National

India will begin its first fully digital population census with Phase I starting on April 1, 2026. Announced by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, this will be India’s 16th Census and the largest enumeration exercise globally, involving over 3 million officials.

Key Highlights:

• Digital Census: Data will be collected through mobile apps for the first time.
• Self-Enumeration: Citizens can fill their details online via a secure portal (in 16 languages) and generate a Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) for verification.
• Legal Framework: Conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990.

Timeline:

• Reference Date: March 1, 2027
  (October 1, 2026 for snow-bound regions like Ladakh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand)

Two Phases:

1. Phase I (April–September 2026):
   House listing, housing conditions, amenities, and assets
2. Phase II (February 2027):
   Population data including demographic, socio-economic, education, and caste enumeration

Scale & Infrastructure:

• Budget: ₹11,718 crore
• Coverage: 36 States/UTs, ~6.4 lakh villages, 5,000+ towns
• Digital tools: Mobile apps, self-enumeration portal, real-time monitoring dashboards
• Extensive training system for 31 lakh enumerators and supervisors

Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase I of the Noida International Airport at Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar on 28 March 2026. Built at an estimated cost of ₹11,200 crore under the PPP model, the airport is set to emerge as a major international gateway for the NCR, with an initial capacity of 12 million passengers annually and future expansion up to 70 million.

📊 Key Highlights

• The inauguration ceremony took place around 11:30 AM at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
• The Prime Minister conducted a walkthrough of the terminal and addressed a public gathering.
• The airport has been developed as a modern aviation hub with advanced infrastructure.

🏗️ Project Features

• Phase I capacity: 12 million passengers per annum, scalable to 70 million.
• Cargo handling: Initially 2.5 lakh metric tonnes, expandable to 18 lakh metric tonnes.
• Developed as a multi-modal transport hub integrating road, rail, metro, and regional transit.

On 24 March 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of seven empowered groups to tackle the potential long-term impacts of the West Asia conflict on India. The move aims to address challenges related to fuel, fertilisers, gas supply, supply chains, and inflation.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister emphasized a “Team India” approach, urging both the Centre and states to work together to manage the crisis effectively. He highlighted the serious side effects of the conflict, particularly on the availability of essential commodities such as crude oil, gas, and fertilisers.

Key Focus Areas

• Ensuring stable supply of energy resources like crude oil and gas
• Managing fertiliser availability for agriculture
• Strengthening supply chains
• Controlling inflation and price rise

Government’s Strategy

PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy are the only solutions for restoring peace in West Asia. He stated that India is in constant contact with major global players, including Iran, Israel, and the United States, to promote de-escalation.

The government is also working to diversify energy sources and ensure uninterrupted supply to protect citizens from the crisis. At the same time, states have been directed to prevent black marketing and hoarding of essential goods.

On 22 March 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieved a historic milestone by becoming the longest-serving head of an elected government in India. He completed 8,931 days in office, surpassing Pawan Kumar Chamling, the former Chief Minister of Sikkim, who held the record with 8,930 days.

This achievement combines PM Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001–2014) and as Prime Minister of India (since 2014), marking his entry into the 25th year of continuous leadership. The milestone reflects his long-standing political career and sustained public mandate.

PM Modi was sworn in as the 14th Prime Minister of India on 26 May 2014, becoming the first non-Congress leader to secure a full majority. He later became the first non-Congress PM to complete two full terms and return for a third consecutive term.

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Nanda Devi safely reached Kandla and Vadinar ports in Gujarat on 17 March 2026, carrying around 46,500 metric tons of LPG from Qatar via the Strait of Hormuz, despite ongoing tensions in West Asia.

This marks the second successful LPG shipment (after Shivalik) within a week, highlighting India’s ability to maintain energy supplies during geopolitical uncertainty.

🔑 Key Points

• Safe navigation through the conflict-prone Strait of Hormuz
• Strengthens India’s energy security
• Helps ease domestic LPG shortages
• Reflects effective diplomacy and logistics coordination

🌍 Significance

• The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global energy route, handling about 20% of oil and gas trade
• Ensures continuous LPG supply for households in India
• Demonstrates India’s resilience in managing energy imports during crises

India is facing a severe shortage of domestic LPG cylinders in March 2026, with long queues, delivery delays of up to 25 days, and rising black-market activity. The crisis is linked to disruptions in energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran–US–Israel conflict, causing supply constraints and price hikes.

