March 09, 2026
182 articles published on this date
Seeds of Sovereignty: How community-led seed revival is transforming agriculture in India
Grassroots organisations across India — in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and other states — are successfully reviving indigenous seed systems, reducing depend...
Rajya Sabha discusses working of Environment Ministry
The Rajya Sabha took up a discussion on the working of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), scrutinising its policies, legislativ...
One Nation, One Election meeting: Opp would benefit from simultaneous polls, says Ghulam Nabi
A consultative meeting on the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal was held, at which a senior political leader expressed the view that simultaneous elec...
T.N. forest department plants 20,000 mangrove seedlings along Buckingham canal
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department planted 20,000 mangrove seedlings along the Buckingham Canal in Chennai as part of a phased programme to establish a green b...
Israel-Iran war: Trump says war will end 'very soon'; U.S. saving some ‘most important’ targets for later
US President Donald Trump stated the Israel-Iran war would end "very soon," describing it as "an excursion" rather than a war — playing down the scale of wha...
Secretary, DFS chairs Review meeting to monitor the progress of Public Sector Banks to expedite pending cases at NCLT
M. Nagaraju, Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), chaired a review meeting to monitor the progress of top Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code ...
FTAs Opening New Opportunities for Pharma, Healthcare and MedTech Sectors: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are opening new export opportunities for the pharmaceutical, hea...
Income tax Department carries out nation-wide verification exercise on restaurants suppressing turnover
The Income Tax Department conducted a nationwide survey of 62 restaurants across 46 cities in 22 states on 8 March 2026, uncovering preliminary suppressed sa...
International Malaria Conference 2026 Emphasises Global Collaboration to Accelerate Malaria Elimination
The International Malaria Conference (IMC) 2026, themed "Discovery, Development, and Delivery: Driving Malaria Elimination and Beyond," concluded in New Delh...
Free Trade Agreements Create New Opportunities for MSMEs to Integrate into Global Supply Chains: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Jitin Prasada
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, addressing the FICCI FLO National MSME Awards Ceremony, highlighted that India's recent Free...
Post-Budget Webinar 2026 on “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People” lead by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Post-Budget Webinar 2026 on the theme "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas — Fulfilling Aspirations of People" on March 9, 202...
Prime Minister congratulates Rastriya Swatantra Party leaders on electoral success in Nepal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate telephone conversations with Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Balendra (Balen)...
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal Calls for Making India’s IP Approval System Among Top Five Globally in Speed, Transparency and Efficiency
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, addressing the National IP Awards and IP Conference in New Delhi, called for making India's Intellectua...
CGST Delhi South Commissionerate arrests director of a company for fraudulent availment of Input Tax Credit (ITC) amounting to ?60.59 crore through bogus invoices of ?397.23 crore
The Anti-Evasion Branch of the CGST (Central Goods and Services Tax) Delhi South Commissionerate arrested the director of a private limited company engaged i...
“Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People”
Prime Minister Modi chaired the Post-Budget Webinar on Health, AYUSH and Pharma Sectors on March 9, 2026, under the theme "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas — Fulfilli...
NITI Aayog Convenes Regional Best Practices Seminar (South) under ADP/ABP Visakhapatnam
NITI Aayog convened a Regional Best Practices Seminar (South) on 9 March 2026 at Visakhapatnam under the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspiratio...
India issues orders to oil refineries to increase LPG production
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued orders on March 5-6, 2026, directing all oil refineries — both public and private sector — to maximise LPG p...
Can acid-attack survivors be given government jobs? SC to states
The Supreme Court of India directed all States and Union Territories to show cause why directions should not be passed requiring them to formulate rehabilita...
Little accountability put on heads & members of tribunals, says SC
The Supreme Court of India expressed sharp concern over the lack of accountability of tribunal heads and members, describing tribunals as functioning in a "n...
AIIMS, Isro ink space medicine pact
AIIMS New Delhi and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 9 March 2026 to collaborate on space medicine...
Our national interest, including energy security & trade flows, will always be paramount: EAM Jaishankar tells Parliament
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a suo moto statement in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2026, on India's response to the West Asi...
Despite ‘Make-in-India’ focus, India remains 2nd largest arms buyer in world: SIPRI report
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its annual arms transfer data for 2021-2025, ranking India as the world's second-larges...
Government moots central body to curb green nod delay
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has published a draft notification proposing amendments to the Environment Impact Asses...
