April 15, 2026
160 articles published on this date
Census 2027: 12 Lakh Households in 11 States Self-Enumerate as India's First Digital Census Begins
Over 12 lakh (1.2 million) households across 11 states and Union Territories have opted for the self-enumeration facility under Census 2027 — India's first...
Gig Workers Join Wider Labour Unrest: Precarity, Algorithmic Control, and the Social Security Gap
India's gig and platform workers — delivery riders, cab drivers, and app-based service providers — are joining a broader wave of labour unrest, with strikes...
India's Trade Deficit and Export Performance in FY26 Amid West Asia Disruptions
India's goods trade deficit narrowed marginally to $20.67 billion in March 2026, down from a peak of $26.72 billion in November 2025. The narrowing was...
Government's Delimitation Plan: Protecting Southern States' Seat Share via Constitutional Schedule
Reports indicate that the Union government's proposed delimitation framework includes a provision to list each state's new Lok Sabha seat count in a...
Political Parties Push to Move Education Back to State List, Retain Two-Language Formula
Multiple political parties, particularly from southern states, have reiterated their demand that 'Education' be moved from the Concurrent List back to the...
Women's Quota and Delimitation: India's Dual Political Battle Over Parliamentary Seats
Southern Indian states have launched mass mobilisation against the Union government's proposal to link the operationalisation of women's reservation in...
Sri Lanka Repatriates Iranian Sailors After US Attack on IRIS Dena
Sri Lanka repatriated 238 Iranian sailors stranded in the island nation following the US torpedo attack on Iranian naval vessels in its waters. On March 4...
Hafnium-Based Memristors: Brain-Inspired Chips That Could Slash AI's Energy Footprint
Researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a hafnium oxide-based thin film that reliably mimics the behaviour of biological synapses — functioning...
India's Coal Power Output Falls Sharply in March 2026 as Solar Surge Displaces Fossil Fuels
India recorded one of the sharpest declines in coal-fired power generation among major economies in March 2026, driven primarily by a surge in solar and...
Kargil Bloc Rejects Centre's Territorial Council Offer, Holds Firm on Statehood and Sixth Schedule
The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) formally rejected the Centre's proposed 'Ladakh Territorial Council' model, reiterating its demand for full statehood...
Government Clarifies: Delimitation Will Not Use 2011 Census; All States to Get 50% More Seats
The government clarified on April 15, 2026, that the upcoming delimitation exercise will not be conducted on the basis of the 2011 Census — countering...
Opposition Unites Against Delimitation, Raising South and Northeast Representation Concerns
The INDIA bloc opposition alliance declared it will oppose the proposed Delimitation Bill in Parliament, warning that population-based delimitation will...
India-US Trade Negotiations: Delegations Head to Washington
India's trade negotiating team is scheduled to visit Washington from April 20–22, 2026, for the next round of discussions on the bilateral trade agreement....
India's First Bat Conservation Assessment: Threatened Species and Critical Data Gaps
India's first-ever comprehensive bat conservation assessment has been published, flagging multiple species as threatened and highlighting a significant data...
A Clause-by-Clause Look: Which Constitutional Articles the Three Bills Propose to Amend
The 2026 legislative package — consisting of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill...
Census 2027 House Listing Begins in Karnataka: First Phase of India's 16th Decennial Census
Door-to-door house listing — the first phase of Census 2027 — commenced across Karnataka on April 16, 2026, making it one of the first states to begin field...
AIADMK's Shanmugam Backs CM's Stand on Delimitation, Signalling Intra-NDA Divergence
AIADMK leader C Shanmugam stated that the party supports the Chief Minister's stand on delimitation, signalling alignment with Tamil Nadu's opposition to...
Predatory Loan Apps: Regulatory Dark Areas, Consumer Harm, and the Push for Stronger Oversight
Predatory digital loan applications continue to operate in regulatory grey zones, exploiting gaps between formal banking regulation and the informal fintech...
Dry Days: Decoding India's Rainfall Deficit Forecast and Its Implications
An editorial analyses the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) April 2026 forecast of a below-normal southwest monsoon, and cautions against both undue...
