March 13, 2026
185 articles published on this date
El Niño Likely to Emerge Post-July 2026, Raising Concerns for India's Monsoon
International climate models — including data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) — indicate that El Niño conditions are...
Meghalaya's Garo Hills Violence: Tribal Identity, Autonomous Councils, and Demographic Pressures
Violent clashes erupted in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya around March 10, 2026, triggered by disputes over nominations for Garo Hills Autonomous...
Iran Grants Indian Ships Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz After Diplomatic Engagement
Iran granted a diplomatic exemption allowing Indian-flagged merchant vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, following Prime Minister Modi's direct...
Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill 2026 Introduced, Removes Self-Perceived Identity Clause
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12, 2026, by Social Justice and Empowerment...
Supreme Court Pushes for Crop Diversification: Paddy to Pulses
The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by the Kisan Mahapanchayat, directed the Centre to revisit its long-standing policy of MSP-driven focus on...
Kerala Government Reverses Stand on Sabarimala Women's Entry, Backs Traditional Restriction
In a special cabinet meeting on March 13, 2026, the Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reversed its earlier position on women's entry...
Crude Oil Surge Triggers Worst 4-Year Weekly Fall in Indian Stock Markets
Indian stock markets recorded their worst weekly fall in four years, with the Sensex declining approximately 5% in a single week The primary trigger was a...
PM Modi Distributes Land Pattas to 28,241 Tea Garden Worker Families in Assam
Prime Minister Modi distributed land ownership certificates (pattas) to 28,241 tea garden worker families in Assam during the first phase of a land rights...
Iran Envoy Pledges Effort for Safe Passage of India-Bound Fuel Ships Through Hormuz
Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, stated that Tehran would 'try its best' to ensure safe passage for India-bound fuel ships through the Strait...
Iran Urges India as BRICS Chair to Condemn US-Israel Strikes: India Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope
Iran formally asked India — currently holding the rotating presidency of BRICS for 2026 — to issue a BRICS statement condemning the US-Israel military...
Why Foreign Investors Are Exiting Indian Markets and Pressuring the Rupee
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have continued large-scale selling of Indian equities into early 2026, following record net outflows of approximately...
India Auto Sales Surge Double-Digit in February 2026; SIAM Flags West Asia Risk to Exports
India's automobile industry recorded double-digit growth across all segments in February 2026, with domestic sales rising approximately 30% year-on-year to...
Tamil Nadu AVGC-XR Policy 2026: Positioning the State as a Creative Technology Hub
The Government of Tamil Nadu has formally approved its AVGC-XR Policy 2026, a five-year framework to build the state into a national hub for Animation...
New CPI Series With Base Year 2024: What Changed and Why It Matters for Inflation Measurement
India's Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched a new Consumer Price Index (CPI) series with base year 2024 (2024=100) starting...
Duty of Care: Supreme Court Directs India to Frame No-Fault Vaccine Injury Compensation Policy
The Supreme Court of India, in the case Rachna Gangu v. Union of India (2026 INSC 218), directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to formulate a...
Indian LPG Carrier Crosses Strait of Hormuz, Bringing Relief Amid Supply Crisis
An Indian-flagged LPG carrier, the MV Shivalik, successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on the night of March 13, 2026, carrying approximately 40,000...
India-Canada Turnaround: Reset, Deliverables, and the Road Ahead
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited India in late February 2026 — a landmark diplomatic reset after nearly two years of severely strained bilateral...
Suspension of 8 Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha: Parliamentary Procedure and Speaker's Powers
Eight opposition Members of Parliament — seven from the Congress and one from the CPI(M) — were suspended from the Lok Sabha on February 3, 2026, during the...
Egg White Protein Ovalbumin May Offer Scalable Solution to Remove PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' from Water
Researchers at North Dakota State University (NDSU), in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...
Two Indians Killed in Oman's Sohar as West Asia Conflict Claims First Land Casualties in Gulf
Two Indian nationals were killed and ten others injured in an attack in Oman's Sohar city — the first Indian deaths on land in Oman since the West Asian...
Over Rs 15,700 Crore Disbursed Under RoDTEP Duty Refund Scheme to Exporters This Fiscal
Over Rs 15,700 crore was disbursed to exporters under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme up to December 25 of the...
Scientists Discover Trisulfide Metathesis Reaction: New Chemical Pathway for Drug Development and Protein Science
Researchers led by Professor Justin Chalker at Flinders University (Australia), in collaboration with scientists from the University of Liverpool and...
Nepal's Political Tsunami: India's Neighbourhood First Policy Under Pressure
Nepal underwent another dramatic political transition when Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli — who had returned to power for a fourth stint in July 2024 in...
