The 2026 Yearbook compiles the most UPSC-relevant developments quarter by quarter, organised subject-wise. Q1 (January–March) covered 330+ articles across 90 days — from India becoming the world’s 4th largest economy and hosting BRICS, to the West Asia crisis threatening Hormuz oil routes, the first-ever CEC removal motion, Union Budget 2026-27, Gujarat passing its Uniform Civil Code Bill, India’s updated NDC 3.0 climate targets, Goldman Sachs downgrading India’s GDP forecast amid the oil shock, and landmark Supreme Court rulings on bulldozer justice and passive euthanasia.

Updated through: Q1 (January–March 2026) · Q2, Q3, Q4 sections will be added as the year progresses.

Quarter 1 — January to March 2026

Polity & Governance

Constitutional & Judicial Landmarks

• Bulldozer Justice — SC Guidelines on Demolitions (Mar) — Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan established that demolishing property as punishment violates Articles 14, 21, and 300A. Framework mandates 15-day notice, personal hearing, video documentation, and personal liability of erring officials.

• Passive Euthanasia — First Implementation (Harish Rana Case) (Mar) — First implementation of SC’s 2018 Common Cause v. Union of India ruling on passive euthanasia under Article 21’s right to die with dignity. Petitioner sought simplified procedure removing High Court approval requirement.

• OBC Creamy Layer — Status Over Income (Mar) — SC ruled that OBC creamy layer exclusion should be based on occupational status, not just income threshold, widening exclusion criteria for backward class reservations.

• Disability Rights and Judicial Expansion of Article 21 (Jan) — SC expanded Article 21 to include disability rights, building on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

• SC Expands Article 21 to Include Menstrual Health (Jan) — Landmark expansion of fundamental rights jurisprudence.

Governance & Institutions

• First-Ever CEC Removal Motion (Mar) — 193 MPs filed a removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar — the first such motion against a CEC in India’s history.

• 16th Finance Commission Report (2026–31) (Mar) — Arvind Panagariya-chaired commission introduced GDP Contribution as a new devolution criterion and recommended restructured fiscal transfers between Centre and states.

• Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill 2025 (Mar) — Proposes replacing UGC (1956), AICTE (1987), and NCTE (1993) with a single apex body for higher education regulation, accreditation, and standards.

• Gujarat Passes Uniform Civil Code Bill — Second State After Uttarakhand (Mar) — Gujarat Assembly passed UCC Bill after 7.5-hour debate; mandates marriage registration within 60 days, registration of live-in relationships, uniform divorce grounds, and equal inheritance rights. Article 44 DPSP; Uttarakhand passed its UCC in February 2024.

• Women’s Reservation Act — Early Delimitation Using 2011 Census (Mar) — Government proposed early delimitation to implement 106th Constitutional Amendment (33% reservation) before 2029 elections; Lok Sabha seats would increase from 543 to ~816. Southern states fear losing proportional representation.

• Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026 — Medical Certification Replaces Self-ID (Mar) — Parliament narrowed transgender definition; mandatory medical board certification replaces self-declaration; new offence of forcing transgender identity (10 years to life). Potentially conflicts with NALSA v. Union of India (2014).

• Corporate Laws Amendment Bill 2026 — Referred to 31-Member JPC (Mar) — Amends LLP Act 2008 and Companies Act 2013; decriminalises minor offences; CSR threshold raised from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore; virtual AGMs/EGMs allowed; enhanced NFRA powers.

• National Dental Commission Replaces DCI (Mar) — NDC constituted March 19, replacing Dental Council of India; Dentists Act 1948 repealed; three boards under Dr. Sanjay Tewari; parallels NMC replacing MCI in 2020. India has ~310 dental colleges, dentist ratio 1:10,000.

• Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2025 — Withdrawn from Lok Sabha (Mar) — Bill to decriminalise 67 additional provisions across 18 Acts withdrawn after Standing Committee flagged environmental compliance weakening. Parent Act (2023) had decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 Acts.

• GHADC Term Extended — Sixth Schedule Governance in Meghalaya (Mar) — Garo Hills Autonomous District Council term extended 6 months amid delayed elections and violence; governed under Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)); 30 members (29 elected + 1 nominated).

• Union Budget 2026-27 — Constitutional Architecture (Feb) — Budget presented under Article 112; major allocations for defence, infrastructure, and social welfare.

• Kerala → Keralam — Article 3 Renaming Process (Feb) — State renaming under Article 3 of the Constitution, requiring Parliamentary legislation.

• Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) (Feb) — Autonomous governance arrangement for Naga tribal areas.

• IT Amendment Rules 2026 — Deepfakes Regulation (Feb) — New rules for AI governance and deepfake content regulation.

• Telangana Abolishes Two-Child Norm (Jan) — Assembly unanimously abolished the two-child norm for Panchayati Raj elections; rural TFR at 1.7 made the provision counterproductive.

• Republic Day 2026 — 77th Edition (Jan) — Theme: “150 Years of Vande Mataram.” First-ever EU collective chief guest (António Costa + Ursula von der Leyen). Most technologically advanced parade with LR-AShM, swarm drones, Bhairav Light Commando Battalion debut.

• National Voters Day — ECI at 76 (Jan) — ECI launched ECINET digital platform; Delhi Declaration 2026 adopted; voter roll at ~96.8 crore.

• UGC Equity Regulations 2026 (Jan) — Notified and then stayed by courts.

• Community Radio on the LoC — Radio Sangam (Jan) — India’s first community radio station along the Line of Control at Keri village, Rajouri, J&K.

Economy & Development

Macro Economy & Budget

• India Becomes World’s 4th Largest Economy (Jan) — India crossed USD 4.18 trillion GDP, overtaking Japan.

• Union Budget 2026-27 — Macro Framework (Feb) — Key allocations, new missions, fiscal deficit targets, and capex push.

• Economic Survey 2025-26 (Jan–Feb) — Comprehensive macro assessment; GDP growth projections, employment data, and policy recommendations.

• GDP Base Year Revised to 2022-23 (Mar) — MoSPI introduced double deflation methodology aligned with UN’s SNA 2008 framework for more accurate real GDP measurement.

• Fiscal Health Index 2026 (Mar) — NITI Aayog ranked states; Odisha topped major states; West Bengal, Kerala, AP, and Punjab ranked lowest.

• Goldman Sachs Cuts India GDP Forecast to 5.9% (Mar) — Second downgrade in a month (7.0% → 6.5% → 5.9%) as Brent crude hit $105/barrel; rupee weakened 4%; CAD expected to widen to 2.0% of GDP; 50 bps repo rate hike anticipated.

• Finance Bill 2026 — Lok Sabha Passes with 32 Amendments (Mar) — Total expenditure Rs 53.47 lakh crore (7.7% YoY increase); capex Rs 12.2 lakh crore; fiscal deficit 4.4% of GDP; no tax up to Rs 12 lakh under new regime. Article 110 Money Bill.

Banking, Finance & Trade

• RBI MPC — Repo Rate Hold at 5.25% (Feb) — Monetary policy stance maintained amid inflation concerns.

• India-GCC FTA — Terms of Reference Signed (Feb) — Framework for India’s trade agreement with Gulf Cooperation Council nations.

• India-EU Free Trade Agreement (Jan) — Landmark FTA signed after two decades of negotiations.

• SEBI Tightens Merchant Banker Norms (Jan) — IPO ecosystem reforms for capital market integrity.

• RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026 (Jan) — Consumer protection upgrade for banking complaints.

• CBDC-Based PDS — e-Rupee for Food Security (Feb) — Digital currency pilot for public distribution system.

• US Section 301 Probe — India Among 16 Economies (Mar) — USTR investigations against India for alleged structural excess capacity in steel, petrochemicals, and solar modules.

• Iran Rejects Peace Plan — India Faces $1 Billion Extra Oil Import Costs (Mar) — War cut global West Asian oil shipments by 43%; India paid ~$1 billion extra for ~21 million barrels in March; Saudi Arabia rerouted supply via Yanbu terminal bypassing Hormuz.

• RELIEF Scheme — Rs 497 Crore Export Support (Mar) — Three-component scheme under Export Promotion Mission via ECGC Ltd to support Indian exporters facing Red Sea and West Asian disruptions; covers 10 countries; 50% freight reimbursement for MSMEs.

• India-China Border Trade via Lipulekh Pass Resumes After Six Years (Mar) — Trade at 5,334 m altitude (Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand) to resume June–September 2026; suspended since 2020 (COVID + Ladakh standoff); one of three designated India-China border trade points. Nepal disputes the area.

Agriculture, Industry & Infrastructure

• BHAVYA Scheme — 100 Industrial Parks (Mar) — Union Cabinet approved Rs 33,660 crore for 100 plug-and-play industrial parks with central grants up to Rs 1 crore per acre.

