Find the current affairs of 17 March 2026. Stay updated with the most important news and events that have occurred on this day. Our daily current affairs updates are carefully curated by GK and Current Affairs experts, ensuring that you receive accurate and relevant information to enhance your competitive exam preparation.
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Highlights of Current Affairs 17 March 2026
- The Ministry of Culture has launched a three-month nationwide survey to document India’s vast manuscript heritage, aiming to create a geotagged national digital database of manuscripts under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
- India possesses an estimated one crore manuscripts—the largest collection in the world—containing valuable historical, scientific, philosophical, and literary knowledge preserved on materials such as palm leaves, birch bark, cloth, paper, and metal plates.
- The Gyan Bharatam Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, seeks to preserve and digitise manuscripts using technologies such as artificial intelligence, handwritten text recognition, and cloud platforms, building on the earlier National Mission for Manuscripts.
- The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes removing the self-identification clause and introducing certification of transgender identity through a Medical Board and District Magistrate.
- The amendment narrows the definition of transgender persons to specific socio-cultural identities and intersex variations while excluding categories such as trans-men, trans-women, and genderqueer individuals, raising concerns about constitutional validity and privacy.
- The failure of the atomic clock onboard IRNSS-1F has reduced the operational strength of India’s navigation system NavIC, lowering the number of functional satellites and potentially affecting positioning, navigation, and timing services.
- NavIC is India’s indigenous regional navigation system developed by ISRO to provide accurate navigation services across India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders, with second-generation NVS satellites being launched to restore and enhance the system.
- The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the Sujal Gaon ID initiative to digitally map rural piped water supply schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, enabling source-to-tap tracking of water infrastructure through a unified national platform.
- The United States Air Force has deployed the Rockwell B-1B Lancer, a long-range supersonic bomber capable of carrying large conventional payloads and conducting intercontinental missions using aerial refuelling and variable-sweep wing technology.
- Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf serves as Iran’s primary oil export hub, handling nearly 90% of its crude exports, making it strategically significant for global energy security and highly sensitive during regional geopolitical conflicts.
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