India Secures LPG Lifeline Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran-Israel Conflict
Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) — crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14, 2026...
Pentagon Elevates Investigation into Alleged US Strike on Iranian School
US Central Command (CENTCOM) head Admiral Brad Cooper ordered an elevated AR 15-6 military investigation into a strike that reportedly hit a school in Iran...
BJP MP Proposes National Commission for Persons with Disabilities in Rajya Sabha
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh (Bihar) proposed the setting up of a fully autonomous National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, arguing that the...
Exercise LAMITIYE-2026: India and Seychelles Conduct 11th Edition of Joint Military Exercise
India and Seychelles launched the 11th edition of Exercise LAMITIYE-2026 at the Seychelles Defence Academy from March 9 to March 20, 2026. For the first...
PM Distributes Land Deeds to Assam Tea Workers: Ending 200 Years of Landlessness
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 13, 2026, distributed over 28,241 land pattas (ownership deeds) to tea garden workers and their families in Assam in...
US Offers $10 Million Reward for Information on Iran's Supreme Leader and Senior Officials
The US State Department's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) programme announced rewards of up to $10 million for information on the whereabouts and activities of...
EU Carbon Rules, RoDTEP Cuts, and India-China Trade: Parliamentary Updates on Export Competitiveness
Parliament received a compilation of updates on India's trade challenges in March 2026, covering three key areas: (1) the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment...
India-UK Free Trade Agreement Set for Implementation Within a Month
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced on March 13, 2026, that the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) — formally called the...
West Asia Conflict Claims Five Indian Lives in Oman as Drone Strikes Escalate
A subsequent drone strike in Oman's Sohar province killed two more Indian nationals, raising the total Indian death toll from the West Asian conflict to...
India-China Trade: Imports Slowing, Exports Growing: Government Data Presented to Parliament
The Indian government informed Parliament in March 2026 that India's imports from China have been growing at a slower rate over time, while India's exports...
IDBI Bank Strategic Sale Called Off as Financial Bids Fall Below Reserve Price
The government has scrapped the strategic divestment of IDBI Bank after financial bids from shortlisted buyers came in below the government-set reserve...
Himalayan Tree Cover Shrinks by 2.2% in Two Years: Government Report
A government report presented in the Rajya Sabha on March 12, 2026, by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan...
Opposition Submits First-Ever Motion in Both Houses to Remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The INDIA bloc opposition submitted notices for removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — the first time such...
MGNREGS Pending Dues to States Stand at Rs 9,300 Crore in FY2025-26: Government to Rajya Sabha
The central government informed the Rajya Sabha that total pending liabilities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)...
NHRC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Racial Assault on Manipuri Woman in South Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance of media reports that a woman from Manipur was physically assaulted in the Malviya...
Indian Ships Stranded in Persian Gulf: Maritime Security and Seafarer Welfare
At least 27 Indian-flagged ships remained stranded in the Persian Gulf following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the outbreak of the US-Israel war...
Centre's Rs 900 Crore Delay Stalls SC/ST/OBC Post-Matric Scholarships in Jharkhand
Jharkhand's Minister for SC/ST and Backward Classes Welfare, Chamra Linda, accused the Union Government of delaying the release of approximately Rs 900...
LPG Crisis Disrupts Eateries, Households and Temples Across India Amid Iran War Fallout
The ongoing US-Israel war on Iran (Operation Epic Fury, launched February 28, 2026) triggered a closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, causing a severe...
Fitch Raises India's FY26 GDP Growth Forecast to 7.5% on Strong Domestic Demand
Fitch Ratings, in its Global Economic Outlook for March 2026, revised upward India's GDP growth forecast for FY2025-26 to 7.5%, from the 7.4% projected in...
India's Forex Reserves Decline by $12 Billion as Rupee Volatility Hits Asset Valuations
India's foreign exchange reserves fell by approximately $11.68 billion in the week ended March 6, 2026, driven by the RBI's active intervention in the...
India Protects Agriculture and Dairy Under US Trade Deal, Says Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India has fully protected agriculture, dairy, sugar, and sensitive manufacturing sectors under the interim...
How Many Constituencies Can a Candidate Contest From in India?
In the 2001 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa filed nominations from four constituencies — all four were rejected by Returning...
Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026: Provisions, Constitutional Debates, and State Anti-Conversion Laws
The Maharashtra government tabled the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, in the state legislative assembly, proposing stringent penalties for...
West Asia Crisis: India's 90-Lakh Diaspora in the Gulf Caught in the Iran-Israel-US Conflict
The ongoing Iran-Israel-US conflict in West Asia has placed approximately 90 lakh (9.1 million) Indians working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)...
