Current Affairs — March 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Thu, 26 Mar 2026
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet resolves to seek statutory status for Amaravati as sole capital
On 26 March 2026 the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet chaired by CM N. Chandrababu Naidu passed a resolution asking the Centre to declare Amaravati the state's sole capital by amending Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Great Indian Bustard chick hatches in Kutch after a decade through first inter-state 'jump-start'
On 26 March 2026 a Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch, Gujarat – the first in the state in a decade – from a captive-bred egg brought 770 km by road from Rajasthan and placed under a wild female.
Invest Karnataka Conclave 2026: 48 companies sign MoUs worth ₹51,469 crore
On 26 March 2026, 48 companies signed investment agreements worth ₹51,469 crore at the Invest Karnataka Conclave 2026 in Bengaluru, expected to create about 70,000 jobs.
IIM Ahmedabad inaugurates Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence
On 26 March 2026 IIM Ahmedabad inaugurated the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, set up with a ₹100 crore endowment from alumna Chandrika Tandon and her husband Ranjan Tandon.
Seizures in 2026 Assembly elections cross ₹400 crore: ECI
The Election Commission said on 26 March 2026 that illicit inducements worth over ₹408.82 crore had been seized since 26 February in the five poll-bound states/UT and bye-election states.
Health insurance premiums cross ₹1.2 lakh crore in 2024-25; IRDAI cashless claim timelines: 1 hour and 3 hours
The Finance Ministry said on 26 March 2026 that health insurance premiums exceeded ₹1.2 lakh crore in 2024-25, growing about 9%, and that IRDAI requires cashless pre-authorisation within one hour and final authorisation within three hours.
14 killed as bus catches fire after collision with tipper lorry in Andhra Pradesh's Markapuram district
On 26 March 2026 at least 14 people died when a private bus collided with a tipper lorry and caught fire near Rayavaram in Markapuram district, Andhra Pradesh; the PM announced ex-gratia from PMNRF.
NMET Governing Body reviews critical mineral exploration; Jitendra Singh calls for startup-driven mining ecosystem
On 26 March 2026 the Governing Body of the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust, chaired by Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, reviewed critical mineral exploration; Dr Jitendra Singh urged faster exploration and startup participation.
National Housing Bank launches Gruh Sugam Portal for home loans to defence and government personnel
On 26 March 2026 the National Housing Bank launched the Gruh Sugam Portal, letting defence, paramilitary and government employees apply for home loans digitally from their place of posting.
Wed, 25 Mar 2026
First Khelo India Tribal Games begin in Chhattisgarh
The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games began on 25 March 2026 across Raipur, Jagdalpur and Sarguja in Chhattisgarh, running till 3 April with about 3,800 participants in 9 sports disciplines.
Cabinet approves Modified UDAN with ₹28,840 crore outlay for 2026-27 to 2035-36
On 25 March 2026 the Union Cabinet approved the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN for ten years (FY 2026-27 to 2035-36) with an outlay of ₹28,840 crore, including 100 new airports and 200 helipads.
Cabinet approves India's NDC for 2031-35: 47% cut in emissions intensity, 60% non-fossil power capacity by 2035
On 25 March 2026 the Union Cabinet approved India's Nationally Determined Contribution for 2031-2035 under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, targeting a 47% cut in the emissions intensity of GDP from the 2005 level by 2035.
QS Subject Rankings 2026: India gets a record 27 entries in the global top 50
The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released on 25 March 2026, gave India a record 27 entries in the global top 50, up from 12 in both 2024 and 2025.
Over ₹1,142 crore of XV Finance Commission grants released to rural local bodies of MP, Jharkhand, Punjab and Mizoram
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj said on 25 March 2026 that over ₹1,142 crore of Fifteenth Finance Commission untied grants for FY 2025-26 had been released to rural local bodies in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Mizoram.
Education Ministry issues 3-year 'Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya' action plan; 500-metre drug-free zones around schools
On 25 March 2026 the Ministry of Education said a joint MHA–Education advisory with a three-year 'Nasha Mukt Vidyalaya' action plan had been sent to all States and UTs, including declaring 500 metres around schools as drug-free zones.
