The Union Cabinet approved the National Critical Minerals Mission to secure domestic supply of 30 identified critical minerals essential for energy transition, defence, and electronics. The mission includes exploration of 1,200 mineral blocks, establishment of a Strategic Minerals Reserve, and bilateral agreements with resource-rich nations.
Lok Sabha passed amendments enabling the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2026 under the DPDP Act, 2023. Key provisions include mandatory data breach notification within 72 hours, data localisation requirements for sensitive personal data, and establishment of the Data Protection Board with quasi-judicial powers.
India and the UAE formally operationalised the bilateral trade settlement mechanism in Indian Rupee and UAE Dirham through designated banks. The mechanism is expected to reduce dollar dependency for bilateral trade worth over $85 billion annually and strengthen INR internationalisation efforts.
DRDO conducted the maiden submarine-launched flight test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from an undisclosed underwater platform in the Bay of Bengal. The missile, with a range exceeding 1,000 km, achieved all mission objectives and demonstrated terrain-hugging flight capability.
Gross GST collections for March 2026 stood at Rs 2.08 lakh crore, marking the second consecutive month above the Rs 2 lakh crore threshold. CGST contributed Rs 38,200 crore, SGST Rs 47,100 crore, IGST Rs 1.08 lakh crore, and cess Rs 14,700 crore, reflecting broad-based economic activity.
NTCA released the findings of the 5th All India Tiger Estimation, reporting 3,682 tigers across 55 tiger reserves — a 7.2% increase from the 2022 count of 3,167. Madhya Pradesh retained the top position with 785 tigers, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (444).
The government launched the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) portal, enabling Central Government employees under NPS to opt for the new scheme by April 30. UPS guarantees 50% of average basic pay of last 12 months as pension for those with 25+ years of service, with proportionate benefits for 10-25 years.
Researchers at IIT Bombay developed a portable water quality testing device using AI-powered nanosensors that can detect 15 contaminants including arsenic, fluoride, and lead within 30 seconds. The device costs Rs 2,500 and is being piloted in 500 gram panchayats under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Arunachal Pradesh became the first state in India to achieve 100% linkage of land records with Aadhaar under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP). The achievement covers 3.2 lakh land parcels across 25 districts and enables instant online verification of land ownership.
Senior diplomat Rajiv Kumar, presently Secretary (West) in MEA, has been appointed as India's next Ambassador to the United States of America. He succeeds Vinay Kwatra and will take charge in May 2026 amid ongoing negotiations on the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).