Mar 16 – Mar 22
With 7th regiment, Army expands Pinaka fleet
The Indian Army has operationalised its 7th regiment equipped with the indigenous Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) system, continu...
Facing a ‘crisis’, EU millers seek safeguard duties on rice
European rice millers' associations have formally requested a review of EU trade agreements to impose safeguard duties on rice imports, citi...
A reserved berth for Lakshadweep
Old Mangalore Port (Mangaluru) is set to build a dedicated jetty for vessels ferrying daily essentials to the Lakshadweep island group. The ...
The past decade has been the hottest on record, says global weather body
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its State of the Global Climate 2025 report confirming that 2015-2025 are the eleven ho...
NSEIX opens doors to U.S. stocks for Indian investors
NSE International Exchange (NSEIX), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) operating from GIFT City (Gujarat Interna...
EPFO reaches out to subscribers with unclaimed balance
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) approved a pilot auto-settlement facility to automatically disburse unclaimed funds from i...
How agriPV can turn India’s farms into dual-purpose powerhouses
India's push to achieve 300 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070 is creating land-use conflicts, since larg...
West Asia conflict: PM reviews mitigating measures planned, sets up team of key ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in New Delhi on 22 March 2026 to review India's pr...
Group of Ministers, Secys to be formed to deal with critical needs of citizens
On March 22, 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) convened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the situation arising from ...
Opposition MPs, activists oppose amendments to Transgender Persons Act
Opposition MPs from multiple parties — including the Indian National Congress, CPI(M), RJD, and NCP (SP faction) — and transgender rights ac...
Saudi Arabia orders Iranian military attache, four embassy staff to leave
Saudi Arabia declared Iran's military attaché and four embassy staff members personae non grata, ordering them to leave within 24 hours, cit...
National Council members to govt: 'Self perceived identity' must remain foundation of transgender identification
Members of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP), constituted under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, ...
West Asia conflict: PM Modi reviews West Asia situation, underlines diversification imperatives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to take stock of India's exposure to the West Asia confl...
Modi reviews fuel, fertilizer supplies amid escalating West Asia conflict
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level review meeting with key Cabinet ministers to assess the availability of crude oil, gas, pe...
Maoist endgame nears, but no political fanfare in offing
The March 31, 2026 deadline set by the Union Home Minister for eliminating armed Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) from India is passing without for...
UAPA misuse not a model for Viksit Bharat: SC judge
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court of India, speaking at the 1st Supreme Court Bar Association National Conference 2026 on "The Role ...
Opposition MPs, activists seek rollback of transgender bill, say law could dilute rights
Opposition MPs and civil society activists have demanded a rollback of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, ...
CCS reviews situation arising due to West Asia conflict; energy, fuel security assessed
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by the Prime Minister, held a high-level review meeting to assess the implications of the o...
India, EU step up engagement to fast-track trade, tech talks
Following the landmark India-EU summit held on 27 January 2026 at Hyderabad House in New Delhi — where a historic Free Trade Agreement was c...
Transgender Rights Bill row: Opposition MPs, activists seek withdrawal
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 13, 2026, proposing significant cha...
CCS recognises 'significant impact' of West Asia conflict
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met to review the ongoing West Asia conflict and its econo...
India, 39 others raise concerns over China-led investment pact proposal
India and approximately 39 other countries raised formal concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over a China-backed proposal to inte...
PM Modi chairs high-level review meet on fuel, power amid Middle East tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting on India's energy security in the context of the ongoing West As...
PM Modi calls high-level meeting to review West Asia crisis & India’s energy security
Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting to assess India's preparedness across five identified pressure points ari...
‘Criminalising lived realities’: Protests across India against Transgender Persons Amendment Bill
Widespread protests have erupted across India against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026, introduced in Lok ...
Iran war stress on rupee: How India has used forex reserves to tide over past global uncertainties
Renewed conflict in West Asia involving Iran has placed pressure on the Indian rupee, as rising crude oil prices increase India's import bil...
India is opposing a China-led WTO investment deal, even at the risk of isolation. Here’s why
India has continued to block the China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement from being incorporated into the WTO's bi...
After fuel, water: With Iran’s threats to desalination plants, understanding the Gulf countries’ dependency
As the US-Iran military conflict (ongoing since February 28, 2026) intensified, Iran threatened to target "all desalination infrastructure b...
SC internal reservation: Religious heads spearheading campaign of their communities
Ahead of Karnataka's Special Cabinet meeting to decide on internal reservation within the 15% Scheduled Caste (SC) quota, religious heads of...
Indian Veterinary Research Institute produces calves of prized Sahiwal indigenous breed using advanced reproductive technologies
ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI), Izatnagar, Bareilly, has produced five healthy Sahiwal calves using a combination of ...
Mines Ministry to launch seventh tranche of critical, strategic mineral auctions on March 23
The Ministry of Mines announced the launch of the seventh tranche of auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks, comprising 19 blocks ...
India to focus on core priorities amid WTO reform push at MC14 this week
The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) is scheduled for March 26-29, 2026, bringing together trade ministers from all 166 WTO member sta...
House panel seeks details of road map on operationalising Lokpal’s inquiry, prosecution wings
A Parliamentary Standing Committee sought details of the roadmap for fully operationalising the Lokpal's inquiry wing and prosecution wing, ...
Are we in a paradigm shift in our #endTB response?
A growing body of evidence and public health commentary is highlighting that India's TB elimination effort requires a dual approach — addres...
Centre to launch 7th tranche of critical mineral block auctions on Monday
The Ministry of Mines announced the launch of the 7th tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions on March 23, 2026, offering 1...
Iran Threatens to Hit Key Infrastructure After Trump’s Ultimatum
US President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on or around March 21-22, 2026, threatening to "obliterate" Iran's power plants...
Alert issued against Nipah in Kerala from April to September
Health authorities in Kerala have issued a seasonal alert against Nipah virus, warning that the April-to-September window represents the hig...
Over half of countries have banned phones in schools: UNESCO
A new UNESCO analysis (part of the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report) finds that 114 education systems — representing 58% of countries...
NCTP members oppose transgender Act amendments, say not consulted
Members of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) — the statutory body created under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rig...
India to auction 19 critical mineral blocks amid supply concerns
India's Ministry of Mines launched the 7th tranche of critical and strategic mineral block auctions on March 23, 2026, offering 19 mineral b...
Evening news wrap: PM Modi reviews energy preparedness amid crisis; IDF flags Europe in Iranian missile range & more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on March 22, 2026 to review India's energy preparedness amid the ongoing US-Israel...
CEC Gyanesh Kumar acting under 'executive's thumb', says Opposition's notice seeking election chief's removal
193 opposition MPs — 130 from Lok Sabha and 63 from Rajya Sabha — submitted notices to the presiding officers of both Houses seeking removal...
US House resolution seeks ‘genocide’ tag for Pakistan’s 1971 atrocities on Bengali Hindus
US Congressman Greg Landsman (Democrat, Ohio) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking to formally recognise the atro...
PM Modi to chair high-level meeting to review energy preparedness amid Middle East tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level inter-ministerial meeting on March 22, 2026, to review India's energy preparedness as the...
As war in West Asia drags on, why government and RBI need a plan for the economy
Analysis from economists and policy observers calls on India's government and the RBI to formulate active contingency frameworks for managin...
'Biggest infiltrator is PM': Mamata at Eid meet
New scientific evidence has reinforced the presence of thick water ice deposits on the Moon, particularly inside permanently shadowed crater...
In call with Iran president, PM Modi slams infra attacks, says ship lanes must stay open
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, condemning attacks on civilian and energy infra...
Iran ready to cooperate for Gulf maritime safety, IMO representative says
An International Maritime Organization (IMO) representative stated that Iran has expressed readiness to cooperate for Gulf maritime safety. ...
Ethanol industry ready to supply more than 20% blending, can cut crude import bill: AIDA
The All India Distillers' Association (AIDA) has stated that the ethanol industry is ready to supply more than 20 per cent ethanol blending ...
Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached, says Foreign Minister Motegi
Japan's Foreign Minister indicated Japan could consider participating in minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, contingent on a ce...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran says Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked’ ships amid U.S. threat
Blasts and air raid sirens were reported in Jerusalem on March 22, 2026, after the Israeli military warned of incoming missile fire launched...
Cuba announces second nationwide blackout in less than a week
Cuba suffered its second complete disconnection from the National Electrical System (SEN) in less than a week, plunging all 11 million citiz...
Qatar helicopter crashes after 'technical malfunction': Ministry
A Qatar military helicopter crashed in the regional territorial waters of Qatar following a reported technical malfunction during routine du...
Rice, wheat procurement remains ‘consistently’ low; House panel raises concern
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has raised concern over the Food Corporation of India's (FCI) consistently low and declining share in the...
Conflict in Iran generated more emissions in two weeks than Iceland does in a year: New analysis
A new analysis by the Climate and Community Institute (CCI) found that the US and Israel's initial 14 days of military operations in Iran ge...
LNG disruption halves India’s urea output as West Asia tensions deepen
LNG supply disruptions linked to the ongoing Iran-Israel war have caused urea output at affected fertilizer plants to drop by approximately ...
As Iran war disrupts the Gulf, India's growth story faces new risks
The prolonged Iran-Israel war has introduced compound macroeconomic risks for India spanning energy prices, remittances, and trade logistics...
Strait of Hormuz disruption could hit India's LPG supplies, refined product markets more vulnerable than crude oil markets: Report
Reports indicate that India's LPG supplies face serious disruption risk from conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, with the sector more vulner...
Government modifies Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme to support MSME manufacturers, exporters
The Central Government modified the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS-MSME), originally launched in January 2025, to expand cov...
Government complains about backlog, but feeds it too as the biggest litigant, says Supreme Court judge Nagarathna
Justice B.V. Nagarathna of the Supreme Court of India, speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association's first National Conference 2026, flagg...
South Pars | Same field, two fates
Israel struck Iranian facilities linked to the South Pars gas field — the first time Israel has targeted Iranian natural gas infrastructure ...
U.S. says 'took out' Iran base threatening blocked Strait of Hormuz oil route
The US military declared it had "taken out" an Iranian bunker on Iran's coast that stored anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile launchers, and r...
PM Modi speaks to Iran President; calls for ‘freedom of navigation’ in the Gulf
PM Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on March 21, 2026, their second call since the conflict erupted on February 28, 2026 ...
State cannot put ‘arbitrary ceiling’ on disability limits when RPwD Act does not prescribe any: SC
In *Prabhu Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors.* (2026 INSC 253), the Supreme Court held that a state cannot prescribe an upper ceiling...
Feminists, lawyers urge MPs to reject ‘unconstitutional’ amendments to transgender Act
Feminist organisations, lawyers, and rights advocates sent a letter to Members of Parliament urging them to reject the Transgender Persons (...
Why is Israel attacking Lebanon? | Explained
Israel launched ground operations in southern Lebanon on March 16, 2026, targeting Hezbollah positions — potentially the largest ground inva...
What did the Supreme Court say about paid maternity leave?
The Supreme Court, in *Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India* (2026 INSC 246), struck down Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2...
Supreme Court concerned over cops uploading videos online, says poses threat to fair trial
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi took up a PIL filed by petitioner Hemendra P...
Transgender, queer groups oppose Amendment Bill, demand withdrawal
Transgender and queer collectives, legal advocates, and civil society groups have demanded immediate withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (...
House panel expresses concern over the rising level of groundwater contamination, asks govt to use AI, latest tech to combat it
A Parliamentary Standing Committee expressed serious concern over the rising level of groundwater contamination across India and directed th...
US eases Iran oil sale sanctions, Brent holds steady at $112; Check petrol, diesel prices in India today
The US Treasury issued a 30-day sanctions waiver beginning March 21, 2026, allowing the sale of Iranian oil currently aboard tankers at sea ...
Extends Eid, Nowruz greetings: PM speaks with Iran President, flags attacks on energy infra, shipping lanes
On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz (the Persian New Year, which fell on March 20, 2026), Prime Minister Modi called Iranian President...
Tehran’s longest-range missile attack yet: Why Diego Garcia matters — explained
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, marking the longest-range offensive stri...
Expert Explains | Iran war: Why the energy crisis calls for an early ceasefire
Three weeks into the West Asia war (US-Israel strikes on Iran, beginning February 28, 2026), energy analysts and policymakers are arguing th...
Wastewater study exposes scale of Antimicrobial Resistance in major Indian cities
A two-year metagenomic study of urban wastewater published in Nature Communications mapped antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes across 19 si...
Finmin makes changes to Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme to support MSMEs
The Finance Ministry announced changes to the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS-MSME), making the existing 5% upfront contribut...
‘Disappointed’, says Debi Goenka, as apex court gives go-ahead to cut mangroves for key road project in north Mumbai
The Supreme Court of India, in a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, dismissed an appeal by environmental NGO Vanashakti against the Bomb...
India achieves one billion tonne coal production for 2nd consecutive year
India achieved the milestone of one billion tonnes (BT) of coal production on March 20, 2026 — the second consecutive year it has hit this l...
India to confront `deep divisions’ on key issues at WTO meet in Cameroon
India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is set to attend the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from March 26–29,...
West Asia conflict may trigger global inflation shock if disruptions spread; India relatively insulated: SBI Research
SBI Research cautioned that escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia could create ripple effects across global energy markets, trade fl...
Don’t remove any genuine voter from electoral rolls, parliamentary committee tells EC
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice told the Election Commission of India (ECI) that no ge...
West Asia war exposes fragility in India’s neighbourhood, potentially forcing New Delhi’s hand
Three weeks into the West Asia war (US-Israel strikes on Iran, beginning February 28, 2026), all of India's immediate neighbours — Maldives,...
US eases sanctions on sale of Iranian oil in transit, as Iran conflict upends global energy markets
The US Treasury Department on March 20, 2026 issued a 30-day sanctions waiver permitting the sale of approximately 140 million barrels of Ir...
India to begin carbon market trading in the country within four months, says Union Power Minister
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced at the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 in New Delhi that India will begin formal trading i...
War in West Asia sparks a battle in Surat—of survival, staying afloat & averting another crisis
Escalating conflict in West Asia has triggered cascading disruptions for Surat's twin industrial pillars — the diamond cutting and polishing...
U.S., Israel attack Iran's Natanz nuclear facility: Iran atomic energy organisation
The United States and Israel struck Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment complex on March 21, 2026 — the third week of the West Asia war. Iran's...
