Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 11th March 2026

Bascule Bridge:

The Union government recently approved a Rs 117.54 crore project for the renovation of the Bascule Bridge at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.

• Bascule Bridge is a type of bridge that can be raised to provide clearance for waterway traffic and is also referred to as a lifting bridge or a drawbridge.
• It makes use of a counterweight to balance a span or leaf through its upward trajectory.
• The balance of the weight is sometimes adjusted according to the frequency of waterway traffic.
• The counterweight is usually heavier than the leaf itself, which makes lifting easier and reduces the energy needed to operate the bridge.
• The span can be single or double, and in rare cases it may even be triple or quadruple.
• A pulley system helps raise and lower the bridge.
• Cables or chains connected to the counterweight run through pulleys and are attached to the leaf.
• This mechanical system helps reduce the force needed to lift the leaf, using something called “mechanical advantage.”
• The word ‘bascule’ is French in origin and translates loosely as a seesaw or a balancing mechanical device.
• It is thought that bascule bridges were first designed during the mediaeval era in Europe, when they served defensive purposes.
• The longest double-leaf bascule bridge in the world is the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Devon Island:

NASA uses Devon Island to study Mars, primarily because it’s barren and its freezing, polar desert conditions allow researchers to test next-generation rovers.

• It is located in the Canadian arctic archipelago, within the zone classified as the High Arctic.
• It is the world’s largest uninhabited island.
• Ellesmere Island lies to the north of Devon Island and Baffin Bay lies to its east.
• Although completely devoid of human settlements, a few species reside on the island.
• Winters are extremely harsh with temperatures being as low as −50 °C.
• The “out-of-the-world-like” landscape here is cold, dry, and rocky. Snow and ice blanket the island’s ice cap for the entire year.
• NASA uses Devon Island to study Mars, primarily because it’s barren, and its freezing, polar desert conditions allow researchers to test next-generation rovers.
• It is home to a 14-mile-wide Haughton Crater. It was formed when a meteorite struck millions of years ago, leaving behind terrain that resembles the surface of Mars.

Blue-and-White Flycatcher:

A male blue-and-white flycatcher, a small and striking migratory bird rarely seen in India, was recently spotted on Pavagadh Hills, Gujarat.

• It is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.
• Scientific Name: Cyanoptila cyanomelana
• It is also known as the Japanese flycatch
• It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of northeastern China and the Russian Far East.
• It winters in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo.
• It lives in wooded areas in lowlands and submontane forests such as taiga, wooded slopes, and gullies at up to 1200 metres of elevation.
• It can also be found in scrub, bushes, and plantations.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Roopkund Lake:

Roopkund Lake, often called Skeleton Lake, is famous for the hundreds of human skeletons found around its icy waters.

• Roopkund, also known as the “lake of skeletons” is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand.
• It is surrounded by snow-capped peaks and lush green meadows.
• It is called the “lake of skeletons” as the glacial body conceals numbers of human skeletons, some with preserved flesh.
• Depending on the season and weather, the lake, which remains frozen for most of the year, expands and shrinks.
• Only when the snow melts are the skeletons visible.
• The skeletons in the lake were first discovered by a patrolling British forest ranger in 1942.
• These skeletal remains dating back to around the 9th century AD, have led to various theories about the cause of death.
• Scientific studies used radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis to learn more about the victims.

Air Droppable Container- 150:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have successfully conducted four in-flight release trials of the indigenous Air Droppable Container ‘ADC-150’ from a Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft off the coast of Goa.

• It is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity.
• The parachute system was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment in Agra.
• The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification in Bengaluru provided flight clearance and certification for the trials.
• Instrumentation support for the tests was provided by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory in Hyderabad.
• The system enables rapid delivery of critical stores, equipment, and medical supplies to naval vessels deployed in the open sea or in distress.
• P-8I Poseidon aircraft is a long-range, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft being manufactured by Boeing (a U.S. aerospace company) for the Indian Navy.
• The P-8I Poseidon flown by the Indian Navy is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the United States Navy.
• Its advanced sensors, weapons systems, and long-range capabilities enable it to detect and respond to a wide range of threats, from submarines and surface vessels to environmental challenges.
• It can conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (AsuW), intelligence, maritime patrol, and surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
• It can fly at a maximum speed of 789 km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,496 m
• It has a maximum range of over 2,222 kilometres with a time on station of four hours.

Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary:

The Karnataka High Court directed the state government that no activities on the ground should be carried out within the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary and its Eco-Sensitive Zone.

• It is located in Karnataka.
• It is part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It was formed by combining the existing Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and the adjoining reserve forest blocks.
• The sanctuary shares its southwestern boundary with the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It mainly consists of tropical evergreen to semi-evergreen types of forests, moist deciduous forests, and grasslands and savanna.
• The sanctuary is immensely rich in species like Dhoopa, Gulmavu, Surahonne, Mavu, Nandi, etc.
• It is home to endangered lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar,barking deer, mouse deer etc.

PB-SHABD Platform : In News

Prasar Bharati’s Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD) will provide free access to logo-free daily news content till March next year.

• Prasar Bharati-Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD) was launched in 2024.
• It is news feeds service from Prasar Bharati.
• It provides access to logo free, daily news items across various formats including video, audio, text, and photos to media organizations.
• PB-SHABD offers the latest news from every corner of India.
• Daily 1000 stories, covering varied news categories such as agriculture, technology, foreign affairs, and political developments, are uploaded daily in all major Indian languages from the Regional News Units (RNUs) and headquarters combined.
• Prasar Bharti is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country.
• It is a statutory autonomous body established in 1997 under the Prasar Bharati Act.
• Objective: To conduct public broadcasting services intended to inform and entertain the public.
• It comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Headquarter: New Delhi.

Amol Palekar to Receive META Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 for Theatre Excellence:

Veteran actor and filmmaker Amol Palekar will be honored with the META Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). This award recognizes his remarkable contribution to Indian theatre, cinema and storytelling over the several decades of his service to the field. This honor will be presented during the 21st edition of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards. this Awards will be held in New Delhi from March 19 to March 25, 2026.The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) 2026 is one of India’s most prestigious theatre festivals which celebrating the excellence in stage performances.This Awards is Instituted by the Mahindra Group and produced by Teamwork Arts.Also the event promotes theatrical creativity across the country.The META Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 will be presented during the concluding ceremony of the week long festival.

Nagauri Pan Methi Receives PPVFRA Patent for Farmers:

The Nagauri Pan Methi from Rajasthan’s Nagaur district has been granted a patent by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority (PPVFRA). This registration was officially published in the Plant Variety Journal in the month February 2026. This is recognizing the crop under the community farmers variety category. This recognition provides statutory ownership and legal rights to the farming community of Nagaur district.The Nagauri Pan Methi PPVFRA registration represents the historic step in protecting traditional crop varieties developed by farmers. This intellectual property protection was granted under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act 2001. And in which safeguards both breeders and farming communities.With the registration the community of farmers in Nagaur district is officially recognized as the rightful custodian of the crop. The farming community is represented by Geeta Devi who is the Pradhan of Panchayat Samiti Mundwa. And also holds the legal rights on behalf of the farmers.

Trump Announces $300 Billion Refinery Partnership with Reliance Industries:

USA President Donald Trump has announced that $300 billion partnership with Reliance Industries Ltd. to build America First Refining. This will be the first major oil refinery constructed in the United States after nearly 50 years. This announcement was made through a post on the social media platform Truth Social. The project represents one of the largest energy investments in US history and it is expected to significantly strengthen America’s oil refining capacity.The America First Refining facility will be constructed at the Port of Brownsville in Texas.Which is the strategic location for energy infrastructure and international trade.This refinery is expected to become the major centre for oil refining and fuel production in that region.According to the announcement by President the refinery will be one of the largest and cleanest refining facilities in the world.This project is also expected to generate thousands of employment opportunities and boost economic activity in Texas.