March 15, 2026
77 articles published on this date
Why is Rajasthan’s property Bill drawing scrutiny? | Explained
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Rajasthan Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises...
Iranian missile fragment hits U.S. consul residence building in Israel
A fragment from an Iranian missile, intercepted by Israeli air defences, struck the building housing the US Consul General's residence in Jerusalem on March ...
Emergency stockpile oil coming soon to Iran-wracked markets, IEA says
The IEA confirmed that emergency oil stockpile releases from Asia-Oceania member countries would flow immediately to markets disrupted by the Iran conflict, ...
It’s ironic welfare schemes implemented in T.N. are portrayed as fiscally irresponsible: Thangam Thennarasu
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu pushed back against characterisations of the state's welfare schemes as fiscally irresponsible, arguing that d...
Ice patches on melting glaciers greater threat than thought: ISRO scientists
Researchers from ISRO have published a peer-reviewed study in the journal *npj Natural Hazards* establishing that the August 2025 flash flood at Dharali vill...
In a first, India to map its manuscript heritage from today
On 16 March 2026, the Ministry of Culture launched the Gyan Bharatam National Manuscript Survey — India's first systematic nationwide effort to geo-tag and i...
On the right to die with dignity
The Supreme Court sanctioned India's first judicially ordered passive euthanasia in the case of Harish Rana v. Union of India (March 11, 2026), a 32-year-old...
Jaishankar hails talks with Iran to open Strait of Hormuz, says no “blanket arrangement” for Indian-flagged ships: report
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that two Indian LPG tankers have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz following direct diplomatic enga...
Building India’s climate resilience with water at the core
With COP30 having adopted the Belém Package — including 59 Belém Adaptation Indicators — analysts and policymakers are urging India to anchor its climate res...
Iran wants 'serious review' of Arab Gulf ties, denies role in Saudi oil attacks
Iranian officials stated they wanted a "serious review" of relations with Arab Gulf states, seeking to separate Iran's bilateral relationships with GCC membe...
Pentagon Sees Iran War Lasting Up to Six Weeks, Trump Aide Says
A senior White House aide, Kevin Hassett (Director of the National Economic Council), revealed on March 15, 2026 that the Pentagon's internal estimate for th...
DNT leaders move Supreme Court seeking distinct enumeration in 2027 Census
Leaders of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) approached the Supreme Court of India, seeking a court direction to ensure a distinct and sepa...
Large-scale Chinese military flights return after long absence: Taiwan
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported the detection of 26 People's Liberation Army (PLA) military aircraft operating around the island on March 14–1...
Israel’s Foreign Minister denies reports of ‘direct’ Lebanon talks
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar flatly denied media reports claiming that Israel and Lebanon were poised to hold direct diplomatic talks "in the comin...
LPG bookings fall to 77 lakh; Indian crude tanker sails out of UAE’s Fujairah safely
LPG cylinder refill bookings have declined to approximately 77 lakh from a peak of 88.8 lakh, indicating an easing of panic-buying behaviour triggered by sup...
Why is the U.S. investigating India? | Explained
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched two separate Section 301 investigations targeting India and 15 other trading partners in March 2026. T...
U.K. military bases given to U.S. to reduce impact of war on millions of Indians in Gulf, says U.K. Deputy High Commissioner
The United Kingdom's Deputy High Commissioner to India stated that the UK's decision to give the US permission to use its military bases — including RAF Fair...
Industry seeks concessional imports via SEZs
Industry associations representing Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units and developers submitted a proposal to allow concessional-duty imports on approximately ...
EC announces election schedule, phases shrink for polls to 5 assemblies
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for assembly elections in four states (Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) and one union te...
RBI's likely to raise liquidity to keep 'short' rates in check
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced plans to inject substantial durable liquidity into the banking system to prevent short-term interest rates from ris...
In letter to Birla, Modi praises his balance, respect for parliamentary rules
Following the Lok Sabha's rejection of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla on March 15, 2026, the Prime Minister wrote a letter to the Speaker pr...
Poaching fears, resort politics mark Rajya Sabha election eve
On the eve of Rajya Sabha elections (polling held on March 16, 2026), parties in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana undertook strategic relocation of their MLAs to s...
Why Bihar has made transit passes mandatory for minor minerals from other states
The Bihar government made it mandatory from March 11, 2026, for all vehicles entering Bihar from other states carrying minor minerals (sand, stone, stone chi...
How a challenge to 1937 Shariat Act frames inheritance law as a civil statute vs religious instrument question
The Supreme Court is hearing a petition challenging the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, specifically Section 2, which applies Muslim per...
Expert Explains: How Iran’s response upset US-Israeli calculations, what it means for the Gulf’s future
Despite suffering severe losses — including the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 February 2026 — Iran launched an unprecedented retaliatory respons...
