National Affairs

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Rs 11,200 Crore Phase I of Noida International Airport in UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Phase I of Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, developed at a cost of Rs 11,200 crore under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The airport supports India's 'Viksit Bharat' vision and aligns with the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme to boost aviation connectivity.

• Second International Gateway: The airport will serve as the second international gateway for Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) after Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi.
• Development Model: Built under a PPP model in collaboration with Zurich Airport International AG, Switzerland.
• Operations: Phase I features a single runway with an annual passenger capacity of 12 million. Domestic and cargo operations expected to commence by mid-April or May 2026, with international flights scheduled for September 2026.

PLFS Annual Report 2025: Urban LFPR & WPR Remain Stable

The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report, 2025 (January 2025 – December 2025).

• Stable Participation: LFPR and WPR (based on usual status (ps+ss)) remained widely consistent compared to 2024 levels.
• Transition to Regular Wage: The share of workers in regular wage/salaried employment increased from 22.4% (2024) to 23.6% (2025). In contrast, the share of self-employed persons declined to 56.2% (2025).

Overview of World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 Held in Telangana

The inaugural edition of the World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 was held from March 27 to 29, 2026 across Hyderabad (Telangana) and Buddhavanam at Nagarjunasagar, Nalgonda district (Telangana).

• Organiser: Buddhavanam, a unit of the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), Government of Telangana, in association with the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS).
• Key Highlights:
• Telangana Peace Declaration: A major highlight was the unveiling and adoption of the Telangana Peace Declaration, emphasising inner transformation and ethical values as the foundation for global harmony.
• World Peace Centre: The Telangana government announced that Buddhavanam, spread across 274 acres, will be developed as a global World Peace Centre.
• Awards: Telangana's Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao was honoured with the 'Grand Prize for Contribution to World Peace'.

Indian Navy Conducts Maritime Exercise 'IMEX TTX 2026' at Kochi, Kerala

The Indian Navy (IN) conducted the 3rd edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise (IMEX) Tabletop Exercise (TTX) 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi, Kerala.

The exercise marked a significant development as India assumed the IONS Chairmanship for the 2026–2028 cycle after a gap of 16 years since 2010.

• Aim: Addressed non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) while enhancing shared understanding, refining coordination mechanisms, and validating frameworks under IONS.
• Participants: Delegates from IONS member navies, officers from Indian Ocean Ship–Security and Growth for All in the Region (IOS-SAGAR), and the IN, with participation from Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste.
• Mechanism: Conducted as a TTX in a simulated environment, addressing multi-scenario contingencies while avoiding live deployment constraints.
• Significance: Promoted maritime cooperation, professional exchange, and mutual trust, strengthening India's regional maritime leadership.

MoEFCC & WWF-India Organise Awareness Campaign to Mark 20 Years of Earth Hour

On 28 March 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) organised awareness and outreach activities in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh to mark 20 years of Earth Hour, with a nationwide call to "Give an Hour for Earth".

• Framework: Activities under the Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building & Livelihood Programme (EIACP) were conducted with support from WWF-India.
• Institutions: Awareness drives and exhibitions promoting sustainable lifestyles held at The Scindia School, MP and Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), MP.
• Participation: Trainees of the Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) from 15+ States and UTs, including the "Nature Conservator cum Eco-Tourism Guide" course, actively participated.

Indian Army Signs First-Ever Rs 25.90 Crore Capital Procurement Contract via GeM Portal

The Indian Army (IA) marked a major defence acquisition reform by signing its first-ever capital procurement contract through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) with JCB India Limited to procure 93 telescopic handlers under the Buy (Indian) category at a cost of Rs 25.90 crore.

• Equipment: Telescopic Handlers (telehandlers) are versatile rough-terrain lifting machines used for material handling, logistics support, and construction operations, especially in forward and high-altitude areas.
• Capability: These machines enhance logistics efficiency, enable effective operations in rugged terrains, and reduce manual labour in military operations.
• Efficiency: The GeM platform ensures reduced procurement timelines, procedural integrity, and optimal value through tools like e-bidding and reverse e-auction.

International Affairs

UNESCO GEM Report 2026: Global Out-of-School Population Reaches 273 Million

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report — Access and Equity: Countdown to 2030, revealing that one in six school-age children worldwide are out of education and only two in three complete secondary schooling.

In 2024, the report found that 273 million children, adolescents, and youth were out of school globally, excluding an additional estimated 13 million in ten conflict-affected countries.

