March 21, 2026
86 articles published on this date
Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs Modified: Extended Tenure, Exporter Provisions, Service Sector Inclusion
The Central Government modified the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS-MSME), originally launched in January 2025, to expand coverage and...
Justice Nagarathna: Government as Largest Litigant Feeds the Very Backlog It Complains About
Justice B.V. Nagarathna of the Supreme Court of India, speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association's first National Conference 2026, flagged the paradox...
South Pars Gas Field: Israeli Strike on World's Largest Gas Reserve Exposes Global Energy Fragility
Israel struck Iranian facilities linked to the South Pars gas field — the first time Israel has targeted Iranian natural gas infrastructure — in a strike...
US Strikes Iranian Base as Strait of Hormuz Blockade Triggers 22-Nation Joint Statement
The US military declared it had 'taken out' an Iranian bunker on Iran's coast that stored anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile launchers, and related equipment...
India Calls for Freedom of Navigation in Gulf Amid Iran-US Conflict
PM Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on March 21, 2026, their second call since the conflict erupted on February 28, 2026 Modi extended...
Supreme Court: State Cannot Impose Upper Disability Ceiling Beyond RPwD Act's Minimum Threshold
In Prabhu Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors. (2026 INSC 253), the Supreme Court held that a state cannot prescribe an upper ceiling on the disability...
Feminists and Lawyers Write to MPs, Urge Rejection of Transgender Act Amendments as Unconstitutional
Feminist organisations, lawyers, and rights advocates sent a letter to Members of Parliament urging them to reject the Transgender Persons (Protection of...
Israel Launches Ground Offensive in Southern Lebanon to Dismantle Hezbollah
Israel launched ground operations in southern Lebanon on March 16, 2026, targeting Hezbollah positions — potentially the largest ground invasion since the...
Supreme Court Expands Maternity Rights for Adoptive Mothers, Pushes for Paternity 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, 2020 on March 17...
Supreme Court Flags Police Social Media Uploads of Accused as 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 Patel, flagging...
Transgender and Queer Groups Demand Withdrawal of Amendment Bill Citing Rights Regression
Transgender and queer collectives, legal advocates, and civil society groups have demanded immediate withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (Protection of...
Parliamentary Panel Raises Alarm on Groundwater Contamination, Urges AI-Driven Solutions
A Parliamentary Standing Committee expressed serious concern over the rising level of groundwater contamination across India and directed the government to...
US Grants 30-Day Iran Oil Sanctions Waiver as Brent Crude Hits $112
The US Treasury issued a 30-day sanctions waiver beginning March 21, 2026, allowing the sale of Iranian oil currently aboard tankers at sea US Treasury...
Modi's Eid-Nowruz Call to Iran: Cultural Diplomacy Meets Energy Infrastructure Crisis
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 Masoud...
Diego Garcia: The Indian Ocean's Most Strategic Military Outpost
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, marking the longest-range offensive strike ever...
Iran War: Why the Global Energy Crisis Makes an Early Ceasefire Imperative
Three weeks into the West Asia war (US-Israel strikes on Iran, beginning February 28, 2026), energy analysts and policymakers are arguing that the mounting...
Wastewater Metagenomics Study Maps Scale of Antimicrobial Resistance Across Four Major Indian Cities
A two-year metagenomic study of urban wastewater published in Nature Communications mapped antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes across 19 sites in Delhi...
Finance Ministry Revises Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme to Boost MSME Credit Access
The Finance Ministry announced changes to the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS-MSME), making the existing 5% upfront contribution refundable...
Supreme Court Clears Cutting of 45,000 Mangroves for Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road in Mumbai
The Supreme Court of India, in a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, dismissed an appeal by environmental NGO Vanashakti against the Bombay High Court's...
India Achieves One Billion Tonne Coal Production for Second 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 landmark...
India Faces Deep Divisions at WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference 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, 2026. A GTRI...
West Asia Conflict: Global Supply Chain Disruption Pathways and India's Structural Insulation Factors
SBI Research cautioned that escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia could create ripple effects across global energy markets, trade flows, and...
Parliamentary Committee Tells EC: Protect Genuine Voters During Electoral Roll Revision
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice told the Election Commission of India (ECI) that no genuine voter...
West Asia War Exposes Energy Fragility Across India's Neighbourhood
Three weeks into the West Asia war (US-Israel strikes on Iran, beginning February 28, 2026), all of India's immediate neighbours — Maldives, Sri Lanka...
US Eases Iran Oil Sanctions Temporarily to Cool 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 Iranian crude oil...
India's Carbon Market to Begin Formal Trading Within Four Months
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced at the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 in New Delhi that India will begin formal trading in its domestic...
Surat's Diamond and Textile Industries Under Strain from West Asia Conflict
Escalating conflict in West Asia has triggered cascading disruptions for Surat's twin industrial pillars — the diamond cutting and polishing sector and the...
US-Israel Strike on Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility: Nuclear Law and Proliferation Stakes
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 Atomic Energy...