Opposition Moves to Impeach CEC Gyanesh Kumar Citing Partial Conduct and Proved Misbehaviour
The opposition INDIA bloc formally moved to impeach Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on March 13, 2026, citing 'partial conduct and proved...
Opposition Formally Submits CEC Removal Notices to Both Houses of Parliament
On March 13, 2026, the INDIA bloc opposition formally submitted notices to both the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking the initiation of...
India's "Triangle Trap": Navigating the Iran-Israel-US Conflict
With the US-Israel war on Iran in its third week, analysts and policymakers were examining the acute dilemma facing India: its strategic interests were...
Hospital-Insurance Nexus: Rs 26,000 Crore in Health Insurance Claims Rejected in FY24
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal raised concerns in the Upper House about a 'hospital-insurance nexus,' alleging that health insurance claims worth...
West Asia Crisis: 23,000 Indian Sailors in Gulf, 27 Vessels Near Strait of Hormuz: Ministry
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways updated Parliament that approximately 23,000 Indian sailors were present in the Gulf region, with 27 vessels...
War Risk Insurance Costs Spiral: Shipping, Red Sea, and the Hormuz Crisis
As the West Asia conflict escalated and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively blocked, war risk insurance premiums for commercial shipping spiked sharply...
Opposition Submits Impeachment Notice Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Parliament
Opposition parties submitted formal notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar — the first such...
Jaishankar Holds Fourth Call with Iran FM, Invokes BRICS as Platform for West Asia Peace
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held his fourth telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in two weeks (March 13, 2026)...
Top Maoist Devuji Surrenders: Inside the Collapse of CPI (Maoist) High Command
Devuji (real name not confirmed in reports), a senior CPI (Maoist) leader who had served on the Central Military Commission since 2001 and was inducted into...
Indians Killed in Oman as Downed Drone Falls on Sohar City
Two Indian nationals were killed and ten others injured when a downed drone fell on Oman's Sohar province, marking the first Indian deaths on land in the...
Centre Links Jal Jeevan Mission Fund Release to Conditions on Continuous Water Supply
The Centre has set new conditions for releasing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) funds to states: each scheme must be mapped through a unique Scheme ID, and future...
Iran's Naval Mines and Asymmetric Warfare Strategy in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran has deployed naval mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz as part of its asymmetric response to US-Israeli military superiority, with US intelligence...
Iran War: Why the US Is Considering Pausing the Century-Old Jones Act on Oil Shipping
With Brent crude above $100 per barrel, the US was reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act and pausing the Jones Act — a century-old...
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): Structure, Power, and Global Designation
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has emerged as a central actor in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, directing Iran's missile and drone strikes...
Russia's Crude Oil Windfall from West Asia War: Energy Geopolitics and India's Role
As the West Asia conflict escalated — disrupting Persian Gulf oil shipments and triggering volatility in global crude prices — Russia emerged as an...
The Economic Cost of the US-Iran War: GDP, Oil Prices, and Inflation
Following the outbreak of direct US-Israel military action against Iran in late February 2026, economists and policy analysts began modelling the...
NASA's Artemis II: First Crewed Lunar Flyby in Over 50 Years Marks New Era of Moon Exploration
NASA's Artemis II mission (April 1–11, 2026) was the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972 — a gap of 54 years. The...
Iranian Strikes on Israeli Territory: Ballistic Missiles, Drones, and Escalation Dynamics
Iran launched a large barrage of overnight strikes on Israeli territory, resulting in dozens of casualties and significant damage to residential and...
Maharashtra Deploys AI for Freshwater Fisheries; Launches ₹1,024-Crore Chief Minister Matsyasampada Yojana
Maharashtra has launched the Chief Minister Matsyasampada Yojana — a ₹1,024-crore scheme covering 28 initiatives (6 at state level, 19 at district level) to...
Milk Adulteration in Andhra Pradesh: Ethylene Glycol Contamination Claims 15+ Lives
At least 15 people died in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district after consuming milk adulterated with ethylene glycol, an industrial coolant; the toll...
Noida International Airport (Jewar) Targets Four Million Passengers in 2025; Phase 1 Inaugurated
The Noida International Airport at Jewar (Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh) set a target of handling four million passengers in Calendar Year 2025. The...
₹1 Lakh Crore Economic Stabilisation Fund to Shield India from Global Shocks
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the creation of a ₹1 lakh crore Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) to serve as a fiscal buffer against global...
Rupee Falls to ₹92.3 Against Dollar as Crude Oil Shock Hits Currency Markets
The Indian rupee depreciated sharply to ₹92.3 against the US dollar, driven by a surge in global crude oil prices. Brent crude breaching $90 per barrel...
