March 31, 2026
98 articles published on this date
West Asia Conflict Could Shave 1 Percentage Point Off India's FY27 GDP Growth: EY
EY India's Economy Watch report released in March 2026 estimates that if the West Asia conflict persists throughout FY2026–27, India's real GDP growth could...
Lavrov to Visit Delhi in May for BRICS Foreign Ministers Meet: Energy and War on Agenda
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is confirmed to visit New Delhi on May 14-15, 2026, to participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting —...
RoDTEP Scheme Extended Six Months as Exporters Seek Rate Stability
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme until September 30...
India's Fertilizer Vulnerability: Gulf Conflict Exposes Agrarian Supply Chain Risk
Analysts at BMI (a Fitch Solutions unit) warn that India faces the greatest fertilizer supply risk among major agricultural nations if the Iran-Gulf war...
Qdenga Dengue Vaccine: India's First Dengue Immunisation Tool and Its Limits
Qdenga (TAK-003), developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, is positioned as India's first dengue vaccine, with its anticipated launch in 2026...
Orbital Congestion and the Governance Gap: Why Earth's Orbits Are Filling Up
Earth's orbital shells — particularly low Earth orbit (LEO, 200–2,000 km altitude) — are filling with active satellites, defunct spacecraft, and...
Transgender Persons Amendment Act 2026: 32,000 Self-Identity Certificates Now in Legal Limbo
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 13, 2026 and has received Presidential assent...
Five Kashmir Glacial Lakes Pose Very High GLOF Risk to Downstream Infrastructure
A study by the Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir, published in the Journal of Glaciology, has identified five glacial lakes in Jammu &...
Former RBI Deputy Governor Advocates Accessing US Fed Swap Facility to Stabilise Rupee
Former RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra proposed that the RBI should formally access the US Federal Reserve's swap facility as a structural tool...
India's IIP: February 2026 Surge to 5.2% and What the Divergence Signals
India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew 5.2% year-on-year in February 2026, up from 4.8% in January 2026 and rebounding after the sharp...
Finance Commission Disaster Funding Formula Leaves Hazard-Prone States Underserved
An opinion piece in The Hindu raises structural concerns about the 16th Finance Commission's disaster funding formula, arguing that using population as the...
Bastar's 42,000 sq. km Declared Largely Free from LWE; IED Clearance Remains Key Challenge
About 42,000 sq. km of the Bastar region in Chhattisgarh has been declared largely free from Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) influence, with only around 30–40...
PNGRB: India Can Meet 30 Crore PNG Connections with Domestic LNG Production Alone
The Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) stated that India's domestic LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) production is sufficient to...
Russia Positions as Key Fertiliser Supplier to Global South as Hormuz Crisis Drives Price Surge
With the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis severely disrupting global fertiliser shipments, Russia has positioned itself as an alternative supplier to Global...
FCRA Amendment Bill 2026: Congress Calls It Unconstitutional, Plans Protest
The BJP-led government tabled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha, seeking to further tighten rules governing foreign...
U.S. Strikes Isfahan Nuclear Site; Iran Hits Kuwaiti Oil Tanker Off Dubai
The United States military struck the central Iranian city of Isfahan on March 31, 2026, targeting a mountainous region on the city's southern edge where...
NIA and ED Dismantle Maoist Extortion and Money Laundering Networks
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have jointly dismantled Maoist-run extortion and money laundering rackets, with...
New Income Tax Act 2025: Key Benefits and Form Changes for Individual Taxpayers
The Income Tax Act, 2025 — which replaces the 64-year-old Income Tax Act, 1961 — takes effect from April 1, 2026, introducing sweeping changes in how...
India's Diesel Exports to Southeast Asia Hit 7-Year High in March 2026
India exported approximately 7.45 million barrels of diesel to Southeast Asia in March 2026, the highest volume in seven and a half years, driven by...
Myanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing Elected Vice-President, Edges Toward Presidency
Myanmar's lower house (Pyithu Hluttaw) elected junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as Vice-President with 247 of 260 votes on March 31, 2026. The...