🔑 Key Facts About the LPG Shortage

• Consumption: India consumed 3.08 crore metric tonnes of LPG between April 2025 and February 2026.
• Imports: 1.87 crore metric tonnes imported, mostly via the Strait of Hormuz.
• Domestic Production: 1.06 crore metric tonnes produced locally.
• Distribution: LPG supplied through 25,566 distribution centres nationwide.

📍 Current Situation (March 2026)

• Delays: Cylinder deliveries delayed by 15–25 days.
• Queues: Long lines outside gas agencies; panic buying worsened shortages.
• Restaurants & households: Many eateries forced to shut or switch to firewood; households struggling for daily cooking needs.

💰 Price Hikes

• Domestic LPG (14.2 kg): Increased by ₹60 per cylinder on March 7, 2026.
• Commercial LPG (19 kg): Increased by ₹144 per cylinder.
• In states like Bihar, domestic LPG prices crossed ₹1,002 per cylinder.

⚠️ Causes of the Shortage

1. Geopolitical Conflict: Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global energy shipments.
2. Supply Chain Disruption: Tankers delayed or rerouted, reducing India’s import capacity.
3. Panic Buying: Consumers rushed to book cylinders, overwhelming distribution systems.
4. Rising Global Prices: Spot cargo costs surged to $800–850 per tonne, increasing losses for Indian Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

🏛 Government Response

• Essential Commodities Act invoked to prioritize household LPG supply.
• 25-day mandatory inter-booking period introduced to prevent hoarding.
• States and UTs directed to monitor supplies daily and act against black-marketing.
• PM Modi urged citizens not to panic, assuring that supply stabilization measures are underway.

In a historic achievement, Zojila Pass remained operational during the winter of 2025–26 for the first time, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity between Ladakh and the rest of India. The development allowed the continuous supply of essential goods to Kargil and Ladakh, even during the holy month of Ramadan.

The achievement was made possible by the efforts of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which used advanced snow-clearance equipment, avalanche monitoring systems, and improved operational planning to keep the pass open despite heavy snowfall.

Located at an altitude of about 11,649 feet, Zojila Pass is a crucial route on the Srinagar–Kargil–Leh highway, with significant strategic importance for civilian supplies, tourism, and military logistics. The milestone also highlights progress toward year-round connectivity in the region, which will be further strengthened by the upcoming Zojila Tunnel.

Lamitiye 2026 is the 11th edition of the joint military exercise between India and Seychelles, conducted from 9–20 March 2026 at the Seychelles Defence Academy. The exercise involves tri-service participation from the Indian Armed Forces along with the Seychelles Defence Forces.

The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, peacekeeping capabilities, and defence cooperation between the two countries. The term “Lamitiye”, meaning “Friendship” in Creole, reflects the strong bilateral ties between India and Seychelles.

Lamitiye has been conducted biennially since 2001, and the 2026 edition marks the first full tri-service participation from India, including the Assam Regiment, INS Trikand, and a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules of the Indian Air Force.

The exercise focuses on sub-conventional operations, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance, and joint training, strengthening security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the final results of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 on 6 March 2026, recommending 958 candidates for appointment to services such as the IAS, IFS, and IPS.

Top Rank Holders

• Anuj Agnihotri secured AIR 1. He is an MBBS graduate from AIIMS Jodhpur and chose Medical Science as his optional subject.
• Rajeshwari Suve M secured AIR 2 with Sociology as optional; she is a B.E. graduate from Anna University, Chennai.
• Akansh Dhull secured AIR 3, a B.Com graduate from the University of Delhi, with Commerce and Accountancy as optional.
• Raghav Jhunjhunwala secured AIR 4, with Economics as optional.
• Ishan Bhatnagar secured AIR 5, a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) graduate from National Law University, Delhi, with Sociology as optional.

Among the top five candidates, four are men and one is a woman.

Top 25 Candidates
The top 25 list includes 11 women and 14 men. Their academic backgrounds cover fields such as engineering, humanities, science, commerce, law, medical science, and mass media. Many candidates studied at leading institutions like IITs, AIIMS, National Law Universities, Delhi Technological University, Anna University, the University of Delhi, and the University of Mumbai.
Optional subjects among the top candidates included Anthropology, Commerce & Accountancy, Chemistry, Economics, Electrical Engineering, History, Mathematics, Medical Science, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations, Public Administration, and Sociology.

Examination Statistics

• Preliminary Exam: 25 May 2025
• Applications received: 9,37,876
• Candidates appeared: 5,76,793
• Qualified for Mains: 14,161
• Qualified for Interview (Personality Test): 2,736
• Final recommended candidates: 958 (659 men and 299 women)