International Day of Forests 2026 | Theme, significance and economic importance of forest ecosystems
The United Nations designated March 21 as International Day of Forests, with the 2026 theme selected as "Forests and Economies" by the UN Fo...
Govt hikes commercial LPG allocation to 50 pc as domestic output improves
The Government of India approved an additional 20% allocation of commercial LPG to states and Union Territories, taking total allocation to ...
Iran launches missile at US and UK’s Diego Garcia base, reveals new striking capability
Iran launched two ballistic missiles targeting Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, approximately 4,000 km from ...
'Condemn attack on critical infrastructure': PM Modi speaks to Iran president, says 'shipping lanes must stay open'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his second telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian since the start of the US-Isra...
'Did not initiate war': In call with PM Modi, Iran President Pezeshkian calls on India-chaired Brics to play role in halting aggressions
In a call with PM Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran "did not initiate the war" and called on India-chaired BRICS to play a...
Middle East war likely to trigger global inflation shock; India relatively insulated: SBI Research
SBI Research released a report warning that the ongoing Middle East conflict could trigger a fresh wave of global inflation if disruptions t...
First randomisation of EVM-VVPATs completed in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry
The Election Commission of India (ECI) completed the first randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Aud...
A Rajya Sabha rummy: How BJP manages ‘floating majority’ with bellwether backings
Despite sweeping the 2014, 2019, and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has never held a standalone majority in the Rajya Sabha, owing to the...
India: Targeting commercial ships unacceptable
India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, addressed an emergency session of the International Maritime Organisatio...
India's air corridor shrinks as conflict in W Asia expands
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory urging Indian airlines to avoid 11 airspaces in West Asia amid escalatin...
No one should indulge in hate speech, says SC
The Supreme Court declared that no individual or group should indulge in hate speech, reiterating that existing penal provisions must be app...
SC: Officials of 3 states liable for Chambal mining
The Supreme Court of India (bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta), in a suo motu case, warned that officials of Rajasthan, Madhya...
New regulator replaces Dental Council of India
The National Dental Commission (NDC) became operational on March 19, 2026, replacing the Dental Council of India (DCI) which had regulated d...
Hands-on training must for foreign medical grads: NMC
The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice mandating that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who completed part of their MBBS progr...
FPI outflow nears record at '93.7k cr
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have pulled out close to ₹93,700 crore (~$10.8 billion) from Indian markets in the financial year 2025-26...
What makes GLP-1 drugs transformative also make them susceptible to misuse
Semaglutide's patent expired in India in March 2026, opening the market to generic competition. As many as 50 domestic brands are expected t...
US has allowed 30-day sale of Iran oil at sea to curb prices. Can India benefit?
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a 30-day General License (GL) authorizing transactions necessary...
Heatwaves to hailstorms: Why is March seeing such erratic weather this year?
March 2026 opened with anomalous heatwave conditions across North India, with Delhi recording temperatures near 37°C, then saw a dramatic re...
Desperate measures: Why Trump suspended sanctions on Iranian oil at sea
The Trump administration issued a 30-day general licence waiving sanctions on Iranian crude oil already in transit at sea — approximately 14...
CJI bench: Criticism of apex court judgments no affront to judiciary
A bench led by the Chief Justice of India ruled that criticism of Supreme Court judgments does not amount to contempt of court or an affront...
Can cut 46k mangroves for Mumbai project: SC
The Supreme Court of India (bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi) refused to interfere with the Bomb...
World Water Day 2026: Ice-loss rate in the Hindukush Himalaya doubled since 2000, says ICIMOD
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) released two landmark reports on World Water Day (March 21, 2026): "Ch...
Israel attacks Tehran, Beirut as U.S. sends Marines to West Asia
Israel carried out fresh airstrikes on Tehran and Beirut on March 21, 2026, marking the 21st consecutive day of the US-Israel military campa...
Arms, ammunition, 50 IEDs seized in Manipur
Security forces conducting search operations across multiple districts of Manipur seized a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and 50 Imp...
World Bank report suggests “New Water-Food Nexus Framework” for smarter hydrological use to feed 10 billion people
A new World Bank report released in March 2026 proposes a "New Water-Food Nexus Framework" to avert a global food-water crisis as the world ...
Ukraine launches more than 280 drones at Russia: Moscow
Ukraine launched over 280 drones at Russian territory overnight, one of the largest single drone barrages since the war began in February 20...
Beyond imports and subsidies: Reckoning with fertilisers, driven by domestic innovation
A policy analysis argues that India's fertiliser strategy — currently dominated by heavy imports and large subsidies — needs a structural sh...
Exploring oil palm’s untapped carbon sequestration potential
A growing body of research and policy discussion is examining oil palm's potential as a carbon-sequestering crop, challenging the convention...
Pentagon to adopt Palantir AI as core U.S. military system, memo says
A March 9, 2026 memorandum from US Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg formally designated Palantir Technologies' Maven Smart System (MS...
Iran ready to let Japanese vessels transit Strait of Hormuz, say reports
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran is prepared to allow Japan-related vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, wi...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Refiners in India, elsewhere in Asia, look to buy Iranian oil after U.S. waives sanctions
Indian refiners — including state-owned IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL — are actively seeking non-Middle East crude supply as the Iran-Israel-US war e...
If you still need to fly amid global travel chaos, here’s what to know
Ongoing missile and drone strikes across West Asia have led to the closure of major regional airspace, severely disrupting global aviation r...
Himachal CM Sukhu presents ₹54,928-crore budget for 2026-27
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the state budget for 2026-27 with a total outlay of ₹54,928 crore, marking ...
Maharashtra will be at the forefront of India’s orange economy: CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated "Gen O – Pixels & Play," a four-day gaming and digital content festival at MMRDA Gr...
Kerala CM blames successive Congress, BJP governments at Centre for India’s cooking gas crisis
Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan publicly blamed consecutive Congress and BJP-led central governments for India's ongoing cooking ga...
CM Revanth to release first instalment of Rythu Bharosa on March 22, inaugurate oil palm factory in Siddipet
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced the release of the first instalment of Rythu Bharosa farm income support on March 22, amoun...
Modi-Netanyahu rapport, Hindu-Jew ties, food & culture—former BJP MP brings back ‘Namaste Shalom’
A magazine focused on India-Israel relations titled "Namaste Shalom" has been relaunched by former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay, originall...
Refiners in India, elsewhere in Asia look to buy Iranian oil after U.S. waives sanctions
Indian refining companies confirmed they will purchase Iranian crude oil following the US Treasury's 30-day sanctions waiver, with three maj...
Tripura Government accommodating fake private universities, Opposition alleges
The Tripura Legislative Assembly passed three bills to establish new private universities on March 20, 2026, amid a walkout by opposition CP...
Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet oppose government’s 60% free seat selection decision
The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to instruct all airlines to designate a minimum of ...
Telangana Budget FY2026-27: Government announces Indiramma Family Life Insurance scheme, ₹5 lakh each to 1.15 crore families
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka presented the state's ₹3,24,234 crore budget for 2026-27, annou...
South Korea coordinates with Iran to normalise shipping route through Strait of Hormuz
South Korea entered active diplomatic consultations with Iran and other relevant nations to secure normalisation of shipping lanes through t...
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli 'aggression' against Syria
Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian army camps in the southern Sweida province on March 20, 2026, targeting military infrastructure includi...
Beyond the Biennale: How murals are rewriting Kochi’s streets
As the 2024–25 edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) unfolds, its Island Mural Project has transformed the walls of Fort Kochi and Mat...
45,000 mangroves at stake: Actors, activists rally as courts clear decks for Mumbai coastal road project
Plans to clear approximately 45,000 mangroves along Mumbai's western coast for the proposed Versova–Bhayandar Coastal Road have triggered su...
US eases sanctions on sale of Iranian oil in transit, as Iran conflict upends global energy markets
The US Treasury, led by Secretary Scott Bessent, issued a 30-day sanctions waiver on March 20, 2026, authorising the purchase of Iranian cru...
Trump says US considering ‘winding down’ Iran ops, as US moves to ease global energy disruptions
US President Donald Trump stated on March 20, 2026 — Day 21 of the Iran war — that he was considering "winding down" military operations, ci...
The week in charts: Iran war impact, US Fed decision, HDFC Bank crisis
The US Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 11-1 on March 18, 2026, to hold the benchmark federal funds rate steady ...
Iran fired missiles at joint U.S.-U.K. base in Indian Ocean: report
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), ma...
Govt moves to formalise IPS dominance in top CAPF positions with new bill
The Union Cabinet approved the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, to be introduced in Parliament by the Home M...
How Trump's stated reasons, goals and timeline for Iran war have shifted
Throughout the 21 days of the US-Israel war on Iran (beginning February 28, 2026), the Trump administration's stated objectives, justificati...
Buying property in South Mumbai? Middle East conflict could make it costlier — here's how
The ongoing conflict involving US-Israel-Iran has triggered a cascade of cost increases in India's real estate sector, driven primarily by s...
This World Forest Day, India must rethink how it governs its resources
On World Forest Day (March 21), researchers at the UN University Institute on Resource Nexus published an analysis arguing that India's fore...
Cost concerns delay safer building codes despite Himalayan threats
India's Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) released a major revision to IS 1893 (Part 1) — the national earthquake design code — in November 2...
India’s cotton acreage loses ground to rice, maize amid low productivity
India's cotton acreage has fallen sharply to 11.2 million hectares in 2025-26, down from 13.4 million hectares in 2019-20 — a decline of nea...
Tripura: BJP intensifies preparations for TTAADC polls, candidate list likely soon
Elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are scheduled for April 12, 2026, with counting on April 17, 2026...
The rising tide of eco‑anxiety among India’s youth: a call for climate resilience
A documented rise in eco-anxiety among Indian youth is attracting attention from health researchers and environmental advocates, with the ph...
Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum transforming seat of power to symbol of civilisational continuity: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project as transforming the former seat of British colonial power — Nor...
Express Exclusive: Govt asks WhatsApp to block device IDs used in digital arrest scams
The Ministry of Home Affairs' high-level inter-departmental committee directed WhatsApp to block all device IDs (hardware identifiers) assoc...
Animals that show intentional communication is not just human
A new body of research confirms that elephants engage in goal-directed, intentional gestural communication — a trait once considered uniquel...
CJI recuses self from hearing PILs on panel to select CEC & ECs
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recused himself from hearing PILs challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissio...
NTPC looking at imported PWR tech for its nuclear fleet, in talks with players in France, Russia & US
NTPC Ltd is in active discussions with nuclear technology providers from France (EDF), Russia (Rosatom), and the United States (Holtec Inter...
‘Undemocratic’ politics in Great Nicobar over land
Inequities have emerged between ex-servicemen settler families and the original indigenous islanders (Nicobarese and Shompen) over land comp...
ICAR–IVRI achieves breakthrough in Sahiwal breeding using advanced reproductive technologies
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) has achieved a breakthrough in Sahiwal cattle...
CAPF Bill says IPS officers’ deputation necessary for Union-State coordination, reserves 50% I-G rank posts for IPS
The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 directly responds to a May 23, 2025 Supreme Court judgment that directed...
India-China border trade via Lipulekh Pass to resume after six years
Border trade between India and China via Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, is set to resume in 2026 after a six-year suspe...
Amit Shah to present bill on CAPFs in Rajya Sabha on Monday
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha on March 24,...
India sends medical supplies to Afghanistan
India delivered a 2.5-ton consignment of emergency medicines, medical disposables, kits, and equipment to Afghanistan on March 20, 2026. The...
New I-T Act framework notified; taxpayer relief with stricter compliance from April 1
The Income Tax Rules 2026 notified several taxpayer relief provisions that take effect from April 1, 2026, under the new Income-tax Act 2025...
West Asia War Fallout: Premium petrol price raised Rs 2 a litre, bulk diesel up Rs 22
Oil marketing companies (OMCs) raised the price of premium petrol by approximately ₹2 per litre effective March 20, 2026, citing surging glo...
Iran’s strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan could impact some of QatarEnergy’s LNG supplies to India
Iranian missile strikes caused extensive damage to Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar — the world's largest LNG export hub — cutting Qatar'...
Explained: US approves sanctions relief for Iranian oil amidst its war with Tehran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the administration may unsanction Iranian oil already at sea — approximately 140 million ...
Explained: Ambedkar’s Mahad Satyagraha, how it became a ‘watershed moment of Dalit assertion’
The Mahad Satyagraha, led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on March 20, 1927, marks its 99th anniversary — a landmark event now widely recognised as the...
Why US is weighing Kharg Island takeover — and why it is a major risk
The United States is weighing a ground invasion and occupation of Kharg Island — Iran's primary oil export terminal, which handles approxima...
Russia, China and the US – the global winners and losers of the Iran war
The Iran conflict that began February 28, 2026, has triggered a major realignment of global energy flows, with Russia emerging as the primar...
Telangana’s share in Central devolution rises to 2.17%
Telangana's share in Central tax devolution has been fixed at 2.174% under the 16th Finance Commission's recommendations for 2026–31, up fro...
New Income Tax Act to be rooted in ethics: FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the Income Tax Department on the occasion of officially notifying the Income Tax Rules 2026, a...
As Iran war prolongs, Indian PMO asks Agriculture Ministry for measures to combat fertilizer, chemicals shortage
India's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to draw up contingency measures to address a potential fertilize...
Govt weighs expanding social security with insurance cover for 32 cr unorganised, gig and platform workers
The government is examining domestic and international models to design a social security scheme — including insurance cover — for an estima...
Trump calls NATO ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war
US President Donald Trump publicly denounced NATO as "COWARDS" and "A PAPER TIGER" without the US military, after NATO member states refused...
Pilot manufacturing plant of rare earth permanent magnets set up at ARCI, Hyderabad
A pilot manufacturing plant for Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd-Fe-B) rare earth permanent magnets has been inaugurated at the International Advanc...
Govt notifies income tax rules 2026; new compliance regime from April 1
The Central government notified the Income Tax Rules, 2026, implementing the Income-tax Act, 2025; the new compliance regime comes into forc...
Non-fossil-fuel-based power generation capacity to hit 786 GW or 70% mark by FY'36: Government report
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has released the 20th Electric Power Survey Midterm Review projecting that India's total installed p...
RBI’s Central Board assesses emerging global and domestic economic scenario
The Reserve Bank of India's Central Board of Directors held its 622nd meeting on March 20, 2026, in Patna, under Governor Sanjay Malhotra's ...