• Farm Loan Waivers — Maharashtra’s Rs 35,000 Crore Scheme (Mar) — Cumulative farm waivers crossed Rs 3 lakh crore over 35 years; fiscal sustainability debate reignited.

• Kisan Credit Card — 2024-25 Revisions (Mar) — KCC ceiling raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh; collateral-free limit from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

• Modified UDAN Scheme — Rs 28,840 Crore for Regional Aviation (Mar) — Cabinet approved 10-year programme (FY2026-36); 100 airports from unserved airstrips, 200 modern helipads, VGF Rs 10,043 crore for airlines. Original UDAN (2016) had ~50% route closure, prompting overhaul.

• Kavach 4.0 Expansion — Rs 1,236 Crore for Railway Safety (Mar) — Three projects: Central Railway fibre network (Rs 624 crore), Southern Railway Kavach 4.0 on Jolarpettai-Erode and Chennai-Chengalpattu (Rs 310 crore), Western Railway fibre (Rs 302 crore). SIL-4 certified indigenous ATP system.

• Reform Express — Five New Railway Reforms (Mar) — Stainless steel container salt transport, flexible wagon designs, fixed 2% bid security, extended cancellation timelines, automatic e-ticket refunds, class upgrades up to 30 minutes before departure.

• India’s Bioeconomy Crosses $195 Billion (Mar) — IBER 2026: 18% growth to $195.3 billion (4.8% of GDP), 20-fold rise from $10 billion in 2014; 11,855 biotech startups; 3rd largest biotech destination in Asia-Pacific. Target $300 billion by 2030.

• Biopharma SHAKTI — Rs 10,000 Crore Biologics Hub Strategy (Mar) — Budget-announced mission: 3 new NIPERs, 7 upgraded, 1,000+ clinical trial sites; India holds only 3.2% of global biosimilars market despite 95+ approved domestically.

• National DMF Summit 2026 — Mining-Area Development (Mar) — District Mineral Foundation (MMDR Amendment Act 2015, Section 9B) has accrued Rs 40,000+ crore across 306 districts; PMKKKY mandates 70% minimum on high-priority sectors.

• ITDC Tribal Homestay — Tourism for Tribal Livelihoods (Mar) — Ministry of Tourism launched capacity building for tribal communities to offer quality homestays; integrated with Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and Incredible India tribal tourism circuit.

• Kavach 4.0 — Anti-Collision Railway Safety (Jan) — India’s indigenous train collision avoidance system expanded.

• Vande Bharat Sleeper — First Overnight Semi-High Speed Train (Jan) — New addition to India’s semi-high speed rail fleet.

• Namo Bharat RRTS (Feb) — Regional Rapid Transit System connecting Delhi and Meerut.

• India 520 GW Power — Milestone Crossed (Feb) — Total installed power capacity crosses 520 GW.

• Renewable Energy — Crossing 210 GW (Jan) — Progress toward 500 GW renewable target.

• MSME Sector — NITI Aayog Convergence Report (Jan) — Policy framework for MSME growth and formalisation.

• Startup India — 10 Years (Jan) — Decade milestone; ecosystem assessment and future roadmap.

Environment & Ecology

Wildlife Conservation

• Project Cheetah — Third Batch from Botswana (Mar) — 9 cheetahs received; total population at Kuno ~48 animals including 29 Indian-born cubs.

• Great Indian Bustard — Captive Population Crosses 70 (Mar) — Conservation Breeding Centre at Sam, Jaisalmer crossed minimum viable population threshold (50–100 individuals).

• Bura Chapori Sanctuary Expansion — Assam Conservation Corridor (Mar) — Assam proposed 224.325 ha Burhachapori No. 5 Reserved Forest adjacent to Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary (44.06 sq km); enhances connectivity to Orang National Park (“Mini Kaziranga”); home to Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros and Bengal Florican (Critically Endangered).

• Monarch Butterfly Population Surges 64% (Mar) — Forest area occupied rose from 1.79 to 2.93 hectares (largest recovery since 2018); species migrates 4,800 km; IUCN Endangered (2022); still 80–90% below 1990s peak.

• Hudsonian Godwit — CMS Proposes Enhanced Protection for 42 Migratory Species (Mar) — 95% population decline in four decades; migrates ~30,000 km annually; CMS/Bonn Convention (1979); 49% of CMS-listed species declining. India launched Central Asian Flyway Action Plan at CMS COP13 (Gandhinagar 2020).

