Renowned Kerala poet and litterateur Prabha Varma has bagged the 'Saraswati Samman-2023' for his work 'Roudra Sathwikam'.

• The award was instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991 is the highest literary award in the country. 
• The selection for the award was made by a high-level committee -- 'chayan parishad' -- headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, it said.
• "Books published between 2013 and 2022 were intensively discussed by 22 language committees and they recommended one book each from 22 languages to five 'kshetra samities' (regional committees). 

Former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan again joined the BJP. The decision comes just two days after she resigned from the posts as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

• Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed her desire to contest the Lok Sabha election.
• Soundararajan assumed office as Telangana Governor in November 2019 and was subsequently appointed as the Lt Governor of Puducherry. 
• Previously, she served as a spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu BJP from 2007 to 2010 and has held various organizational roles within the party.

Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed their first Women's Premier League title with an eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the final in Delhi.

A state of emergency has been declared in southern Iceland after another volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula – the fourth since December.

• Lava has reached the eastern defences around the small, evacuated town of Grindavik, local media said.
• The powerful and fast lava flows began late on Saturday ( 17 March)– but the authorities say they have since diminished significantly.
• Iceland’s Meteorological Office said the streams of lava were still flowing on Sunday, but the rate at which they were moving had begun to slow down.
• The director of Iceland’s civil defence, Vídir Reynisson, said all that could be done to prepare for the flow of lava had been done, and the biggest concern was the impact on infrastructure. Pools of lava gathering near defences were also of concern, he added.

Navneet Kumar Sehgal, a retired bureaucrat, has been appointed as the new Chairman of Prasar Bharati.

• The chairperson’s post has been vacant since A Surya Prakash reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in February 2020.
• The order stated that the President had made the appointment on the selection committee’s recommendation.
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar chaired a meeting to appoint the chairman of the nation’s public broadcaster.

India has marked an incredible milestone towards self-reliance in edible oils as 3F Oil Palm, a leading Oil Palm development company, inaugurates the first integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit in Roing, Arunachal Pradesh. 

• The virtual inauguration by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi underlines the government’s commitment to the development of the Northeast.
• This initiative, coupled with the foundation stone laying for various projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore, reflects a transformative journey towards economic growth and empowerment in the region.
• Managing Director & CEO of 3F Oil Palm, highlighted the importance of domestic oilseed production and expressed gratitude for the government’s vision and support.

Chief Minister Sh Naveen Patnaik Saturday inaugurated India’s first Indoor Athletics Centre and Indoor Aquatic Centre at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. He also laid the foundation stone for the Indoor Diving Centre.

• The Indoor Athletics Centre stands as India’s first capable of hosting indoor continental and regional championships.
• This world-class facility will be a training ground for the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre, which was established in association with Reliance Foundation, and has been producing young athletics champions.
• The centre boasts a 10,000-square-meter track, installed by the renowned Italian firm, Mondo SpA, used in Olympics, marking a pioneering feat within the country.
• The centre includes a 200-meter synthetic track, an 80m+20m running track, and designated areas for long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and shot-put, each meticulously designed to meet specific athletic requirements.

Srinagar witnessed a historic moment as it hosted its inaugural Formula 4 car racing demonstration event on 17-03-2024.

• The race held at the world-renowned Dal Lake .
• The event captivated locals and motorsport enthusiasts alike as professional Formula 4 drivers showcased their skills with exhilarating stunts.
• The sleek racing cars thundered along a 1.7 km track, stretching from Lalit Ghat on the banks of Dal Lake to Nehru Park in the heart of the city.
• Hundreds of enthusiastic youths gathered to witness the spectacle.

Asian Games bronze medallist athlete Gulveer Singh shattered a 16-year-old national record in the men's 10000m to finish second in his heat at The Ten in San Juan Capistrano in California.

Gulveer Singh shattered a 16-year-old national record by over 20 seconds by clocking 27.41.81 .

The 25-year-old finished second in the men’s 10000m race.

However, the Asian Games Bronze medallist failed to qualify for Paris Olympic Games as he missed the qualification time of 27:00.00 by over 41 seconds.

Maharishi Ayurvedic Hospital in Delhi has launched its first restaurant with a menu designed on the basis of medicinal principles.

The Ayurvedic Kitchen - Soma, the newly-launched space is located in the Shalimar Bagh area and dishes up delicious meals that contain no onions or garlic.

The menu focusses on using fresh, organic ingredients, the menu ranges from Indian dishes like idlis, sprouts pav bhaji and ragi vada pao to global offerings like the falafel platter, spinach and cheese ravioli and beetroot dumplings.

The Government of India decided to confer a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the Majuli Masks of Assam. Majuli has been a unique repository of art, culture, and tradition for centuries in the state.

These masks are often used during festivals like Durga Puja, where mask-wearing is a common practice.