Index of eight core industries rises 2.3% in February 2026
The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rose by 2.3% in February 2026 compared to February 2025, with steel and cement leading growth while...
Chavdar Tale centenary year: Thousands throng Mahad, pay respects to Ambedkar
On March 20, 2026, thousands of people gathered at the Chavdar Tale tank in Mahad (Raigad district, Maharashtra) to mark the 99th anniversar...
WTO market access panel adopts outcome-tracking mechanism for trade concerns
The WTO's Committee on Market Access (CMA) adopted a new outcome-tracking mechanism on March 16–17, 2026, to record the resolution of specif...
Sri Lanka president confirms IRIS Dena was denied permission to dock, US bid to land warplanes refused
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirmed that his government denied docking permission to the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena and ...
Growth of eight core sectors halved to 2.3% in February, before West Asia crisis began
The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) grew by 2.3% in February 2026 compared to February 2025 — down sharply from 4.7% growth recorded in...
Sri Lanka refused U.S. request to land warplanes: Dissanayake
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake publicly confirmed that Colombo refused a US request to land two armed warplanes at Mattala R...
Government Highlights Significant Progress in Nano-Fertilizer Adoption and Drone-Led Agricultural Transformation
The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has reported that cumulative sales of nano-fertilizers have reached 1,593.37 lakh bottles of...
Iran warns world tourism sites ‘not safe’ for Israeli, U.S. officials; says it is still building missiles nearly three weeks into war
Nearly three weeks into the Iran conflict (which began February 28, 2026), Iran's military issued threats against "parks, recreational areas...
‘Lethargic’ officials who left Chambal sanctuary to the mercy of sand miners will be held liable: SC
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, taking suo motu cognisance of illegal sand mining in the National Chambal S...
Why has Madras High Court ordered eradication of seemai karuvelam? | Explained
The Madras High Court has issued fresh, comprehensive directions for the eradication of *Prosopis juliflora* (locally called seemai karuvela...
Political Parties to get advertisements pre-certified by MCMC
The Election Commission of India announced the election schedule for General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puduc...
DBT in Fertilizers Ensures Timely Subsidy Disbursal and Availability to Farmers
The Government of India has highlighted the successful implementation of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilizers system, which has ...
Production Linked Incentive Scheme
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Pharmaceuticals, approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2021, has attracted actual inves...
Power Minister stresses energy security amid global tensions
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, speaking at the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026, emphasised that ongoing global conflicts — particularly the We...
MNRE seeks sweeping powers under Electricity Act to govern India’s renewable energy sector
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sought a significant redrawing of institutional boundaries, asking for primary authority...
New Income Tax Act 2025 to prioritize simplicity and stakeholder engagement, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Income Tax Act 2025, which replaces the Income Tax Act 1961, will come into effect on...
ECI mandates pre-certification of political ads on social, electronic media ahead of elections
The Election Commission of India issued a directive making it mandatory for political parties and candidates to obtain prior certification f...
Core sectors growth slows down to 3-month low of 2.3 pc in Feb
Production growth in India's eight core infrastructure sectors slowed to 2.3% in February 2026, down from 3.4% in January 2026 — a visible m...
India minces no words in criticising Iran, says attacks on shipping, Hormuz disruption ‘unacceptable’
India issued its strongest diplomatic statement against Iran at the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) 36th extraordinary session, ...
CJI Surya Kant recuses from hearing pleas against 2023 EC appointments law; cites conflict of interest
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recused himself from hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Chief Ele...
India to revive key China trade route at Lipulekh in June after six-year break
India is set to reopen the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand for border trade with China in June 2026, ending a six-year suspension that began in...
Government unveils Rs 20000 crore credit guarantee plan for MFIs
The government has approved a Rs 20,000 crore (₹200 billion) credit guarantee scheme for microfinance institutions (MFIs), aimed at addressi...
PM Modi speaks with Bahrain King, condemns attacks on infrastructure, stresses secure shipping routes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa to discuss the ongoing conflict in ...
IEA advocates work from home, reduced air travel to tackle oil shock
The International Energy Agency (IEA) published a set of immediate demand-side oil conservation recommendations to cushion the impact of a h...
Amid Middle East war-related supply disruptions, govt emphasis on improving logistics ecosystem
The government has intensified its focus on improving India's logistics ecosystem in response to global supply chain disruptions linked to e...
Expansion of PMBJKs to Reduce Healthcare Costs
The government has highlighted the rapid expansion of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which now operates nearly 18,0...
Core sector output eased to a three-month low of 2.3% in February
India's Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) slowed to 2.3% in February 2026 — a three-month low — down from 3.4% in January 2026, driven by...
CBDT notifies rules for simplified income tax law, to be effective from April 1
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) formally notified the Income-tax Rules, 2026 on March 20, 2026, to operationalise the Income Tax Ac...
'Stand in solidarity with Afghanistan': India sends 2.5-ton medical aid to Kabul after Pakistani strikes on rehab centre
India dispatched a 2.5-tonne consignment of emergency medicines, medical disposables, kits, and equipment to Kabul on March 20, 2026. The ai...
Centre classifies key energy data as national security; mandates real-time reporting from oil and gas firms
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued the Petroleum and Natural Gas (Furnishing of Information) Order, 2026, through a gazette no...
NITI Aayog proposes National Job Skilling Policy to strengthen India’s skilling ecosystem
NITI Aayog member Arvind Virmani has authored a working paper titled "Education and Skilling for Employment: From Credentials to Learning Ou...
Implementation of Biopharma SHAKTI
The government has announced implementation details for the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme, first proposed in Union Budget 2026–27, with a total ou...
Amidst latest flare-up, Modi says attacks on energy sites condemnable
Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly condemned attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia as "condemnable" and warned they "can lead to ...
Life term for ‘mass’ conversion, displaying details of those who want to convert: What’s in Chhattisgarh’s new Bill?
The Chhattisgarh Assembly passed the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak (Freedom of Religion Bill), 2026, introducing significantly str...
Attacks on energy infrastructure bring the war in West Asia closer home
Israeli strikes on Iran's South Pars gas fields triggered intense Iranian retaliation against energy infrastructure across the Gulf, includi...
Af-Pak ‘open war’ risks becoming an intractable conflict
Commentary and strategic analysis emerging in late March 2026 warns that the Afghanistan-Pakistan military conflict — which erupted followin...
Experts Explain | Afghanistan-Pakistan War: How Pakistan’s strategic assets became its greatest threat
Following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory beginning February 21-22, 2026 — targeting camps linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan ...
As semaglutide drug patent expires today, what to know about weight loss drug availability
March 20, 2026 marks the nominal expiry date of the main compound patent for semaglutide — the active molecule in blockbuster drugs Ozempic ...
Prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could severely disrupt global supply chains: Study
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026 has triggered what analysts are calling the largest disruption to ...
Gas shortage caused by Iran war may push India back to dirtier fuels
The ongoing West Asia conflict — which has effectively disrupted Strait of Hormuz transit — has created an acute LPG shortage in India, rais...
European nations, Japan, Canada say will join safety efforts in Strait of Hormuz
The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada issued a joint statement on March 19, 2026, declaring readiness to contri...
Work from home, avoid air travel to deal with higher energy prices: International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report recommending a set of demand-side measures to ease oil price pressures on consumers ...
Joint statement on Strait of Hormuz by European nations, Japan, Canada
On March 19, 2026, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada issued a joint statement on...
Nearly 100 ships pass the Hormuz Strait - who is getting through?
Since Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began on February 28, 2026, fewer than 100 commercial ships have crossed the strait ...
U.S. issues new 30-day waiver for sale of Russian oil, adding Cuba, North Korea exceptions
The US Treasury Department issued a new 30-day general license permitting the sale of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products, repla...
ISRO’s PSLV debris found near Tamil Nadu. Scientists unclear on which mission it belonged to
Debris from an ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was discovered near the Tamil Nadu coastline. A three-member team from ISRO's Vikr...
US hints at easing Iran oil curbs - what it means for India
The US Treasury indicated it may lift sanctions on approximately 140 million barrels of Iranian crude oil currently stranded in tankers, a m...
Iranian attack hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, some damage reported
On March 19, 2026, Iranian missiles struck the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, causing limited but confirmed damage — debris f...
11 Maoists surrender ahead of March-end deadline, outfit restricted from 10 to 1 Gadchiroli subdivision
Eleven Maoist cadres surrendered before Gadchiroli police and CRPF ahead of the March 31, 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah...
U.S. may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, Bessent says
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the United States may remove sanctions on Iranian crude oil currently loaded and stranded ab...
Government proposal to preload Aadhaar app on phones faced pushback
The government's Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) privately proposed in January 2026 that companies like Apple, Samsung, and...
China poses pressing threat, deterrence needed to avert invasion, Taiwan says
Taiwan's government issued a formal assessment declaring that China poses a "pressing threat" and that stronger deterrence is essential to p...
Auto PLI disbursements under 10% as 2028 deadline approaches
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Automobiles and Auto Components has disbursed less than 10% of its total ₹25,938 crore budg...
Israel hits Tehran with airstrikes on Persian New Year as war jolts energy markets
Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran on March 20, 2026 — the morning of Nowruz (Persian New Year), as millions of Iranians observed the spri...
Three men charged with conspiring to smuggle U.S. artificial intelligence to China
US federal prosecutors charged three men — including a senior vice president of Super Micro Computer Inc. (Supermicro) — with conspiring to ...
With cost of inputs rising and exports disrupted, textile units in Perambalur take a hit
Textile manufacturing units in Perambalur district (Tamil Nadu) are reporting mounting financial stress as the West Asia conflict drives up ...
Oil down 2% as US considers lifting sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on vessels
Global crude oil prices fell 2–3% after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signalled that Washington may soon lift sanctions on Iranian cru...
EU asks for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and no more strikes on energy, water sites
All 27 EU heads of state, convening as the European Council in Brussels, issued a joint statement calling for the reopening of the Strait of...
Women and TB in India: a story of deprivation, discrimination and debt
A detailed investigation into tuberculosis (TB) among women in India reveals a pattern of triple disadvantage: women with TB face deprivatio...
Fire at Kuwait refinery as Gulf states come under drone, missile attacks
Iran launched coordinated drone and missile attacks on energy infrastructure across multiple Gulf states, with Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi refin...
Andaman's tribal delegation meets Rahul Gandhi, raises concern over Great Nicobar project
A delegation from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, comprising members of the Tribal Council from Nicobar District and leaders of the All Ind...
Why Iran is attacking Gulf energy infrastructure
On March 18, 2026, Iran launched a major wave of missile and drone strikes against Gulf energy infrastructure in retaliation for an Israeli ...
India’s auto boom at risk as Iran-Israel war chokes gas supplies, straining supply chains
India's booming automotive sector — the world's third-largest car market — is facing production disruptions as the Iran-Israel war chokes na...
Climate change could pose a major risk to cassava in Africa: study sets out what can be done now
A new peer-reviewed study mapping cassava suitability and disease risk across Africa through 2080 found that while rising temperatures may e...
Six allies ready to help ‘efforts to ensure safe passage’ through Hormuz Strait
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan issued a joint statement declaring readiness "to contribute to appropriate effor...
Before salt, there was water: why Mahad Satyagraha deserves its centenary
March 20, 2026 marks the centenary of the Mahad Satyagraha — the landmark civil rights protest led by B.R. Ambedkar on March 20, 1927, in Ma...
Japan's Takaichi tries to reaffirm alliance with Trump as he seeks help securing Strait of Hormuz
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on March 19, 2026, seeking to reaffirm the US-J...
India maps supply chain gaps in pharma, textiles, fertilizers amid West Asia war
India has begun systematically mapping supply chain gaps in critical sectors — pharmaceuticals, textiles, and fertilizers — triggered by the...
India notifies Income Tax Rules, 2026: What's in it
The government has officially notified the Income Tax Rules, 2026, which will govern the implementation of the Income-Tax Act, 2025 — the le...
'Trade flows are returning to India, but markets remain unintegrated': Glazyev calls for Russia-India financial integration
Sergey Glazyev, State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, addressed the Russian-Indian Forum "From the Volga to the Ganges" ...
Masi Magam: an auspicious day for Irular community to reconnect with their roots on Mamallapuram seashores
Thousands of Irular tribal community members gathered on the seashores of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu to celebrate Masi Magam...
Rupee in free fall, down 60 paise to new all-time low of 93.49 against US dollar
The Indian rupee fell to an all-time low of 93.49 against the US dollar on March 20, 2026 — down 60 paise in intraday trading — breaching th...
Drugs worth over Rs 23 crore seized in Mizoram’s Champhai
Security forces seized drugs worth over ₹23 crore in Mizoram's Champhai district, a recurring hotspot for narcotics trafficking from Myanmar...
UAE, Qatar, Kuwait & more: DGCA asks airlines to avoid 9 airspaces amid escalating Middle East tensions
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a safety advisory directing all Indian airlines to avoid the airspaces of nine c...
LPG crisis: In Kerala, war reaches the doorsteps
The West Asia war's disruption of LPG supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz has translated into an acute cooking gas shortage in Kerala...
Delhi HC to hear on March 23 Gautam Gambhir’s lawsuit to protect personality rights
Cricket coach and public figure Gautam Gambhir has filed a civil suit before the Delhi High Court seeking comprehensive protection of his pe...
TMC MP moves Cal HC over transfer of IAS, IPS officers by Election Commission
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament has moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) mass ...
Fighting a looming threat of erasure: The outrage over amendments to trans rights law
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha, triggering widespread protests from tran...
Cooking gas crisis on the boil across Telangana
A severe LPG (cooking gas) shortage has taken hold across Telangana, with households, restaurants, and small businesses struggling to secure...
Trump, Netanyahu split on gas field attack, raise questions about whether they’re in sync on war
A significant public rift emerged between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's decision to ...
UAE says it dismantled 'terrorist network' funded by Iran and Hezbollah
The UAE's State Security Apparatus (SSA) dismantled a terrorist network funded and directed by Iran and Hezbollah, arresting all its members...
UN shipping body calls for ‘safe maritime framework’ in Gulf
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN's specialised shipping agency, convened an extraordinary two-day session of its Counci...
Global Terrorism Index 2026 : Map in report shows Jammu as part of China
The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026 report, published by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on March 19, 2026, dr...