• Overview: The report assesses global progress towards achieving equitable and inclusive education under Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by 2030.
• Urgency: West Asia faces severe disruption due to conflicts, with school closures leaving millions out of education.
• Enrolment Growth: 45% growth in pre-primary and 161% in post-secondary since 2000, equivalent to 25 children entering school every minute.

Banking & Finance

RBI Unveils Payment Vision 2028 to Strengthen Digital Ecosystem

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled its 'Payment Vision 2028' document, titled 'Shaping India's Payment Frontier', outlining a roadmap to strengthen and expand India's rapidly growing digital payments ecosystem.

The RBI has been periodically preparing Payments Vision since 2001.

• Focus: The 2028 vision document focuses on user empowerment, safeguards against fraud, efficiency of cross-border payment frameworks, and promoting ease of doing business. It consists of 15 specific initiatives.
• Duration: Charts a roadmap for the next three years, extending up to December 2028.
• New Initiatives:
• A switch on/off facility for digital payments
• Development of an efficient cross-border (CB) payments framework with a single-window authorisation process
• Introduction of a Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF) for fraud liability

Awards & Recognitions

India's Sheetal Devi Named World Archery Para Archer of the Year 2025

India's Sheetal Devi was named "Para Archer of the Year 2025" by the World Archery Federation (WA), the international governing body for the sport of archery.

• Identity: Sheetal Devi is India's first female armless para-archer competing globally. The 19-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) became the first and only female armless archer to win gold at the World Para Archery Championships 2025 in Gwangju, South Korea, in September 2025.
• World Championships: Secured a complete medal set — gold, women's team silver, and mixed team bronze.
• Paralympics: Won a mixed team bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics (France).

VP CP Radhakrishnan Presents 20th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards

Chandrapuram Ponnusami (C.P.) Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India, attended the 20th edition of the Ramnath Goenka (RNG) Excellence in Journalism Awards as the Chief Guest in New Delhi, Delhi, presenting awards to 25 journalists across 18 categories.

• Background: Instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation in 2005 to mark the birth centenary of Ramnath Goenka, founder of the Indian Express (IE) Group. Each recipient receives a citation, a trophy, and a monetary prize of Rs 1 lakh.
• Prakash Kardaley Memorial Awards for Civic Journalism: Sandeep Dighe (The Times of India) and Sreya Chatterjee & Arvind Ojha (India Today) were honoured. The award was established in the memory of Prakash Kardaley, former Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune, Maharashtra.

Science & Technology

ESA Launches First Celeste Satellites to Test LEO Navigation Layer

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the first two satellites — In-Orbit Demonstrators (IOD)-1 and IOD-2 — of its Celeste mission from the Rocket Lab launch site, New Zealand, to demonstrate a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) navigation layer.

The mission aims to complement Europe's existing Galileo (Medium Earth Orbit, MEO) and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) systems, marking a shift towards a multi-layered navigation architecture.

• Objective: To test a LEO-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) system to enhance the resilience, accuracy, and coverage of satellite navigation services.
• Satellites: IOD-1 (20 kg) and IOD-2 (30 kg), operating in LEO at an altitude of 500–560 km.
• Development: Satellites developed by GMV (Spain) and Thales Alenia Space (France), launched using the Electron rocket by Rocket Lab (New Zealand), adopting a New Space approach for faster and more flexible satellite deployment.

Sports

Kimi Antonelli Wins Japanese Grand Prix 2026; Becomes Youngest F1 Championship Leader

19-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes won the 40th edition of the Formula One (F1) Japanese Grand Prix (GP) 2026 held at Suzuka, Japan, and became the youngest driver ever to lead the F1 World Championship.

• Victory: Antonelli secured back-to-back wins in China and Japan, becoming the youngest championship leader in F1 history by surpassing Lewis Hamilton.
• Background: The Japanese GP is traditionally held at the Suzuka Circuit, first held in 1963.
• Next Event: The Miami Grand Prix (May 2026) after a break due to cancellations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Obituary

Padma Bhushan Awardee & Former Raymond Chairman Vijaypat Singhania Passed Away

Padma Bhushan awardee and former Raymond Chairman Dr. Vijaypat Lala Kailashpat Singhania passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was born on October 4, 1938, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's 3rd highest civilian honour, in 2006 in the field of Sports.

Important Days at a Glance