K.V. Ramana Murty Appointed Whole Time Member of SEBI for Three-Year Term
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of K.V. Ramana Murty as a Whole Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of...
Bodies of 84 Iranian Sailors Killed in US Torpedo Strike on IRIS Dena to Be Repatriated
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed when the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena was sunk on March 4, 2026, are being repatriated to Iran following...
US Initiates Section 301 Forced Labour Trade Probes into India and 59 Other Economies
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched Section 301 investigations against 60 economies, including India, in March 2026, targeting each...
Maharashtra's Move to Downgrade Leopard Protection Triggers Conservation Alarm
Maharashtra has approved a proposal to shift the leopard from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — effectively reducing the...
Supreme Court Rejects Nationwide Menstrual Leave Petition Over Women's Employability Fears
The Supreme Court of India declined a PIL seeking a nationwide mandatory menstrual leave policy, disposing of the petition on March 13, 2026 CJI Surya Kant...
Israel Expands Strikes on Lebanon, Destroys Bridge Over Litani River
Israeli forces expanded airstrikes into Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions across a broader geographic area than before, including areas north of the...
28 Indian Vessels Carrying LNG, LPG and Crude Stranded Near Strait of Hormuz
The Shipping Ministry and Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) confirmed that 28 Indian-flagged vessels carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied...
IndiGo and Air India Seek Government Relief as Iran Crisis Disrupts Aviation Routes
Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India approached the Indian government seeking financial relief — specifically tax concessions and policy support — as the...
Dairy Sector as Farmers' Safety Net: NABARD's Role in Rural Income Support
The Chairman of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) emphasised that the dairy sector serves as a critical safety net for India's...
Farmers' Organisations Seek Urgent Government Support Amid Global Market Disruptions
Farmers' organisations in India sought urgent government intervention amid escalating disruptions in global agricultural markets, including volatile...
West Asia Crisis: 23,000 Indian Seafarers Impacted, 768 Stranded on 28 Ships in Gulf
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) reported that approximately 23,000 Indian seafarers are working across merchant, harbour, and offshore vessels in...
Record Urea Imports Loom as Parliamentary Panel Recommends Green Ammonia for Fertilisers
India's urea imports from China hit a three-year high — 21.24 lakh tonnes in April 2025–February 2026 alone — with total urea imports poised to reach a...
Lok Sabha Approves Second Batch Supplementary Demands: ₹2.01 Lakh Crore Additional Spending for FY26
The Lok Sabha passed the second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2025-26, authorising a net additional cash outgo of ₹2.01 lakh crore (gross...
India and US Near Finalisation of Critical Minerals Agreement on Broad Parameters
India and the United States have agreed on the 'broad parameters' of a critical minerals agreement, with US Ambassador Sergio Gor confirming at the India...
Crude Oil Prices Surge: Brent Breaches $90 Per Barrel, MCX Futures Rise
Crude oil futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose by ₹94 to ₹8,898 per barrel in domestic trading. International benchmark Brent crude breached...
Technology Adoption and Improved Seed Varieties Driving India's Wheat and Rice Production Gains
Union Agriculture Minister Bhagirath Choudhary stated in Parliament that wheat and rice production has been boosted through high-yielding climate-resilient...
Finance Minister Proposes ₹1 Lakh Crore Economic Stabilisation Fund to Buffer External Shocks
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the creation of an Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) of ₹1 lakh crore to provide fiscal headroom for India to...
Economic Stabilisation Fund to Provide Fiscal Buffer Against Global Headwinds: Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the concept of an Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) of ₹1 lakh crore during the Lok Sabha debate on...
Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026: Anti-Conversion Legislation Introduced
The Maharashtra government introduced the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 in the state legislative assembly on March 13, 2026, targeting forced...
Thread-Legged Assassin Bug Missing for a Century Rediscovered in Andaman Caves
Scientists have rediscovered Myiophanes kempi, a rare thread-legged assassin bug from the subfamily Emesinae (family Reduviidae), approximately 100 years...
Clinical Establishments Act: Government Offers Concessions to Small Hospitals
The Central Government announced concessions in the implementation of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 for small...
India as a Strategic Growth Partner: Beyond Market Size to Shared Prosperity
In a recent interview, a senior foreign business leader articulated a shift in perspective on India — viewing it not simply as a market of 1.5 billion...
Deendayal Port (Kandla) Crosses 150 MMT Cargo Milestone: India's Top Cargo Port
Deendayal Port Authority (formerly Kandla Port), Gujarat, achieved a historic milestone by handling over 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in...