What China’s new ‘ethnic unity’ law reveals about its shrinking tolerance for diversity
China's National People's Congress (NPC) passed the "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress" at the closing session of its annual parliamentary meeting i...
Govt. unable to tell its allies their actions are impacting India: Ex-EAM Salman Khurshid on ongoing West Asia conflict
Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid stated that the Indian government has been unable to communicate to its strategic allies — primarily the US ...
The Strait of Hormuz and the revenge of geography
The ongoing US-Israel military conflict with Iran has effectively disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026, triggering a globa...
Prolonged West Asia crisis deals multiple blows to Indian exporters
Industry estimates indicate that nearly 70% of outbound shipments from India have been affected by the prolonged West Asia conflict, which has effectively cl...
Ukraine does not want to lose U.S. backing because of Iran war: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that Ukraine does not want to lose US backing due to its alignment on the Iran war — a calculated sig...
Tanker carrying crude safely exits Fujairah even as drone hits oil terminal
The Indian-flagged Suezmax crude tanker Jag Laadki safely departed Fujairah (UAE) on March 15, 2026, carrying approximately 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude oil...
Parliamentary panel recommends I-T dept to set up ‘Expert Litigation Committee’
A parliamentary panel recommended that the Income Tax (I-T) department set up an "Expert Litigation Committee" to vet appeals before they are filed in courts...
Iran warns against wider war as Trump asks allies to escort ships
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned countries against expanding involvement in the US-Israel-Iran conflict, stating Tehran has "ample evidence" tha...
India-EU ties in focus as Jaishankar starts 2-day visit to Brussels
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar began a two-day visit to Brussels (March 15–16, 2026) at the invitation of EU High Representative and Vice-President ...
Airbus sees demand boost for helicopters in India, projects demand for 1,000 civil choppers in two decades
Airbus has projected demand for approximately 1,000 civil helicopters in India over the next two decades, citing rapid growth in sectors such as emergency me...
Three years on, justice eludes 2 Kuki-Zo women who were stripped, paraded, gang-raped in Manipur
Nearly three years after the Manipur ethnic violence began in May 2023, the two Kuki-Zo women who were stripped, paraded naked, and gang-raped on May 4, 2023...
ICAR to build national gender platform linking 900 institutions to boost women's role in farming
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced plans to build a National Gender Platform linking 900 agricultural research and extension instit...
Govt asked to explore better substitute for pulses farmers amid complains over lower prices
A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, on March 13, 2026, asked the government to explore a better substitute...
Pakistan says hit military facilities in Afghanistan
Pakistan conducted fresh airstrikes on military facilities in southern Afghanistan, targeting what it described as "technical support infrastructure" and "te...
CBI arrests ‘recruiter’ linked to overseas cyber scam centres exploiting Indian nationals
The CBI arrested a recruiter accused of collecting approximately $300–400 per head from Indian job-seekers and facilitating their travel to Cambodia, where t...
UPSC’s new rule: Supreme Court nod must for delay in choosing State DGPs
The Supreme Court ruled that the UPSC must approach the Supreme Court for approval before condoning any inordinate delay by states in submitting proposals fo...
SAF Association calls for using used cooking oil to produce sustainable aviation fuel
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (SAFA) has called for scaling up the use of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) as a primary feedstock for producing Sustainable...
Diversify agriculture and encourage farmers to grow pulses, Supreme Court tells government
The Supreme Court urged the Union government to convene a meeting of stakeholders — including representatives from farming communities and policymakers — to ...
Amid soaring aluminium imports, India brings in new QCO
India has notified the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2026, issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry ...
Assam inks settlement with Hmar, Kuki extremist groups
The Assam government signed memoranda of settlement with four armed groups on March 15, 2026 — three Kuki groups (United Kukigam Defence Army, Kuki Revolutio...
Failure of atomic clock cripples ISRO’s NavIC system
The final atomic clock aboard IRNSS-1F, one of India's NavIC navigation satellites, stopped functioning on March 13, 2026 — three days after the satellite co...
11 Maoists surrender with arms before Odisha Police in Kalahandi
Eleven Maoists, including a Divisional Committee Member (DCM) carrying a bounty of Rs 22 lakh, surrendered before the Odisha Police at a special function in ...
Planning early shipments, exploring alternate routes amid West Asia crisis: Exporters
Indian exporters across sectors are responding to the West Asia shipping disruption by planning shipments weeks in advance, renegotiating delivery timelines ...
Two kilos of soil with a Rs 68 lakh return: The Maharashtra village that struck biodiversity gold
Dapur village in Maharashtra received Rs 67,69,359 (approximately Rs 68 lakh) in November 2025 — a benefit-sharing payment triggered by the commercial use of...
Opposition seeks motion to remove CEC, Gyanesh Kumar stays silent
193 opposition MPs — 130 from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha — signed and submitted notices in both Houses seeking a motion for the removal of Chi...