India Calls USTR Section 301 Claims Baseless, Pushes for Probe Closure
India submitted a formal rebuttal to the USTR's Section 301 probe, characterising the US allegations as 'baseless and lacking in evidence.' The government...
Allahabad High Court Flags Fake FIRs Under UP Anti-Conversion Law: Due Process and Personal Liberty at Stake
The Allahabad High Court raised serious concerns about the misuse of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, noting that...
Pakistan Army Chief Munir Leads Delegation to Iran for US-Iran Mediation Talks
A high-level Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran carrying what Iranian state media described as a 'new...
Telangana Caste Survey: SCs and STs Found Three Times More Backward Than General Population
The Telangana government publicly released the findings of the Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG) analysis of the Socio-Economic, Educational...
Women's Reservation Chained to Delimitation: The Institutional Bottleneck
An analytical opinion piece published on April 15 examines the structural challenge of implementing women's reservation in India: the law exists on paper...
What Does a 57% Larger Lok Sabha Mean for Democracy, Governance, and Representation?
Analysts and parliamentarians have raised substantive questions about the implications of expanding the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats — a 57% increase —...
Chhattisgarh Cabinet Forms Committee to Draft Uniform Civil Code, Tribal Communities Raise Concerns
The Chhattisgarh cabinet approved the formation of a high-level committee — headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai — to prepare a draft Uniform...
Bageshwar Dham Receives FCRA Approval: What the Foreign Contribution Rules Mean for Religious Organisations
Bageshwar Dham, a prominent religious establishment in Madhya Pradesh led by Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, received government approval to accept...
AP CM Naidu Writes to MPs, Vows Women's Reservation Bill Will Pass
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote letters to leaders of various political parties and Members of Parliament — including both Rajya...
Government's Assurance: All States to Get 50% More Lok Sabha Seats After Delimitation
A senior government functionary stated on April 15, 2026, that all states will see their Lok Sabha seat count increase by at least 50% after delimitation —...
Rahul Gandhi: BJP Is Gerrymandering All Lok Sabha Seats, Depriving OBC Women
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of attempting to 'gerrymander' all Lok Sabha constituencies through the proposed Delimitation Bill — calling it...
UN Awaits Clearance for Fertilizer Shipment Through Strait of Hormuz
The United Nations is awaiting final authorisation to move a fertilizer shipment through the Strait of Hormuz, amid the ongoing US-led blockade and...
Tamil Nadu's Freebie Spiral: Welfare, Populism, and the Fiscal Tightrope
Tamil Nadu's governance model, long associated with welfare provisioning, is facing growing scrutiny as the line between public welfare investments and...
BRS and Southern Parties on Delimitation: The Census Linkage and the Family Planning Penalty
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) strongly opposed the Delimitation Bill 2026, warning that a population-based delimitation...
India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement Talks Resume: Delegation to Visit Washington April 20–22
An Indian trade delegation led by Darpan Jain (Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce) is scheduled to visit Washington DC from April 20–22, 2026, for...
Electronics Imports Cross USD 100 Billion in 2025-26: Trade Deficit and the PLI Paradox
India's electronics imports crossed USD 100 billion for the first time in 2025-26, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry — a landmark that...
India Rejects US Section 301 Allegations, Seeks Termination of Both Probes
India formally submitted its response to the US Trade Representative (USTR), rejecting all allegations made under two parallel Section 301 investigations...
Government Wheat Procurement Falls 69% as Unseasonal Rains Delay Arrivals
Government wheat procurement in the 2026-27 Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) has fallen approximately 69% compared to the same period last year, reaching only...
Stalin Leads Black Flag Procession: "Fight Is Against Delimitation, Not Women's Quota"
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin led a large procession in Tamil Nadu on April 15, 2026, framing the demonstration as a protest against the Centre's...
WPI Inflation at 38-Month High of 3.88% in March 2026: Energy Costs and Global Disruptions
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation reached 3.88% in March 2026 on a year-on-year basis, the highest level in 38 months (since January...
