Current Affairs One-liners — 18 March 2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026

• The Union Cabinet on 18 March 2026 approved the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 with an outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore for about 1,500 MW of projects of 1–25 MW each.
• The Union Cabinet on 18 March 2026 approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) with an allocation of ₹33,660 crore to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks of 100–1,000 acres across the country.
• The Election Commission said on 18 March 2026 that over 25 lakh officials have been deployed for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which have over 17.4 crore electors – nearly one official for every 70 electors.
• The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) on 18 March 2026 announced no electricity tariff hike for 2026-27, rejecting the DISCOMs' proposal of 35 paise per unit, and introduced a uniform tariff for urban and rural domestic consumers.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced on 18 March 2026 that the ALMM Order has been expanded with ALMM List-III for solar ingots and wafers, mandatory for all projects from 1 June 2028.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 18 March 2026 approved MSP funding of ₹1,718.56 crore to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for the 2023-24 cotton season as direct price support to cotton farmers.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the Divyang Shakti scheme on 18 March 2026, giving persons with disabilities free travel in five categories of APSRTC buses; about 12.76 lakh people are expected to benefit at an annual cost of ₹207 crore.
• Maharashtra notified its Renewable Energy & Energy Storage Policy 2025-26 to 2035-36 by a Government Resolution of 18 March 2026, aiming for renewables to meet 65% of electricity demand and storage of at least 10% of demand by FY 2035-36.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 18 March 2026 approved a 101.515-km 4-lane access-controlled NH-927 from Barabanki to Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh on Hybrid Annuity Mode at a cost of ₹6,969.04 crore.
• Former Union Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti assumed charge as Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) on 18 March 2026; former Amravati Mayor Kiran Umesh Mahalle joined as Member on 20 March.
• On 18 March 2026 Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, condemned attacks on Kuwait's sovereignty and said safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains the foremost priority.
• Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram launched 'RISA: Timeless Tribal', a premium signature brand centred on tribal weaves, embroidery and crafts, on 18 March 2026 at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi.
• Uttar Pradesh signed a reform-linked MoU under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 on 18 March 2026, in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil and CM Yogi Adityanath, formally entering the framework approved by the Union Cabinet on 10 March 2026.