Significant Contamination Found in Nine Monitoring Stations Along Kerala's Ashtamudi and Vembanad Lakes
Significant contamination was detected at a total of nine monitoring stations under national and state water monitoring programmes in Kollam, Kottayam...
Centre Proposes Life Imprisonment for Forced Transgender Conversion in Amendment Bill
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 introduced in Lok Sabha proposes life imprisonment for forcing children to undergo...
First Indian-Flagged VLCC Structurally Recycled at Alang Under Hong Kong Convention Standards
A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) belonging to Lila Global, an Indian shipping company, became the first Indian-flagged vessel to be 'structurally recycled'...
Sugar Industry Urges Government to Raise Ethanol Blending Target Beyond 20%
The Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) urged the Prime Minister's Office to fast-track a roadmap to raise the Ethanol Blended...
TB Survivors Seek Government Assurance on Uninterrupted Treatment Access
Tuberculosis (TB) survivors and patient advocacy groups sought clarification from the government on the continuity of free TB treatment under the National...
Andhra Pradesh Bids to Become India's Third Defence Manufacturing Hub
A Lok Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh articulated the state's ambition to become a major hub of defence manufacturing, building on existing aerospace and...
First-Ever Notice for CEC Removal: What the Constitution Says
For the first time in India's constitutional history, opposition MPs moved a formal notice in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner...
India's First Comprehensive Firefly Checklist Documents 92 Species, Over 60% Endemic
Scientists published India's first comprehensive checklist of fireflies in the journal Zootaxa, documenting 92 species across 27 genera from records...
Parliamentary Panel on Women's Reservation: High-Level Committee Recommended to Assess Implementation Framework
A parliamentary standing committee recommended that the government constitute a high-level committee to study and assess the implementation framework for...
NHRC Issues Notices to Five States Over Rising Missing Persons Cases
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of reports highlighting a growing number of missing persons across several states and...
India's EAM and Iran's FM Hold 4th Call as India Presses for Hormuz Passage
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held their fourth phone call since the outbreak of the Iran-US-Israel...
US Opens Unfair Trade Practices Probe of 60 Countries Including India Over Forced Labour
The USTR launched a second wave of Section 301 investigations targeting 60 countries over forced labour trade practices — covering major US allies and...
Macron Warns Russia Against Exploiting West Asia War for Strategic Gains
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Russia would be 'mistaken' if it believed the West Asia war offered it a strategic opportunity to advance its...
Hegseth Claims Iran's New Supreme Leader Wounded; US Vows Strait of Hormuz Will Stay Open
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on March 13, 2026, that Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is 'wounded and likely disfigured' — the...
Cabinet Move to Accelerate Polavaram Irrigation Project: National Project on Godavari
The Union Cabinet took steps to accelerate the execution of the Polavaram Irrigation Project in Andhra Pradesh, which has been accorded National Project...
Puducherry Bird Atlas Second Edition: 33,000 Birds and 174 Species Recorded
The second edition of the Puducherry Bird Atlas has been released, recording 33,000 individual birds across 174 species in the Union Territory of...
India Faces World's Highest Heat-Induced Daily Activity Limitations, Study Finds
A major international study published in 2026 found that India experiences the most severe heat-induced limitations on daily human activity of any country...
Strait of Hormuz Closure Batters Chittoor's Mango Pulp Export Industry
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has severely disrupted mango pulp exports from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, with consignments worth over ₹300...
Blast Rocks Tehran During Quds Day Rally as Iran's Leadership Signals Defiance
A large explosion struck Ferdowsi Square in Tehran on March 13, 2026, during the annual Al-Quds Day demonstrations, killing at least one woman from shrapnel...
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Approves ₹9,355 Crore for Seven Multi-Village Drinking Water Schemes
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved seven major Multi-Village Drinking Water Schemes at a combined cost of ₹9,355 crore, aimed at providing safe drinking...
India Pauses US Trade Deal Signing Amid New Section 301 Probe
India signalled it would adopt a 'wait and watch' approach on finalising the interim trade agreement with the United States after the US Trade...
Tax Nudges Lead 50 Lakh Taxpayers to Revise Returns; Refund Claims Drop by ₹2,000 Crore
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) initiated the NUDGE campaign — Non-Intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable — starting December 2025, using data...
Parliament Informed: 350 sq km of Himalayan Tree Cover Lost in 2 Years; Nuclear Capacity at 8,780 MW
Parliament was informed on March 12, 2026 of multiple significant environmental and energy statistics from the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 and...
India Reaffirms Active Engagement in US Trade Talks Amid Pause Speculation
India's Commerce Secretary issued a clarification rebutting media reports suggesting that India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) negotiations had been...