Power sector reforms: Kerala receives nod for a further ₹2,924-crore borrowing space
The Union Finance Ministry sanctioned additional borrowing space of ₹2,924 crore to Kerala in recognition of power sector reforms implemented by the state. T...
A gradual fiscal correction
The Union Budget 2026-27 outlines a "gradual fiscal correction" strategy — reducing the fiscal deficit to 4.3% of GDP while simultaneously increasing capital...
The lesson is national security cannot be outsourced
The ongoing conflict between the United States/Israel and Iran has exposed the limits of American security guarantees to allies and partners in West Asia, wi...
India should partner with Japan in its mobility, clean energy journey: NITI Aayog member
NITI Aayog member V.K. Saraswat, speaking at the Japan-India Mobility Summit 2026 in Bengaluru (9 March 2026), stated that India and Japan bring "deeply comp...
US weighs easing Russian oil sanctions to cool global price surge, sources say
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a 30-day waiver on March 6, 2026, allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian crude oil str...
Trump says war against Iran is 'very complete’: report
US President Donald Trump stated in a phone call with CBS News on March 9, 2026, that "the war is very complete, pretty much," claiming that Iran's military ...
Mamata accuses CEC of threatening West Bengal officials during meeting
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar threatened senior West Bengal government officials — ...
Perspectives on the West Asian conflict
Analysts and former officials assessed that the West Asia conflict will have a significantly larger impact on India than the government initially anticipated...
BRICS at a crossroads
The US-Israel war on Iran, which began February 28, 2026, has exposed deep fault lines within BRICS, as the bloc failed to issue a unified response to an att...
Why algorithmic sovereignty should be India’s top priority
A commentary argues that "algorithmic sovereignty" — the ability of a nation to independently develop, deploy, and govern its AI systems — should be India's ...
Fertilizer supplies adequate to meet agricultural need for Kharif season: FAI
The Government of India has confirmed that fertilizer stocks are adequate for the upcoming Kharif 2026 season, with supplies at current prices to remain unch...
How the war in Iran threatens to spill over
Following the US-Israel joint strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026 (which included the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei), the conflict r...
Investigation further suggests it was U.S. that struck Iranian school, killing 165
Mounting forensic and video evidence points to the United States as responsible for the February 28, 2026, strike that destroyed the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls'...
Qatar arrests 313 people for sharing attacks footage, ‘rumours’
Qatar's Interior Ministry announced on March 9, 2026, that 313 people of "various nationalities" were arrested for filming and circulating video footage of a...
Mobilisation for a column on denotified tribes in Census forms picks up pace
Associations of denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes (DNT/NT/SNT) from north India have formed a central action committee to press their demand for a...
West Asia dominates Lok Sabha; resolution on Speaker’s removal not taken up
On March 9, 2026, the West Asia crisis dominated Lok Sabha proceedings as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a ministerial statement on the regiona...
Prime Minister to launch projects worth ₹10,800 crore at Kochi event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth approximately ₹10,800 crore in Kochi (Ernakulam), Kerala o...
If BNS distinguishes between throwing and administering acid, RPwD Act must too: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court, while hearing a suo motu matter on the welfare of acid attack survivors, observed that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act,...
U.S. military announces death of seventh service member in Iran war
The US military announced the death of its seventh service member in the Iran war as of March 9, 2026, identified as Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale,...
JPC on higher education Bill to interact with UGC, AICTE, NCTE officials this week
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 met this week to consult officials from UGC, AICTE, and NCT...
Kiwi General Insurance, Allianz Jio Reinsurance get IRDAI nod
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted fresh licences to two new entities: Kiwi General Insurance Limited (a 100% Indian...
Government sends feelers to Opposition on women’s quota law implementation
The Central Government is in early consultations with the Opposition to explore a possible amendment to the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act (the Nari Shak...
PM Modi speaks to Nepal leaders Rabi Lamichhane, Balendra Shah
PM Modi held telephonic conversations with Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Balendra Shah, the party's Prime Minister-des...
Lebanon Seeks Direct Talks With Israel to End Hezbollah Fighting
On March 9, 2026, Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel on "permanent arrangements for security and stability" along its borders — an unprecedented dip...
Rajasthan Assembly passes Bill to scrap two-child norm for panchayat elections
The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly passed the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, removing the long-standing provision that barred individuals w...