CAG Finds Odisha's Late Marriage Incentive Scheme Fails to Reach PVTG Beneficiaries
A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has found that Odisha's late marriage incentive scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) has...
Over 200,000 Flee Lebanon for Syria as West Asia War Drives Humanitarian Crisis
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 200,000 people — the vast majority of them Syrian nationals — fled Lebanon...
CBIC Removes ₹10 Lakh Courier Export Cap, Unlocking E-Commerce Cross-Border Trade
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) operationalised a set of comprehensive reforms for e-commerce exports and courier trade from April 1...
India at WTO MC14: Consensus-Based Decision-Making is Non-Negotiable
At the World Trade Organisation's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal led India's...
Indian LPG Tanker Pine Gas Navigates Hormuz Blockade Under Naval Escort
The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Pine Gas, carrying 45,000 metric tons of LPG, was stranded for nearly three weeks after Iran began selectively blocking...
Home Ministry Tells Parliament: Security Agencies Use OSINT from Public Sources, Not Private Data
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology (chaired by Lok Sabha MP Nishikant...
New Income Tax Act 2025 Takes Effect: Buyback Tax, TCS Cuts, VDA Rules Explained
From April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act, bringing the most comprehensive overhaul of India's direct tax law in six decades. Share...
RBI's $77.5 Billion Forward Book Short Position and Rupee Defence
The Reserve Bank of India's net short dollar position in its forward book rose to $77.5 billion in February 2026, a record high, up from $68.42 billion in...
India Plans Sweeping Supply Chain Reforms to Reduce Vulnerability to West Asia Shocks
The Union government is preparing a comprehensive reform plan in response to supply chain disruptions caused by the West Asia war, with energy security and...
How the West Asia War is Reshaping India's Fiscal Arithmetic
The ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict has transmitted an acute external shock to India's economy through three primary channels: elevated crude oil prices...
Vegetable Price Crash of Up to 80%: Supply Glut, Farm Distress, and Structural Gaps
Since January 2026, vegetable prices in India have crashed sharply: potatoes down ~40%, onions ~50%, and tomatoes by up to 80% from recent highs. The crash...
Kerala's ₹3,464-Crore World Bank Health Loan: Fiscal Risks and Governance Questions
Kerala's government received World Bank approval for the Kerala Health System Improvement Programme (KHSIP), a ₹3,464-crore ($280 million) project to be...
Japan Sets Up Dedicated Cell to Channel FDI into India, Eyes 10 Trillion Yen by 2030
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is establishing a new dedicated center to assist Japanese companies in navigating India's regulatory environment and...
Courier Export Cap Removed: India Lifts ₹10 Lakh Threshold to Boost E-Commerce Exports
From April 1, 2026, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has abolished the ₹10 lakh (₹1 million) per-consignment value cap on courier...
UAPA Tribunal Confirms Five-Year Ban on NSCN(K) and All Its Factions
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, headed by Justice Nelson Sailo of the Gauhati High Court, confirmed the five-year ban imposed by the Centre...
Iran's First Crude Oil Delivery to India in 7 Years Despite Hormuz Blockade
An Iranian crude oil tanker is set to deliver its cargo to India for the first time in approximately seven years, even as the Strait of Hormuz remains...
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0: Centre Releases ₹1,561 Crore to 5 States After Compliance Pause
The Centre released ₹1,561.53 crore to five states under the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 (JJM 2.0) for 2025–26, resuming funding that had been paused due to...
AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2026: Giving Amaravati Legal Status as Andhra Pradesh's Sole Capital
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 1, 2026, seeking to formally declare Amaravati as the sole...
Telangana Gig Workers Welfare Bill 2026: Platform Economy Regulation Advances
The Telangana Assembly passed the Telangana Platform-based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2026 on March 30, 2026, making...
FCRA Amendment Bill 2026: Tightening Foreign Funding Rules and the Kerala Flashpoint
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 26, 2026, proposing significant changes to India's...
GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator: The Bunker-Buster Bomb Used Against Iran's Nuclear Sites
The United States used the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) — a 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb — in combat for the first time on June 22, 2025, as...
Karnataka's Anti-Honour Killing Law Affirms Adults' Absolute Right to Choose Partners
Karnataka has passed the 'Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition' Bill, 2026 —...
Quantum Entanglement: The Physics Behind Instant Correlations Across Any Distance
The Hindu published an explainer on quantum entanglement, riding the wave of public interest after the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics and India's expanding...
La Niña Ends, El Niño Expected by August 2026: What This Means for India's Monsoon
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has officially declared that the 2025–26 La Niña episode has ended, with the tropical Pacific returning to...
India Signs Record 219 Advance Pricing Agreements in FY26, Cumulative Total Crosses 1,000
India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed a record 219 Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) during FY2025-26, the highest annual total since the...
Census 2027: India's First Fully Digital Population Enumeration Begins
India's Census 2027 — the country's 16th decennial census — has formally commenced with the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO) Phase I beginning on...
India's Census Exercise Begins in Eight States with Digital Self-Enumeration Window
Karnataka is among eight states and Union Territories where the census exercise was launched on March 31, 2026, with the opening of a 15-day...
Pentagon Chief Hegseth Claims 'Decisive Days' Ahead in US-Iran Military Campaign
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the coming days would be 'decisive' in the ongoing war against Iran, signalling an imminent escalation of...
India Pivots to US for LPG Supply as West Asia Conflict Disrupts Gulf Imports
India is actively diversifying LPG imports away from West Asia towards the United States, with US-origin supplies expected to remain competitive in Asian...
RoDTEP Duty Remission Scheme Extended to September 2026 Amid Export Uncertainty
The government extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme to September 30, 2026, providing relief to Indian exporters...
India Faces Pressure as US Pushes Plurilateral E-Commerce Moratorium After WTO MC14 Deadlock
The WTO's e-commerce customs duties moratorium — which has prevented WTO members from imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions since 1998 —...
Income Tax Changes April 2026: New Code, Higher Allowances, Buyback Tax Shift
April 1, 2026 marks the commencement of the Income Tax Act, 2025, which replaces the Income Tax Act, 1961 — the most significant structural reform of...
Developing Countries and LDCs Can No Longer Be Rule-Takers at WTO: India's Commerce Secretary
India's Commerce Secretary, speaking in the context of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, asserted that developing...
GST Liability on Intermediary Services Shifts to Recipient; CBIC Scraps ₹10 Lakh E-Commerce Export Cap
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has effected two major reforms effective April 1, 2026: a structural change in GST liability for...
New Income Tax Act 2025: What Changes for Salaried Taxpayers from April 2026
The Income-tax Act, 2025 comes into effect from April 1, 2026, replacing the Income-tax Act, 1961 — a law that had been in operation for over six decades...
India's Data Centres to Consume Jharkhand-Sized Share of Power; Parliament Panel Flags Chinese Equipment Risks
A Parliamentary Standing Committee report has recorded government testimony that India's data centre power demand could hit 4-5 GW within five years...
ACME Signs ₹20,000 Crore Green Ammonia Deal with SECI for 10 Years
ACME Cleantech Solutions has signed a ₹20,000 crore Green Ammonia Purchase Agreement (GAPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for a 10-year...
West Asia Conflict Could Shave 1 Percentage Point from India's FY27 GDP Growth: EY
EY's Economy Watch report has warned that if the West Asia conflict persists through FY27, India's real GDP growth could erode by approximately 1 percentage...
Delimitation and Women's Reservation: The Regional Imbalance Debate
The central government is reportedly planning to proceed with delimitation using the 2011 Census data to fast-track implementation of the Women's...
Defence Ministry Signs ₹1,950 Crore Deal with BEL for DRDO-Developed Mountain Radars
The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹1,950 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on March 31, 2026, for the procurement of two mountain radars...