Three Bills to Operationalise Women's Reservation: What Is Being Introduced and Why
The Union government listed three interconnected bills for introduction in Lok Sabha during a special parliamentary session beginning April 16, 2026. The...
India Remains Committed to US Trade Agreement as Negotiators Head to Washington
India has reaffirmed its commitment to finalising the bilateral trade agreement with the United States, with trade negotiators confirmed to travel to...
Naveen Patnaik's Case Against Delimitation: Population Cannot Be the Only Criterion
On April 15, 2026, former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik wrote to current Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan...
Why the Opposition Is Opposing the 131st Amendment: The Delimitation Formula Debate
The INDIA bloc — comprising Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, NCP (SP), and allied parties — formally announced it will oppose the Constitution (131st...
Kejriwal Affidavit and Judicial Integrity: Questions About Impartiality and the Accountability Gap
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal filed an affidavit in a court matter pointing to the conduct of Special Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma, who had been...
Naidu Backs Centre's Delimitation Formula with "100% Support," Calls It Scientific
Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu declared '100% support' for the Centre's proposed delimitation formula and the linked women's reservation bill...
India Challenges US Section 301 Trade Investigation
India has formally rejected the allegations underlying the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) Section 301 investigation targeting India among 16...
INDIA Bloc Unites Against Delimitation Bill; Bihar Gets Its First BJP CM
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge announced after an INDIA bloc meeting that the opposition alliance has 'unitedly' decided to oppose the Delimitation Bill...
Kharge: Government Is "Playing Tricks": INDIA Bloc to Oppose Delimitation Bill
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated that 'they are playing tricks with delimitation' and that all INDIA bloc parties had unanimously decided to...
Delimitation Special Session: North-South Fault Line and the Women's Reservation Debate
Parliament convened for a special session on April 16–17, 2026 to consider three interlocking bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, the...
Putin Confirmed for India BRICS Summit: India-Russia Strategic Partnership in Focus
Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to visit India for the 18th BRICS Summit, expected in September 2026 in New Delhi. Russia's Deputy Foreign...
Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bills: The Parliamentary Battle Lines
A special session of Parliament was convened beginning April 16, 2026, with the explicit purpose of introducing and passing the three-bill legislative...
From Plastic Bags to Playing Cards: How Manufactured Goods Drove March 2026 WPI Spike
WPI inflation hit 3.88% in March 2026 — a 38-month high — with manufactured products playing a significant role alongside the headline energy price shock...
Stalin Interview: Vajpayee Froze Delimitation to Preserve Balance: Modi Wants to Undo It
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in an interview ahead of the special Parliament session, cited the Vajpayee government's 84th Amendment (2002) as a...
Delimitation Row: Stalin Calls Emergency Meeting, Black Flag Protests Across Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin convened an emergency meeting of DMK district heads as the delimitation row intensified ahead of the special Parliament...
Age Tokens via DigiLocker: Andhra Pradesh's Framework to Regulate Children's Social Media Access
The Andhra Pradesh government is evaluating a system of 'age tokens' integrated with DigiLocker to verify children's ages before granting access to social...
India-US Trade Talks Resume in Washington: BTA Recalibration After Tariff Shifts
India's commerce ministry delegation, led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain, travelled to Washington DC for trade talks from April 20–22, 2026 — the latest...
Opposition Backs Women's Quota But Will Oppose Delimitation Bill: Congress
The Congress party and the broader INDIA bloc formally articulated a dual position ahead of the special Parliament session (April 16–18, 2026): support for...
BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting Confirmed for May in New Delhi
India will host the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting on May 14–15, 2026, in New Delhi, as part of its 2026 BRICS chairship. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey...
India Calls for Safe Maritime Transport at Japan-Convened AZEC Energy Meeting
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the AZEC-Plus (Asia Zero Emissions Community Plus) meeting convened by Japan on April 15...
Odisha's Naveen Patnaik: Delimitation Bill 'Hits Spirit of Cooperative Federalism'
Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik came out in strong opposition to the delimitation bill, stating it 'hits directly at the...