Jaishankar Holds Fourth Call with Iranian FM Araghchi: Bilateral Ties and BRICS Discussed
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held his fourth phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi since the Iran-US-Israel war began, this...
Indian-Flagged Vessels Stranded in Strait of Hormuz: First Ship Sails Free
As of March 13, 2026, 28 Indian-flagged vessels were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict — 24 on the western side...
China's Anti-Dumping Duty on Indian Rubber: Trade Remedy Mechanisms and Bilateral Tensions
China announced the imposition of anti-dumping duties on certain rubber imports from India, following a formal anti-dumping investigation that was extended...
India's Forex Reserves Fall $11.68 Billion to $716.81 Billion: Biggest Weekly Drop in Over a Year
India's foreign exchange reserves fell by $11.683 billion to $716.810 billion for the week ending March 6, 2026 — the steepest single-week decline since...
Fitch Ratings Revises India's FY26 GDP Growth Forecast Upward to 7.5%
Fitch Ratings revised India's GDP growth projection for FY2025-26 (current fiscal year) upward to 7.5%, marginally higher than its December 2025 estimate of...
NCRB Portal for Reporting Online Crimes Against Women and Children: Legal and Institutional Framework
The Union Government directed law enforcement agencies across states and Union Territories to use the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) — managed...
Kashmir Shia Protests and Restrictions: Freedom of Assembly vs. Public Order
Protests broke out in Shia-dominated areas of Kashmir — including Magam and Budgam — in March 2026, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, reflecting the...
Madhya Pradesh Transfers ₹1,836 Crore to Women Under Ladli Behna Yojana
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav transferred ₹1,836 crore to over 1.25 crore women beneficiaries under the Ladli Behna Yojana, continuing the...
Kerosene and Coal Make a Temporary Comeback in India Amid Hormuz Crisis
The Indian government has temporarily reintroduced kerosene for household cooking use and permitted coal, biomass, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellets as...
India Co-Sponsors UNSC Resolution Condemning Iran: Multilateral Positioning and the Strategic Autonomy Debate
India co-sponsored UNSC Resolution 2817 (2026), which strongly condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and Jordan, condemning...
Iran Envoy Confirms Safe Passage for Indian Ships: 'India is Our Friend'
Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, confirmed that Tehran will provide safe passage to Indian-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz...
Global Sugar Prices Slide on Brazil Surplus; India's Sector Outlook Stable: ICRA
Global raw sugar prices fell sharply to $313 per metric tonne in February 2026, down from $445 per metric tonne a year earlier, as surplus production from...
US-India Critical Minerals Agreement Nears Finalisation
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced at the India Today Conclave 2026 that the United States and India are 'moving very close' to finalising a...
Lok Sabha Approves ₹2.01 Lakh Crore in Additional Spending for FY2025-26
Lok Sabha approved the Second Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for FY2025-26, permitting the government to spend an additional net amount of ₹2.01...
Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026: Redefining Identity and Excluding Sexual Orientation
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12, 2026 by Union Minister for Social Justice...
Fitch Raises India's GDP Growth Forecast to 7.5% for FY26 Despite Global Headwinds
Fitch Ratings on March 13, 2026, raised India's GDP growth projection for FY2025-26 (ending March 2026) to 7.5%, up from its December 2025 estimate of 7.4%...
What the Supreme Court's Passive Euthanasia Ruling Means for End-of-Life Care
The Supreme Court's March 11, 2026 ruling in the Harish Rana case has been widely analysed for its practical implications on end-of-life medical care in...
Security Lapse After Farooq Abdullah Assassination Attempt: SPG, PSO and VIP Protection Framework
On March 11, 2026, former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah survived an assassination attempt when an...
Understanding Discrepancies in India's New GDP Data: Base Year Revision to 2022-23
On February 27, 2026, MoSPI (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) released India's new GDP series with a revised base year of 2022-23...
China's Muted Response to Iran War: Strategic Calculation, Not Weakness
Analysts and foreign policy experts note that China's reaction to the US-Israel military campaign on Iran has been notably more restrained than its response...
Iran War: Oil Reserves Sufficient but LNG Supply is India's Greater Energy Concern
Expert analysis indicates that India's crude oil supply is relatively more resilient to the Strait of Hormuz closure than commonly assumed — approximately...
India Revises FDI Policy for Land Bordering Countries Including China Under Press Note 3
The Union Cabinet on March 10, 2026, approved amendments to the Consolidated FDI Policy relating to investments from countries sharing a land border with...
Pakistan Bombs Kandahar Airport Fuel Depot: Escalating Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict
Pakistan's military carried out overnight airstrikes on March 13, 2026, hitting the fuel depot of private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport — a...
