TODAYS TOP NEWS
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1. The Election Commission of India, on Sunday (March 15, 2026), announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. While West Bengal will vote in two phase, all the other elections will happen in a single phase.
*Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry will go to polls on April 9, 2026. In Tamil Nadu, the election will be conducted on April 23. The first phase of elections will happen on April 23, 2026 in West Bengal and the second phase on April 29, 2026. The counting for all these elections will be held on May 4, 2026.
2. The Election Commission has announced bye-elections to eight Assembly Constituencies spread across six states. The Assembly Constituencies are Ponda seat in Goa, Umreth in Gujarat, Bagalkot and Davanagere South in Karnataka, Rahuri and Baramati in Maharashtra, Koridang in Nagaland and Dharmanagar seat in Tripura.
3. The Telangana state government has introduced a strict mandate requiring all state departments to exclusively procure electric vehicles moving forward. The directive, issued directly by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is aimed at drastically reducing the carbon footprint of the state administration’s mobility fleet.
4. The Centre has approved a survey for the proposed Regional Ring Rail project around Hyderabad for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR), Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh said.
5. The Union Cabinet has approved an extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission period up to December 2028 and a restructuring that reorients implementation from infrastructure creation to service delivery supported by drinking water governance and an institutional ecosystem for sustainable rural piped potable water supply.
6. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari urges people to strictly follow traffic rules and control speed while driving
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari urged people, especially youth, to strictly follow traffic rules and control speed while driving, saying discipline on the road is essential to protect life.
7. Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 600 crore pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Kathua district, J&K in a bid to strengthen India’s strategic capabilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce import dependence on critical intermediates.
8. The Government has invited nominations and recommendations for the Padma Awards 2027. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed that the Padma Awards will be announced on the occasion of Republic Day next year.
9. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee made both announcements — DA benefits and monthly honorarium hike — hours before the Election Commission declared the polling schedule in the state. She said her government has increased the monthly honorariums of priests and muezzins by Rs 500, and this revision will bring their allowance to Rs 2,000.
10. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed households with both Piped Natural Gas, PNG, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, connections to surrender their LPG connection with immediate effect.
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LEGAL REPORT
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1. LPG refill bookings have declined to about 77 lakh from 88.8 lakh earlier, indicating some easing of panic buying, even as the government said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or cooking gas, and supplies remain stable despite the West Asia conflict.
2. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has written to the leaders of the political parties in the Lower House, urging them that the time has now come to engage in serious reflection and introspection to uphold the high dignity and prestige of democratic institutions. In the letter, Mr Birla has expressed deep concern over the displaying of banners, placards and posters and the use of certain language inside the House by some MPs.
Opposition party leaders are criticizing Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mainly because they feel he is not acting neutrally (impartially) in the Parliament. The Speaker’s role is supposed to be neutral, treating both the ruling party and opposition equally.
Main Reasons
(a) Not allowing enough discussion.
(b) Suspension of opposition MPs.
(c) Rejecting adjournment notices.
(d) Bias towards ruling party.
Main Powers of the Lok Sabha Speaker
(i) The Speaker controls the proceedings of Lok Sabha and decides who can speak and for how long.
3. Maintaining discipline: If MPs create disorder, the Speaker can warn, suspend, or remove members from the House.
(iii) Deciding Money Bills
(iv) Allowing discussions and motions
(v) The Speaker decides whether to accept adjournment motions, questions, or debates on issues.
(vi) Casting vote
If there is a tie in voting, the Speaker can give a casting vote to decide the result.
(vii) The Speaker can disqualify MPs who switch parties under the Anti-Defection Law.
3. The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to submit a comprehensive report on illegal constructions along the banks and flood plains of the Ganga river and inform about the steps taken to remove encroachments.
4. A Current Affairs Topic
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is slated to commence on March 17 the hearing on the contentious issue of defining the word “industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Actual problem :
The word “industry” in this law is not clearly defined. Because of this, there is confusion about whether places like:
Hospitals
Educational institutions
NGOs
Charitable organizations
Govt. departments
should be treated as an industry or not.
What the Supreme Court is doing here?
A 9-judge Constitution Bench will hear the case to decide a clear meaning of “industry.”
The decision will determine which organizations must follow labour laws under the Industrial Disputes Act.
——- MISHAPS————
In Nepal, seven Indian pilgrims were killed and several others injured after a microbus met with an accident in Gorkha district. According to police, the electric microbus was carrying sixteen people, including fourteen Indian pilgrims returning from the Manakamana temple, when it veered off the road at Kantar in Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality.