Mizoram Signs Peace Accord with Last Active Insurgent Group, Ending Decades of Insurgency
The Mizoram government signed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the Lalhmingthanga Sanate-led faction of the Hmar People's Convention-Democratic (HPC-D...
Women's Reservation as a Trigger: How the 106th Amendment Is Linked to Delimitation
Critics and opposition leaders have flagged a structural linkage built into the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023: women's reservation in Parliament...
Below-Average Monsoon Forecast for 2026 Raises Inflation Fears After War-Driven Price Pressures
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first Long Range Forecast for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon on April 13, 2026, predicting below-normal...
Women's Reservation and Delimitation: Why the Two Are Now Linked
The Union government introduced a three-bill legislative package in a special Parliament session (April 16–17, 2026) that ties the implementation of women's...
Venezuela and Russia Step Up Crude Shipments as India Diversifies Away from Hormuz
India's crude oil imports from Venezuela are estimated to reach approximately 12.51 million barrels in April 2026 — the highest monthly import from...
Sharmila Urges AP CM to Oppose Delimitation Bill Over Risks to State's Political Representation
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Y.S. Sharmila urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to join the opposition to the...
Law Enabling Ballot Paper Voting Formally Notified: EVM Debate Re-enters Legal Arena
A law enabling the use of ballot papers as an alternative to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for certain elections has been formally notified by the...
India's Total Exports Cross $860 Billion in FY26, But Rising Imports Widen Trade Deficit
India's combined merchandise and services exports reached a record $860.09 billion in FY 2025-26 (April 2025 – March 2026), up 4.22% from $825.26 billion in...
K.V.R. Murty Takes Charge as Whole Time Member of SEBI
Kompella Venkata Ramana (KVR) Murty assumed charge as a Whole Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on April 15, 2026....
Wholesale Inflation Climbs to 3.88% in March 2026: a Three-Year-Plus High
WPI-based inflation rose to 3.88% in March 2026, marking the highest level in over three years, driven by concurrent surges in oil prices, food costs, and...
250 Rohingya and Bangladeshi Migrants Missing After Boat Sinks in Andaman Sea
A boat carrying approximately 280 people — mostly Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children — capsized and sank in the...
India Pushes for Permanent UNSC Seat with Veto as Core of Real Reform
India has reiterated that any reform of the United Nations Security Council that does not include expanding the permanent category with full veto powers...
Pakistan PM's Three-Nation Tour: Pushing US-Iran Diplomacy from Riyadh to Ankara
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a three-nation tour (April 15–18, 2026) covering Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye, focused primarily on...
Gaganyaan Re-entry Explained: How India's Astronauts Will Return Safely to Earth
ISRO successfully conducted the Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the Gaganyaan programme on April 10, 2026, validating the parachute deployment...
India-US Energy Expansion: LPG and LNG Imports Surge Amid Hormuz Crisis
The US Ambassador to India met Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to discuss expanding Indian purchases of American LPG and LNG...
250 Missing After Migrant Boat Sinks in Indian Ocean: Rohingya and Bangladeshi Nationals
Approximately 250 people, comprising Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, are missing after their boat capsized in the Andaman Sea while attempting...
Jag Vikram: First Indian LPG Vessel to Transit Strait of Hormuz After US-Iran Ceasefire
Indian LPG tanker Jag Vikram, owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, became the first Indian-flagged vessel to cross the Strait of Hormuz...
China Calls US Claims of Military Pressure on Taiwan a "Distortion"
China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua called US State Department criticisms of Chinese military activity around Taiwan 'a complete...
Telangana to Gain 60 Assembly Seats Under Proposed Delimitation
Telangana is projected to gain approximately 60 additional Assembly seats under the proposed delimitation exercise, raising its Legislative Assembly...
China Has Lent to Over 80% of Nations in Two Decades, Data Shows
A data analysis reveals that Chinese banks and state-linked institutions have provided development loans to over 80% of the world's nations over the past...