China and Pakistan's Five-Point West Asia Peace Roadmap: Geopolitics of Mediation
China and Pakistan have jointly unveiled a five-point peace roadmap for West Asia (the Middle East), focused on ending hostilities related to the escalating...
Sanand as India's Semiconductor Hub: PM Modi on Gujarat's Rise in the Chip Ecosystem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the semiconductor assembly and test facility of Kaynes Semicon at Sanand GIDC, Gujarat, describing Sanand as a...
Indian Refiners Face Margin Squeeze as Windfall Tax and Export Duties Reinstated
The government cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 per litre while simultaneously reimposing export duties on diesel (₹21.50/litre) and aviation...
EU Carbon Market as a Driver for CO₂ Removals: BECCS, Direct Air Capture, and the 2050 Pathway
A study published in the journal Joule on March 31, 2026 finds that the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) — the world's first and largest carbon market —...
NASA's Artemis II: First Crewed Lunar Mission in Over 50 Years Set for April 1 Launch
NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled for launch on April 1, 2026, from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a...
New Income Tax Act 2025 and Higher F&O Transaction Tax Take Effect from April 1, 2026
From April 1, 2026, India's six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961 is replaced by the Income-tax Act, 2025, representing the most comprehensive overhaul of...
US Tariffs Constrain India's Apparel Export Growth to 1.5%; ICRA Projects Rebound in FY27
India's apparel exports recorded only modest growth of ~1.5% in the recent period, constrained significantly by high US tariffs imposed under the Trump...
10 Foreign Ships with Energy Cargo for India Stranded in Persian Gulf
At least 10 foreign-flagged ships carrying energy supplies destined for India remain stranded in the Persian Gulf as Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait...
India's First Iranian Crude Oil Import Since 2019: Sanctions Waiver Opens a New Window
India's first Iranian crude oil cargo since May 2019 is heading to a Gujarat port, based on ship-tracking data, with Reliance Industries reportedly...
India Achieves Naxal-Free Status as March 31 Deadline Arrives
As India reaches the March 31, 2026 deadline set by the Union Home Minister for achieving a Naxal-free India, the government has declared the goal...
Kaynes Semicon OSAT Plant at Sanand: India's Semiconductor Manufacturing Push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ₹3,300 crore semiconductor assembly and testing facility of Kaynes Semicon at Sanand GIDC, Ahmedabad district...
Finance Act 2026: Key Tax Changes Effective April 1
The government has officially notified the Finance Act 2026, giving legal force to the tax proposals announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, with changes...
India's Second Semiconductor Plant: PM Modi Inaugurates Kaynes Semicon's ₹3,300 Crore OSAT Facility at Sanand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kaynes Semicon semiconductor facility at Sanand GIDC, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on March 31, 2026 — India's second...
Middle East Conflict Could Shave 1 Percentage Point Off India's FY27 GDP Growth
A persistent Middle East conflict — triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran that began February 28, 2026 — could reduce India's real GDP growth for FY2026-27...
Transgender Persons Amendment Act 2026: Self-Identification Rights Under Challenge
Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, amending the 2019 parent law by narrowing the legal definition of...
RBI Extends Export Proceeds Timelines as West Asia Crisis Disrupts Trade
The Reserve Bank of India issued 'The Reserve Bank of India (Trade Relief Measures) Directions, 2026' (Press Release 2025-2026/2362, March 31, 2026)...
RBI Trade Relief Measures Directions 2026: Extended Export Credit Amid West Asia Crisis
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on March 31, 2026, issued the RBI (Trade Relief Measures) Directions, 2026 (Reference: RBI/2025-26/263...
PEHEL Scheme: Himachal Pradesh Puts Pastoral Communities on the Policy Map
Himachal Pradesh has launched the PEHEL (Pastoralists Empowerment in Himalayan Ecosystems for Livelihood) scheme in its 2026-27 budget, with an allocation...
India-Bound Ships Stranded in Persian Gulf: Energy Security and Operation Urja Suraksha
At least 10 India-bound ships carrying energy cargo — crude oil, LPG, and LNG — are stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz due...