International Day of Forests 2026: "Forests and Economies" Theme Highlights Economic Value of Forests
The United Nations designated March 21 as International Day of Forests, with the 2026 theme selected as 'Forests and Economies' by the UN Forum on Forests...
Government Raises Commercial LPG Allocation to 50% as Domestic Production Recovers from Middle East Disruption
The Government of India approved an additional 20% allocation of commercial LPG to states and Union Territories, taking total allocation to 50% — signalling...
Iran's Long-Range Missile Strike on Diego Garcia: New Capabilities and Missile Defense
Iran launched two ballistic missiles targeting Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, approximately 4,000 km from Iranian...
India's Diplomatic Push for Open Shipping Lanes Amid West Asia War
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his second telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran...
Iran Urges India-Led BRICS to Play Independent Role in West Asia War
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 an independent...
Middle East War and Global Inflation: How India's Import Diversification and Policy Buffers Provide Insulation
SBI Research released a report warning that the ongoing Middle East conflict could trigger a fresh wave of global inflation if disruptions to supply chains...
EVM-VVPAT First Randomisation Completed in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry Ahead of 2026 Assembly Polls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) completed the first randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails...
Rajya Sabha's Floating Majority: How the BJP Manages the Upper House Without a Brute Majority
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 upper house's...
India Declares Targeting of Commercial Ships Unacceptable at International Maritime Forum
India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, addressed an emergency session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in...
India's Aviation Corridors Shrink as West Asia Conflict Disrupts Airspace
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory urging Indian airlines to avoid 11 airspaces in West Asia amid escalating conflict...
Supreme Court Reiterates That No One Is Above Hate Speech Law
The Supreme Court declared that no individual or group should indulge in hate speech, reiterating that existing penal provisions must be applied uniformly...
Supreme Court Holds Officials of Three States Liable for Chambal Sanctuary 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 Pradesh, and...
National Dental Commission Operationalised, Replacing the 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 dental education...
NMC Mandates Hands-On Clinical Training for Foreign Medical Graduates
The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice mandating that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who completed part of their MBBS programme in online...
FPI Outflows from India Near Record at ₹93,700 Crore in March 2026
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have pulled out close to ₹93,700 crore (~$10.8 billion) from Indian markets in the financial year 2025-26, nearing a...
GLP-1 Drugs Go Generic in India: Opportunity, Misuse Risks, and Regulatory Challenges
Semaglutide's patent expired in India in March 2026, opening the market to generic competition. As many as 50 domestic brands are expected to enter at a...
US Issues 30-Day Sanctions Waiver on Iranian Oil at Sea: Can India Benefit?
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a 30-day General License (GL) authorizing transactions necessary for the sale...
India's March 2026 Weather Extremes: From Heatwave to Hailstorm
March 2026 opened with anomalous heatwave conditions across North India, with Delhi recording temperatures near 37°C, then saw a dramatic reversal as an...
Why the US Suspended Sanctions on Iranian Oil at Sea: Explained
The Trump administration issued a 30-day general licence waiving sanctions on Iranian crude oil already in transit at sea — approximately 140 million...
Supreme Court: Criticism of Judgments Is Not Contempt of Court
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 to the...
Supreme Court Allows Felling of 46,000 Mangroves for Mumbai Coastal Road
The Supreme Court of India (bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi) refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's...
Hindukush Himalaya Glacier Ice Loss Rate Doubles Since 2000
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) released two landmark reports on World Water Day (March 21, 2026): 'Changing Dynamics...
Israel Strikes Tehran and Beirut as US Deploys 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 campaign against Iran...
Security Forces Seize Arms Cache Including 50 IEDs in Ongoing Manipur Operations
Security forces conducting search operations across multiple districts of Manipur seized a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and 50 Improvised...
World Bank's Water-Food Nexus Framework: Feeding 10 Billion on Finite Water
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 population...
Ukraine Launches One of Its Largest Drone Barrages Against Russia
Ukraine launched over 280 drones at Russian territory overnight, one of the largest single drone barrages since the war began in February 2022. Russia's...
India's Fertiliser Dependence: The Case for Domestic Innovation Beyond Imports and Subsidies
A policy analysis argues that India's fertiliser strategy — currently dominated by heavy imports and large subsidies — needs a structural shift toward...
Oil Palm's Dual Role: Edible Oil Security and Carbon Sequestration
A growing body of research and policy discussion is examining oil palm's potential as a carbon-sequestering crop, challenging the conventional narrative...
Pentagon Formalises Palantir's AI System as Core US Military Programme of Record
A March 9, 2026 memorandum from US Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg formally designated Palantir Technologies' Maven Smart System (MSS) as an...
Iran Signals Readiness to Allow Japanese Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran is prepared to allow Japan-related vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, with bilateral...
India's Refiners Scramble for Non-Middle East Crude as Iran-Israel War Chokes Supply
Indian refiners — including state-owned IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL — are actively seeking non-Middle East crude supply as the Iran-Israel-US war enters its third...