Weight Loss Drugs and the Question of Access: GLP-1 Agonists in India
GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs — primarily semaglutide (sold under brand names Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity) — are at the centre of a global...
India-US Trade Deal Negotiations Resume April 20 Amid Shifting Tariff Legal Landscape
Indian trade negotiators will resume talks with their US counterparts in Washington from April 20-22, 2026, to recalibrate the interim bilateral trade...
Indian Navy at "Inflection Point": Maritime Threats Rise, Modernization Accelerates
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi stated that the Indian Navy is at an 'inflection point' as maritime threats rise across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)...
US Naval Blockade on Iran's Maritime Trade: Diplomacy Under Pressure
The United States declared its naval blockade of Iranian ports 'fully implemented' as of April 15, 2026, effectively cutting off Iran's international...
Census 2027: Door-to-Door House Listing Operations Begin in Eight States and UTs
Door-to-door visits by Census enumerators began from April 16, 2026 in eight states and Union Territories for the first phase of Population Census 2027 —...
SEBI and Department of Telecommunications Sign MoU to Combat Telecom-Linked Financial Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 15...
India Slips to 6th in GDP Ranking but IMF Projects Rise to 4th by 2027-28
India has slipped to the 6th position in the global GDP ranking (by nominal GDP in USD) in 2025-26, falling behind the United Kingdom, after holding the 5th...
IMF Downgrades Global Growth Forecast, Warns of Adverse Scenarios Ahead
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its World Economic Outlook (WEO) in April 2026 at its Spring Meetings, cutting the global growth forecast...
Trump Says He Asked Xi Not to Supply Iran with Weapons
US President Donald Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping requesting that China not supply weapons to Iran during the...
Children Among Victims as Israeli Strikes Hit Residential Areas Far from Lebanon's Southern Front
Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 168 children among more than 2,100 fatalities over six weeks of renewed conflict, according to Lebanon's Health...
India's Green Fuel Plans Collide with Farmers' Water Fears: The Ethanol Expansion Dilemma
India's aggressive ethanol blending programme — targeting 20% ethanol blending in petrol (E20) — is triggering resistance from farmers in multiple states...
Global Fertilizer Supply Crunch Tightens Farm Economics: India's Food Security at Stake
A severe global fertilizer supply crunch in 2026 is tightening farm economics worldwide, driven by geopolitical disruptions to key supply routes and...
INDIA Bloc Announces Unified Vote Against Delimitation Bill in Parliament
The INDIA bloc — the principal opposition alliance — formally announced it will vote against the Delimitation Bill in the special Parliament session...
Delimitation Will Suppress and Stifle the Voice of South India in Parliament
South Indian leaders, scholars, and political parties argued on April 15 that the proposed Delimitation Bill will structurally suppress South India's...
Supreme Court: No Religion Superior to Another; Sabarimala Reference Hearing Continues
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, hearing the reference arising from the 2018 Sabarimala judgment, made the significant observation that...
IMD Forecasts Below-Normal Monsoon for 2026 as El Niño Threatens Kharif Season
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first Long Range Forecast (LRF) on April 13, 2026, predicting a below-normal Southwest Monsoon (SWM) in...
India's Wholesale Inflation Hits 41-Month High of 3.88% in March 2026
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 3.88% (year-on-year) in March 2026, a provisional figure released by the Office of the Economic...
Sanctioned Tanker Returns to Strait of Hormuz: US Blockade Takes Hold
A sanctioned Iranian oil tanker that had attempted to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz turned back one day after entering the Gulf of...
China Presses Nepal Over Tibet: One China Policy and the Sikyong Oath Ceremony
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming held direct talks with newly elected Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung, warning against any government-level Nepali...
Wholesale Inflation Hits 38-Month High of 3.88% in March 2026
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation surged to 3.88% in March 2026, the highest level in 38 months (since January 2023), up sharply from...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Renegotiation After IEEPA Struck Down
An Indian negotiating team, led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain, will travel to Washington DC from April 20–22 for the next round of bilateral trade...