Chhattisgarh's Two-Year Campaign Against Maoism: Operations, Surrenders, and the Road Ahead
A two-year counter-insurgency campaign in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, running from early 2024 through March 2026, has fundamentally altered the...
Kharg Island and the Risks of Seizing Iran's Oil Hub: Strategic, Legal, and Precedential Dimensions
US President Trump publicly mused about seizing Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf, as a way to pressure Tehran and gain...
One in Five Sanctioned Civilian Posts in Central Government Lies Vacant
According to official data, over 8.45 lakh sanctioned civilian posts in the central government remain unfilled — representing approximately one in every...
Iran-Israel War: Strait of Hormuz, Sanctions Escalation, and Global Energy Security
The US-Israel conflict with Iran (Operation Epic Fury, launched February 28, 2026) has entered its second month with the Strait of Hormuz remaining largely...
AI Hardware Boom Drives One-Third of Global Trade Growth in 2025
A McKinsey Global Institute report titled 'Geopolitics and the Geometry of Global Trade: 2026 Update' found that AI hardware shipments — chips, servers, and...
How Pakistan Emerged as an Unlikely Mediator in the Iran-US War
Pakistan has emerged as a key diplomatic intermediary between the United States and Iran in the 2026 West Asia conflict, with Pakistani leaders holding...
Kuwaiti Oil Tanker Al Salmi Hit in Iranian Drone Strike at Dubai Port
On March 31, 2026, an Iranian drone struck the Kuwait-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Al Salmi while it was anchored approximately 31 nautical miles...
End of Armed Maoism in Chhattisgarh: Bastar Enters Development Phase
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma declared the state completely free from armed Naxalism, with the remaining handful of cadres expected to...
Trump Signals Willingness to End Iran War Without Reopening Strait of Hormuz
According to a Wall Street Journal report, US President Donald Trump told senior aides he is willing to wind down military operations against Iran even if...
India Proposes Making IT Ministry Advisories Legally Binding for Tech Platforms
The government has proposed amendments to the Information Technology Rules linking compliance with IT Ministry advisories to retention of 'safe harbour'...
Centre Approves Pulses and Oilseed Procurement Under Price Support Scheme in UP, Haryana and Karnataka
The Union Agriculture Minister approved the Price Support Scheme (PSS) proposal for safflower procurement for the Rabi 2025-26 season in select states The...
India-EU FTA: Push for Early Implementation by 2027
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met a European Parliament delegation led by Angelika Niebler to discuss pathways for the early implementation of the India-EU...
Gulf States Urge Trump to Pursue Decisive Defeat of Iran: Strategic Calculus Behind the Push
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) privately communicated to White House officials that further degradation of Iran's military capabilities and...
India's Air Pollution Crisis: Why Policies and Funds Fall Short
Despite years of dedicated funding and policy initiatives, India's air pollution remains among the world's worst, with Delhi and NCR cities recording annual...
Sea Mines in the Strait of Hormuz: How Modern Naval Mines Threaten Global Trade
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed at least a dozen sophisticated naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its strategy to deter...
India's Inflation Risk from West Asia Conflict: Oil, Fertilizers, and the Strait of Hormuz
Former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood warned that escalating conflict in West Asia poses a direct inflation threat to India, projecting the crisis would become...
CAG Flags Rs 891 Crore Lapses as Maharashtra Departments Ignore 10,000+ Audit Queries
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its report tabled during the Maharashtra state assembly's budget session, flagged systemic...
India's Diesel Exports Surge 20% in March as Iran War Reshapes Refining Economics
India's diesel exports rose approximately 20% in March 2026, driven by exceptionally high gross refining margins (GRMs) for middle distillates following the...
Exercise Dweep Shakti 2026: Tri-Service Amphibious Drills Reinforce Andaman & Nicobar Defence
Exercise Dweep Shakti 2026, a large-scale joint military exercise, was conducted from March 29, 2026 at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), Andaman and...