Indigenous drone production ecosystem needed for strategic autonomy: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, inaugurating the two-day National Defence Industries Conclave 2026 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi (organised...
U.S. States challenge Trump decision to revoke basis of U.S. climate regulations
Twenty-four US states, 10 cities, and five counties filed a legal petition on March 19, 2026 in the US Court of Appeals for the District of ...
Govt classifies energy data as national security matter
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a gazette notification on March 18, 2026 — the Petroleum and Natural Gas (Furnishing of Inf...
AI-powered tax governance in India and its challenges
India's tax administration has increasingly deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to detect anomalies, improve co...
West Asia troubles to delay India’s FTA talks with GCC countries and Israel
India's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been pushed to the second half of 2026 due to o...
Govt expands scheme to enable CBG injection in gas pipelines
The Government of India has expanded a scheme to enable the injection of Compressed Biogas (CBG) into the national natural gas pipeline (NGP...
EU lawmakers vote to advance U.S. trade deal
The European Parliament's trade committee voted 29 in favour on March 19, 2026 to advance the EU-US trade deal (the "Turnberry deal"), pavin...
24 States, U.T.s set aside funds for new rural jobs scheme
Twenty-four states and Union Territories have set aside funds in their FY2026–27 state budgets for the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar an...
Modi, Jaishankar work the phones, call for dialogue as strikes on energy infrastructure escalate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held calls with at least six world leaders within a 24-hour period, including French President Emmanuel Macron,...
Nine-judge Supreme Court Bench reserves verdict on ambit of ‘industry’
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, reserved its verdict on March 19, 2026, afte...
Chhattisgarh Assembly passes new anti-conversion Bill with stricter provisions
The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly passed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, replacing earlier anti-conversion legislation ...
T.N. Assembly’s annual sitting days declined from 64 in the first term to 32 in the 16th: PRS study
A study by PRS Legislative Research reveals that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly's 16th term (2021-2026) recorded the lowest sitting day...
Israel, GCC trade pact talks lose steam, UK FTA likely to be implemented by May
The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in July 2025 after three years of negotiations, is on track for implementation by early May ...
U.S. approves over $16 billion in arms sales to Gulf states hit by Iran war
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked an emergency waiver under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), declaring that an "emergency exists ...
Unfenced border in focus amid arrest of seven foreigners who crossed to Myanmar via porous border
Seven foreigners — six Ukrainians and one US citizen — were arrested in India on the night of March 13 for illegally crossing into Myanmar f...
Oil, power, and politics of disruption
The ongoing US-Israel war against Iran (initiated February 28, 2026, under Operation Epic Fury) has effectively disrupted transit through th...
India to pitch for strengthening WTO at upcoming ministerial: Officials
Ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), Indian officials have outlined India's overarc...
Iran may let more Indian vessels pass Hormuz Strait: Lloyds List
Maritime data company Lloyd's List Intelligence reported that nine Indian-owned or Indian-linked ships have exited through Iran's permitted ...
Modi discusses West Asia situation with leaders of Qatar, France, Jordan, Oman, Malaysia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate telephonic conversations with five world leaders — the Amir of Qatar, French President Emmanuel M...
India rolls out ₹497 crore RELIEF scheme to support exporters amid West Asia conflict
The central government unveiled the RELIEF scheme — Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — with a total financial o...
Food security and agriculture issues top India’s agenda at WTO meet
At the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), India has placed food security and agricult...
Ashwini Vaishnaw announces rail push along India-Pak border to strengthen defence readiness
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a major push to build railway infrastructure along the India-Pakistan border to enhance militar...
Govt launches ₹497-crore RELIEF for exporters with deadline relief, insurance cover, MSME aid
The Government of India launched the Rs 497 crore Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme to provide t...
Iran-Israel war: Brent tops $114 as Strait of Hormuz remains closed; Petrol, diesel prices in India hold stable
Brent crude oil prices crossed $114 per barrel on March 19, 2026, briefly touching $119 after Iranian forces struck Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG c...
AI, data centres could raise India’s peak power demand by 30GW
A new analysis projects that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence workloads and data centres could increase India's peak electrici...
West Asia crisis: Govt launches Rs 497-cr scheme to give relief to affected exporters
The Government of India launched the Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme with a financial outlay o...
India to extend Myanmar pulse deal for 5 years to secure ‘dal’ supplies amid global supply chain shocks
India is set to extend its bilateral pulse import deal with Myanmar for an additional five years, securing guaranteed supplies of pigeon pea...
Two decades on, Chhattisgarh puts number of tribals displaced by Maoist violence at 31,098
Two decades after the displacement of tribal communities from Bastar division due to Maoist violence, the Chhattisgarh government has offici...
Must work in mission mode to emerge as global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the National Defence Industries Conclave 2026, calling for India to work in mission mode to become ...
Iran war: Why Ras Laffan and South Pars attacks compound India’s worries
Israel struck Iran's South Pars gas field — the world's largest natural gas reserve — in a major military escalation in the Iran-Israel conf...
Why Punjab CM wants Rajasthan to pay Rs 1.44 lakh crore for water used since 1960
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced that the state government will formally claim Rs 1.44 lakh crore from Rajasthan for wate...
DME Technology: How fuel developed in India may help reduce LPG dependence
The West Asia crisis has revived attention on Dimethyl Ether (DME) — an indigenous alternative cooking fuel developed by CSIR-National Chemi...
Attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities could impact India but we have diversified sources as well: Officials
Iranian forces struck Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City — the world's largest LNG export complex — as part of retaliatory strikes following...
Jammu & Kashmir scales up e‑NAM trade with InterState shipments
Jammu and Kashmir significantly expanded its participation in the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform, recording a rise in intersta...
Ahmedabad, Surat, Hyderabad ready to roll out e-buses under PM E-DRIVE, with a budget allocation of ₹4,391 crore
The cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, and Hyderabad moved to operational readiness for electric bus deployment under the PM E-DRIVE (Electric Driv...
India hopes to implement FTA with UK by May 1, EU by November-end
A senior Indian government official confirmed that India aims to implement the India-UK Free Trade Agreement by May 1, 2026, and have the In...
West Asia troubles to delay India’s FTA talks with GCC countries and Israel
The ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has directly disrupted India's trade negotiation calendar with both the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ...
RELIEF scheme to help exporters mitigate losses from logistics disruptions due to West Asia crisis
The Government of India unveiled the RELIEF scheme — Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export promotion — a ₹497 crore insurance and...
Storage in 40% of India’s key reservoirs below 50% of capacity
According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) weekly bulletin, total water storage across 166 major monitored reservoirs in India stands...
LPG supply a ‘matter of concern’, says India as Israel & Iran strike West Asia gas fields
India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal formally described the LPG supply situation as a "matter of concern" — a d...
SC status sought for Dalit Christians in A.P.
Dalit Christian organisations and leaders in Andhra Pradesh have renewed the demand for Scheduled Caste (SC) status for Dalit converts to Ch...
Dindu, the slender loris, is Dindigul district’s election mascot
The Dindigul district administration in Tamil Nadu has unveiled "Dindu" — an animated slender loris character — as the official mascot for t...
Government announces ₹497 crore RELIEF scheme for exporters impacted by West Asian crisis
The government launched the ₹497 crore RELIEF (Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme under the Export Promot...
India’s power capacity to double to 1,121 GW by 2035-36 as solar leads energy transition: CEA’s 20th Electric Power Survey Midterm Review
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) released the Midterm Review of the 20th Electric Power Survey on March 19, 2026, projecting India's ...
NASA space launch: Artemis 2 rocket roll-out tonight! 5 big updates on moon mission
NASA began rolling out the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Flori...
World trade in goods may slow to 1.4-1.9% due to West Asia crisis: WTO report
The World Trade Organization released a report projecting global merchandise trade growth will slow sharply to 1.9% in 2026 — down from 4.6%...
Rajnath Singh calls for mission-mode push to make India global drone manufacturing hub by 2030
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for a mission-mode push to make India a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing by 2030, emphasis...
India holds ground on key WTO issues ahead of MC14, but stance is flexible: Sources
India is holding firm on its core positions ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled for March 26–29, 2026, in Yaounde...
Watch: Saudi Arabia hosts urgent talks as Iran war escalates across Gulf
Saudi Arabia convened an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations in Riyadh on March 19, 2026, as the US-Israel ...
Scheduled Tribes finance body got just 2% of Rs 750 crore it sought from Centre, defunct in 6 states
A parliamentary panel has found that the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) received just ₹15 crore of t...
India exploring power grid links with Sri Lanka to boost cross-border energy trade: Power Minister Khattar
Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, during discussions with Sri Lankan counterparts on March 19, 2026, announced that India is actively expl...
Pakistan joins Riyadh bloc’s condemnation of Iranian strikes. What it means for pieces on the board
Pakistan formally joined a Saudi Arabia-led coalition condemning Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf targets, positioning itself alongside t...
Taiwan rejects China's energy security 'reunification' offer amid West Asian war
China made a formal offer to Taiwan linking energy security guarantees to political reunification — proposing stable LNG supply under "peace...
India faces 'triple threat' amid West Asia crisis, high energy costs, falling remittances, reverse migration: Report
A report by ASK Wealth Advisors has warned that India faces a "triple threat" from the ongoing West Asia conflict: soaring energy costs, dec...
RBI assessing how Russian entities can use rupee funds in Indian markets
The Reserve Bank of India is in active assessment mode regarding how Russian entities — businesses, state companies, and banks — can product...
Hapag Lloyd incurring $50 million in extra costs per week, 25,000 shipments impacted due to West Asia war, says CEO
Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container shipping company, disclosed it is incurring approximately $50 million in extra costs per we...
Congress opposes VBSA Bill to replace UGC, AICTE, NCTE
Congress has formally opposed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025, which proposes to replace the University Grants Commis...
‘Possibly orchestrated’: Kyiv expresses ‘serious concern’ over terror charges against 6 Ukrainians
Six Ukrainian nationals were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 13, 2026, along with one American citizen, on char...
India calls for an end to attacks on civilian & energy infra as Israel, Iran hit Gulf energy sites
India issued a formal diplomatic statement calling attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure across West Asia "deeply disturbing" and "u...
Climate action could help prevent over 13.5 million deaths due to air pollution by 2050: Study
A new study published in *The Lancet Global Health* found that climate action limiting global warming to 2°C could prevent over 13.5 million...
India needs $2.2 trillion investment in power sector over next 20 years: Power Secy
Union Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal stated that India will require approximately $2.2 trillion in power sector investment over the next two...
Anti-establishment X accounts ‘withheld’ in India as takedowns spread
Multiple X (formerly Twitter) accounts with anti-establishment content — including parody handles, accounts criticising government policy, a...
Depleting oxygen levels due to rising CO2 in mangrove waters threatening fish nurseries
A study published in *Geophysical Research Letters* (American Geophysical Union) has found that rising atmospheric CO2 is simultaneously low...
Lack of ‘sustainable water sources’ will thwart Jal Jeevan Mission: panel
A parliamentary standing committee has flagged a critical structural flaw in Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): taps have been installed across milli...
India in talks with Russia, Belarus, Morocco to boost fertiliser imports, sources say
India is in active negotiations with Russia, Belarus, and Morocco to boost imports of key fertilizers — primarily urea (nitrogenous) and DAP...
India-UK FTA likely to be implemented by early May; EU by year-end: Officials
India's Free Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom is expected to be implemented by early May 2026, following completion of parliamentary ...
Bill to curb forced religious conversions tabled in Chhattisgarh Assembly
The Chhattisgarh state government, led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, introduced the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 (also re...
‘Russia driving wedge’: Kyiv denies anti-India plot, seeks fair probe into detention of 6 Ukrainians
Ukraine's government officially rejected allegations that the Ukrainian state was involved in any conspiracy against India's internal securi...
India to buy LPG from Russia? MEA says will ensure 'people's fuel needs are met'
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that India is exploring the option of procuring Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Russ...
Three weeks, three challenges: Inside India’s battles as Middle East explodes
Three weeks into Operation Epic Fury — the US-Israel joint military operation against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure launched in...
Iran War: India faces 'triple threat' amid West Asia crisis
A report by ASK Wealth Advisors has highlighted India's "triple threat" vulnerability from the ongoing West Asia crisis: rising energy impor...
RBI working to provide avenues to Russian trade counterparts for INR use
At the Russia-India Business Forum in Mumbai on March 19, 2026, N. Senthil Kumar, Chief General Manager of the RBI's Foreign Exchange Depart...
‘Sense of worry among exporters’: Govt approves Rs 497 cr ‘RELIEF’ scheme amid West Asia disruptions
Exporters across sectors described a "sense of worry" as the West Asia shipping crisis — centred on the near-blockade of the Strait of Hormu...
NITI Aayog lays out a roadmap to make India global manufacturing hub for high quality sports goods
NITI Aayog released a comprehensive report — "Realising the Export Potential of India's Sports Equipment Manufacturing Sector" — proposing a...
Farmers seek agri, dairy carve-out in India-US trade deal over duty-free import fears
Farmers' organisations have rallied against key components of the proposed India-US trade agreement, demanding a formal legal carve-out that...
Phones of 7 foreigners, ‘involved’ in conspiracy against India, sent for data analysis; Delhi court remands them to NIA custody
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals — six Ukrainians and one American — on charges of alleged conspirac...
Global trade growth to slow to 1.4-1.9%, Middle East conflict a risk: WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) released an updated Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report on March 19, 2026, forecasting global merc...
5 key issues at upcoming WTO meet, India to play constructive role: Official
The WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) is scheduled to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon from March 26–29, 2026, bringing together trade mi...
India recommends anti-dumping duty on Chinese chemical used in dye industry
India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended imposition of anti-dumping duty on a Chinese chemical used in the pharm...
Govt launches Rs 497-cr ‘RELIEF’ scheme to help exporters hit by West Asia crisis; sets up IMG
The Government of India launched the RELIEF (Resilience and Logistic Intervention for Export promotion) scheme with a total financial outlay...
India ranks 116th in World Happiness Report 2026
The World Happiness Report 2026 has ranked India at 116th out of 147 countries, with a life evaluation score of 4.536 on a scale of 0–10. Th...
Govt launches ₹497-crore RELIEF scheme as West Asia crisis disrupts exports
The government constituted an inter-ministerial group to coordinate India's response to the export disruptions caused by the 2026 West Asia ...
Congress says higher education Bill violative of federal structure, raises 7 'serious concerns'
Congress has formally raised seven "serious concerns" about the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025, labelling it violative o...