India's Total Exports Hit Record USD 860.09 Billion in FY26, Services Drive Growth
India's combined merchandise and services exports reached a record USD 860.09 billion in FY2025-26, a 4.22% increase over USD 825.26 billion in FY2024-25....
Iran's Strategic Ports Under US Blockade: From Kharg Island to Chabahar
The US naval blockade imposed on April 13, 2026, after failed Islamabad peace talks threatens all 11 of Iran's ports located in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of...
BRICS Foreign Ministers to Convene in Delhi Amid West Asia Fault Lines
India, as the 2026 BRICS Chair, is set to host a BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on May 14–15, 2026. The meeting will be chaired by External...
Oil Prices Fall for Second Day as US-Iran Talks Expected to Resume
Global crude oil prices declined for a second consecutive day on April 15, 2026, as markets priced in expectations that US-Iran ceasefire talks would...
Gold Loans Become India's Second-Largest Retail Credit Product After Home Loans
Gold loans have emerged as India's second-largest retail credit product after home loans, according to data from TransUnion CIBIL, with outstanding balances...
Jeh Aerospace–Liebherr Pact: India's Entry into High-Precision Aircraft Component Supply Chains
Jeh Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based precision aerospace and defence manufacturing company, has signed a long-term agreement (LTA) with Liebherr-Aerospace &...
Rupee Weakens Against Dollar Amid Global Risk-Off Sentiment and Inflation Pressures
The Indian rupee settled approximately 9 paise lower at ₹93.44 against the US dollar in mid-April 2026, continuing a period of elevated exchange rates...
Wholesale Inflation Rises to 3.88% in March 2026: A Three-Year High
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 3.88% in March 2026, the highest level in three years, up sharply from 2.13% in February 2026....
Sri Lanka Repatriates 238 Stranded Iranian Sailors Under Hague Convention
Sri Lanka repatriated 238 Iranian sailors who had been stranded on the island following naval incidents linked to the 2026 Iran-US conflict. 32 sailors from...
Russia's Export Revenues Double as Hormuz Blockade Creates Energy Windfall
Russia's crude oil and petroleum product export revenues nearly doubled to $19 billion in March 2026, up from $9.7 billion in February, according to the...
Trump-Pope Leo XIV Clash Over Iran Policy Highlights Church-State Tensions
US President Donald Trump publicly and repeatedly criticised Pope Leo XIV over the latter's statements calling for restraint and dialogue regarding the...
Jaishankar-Sa'ar Call: India's Diplomatic Navigation of the West Asia Crisis
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on April 14, 2026, covering 'different...
US-Iran Ceasefire Extension: Diplomacy and Blockade Coexist
Regional officials confirmed that the US and Iran gave an 'in principle agreement' to extend the two-week ceasefire, due to expire April 22, 2026, to allow...
Kashmir Saffron Farmers Battle Porcupine Menace Worsened by Climate Change
Saffron farmers in Kashmir's Pampore region — the world's primary source of Kashmiri saffron — are facing mounting losses from the Indian crested porcupine...
Saudi Arabia's $3 Billion Additional Loan to Pakistan: Forex Reserves and Bilateral Diplomacy
Saudi Arabia announced an additional $3 billion deposit/loan to Pakistan on April 15, 2026, days after pledging a separate $5 billion — bringing total Saudi...
Congress Charges 'Deceit' on Delimitation, Alleges Move Designed to Avoid Caste Census
The Congress party accused the Centre of 'deliberate deceit' over the delimitation bills, claiming the government had earlier assured Parliament that any...
India's Unemployment Rate Rises to 5.1% in March 2026 as Urban Joblessness Increases
India's overall unemployment rate edged up to 5.1% in March 2026 from 4.9% in February 2026, the highest level since October 2025, according to CMIE data....
India's Agriculture Faces Triple Threat: Below-Normal Monsoon, El Niño Risk, and Fertiliser Disruption
The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) first long-range forecast (LRF) for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon pegs seasonal rainfall at 92% of the Long Period...
Karnataka High Court Directs State Government to Strictly Implement National Education Policy
The Karnataka High Court directed the Karnataka state government to 'strictly and faithfully' follow the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, in a...