Parliament Watch: Crude price rise, PM-SYM enrolment, GST ads and DRI seizures in focus
In Parliament, Finance Minister stated that rising crude oil prices are unlikely to significantly impact India's inflation at present, citing India's diversi...
Govt exceeds disinvestment target, boosts revenue with strong dividend collections
The government's combined disinvestment and asset monetisation receipts surpassed ₹34,400 crore in FY 2025-26, exceeding the revised estimate set in the Unio...
Do we have nothing except Bengal SIR to hear, asks SC
The Supreme Court, while hearing matters related to West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioned whether it had nothing else...
Opposition likely to move notice for CEC removal
The joint Opposition — led by the INDIA bloc — is preparing to move a notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyan...
FinMin advises banks to speed up IBC resolutions
The Finance Ministry has advised public sector banks to adopt a more strategic and coordinated approach to speed up insolvency resolution under the Insolvenc...
FTAs, strong domestic demand boost MSME prospects: Jitin Prasada
Union Minister Jitin Prasada highlighted a convergence of India's expanding free trade agreement (FTA) network and a buoyant domestic market as twin engines ...
India must tap FTA opportunities: Piyush Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called on Indian businesses to proactively capitalise on the wave of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) being operation...
Census commissioner reviews preparations for Census 2027 in J-K
Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, conducted a review visit to the Directorate of Census Operations for Jammu and K...
India evacuates 67,000 nationals amid West Asia crisis; Jaishankar calls Gulf tensions 'a matter of particular concern'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha that India has successfully repatriated approximately 67,000 nationals from West Asia since t...
Autonomous bodies should leverage risk-controls maturity scorecard to access financial prudence: CAG
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) K. Sanjay Murthy urged autonomous institutions receiving government funding to adopt and use the Risk-Control Maturity ...
Watch: How Iran is fighting back against U.S. and Israel
One week after the US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran intensified its multi-layered military response across West Asi...
In Manipur’s 1st House session under new govt, a Budget prioritising rehabilitation, Kuki-Zo participation via video
The seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly convened on March 9, 2026 — the first sitting under the new popular government of Chief Minister...
Oil crosses $100: Amid escalating Iran war, supply security bigger priority for India than price
Brent crude oil crossed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, driven by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran following the onset of...
What new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection says about Iran’s plans for the war
Iran's Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei — son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on...
Why desalination plants have become the latest focal point in West Asia war
Desalination plants in Bahrain and Iran were struck on March 7–8, 2026, as the Iran-Israel-US war escalated across the Gulf. Bahrain's interior ministry repo...
LPG booking period increased from 21 to 25 days; refineres asked to boost LPG output: Govt sources
Amid concerns about LPG supply security due to the West Asia conflict, the Government of India extended the LPG cylinder booking period from 21 days to 25 da...
India will not raise petrol prices despite global crude headwinds: Government sources
Government sources confirmed that India will not raise retail petrol and diesel prices despite global crude oil prices crossing $100 per barrel following the...
India’s wheat output pegged at record high 120 mt on higher acreage, conducive weather
India's wheat production in 2025-26 is estimated at a record 120.21 million tonnes (MT), up approximately 2% from 117.94 MT in 2024-25, according to the gove...
India’s inflation near ‘lower bound,’ to counter global oil price surge: Finance Minister
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated on 9 March 2026 that given India's inflation is near the lower bound of the RBI's tolerance band, the impact of th...
West Asia conflict strands Indian fruit exports at ports, airports
More than 1,250 shipping containers carrying Indian fruit exports were stuck at Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port) in Mumbai during peak Ramadan demand — th...
IRFC board clears ₹70,000-cr market borrowing programme for FY27
The Board of Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) approved a market borrowing programme of up to ₹70,000 crore for FY2026-27 at a board meeting held on ...
RBI conducts G-Secs purchase of ₹50,000 crore to inject liquidity, another tranche on Friday
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted an Open Market Operation (OMO) purchase of Government Securities (G-Secs) worth ₹50,000 crore on 9 March 2026 to in...
India’s shrimp export revenue seen surging past ₹50,000 crore: Crisil
India's shrimp export revenue is projected to exceed ₹50,000 crore in FY2025-26, growing 13–15% year-on-year, according to a CRISIL Ratings analysis. Growth ...
