Current Affairs 05 March 2026

Tamil Nadu Sets the Pace in Deceased Organ Donation with 57 Cases in Jan–Feb 2026.

Tamil Nadu leads India in deceased organ donation, recording 57 donations in Jan–Feb 2026.
The state averages nearly one donation per day.
Managed by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (Transtan), the programme is India’s most successful and consistent.
Tamil Nadu significantly contributes to the national pool of organs for transplantation.
The state’s success is driven by public awareness campaigns, efficient hospital coordination, and strong grief-counselling systems.

India has surpassed the United States to become the second-highest country globally for childhood obesity.
This data comes from the World Obesity Atlas 2026, released by the World Obesity Federation.
The report, which includes data up to 2025, estimates 41 million Indian children have a high Body Mass Index (BMI).
Out of these, 14 million children are living with obesity.
By 2040, projections indicate that 20 million children in India could have obesity, while 56 million may be overweight or obese.

Scotland becomes the first UK nation to legally permit water cremations (alkaline hydrolysis, resomation, aquamation).
Scottish Parliament approved regulations in early 2026; effective from March 2026.
Water cremation is allowed as an alternative to traditional flame cremation and burial.
The move modernises funeral options and positions Scotland ahead of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where the method remains unregulated.
Water cremation process: Uses water and alkali (usually potassium hydroxide) heated under pressure (~150–180°C) to accelerate decomposition.
Result: Bone fragments processed into ash and a sterile liquid effluent.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM and Forest Minister Pawan Kalyan launched the HANUMAN project on March 3, 2026, at APSP 6th Battalion Parade Grounds, Mangalagiri.
HANUMAN stands for Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife.
Over 100 specially equipped vehicles, including Rapid Response units, Rescue units, and wildlife ambulances, were flagged off.
Objective: Reduce human–wildlife conflict due to expanding human settlements and wildlife movement into rural areas.
Approach: Focus on early warning, real-time monitoring, swift rescue, and rehabilitation to minimise casualties, crop damage, and retaliatory killings.

India and Japan renewed their bilateral currency swap agreement worth $75 billion for three more years, effective March 4, 2026.
Renewal was formalized via exchange of letters between RBI and Bank of Japan (BoJ).
The agreement was first established in 2018 and previously renewed in 2023.
The pact allows either country to access the other’s currency (yen or rupee) during balance-of-payments stress or liquidity shortages.
The arrangement strengthens financial safety nets, macroeconomic stability, and investor confidence.