'Very unusual, need remedy': SC on Mamata 'obstructing' ED charge
On March 18, 2026, the Supreme Court of India expressed strong concern over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's personal interventi...
Choice of food to phone ownership: 33 questions Odisha residents will be asked from April 16
The Odisha state government conducted a comprehensive doorstep survey of residents covering 33 questions on a wide range of socio-economic i...
Proposed changes to Transgender Persons Act turn back the clock on rights and dignity
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 13, 2026, proposing significant...
Why Supreme Court struck down the 3-month cap on maternity leave for adoptive mothers
On March 17, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down Section 5(4) of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (as amended in 2017), which restricted 12 w...
Dire Straits: Some vessels trickle through Hormuz, their unusual paths indicate a nod from Iran
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been squeezed to a trickle since the US-Israel military campaign against Iran began on Feb...
CSIR-NGRI, SRI partner to advance geothermal energy exploration
The CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Shri Ram In...
How can temples be classified as 'industry', asks Tamil Nadu board in SC
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Board raised a pointed objection before the Supreme Court: How can temples ...
Earlier too, foreign mercenaries went to Myanmar via Mizoram
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals on March 13, 2026 — including American citizen Matthew VanDyke ...
World Happiness Report 2026: Finland happiest country for ninth time, India ranks 116th
The World Happiness Report 2026 ranked Finland as the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, with a Cantril ladder score o...
Panini’s Ashtadhyayi: Solution to a 2,500-year-old problem now out as a book
A book titled *Panini's Perfect Rule: A Modern Solution to an Ancient Problem in Sanskrit Grammar* by Rishi Rajpopat has been published, doc...
India’s corn exports may gain due to Iran war, other factors
Experts project India could export approximately 6.5 million tonnes of maize (corn) in the current marketing year (ending September 2026), w...
India, Pakistan ties ‘remain a risk’ for nuclear conflict: U.S. Intelligence
The U.S. Intelligence Community's Annual Threat Assessment, presented to the U.S. Senate, warned that the risk of nuclear conflict between I...
Russia-Ukraine peace talks paused amid Iran war: report
The Russia-Ukraine peace talks — a trilateral process involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine — have been put on pause, according to Russia's ...
India's young are more educated than ever. So why are so many jobless?
A major research report — the Azim Premji University's State of Working India 2026 — finds that while India's youth workforce is becoming si...
Urgent need to reduce mineral demand and prioritise sustainable alternatives for a rapid, just energy transition: Greenpeace
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report stressing the urgent need to reduce the demand for critical minerals and prioritise ...
What does passed in ‘Guillotine’ mean in parliament?
The Lok Sabha applied the "guillotine" during the 2025 Budget Session to pass all remaining Demands for Grants in a single vote, fast-tracki...
Markets tumble 2% as Israel attacks world’s largest gas field in Iran
Israel conducted an air raid on March 18, 2026 targeting treatment facilities at Asaluyeh, the onshore processing hub for the South Pars gas...
Transgender persons bill 'draconian', expect no better from government: Derek O'Brien
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 has been introduced in Parliament, proposing significant changes to the ...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Tehran intensifies attacks on Gulf energy facilities after Israel hits Iranian gas field
The US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026 (Operation Epic Fury), entered a dangerous new phase on March 18–19 as Is...
House panel says Trump tariff likely to have ‘significant impact’, calls for India-US trade ties review
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has warned that the enhanced U.S. tariff regime is likely to have a "significant impact" on I...
U.S. weighs military reinforcements as Iran war enters possible new phase
The U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, 2026, has crossed its third week wit...
‘Not our war’: Europe says no to Trump
Major European NATO allies — including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece — publicly rejected President Trump's call to ...
RBI approves transition plan after HDFC Bank chairman’s resignation
Following the abrupt resignation of Part-Time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank — citing ethics concerns — the RBI issued a formal s...
Oil surges 4% as Iran-Qatar energy hubs hit, fears of wider supply shock rise
Crude oil prices surged over 4% following attacks on Iran's South Pars gas field and Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG hub, raising fears of a wider en...
RNFI introduces cardless cash withdrawals via UPI QR with Jio Payments Bank
RNFI Services Limited (operating through its fintech platform Relipay) announced a nationwide rollout of UPI QR-based cardless cash withdraw...
U.S. eases Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump seeks to boost world oil supply during Iran war
The U.S. Treasury issued a broad authorization allowing Venezuela's state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), to sell Venezuel...
Israel will not attack Iranian gas field any more: U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that Israel acted alone in striking Iran's South Pars gas field, distancing the U.S. from the at...
Maharashtra’s sugarcane leopards: Vantara ‘fix’ sparks conservation debate amid human-wildlife conflict
Maharashtra's Forest Department signed an agreement with Vantara — a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility run by the Reliance Foundat...
Israel’s tolerance for persistent threats on its borders has eroded: US intel on Iran war
An analysis published in The Hindu argues that Israel's tolerance for persistent security threats on its borders has fundamentally changed f...
Tehran intensifies attacks on Gulf energy facilities after Israel hits Iranian gas field
Following Israeli strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure acr...
World Happiness Report 2026: The social media and happiness connect
The World Happiness Report 2026 ranked India 116th out of approximately 143 countries, an improvement of two places from 118th in 2025 and u...
1,000 Indians still in Iran; 23,000 students in Gulf could not appear in CBSE exams: External Affairs Ministry
As of mid-March 2026, approximately 1,000 Indian nationals remain in Iran amid the ongoing 2026 Iran-Israel war, with evacuation efforts con...
Attacks on hospitals are surging in war zones. What do the laws of war say about protecting them?
Attacks on medical facilities in active conflict zones are surging, with MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) recording 1,348 attacks on health fa...
Explainer | Why India is pushing to cut remittance costs at WTO
India is leading a proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to reduce the cost of cross-border remittances, which currently average 6....
As West Asia war threatens gas supply, remembering a gas grid India never built
The ongoing West Asia war has created a severe disruption to global LNG (liquefied natural gas) supply chains, with analysts warning of a po...
Free trade between India and Russia is being worked upon, official says
At the "From the Volga to the Ganges" Russian-Indian Forum organised by the National Stock Exchange (NSE), senior Russian official Sergey Gl...
Tamil Nadu surpasses Gujarat, Maharashtra to become India's top textile exporter
Tamil Nadu has become India's top textile-exporting state for FY 2024-25, recording shipments worth $7.997 billion — surpassing Gujarat ($5....
Statement on HDFC Bank Limited
Atanu Chakraborty resigned as Part-Time Non-Executive Chairman and Independent Director of HDFC Bank with immediate effect, citing that "cer...
Settlement Order in the matter of settlement applications filed under the Settlement Scheme for Association with certain Algo platforms, 2025
SEBI issued a settlement order resolving applications filed by noticees (parties who had received regulatory notices) in connection with sec...
LS clears Demands for Grants for various ministries, Rs 53-lakh crore approved
The Lok Sabha cleared the Demands for Grants for various ministries in respect of Union Budget 2026-27, with Speaker Om Birla applying the g...
ED can't claim 'fundamental right' to probe: West Bengal to SC
The West Bengal government argued before the Supreme Court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — as a department of the Central Government...
U.S. national debt surges past $39 trillion just weeks into war in Iran
The United States national debt crossed a record $39 trillion in mid-March 2026, with analysts attributing part of the acceleration to milit...
U.S. intel official says Iran's regime still intact but refuses to discuss talks with Trump about war
A senior U.S. intelligence official stated publicly that Iran's governing regime remains structurally intact despite three weeks of sustaine...
Cabinet nod for Rs 33,660 crore plan to set up 100 industrial parks
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) with a total outlay of ₹33,660...
QatarEnergy reports 'extensive damage' after missile attacks on Ras Laffan industrial city
Iran launched five ballistic missiles at Qatar; four were intercepted by air defences, but one struck Ras Laffan Industrial City — the world...
U.S. Fed holds rates unchanged over ‘uncertain’ Iran war implications
The US Federal Reserve voted to hold its benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%–3.75% for the second consecutive meeting, citing "un...
How Maharashtra Legislature cleared the Freedom of Religion Bill, and why most of the opposition parties did not oppose it
The Maharashtra Legislature cleared the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, making Maharashtra the 13th state in India to enact legi...
India weighs joining European sixth-generation fighter jet programmes FCAS or GCAP
India is actively weighing the option of joining one of two European sixth-generation fighter jet programmes: France-Germany-Spain's Future ...
Modi speaks to Kuwait Crown Prince; says safe, free navigation through Strait of Hormuz top priority
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah a...
Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missiles could potentially target U.S.: Tulsi Gabbard
US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee,...
Syria unveils plan to eliminate Assad’s chemical weapons
Syria's new government, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa (post-Assad, since December 2024), unveiled a plan — supported by Washington — to sy...
Second edition of IOS SAGAR set to boost maritime cooperation in Indian Ocean Region
The second edition of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR initiative commenced on March 16, 2026, reaffirming India's commitment to collaborat...
2-3 drones sighted along India’s border every day: Parliament panel report
A parliamentary standing committee report, drawing on Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data, reveals that 2-3 drones are sighted along India's...
China-bound Russian oil tanker diverted to India
The Russian Aframax tanker Aqua Titan, originally carrying 7.7 lakh barrels of Urals crude and headed to the Chinese port of Rizhao, reverse...
22 India-bound ships on Hormuz evacuation list
India has 22 ships stranded on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz, carrying over 5 lakh tonnes of LNG and LPG and 16.76 lakh tonnes of...
Iran hits Gulf energy sites after attack on its gas field
Israel, in coordination with the United States, struck Iran's South Pars gas field — the world's largest natural gas field — targeting Phase...
Are publication of books, manufacture of prasadam by temples an industrial activity, Supreme Court asks
A nine-judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant commenced hearing on March 17, 2026, and concluded...
Tribal Affairs Minister meets Vietnam counterpart to discuss Memorandum of Cooperation
India's Tribal Affairs Minister met his Vietnamese counterpart to discuss a draft Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) focused on tribal and indi...
China Gains Edge From Trump’s War With Iran, Officials Say
China's military and strategic community have been studying the US-Israel campaign against Iran as a live-fire laboratory, scrutinising Amer...
We have order for supplying 34 Dhruv, 180 Tejas Mk1A, 156 Prachand: HAL to Par panel on defence
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) informed a parliamentary standing committee on defence that it holds current orders for 34 Dhruv advance...
Parliament watch: Lok Sabha clears Rs 53 lakh crore spending via guillotine; no PLI payouts for solar firms, uranium projects await clearances
Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants for all ministries totalling over ₹53 lakh crore for Union Budget 2026-27 using the guillotine proce...
India extends domestic sourcing mandate to solar wafers, ingots for RE projects. How this aims at curbing Chinese imports
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework to include solar...
El Nino to emerge with rising temperatures and uneven rainfall ahead: APEC Climate Center
The APEC Climate Centre (APCC) has warned that a drought-inducing El Niño is likely to emerge around July 2026, coinciding with the middle o...
Cabinet approves ₹33,660 crore BHAVYA scheme to develop 100 industrial parks
The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA), allocating ₹33,660 crore to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks ...
2 lakh MT LPG, 16.7 lakh MT crude stuck in India-flagged vessels in Strait of Hormuz: Officials
Official data confirmed that 22 Indian-flagged vessels are stranded on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz, collectively carrying over ...
India’s Cabinet approves ₹1,718 crore MSP support to cotton farmers for 2023–24 season
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved MSP (Minimum Support Price) funding of ₹...
Amid supply crunch, govt offers 10% additional commercial LPG to states. But there’s a condition
Facing a domestic LPG supply crunch caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure, the Indian government has offered states a 10% additional alloca...
Cabinet approves ₹2,584 crore small hydro power scheme to boost clean energy
The Union Cabinet approved the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme for FY 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a central outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore...
India to stay focussed on food stockholding solution as WTO draft sidesteps key issues
Ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon (March 26-29, 2026), a draft text on agriculture has sidestepped In...
Indian crude oil tanker “Jag Laadki” docks at Mundra with UAE shipment
The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker MT Jag Laadki docked at Adani Ports Mundra (Gujarat) on March 18, 2026, carrying 80,886 metric tonnes of...
Large Hadron Collider discovers a new particle
The LHCb (Large Hadron Collider beauty) experiment at CERN has discovered a new subatomic particle named "Xi-cc-plus" (Ξcc+), making it the ...
Fuel, fertilizer, and food: The long tail of Iran conflict for India
The ongoing West Asia conflict, triggered by US-Israeli strikes against Iran from late February 2026, has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, th...
India's semiconductor market to reach $300 billion by 2035: Deloitte report
A Deloitte report titled "Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Predictions 2026" projects India's semiconductor market will grow from a...
Brothers & arms: The Taliban’s complicated relationship with Pakistan
Pakistan launched an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul on March 16, 2026, which the Taliban government says killed over 400...
One Nation, One Election could free 26 lakh teachers from poll duty—PM advisory council paper
A paper by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) argues that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies...
Israel claims it killed Iran Intelligence Minister; Tehran vows revenge for strike on gas field
Israel confirmed the killing of Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib on March 18, 2026 — one day after killing Iran's national securit...
India’s first report on Nagoya Protocol highlights progress in ensuring access & benefit sharing
India submitted its first national report on the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on February 27, 2026, cover...
From ‘water terrorist’ to water laureate: Iran’s ‘eco-warrior’ in exile Kaveh Madani wins 2026 Stockholm Water Prize
Kaveh Madani, 44, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), was awarded the 2026 St...
Cabinet approves Rs 33,600 crore BHAVYA scheme to develop plug and play industrial parks
The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA), allocating Rs 33,660 crore for developing 100 plug-and-play industrial ...
Iran says nuclear doctrine unlikely to change, Hormuz Strait needs new protocol
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that the country's nuclear doctrine is "unlikely to change" despite the ongoing US-Israel confl...
Cabinet approves Rs 11,712 crore MSP support for cotton in 2023-24; 7.25 lakh farmers benefit
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved ₹1,718.56 crore as reimbursement to the ...
BHAVYA Scheme gets Cabinet nod: Govt approves plug-and-play industrial parks plan with Rs 33,660 cr outlay
The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA) scheme on March 18, 2026, with a financial outlay of Rs 33,660 crore ov...
Cabinet nod to Rs 54,926 crore plans: BHAVYA parks, support for cotton farmers, UP highway, hydro push
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved a Rs 54,926 crore package of proposals in a single sitting on March 18, 2026. The...