West Asia tensions pose twin challenges for Indian paper industry
The ongoing West Asia conflict has created a "twin challenge" for India's paper industry: a disruption to export markets (West Asia absorbs approximately 30%...
Oil prices surging past $115 amid Iran-Israel war revives memories of historical global oil crises
Oil prices surged past $115 per barrel by March 9, 2026, as the escalating US-Israel-Iran war disrupted global energy supply chains. Cornell University histo...
Air India workforce better aligned with private sector performance metrics post privatisation: Government
Air India's workforce structure has been progressively realigned with private-sector performance benchmarks following the airline's transfer to the Tata Grou...
Bird survey in Silent Valley records 192 species
A bird survey conducted from March 6–8, 2026, by the Kerala Forest Department and the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) recorded 192 species of birds in...
India offered sanctuary to Iranian ship three days before US sank it
Three Iranian warships — IRIS Dena, IRIS Bushehr, and IRIS Lavan — participated in a joint military exercise hosted by India at Visakhapatnam between 15 and ...
Karnataka High Court declines to quash female foeticide case against government doctor and others
The Karnataka High Court declined to quash criminal proceedings against a gynaecologist accused of involvement in an alleged case of illegal sex determinatio...
Oil prices hit highest since 2022 at more than $119 a barrel on Iran war
Brent crude oil prices surged above $119 per barrel on March 9, 2026, the highest level since mid-2022, as the US-Israel war on Iran threatened both producti...
NITI Aayog lauds southern States for progress in Aspirational Districts Programme
NITI Aayog lauded southern states for their progress under the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), recognising districts from these states as models of d...
Simultaneous polls can curb defections, says Ghulam Nabi Azad at JPC meet
Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chief and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Constitut...
Government will not raise petrol, diesel prices
The Government of India formally confirmed it would not raise retail prices of petrol and diesel despite global crude oil prices rising sharply (Indian crude...
India and Indonesia finalise BrahMos deal, contract to be signed early next fiscal
India and Indonesia have finalised negotiations for the export of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, with the formal contract expected to be signed in the f...
Energy security, trade flows, safety of nationals paramount factors in West Asia strategy: Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar articulated India's three-pronged West Asia policy framework in Parliament: (1) maintaining energy security, (2) preserv...
Global crude price rise not to have substantial impact on inflation: Sitharaman
A research report by SBI Research (the economic research unit of State Bank of India) assessed that the sharp rise in global crude oil prices triggered by th...
Trade unions, farm outfits to strengthen protests against U.S. trade deal, Labour Codes
Major trade unions and farmers' organisations in India announced plans to intensify protests against the India-US interim trade deal, building on a nationwid...
Iran conflict forces Asian central banks into sharp policy rethink
The escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict and the resulting surge in global oil prices above $100 per barrel are compelling central banks across Asia to fundame...
Nasscom calls for strengthening operational, cyber resilience amid evolving West Asia situation
Nasscom — India's apex body for the IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) industry — issued a formal advisory to member companies urging heightened vigilance and...
Watch: From cleric’s son to Iran’s supreme leader: The story of Mojtaba Khamenei
Iran's Assembly of Experts announced on March 8, 2026, the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei — son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — as Iran's new Su...
Global Graphene meet opens with focus on next-gen materials
The first International Conference and Expo on Graphene and 2D Materials (GraphIN 2026) was held in Kochi, Kerala from March 9–12, 2026, positioning India at...
Anthropic sues Trump administration seeking to undo ‘supply chain risk’ designation
Anthropic, a leading US AI safety company and maker of the Claude AI model, filed two federal lawsuits against the Trump administration on March 9, 2026, aft...
PM Modi emphasises preventive healthcare, calls for stronger caregiver training ecosystem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Post-Budget Webinar on Health, Ayush and Pharma Sectors on the theme *"Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas — Fulfilling Aspirati...
Cut in gas supply forces fertilizer companies to advance maintenance work
Several Indian fertilizer companies have advanced (brought forward) their scheduled annual maintenance shutdowns after Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply to ...
74,000 deaths: why the HPV vaccine is necessary in India
India accounts for approximately 132,000 new cervical cancer cases and 74,000 deaths annually — nearly one-third of global cervical cancer mortality — making...
Sri Lanka to grant one month visas to distressed Iranian sailors: Minister
Sri Lanka announced it would grant one-month gratis (free) visas to Iranian sailors rescued from vessels targeted by the United States in the Indian Ocean, o...
