28 March 2026

Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation declined to 3.6% year-on-year in February 2026 from 4.1% in January, driven by easing vegetable and edible oil prices. Core inflation (excluding food and fuel) moderated to 3.2%. The RBI's mandated inflation target is 4% (+/- 2%), set by the central government under the amended RBI Act Section 45ZA. The MPC uses CPI as its primary policy anchor.

The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2026, to be held in four phases from April 15 to May 3, 2026. The Model Code of Conduct came into effect immediately upon announcement. Bihar Assembly has 243 seats; the current term expires in November 2026. The ECI operates under Articles 324–329 of the Constitution as a constitutional body.

ISRO's Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), launched in December 2024, completed 90 days of continuous orbital operations. The mission demonstrated autonomous spacecraft docking capability, making India the fourth country (after USA, Russia, China) to achieve orbital docking. The technology is foundational for future human spaceflight (Gaganyaan), lunar sample return (Chandrayaan-4), and proposed Indian Space Station (BAS).

India formally ratified its updated National Biodiversity Targets aligned to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted at CBD COP15 in 2022. India committed to 30x30 (protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030), mainstreaming biodiversity in production sectors, and ₹6,000 crore annual domestic biodiversity finance. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has 196 parties; India is a party since 1994.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivered the 12th LCA Tejas Mk1A advanced light combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force at Bengaluru. The Mk1A features an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite, and beyond-visual-range missile capability (Astra Mk1 BVR missile). IAF has a contract for 83 Mk1A aircraft worth ₹48,000 crore — the largest defence indigenisation order in India.

India and ASEAN launched the India-ASEAN Digital Connectivity Initiative (IADCI) under the Act East Policy at the 12th India-ASEAN Summit held in Jakarta. The initiative covers submarine cable landing stations, 5G roaming agreements, digital payment interoperability (UPI-PromptPay extension), and cybersecurity frameworks. ASEAN accounts for 11% of India's total trade and is a priority region under India's Neighbourhood Plus policy.

NITI Aayog released the SDG India Index & Dashboard 2025, tracking 113 national indicators across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Kerala (79) and Tamil Nadu (76) ranked top among states; Jharkhand and Bihar recorded the lowest composite scores. India's national composite score improved to 71 from 66 in 2023, with best performance on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 7 (Affordable Energy). SDG deadline is 2030.

India formally notified Pakistan of its intent to renegotiate the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, citing Pakistan's persistent blockade of dispute resolution mechanisms and changing hydrological and climate conditions. The IWT allocates the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, with a Permanent Indus Commission for coordination. India had earlier paused implementation following the Pahalgam attack in 2025.

The government announced special year-long centenary celebrations marking 135 years since the birth of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (born April 14, 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh). Ambedkar was the architect of the Indian Constitution, India's first Law Minister, and a champion of Dalit rights. He converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956. The government conferred the Bharat Ratna on him posthumously in 1990.

Justice B.R. Gavai, designated as the 51st Chief Justice of India, was sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President under Article 124(2) of the Constitution based on seniority convention. CJI leads the Supreme Court, which comprises up to 34 judges including the CJI per the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956 as amended.