6 March 2026

The Union Cabinet approved the NEP 2020 Implementation Framework for Higher Education 2026-31, operationalising the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), multidisciplinary education, and credit-based grading across all centrally-funded universities. The framework mandates minimum 30% online learning components, PhD programme restructuring, and a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant of ₹2,000 crore annually for emerging institutions.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) reported that India received USD 103.4 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2025-26, surpassing the USD 100 billion mark for the first time. Equity FDI was USD 74.2 billion, portfolio investment USD 29.2 billion. The technology sector led with 28% share, followed by financial services (19%) and renewable energy (15%). Mauritius, Singapore, and USA were the top source countries.

India and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) signed a 10-year Extended Agreement for Indian participation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) upgrade programme, specifically the High-Luminosity LHC. India contributes through supply of superconducting magnets by BARC and data analytics for ALICE and CMS experiments. The Department of Atomic Energy funds India's CERN participation.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) released its annual report on child labour trends, showing a 34% reduction in cases reported under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 between 2021 and 2025. However, the report flagged a 22% increase in cases in e-waste dismantling and brick kiln sectors. NCPCR operates under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

DRDO handed over the first production batch of 12 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) to the Indian Army, developed jointly by DRDO, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Forge. ATAGS fires at a range of 48 km with a 155 mm/52 calibre barrel and has the highest firing range among comparable global artillery systems. It will replace the Bofors gun in mountain warfare configurations.

India hosted the inaugural G20 Joint Meeting of Agriculture and Water Ministers under South Africa's G20 Presidency in New Delhi, focusing on food-water-energy nexus for climate resilience. India presented its achievements under the National Water Mission and PMKSY micro-irrigation programmes. The meeting endorsed a G20 Food Systems Framework recognising traditional millet-based diets as climate-resilient.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) demonstrated a laboratory-scale proton-boron (p-B11) aneutronic fusion device achieving sustained plasma ignition, becoming only the fourth institution globally to demonstrate this reaction type. Unlike D-T fusion, p-B11 fusion produces minimal radioactive waste and no neutron radiation, making it ideal for compact energy applications. The research is funded under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), constituted under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, notified 15 new Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) including the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve buffer zone, Mhadei Valley in Goa, and the Dibru-Saikhowa floodplain. India now has 98 BHS. The sites provide conservation of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity under the Nagoya Protocol obligations.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) expanded the River Cities Alliance (RCA) to 150 cities across 14 river basins and launched the Ganga Rejuvenation Index 2025, showing a 41% improvement in dissolved oxygen levels at key monitoring stations. Kanpur, once the most polluted stretch, achieved a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) below 3 mg/L for the first time since 1986, marking restoration of fishable water standards.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2026 under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Key provisions include consent manager framework, data fiduciary obligations, Data Protection Board adjudication procedures, cross-border data transfer whitelisting, and a ₹250 crore penalty cap for significant data fiduciaries who breach security safeguards.