20 March 2026

The 55th GST Council meeting, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, approved rate rationalisation across 148 goods and services, merging the 12% slab into the 18% slab for most manufacturing goods while reducing rates on select healthcare devices to 5%. The Council also approved a single composition scheme threshold of ₹2 crore for all states.

The Union Cabinet approved comprehensive Dam Safety Regulations, 2026 under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, mandating Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for all large dams, quarterly structural inspections, and a National Dam Safety Register. India has 5,745 large dams — the third highest globally — and the regulations apply to all dams above 15 metres height.

ISRO successfully tested the Crew Escape System (CES) for the Gaganyaan crew module at Sriharikota, demonstrating the ability to propel astronauts to safety within 5 seconds in a launch abort scenario. This was the second and final unmanned Crew Escape test before the TV-D2 uncrewed orbital mission scheduled for Q3 2026.

India deposited its instrument of ratification for the Minamata Convention amendment mandating the phase-out of dental amalgam by 2035, at the UN Environment Programme secretariat in Geneva. The Minamata Convention, which India ratified in 2018, regulates mercury pollution; dental amalgam accounts for roughly 10% of global mercury demand.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the 340-km Shivamogga-Hassan-Mysuru extension of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), enabling direct cargo movement from Karnataka's industrial clusters to JNPT. The DFC network now spans 3,200 km. DFC operations are managed by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL).

India and Australia signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on engineering qualifications under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement of 2023. The agreement, administered by Engineers India and Engineers Australia, allows Indian-qualified engineers to practise in Australia without additional credentialing tests — benefiting approximately 8,000 Indian engineers annually.

The Ministry of Education released the first annual Report Card on National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) implementation, showing 18 states have aligned state curriculum policies with NCF-SE 2023. Key metrics include: mother tongue as medium of instruction in Grades 1–5 adopted by 14 states, and bagless days introduced in 16 states.

The Indian Army inducted 24 units of ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), a 155mm/52-calibre gun developed jointly by DRDO and Bharat Forge, into Eastern Command along the Line of Actual Control. ATAGS has a maximum range of 48 km and operates in temperatures from -40°C to +55°C, making it uniquely suited for Himalayan deployment.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India tabled a Performance Audit report on the Digital India Programme in Parliament, noting that 47% of project milestones were delayed beyond deadlines and rural BharatNet broadband coverage reached only 68% of targeted gram panchayats by March 2026. CAG functions under Articles 148–151 of the Constitution.

The President of India conferred Padma Awards 2026 in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan: 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri. This year featured a record 30 posthumous awards and 60% of awardees from fields other than arts and sports. Padma Awards are civilian honours instituted in 1954 and governed under Art. 18 of the Constitution.