Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu signed 17 pacts, upgrading their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation, and Prosperity, including steps toward finalizing a Free Trade Agreement between the two nations.
Source ↗The Union Cabinet approved several key projects including a 3.33 km metro extension in GIFT City, a new Civil Enclave at Srinagar International Airport worth Rs 1,677 crore, and three railway multitracking projects totaling Rs 9,072 crore to strengthen national transport connectivity.
Source ↗The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas announced that all petrol sold from April 1, 2026, must contain up to 20% ethanol and have a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95, supporting the Ethanol Blended Programme to reduce crude oil imports and lower carbon emissions.
Source ↗The Supreme Court ordered seizure of Class 8 NCERT social science textbooks for content discussing judicial corruption and case backlogs. Prime Minister Modi demanded accountability from the Education Ministry over the controversial content.
Source ↗Following fresh airstrikes and cross-border attacks, Pakistan has officially declared "open war" with Afghanistan, launching air attacks on Kabul and other regions, significantly impacting regional security and geopolitics in South Asia.
Source ↗The Indian Railway Finance Corporation signed a loan agreement with Japan's SMBC Group and MUFG Bank to raise funds for railway sector projects. The five-year borrowing is benchmarked to the Tokyo Overnight Average Rate.
Source ↗The National Stock Exchange International Exchange introduced a platform allowing Indian retail investors and NRIs to trade directly in U.S.-listed stocks and international ETFs, operating under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme with investments up to USD 250,000 per financial year.
Source ↗The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and C-DAC launched the Blockchain India Challenge to encourage Indian startups to develop blockchain-based solutions for government departments, aiming to improve digital governance and public service delivery.
Source ↗The Indian Navy is hosting the biennial Milan exercise, a major multilateral naval event aimed at fostering cooperation and interoperability among friendly foreign navies, aligning with India's maritime doctrines of SAGAR and MAHASAGAR.
Source ↗IAS officer Nidhi Chhibber, currently the Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office, has been assigned the additional role of CEO of NITI Aayog, succeeding B.V.R. Subrahmanyam following the completion of his tenure.
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