CCEA approves Rs 1,718.56 crore funding to CCI for cotton procurement operations
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Rs 1,718.56 crore as funding support to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for ...
India's privatisation drive derails because of weak investor interest
India's privatisation programme has hit a significant setback, with three planned stake sales under consideration for shelving due to weak i...
Cabinet nod to Rs 1,718 cr MSP funding to Cotton Corp
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Rs 1,718.56 crore in MSP funding to the ...
'Kind people': Iran thanks India as it receives first medical aid shipment from New Delhi
India dispatched its first medical aid shipment to Iran on March 18, 2026 — Day 19 of the US-Israel war against Iran — comprising essential ...
6 Ukrainians held for 'terror plot', Kyiv seeks quick release
Six Ukrainian nationals — Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor — were arr...
67% of India's unemployed youth are graduates: Report
The State of Working India 2026 report, released by Azim Premji University, reveals that 67% of unemployed Indians aged 20–29 are graduates ...
‘LPG (liberalisation, privatisation, globalisation) has hit industry’: SC
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, is examining whether to revisit the 1978 Bangalore Wa...
400 killed in Pakistan strike on Kabul hospital; India slams 'barbaric act'
On the night of March 16, 2026, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on targets in Kabul including the state-run Omid Hospital — a 2,000-bed drug r...
Science & tech ministry approves setting up of quantum teaching facilities at 23 institutions
The Ministry of Science and Technology approved the establishment of quantum technology teaching facilities and undergraduate laboratories a...
Govt plans to delink women's quota from delimitation exercise
The Central Government is actively consulting Opposition leaders on amending the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 — the Nari Shakti ...
Centre signs MoUs with MP, Rajasthan to implement Jal Jeevan Mission Phase 2
The Centre signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0...
‘Violates federal character of Constitution’: Parliament panel spars over VBSA Bill that could redraw India’s higher education map
The 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 has become divided, with ...
Explained: Supreme Court to decide what counts as an ‘industry’ under Indian labour law
A 9-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, began hearing arguments on March 17, 2026 to reconsid...
Explained: The growing ambit of India’s online censorship mechanism
India's online content-blocking mechanism has expanded significantly beyond the centralised Section 69A pathway (Ministry-level blocking ord...
Protect constitutional right to self-identification of gender identity, urge committee
A committee — including members of the Tamil Nadu Trans and Intersex Welfare Board and civil society organisations — urged protection of the...
3 lakh tonnes of LPG in 6 Indian ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz
Six Indian-flagged ships carrying approximately 3 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of LPG — equivalent to roughly 3 days of India's national cooking ...
SC urges govt to bring in law on paternity leave
On March 17, 2026, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court (Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan) delivered judgment in *Hamsaanandini Na...
Terror group planned India hits, backed Myanmar rebels: Probe
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) foiled a major conspiracy involving an alleged American mercenary (Matthew VanDyke) and six Ukra...
Govt curbs import of diamond-studded gold, silver jewellery
The Indian government moved diamond-studded gold and silver jewellery to the "restricted" import category, requiring importers to obtain a p...
About 90 ships have crossed Strait of Hormuz so far as Iran exports millions of barrels of oil despite war
Despite the Strait of Hormuz effectively being shut to most commercial shipping following the US-Israel attack on Iran, approximately 90 shi...
India's cheap weight-loss drugs could reshape global obesity fight
The patent on semaglutide — the active ingredient in blockbuster obesity and diabetes drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — expired in India on March 2...
Iran-Israel war LIVE updates: Iran says U.S. forces' relocation out of military bases has led to urban-area strikes in Gulf
The Iranian Red Crescent Society received its first shipment of medical aid from India amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, signalling In...
From the Strait of Hormuz to Malacca, global trade relies almost entirely on these five narrow waterways
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel conflict with Iran has exposed the structural fragility of global trade, which d...
U.S. military says hit Iran missile sites near Strait of Hormuz with 'bunker buster' bombs
On March 18, 2026, US military forces struck hardened Iranian anti-ship missile sites along Iran's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz using...
Can the Strait of Hormuz blockade break the Internet?
For the first time in history, both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are simultaneously effectively closed to commercial maritime traffi...
US securities regulator issues long-awaited crypto guidance
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), under Chair Paul Atkins, issued its first comprehensive guidance clarifying how federal sec...
FM Sitharaman says ₹57,381 crore allocated for Economic Stabilisation Fund
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that ₹57,381.84 crore has been allocated toward the Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF), the fir...
Mamata says ECI transferred officers by breaking convention. What former ECs say on the norm
Hours after announcing the assembly election schedule for West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry, the Election Commission of...
LPG crunch pushes PM POSHAN kitchens back to firewood, burdening women workers
Government schools running the PM POSHAN (mid-day meal) scheme across multiple states are reverting to firewood and alternative solid fuels ...
India joins push to cut remittance costs ahead of WTO ministerial meet
India is pushing for a multilateral framework to reduce cross-border remittance transaction costs at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC...
Climate finance has failed Africa twice over — how to fix it
Africa faces a climate adaptation financing gap of catastrophic proportions: it receives less than $14 billion annually in adaptation funds ...
Watch: Why is Maharashtra’s Freedom of Religion Bill so controversial?
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 on March 16, 2026, making it one of the most stringent anti-c...
India’s wholesale inflation rises to 11-month high of 2.13% in February
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 2.13% in February 2026 (year-on-year, provisional), up from 1.81% in January 202...
EXCLUSIVE | Centre looks to empower more ministries to block social media content
The Centre is exploring amending the IT Rules framework to allow ministries beyond MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology...
Flashpoint at WTO: India set to oppose US proposal seeking permanent ban on e-transmission duties
At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), the United States is pushing for a permanent ban on ...
U.N. says more than 36,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli settlement drive
The UN Human Rights Office released a report (March 17, 2026) covering the 12 months to October 31, 2025, documenting the displacement of ov...
On scientific collaborations in BRICS
BRICS has progressively built a structured science, technology, and innovation (STI) collaboration framework that now spans 13 thematic work...
PM Modi speaks to UAE President, both agree on ensuring safe navigation through Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on March 17, 2026, as the second telephonic convers...
HPV vaccination drive gathers pace, 3 lakh girls covered in two weeks
Approximately 3 lakh girls aged 14 years have been vaccinated under India's nationwide HPV vaccination campaign within just two weeks of its...
Ayushman Bharat crosses 43 crore cards, digital health records surge
India's flagship health insurance programme has crossed the milestone of 43.18 crore Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY cards created as of early 2026, ...
Woman entitled to maternity leave even if child isn't biological: SC
In a landmark ruling delivered on March 17, 2026, a Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan struck down Section 60(4...
Macro impact of crude oil price of up to $90/bbl ‘almost insignificant’: CEA to Parliamentary panel
Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran, appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance on 2 March 2026, stated...
A bit of a blur over India’s new carbon credit plan
India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), notified in June 2023 under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022, has drawn criticism f...
Low on gas: Fertilizer shortage looms ahead of India’s kharif season
India faces a potential fertilizer supply crunch ahead of the kharif season (June–September) as LNG flows from West Asia have been disrupted...
Climate change could drive millions globally into physical inactivity by 2050: Lancet study
A peer-reviewed modelling study published in The Lancet Global Health (March 2026) found that rising temperatures driven by climate change c...
PM Modi speaks to UAE President, agree on keeping Strait of Hormuz safe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with both leaders agreeing on the critical importa...
Saudi Arabia takes Indian startup’s help for satellite images
Bengaluru-based space-tech startup Pixxel has signed a data agreement with Saudi Arabia's national Earth observation platform, NSG UP42 — a ...
Why heirs of dead depositors can’t be told about unclaimed funds, SC asks govt.
The Supreme Court questioned the Union Government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on why information about money held in dormant or inop...
UGC-like funding mechanism to be adopted under Shiksha Adhishthan: Education Ministry
The Ministry of Education clarified before a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) w...
India salutes maritime heroes for safeguarding critical energy supplies
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Ports, Shipping and Waterways) publicly commended Indian seafarers aboard LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda...
India engaged with US, working with industry to mitigate tariff impact: Govt to Parliament
The Indian government informed Parliament that India remains actively engaged with the United States on trade negotiations and is working wi...
Kharge seeks meet as govt moves to delink women's quota from census
The central government is preparing a constitutional amendment to delink the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Constitutio...
Maharashtra legislature passes Freedom of Religion Bill to check conversions through coercion, fraud
The Maharashtra legislature passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which prohibits religious conversions carried out through coercion, fr...
Amid confusion over internal reservation, Karnataka SC/ST commission holds deliberations
The Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes convened deliberations with senior officials, former Karnataka Publ...
Parliament Watch: Panel flags oil shock risks, CPSE crisis; govt updates on US tariffs, repo, Panama leaks
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, tabled its report on Demands for Grants (2...
Parliamentary panel recommends prioritising drone acquisition in border guarding forces
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, recommended prioritising and fast-tracking ...
India urges BRICS cohesion amid Iran crisis, flags need for UN reform
India called for BRICS cohesion as the grouping faced its most significant internal stress test — an active war involving Iran, a full BRICS...
Crude oil prices shoot above $103 per barrel as Iran war supply disruption continues; India’s petrol, diesel prices stable
Crude oil prices have surged above $103 per barrel — the first time in four years Brent has crossed the $100 threshold — as the US-Israel wa...
Centre writes to states to help expedite piped natural gas network expansion amid LPG supply squeeze
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has written to state governments and Union Territories urging them to expedite approvals and remov...
Pakistan strike kills 400 in Kabul: Where is this war headed, what it means for region
Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Kabul on the night of March 16, 2026, targeting what it described as "military installations and terrorist ...
Watch: At UN General Assembly, India slams Pakistan’s ‘air-bombing campaigns’ during Ramadan
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, addressed the UN General Assembly during the commemoration of th...
Himalayan fire shift: Tale of flames and ice unfolding across the range
Forest fires in the Indian Himalayas are occurring at historically unprecedented elevations, with fires above 2,500 metres having quadrupled...
CEA warns $130 crude could cut India’s GDP growth by 1%
Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance on March 2, 2026, and war...
Watch: US-China summit delayed: Trump cites War, Hormuz tensions
President Donald Trump has sought to delay a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping — originally scheduled for late March/early Ap...
The quiet battle over the right to dying with dignity
India's Supreme Court authorised the country's first-ever passive euthanasia in the Harish Rana vs. Union of India case (March 2026), markin...
WTO MC14: India opposes US bid for permanent ban on e-commerce duty
At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), being held in Yaoundé, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), India opposed the United States' bid for...
FAC allows KFDC to continue tree felling operations
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved the Kerala Forest De...
West Asia conflict: Sharp drop in flight services to Dubai
Flight services to Dubai have fallen sharply as the UAE has repeatedly imposed temporary airspace closures in response to Iranian missile an...
Punjab ‘inflating’ numbers of households with tap water access, groundwater very contaminated—CAG report
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India's audit of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Punjab found that the state has been "inflatin...
Indian Navy steps up vigil to escort oil tankers, unlikely to join US coalition
The Indian Navy has deployed two warship task forces to escort Indian-flagged LPG tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and moving through...
India in talks with Iran for safe passage of 2.7 lt LPG via Strait of Hormuz
India is conducting diplomatic negotiations with Iran to secure safe passage for six LPG carriers idling in the Persian Gulf west of the Str...
Hormuz disruption: CBIC allows BTT clearance for cargo loaded at one port, offloaded at another
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued an emergency circular allowing "Back to Town" (BTT) clearance for export cargo...
Parliamentary panel rebukes Ministry of Planning, Niti Aayog for poor financial management
The Standing Committee on Finance, headed by BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, formally rebuked the Ministry of Planning and Niti Aayog for "amateu...
Indian Navy joins U.S.-led drill ‘Sea Dragon’ in Guam
The Indian Navy joined Exercise Sea Dragon 2026, a US-led multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise conducted at Andersen Air Forc...
Use LPG judiciously, consider alternatives wherever possible—Govt amid supply crunch & shipping delays
The Union government has issued a public advisory urging households to "use LPG judiciously, consider alternatives wherever possible" as 22 ...
India aims for universal health insurance by 2033, says Finance Minister
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reiterated that achieving universal health insurance coverage is a government priority, with a targe...
Create strategic energy mitigation framework to protect economy from oil shocks: Panel to FinMin
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance tabled its report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Finance, recommending tha...
India, Indonesia come together to preserve shared heritage with restoration of 9th-century temple
India and Indonesia have joined forces to undertake the restoration of the Prambanan Temple complex, a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in ...
Switching to electric power has saved Railways ₹6,000 crore: Vaishnaw in Lok Sabha
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, responding to a debate on Demands for Grants for the Railway Ministry in Lok Sabha, stated that the switc...
India calls Pakistan’s strike on Kabul hospital ‘barbaric, unconscionable’, urges international action
Pakistan's military conducted airstrikes on Kabul, Afghanistan on March 16-17, 2026, targeting what it described as "terrorist support infra...
Ukraine seeks immediate release & access to 6 nationals arrested in India on terror conspiracy charges
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals — six Ukrainians and one American citizen — on charges of conspirin...
India needs clear foreign policy roadmap, says parliamentary committee
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, presented its Twelfth Report on the Ministr...
Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, killed in overnight attacks: Israel Defence Minister
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on March 17, 2026 that Ali Larijani — secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council ...
Taliban calls Kabul hospital strike ‘crime against humanity’, Pakistan says it only hit ‘military infra’
The Taliban government's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan's March 16, 2026 aerial strikes on Kabul, calling the targeting of ...
CMFRI launches deep-sea expedition to study seamount fisheries in Arabian Sea
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), under ICAR, has launched a two-year deep-sea research programme worth Rs 4.986 cror...
Government Ensures Seamless Grid Integration for Renewable Energy Through Strong ISTS Framework
The Ministry of Power affirmed that the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) framework, governed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Com...
U.S. does ‘not need’ help from allies on Iran, says Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump declared that the United States does "not need" the help of allies to manage the Iran conflict, even as he simulta...
March taken out to Lok Bhavan in protest against Bill on transgender persons
Members of the transgender, intersex, and gender diverse community marched to Lok Bhavan (seat of the state government) in protest against t...
LPG consumption slumps 17% in March on war-related shortages
LPG consumption in India fell to 1.147 million tonnes in the first fortnight of March 2026 — a 17.3% decline from the 1.387 million tonnes c...