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DEFENCE News
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1. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed captive carriage trials and electrical/mechanical adaptation trials for the RudraM-III, a long-range air-to-ground missile with a 550–600 km.
2. India is exploring the development of two types of subsonic cruise missiles with ranges exceeding 900 km. The first is a mass-deployable, terrain-hugging missile for saturation strikes, and the second is a low-observable (stealth) missile designed to penetrate heavily defended targets like critical air defense nodes.
3. The Indian Naval Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini arrived at the historic port of Valletta, Malta on 12 Mar 2026, marking a significant milestone in her landmark transoceanic expedition Lokayan-26. INS Sudarshini is currently in the second month of her voyage, which commenced at Kochi on 20 Jan 2026.
4. India’s Prachand Light Combat Helicopter has entered its full weaponization phase, including the integration and trials of Helina and Dhruvastra anti-tank guided missiles for precision strikes. The Army is also exploring air-launched loitering munitions (under 45 kg) to turn the helicopter into a drone-deploying platform.
5. India is preparing to introduce a revised Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) before the first quarter of 2026. This aims to reduce long delays in military procurement, keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies, and focus on faster decision cycles and stronger support for indigenous innovation.
6. T-72 Tank Modernization: The Indian Army is undertaking a modernization and life-extension program for its T-72 tanks, planning to retain nearly 50% of its 2,400-tank fleet until the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) begins induction around 2030. Upgrades include new 1,000 HP engines from Russia, thermal imaging fire control systems, and a large-scale overhaul.
7. Pneumatic Ram Test Facility: Naval Group commissioned a pneumatic ram test facility at the Karwar Naval Base to support the Indian Navy’s Kalvari-class submarines. This onshore facility will enable the testing and calibration of pneumatic torpedo and missile launch systems, reducing turnaround time.
FINANCE
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INDIAN RUPEE VALUE
💷 GBP ₹123(Approx)
€ Euro : ₹107(Approx)
USD ₹ 92(Approx)
🇨🇦 Canada :CAD ₹67
🇦🇺 Australia : ₹ 65
🇦🇪 UAE Dirham : ₹ 25
🇨🇳 China Yuan ¥ : ₹ 13
🇲🇻 Maldives Rufiya : ₹ 6.00
🇧🇹 Bhutan ngultrum : ₹ 1.00
🇳🇵 Nepal Rupee : ₹ 0.63
🇧🇩 B’desh Taka* : ₹ 0.70
🇵🇰 Pak Rupee : ₹ 0.32
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Rupee : ₹ 0.29
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BSE SENSEX
74,563.92 −1,470.50 (1.93%)🔻
NIFTY
23,151.10 −488.05 (2.06%)🔻
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Rates in Financial Capital Mumbai
GOLD : ₹ 16,700/ 01gm (24 krt)
SILVER : ₹ 294,000/KG
1. Japanese electronic components maker Hirose Electric Co. Ltd. plans to set up its first manufacturing facility in India in Tamil Nadu with an investment of about ₹100 crore.
2. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma held discussions with Takashi Nakajima, President and CEO of Honda Cars India, regarding the company’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plans in the state, The meeting took place at the Chief Minister’s Office and focused on Honda’s proposal to manufacture its first EV model, the Honda 0 Alpha, at its Tapukara plant.
The project involves an investment of approximately ₹1,200 crore and is expected to begin production later this year.
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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1. Dhurandhar: The Revenge has crossed the Rs. 100 crore pre-sales mark worldwide. At the end of business on Saturday, the global advances stand at Rs. 101 crore approx. Splitting that Rs. 44 crore has come from the domestic market, while Rs. 57 crore (USD 6.15 million) has poured in from overseas.
2. The 98th Academy Awards, honoring films from 2025, are held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
3. Anshuman Jha announced the release date of the sequel to his film ‘Lakadbaggha’. Jha dropped the new poster of ‘Lakadbaggha 2’ and revealed that the movie will clash with Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus ‘Ramayana’, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi.
16 Mar(Monday)
Vedic Ritu/ Shishir
Drik Ritu : Vasant (Spring)
पक्ष :: Krishnapaksh
(In Purnimanta calendar)
Vikram Samvat – 2082
Month : Chitra 12,
(In Amanta calendar)
Shaka Samvat – 1947
Month : Phlguna 27
Tithi : Dwadashi (up to 9:41 am)Trayodashi
Nakshatra: Dhanishta
Shatabhisha
Rahu : 08:07 AM – 09:37 AM
Yamaganda : 11:06 AM – 12:35 PM
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Ms. Pooja, |