Nepal gets its youngest PM with a brute majority in Parliament. What comes next
Balendra Shah (Balen Shah), 35, a structural engineer and former rapper, was sworn in as Nepal's youngest Prime Minister on March 27, 2026, after his Rastriy...
India remains 2nd largest arms buyer, Russia’s share in imports drops, France & Israel gain—SIPRI
SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) released its annual arms transfer data on March 9, 2026, covering the 2021–2025 period India ranked ...
A hush-hush visit last week lays groundwork for thaw in Delhi-Dhaka ties
A previously undisclosed high-level diplomatic visit between Indian and Bangladeshi officials took place in the week preceding March 9, 2026, laying the grou...
Russian crude never left India’s import mix. It made up 1/3rd of oil imports from 2024 to 2026
Russian crude oil accounted for approximately one-third of India's total crude oil imports in February 2026, demonstrating the durability of the India-Russia...
UV camera snaps treetops glowing as thunderstorm passed overhead
Researchers, for the first time in natural outdoor conditions, filmed and documented corona discharges emanating from treetops during a thunderstorm, using a...
Kerala brings out Cyber Safety Protocol in public schools amid AI surge
Kerala released the Cyber Safety Protocol 2026, a comprehensive framework developed by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) — the te...
AP-Genco plans two 3,200 MW ultra mega thermal plants
Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (AP-Genco) has announced plans to develop two ultra mega thermal power plants, each with a capacity of 3,200 MW. ...
Lebanon postpones parliamentary elections by two years
Lebanon's parliament voted 76–41 (with 4 abstentions) on March 9, 2026, to postpone legislative elections by two years; polls were originally scheduled for M...
Iran war’s effects already a reality in Europe: EU chief
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the spillover effects of the Iran-US conflict were "already a reality" for Europe, describing ...
Free trade pacts opened two-thirds of global trade to India, created new markets for healthcare: Goyal
India now enjoys preferential trade access covering approximately two-thirds of global trade, following a dramatic expansion of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA...
As West Asia conflict intensifies, India prioritises LPG for households
India's government invoked emergency measures to prioritise household cooking gas (LPG) supply following the outbreak of the West Asia conflict and the effec...
Karnataka could be party in case against Kerala government on Malayalam Bhasha Bill that received assent from Kerala Governor
Karnataka is considering becoming a party in legal proceedings challenging the Kerala government's policy of mandating Malayalam as the compulsory first lang...
India’s next export frontier: why the country should start exporting trains
India's IT and BPM sector crossed the $300 billion revenue milestone for the first time in FY2026, reaching $315.4 billion — a 6.1% year-on-year growth — but...
The end of the ‘youthful’ state? India faces three-speed ageing
India's demographic transition is no longer a single national story. Analysis now reveals three distinct demographic "speeds" across Indian states — youthful...
Oil at $100: Iran war puts India’s fuel prices and inflation outlook at risk
Global crude oil prices surpassed $100 per barrel and briefly touched $119.50 for Brent crude as the US-Israel war on Iran escalated through early March 2026...
Oil and Iran-U.S. war: Key takeaways in graphics
A data-driven analysis of the economic fallout from the Iran-US war highlighted the interconnected impacts on oil prices, supply chains, equity markets, and ...
The many and varied medical uses of the placenta
Research and clinical application of placental tissue — long discarded as medical waste — is expanding rapidly into regenerative medicine, wound healing, and...
Does the new EIA amendment proposal fix institutional delays or bypass environmental scrutiny?
On March 5, 2026, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) published a draft notification proposing amendments to the Environmen...
Congress President Kharge demands discussion on India's energy security
Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge submitted a formal notice to seek a discussion on India's energy security in Parliament, supported by sen...
India’s new GDP series to dig deeper into district economies
India's National Statistical Office (NSO) released a revised GDP series with a new base year of 2022-23 (replacing the previous 2011-12 base year) on Februar...
2020 Delhi riots case: Court grants 10-day interim bail to Sharjeel Imam
A Delhi sessions court (Karkardooma Court) granted 10-day interim bail to Sharjeel Imam — a former JNU student leader and activist — to attend his brother's ...
FTAs to provide huge export opportunities for pharma, healthcare sectors: Piyush Goyal
India's recently concluded Free Trade Agreements — most significantly with the European Union — are expected to substantially expand export opportunities for...
