* Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) Suspension: In a major diplomatic move, India has announced the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty meetings and data sharing until Pakistan takes verifiable action against cross-border terrorism.
VVIP Operation Sankalp & West Asia Crisis: Due to the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, the Indian Navy has intensified Operation Sankalp in the Strait of Hormuz. India has prepared an Evacuation List for its citizens and 22 merchant vessels currently in the volatile zone.
* Rupee at All-Time Low: The Indian Rupee (INR) hit a record low of ₹93.71 against the US Dollar, driven by rising global crude oil prices and the outflow of foreign institutional investors (FIIs).
* World Happiness Report 2026: Finland has been ranked the world’s happiest country for the 9th consecutive year. India showed a marginal improvement in its ranking compared to the previous year.
* Noida International Airport: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Noida International Airport on March 28. It is set to become a major aviation hub in North India.
PIB & Government Policy Updates
* Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2026: The Ministry of Power has notified new rules regarding Captive Generating Plants (CGP). The amendment clarifies the definition of “ownership” to facilitate easier power generation for industrial groups and collectives.
VVIP RELIEF Scheme: The Ministry of Commerce launched the ₹497 crore ‘RELIEF’ (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme to support exporters facing high freight costs and insurance premiums due to the West Asia conflict.
* Aadhaar Milestone: According to latest PIB data, India now has over 134 crore live Aadhaar holders. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system has cumulative savings exceeding ₹3 lakh crore.
* Anti-Cheating Bill: The Chhattisgarh Assembly passed a stringent bill to curb malpractice in competitive exams, proposing up to 10 years of imprisonment and heavy fines.
Assam Special (State News)
* Assam Assembly Elections 2026: Political campaigning is at its peak as the state prepares for a single-phase election on April 9. The results are scheduled to be declared on May 4.
VVIP 94th Grandmaster: 16-year-old Mayank Chakraborty from Assam has become India’s 94th Chess Grandmaster. He is the first-ever Grandmaster from the entire Northeast region of India.
* Kuki & Hmar Peace Accord: A historic peace agreement was signed between the Centre, the Assam Government, and several Kuki and Hmar militant groups, leading to the formation of dedicated Welfare & Development Councils.
Science, Tech & Environment
VVIP BharatGen AI: The government is fast-tracking BharatGen, the world’s first government-funded multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) designed to work across 22 Indian languages.
* 1,000 km Rain Band: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has tracked a massive 1,000 km long rain band stretching from Afghanistan to North India, causing unseasonal rains and hailstorms across the Northwest.
* Ojos del Salado Expedition: Professor Arpita Patra from IISc Bangalore successfully scaled Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest volcano, making her the second Indian woman to achieve this feat.
Quick Facts for Exams
* Vikram Doraiswami: Appointed as India’s new Ambassador to China.
* Global Recycling Day: Observed on March 18; 2026 Theme: “Don’t Think Waste – Think Opportunity”.
* Vairamuthu: Renowned Tamil writer awarded the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025).