15 March 2026

The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 5:1 to hold the repo rate at 6.00% while maintaining an accommodative monetary policy stance. The reverse repo rate stands at 3.35%. MPC projected FY27 real GDP growth at 7.1% and CPI inflation at 4.2%. The MPC was constituted under Section 45ZB of the RBI Act, 1934.

ISRO's LVM3-M4 mission successfully deployed GSAT-N3 into geostationary transfer orbit from the Second Launch Pad, SDSC SHAR. GSAT-N3 carries Ka-band high-throughput satellite (HTS) transponders with 100 Gbps capacity and will provide broadband services across rural India and maritime zones under the BharatNet Satellite component.

The Ministry of Environment notified the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, banning multi-layer plastic packaging of less than 75 microns for FMCG products by January 2027, and mandating Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration for all plastic users above 100 tonnes/year. The amendment strengthens EPR provisions first introduced in 2022.

The fifth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-V) adopted the Delhi Declaration, with 54 African nations committing to a bilateral Critical Minerals Partnership framework. The framework establishes joint exploration ventures for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths across six African countries. India committed USD 5 billion in development finance and 50,000 tech scholarships over 5 years.

The Union Cabinet approved the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) Statutory Framework Bill to be tabled in Parliament, making SCSP allocations proportional to SC population (16.6%) mandatory in all Central Ministries' annual plans. Presently, SCSP is only an administrative guideline. The Bill operationalises Article 46 of the Constitution for SC welfare.

The Indian Army, US Army, and Australian Army conducted the first-ever tri-lateral exercise Tasman Saber 2026 at Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia. The exercise focused on multi-domain operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. India's participation reflects deepening QUAD security architecture and expanded defence cooperation under the India-Australia MSPA (2020).

The Brahmaputra Board, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, released 103 flood plain zoning maps covering all districts of Assam under the Flood Plain Zoning Act, 1975. The maps demarcate high-risk zones where construction is prohibited and medium-risk zones requiring flood-resilient building standards. The Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers by discharge volume.

The Prime Minister released the 20th instalment of PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi), transferring ₹2,000 directly to 9.2 crore farmer families. The scheme, launched in February 2019, provides ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments to all land-holding farmer families. Cumulative transfers have crossed ₹3.2 lakh crore since inception.

India and the five Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) launched a joint Heritage Documentation Project for Silk Road archaeological sites, digitising artefacts at 120 sites using photogrammetry and 3D modelling. The project is administered by ASI and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, aligned with UNESCO's World Heritage Framework.

The Government appointed General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff, as India's representative on the United Nations Military Staff Committee (MSC). The MSC was established under Article 47 of the UN Charter to advise the Security Council on military requirements for international peace and security. India is a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2028–29 term.