• New Mangrove Crab Chhapgarus ngankeeae Discovered in Goa (Mar) — ZSI identified new ~1.6 cm marine crab (family Varunidae) from Goa’s mangroves; India’s mangrove cover 4,992 sq km (ISFR 2023).

• Kaimur Tiger Reserve — Bihar’s First, India’s 59th (Jan) — New tiger reserve notified in Vindhyan landscape.

• Indian Vulture Reintroduction — Melghat Tiger Reserve (Jan) — BNHS-led captive breeding and release programme.

• Sangai Deer — Population Collapse at Keibul Lamjao (Jan) — Critically endangered dancing deer faces habitat crisis at world’s only floating national park.

• White-bellied Heron vs Kalai-II Hydropower (Jan) — Conservation-development conflict over one of the world’s rarest herons.

• Calamaria mizoramensis — New Species Discovery (Jan) — New reed snake species from Northeast India’s biodiversity hotspot.

Wetlands, Climate & Pollution

• India Reaches 98 Ramsar Sites (Feb) — Continued expansion of wetland conservation designations.

• Deepor Beel Wetland Under Threat (Mar) — Assam’s only Ramsar site faces illegal earth extraction defying court orders.

• World Bank UP Clean Air Programme — $299.66 Million (Mar) — Targets 18 non-attainment cities — highest concentration of polluted cities in any Indian state.

• India’s NDC 3.0 — 47% Emissions Intensity Cut, 60% Non-Fossil Power by 2035 (Mar) — Cabinet approved updated NDC: 47% emissions intensity reduction from 2005 levels, 60% non-fossil installed capacity, carbon sink of 3.5–4.0 BT CO2 eq; net-zero 2070 maintained. India already achieved 52.57% non-fossil capacity by February 2026.

• Global Methane Super-Emitters — Satellite Study Exposes 4,400 Plumes (Mar) — UCLA/Carbon Mapper mapped 4,400+ methane plumes across 2,500 oil/gas facilities; Turkmenistan hosts 15 of top 25 sites; methane is 28x more potent than CO2 over a century. India has not signed the Global Methane Pledge.

• Prosopis Juliflora — Madras HC Orders Eradication (Mar) — 34 directions issued for eradication of the invasive species (introduced India 1959); taproots up to 50 m deplete groundwater; invaded wetlands including Pulicat Lake.

• Photocatalytic Smog-Eating Coatings — Delhi-IIT Madras Partnership (Mar) — TiO2 coatings convert NO2 and VOCs into less harmful compounds under sunlight; six-month pilot study on Delhi high-traffic corridors.

• World Water Day 2026 — Theme: Water and Gender (Mar) — Women spend 200 million hours daily fetching water globally; India 40% water-stressed; per capita availability ~1,486 m3/year. JJM extended to 2028 (~80% rural coverage).

• Great Nicobar Project — NGT Conditional Approval (Feb) — Ecology-versus-development debate; Shompen tribal rights concerns.

• CCUS Mission and Carbon Capture Strategy (Feb) — India’s Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage mission.

• Congo Basin Peatlands — Ancient Carbon Release (Feb) — Global significance of tropical peatlands for climate.

Biodiversity Governance

• BBNJ Agreement — High Seas Treaty Enters into Force (Jan) — Landmark treaty for biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

• H5N1 Avian Influenza — Kuttanad Outbreak (Jan) — Zoonotic disease risk in India’s below-sea-level agricultural zone.

Science & Technology

Space

• SpaDeX — India’s First Space Docking (Jan) — ISRO achieved autonomous space docking — critical capability for Chandrayaan-4 and future missions.

• PSLV-C62 Failure (Jan) — India’s consecutive launch anomaly raised concerns about PSLV reliability.

• Chandrayaan-4 Landing Site Identified (Feb) — Lunar sample return mission site selection.

• ISRO CE20 Cryogenic Engine — 22-Tonne Test (Mar) — Uprated engine for LVM3/Gaganyaan missions successfully tested.

Defence Technology

• DRDO SFDR Test — India Joins 5-Nation Club (Feb) — Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology for beyond-visual-range missiles; only US, Russia, China, France had this capability.

• Missile Defence Architecture — Iron Dome to S-400 (Mar) — West Asia conflict demonstrated layered defence; India operates S-400, Barak-8, Akash, QRSAM, and indigenous PDV.

• NavIC IRNSS-1F Atomic Clock Failure (Mar) — Last rubidium clock on IRNSS-1F ceased after 10-year design life; NVS-01 (2023) carries India’s first indigenous atomic clock.