India's shrimp exports surge past Rs 50k crore amidst US tariff challenges
India's shrimp exports crossed ₹50,000 crore (approximately $5 billion) for the first time, despite significant headwinds from US tariffs that have created u...
India may face $7–8 billion higher monthly import bill as crude surges
With Brent crude surging past $100 per barrel and reaching intraday highs above $119 in March 2026, India faces an estimated additional $7–8 billion in month...
Oil, rupee, markets: All alarms are blaring for India's economy
Brent crude oil surged past $100 per barrel in March 2026, reaching intraday highs above $116, driven by escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict and fears of disr...
No immediate hike in petrol, diesel prices; adequate stock to meet any contingency: Sources
Despite global crude prices rising sharply due to the West Asia conflict (Indian crude basket reaching ~$113/barrel in March 2026), the Government of India a...
No immediate hike in petrol, diesel prices despite crude crossing $100/barrel
Despite crude oil crossing $100 per barrel following the West Asia conflict, the Indian government indicated it would not immediately hike retail petrol and ...
Place audit orders in public domain to boost trust: CIC to NFRA
The Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) to place all its orders, directions, and policy decisions...
Rupee falls 39 paise to close at all-time low of 92.21 against US dollar
The Indian rupee fell 39 paise in a single session to close at an all-time low of 92.21 against the US dollar on March 9, 2026 — a record depreciation driven...
$100 oil shock set to strain Asia’s cash-strapped governments
Oil prices crossing $100 per barrel in March 2026, driven by the US-Israel-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions, are placing severe strain on gover...
PM Modi speaks to Nepal leaders Rabi Lamichhane, Balendra Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 9, 2026, held telephonic conversations with Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane and senior RSP lea...
Manipur CM announces Rs 350 cr aid for women affected by unrest
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced a Rs 350 crore relief and rehabilitation package specifically targeting women affected by the ongoing Meitei-...
$50 oil surge could wipe out 2% of India's GDP, warns Axis Bank's Neelkanth Mishra
Axis Bank Chief Economist Neelkanth Mishra warned that a sustained $50 per barrel rise in global oil prices could reduce India's GDP growth by approximately ...
Solex Energy says its 3.78-GW solar module facility gets ALMM approval
Solex Energy Limited has received approval for its 3.78 GW solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacture...
Meghalaya: Curfew in 37 Garo Hills villages over non-tribal nominations in district council polls
Curfew was imposed in 37 villages in Meghalaya's Garo Hills district after protests erupted over the nomination of a non-tribal candidate for local body elec...
Yamuna water still highly polluted in Delhi, DPCC reports show elevated faecal coliform levels
Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) monitoring data shows Yamuna River water quality remains severely degraded at multiple points within Delhi, with Bio...
Iran conflict could increase challenges for emerging market sovereigns: Fitch
Rating agencies (Moody's, Fitch, S&P) have warned that a prolonged West Asia conflict — with crude oil sustained above $100/barrel — could strain the fiscal ...
Fadnavis asks municipal corporations to look at raising Rs 1,000 cr via pooled bonds
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the state's municipal corporations to explore raising ₹1,000 crore through the issuance of green bonds ...
Iran war hits tea export; Assam releases ₹94.7 crore support
The West Asia conflict (US-Israel war with Iran, 2026) has severely disrupted Indian tea exports to Iran, a major destination market, by blocking established...
Battle of the rolls: How Mamata vs EC over SIR has set stage for 2026 Bengal assembly elections
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a sit-in protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its Special Intensive Revision (SIR)...
'We cannot assist once you exit Iran': Indians asked not to approach land borders without embassy coordination
The Embassy of India in Tehran issued an advisory on March 9, 2026, asking Indian nationals in Iran not to approach or attempt to cross any of Iran's land bo...
PM Modi speaks with Nepal's newly elected youth leader Balendra Shah, Rabi Lamichhane
Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Balendra Shah to congratulate him following the Rastriya Swatantra Party's landslide victory in the 2026 Nepalese gen...
'It was right thing to do': Jaishankar briefs Parliament on India permitting docking of Iranian ships
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar briefed Parliament that India granted docking permission to the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan at the Kochi port on hum...