Global Aviation Under Strain as West Asia Conflict Shuts Airspace and Doubles Jet Fuel Costs
Ongoing missile and drone strikes across West Asia have led to the closure of major regional airspace, severely disrupting global aviation routes in early...
Himachal Pradesh Presents ₹54,928 Crore Budget for 2026-27, Hikes Milk Procurement Price
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the state budget for 2026-27 with a total outlay of ₹54,928 crore, marking a significant...
Maharashtra and India's Orange Economy: AVGC Sector Policy and the Creative Economy Push
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated 'Gen O – Pixels & Play,' a four-day gaming and digital content festival at MMRDA Grounds, BKC...
India's LPG Crisis and the Long Shadow of the Abandoned Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline
Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan publicly blamed consecutive Congress and BJP-led central governments for India's ongoing cooking gas (LPG) crisis...
Telangana's Rythu Bharosa: ₹3,590 Crore First Instalment to 70 Lakh Farmers on March 22
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced the release of the first instalment of Rythu Bharosa farm income support on March 22, amounting to ₹3,590...
Namaste Shalom Magazine Relaunch Reflects Deepening India-Israel Cultural and Strategic Ties
A magazine focused on India-Israel relations titled 'Namaste Shalom' has been relaunched by former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay, originally a 2018...
Indian and Asian Refiners Eye Iranian Crude After US Sanctions Waiver
Indian refining companies confirmed they will purchase Iranian crude oil following the US Treasury's 30-day sanctions waiver, with three major Indian...
Tripura Assembly Passes Three Private University Bills Amid Opposition Walkout
The Tripura Legislative Assembly passed three bills to establish new private universities on March 20, 2026, amid a walkout by opposition CPI(M) and...
DGCA Mandates 60% Free Seat Selection: Airlines Push Back, Warn of Fare Hikes
The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to instruct all airlines to designate a minimum of 60% of seats on...
Telangana Launches Indiramma Family Life Insurance: ₹5 Lakh Cover for 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, announcing the...
South Korea in Talks with Iran to Normalise Strait of Hormuz Shipping Lanes
South Korea entered active diplomatic consultations with Iran and other relevant nations to secure normalisation of shipping lanes through the Strait of...
Saudi Arabia and Arab Nations Condemn Israeli Strikes on Syrian Territory
Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian army camps in the southern Sweida province on March 20, 2026, targeting military infrastructure including headquarters...
Kochi-Muziris Biennale and the Rise of Public Mural Art in Fort Kochi
As the 2024–25 edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) unfolds, its Island Mural Project has transformed the walls of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry into a...
Mumbai's Coastal Road vs. 45,000 Mangroves: Protests, Courts, and Ecology
Plans to clear approximately 45,000 mangroves along Mumbai's western coast for the proposed Versova–Bhayandar Coastal Road have triggered sustained...
US Issues 30-Day Sanctions Waiver for Iranian Oil in Transit Amid Energy Market Shock
The US Treasury, led by Secretary Scott Bessent, issued a 30-day sanctions waiver on March 20, 2026, authorising the purchase of Iranian crude oil currently...
Trump Signals Possible Wind-Down of Iran Operations as Energy Market Pressures Mount
US President Donald Trump stated on March 20, 2026 — Day 21 of the Iran war — that he was considering 'winding down' military operations, citing proximity...
US Fed Holds Rates Steady as Iran War Reshapes Global Economic Outlook
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 at 3.5%–3.75%...
Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at US-UK Diego Garcia Base in the Indian Ocean
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), marking the first...
CAPF (General Administration) Bill 2026: Formalising IPS Deputation in Paramilitary Leadership
The Union Cabinet approved the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, to be introduced in Parliament by the Home Minister The Bill...
How US War Objectives and Timeline in the Iran Conflict Have Repeatedly Shifted
Throughout the 21 days of the US-Israel war on Iran (beginning February 28, 2026), the Trump administration's stated objectives, justifications, and...
Iran Conflict Drives Up Construction Costs, Disrupting India's Real Estate Sector
The ongoing conflict involving US-Israel-Iran has triggered a cascade of cost increases in India's real estate sector, driven primarily by spiking oil...
India's Forest Governance Needs a Resource Nexus Overhaul
On World Forest Day (March 21), researchers at the UN University Institute on Resource Nexus published an analysis arguing that India's forest governance is...
India's Updated Earthquake Safety Codes Withdrawn Amid Cost Concerns
India's Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) released a major revision to IS 1893 (Part 1) — the national earthquake design code — in November 2025, creating a...
India's Cotton Belt Shrinks as Farmers Pivot to Rice and Maize
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 nearly one-fifth...
Tripura's Tribal Autonomous Council Heads to Polls in April 2026
Elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are scheduled for April 12, 2026, with counting on April 17, 2026 The date was...
Eco-Anxiety Among India's Youth: Climate Distress as a Mental Health and Policy Challenge
A documented rise in eco-anxiety among Indian youth is attracting attention from health researchers and environmental advocates, with the phenomenon now...
Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum: Converting Colonial Power Centres into a Cultural Landmark
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project as transforming the former seat of British colonial power — North and South...