No evidence of increased efficiency due to mechanisation of sewer cleaning, Centre tells LS
The Central government informed the Lok Sabha that 622 deaths from hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning have been reported since 2017, a...
Doctors warn against rising trend of using AI for diagnosis and self-prescription
Doctors and public health experts have raised alarms about an accelerating trend of patients using AI tools — particularly large language mo...
Government Takes Steps to Promote Domestic Recycling Capacity and Circular Economy in Solar Sector
With support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), a government-backed think tank has estimated that cumulative solar panel ...
Health insurance priority for government, to cover all by 2033: Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that health insurance is a government priority and that India aims to achieve universal health in...
Supreme Court strikes down age cap on maternity leave for adoptive mothers
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court struck down Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, 2020, declaring it unconstitutional for restr...
Pensioners’ demands echoed: Parliamentary panel seeks hike in minimum EPS payout, say Rs 1000 insufficient
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has urged an immediate review of the minimum monthly pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 1...
Govt gets Parliament nod for Rs 2.01 lakh crore additional spending in FY26
Parliament gave its approval for ₹2.01 lakh crore in additional net expenditure for Financial Year 2025–26 when the Rajya Sabha returned the...
Rs 39.48 lakh cr sanctioned so far under PM-MUDRA, NPAs at around 2 pc: FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Rajya Sabha on March 17, 2026, that a cumulative ₹39.48 lakh crore has been sanctioned unde...
Second LPG tanker reaches India from war zone; efforts on to get back 22 stranded vessels
A second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, MV Nanda Devi, reached Kandla port in Gujarat after safely transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the first v...
Oil shock: Panel urges Finance Ministry to craft strategic energy mitigation framework
The Standing Committee on Finance, headed by senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, has recommended that the Department of Economic Affairs (...
Availability of generic medicines under PMBJKs
The Government highlighted the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which provides quality generic medici...
What's key to India's forex defence? Patra suggests it's $1 trillion buffer
Former RBI Deputy Governor Michael Patra, in an article published on BasisPoint Insight, advocated that India should build its foreign excha...
Maharashtra legislature passes Freedom of Religion Bill to check conversions through fraud
The Maharashtra legislature passed the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, making it one of the most comprehensive anti-conversion l...
India growth outlook dims as oil tops $100, gas crisis deepens
Goldman Sachs cut its India growth forecast for the fiscal year starting April 2026 (FY2027) by half a percentage point to 6.5%, becoming th...
'Unconstitutional': SC rules adoptive mothers can't be denied maternity leave if child is older than 3 months
The Supreme Court struck down Section 60(4) of the Social Security Code, 2020, which had restricted maternity benefits to adoptive mothers o...
Issue of high trade margins in essential medical devices
The government acknowledged the problem of high trade margins in medical devices included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)...
Passive euthanasia: How Harish Rana's case revived memories for Aruna Shanbaug's long, silent fight for dignity in death
The Supreme Court of India approved passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old from Uttar Pradesh who has been in a persistent vegeta...
Affordable medicines and regulation of private hospitals
The government reaffirmed that drug prices in India are regulated under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO 2013), issued under the...
Census 2027 offers historic opportunity to record data on disabilities: Athawale
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale described Census 2027 as a "historic opportunity" to capture accu...
India oilmeal exports hit by US-Iran conflict, Red Sea disruptions
Escalating US-Iran military tensions in 2026 — including effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran — are severely disrupting India's...
Parliamentary panel urges a 'golden share' strategy to protect PSU autonomy if state stakes fall below 51%
A Parliamentary Standing Committee urged the government to finalize a "golden share" strategy to protect Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) aut...
India at UN slams Pakistan for ‘fabricating’ Islamophobia narratives, flags Ahmadiyya repression, Afghan bombings
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a strong rebuttal at the UN General Assemb...
Safe Reuse of Treated Water Gains Momentum; Policy Notified in Uttarakhand
Amid growing pressure on freshwater resources, Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW) has emerged as a national priority in India's water securi...
National Integrated Policy for Fishing Community
The Department of Fisheries affirmed in Parliament that it is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) as the flagship ...
Biopharma SHAKTI Scheme
The Government has formally launched the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme with a total outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years, announced initially i...
“Guarantee of both income and security for farmers”: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan tells in Lok Sabha
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare informed the Lok Sabha that the government has accorded highest priority to farmers' inco...
Trade deficit with China tops $100bn
India's trade deficit with China has crossed $100 billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year, with the full calendar year 2025 deficit reaching a r...
Gujarat UCC report, draft law to be submitted today; follows Uttarakhand template
Gujarat's state government submitted its Uniform Civil Code (UCC) committee report and draft law, modelled closely on the Uttarakhand UCC te...
India slams Pakistan over air-bombings against Afghanistan in UNGA
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, raised Pakistan's aerial bombardment of Afghanistan ...
US assets are under Iran attack, but here’s why NATO doesn’t have to answer Trump’s call
Despite US forces being targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks across multiple Gulf states, NATO has not formally invoked Article 5 —...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Debris from intercepted Iranian missile kills one in Abu Dhabi
On March 17, 2026, debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile killed one person in Abu Dhabi, marking one of the most direct civil...
India's outsourcing industry is worth $300bn. Can it survive AI?
India's IT outsourcing industry, valued at approximately $300-315 billion and employing around 6 million people, is facing an existential re...
UAE briefly closes airspace as West Asia conflict escalates
The UAE briefly closed its airspace on March 17, 2026 as an "exceptional precautionary measure" after Iran intensified missile and drone str...
Supreme Court nine-judge Constitution Bench commences hearing on definition of 'industry'
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court commenced hearing on March 17, 2026 to definitively settle the meaning of "industry" un...
Oil prices up 2% amid escalating war in West Asia, closure of Strait of Hormuz
Crude oil prices surged over 2% on March 17, 2026, as fears grew over a prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz — the world's most crit...
India condemns Pakistan airstrikes on Kabul hospital
Pakistan's military conducted an airstrike on the night of March 16, 2026 targeting the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul — a 2,000...
MeitY failed to convince finance ministry for funds for key tech initiatives, says parliamentary panel
A parliamentary standing committee has warned that India's push in artificial intelligence and semiconductor sectors is being undermined by ...
FDI from China: From Thailand to Brazil, global lessons for India’s cautious playbook
India's Union Cabinet (March 10, 2026) approved amendments to the FDI policy for land-bordering countries — effectively liberalising aspects...
India underreported rice, wheat price support: US, others to WTO
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) filed its fourth counter-notification against India at the WTO Committee on Agriculture, co...
India-US trade deal to be signed after new US tariff framework is finalised
India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed on March 16, 2026, that India will sign the bilateral trade deal with the United States ...
Trade deficit nearly 2x in Feb; exports face battlefield ahead
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.1 billion in February 2026, up sharply from $14 billion in February 2025 — nearly double ye...
Migrant workers bear brunt of Iran attacks in Gulf
Since Iran launched wave after wave of missile and drone attacks against Gulf states from February 28, 2026, approximately 9 million Indian ...
Trump asks China to delay Xi summit as Iran war rages
US President Donald Trump announced he has asked China to delay the planned summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing by "a month or so," ...
Freedom of Religion Bill passed in Maharashtra Assembly; 'not against any community', says Fadnavis
The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 was passed by voice vote in the Maharashtra Assembly, introducing stringent provisions against...
Competition Commission orders investigation against IndiGo for alleged abuse of dominance
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordered an investigation into IndiGo — India's largest airline — on February 4, 2026, following a ...
India backs talks with Iran as US seeks naval coalition to secure Hormuz
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India's direct diplomatic engagement with Iran on ship passage had yielded concrete resu...
Government clears 23 institutions to set up ‘quantum labs’
Twenty-three academic institutions across India have been cleared to establish quantum teaching laboratories under the National Quantum Miss...
India to sign U.S. deal only after clarity on tariff rates
India confirmed it will not sign its interim trade agreement with the United States until Washington clarifies its new tariff architecture —...
Transgender communities across India demand withdrawal of Bill to redefine trans people
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tabled the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok S...
Naval warships escort Indian vessels from the Gulf of Oman
Three Indian Navy warships escorted three Indian merchant vessels — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki — through the Gulf of Oman as the W...
Parliamentary panel flags surrender of ₹2,345 crore SC welfare funds, questions Social Justice ministry’s spending
A parliamentary panel has flagged the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for surrendering nearly a quarter of funds sanctioned for S...
Freedom of Religion Bill passed in Maharashtra assembly; ‘not against any community’, says Fadnavis
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 by voice vote during the Budget Session, making Maharashtra t...
Freedom of Religion bill not against any religion: Fadnavis; Shiv Sena (UBT) supports proposed law
The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 was introduced on March 13 and passed by the Maharashtra state legislature, becoming one of th...
Easier FDI norms notified for border country investors
India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued Press Note 2 (2026) on March 15, 2026, partially relaxing the...
Bank-NBFC co-lending pacts may be expanded to aid MSMEs
A parliamentary standing committee has recommended expanding bank-NBFC co-lending partnerships to help MSMEs access cheaper credit and bridg...
Revamped Stand-Up India scheme soon: Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Lok Sabha that a revamped Stand-Up India scheme will be launched soon, incorporating le...
US-Israel-Iran War|India evacuates over 600 nationals from Iran via Armenia, Azerbaijan; MEA shares key update
India evacuated over 600 nationals from Iran via overland routes through Armenia and Azerbaijan amid the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict ...
‘It is better that we coordinate and get a solution’: Jaishankar hopeful Iran talks will ease Hormuz route for Indian ships
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that "it is better that we coordinate and get a solution" regarding the Strait of Hormuz ship...
Total shutdown in Ladakh, thousands take to streets: ‘Won’t stop demanding what’s rightfully ours’
A complete shutdown was observed across Ladakh on March 16, 2026, with massive protest rallies in both Leh and Kargil, as civic bodies and p...
Explained: The many contentions around the Transgender Protection (Amendment) Bill 2026 tabled in Parliament
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was tabled in Parliament, proposing significant changes to the parent 20...
Securities Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026
The Ministry of Finance notified the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on March 13,...
Iran war could affect fertilizer sector, impacting Indian agriculture
Experts and industry analysts have warned that the ongoing US-Israel-Iran military conflict — and the resulting disruption to the Strait of ...
RIL signs long-term $3 billion pact with South Korea’s Samsung C&T for supply of green ammonia
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) signed a long-term Supply and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with South Korea's Samsung C&T Corporation for the ...
India hopeful Iran talks will ease Hormuz route for its ships
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed to the Financial Times that India's direct diplomatic engagement with Iran has yielded res...
HC permits extraction, cryopreserving gametes of brain-dead person
The Kerala High Court (Justice M.B. Snehalatha) granted interim permission to a wife to have her brain-dead husband's gametes extracted and ...
India eases FDI rules, allows firms with up to 10% Chinese shareholding under automatic route
India has amended its FDI policy to permit companies incorporated outside land-bordering countries (LBCs) — but having up to 10% passive LBC...
Opposition questions govt.’s plan to introduce Bill to codify deputation of IPS officers in Central Armed Police Forces
The Union Cabinet approved the draft Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, which seeks to statutorily codify the provis...
India to wait for new US tariff architecture before trade deal, says official
India has formally decided to wait for the US to finalise its new global tariff framework before signing any bilateral trade deal, according...
India’s goods exports slip 0.8% to $36.61 billion in Feb amid continued global turmoil
India's merchandise exports declined marginally by 0.8% year-on-year to $36.61 billion in February 2026, compared to $36.91 billion in Febru...
Why do we need a living will?
Discussion around advance healthcare directives (commonly called living wills) has renewed in India, with medical and legal experts highligh...
Par Panel recommends subsidy on EV tractor, support on education of small farmers
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended subsidising electric vehicle (EV) tractors to make them accessible to small and marginal ...
Opposition notice seeking CEC’s removal cites his public remarks against Rahul Gandhi
At least 193 opposition MPs — 130 from Lok Sabha and 63 from Rajya Sabha — have signed a 10-page notice seeking a motion for removal of Chie...
Saudi crude rerouted via Red Sea to India as Hormuz tensions rise; Russian imports surge
Saudi Arabia is routing approximately 6 million barrels of crude oil to Indian ports via its west coast port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, utilis...
India-US trade deal to be signed after Trump administration decides new global ‘tariff architecture’
India has indicated it will sign its interim trade agreement with the United States only after Washington finalises a new global tariff arch...
India seeks safe passage for 6 LPG tankers through Strait of Hormuz amid conflict
India is seeking safe passage for six vessels carrying 270,000 tonnes of cooking gas (LPG) through the Strait of Hormuz, identified as the g...
India negotiating with Iran to move six LPG tankers through Hormuz
India's government is actively negotiating with Iran to secure safe passage for six LPG tankers currently stranded in the Persian Gulf, carr...
New nanomedicine-based gel from BITS Pilani shows encouraging preclinical results for rheumatoid arthritis
Researchers at BITS Pilani have developed a nanoparticle-based topical gel designed to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs directly to inflamed ...
Free gas to waivers, govt-owned gas firms roll out incentives to push households from LPG to PNG
Government-owned City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies — Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), GAIL Gas, and Bharat P...
West Asia tensions unlikely to dent India’s basmati exports, says CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Ratings assessed that West Asia tensions will not cause a structural decline in India's basmati rice exports, even though Iran — a ke...
Merchandise exports stay flat in February, Commerce Secretary warns of dip in March
India's merchandise exports contracted marginally in February 2026 — falling approximately 0.8% year-on-year to $36.61 billion — the first m...
Watch: Allies reluctant as Trump urges ships to secure Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump called on NATO allies — including the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea — to deploy warships to forcibly...
TN AVGC policy envisions 2 lakh jobs in emerging industries
The Government of Tamil Nadu formally approved its AVGC-XR Policy 2026 — a five-year (2026–2031) state industrial framework targeting 2 lakh...
In Brussels, Jaishankar discusses Iran with EU counterparts
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on March 16, 2026 — the first time an In...
India plans support package for exporters hit by West Asia disruptions
India's government is considering a support package of approximately ₹500 crore to assist exporters adversely affected by the ongoing West A...
Cyber fraud on the rise but nodal agency CERT-In grappling with acute staff crunch—House panel report
A parliamentary standing committee report on MeitY's functioning found that CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) — India's noda...