ICAR's IVRI and IARI make maiden entry in QS Subject Rankings 2026
In the QS Subject Rankings 2026 released on 25 March, ICAR-IVRI Bareilly entered the 51-100 band in Veterinary Science – the only Indian university in that top 100 – and ICAR-IARI New Delhi debuted at 151-200 in Agriculture & Forestry.
Cabinet extends IVFRT scheme to March 2031 with ₹1,800 crore outlay
On 25 March 2026 the Union Cabinet approved continuation of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme for five years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 with an outlay of ₹1,800 crore.
India has commissioned about 8,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen capacity, says MNRE
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy told the Rajya Sabha on 25 March 2026 that about 8,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production capacity had been commissioned in India till February 2026.
Odisha waives permission fees and eases approvals for city gas distribution projects
On 25 March 2026 Odisha's Housing & Urban Development Department ordered urban local bodies to waive permission fees for laying underground city gas pipelines, to speed up PNG connections; the relief runs till 30 June 2026.
Uttarakhand Cabinet approves Veer Udyami Yojana 2026 for ex-servicemen and former Agniveers
On 25 March 2026 the Uttarakhand Cabinet chaired by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami approved the Veer Udyami Yojana 2026, a supplement to the Mukhyamantri Swarojgar Yojana, reserving 10% of its target for ex-servicemen and former Agniveers.
Akashvani to broadcast full six-stanza 'Vande Mataram' from 26 March
The I&B Ministry said on 25 March 2026 that all Akashvani stations will broadcast the full six-stanza version of the National Song 'Vande Mataram' (3 minutes 10 seconds) from 26 March 2026, replacing the two-stanza version.
Tue, 24 Mar 2026
Japan commits ¥275.858 billion ODA for four projects in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab
On 24 March 2026 India and Japan exchanged notes for a Japanese ODA loan of JPY 275.858 billion (about ₹16,420 crore) for four projects, including Bengaluru Metro Phase 3 and Mumbai Metro Line 11; JICA signed the loan agreements.
ASUSE 2025: unincorporated establishments rise to 7.92 crore; 74.52 lakh jobs added
MoSPI's Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2025, released on 24 March 2026, shows establishments up 7.97% to 7.92 crore and employment up 6.18%, with over 74.52 lakh jobs added over ASUSE 2023-24.
Gujarat Assembly passes Uniform Civil Code Bill, second state after Uttarakhand
On 24 March 2026 the Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill by majority voice vote after a debate of over seven hours, becoming the second state after Uttarakhand to pass a UCC Bill.
World TB Day 2026: Nadda launches 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign; TB incidence down 21% in a decade
At the World TB Day 2026 national event in Greater Noida on 24 March, Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched an intensified 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign covering 1.58 lakh villages and urban wards, and said India's TB incidence fell 21% and mortality 25% over the past decade.
Andhra Pradesh and Odisha sign reform-linked MoUs under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0
On 24 March 2026 Andhra Pradesh and Odisha signed reform-linked MoUs with the Centre under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 for sustainable, community-led rural drinking water supply, in the presence of Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.
India's total exports reach USD 714.73 billion in April–January FY 2025-26, up 5.26%
The Commerce Ministry said on 24 March 2026 that India's total merchandise and services exports rose 5.26% to USD 714.73 billion in April–January of FY 2025-26, from USD 679.02 billion a year earlier.
Railways sanctions Kosamba rail-over-rail flyover in Gujarat and Bhagalpur bypass in Bihar worth ₹647.58 crore
On 24 March 2026 the Ministry of Railways approved a ₹344.38 crore rail-over-rail flyover at Kosamba, Gujarat, and a ₹303.20 crore, 13.38 km rail bypass at Bhagalpur, Bihar – a total of ₹647.58 crore.
RBI revising rules on unauthorised e-banking transactions; MuleHunter.AI live in 26 banks
The Finance Ministry told Parliament on 24 March 2026 that RBI has proposed revised instructions on unauthorised electronic banking transactions, including compensation for small-value frauds, and that its MuleHunter.AI mule-account detection tool is live in 26 banks.
Ayush Ministry and DBT announce clinical study on Ayurveda as adjunct therapy for TB
On World TB Day, 24 March 2026, the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Biotechnology announced a collaborative 'Clinical Study on Ayurveda as an Adjunct Therapy for Tuberculosis' at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.