South Asia Bets on LNG Surge: India Leads 110 MTPA Import Expansion
South Asia has approximately 110.7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG import capacity in development, representing about 17% of the global total in the...
Assam's Pushback of Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants: Legal Framework and Security Dimensions
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that 12 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were 'pushed back' across the border, continuing the state's...
Global AI Governance: Why India Must Champion Safety and Equity Over Performance and Scale
Analysts and policy experts have observed that the dominant norm in global AI governance frameworks is currently performance and scale — the ability to...
Trump's Second Term: Most Widespread US Military Strikes Since World War II
Data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and other conflict trackers shows that Trump's second term (since January 20...
India Pauses 1 GW Offshore Wind Tender Amid Rising Costs and Tariff Challenges
The Indian government has reconsidered its plan to float a fresh 1 GW offshore wind energy tender, citing rising global costs and persistently weak...
India's Air Defence Modernisation: Lessons from West Asia and Operation Sindoor
A former Chief of Air Staff highlighted that the most significant strategic takeaway for India from the West Asia conflict (Israel-Iran exchanges, Houthi...
Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Illegal Sand Mining in National Chambal Sanctuary
The Supreme Court, on a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, initiated suo motu proceedings over reports of illegal sand extraction in the...
Ukraine Opens Battlefield Data to Allied AI Models: A World-First in Military AI Integration
Ukraine approved a resolution in March 2026 creating a framework under which international partners and allied defence companies gain access to its vast...
Iran Asserts Right to Close Strait of Hormuz While Stopping Short of Immediate Closure
Iran stated that it would not immediately close the Strait of Hormuz but explicitly reserved the right to do so under certain conditions. The statement came...
Timeline of Ship Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf
Since the US-Israel military campaign began on February 28, 2026, Iran and IRGC-linked forces have conducted systematic attacks on commercial shipping in...
Global EV Registrations Fall 11% in February 2025 as China Sales Plunge
Global electric vehicle (EV) registrations declined 11% in February 2025 compared to the previous month, falling to approximately 1 million units — the...
India-Chile Partnership: Critical Minerals, Trade, and the Resource Diplomacy Imperative
India and Chile agreed to boost bilateral cooperation across trade, investment, health and pharmaceuticals, mining and mineral exploration, science and...
NASA Clears Artemis II for April 2026 Launch: First Crewed Lunar Flyby in Over 50 Years
NASA completed a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) in early March 2026 and cleared the Artemis II mission for launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, after...
Supreme Court Declines Mandatory Menstrual Leave: Employment and Gender Rights Debate
On March 13, 2026, the Supreme Court disposed of a PIL seeking nationwide paid menstrual leave for women employees and students, declining to issue such a...
Trump Administration Pushes Electoral Oversight Agenda in Europe Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Amid ongoing conflict in Europe, the Trump administration pushed for US-backed electoral oversight mechanisms in European nations, raising questions about...
Oil Holds Above $100 as Iran Targets Strait of Hormuz, Global Markets Reel
Oil prices held above $100 per barrel after Iran's new Supreme Leader (replacing Ali Khamenei, killed February 28, 2026) and senior advisors pledged to...
US Extends India-Like Russian Oil Sanctions Waiver to Multiple Countries
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a 30-day general licence allowing countries to purchase Russian crude oil and petroleum...
Oil Prices Ease Slightly After US Permits All Countries to Buy Russian Oil
Oil prices declined slightly from above $100/barrel after the US Treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing entities globally — not just India — to purchase...
Surging Crude Oil Prices Push India's FY27 Inflation Forecast to 4.5–4.6%
Escalating crude oil prices — driven by the West Asia conflict (Iran war) disrupting the Strait of Hormuz — have pushed India's CPI inflation forecast for...
Trump Threatens Iran Over Gulf State Attacks, Warns of Catastrophic Retaliation
US President Donald Trump issued escalating threats against Iran as Iranian forces carried out retaliatory drone and missile strikes on Gulf Cooperation...
Taiwan Parliament Authorises $9 Billion U.S. Arms Deal Amid Defence Urgency
Taiwan's parliament unanimously authorised the government to sign four U.S. arms sale packages worth approximately $9 billion, after defence officials...
Karnataka Reservation Act and the Push for Ninth Schedule Protection
Six Members of Parliament from Karnataka urged the Union Government to include the state's reservation legislation in the Ninth Schedule of the...
Kautilya's Mandala in a Fractured World: Turkey's Envoy on India as a Middle Power
Turkey's Ambassador to India invoked Kautilya's Arthashastra and the Mandala theory during a diplomatic address, arguing that 'middle powers like India...