Xi Jinping Calls China-Russia Ties "Precious" Amid Global Turbulence
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 15, 2026. Lavrov arrived in...
North Korea's Expanding Nuclear Capacity: IAEA Warning and Non-Proliferation Challenges
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned at a press conference that North Korea is 'sharply boosting' its nuclear weapons production capacity, with signs...
India's Goods Trade Deficit Narrows to $20.67 Billion in March 2026
India's merchandise (goods) trade deficit narrowed to USD 20.67 billion in March 2026, down from USD 21.70 billion in March 2025, as both exports and...
Iran Naval Blockade: US Military Enforces Strait of Hormuz as Diplomacy Continues
Iran's military threatened to shut down Red Sea trade unless the United States lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, escalating the 2026 US-Iran...
Gems and Jewellery Exports Hit Five-Year Low as US Tariffs Slash American Shipments by 45%
India's gems and jewellery exports fell to a five-year low as shipments to the United States plunged 45% year-on-year to USD 5.09 billion, according to data...
Activists Demand Delink: Implement Women's Reservation Without Waiting for Census or Delimitation
Women's rights activists, civil society organisations, and feminist legal scholars publicly demanded that the government delink women's parliamentary...
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Convenes Emergency Meeting of DMK MPs Over Delimitation
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin convened an emergency virtual meeting of DMK MPs and district secretaries on April 15, 2026 — one day before the...
Multi-Factor Matrix for Fair Delimitation: The TFR-Based Formula Proposal
Kerala Congress (M) chairperson Jose K. Mani proposed a multi-factor matrix for determining parliamentary seat allocation in the upcoming delimitation...
China Deploys Floating Barrier to Block Scarborough Shoal Entrance
China deployed a 352-meter (approximately 1,150-foot) floating barrier at the entrance to Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 10–11, 2026...
Stalin Announces State-Wide Black Flag Protest Against Delimitation Bill
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a state-wide black-flag protest on April 16, 2026 — the day Parliament's special session begins to consider...
India-US Trade Talks Resuming in Washington Amid Shifting Tariff Landscape
An Indian negotiating delegation is travelling to Washington for three-day trade talks from April 20-22, 2026, to resume discussions on an interim bilateral...
Wildlife Trade Raises Zoonotic Disease Risk by 50%: What a 40-Year Study Found
A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Science (April 2026) found that wild mammals involved in trade have a 50% higher probability of sharing at...
India's Textile and Apparel Exports Shrink 2.22% in FY26 Amid US Tariff Headwinds
India's total textile and apparel exports for FY2025-26 stood at USD 35.16 billion, a degrowth of 2.22% compared to USD 35.96 billion in FY2024-25...
India-UK Free Trade Agreement Set to Enter Force in May 2026
India's Commerce Secretary confirmed that the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is expected to come into operation 'sometime in...
NGT Orders: Industrial Pollution in Rajasthan, Waste Management in Tripura, Groundwater in UP
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) addressed three major environmental enforcement cases on April 14, 2026, spanning industrial pollution, solid waste...
Mayawati Bats for Sub-Quota for SC, ST, OBC Women Within the 33% Women's Reservation
BSP chief Mayawati backed the Women's Reservation Bill and the government's proposal to implement 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State...
Women's Reservation Bill Described as Historic Step Towards Empowerment
As the Union government introduced its three-bill package in a special Parliament session (April 16–18, 2026), the Women's Reservation Act was once again...
India's March 2026 Merchandise Trade Deficit Narrows to $20.67 Billion as West Asia Conflict Hits Both Exports and Imports
India's merchandise trade deficit narrowed to $20.67 billion in March 2026, compared to $27.1 billion in March 2025 — a significant contraction, but for...
India's Oil Import Bill Set to Surge by $70 Billion as West Asia Conflict Keeps Crude Prices Elevated
Brokerage Prabhudas Lilladher estimates India's annual oil import bill could surge by more than $70 billion due to persistently elevated crude prices...