Digital, Quantum & AI

• National Quantum Mission (Jan) — India’s quantum technology push with Rs 6,003 crore outlay.

• India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and Quantum Valley Amaravati (Feb) — Semiconductor fab and quantum computing infrastructure.

• India AI Impact Summit — New Delhi Declaration (Feb) — Global AI governance framework adopted.

• IndiaAI Mission and Digital Infrastructure (Jan) — Government’s AI capacity building programme.

• IT Amendment Rules 2026 — AI Governance (Feb) — Regulatory framework for deepfakes and AI content.

• Cybersecurity Talent Shortage (Mar) — 3.8 lakh professionals vs demand of 12 lakh by 2027; gap of 8 lakh+ positions.

• GARBH-INi — India’s Largest AI-Driven Pregnancy Cohort (Mar) — THSTI Faridabad enrolling ~12,000 women; 1.6 million biospecimens and 1 million ultrasound images — South Asia’s largest pregnancy cohort. India has 3.6 million preterm births annually (highest globally). AI-based pregnancy dating and preterm birth predictors.

• Helium Supply Crisis Threatens Semiconductor Ambitions (Mar) — Iran’s attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub disrupted ~33% of global helium supply; India has no domestic helium production; Tata Electronics (Dholera) and HCL (Greater Noida) semiconductor fabs face delays. India Semiconductor Mission budget Rs 76,000 crore.

Other S&T

• Critical Minerals — National Mission (Jan) — Securing energy transition supply chain through NCMM and KABIL.

• Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 (Jan) — World first in blood product standards.

• MXene Catalyst — IIT Guwahati’s Hydrogen and Desalination Breakthrough (Mar) — Ti3C2 MXene-based photocatalyst simultaneously generates hydrogen fuel via water splitting and desalinates seawater using solar energy; supports National Green Hydrogen Mission (Rs 19,744 crore, 5 MMT target by 2030).

• India’s First NdFeB Rare Earth Magnet Pilot Plant at ARCI Hyderabad (Mar) — First pilot plant for Neodymium-Iron-Boron sintered magnets using Dr. Masato Sagawa’s NPLP process; China controls >90% of global rare earth magnet manufacturing; Rs 7,280 crore scheme for 6,000 MTPA capacity. India has 6% of global reserves.

• IIT Jodhpur Flexible Semiconductor Sensors for Health Monitoring (Mar) — OECT-based flexible sensors for continuous health monitoring (heart rate, EMG, temperature) and early cancer detection via biomarker sensing; supports Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

• Sahiwal Cattle IVF Breakthrough — Indigenous Breed Conservation (Mar) — ICAR-IVRI achieved five healthy Sahiwal calves via OPU-IVF-ET; 47% blastocyst rate comparable to global labs; accelerates genetic improvement without crossbreeding. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (2014).

International Relations

Major Partnerships & Agreements

• India-EU Free Trade Agreement (Jan) — Signed after two decades; first EU collective Republic Day chief guest.

• India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership (Feb) — Elevated during Macron’s state visit; 114 Rafale jets deal ($16+ billion).

• India-GCC FTA — Terms of Reference Signed (Feb) — Framework for comprehensive trade pact with Gulf economies.

• India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (Feb) — Upgraded bilateral ties.

• India-UAE Strategic Partnership — CEPA and Energy (Jan) — Deepening economic and energy ties.

Multilateral & Regional

• India Assumes BRICS Chairmanship 2026 (Jan) — India leads expanded BRICS with new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia).

• West Asia Crisis — Iran-Israel-US Conflict (Mar) — Hormuz threatened (20% of global oil trade); 9 million Indians in Gulf at risk; Rs 40 billion annual remittances exposed.

• EAM Jaishankar Attends G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in France (Mar) — India invited as partner country by French G7 Presidency; raised Global South concerns on energy and food security; held bilateral with Canadian FM Anita Anand. G7 Summit 2026 at Evian, France (June 15-17).

• Philippines Declares National Energy Emergency — Hormuz Fallout (Mar) — First country to declare energy emergency over Strait of Hormuz disruption; LPG reserves just 24 days; pump prices surged ~200%; largest documented GPS jamming event — 1,650+ vessels affected across six Gulf countries.

• South Sudan Conflict Escalation — 280,000 Displaced (Mar) — R-ARCSS collapsed; 139 civilians killed in single Abiemnom massacre; UNMISS base closure restricted humanitarian access. World’s youngest country (2011); India contributes ~2,400 peacekeepers.