The environment, another casualty of war in West Asia
A peer-reviewed study published in the journal *One Earth* (2026) found that the Israel-Gaza conflict generated approximately 33.2 million t...
1.12 lakh acres donated to Waqf Board, but it currently controls only 20,054 acres: Zameer
Karnataka's Housing, Waqf and Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan disclosed before the state legislature that while 1.12 lakh a...
ECI issues strict MCC directions for 2026 Assembly Elections in five states/UTs, deploys 5,000+ flying squads
The Election Commission of India announced strict enforcement directions for the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the 2026 Assembly elections...
LPG tanker Shivalik reaches Gujarat’s Mundra Port after crossing Strait of Hormuz
The Indian LPG tanker Shivalik safely arrived at Gujarat's Mundra Port after successfully navigating the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing W...
India in talks for six FTAs with Australia, Sri Lanka, Peru, Chile and others
The Commerce Ministry confirmed that India is currently in active Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with six countries: Australia (CEC...
Bhutan example: ‘Pay to protect’ psychology should shape tourism in the Himalayas
Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 100 per visitor per night — in effect from September 2023 to August 2027 — has generated N...
EU, UN discussing Black Sea type initiative for Strait of Hormuz: Kaja Kallas
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on March 16, 2026, that the European Union and the United Nations are discussing a "Black Sea ...
India may soften new grid-supply rules for renewable power producers
India is reconsidering proposed tighter grid-supply penalties for wind and solar power producers under the Deviation Settlement Mechanism (D...
India ‘engaged’ with U.S. on trade deal, says Commerce Secretary as officials warn of delays
India's Commerce Secretary confirmed that India remains "engaged" with the US on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), but government officials...
Green public procurement is key to decarbonising India’s steel and cement sectors
A Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) study, released in February 2026 in collaboration with Climate Catalyst, found that mandating 26% c...
Navigating India’s waste management transition: New rules move towards digital traceability and stronger compliance systems
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 on January 28, 2026, to come in...
India, US trade deal to be signed once tariff architecture is in place: Official
A senior Indian government official stated in March 2026 that the interim trade agreement between India and the United States will be formal...
NDA sweeps all five Bihar Rajya Sabha seats; Opposition falters
The NDA alliance secured all five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar in the March 2026 biennial elections, with the fifth seat going to BJP's Sidd...
DPIIT notifies changes in FDI norms for China, other land border sharing countries
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) notified amendments to India's FDI policy under Press Note 3, relaxing i...
EU, India focus on implementing FTA, defence deal: Ursula von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar focused on implementing the...
Shipping wars stitch higher costs into India’s apparel exports
India's apparel exporters are absorbing sharply higher logistics costs due to the West Asia conflict, with war surcharges and route diversio...
Wholesale price inflation at 11-month high of 2.13 pc; higher crude prices to push WPI higher
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 2.13% year-on-year in February 2026, the highest level in 11 months and the four...
India’s basmati rice exports to stay steady despite Middle East conflict: Crisil
CRISIL Ratings projects India's basmati rice export volume to remain broadly stable in the current and next fiscal year, with growth of up t...
India's trade deficit narrows on month to $27.1 billion in Feb; Tariff uncertainty, Iran conflict loom
India's merchandise trade deficit for February 2026 stood at USD 27.1 billion — narrower than January 2026's USD 34.68 billion but sharply h...
India's February unemployment rate eases to 4.9% y/y
India's unemployment rate (as measured by CMIE — Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) eased to 4.9% in February 2026, down from 5.0% in Jan...
Parliament to revoke MPs’ suspension tomorrow, all-party meeting reaches consensus
Lok Sabha revoked the suspension of eight opposition MPs — seven from the Indian National Congress (Manickam Tagore, Amrinder Singh Raja War...
India needs outcome-driven urban policy, says EAC-PM paper
A working paper titled "India's Hidden Urbanisation and its Policy Implications" authored by EAC-PM member Shamika Ravi (with consultants Ma...
India’s exports to US fall 13 pc in Feb; trade gap with China crosses USD 100 bn
India's merchandise exports to the United States declined approximately 12.88% year-on-year to USD 6.88 billion in February 2026, attributed...
'Distorted picture of India': MEA slams US report recommending sanctions on RSS, R&AW
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2026 Annual Report, recommending targeted sanctions — ...
CCI issues guidance note advising enterprises to conduct self-audits on AI tools to avoid competition risks
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued a guidance note urging enterprises to conduct self-audits of their AI tools to identify...
India-US trade deal to be signed when Trump re-establishes tariff rates, Trade Secy says
India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal stated that India remains engaged with the US for a "mutually beneficial" trade agreement, but wil...
India inks terms of reference with Philippines, Maldives for trade pact talks
India's Department of Commerce inked Terms of Reference (ToR) with the Philippines for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and with the Mal...
Denotified, nomadic tribes form national federation, seek separate column in 2027 Census
Representatives of Denotified Tribes (DNTs), Nomadic Tribes (NTs), and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (SNTs) from across India announced the formation ...
Iran war begins to bomb the GST bonanza. What can happen?
Escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia following the conflict that began on February 28, 2026, are threatening to reverse the consume...
Support measures for exporters on anvil to deal with West Asia crisis
The Commerce Ministry is finalising a support package for Indian exporters hit by disruptions arising from the West Asia conflict that escal...
The balancing act: How India is stepping up engagement with Iran as Hormuz crisis deepens
India has adopted a direct diplomatic engagement strategy with Iran to secure safe passage for Indian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, ...
Parliamentary panel flags digital infrastructure, cyber capacity gaps in MeitY spending review
A parliamentary standing committee reviewing MeitY's (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) budget and expenditure flagged cri...
EC orders major bureaucratic reshuffle in Bengal; chief secretary, DGP, Kolkata CP replaced ahead of Assembly polls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a sweeping reshuffle of senior administrative and police officials in West Bengal within hour...
Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India, exercising powers under Section 47(2)(ga) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), notified an amendm...
Centre pushes ₹71,000 crore highway projects in West Bengal; links all 23 district HQs
The Central Government has pushed forward highway projects worth approximately ₹71,000 crore in West Bengal, designed to connect all 23 dist...
Dodging tigers and the law: In rural Madhya Pradesh, LPG shortage drives many into forests
LPG shortages in rural Madhya Pradesh — exacerbated by the March 2026 price hike of ₹60 per cylinder triggered by Iran conflict disruptions ...
High honour, deep divide: When Tamil poet Vairamuthu won the Jnanpith Award
Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award (for the year 2025), India's highest literary honour. Vairamuthu...
E-KYC now mandatory for all domestic LPG consumers amid supply shortage
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has made biometric Aadhaar authentication (E-KYC) mandatory for all domestic LPG consumers. The E-...
Delhi’s new Water Plan confronts old failures
Delhi has unveiled a new water management plan aimed at significantly improving supply and reducing dependence on a severely polluted Yamuna...
Return of Russian oil signals US pragmatism
The US Treasury Department issued a 30-day temporary waiver (codified as General License 133) allowing Indian state and private refiners to ...
Why Iran differs from Ukraine in terms of economic fallout for India and the world
Economists and policy analysts are drawing comparisons between the economic fallout of the current Iran conflict (2026) and the Russia-Ukrai...
NavIC satellite loses its atomic clock: What this means for India’s bid for its own GPS
The last functioning atomic clock aboard the IRNSS-1F satellite failed on March 13, 2026 — just three days after the satellite completed its...
Why gold prices have remained subdued in India despite raging West Asian conflict
Despite the West Asia conflict that began on 28 February 2026 driving safe-haven gold demand globally, domestic gold prices in India have re...
Odisha MLAs arrive in Bhubaneswar for crucial biennial Rajya Sabha elections
On March 16, 2026, MLAs from Odisha gathered in Bhubaneswar for the biennial Rajya Sabha election to fill four vacant seats. Five candidates...
The Maharashtra leopard controversy raises concerns about the future of conservation in India
Maharashtra's state cabinet approved a proposal in March 2026 to reclassify leopards from Schedule I to Schedule II under the Wildlife Prote...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Trump pressures NATO, China over Iran's closure of key waterway
Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry reported intercepting more than 60 drones since midnight on March 16, in the context of the expanding Iran w...
Europe takes first step to banning AI-generated child sexual abuse images
European Union member states reached a common position in mid-March 2026 to formally ban AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and...
How India’s tough spot between Iran and US can dent the economy
India faces acute economic stress from the Strait of Hormuz closure: disruption to LPG supply chains, rising crude oil prices, and inflation...
Trump says NATO faces ‘very bad’ future if allies don't help open Hormuz
US President Donald Trump publicly warned that NATO faces a "very bad" future if member states do not cooperate to help secure and reopen th...
Surge in crude prices could raise global inflation by 60 bps, cut growth by up to 0.4 pp in 2026: Gita Gopinath
Gita Gopinath, former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), warned that if crude oil prices average around $85 per barre...
Fire breaks out in vicinity of Dubai International Airport after drone attack
A drone attack struck a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport on March 16, 2026, triggering a large fire and forcing the temporary susp...
Fire contained in vicinity of Dubai airport after drone attack, flights suspended
An Iranian drone struck a fuel storage tank in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport on March 16, 2026, igniting a fire that disrupted...
Trump administration set to receive $10 billion fee for brokering TikTok deal: Report
The Trump administration is set to receive approximately $10 billion as a brokering fee from the TikTok ownership restructuring deal, accord...
Explained: What does ‘No Quarter’ mean?
The phrase "no quarter" — a declaration that no prisoners will be taken and all enemy combatants will be killed, including those attempting ...
AI fakes about Iran-U.S. war swirl on X despite policy crackdown
Amid the ongoing Iran-US military conflict, AI-generated fake images and videos are circulating massively on X (formerly Twitter), depicting...
U.S. regulator threatens broadcasters over Iran war coverage
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chair Brendan Carr threatened major US broadcast networks — including ABC, NBC, and CBS — with non-r...
Supreme Court asks NGO to voice concerns about mercury seepage from Bhopal gas tragedy waste’s residual ash before Madhya Pradesh High Court
NGO Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti urged the Supreme Court to direct inspection and testing of filter bags and buried residual a...
Pope Leo decries 'atrocious violence' in Iran war, urges ceasefire
Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, issued a direct and impassioned call for an immediate ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran dur...
We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming
The United States has recorded over 1,362 confirmed measles cases as of mid-March 2026 — on track to exceed 2025's record of 2,283 cases, wh...
Trump demands others help secure Strait of Hormuz, Japan and Australia say no plans to send ships
US President Donald Trump publicly called on other nations — specifically naming China, Japan, and Australia — to contribute naval assets to...
Dubai halts flights at main Airport after fuel tank attack
Operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) were temporarily suspended after a drone strike caused a fire at a nearby fuel storage tank....
Need expanded cancer coverage, early diagnosis under Ayushman Bharat: Study
A study — the FinCan study — by oncologists and health economists from AIIMS Delhi's Dr B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital has c...
Plugging in: Why India must electrify its kitchens at scale
A study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) published in October 2025 found that electric cooking costs app...
Oil prices trade mixed as IEA says crude from reserves will start flowing in soon
The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced the release of 400 million barrels of oil from member countries' emergency strategic reserve...
No Eid celebrations for Shias in MP in the wake of Khamenei's death in the Iran-Iraq War
Around 4,000 Shia Muslim families in Madhya Pradesh — spread across Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, and Burhanpur — chose not to celebrate Eid al-...
Nvidia to focus on competition-beating AI advances at megaconference
Nvidia's annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) 2026 opened on March 16 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, with CEO Jensen Huang del...
PM Modi diminishing BRICS+ presidency value to appease Trump, Netanyahu: Congress
With the Iran–US/Israel conflict entering its third week in March 2026, calls intensified for India — as BRICS Chair for 2026 — to take a cl...
Election Commission removes Chief Secretary, Home Secretary in poll-bound West Bengal
On March 16, 2026, hours after the ECI announced West Bengal's two-phase assembly election schedule, the Commission directed the transfer of...
Watch: The ruling party and the opposition must rise above partisanship | The Hindu Editorial
The Lok Sabha rejected by voice vote a resolution moved under Article 94(c) of the Constitution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla from...
Kharg Island: Iran’s energy lifeline that has so far escaped attack
Kharg Island, which handles approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, has remained untouched despite sustained US-Israeli strikes on Ir...
Polling for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar begins
On March 16, 2026, polling began at 9 AM for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, continuing until 5 PM, in the Bihar Legislative Assembly com...
India’s wholesale inflation hits 11-month high of 2.13% in February
India's wholesale price inflation (WPI) accelerated to 2.13% in February 2026 from 1.81% in January 2026, marking the highest reading in 11 ...
Modi-govt walks fine line between Iran and US as war hits economy
India is intensifying diplomatic engagement with Iran to manage severe gas shortages triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz follow...
SC refuses to interfere in plea on ‘mercury leakage risk’ from Bhopal gas waste
The Supreme Court declined to intervene in a petition filed by NGO Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti, which raised concerns about m...
Shah, Bengal LoP Suvendu wish Matua community on Harichand Thakur’s 215th birth anniversary
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari extended greetings to the Matua community on the 215th b...
Wholesale price inflation rises 2.13 pc in February
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose for the fourth consecutive month to 2.13% in February 2026 (year-on-year), up from ...
Not granted sanction to prosecute professor Mahmudabad as one-time magnanimity: Haryana to SC
The Haryana government informed the Supreme Court that it has declined to grant prosecution sanction against Ashoka University professor Ali...
Andhra CM unveils 58-foot bronze statue of Potti Sriramulu in Amaravati
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu unveiled a 58-foot bronze statue of Potti Sriramulu in Amaravati, the state's new capital...
EC removes DGP, Kolkata CP in poll-bound West Bengal
One day after announcing the West Bengal Assembly Election schedule, the Election Commission of India removed Director General of Police (DG...
'Reason and coordinate': Jaishankar reveals how India secured passage for 2 tankers in Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that India secured safe passage for two Indian-flagged LPG tankers through the Strait of H...
Modi diminishing BRICS+ presidency value to appease Trump, Netanyahu: Congress
The Congress party accused the government of "diminishing" the value of India's BRICS+ presidency by declining to issue a collective stateme...
EC removes CS, home secy in poll-bound Bengal
Hours after announcing West Bengal's assembly election schedule (voting on April 23 and 29, counting May 4), the Election Commission of Indi...