Current Affairs — 23 March 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Mon, 23 Mar 2026
NSO CAPEX survey: private corporate capex estimated at ₹11.44 lakh crore for 2025-26
The NSO's Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX, released on 23 March 2026, estimates aggregate provisional capex of ₹11,43,879 crore for 2025-26 and investment intentions of ₹9,55,281 crore for 2026-27.
Government restores full RoDTEP rates and value caps for exporters amid West Asia disruption
On 23 March 2026 the Government restored RoDTEP rates and value caps for all eligible export products to the levels of 22 February 2026, withdrawing the 50% cut imposed a month earlier, to help exporters hit by West Asia shipping disruption.
Karnataka Assembly passes Bill to use ballot papers instead of EVMs in panchayat polls
On 23 March 2026 the Karnataka Assembly passed the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, replacing EVMs with ballot papers for rural local body elections, amid a BJP walkout.
UP Cabinet approves ₹2,916-crore Navayug Palika Yojana and a 5 MMT wheat procurement target
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet chaired by CM Yogi Adityanath on 23 March 2026 approved the fully state-funded ₹2,916-crore Navayug Palika Yojana for urban bodies in 58 district headquarters and set a wheat procurement target of 5 million tonnes from 30 March to 15 June.
Telangana Cabinet clears hate speech Bill, Parents Support Bill and gig workers Bill
On 23 March 2026 the Telangana Cabinet under CM A. Revanth Reddy approved the Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill, a Parents Support Bill deducting up to 15% of salary (or ₹10,000) from employees who neglect parents, and a gig workers' welfare Bill.
Ministry of Mines launches seventh tranche of critical and strategic mineral auctions with 19 blocks
Union Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy launched the 7th tranche of e-auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks on 23 March 2026, offering 19 blocks in 10 States, with Bihar offering the most (4).
Shaheed Diwas: nation pays tribute to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
On 23 March 2026, Shaheed Diwas, the PM and Rajya Sabha paid tribute to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who were martyred on 23 March 1931; Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia's birth anniversary was also observed the same day.
ECI issues digital time vouchers for free party broadcasts on Doordarshan and AIR
On 23 March 2026 the Election Commission issued digital time vouchers to recognised National and State parties for free broadcast and telecast time on Doordarshan and All India Radio for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
MoSPI's MCP server links AI tools to official statistics; now covers 21 products
The Government told the Rajya Sabha on 23 March 2026 that MoSPI's Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which lets AI tools access verified official data via the eSankhyiki portal, has been extended from 7 to 21 statistical products.
Four killed as cold storage building collapses after ammonia chamber blast in Prayagraj
On 23 March 2026 part of Adarsh Cold Storage in Phaphamau, Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) collapsed after an explosion in its ammonia gas chamber, killing four workers; the PM announced ₹2 lakh ex gratia from PMNRF for each deceased's family.
GARBH-INi: India's largest pregnancy cohort of 12,000 women to build AI tools for preterm birth
On 23 March 2026 Dr. Jitendra Singh said the DBT's GARBH-INi programme has enrolled around 12,000 pregnant women – India's largest pregnancy cohort – to develop indigenous AI-driven tools for predicting preterm births.
Himachal Assembly passes 'orphan and widow' cess of up to ₹5 a litre on petrol and diesel
On 23 March 2026 the Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed the HP Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, enabling an 'orphan and widow cess' of up to ₹5 per litre on petrol and high-speed diesel to fund welfare of orphans and widows, amid a BJP walkout.
National DMF Summit 2026 focuses on using mineral funds in aspirational districts and blocks
Union Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the two-day National District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Summit 2026 in New Delhi on 23 March, themed on effective use of DMF funds in Aspirational District and Block Programme areas.