• India Supports Bangladesh on 1971 Genocide Justice (Mar) — India extended support on “Operation Searchlight” (March 25, 1971) anniversary; Bangladesh marked Genocide Day on March 25.

• World Happiness Report 2026 — Finland #1, India 116th (Mar) — Finland top for 9th consecutive year (score 7.764); India ranked 116th out of 147 (score 4.536); social media alarm for youth well-being. Cantril Ladder methodology.

• Colombo Security Conclave — Seychelles Joins (Feb) — Indian Ocean security grouping expands.

• Indo-Pacific Architecture — IPOI, QUAD (Jan) — Spain joins Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

• IOS SAGAR 2nd Edition — 16 IONS Nations (Mar) — India assumed IONS chairmanship; naval diplomacy in Indian Ocean.

• NITI Aayog — JICA Phase II SDG Partnership (Mar) — Japan-India development cooperation deepened.

Bilateral Challenges

• India-Bangladesh Relations in the Yunus Era (Jan) — Navigating bilateral ties under Bangladesh’s new leadership.

• Indus Waters Treaty Suspension — Sawalkot Project (Feb) — India accelerated hydropower on western rivers.

• India-Russia-US Balancing Act (Feb) — Strategic autonomy amid great power competition.

• Bulgaria Joins Eurozone (Jan) — EU monetary integration dynamics.

History, Art & Culture

• 77th Republic Day — “150 Years of Vande Mataram” (Jan) — Anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s 1876 composition.

• Parakram Diwas — Netaji’s 129th Birth Anniversary (Jan) — National observance on January 23.

• Piprahwa Relics — Buddhist Heritage Diplomacy (Jan) — Buddhist relics and India’s soft power.

• Makar Sankranti — Solar Calendar and Regional Diversity (Jan) — Pongal, Lohri, Bihu, Uttarayan — regional expressions of harvest celebration.

• Medaram Jatara — Asia’s Largest Tribal Festival (Jan) — Telangana’s Koya tribal festival honouring Sammakka-Saralamma.

• National Youth Day — Swami Vivekananda (Jan) — January 12 observance.

• Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 (Mar) — Awards across 24 languages; Navtej Sarna (English), Mamta Kalia (Hindi).

• International Mother Language Day 2026 (Feb) — Ekushey observance; linguistic diversity and inclusion.

• Sulawesi Rock Art — World’s Oldest Cave Art (Feb) — 45,500-year-old art predating European cave paintings.

• Gobekli Tepe — Religion Before Farming (Mar) — 9600 BCE temple complex; hunter-gatherer monumental architecture predating Stonehenge.

• Ponduru Khadi — GI Tag and Craft Heritage (Jan) — Andhra Pradesh’s fine-count khadi tradition.

• Chapchar Kut — Mizoram’s Spring Festival (Mar) — Mizo tribal harvest and spring celebration.

• Guru Angad Dev Ji — Jyoti Jyot Diwas (Mar) — Second Sikh Guru (1504–1552); standardised Gurmukhi script, established schools at Khadur Sahib, strengthened Langar institution, promoted Mall Akhara wrestling.

• Ram Navami 2026 (Mar) — Chaitra Shukla Navami observance; birth of Lord Rama (7th avatar of Vishnu); culmination of Chaitra Navratri. Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha held January 22, 2024 in Ayodhya.

Geography

• Strait of Hormuz and India’s Energy Vulnerability (Mar) — 33 km wide; ~20 million bbl/day crude (20% of global trade); India imports 85–88% of crude through maritime routes.

• Lipulekh Pass — India-China-Nepal Trijunction (Mar) — Altitude ~5,334 m; Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand; one of three designated India-China border trade points (with Shipki La and Nathu La); Nepal claims the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura trijunction.

• Brahmaputra Rail-Road Tunnel (Feb) — India’s first underwater transport corridor in Northeast.

• Loktak Lake and Keibul Lamjao (Jan) — Manipur’s floating national park; unique phumdi ecosystem.

• Kuttanad — India’s Below-Sea-Level Agricultural Zone (Jan) — Kerala’s below-MSL farming region in Vembanad backwaters.

• Lohit River — Northeast India’s Strategic Waterway (Jan) — Tributary of Brahmaputra; hydropower and biodiversity corridor.

• Vishwamitri River — Urban River Ecology (Jan) — Vadodara’s urban river; mugger crocodile habitat.