Russia Pressures US on Oil Sanctions as India Navigates LPG Supply Crisis
Russia has been exerting diplomatic pressure on Washington to extend or broaden the temporary 30-day waiver on Russian oil purchases, as Moscow seeks to...
China Passes Ethnic Minority Law Mandating Mandarin, Advancing National Assimilation
China's National People's Congress (NPC) passed a new law titled 'Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress' on March 12, 2026, at its closing session, with 2,756...
Iran-Israel War: Israel Strikes Over 200 Targets in 24 Hours
Israel's Air Force struck over 200 targets in Iran within a 24-hour period, including command centers, air defense systems, and weapons storage and...
US Issues 30-Day Waiver Allowing Purchase of Stranded Russian Oil
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a temporary 30-day waiver authorizing Indian refiners and other buyers to purchase Russian crude oil and...
HALEU-Thorium Fuel for Indian Reactors: Experts Debate Viability Against Three-Stage Nuclear Programme
A debate has emerged among nuclear scientists and policymakers over a proposal to use HALEU-Thorium (HALEU-Th) fuel — specifically a commercial product...
NITI Aayog Fiscal Health Index 2026: Odisha Tops, Goa Ranks Second
NITI Aayog released the second annual edition of the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026, measuring the fiscal health of Indian states for Financial Year...
Electrifying Industrial Heat: India's Path to Thermal Independence and Decarbonisation
A growing body of research and policy commentary argues that electrifying industrial process heat — replacing fossil fuel combustion in factories with...
U.S. Intelligence: Iran's Government Remains Stable Despite Sustained Bombardment
U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that Iran's government is not at risk of collapse despite nearly two weeks of sustained American and Israeli bombardment...
Nepal's Political Realignment: Rastriya Swatantra Party Sweeps 2026 General Elections
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) of Nepal won a near-supermajority in Nepal's 2026 general elections, securing approximately 182 out of 275 seats in the...
Motion Against CEC in Parliament: Removal Process and Constitutional Implications
Multiple Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs submitted a formal notice for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on March 13, 2026 — a first in...
GPS Spoofing and Jamming at Sea: Electronic Warfare Threats to Maritime Navigation
GPS interference at sea has reached alarming levels: Lloyd's List Intelligence recorded 1,735 GPS interference events affecting 655 vessels between early...
Supreme Court OBC Creamy Layer Judgement: Social Status Over Income as Yardstick
The Supreme Court's March 11, 2026 judgment (Union of India v. Rohith Nathan) resolved decades of confusion about how to apply the income/wealth test for...
India's Oil and Gas Strategy Amid US-Iran Tensions: Diversification Under Pressure
India's crude basket surged to $120 per barrel following the US-Israel strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026, and the effective closure of the Strait...
US Launches Section 301 'Forced Labor' Trade Probe Against India and 59 Other Nations
The US Trade Representative (USTR) office initiated investigations against 60 countries, including India, under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, to...
Iran's New Supreme Leader Declares Strait of Hormuz a Weapon of Leverage
Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public statement after being appointed on March 8–9, 2026, declared that 'the lever of blocking the...
India Labelled a 'Tough Negotiator' as US Pushes for Trade Barrier Reductions
US officials publicly characterised India as a 'tough negotiator' while expressing expectation that New Delhi — along with other partners — would reduce...
Supreme Court Stays Delhi HC Order on CBI Sanction in Cash-for-Query Case Against Mahua Moitra
The Supreme Court stayed paragraph 89 of a December 2025 Delhi High Court order that had directed the Lokpal to consider granting sanction to the CBI to...
Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Illegal Sand Mining Threatening National Chambal Sanctuary
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took suo motu cognisance of reports of rampant illegal sand mining in the National Chambal...
India-US Defence Ties Deepen: Advanced Engines, Unmanned Systems, MRO, and Nuclear Energy
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced that India and the United States are actively exploring cooperation in advanced jet engines, unmanned aerial...
India's West Asia Export Corridor Under Strain: Up to $4 Billion in Monthly Shipments at Risk
The ongoing West Asia conflict — centred on US-Israel strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026 — has disrupted key maritime routes used for India's...
Supreme Court Rejects PIL for Mandatory Menstrual Leave, Warns of Employment Discrimination Risk
The Supreme Court of India declined to entertain a PIL seeking a nationwide mandatory menstrual leave policy for women students and employees, warning that...
Election Commission Upgrades Returning Officers for West Bengal: First Such Reform Since Independence
The Election Commission of India (ECI) upgraded the rank of returning officers (ROs) across all 152 assembly constituencies in West Bengal to the level of...