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) High risk and other monitored jurisdictions – February 09-13, 2026
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded its fifth Plenary meeting under the Mexican Presidency (Elisa de Anda Madrazo) on February 13, 2026, and upd...
Gender balance in judiciary remains unfinished task: CJI
The incumbent Chief Justice of India acknowledged that achieving gender balance in India's higher judiciary remains an "unfinished task" and called for syste...
Government lacks intent to achieve gender parity in courts: Ex-CJI
A former Chief Justice of India publicly criticised the government for lacking genuine intent to ensure adequate representation of women judges in the higher...
Sensex crashes over 2,000 points as crude oil prices cross $115/barrel on Middle East conflict
The BSE Sensex fell over 2,000 points and the Nifty 50 slid to 23,741 as crude oil prices crossed $115 per barrel — driven by the escalation of the West Asia...
Commercial space stations the next big thing in space
As the International Space Station (ISS) approaches its planned decommissioning around 2030, a new era of commercially owned and operated space stations is e...
Parliament Budget Session 2026 Live Updates | ‘India remains in favour of peace, return to dialogue & diplomacy’: S Jaishankar on Middle East conflict
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2026, articulating India's official position on the ongoing ...
How New Delhi should deal with the new Kathmandu
With Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) sweeping Nepal's 2026 elections and forming a stable majority government, analysts recommend a recalibrat...
For India, obesity complicates the nutrition challenge
India faces a paradoxical "double burden of malnutrition" — simultaneous co-existence of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, anaemia) in rural and poor popula...
Why fertilisers could be the war’s soft underbelly victim for India
India imports a significant share of its fertilizer raw materials and finished fertilizers from West Asia, making the Iran war a direct threat to its agricul...
Expert Explains | ‘Islamism is dead politically… Religious vocabularies will survive in Iran, domination by clerics won’t’
Expert analysis argues that political Islamism — the ideology that seeks to organise state and society according to Islamic law — is politically "dead" in mu...
How Iran war could create ‘fertilizer shock’ – often ignored global risk to food prices, farming
Beyond the widely discussed oil price surge, analysts warn that the US-Israel-Iran conflict and the resulting Strait of Hormuz disruptions pose an equally da...
West Asia conflict: India favours peace, return to dialogue, diplomacy, says EAM Jaishankar in Parliament
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated in Parliament on March 9, 2026, that India favours peace and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the West As...
Maharashtra Health Department rolls out HPV vaccine for girls on Women’s Day
The Maharashtra government launched a statewide HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination campaign on March 8, 2026 — International Women's Day — targeting appr...
Fire in the Himalayas quadrupled: Why forest fires are climbing higher than ever
Forest fires in the Himalayan region have quadrupled in recent years, with ignitions occurring at significantly higher altitudes than historical records — a ...
Oil soars above $100 as Iran war forces more production cuts
Brent crude climbed above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, crossing a psychologically and economically significant price threshold as the Iran-US...
OpenAI robotics manager resigns over Pentagon deal
OpenAI announced a classified deal with the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) on February 28, 2026, allowing the Pentagon access to OpenAI's AI models with...
Kenya’s latest carbon credit crackdown reveals questionable practices, players’ sneaky ways
Kenya has cracked down on several carbon credit projects, revoking or blocking approvals for credits that were generated with irregularities — including proj...
Israel-Iran war LIVE: Bahrain's state oil company declares force majeure on its shipments after Iran attack
Bahrain's state-owned oil company, Bapco Energies, declared force majeure on its shipments on March 9, 2026, after Iran struck its Al-Ma'ameer oil refinery c...
Stock markets slump as oil prices surge over Strait of Hormuz fears
Indian and global equity markets fell sharply as Brent crude surged to multi-year highs on concerns that the Iran-US conflict had effectively closed the Stra...
How Dalit voting patterns have changed across elections
Data analysis of Dalit voting patterns across Lok Sabha elections reveals a significant fragmentation of the Dalit vote, which was once consolidiated behind ...
China warns of global chip shortages as Nexperia dispute escalates again
A dispute escalated between China and the United Kingdom over the forced divestment of Nexperia's Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) in Wales — the UK's largest chip ma...
Fake AI satellite imagery spurs US-Iran war disinformation
During the 2026 US-Iran conflict, AI-generated fake satellite imagery depicting military installations and strike damage was widely circulated on social medi...
