NATIONAL AND STATE NEWS

National and State News covers government policy, judicial rulings, infrastructure milestones, and state-level developments. This is typically the single largest section in any monthly capsule and demands close attention to numbers, dates, and the ministries or authorities involved.

9th India Pharma 2026 Spotlights India's Life-Sciences Innovation

• The ninth edition of India Pharma was held in New Delhi under the theme 'Discover in India: Leapfrogging Life-Sciences Innovation'.
• The event brought together policymakers, domestic manufacturers, and global investors to discuss India's growing role in pharmaceutical R&D and API self-reliance.
• Discussions centred on regulatory reform, export competitiveness, and building indigenous drug-discovery capacity.

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers oversees pharma policy; Cabinet Minister: J.P. Nadda.

Census 2027 Enters Phase One as India's First Fully Digital Headcount

• The first phase of Census 2027 began on 1 April 2026, marking a shift to a completely digital enumeration process for the first time in India's history.
• Enumerators are using handheld devices and mobile applications instead of paper schedules, aimed at faster and more accurate data compilation.
• The exercise is expected to feed into updated planning for welfare schemes, delimitation, and resource allocation.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill 2026 Strengthens Recovery Framework

• The government introduced amendments to the IBC to speed up resolution timelines and plug procedural gaps identified since the code's 2016 rollout.
• Officials cited recoveries of roughly ₹4.11 lakh crore achieved under the IBC since its enactment as evidence of the framework's impact.
• The bill seeks to reduce litigation delays and improve the ease of doing business for creditors and distressed companies alike.

Samrat Samprati Museum Opens in Gandhinagar to Preserve Jain Heritage

• The Prime Minister inaugurated a new museum dedicated to Emperor Samrat Samprati, a patron of Jainism, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The museum showcases artefacts, manuscripts, and interpretive exhibits tracing the spread of Jain culture across ancient India.
• It is expected to become a centre for scholarship and heritage tourism tied to Gujarat's Jain history.

Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 Replace the Decade-Old 2016 Framework

• The new rules, effective from 1 April 2026, tighten segregation, collection, and processing norms for municipal solid waste.
• They place greater accountability on urban local bodies and waste generators, including bulk generators such as commercial establishments.
• The update reflects lessons learnt from a decade of implementation gaps under the earlier 2016 rules.

First World Buddhist Peace Conference Held in Telangana

• The inaugural World Buddhist Peace Conference 2026 was hosted across Hyderabad and Buddhavanam, bringing together Buddhist scholars and monks from several countries.
• Discussions focused on Buddhist philosophy's contribution to global peace-building and interfaith dialogue.
• The event also highlighted Telangana's Buddhist archaeological sites as potential centres of spiritual tourism.

National Piped Natural Gas Drive 2.0 Gets a Three-Month Extension

• The government extended the drive aimed at expanding city gas distribution networks to more households and industries.
• The extension supports the target of raising natural gas's share in India's energy basket to 15 percent.
• Officials cited infrastructure rollout delays in several states as the reason for the extended timeline.

Amaravati Declared Sole Capital of Andhra Pradesh with Retrospective Effect

• An amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 formally designated Amaravati as the state's only capital, effective retrospectively from 2 June 2024.
• The move ends years of ambiguity over the state's three-capital proposal debated since bifurcation.
• The state government continues to raise funds from domestic and multilateral lenders for the greenfield capital's construction.

Delhi's Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana Replaces the Ladli Scheme

• The Delhi government rolled out Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana to support the education and financial security of the girl child.
• The new scheme supersedes the earlier Ladli Scheme, offering revised savings and disbursement benchmarks tied to schooling milestones.
• The initiative is part of a wider push to improve the female literacy and retention rate in the capital.

NCERT Granted 'Deemed to be University' Status

• The Ministry of Education conferred deemed-university status on NCERT following a recommendation by the University Grants Commission.
• The change allows NCERT to award its own degrees and expand postgraduate and doctoral research in education.
• It is expected to strengthen teacher-training research and curriculum-development capacity at the national level.

DoT Extends Deadline for OTT SIM-Binding Compliance

• The Department of Telecommunications pushed back the deadline for messaging and calling apps to implement SIM-binding security measures.
• The extension gives OTT platforms more time to integrate device- and number-verification safeguards against fraud.
• The move follows industry representations citing technical integration challenges.

CBSE Rolls Out AI and Computational Thinking Curriculum for Middle School

• Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a new curriculum introducing computational thinking and artificial intelligence concepts for classes III to VIII.
• The syllabus is designed to build foundational digital literacy well before students reach senior secondary levels.
• Teacher-training modules accompany the rollout to help schools adapt to the new subject matter.

India SDG Dashboard Launched with UN Support

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation unveiled a dashboard tracking India's progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, developed in partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.
• The tool consolidates indicator-level data from central ministries and state governments into a single public platform.
• It is intended to improve transparency and enable evidence-based policy tracking ahead of the 2030 SDG deadline.

