.90 lakh are on the Gyan Bharatam portal in view mode.
Funding to centres: Centres get financial help as grant-in-aid for manuscript work.
Scope: It covers manuscripts irrespective of script, language, dialect, tradition, community or location.
Nodal ministry: Gyan Bharatam is run by the Ministry of Culture and was announced in Union Budget 2025-26.
Ministry: Gyan Bharatam is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture.
Outlay and period: The Standing Finance Committee sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for 2025-2031.
Components: Survey and registration, technology infrastructure and partnership, documentation, conservation, digitisation, publication, capacity building and research.
Announced: The mission was announced in Union Budget 2025-26.
Abhilekh-Patal: The National Archives of India runs the Abhilekh-Patal portal to digitise and give online access to archival records.

Don’t confuse with Gyan Bharatam Mission vs National Mission for Manuscripts: The National Mission for Manuscripts (2003) was an earlier Ministry of Culture mission on manuscripts. Gyan Bharatam is the 2025-26 Budget initiative with a wider survey and digital repository focus.

Don’t confuse with Cluster vs Independent Centre: Both are Mission partner centres receiving grant-in-aid; they are two types in the network.

Don’t confuse with Gyan Bharatam vs Abhilekh-Patal: Gyan Bharatam covers manuscripts; Abhilekh-Patal is the National Archives of India's portal for archival records.

Don’t confuse with Gyan Bharatam vs Adopt A Heritage 2.0: Adopt A Heritage 2.0 involves partners in visitor amenities at protected monuments, not manuscripts.

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.

Test yourself

True or false?

1 of 14

Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.

1.Gyan Bharatam Mission was announced in Union Budget 2025-26 as an initiative of the Ministry of Culture.
2.The Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for the Mission for the period 2025-2031.
3.The National Manuscript Survey under the Mission was launched in March 2026 across all States and Union Territories.
4.The Mission is limited to manuscripts in Sanskrit and other classical languages.
5.The Mission operates only through government institutions, excluding private custodians and religious institutions.
6.One objective of the Mission is to build a National Digital Repository.
7.All digitised manuscripts on the Mission's portal are available for download and unrestricted use.
8.Gyan Bharatam Mission is to build a network of Cluster Centres and Independent Centres.
9.Centres under the Mission are selected partly on regional representation and institutional capacity.
10.The National Manuscript Survey under the Mission was launched in March 2026.
11.The Mission is implemented by the Ministry of Education.
12.Centres under the Mission are funded through loans rather than grant-in-aid.
13.Manuscripts on the Gyan Bharatam portal are currently open to the public in view mode.
14.The Mission covers only Sanskrit manuscripts.

Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Culture, 9 Mar, 15:22 IST · Release 285389

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Science and technology

India Energy Stack

GS3 Energy · Digital public infrastructurePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, the Minister of State for Power told the Rajya Sabha that a task force is drawing up the roadmap for the India Energy Stack. Pilots are planned in five distribution utility areas, with a demonstration in FY 2026-27.

Purpose: IES is a digital blueprint for the whole power sector, letting different parts of the system connect and communicate securely through standard protocols.
Task force: The Ministry of Power set up a task force of domain experts and stakeholders, including Ministries, State utilities, regulators, Gencos and Transcos, to design the roadmap and components.
Interoperability: IES will lay down protocols and specifications so data, services and systems work together across the power value chain.
Pilots: Distribution utilities of Delhi, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai are chosen for pilots, with demonstration in FY 2026-27.
Funds: Rs 51.3 crore is allocated for developing IES; Rs 3.88 crore has been released so far.

Don’t confuse with Gencos vs Transcos vs Discoms: Gencos generate power, Transcos move it over high-voltage lines, and distribution utilities (Discoms) deliver it to consumers. IES covers all of them.

Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: New digital blueprint for power sector with pilot cities and Rs 51.3 crore allocation; early-stage, so unlikely to be set. Card only.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Power, 9 Mar, 16:25 IST · Release 285400

Issue page →

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

Economy

Green Energy Corridors and Renewable Integration

GS3 Infrastructure · Energy transmissionPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 9 March 2026, the Ministry of Power told the Rajya Sabha how the Government is integrating renewable energy through Green Energy Corridors, ISTS expansion, storage and rooftop solar.
What it is: Green Energy Corridors (GEC) are transmission projects that carry power from renewable-rich areas to the grid. The MNRE runs the intra-state part in ten States, in phases GEC-I and GEC-II. Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) expansion complements it by moving power across States.

Inter-regional capacity: Inter-regional transmission capacity is planned to rise from 120 GW (January 2026) to 168 GW by 2032.
Battery storage VGF: Two Viability Gap Funding schemes support about 43.8 GWh of battery storage, launched in March 2024 and June 2025.
ACC battery PLI: The Ministry of Heavy Industries runs a PLI scheme of ₹18,100 crore for 50 GWh of ACC battery manufacturing, including 10 GWh for grid-scale storage.
CERC connectivity rules: The 2025 CERC amendment introduced solar-hour and non-solar-hour connectivity to promote hybrid projects of solar, wind and BESS.

Don’t confuse with Intra-state vs inter-state transmission: GEC (MNRE) covers intra-state networks within States; ISTS links States and regions and is planned under the National Electricity Plan.

Don’t confuse with VGF vs PLI for batteries: VGF supports deploying battery storage projects; the PLI scheme supports manufacturing of ACC batteries.

Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting topic with numbers (GEC 44 GW, 26 GW integrated, 500 GW target); standard textbook-type scheme. Card only.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Power, 9 Mar, 16:26 IST · Release 285401

Issue page →

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

Quick facts

Exercise LAMITIYE-2026, the 11th edition of the India-Seychelles joint military exercise, runs 9-20 March at Seychelles Defence Academy; it is biennial and has been held since 2001.

Source: PIB, 9 Mar

What we left out: 65 of 73 releases

Routine operational updates (1)
Speeches without a decision (10)
Routine seizures and arrests (2)
Routine data compilations (1)
Routine drive tests (1)
Same issue as another release (1)
Routine parliamentary replies (13)
Routine company funding (1)
Webinars and breakout sessions (7)
Same issue as on file (9)
Routine data tables (2)
Company progress reports (1)
Routine project status (1)
Ceremonies and releases (1)
Ceremonies and campaigns (3)
Exam administration notices (1)
Meetings and visit schedules (5)
Visits and exhibitions (1)
Seminars and meetings (1)
Training programme inaugurations (1)
Conferences and seminars (1)
Routine enforcement drives (1)

Practise the day’s news

In UPSC’s formats, inside each issue. The answer and why come after you choose.

1PM SETU (Upgraded ITIs)MCQ · 7 true or false
2National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI)MCQ · 5 true or false
3Project CheetahMCQ · 13 true or false
4Gyan Bharatam MissionMCQ · 14 true or false

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