WPI Inflation Surges to 38-Month High in March 2026 Amid West Asia Energy Shock
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose sharply to 3.88% in March 2026, the highest reading in 38 months (over 3 years), up from 2.13% in February...
Urban Challenge Fund: Operational Guidelines Released with Rs 5,000 Crore Credit Guarantee Scheme
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released the operational guidelines for the Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) on April...
WPI Inflation Hits 38-Month High of 3.88% in March 2026 Driven by Energy Costs
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 3.88% in March 2026, the highest level in 38 months, driven primarily by surging crude petroleum...
India-Middle East Trade Collapse in March 2026: Strait of Hormuz Disruption
India's exports to Middle East fell over 50% in March 2026, with gems and jewellery exports to UAE down approximately 80%, following the temporary closure...
Congress Calls Delimitation a 'Power Grab', Says Women's Reservation Already Passed
The Congress party accused the Centre of using delimitation as a tool for a political 'power grab' — characterised as 'hissa chori' (share theft) — under...
India's Merchandise Exports Fell 7.44% in March 2026 as West Asia Crisis Disrupts Trade
India's merchandise exports contracted 7.44% year-on-year to USD 38.92 billion in March 2026, down from USD 42.05 billion in March 2025, as the West Asia...
India's Unemployment Rate Hits Five-Month High of 5.1% in March 2026: PLFS Data
India's unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in March 2026, up from 4.9% in February, marking the highest level since October 2025, according to the monthly...
India Sets New Export Record of $860 Billion in FY26, Driven by Services Surge and Nine New Trade Agreements
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India achieved a record $860 billion in total exports (merchandise + services) in FY 2025-26...
Government Set to Launch Mobile PLI 2.0 with Over $5 Billion Outlay to Sustain Smartphone Export Momentum
The government is expected to roll out a new Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phone manufacturing — Mobile PLI 2.0 — by May 2026, with an...
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to Empower Women in Policy-Making: Haryana CM
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will provide women a leadership role in the country's policy-making by...
Congress Strategises on Women's Reservation and Delimitation Ahead of Special Parliament Session
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge convened a high-level meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi to discuss strategy on the Women's...
China Reclaims Position as India's Largest Trading Partner in FY26
China has surpassed the United States to become India's largest trading partner in FY2025-26, with bilateral trade reaching USD 151.1 billion for the full...
Telangana Releases 2024 Caste Survey Data: BCs Comprise 56% of Population
The Telangana government released the data of its 2024–25 caste survey — officially titled the Telangana Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political...
Tamil Nadu's Protest Against Delimitation: Why Stalin Calls It a 'Grave Danger'
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a state-wide black flag protest against the Centre's proposed delimitation exercise, calling it a 'grave...
Southern Chief Ministers Unite Against Delimitation Bill, Demand Consultations
Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana — Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Revanth Reddy — met and issued a joint statement opposing the...
Project Caracal: Rajasthan Launches Conservation Drive for India's Rarest Wild Cat
The Rajasthan forest department launched 'Project Caracal' at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve during a 'Caracal Conservation Workshop' on April 15, 2026. The...
India's Packed FTA Calendar for 2026: UK, Oman, New Zealand and EU Deals in Focus
India is set to operationalise multiple major free trade agreements in 2026, marking one of the most active periods in the country's trade diplomacy...
RBI Directs Banks to Implement Updated UNSC Taliban Sanctions List Under UAPA
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification (RBI/2026-27/12) on April 15, 2026, directing all regulated financial entities to implement amendments...
Chandrayaan-3: Vikram Lander's Hop Experiment Yields New Lunar Surface Data
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander performed a controlled 'hop' experiment during the final phase of its mission on the lunar surface, reigniting its engines to...
Aatmanirbhar 2.0: India Plans New Self-Reliance Framework Against Supply Chain and Energy Shocks
The government is working on a second phase of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative — informally called Aatmanirbhar 2.0 — specifically...
US Tariff Regime in Flux: Supreme Court Ruling, IEEPA, and the Path to Restoration
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the tariff rates introduced by the Trump administration could be restored to their earlier levels by early...