Election Commission Launches 'Know Your Candidates' Feature

• Ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections, the ECI added a candidate-background feature to its digital platform, letting voters check criminal, financial, and educational disclosures.
• The feature is aimed at improving transparency and informed voting in the run-up to polls.
• It builds on the Commission's broader push toward digitising voter information services.

India Rolls Out 20 Percent Ethanol-Blended Petrol Nationwide

• From 1 April 2026, E20 petrol became the standard fuel grade across the country, advancing the government's biofuel-blending roadmap.
• The rollout is expected to cut crude-oil import dependence and reduce tailpipe emissions.
• Automakers have been calibrating engines to be compatible with the higher ethanol blend over the past several years.

Textile Exporters Get Extended RoSCTL Support

• The Ministry of Textiles extended the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies scheme to keep exporters competitive amid global demand fluctuations.
• The scheme reimburses embedded taxes on textile and apparel exports that are not otherwise refunded.
• Industry bodies had sought the extension citing continued global supply-chain pressures.

Ministry of Textiles — Cabinet Minister: Giriraj Singh.

India's Fish Production Rises to Nearly 198 Lakh Tonnes

• Fisheries output climbed in FY 2024-25, continuing a multi-year growth trend supported by aquaculture expansion and coastal infrastructure investment.
• The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, launched in 2020, has been a key driver of the sector's modernisation.
• The government cited rising fish exports and improved cold-chain logistics as contributing factors.

Coal Production From Captive and Commercial Blocks Crosses 200 Million Tonnes

• FY 2025-26 saw captive and commercial coal blocks cross the 200-million-tonne mark for the first time.
• The milestone reflects faster clearances and increased private-sector participation in coal mining since the sector's commercial opening.
• Officials linked the growth to efforts at reducing thermal-coal import dependence.

Gujarat High Court Bars AI Use in Judicial Decision-Making

• The High Court issued an internal policy prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence tools in drafting judgments or aiding judicial reasoning.
• The policy reflects caution around AI reliability and accountability in matters affecting individual rights.
• Other High Courts are reportedly reviewing similar guidelines for AI use within court administration.

Gujarat High Court — seat: Ahmedabad; established 1960.

Western Dedicated Freight Corridor Fully Commissioned

• Indian Railways completed the 1,506-kilometre Western Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Dadri.
• The corridor is expected to significantly cut freight transit times and decongest existing passenger rail lines.
• It forms a key part of the broader dedicated freight corridor network aimed at boosting India's logistics competitiveness.

NITI Aayog Report Finds Women Hold a Quarter of System Credit

• The report, titled 'From Borrowers to Builders', found that women account for roughly 26 percent of total outstanding credit in the financial system.
• It highlighted growing female entrepreneurship but flagged persistent gaps in access to formal collateral-based lending.
• The report recommended targeted credit products and simplified underwriting for women-led micro and small enterprises.

NITI Aayog — established 1 January 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.

Cabinet Approves Jaipur Metro Phase-2

• The 41-kilometre corridor will connect Prahladpura to Todi Mod, extending Jaipur's metro network significantly.
• The project is expected to ease traffic congestion along key commercial and residential corridors of the city.
• Construction is planned in phases, with central and state governments sharing project costs.

Two Arunachal Pradesh Hydro Projects Cleared, Worth ₹40,175 Crore

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two hydroelectric projects, including the Kalai-II project on the Lohit river.
• The projects are expected to add significant clean-energy generation capacity in the northeastern region.
• Officials noted the investment also supports local infrastructure and employment in Arunachal Pradesh.

NHAI's 'Arogya Van' Initiative Plants Medicinal Trees Along Highways

• The National Highways Authority of India launched a plantation drive focused on medicinal species along highway corridors.
• The initiative aims to combine green cover expansion with community access to traditional medicinal plants.
• It forms part of NHAI's broader environmental-compensatory afforestation commitments.

Vantara University to Rise in Jamnagar, Gujarat

• Vantara announced plans for a university focused on wildlife conservation and veterinary sciences under the leadership of Anant Ambani.
• The institution aims to be the world's first integrated global university dedicated to these combined disciplines.
• It is expected to complement Vantara's existing wildlife rescue and rehabilitation operations in Jamnagar.

Gujarat Police Deploy India's First AI Investigation Tool for Narcotics Cases

• The NARIT system uses retrieval-augmented generation to help officers draft structured investigation reports from verified legal databases.
• It was developed by the Western Railway Police in Vadodara together with a Mumbai-based AI startup.
• The tool marks the first deployment of an AI-based investigation system for NDPS Act cases in India.

Mundra Port Becomes India's Largest Automobile Export Hub

• The port set a national record by exporting more than 6,000 cars aboard a single vessel.
• Operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited, Mundra continues to expand its role in India's export logistics.
• The company has also crossed 500 million tonnes of cargo-handling capacity, with a 1-billion-tonne target set for 2030.

Mundra Port is operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ).