An economic ‘sagar manthan’ beckons: As IT growth dwindles, manufacturing exports to take driver’s seat
Recent analysis argues that India's IT services sector, the primary engine of export-led growth over the past three decades, is showing signs of saturation i...
Iran conflict: Indian airlines cancel 279 international flights
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on March 9, 2026, that 279 international flights operated by Indian airlines were cancelled due to ongoing airsp...
India believes in ‘dialogue & diplomacy’—Jaishankar briefs Parliament on West Asia crisis
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2026, reaffirming India's position of "dialogue and diplomacy" on the 2026 Iran...
U.S. urged India to buy Russian oil already at sea to ease supply fears: Energy Secretary Chris Wright
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged India to purchase Russian crude oil cargoes already loaded onto tankers and at sea, redirecting those shipments to Ind...
Watch: End of chapter: R.N.Ravi’s posture helped the DMK | The Hindu Editorial
R.N. Ravi, who served as Tamil Nadu's Governor since September 2021, was transferred to West Bengal as part of a gubernatorial reshuffle in March 2026, endin...
Crude oil prices surpass $114 a barrel as Iran war impedes production, shipping
Crude oil prices surpassed $114 a barrel — the highest level since 2022 — as the Iran-US conflict entered a new, more intense phase, simultaneously disruptin...
U.S. orders embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia due to Iran war
The US State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to "safety risks" arising from Iran'...
India’s renewable transition caught between stranded power and institutional Inertia
India's shift toward renewable energy is being complicated by the accumulated financial burden of stranded conventional power assets — primarily coal and gas...
Bahrain's state oil company declares force majeure on its shipments after Iran attack
Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO Energies), Bahrain's state oil company, declared force majeure on all its oil shipments on March 9, 2026, after Iranian miss...
West Asia conflict oil hike, market reactions LIVE: U.S. urged India to buy Russian oil already at sea to ease supply fears
The United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged India to purchase Russian crude oil cargo already at sea — ships w...
Asian equities plunge as oil soars 30% on West Asia crisis
Asian equity markets suffered sharp declines as crude oil prices surged approximately 30% following the escalation of the West Asia conflict and partial clos...
Oil surges past $100 as West Asia war escalates, raising supply fears
Brent crude oil prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, triggered by the escalating US-Israel military campaign against Iran that beg...
VPNs up, porn websites down as Australia brings in new online age-restrictions
Australia's Online Safety Act provisions mandating age verification for adult content websites came into force on March 9, 2026, requiring all adult sites se...
G7 to discuss joint release of emergency oil reserves: Report
G7 energy ministers convened an emergency meeting on March 9, 2026, to coordinate the release of emergency oil reserves in response to the crisis caused by I...
Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of using white phosphorus in new Lebanon attacks
Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on March 9, 2026, accusing Israel of unlawfully using artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over residential...
Murmu Visit Row: What protocol says about receiving the President in states – was there a breach in West Bengal?
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not personally receive President Droupadi Murmu during a state visit, triggering a political controversy and a...
Parliament Budget Session LIVE: Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm amid Opposition protests; Kiren Rijiju lashes out
Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 PM on March 9, 2026, as Opposition members disrupted proceedings demanding a full-fledged debate on the escalating West Asia c...
Watch: From protests to power: RSP’s victory reshapes Nepal politics | The Hindu Editorial
Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won a near-supermajority in the 2026 Nepalese general election, capturing 182 of 275 seats in the House of Representat...
'Injustice has been done to Opposition': IUML MP to back no-confidence motion against LS Speaker Om Birla
Opposition parties, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), announced support for a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the s...
India backs dialogue, prioritises safety of Indians amid West Asia conflict: Jaishankar
India formally backed dialogue and diplomacy as the path to resolving the West Asia conflict, with the government calling for de-escalation, restraint, and p...
Congress MPs move suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha to discuss West Asia Conflict
Congress MPs Manish Tewari (Lok Sabha) and Randeep Surjewala (Rajya Sabha) moved suspension-of-business notices in their respective Houses to seek urgent dis...
Parliament Budget session LIVE: Jaishankar addresses Parliament on West Asia war; speaks on Indians stranded in the region and energy security situation
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2026, making a formal ministerial statement on the ongoing West Asia conflict (...
‘Contact with Iran leadership difficult’: Jaishankar spells out India’s position on Middle East war
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament that leadership-level contact with Iran is "obviously difficult at this time" given the ongoing confl...