14 March 2026

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that India's merchandise and services exports combined reached USD 820 billion in FY2025-26, surpassing the USD 776 billion recorded in FY25. Services exports contributed USD 380 billion (IT, ITeS, professional services) and merchandise USD 440 billion. Engineering goods, petroleum products, and pharmaceuticals led merchandise export growth.

The Union Cabinet approved the Geological Survey of India (Strategic Minerals) Amendment Act to empower GSI to conduct exploration and mapping of critical minerals — lithium, cobalt, graphite, titanium, vanadium — on a priority basis. The amendment follows the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023, which added 24 critical minerals.

CSIR's National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) developed an iron-oxide coated sand (IOCS) arsenic removal filter at a cost of ₹450 per unit, suitable for individual household use. The technology addresses arsenic contamination exceeding WHO safe limits in 68 districts across West Bengal, Bihar, UP, and Jharkhand, affecting an estimated 3.5 crore people.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released India's first State Biodiversity Index, ranking states across three dimensions: species richness, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity. Kerala topped the composite index followed by Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. The Index is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's 30x30 target for area protection.

Leaders of India, USA, Japan, and Australia at the QUAD Summit in Tokyo adopted the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) Initiative Phase II, expanding satellite-based vessel tracking to 13 Pacific island nations. IPMDA uses ISRO's RISAT data and the US Coast Guard's Automatic Identification System network, covering 39 million sq km of Indo-Pacific waters.

The Indian Army conducted Operation Prahar, described as its largest multi-domain exercise in the northeast, involving 80,000 troops across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur. The exercise tested Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) in mountain warfare, cyber operations, and logistics in high-altitude terrain along the Line of Actual Control.

An intense Western Disturbance triggered heavy to very heavy snowfall across Jammu & Kashmir (Gulmarg: 55 cm), Himachal Pradesh (Manali: 38 cm), and Uttarakhand (Munsiari: 41 cm) in mid-March — unusually late for the season. IMD linked the prolonged Western Disturbance activity to anomalous upper-level westerly jet stream displacement.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti announced that Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has achieved tap water connections for 97% of rural households — 19.4 crore out of 19.9 crore — across India. Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar, and Dadra & NH were declared 100% Har Ghar Jal states/UTs. JJM targets potable water supply at 55 litres per capita per day (LPCD).

The Karnataka government and Archaeological Survey of India launched a year-long Hampi Festival marking the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Vijayanagara Empire (1326–2026). Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, attracts 5.6 lakh tourists annually. The festival features classical dance performances, ISRO-assisted virtual heritage tours, and a conservation sprint for 12 endangered monuments.

The Government appointed Shri Sanjeev Kumar, 1988 batch IRS (IT) officer, as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). CBDT, constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963, functions as the apex body for administration of direct taxes — income tax, corporate tax, and TDS — under the Ministry of Finance.