Iran, Israel and the pitfalls of the global nuclear regime
The ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has reignited global debate about the inherent double standards within the international nuclear non-pr...
New labour codes to drive wider adoption of fixed-term employment: Report
India's four new Labour Codes — enacted between 2019 and 2020 and brought into force on November 21, 2025 — are expected to significantly expand the adoption...
Indian crude tanker sails out of UAE’s Fujairah safely
The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker Jag Laadki safely departed UAE's Fujairah port on 15 March 2026 at 1030 hrs IST, carrying approximately 80,800 metric ton...
WB govt transfers Siliguri CP C Sudhakar, days after MHA seeks his central deputation
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a communication to the West Bengal government seeking the central deputation of Siliguri Police Commissioner ...
CBI arrests Kanpur man for sending Indians to ‘cyber-slavery’ compounds abroad
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Krishna Kumar Lakhwani, a Kanpur resident, for allegedly operating as a recruitment agent supplying Indian...
Waste prevention central to UNEP’s latest report on safe disposal of unused medicines
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a new report warning that improper disposal of unused medicines poses serious risks to environmental...
Explained, in 3 charts: How India became so dependent on LPG imports
India currently imports approximately 60% of its total LPG requirement, making it the world's second-largest LPG importer — a dependence that has grown three...
War has hit all segments of India’s oil, gas imports. So why is stress most visible in LPG sector?
The escalating conflict in West Asia — involving the US, Israel, and Iran — has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping for the first ...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran Guards vow to 'pursue and kill' Israeli premier Netanyahu
On 14–15 March 2026 (Day 15 of the conflict), the United States conducted strikes on military targets at Kharg Island, Iran's principal oil export hub in the...
Why climate-resilient farming must become a priority for marginal farmers
A policy analysis argues that climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) must be prioritised for India's small and marginal farmers, who are most vulnerable to clim...
We have allowed some ships: Iranian envoy Fathali on passage of vessels via Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, confirmed that Iran had allowed some Indian-flagged vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as an exceptio...
U.S. says can provide 'reliable' energy supply to Asia-Pacific
The US declared it can provide a "reliable" energy supply to Asia-Pacific nations as the conflict in West Asia has virtually halted traffic through the Strai...
Trump urges world powers to secure Iran shipping lane
US President Donald Trump publicly urged key allies — China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK — to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Stra...
In frames | War lights a kitchen fire
The ongoing conflict in West Asia — involving disruption of LPG supply chains through the Strait of Hormuz — has forced families and eateries in conflict-aff...
Trump urges U.S. allies to send warships to Strait of Hormuz as Iran vows to retaliate
The US President called on allied nations to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe passage for commercial shipping, as the US-Israel war on ...
Airfares to US, Europe surge as West Asia crisis cuts capacity
The escalating conflict in West Asia has triggered a sharp surge in airfares on routes connecting India to the US and Europe, driven by two simultaneous shoc...
Fact check: Are “40 out of 100 children malnourished” in Gujarat?
A fact-check exercise verified the claim that approximately 40 out of 100 children in Gujarat are malnourished — the data confirms this is broadly accurate. ...
Trump says U.S. strikes ‘demolished’ Iran’s Kharg Island, warns of more attacks
The US President stated that US strikes had "totally demolished" most of Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal located in the Persian Gulf. The st...
Finance Ministry restructured norms for minimum public shareholdings
The Ministry of Finance amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957 through the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026, notifi...
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, daughter watch test of nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the testing of twelve 600mm-calibre ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) involving two artillery compani...
Venezuela opposition leader denounces 'selective' amnesty
Venezuela's opposition leader denounced the recently passed amnesty law as "selective" and designed to "buy time" rather than genuinely free political prison...
China may face closer scrutiny in U.S. forced-labour probe: GTRI
On March 12, 2026, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched Section 301 investigations against 60 economies — including India and China — exami...
Japan Says Dispatching Ships to Middle East Faces High Hurdles
President Trump publicly urged Japan, along with China, France, South Korea, and the UK, to send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open following Ir...
Strategic setback to India's Central Asian diplomacy: Congress slams govt on Chabahar port
India's Union Budget 2026–27 carried zero allocation for the Chabahar port project in Iran, prompting political debate about the country's Central Asian conn...
Watch: HPV vaccination roll out, climate change, metabolic diseases and more | Health Wrap
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's nationwide HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccination Programme on February 28, 2026, from Ajmer, Rajasthan, as par...
Govt bars piped cooking gas users from holding LPG connections, PNG rollout to be fast-tracked
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a gazette notification amending the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, b...
UP: 47 villages sharing borders with Nepal to be developed under Vibrant Village Programme II
47 villages in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, sharing a border with Nepal, are to be developed as the first batch of border villages under the Vi...