• Kaimur Plateau — Vindhyan Ecosystem (Jan) — Bihar’s tiger landscape in the Vindhyan range.

• Indus River System — Treaty Geographies (Feb) — Western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) and eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).

• Congo Basin — Tropical Peatlands (Feb) — World’s largest tropical peatland; 30 billion tonnes of carbon.

• Indo-Gangetic Plain — Pollution Trap (Mar) — Natural geographic entrapment by Himalayas and Aravalli/Vindhya ranges; 18 UP cities are non-attainment.

Social Issues

• Denial of Public Spaces to Scheduled Castes (Mar) — NCRB 2023 data: 180 national cases; 173 (96%) from UP alone — extreme geographic concentration of caste-based spatial exclusion.

• Rice Fortification Programme Pause (Mar) — Government halted fortified rice under PDS/ICDS/PM Poshan after IIT Kharagpur study showed micronutrient degradation during FCI’s 2–3 year storage.

• International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 (Mar) — UN designated 2026 as IYWF; 80% of rural women work in agriculture but only 13.87% hold operational land; key schemes: Namo Drone Didi, MKSP, Krishi Sakhi.

• World Tuberculosis Day — India’s 100-Day Intensified Campaign (Mar) — 21% incidence reduction since 2015 (double global rate); 25% decrease in deaths; 3,000+ AI-powered X-ray units deployed; Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (Rs 500/month); ~27 lakh annual cases (highest globally).

• Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 — First National Sporting Platform (Mar) — First edition in Chhattisgarh; 2,300+ athletes; 7 medal sports + 2 demo; mascot “Morveer”; Chhattisgarh tribal population ~30.6%.

• Legionnaires’ Disease — Urban Water Safety Concerns (Mar) — London and NYC outbreaks from contaminated cooling towers; Legionella pneumophila (discovered 1976); NOT contagious; 5–10% mortality; rising temperatures expand growth range.

• Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026 (Mar) — Medical certification replaces self-identification; NALSA v. Union of India (2014) tension; Kalki Subramaniam resigned from National Council in protest.

• Demographic Dividend Fracturing — North-South Divide (Jan) — Contrasting fertility rates and age structures between northern and southern states.

• Gig Economy and the Social Security Gap (Jan) — ESIC-EPFO SPREE initiative for informal workers; coverage challenges.

• Women’s Empowerment — BBBP, Nari Shakti Vandan (Jan) — National Girl Child Day; Beti Bachao Beti Padhao outcomes.

• AI and Skills Development — Workforce Transition (Jan) — India’s readiness for AI-driven labour market changes.

• Great Nicobar — Shompen Tribal Rights (Feb) — PVTG rights vs mega-infrastructure project.

• Lenacapavir — HIV Prevention Breakthrough (Feb) — Long-acting injectable drug; implications for global health equity.

Security & Defence

Missiles & Defence Systems

• Pralay Missile — Salvo Launch and Army Induction (Jan) — Short-range ballistic missile for precision strikes.

• Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) (Jan) — Debuted at Republic Day 2026; India’s first operational hypersonic anti-ship weapon.

• DRDO SFDR — BVR Missile Propulsion (Feb) — Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet for Astra Mk3; 5th nation to master the technology.

• Agni-III Ballistic Missile Test (Feb) — Nuclear deterrence; 3,000+ km range IRBM.

• Missile Defence Architecture (Mar) — S-400, Barak-8/MR-SAM, Akash, QRSAM, PDV interceptor — layered defence demonstrated in West Asia context.

Platforms & Exercises

• 114 Rafale Jets — India’s Largest Defence Deal (Feb) — $16+ billion deal signed during Macron visit; largest single defence procurement.

• LCH Prachand — Induction Milestone (Feb) — Indigenous Light Combat Helicopter deployment.

• Exercise MILAN 2026 — 74 Nations (Feb) — Largest-ever multilateral naval exercise hosted by India at Visakhapatnam.

• Bhairav Light Commando Battalion (Jan) — New drone warfare doctrine and specialised unit.

• Exercise Amogh Jwala — Multi-Domain Warfare Showcase (Mar) — Southern Command’s White Tiger Division at Babina, Jhansi; historic first integration of Attack Helicopters with mechanised ground forces; drone swarms, EW, ISR integration under GOC-in-C Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth.

• Shaurya Drone Squadrons — Army Integrates Drone Warfare with Armour (Mar) — Six squadrons activated across five Army commands (20–25 personnel each); FPV drones, loitering munitions, swarm systems; target all 67 armoured regiments. Demonstrated combined tank-drone combat at Babina, Jhansi.

