Summary
Highlights
R. Ashwin becomes the first Indian international player to join the US-based Major League Cricket for the 2026 season with the San Francisco Unicorns. Other sports news includes Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka winning the Miami Open and Sunshine Double, respectively. The 7th National Sub Junior Boxing Championship was held in Nagpur, and the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior National Championship took place in Rajgir, Bihar, with Uttar Pradesh winning the Men's title and Jharkhand the Women's.
PM Modi inaugurated the Samprati Museum in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, dedicated to Emperor Samprati, known for promoting Jainism. Operation Egg Transfer was launched to protect the Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered species. India's first hydrogen train is set to run between Jind and Sonipat. Haryana Police launched the 'Abhed' app to combat cybercrime. PM Modi also inaugurated India's second semiconductor plant in Sanand, Gujarat, as part of the National Semiconductor Mission. Uttar Pradesh introduced a farmer registry drive and a new tourism startup policy to boost employment.
Nabil Fahmy was appointed as the new Secretary-General of the Arab League. The Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, connecting the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea, gained attention due to Houthi attacks. India declined to host COP 33 in 2028. The 2026 Asian Boxing Championship is scheduled in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defense Ministers' meeting is being held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with India as the current chair. India and New Zealand are targeting a bilateral trade of $5 billion by 2030.
The International Day of Zero Waste was observed on March 30 with the theme of food waste, highlighting the 'triple planetary crisis' of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Project Himsarovar was initiated in Ladakh to manage melting snow for water storage. The world's first permanent nuclear waste vault was established in Finland. A new snake species, Calamaria Garoensis, was discovered in Meghalaya's Garo Hills. The Ministry of Environment approved the creation of an Eco-sensitive Zone around the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.
Anita Chaudhary received the Machhli National Award for her conservation efforts for crocodiles. Mitchell Starc and Deepti Sharma were named Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World for 2025. Parween Shaikh won the Whitley Award 2026 for her work on Indian skimmers in Prayagraj.
UPI completed 10 years, with India accounting for 49% of global real-time digital payments. India's first indigenous quantum hardware testing facility was launched in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will pass through Rajaji National Park. IIT Ropar developed India’s first integrated agricultural intelligence system. Bengaluru Police introduced an AI-powered multilingual 112 helpline. Everready Batteries will establish India's first alkaline battery unit in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Goldmann Environmental Prize for 2026 was awarded exclusively to women from six continents for their environmental conservation work. Maneeka Guru Swami became India's first openly queer MP. The 'Vatan Ko Jano' program, initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, brought students from Jammu & Kashmir to Delhi to experience India's diversity. The KABIL company (Khanij Bidesh India Limited) signed an agreement with Argentina for lithium mining. Sri Lankan Dome, an oceanic phenomenon, was in the news.
China is sending two Pakistani astronauts to its Tiangong space station. UPI completed its 10th anniversary in 2026. India is now the fifth largest defense spender globally. The Indian Major Ports handled a record 915 million tons of cargo in fiscal year 2025-26. Odisha became the first state to launch a Marine Spatial Plan. Amul achieved a turnover of 1 trillion rupees, making it a Cooperative FMCG company. The Uttar Pradesh government has started the 'Navayug Palika Yojana' to develop smaller towns.
The eighth Poshan Pakhwada was celebrated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, focusing on maximizing brain development in early childhood. World Homeopathy Day was celebrated on April 10, with the theme 'Homeopathy for Sustainable Health'. WHO approved a new malaria drug for babies. World Veterinary Day, observed on April 25, highlighted the role of veterinarians in food safety and public health.