Patent Filings Hit a Historic High in FY 2025-26

• Applications rose by over 30 percent year-on-year, pushing India to the sixth-largest patent-filing nation globally.
• More than two-thirds of filings came from domestic applicants, reflecting a shift toward home-grown innovation.
• Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra emerged as the leading contributors among states.

Supreme Court Clarifies Voting and Contesting Rights Are Statutory, Not Fundamental

• The ruling arose from a case concerning cooperative-society elections in Rajasthan.
• The Court held that both the right to vote and the right to contest elections are governed by the Representation of the People Acts rather than Part III of the Constitution.
• The judgment reaffirms Parliament's authority to prescribe eligibility conditions for electoral participation.

First Life-Size Statue of Swami Vivekananda Unveiled in the United States

• The bronze statue was installed at Westlake Square in Seattle, making the city the first in the US to host such a monument.
• It stands near prominent public landmarks, ensuring high visibility among residents and visitors.
• The unveiling was seen as a milestone in strengthening India-US cultural ties.

India Moves Toward Fully Digital Toll Collection

• From 11 April 2026, National Highway tolling began transitioning to FASTag- and UPI-based payments, phasing out cash options.
• The shift is expected to cut congestion at toll plazas and improve transparency in fee collection.
• Authorities are running awareness campaigns to help commuters adapt to the fully digital system.

AICTE-VAANI Scheme's Third Edition Promotes Technical Education in Indian Languages

• The scheme encourages research, publication, and teaching of technical subjects in regional languages.
• A dedicated online portal has been introduced to simplify institutional participation.
• The initiative aims to widen access to technical education for students more comfortable in their mother tongue.

Women's Reservation Bill Falls Short of Special Majority in Lok Sabha

• The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, proposing 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures, received more votes in favour than against but failed to clear the two-thirds threshold required for a constitutional amendment.
• The setback renewed debate over the path to enacting long-pending women's reservation legislation.
• Supporters have signalled intent to reintroduce the bill in a future session.

Startup India Records Its Highest-Ever Annual Recognition Count

• Over 55,200 new startups were recognised in FY 2025-26, the largest annual addition since the initiative's 2016 launch.
• Total recognised startups in the country crossed 2.23 lakh as of end-March 2026.
• The growth reflects sustained interest in India's startup ecosystem despite global funding headwinds.

Punjab Assembly Passes Stricter Anti-Sacrilege Law

• The unanimously passed bill proposes life imprisonment and steep fines for serious acts of sacrilege, particularly against the Guru Granth Sahib.
• It strengthens provisions under the existing 2008 sacrilege law and awaits the Governor's assent.
• The legislation reflects continued public and political sensitivity around religious sanctity in the state.

Bengaluru Water Utility Becomes First in India to Earn ISO Energy Certification

• The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board received ISO 50001:2018 certification for energy management.
• The recognition highlights efforts to improve energy efficiency across the utility's pumping and treatment operations.
• It positions BWSSB as a model for sustainable urban water infrastructure.

Meghalaya Grants Khasi and Garo Official Language Status

• The new ordinance recognises Khasi and Garo alongside English as official languages of the state.
• The move aims to strengthen indigenous identity and improve administrative accessibility for tribal communities.
• It repeals the older 2005 state language law that had governed the matter previously.

IIT Kharagpur Sets Up AI-for-Mining Centre of Excellence

• The Vikram Sodhi Centre will apply AI and data-driven technologies to geological survey and mining operations.
• The centre is backed by ₹15 crore in funding over five years from industry partners.
• It reflects growing industry-academia collaboration in modernising India's mining sector.

Ahmedabad's Kankaria Rail Depot Achieves Water-Neutral Status

• The depot now saves nearly 1.6 lakh litres of water daily by treating and reusing wastewater from coach-washing operations.
• The achievement demonstrates how railway infrastructure can align with sustainability goals.
• It is expected to serve as a model for similar water-recycling upgrades at other depots.

India's Coal Ministry Sets Ambitious Domestic Production Targets

• Officials reiterated plans to further scale up captive and commercial block output beyond the 200-million-tonne mark achieved this year.
• The push aims to reduce thermal coal import dependence over the coming fiscal years.
• State-run and private miners are both being encouraged to accelerate project clearances.

Government Reviews Progress on Vibrant Villages Programme

• The scheme funds infrastructure and connectivity projects in India's border villages along the northern and eastern frontiers.
• Community radio and last-mile digital connectivity initiatives launched this month were framed as part of the programme's outcomes.
• Officials highlighted improved habitation and reduced outmigration in several pilot border villages.

⚡ QUICK REVISION — NATIONAL AND STATE NEWS

• Census 2027 Phase 1 begins 1 April 2026 — India's first fully digital census
• E20 ethanol-blended petrol rolled out nationwide from 1 April 2026
• Amaravati declared Andhra Pradesh's sole capital, retrospective from 2 June 2024
• Patent filings up 30.2% in FY26; India ranks 6th globally
• Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (1,506 km) fully commissioned
• Over 55,200 startups recognised in FY26, highest-ever annual addition
• Women's Reservation Bill defeated in Lok Sabha — missed two-thirds majority