• DRDO Tests ADC-150 Air-Droppable Container; INS Taragiri Commissioning (Mar) — ADC-150 (150 kg payload) tested from P-8I Neptune off Goa; INS Taragiri (F41), 4th Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) stealth frigate (6,670 tonnes, BrahMos, 75%+ indigenous), commissioning April 3.

• Exercise Sea Dragon 2026 — Multinational Anti-Submarine Warfare (Mar) — US-led drill near Guam with India (P-8I), Australia, Japan, New Zealand; 200+ cumulative flight hours targeting hostile submarine detection; Quad-adjacent interoperability.

Internal Security

• Operation Megaburu — LWE Endgame in Jharkhand (Jan) — Counter-Naxal operations in Left Wing Extremism-affected zones.

• India-Pakistan Nuclear CBMs — 35th Annual Exchange (Jan) — Continued annual exchange of nuclear installation lists.

• India-EU Security and Defence Partnership (Jan) — New framework for Indo-European defence cooperation.

Reports, Indices & Schemes

• Economic Survey 2025-26 — All Key Data (Feb) — Comprehensive annual economic assessment.

• Fiscal Health Index 2026 (Mar) — NITI Aayog’s state-wise fiscal ranking using CAG-verified data.

• Gold Hallmarking — Phase 6 Expansion (380 Districts) (Mar) — HUID-based hallmarking mandatory; 916 (22K) is most common Indian purity.

• Natural Gas Supply Regulation Order 2026 (Mar) — ECA 1955-based priority framework: 100% for domestic PNG/CNG; min 70% for fertiliser.

• EASE 9.0 — GCC Strategy for PSBs (Mar) — SBI’s first PSB-Global Capability Centre in Karnataka.

• Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 — India Ranks 91st (Mar) — Transparency International ranked India 91st (score 39/100), up from 96th in 2024; global average dropped to 42/100 (lowest in decade); India listed among countries “dangerous for journalists reporting on corruption.”

• RTI Rejection Rate Drops to 3.26% (Mar) — RTI application rejection rate declined from 7.21% (2013-14) to 3.26% (2024-25); India processes ~60-70 lakh RTI applications annually.

• Telangana’s Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme (Mar) — Rs 5 lakh life insurance for ~1.15 crore families (universal, irrespective of income); Rs 4,000 crore budget; launch June 2, 2026. India’s first universal family life insurance scheme.

• National DMF Summit 2026 (Mar) — District Mineral Foundation accrued Rs 40,000+ crore across 306 districts; PMKKKY mandates 70% on high-priority sectors.

• ESIC-EPFO SPREE — Social Security Expansion (Jan) — Expanding coverage to gig and informal workers.

• National Critical Mineral Mission (Jan) — KABIL-led mission for securing lithium, cobalt, rare earth supply chains.

• Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana — Price Deficiency Payments (Feb) — Alternative to MSP procurement; farmer price support.

• Export Promotion Mission for MSMEs (Feb) — NIRYAT-linked export support.

Persons & Awards in News

Padma & National Awards

• Padma Awards 2026 — 131 Honourees (Jan) — Padma Vibhushan (posthumous): Dharmendra, V.S. Achuthanandan. Padma Shri: Harmanpreet Kaur, Rohit Sharma (sports).

• Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 (Mar) — Navtej Sarna (English, Crimson Spring); former Ambassador to USA. Mamta Kalia (Hindi, Jeete Jee Allahabad).

• Stockholm Water Prize 2026 — Kaveh Madani (Mar) — Director of UNU-INWEH; youngest laureate (age 44) in 35-year history; first UN official to win; introduced the concept of “water bankruptcy.”

• 2028 World Indoor Athletics — Bhubaneswar Awarded Hosting Rights (Mar) — India to host at Kalinga Stadium; 4th Asian host after Japan (1999), Qatar (2010), China (2025); 22nd edition of World Indoor Athletics Championships.

Key Figures in Q1 2026

Other Notable Events

• Army Day 2026 — Jaipur Hosts for the First Time (Jan) — Decentralisation of national military observances.

• 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas — Bhubaneswar (Jan) — Diaspora engagement; NRI policy.

Q1 covers 330+ articles across January (108), February (94), and March (130+ through March 27). Monthly compilations with full articles available at January, February, and March.

Q2 (April–June), Q3 (July–September), and Q4 (October–December) sections will be added as the year progresses.