Current Affairs One-liners — March 2026

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

• On Gudi Padwa, 19 March 2026, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the long-pending Banana Cluster project in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, has been approved at a cost of ₹200 crore, with subsidies under MIDH and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma launched the Mukhyamantri Viksit Gram-Ward Abhiyan on Rajasthan Diwas, observed on 19 March 2026 (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada), to prepare development roadmaps for every Gram Panchayat and urban ward; the campaign runs till 15 May.
• Telecom subscription data released on 19 March 2026 show India had 1,314 million telephone subscribers and 1,052.72 million broadband subscribers on 31 January 2026, with overall tele-density (including M2M) of 92.22%.
• On Ugadi, 19 March 2026, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu signed his first file of the Telugu New Year, approving ₹55.63 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for 6,787 beneficiaries.
• Maharashtra signed a reform-linked MoU with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 on 19 March 2026, formally entering the framework approved by the Union Cabinet on 10 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.

Tue, 17 Mar 2026

• The Election Commission of India said on 17 March 2026 that it has deployed 1,111 Central Observers — 557 general, 188 police and 366 expenditure — for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in six states.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 17 March 2026, conveyed advance Eid greetings and agreed on the importance of safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The Agriculture Ministry told the Lok Sabha on 17 March 2026 that all 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations targeted under the central scheme have been registered as on 1 March 2026, including 1,175 FPOs with only women members.
• Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on 17 March 2026 signed reform-linked MoUs with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, which the Union Cabinet had approved on 10 March 2026.
• Odisha's State Level Single Window Clearance Authority on 17 March 2026 approved 23 industrial investment proposals worth ₹4,510.65 crore, expected to create 10,122 jobs across 11 districts.
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj announced on 17 March 2026 that the Centre has released over ₹1,789 crore of Fifteenth Finance Commission untied grants to rural local bodies in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
• Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on 17 March 2026 thanked the crews of Indian-flagged LPG carriers MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz with about 92,712 tonnes of LPG and reached Mundra and Kandla on 16 and 17 March.
• The Maharashtra Legislative Council on 17 March 2026 passed the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, a day after the Assembly, sending the anti-conversion bill to the Governor for assent.
• The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026 came into effect on 17 March 2026, introducing e-notices for unpaid tolls, a charge of twice the toll if not paid within 72 hours, and VAHAN-linked restrictions after 15 days.
• The keels of Yard 16402 and 16403, the second and third of six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard, were laid at YMPL, Ratnagiri on 17 March 2026.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry told Parliament on 17 March 2026 that 1,02,054 of the 2,12,283 startups recognised by DPIIT as on 31 January 2026 have at least one woman director or partner.
• Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on 17 March 2026 launched India Post's 24 Speed Post, 48 Speed Post and 24 Speed Post Parcel services, offering guaranteed next-day or two-day delivery between six metro cities.