🇮🇳 National News
The 11th edition of the Raisina Dialogue was inaugurated in New Delhi on March 5, 2026, running through March 7. Organized jointly by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this is India’s flagship annual conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, held since 2016.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Theme | Samskara: Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement |
| Chief Guest | Alexander Stubb, President of Finland (first visit to India as President) |
| Inaugurated by | PM Narendra Modi alongside President Stubb |
| US Delegation | Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State |
| Named after | Raisina Hill — seat of the Indian Government |
Key participating foreign ministers: Lyonpo Dina Nath Dhungyel (Bhutan), Dhananjay Ramful (Mauritius), Barry Faure (Seychelles), Vijitha Herath (Sri Lanka). Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, also attended.
The 2026 theme Samskara reflects civilisational inheritance — the capacity of societies to assert identity, accommodate contradictions, and advance through refinement.
Key facts: 11th edition | Theme: Samskara | Organized by ORF + MEA | Chief Guest: Finland President Alexander Stubb | First held: March 2016 | Named after Raisina Hill. Focus areas: US-China dynamics, AI governance, Indo-Pacific security, West Asia crisis.
PM Narendra Modi held a bilateral summit with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on March 5, 2026 — Stubb’s first visit to India as President. Multiple MoUs were signed/expected across trade, innovation, clean technology, and education.
President Stubb also met President Droupadi Murmu, VP C.P. Radhakrishnan, and EAM S. Jaishankar. He later visited Mumbai to meet Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, CM Devendra Fadnavis, business leaders, and students at the University of Mumbai.
Anchored in shared democratic values. Finland is a key EU and Nordic partner for India. Cooperation spans trade, technology, clean energy, and education. This visit follows Finnish PM Petteri Orpo’s India trip for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
Finland President: Alexander Stubb | Focus areas: trade & investment, critical technology, multilateral cooperation, Indo-Pacific, West Asia | India-Finland bilateral cooperation spans clean energy, tech, education.
Maharashtra will vaccinate 8.94 lakh adolescent girls (aged 14–15 years) against HPV (cervical cancer) starting March 8, 2026 (International Women’s Day). Announced by State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
This is part of the nationwide HPV Vaccination Campaign inaugurated by PM Modi on February 28, 2026 at Ajmer, Rajasthan. Gujarat is targeting 5.50 lakh girls under the same drive.
| Programme Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Vaccine | Gardasil (quadrivalent HPV vaccine) |
| HPV types covered | Types 16 & 18 (cervical cancer) + Types 6 & 11 |
| Target age | Girls aged 9–14 years (nationwide); 14–15 years in Maharashtra |
| Doses procured | Over 2.6 crore doses via Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance |
| Schedule | Single-dose; tracked via U-WIN digital platform |
| Cost | Free at government facilities |
| WHO target | 90-70-90 strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 |
Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common cancer among Indian women — one woman diagnosed every ~4 minutes; ~1.27 lakh new cases and ~80,000 deaths annually in India. Vaccine: Gardasil | Platform: U-WIN | Procured via: Gavi.
Saba Shawl, a Superintendent in the Prisons Department of J&K, has been appointed to head Central Jail Srinagar — the most prominent prison in the UT — making her the first Kashmiri woman to head a prison in J&K.
- Government Order: No. 145-Home of 2026, dated March 2, 2026
- Background: Cracked J&K PSC exam in 2012 for Superintendent of Police (Prisons)
- Education: Master’s degree in Social Work; earlier worked as senior community development consultant
- Residence: Peerbagh, Kashmir
First: Kashmiri woman to head a prison in J&K | Prison: Central Jail Srinagar (high-security) | Appointed via: Govt Order No. 145-Home of 2026 | A landmark for gender representation in J&K’s uniformed services.
The second edition of the Indian Bison Fest will be held on March 8 at Zeropoint, Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Bargarh district, Odisha. The fest focuses on the conservation of the Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus), locally known as the ‘Indian Bison.’
| About Debrigarh | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Bargarh district, Odisha; bounded by Hirakud Reservoir (Mahanadi River) on east & north |
| Declared sanctuary | 1985 |
| Habitat type | Amphi-terrestrial — forests, grasslands, wetlands |
| Status | Designated Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) |
| Historical link | Associated with freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai |
Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus) = largest of all wild cattle species and India’s largest land animal. Debrigarh is called the ‘Land of Bisons‘. Located in Bargarh, Odisha near Hirakud Reservoir on Mahanadi River.
💼 Business & Economy
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will introduce a Deferred Payment / EMI facility for import duties effective April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028. Approved importers can clear goods from ports without immediate customs duty payment, paying monthly instead.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Deferred Payment of Import Duty Rules, 2016 |
| Announced in | Union Budget 2026-27 |
| Eligibility | Registered manufacturers under CGST Act; importers sending goods to job workers |
| Model | Trust-based — ‘trust but verify’ |
| CBIC under | Ministry of Finance |
CBIC’s EMI/Deferred duty scheme: valid April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2028 | Announced in Union Budget 2026-27 | Aims: ease of doing business, boost manufacturing, improve liquidity | Payment: monthly (replaces transaction-based) | Governed by: Deferred Payment of Import Duty Rules, 2016.
🌐 International News
The Raisina Dialogue 2026 served as a key multilateral platform amid global tensions, particularly the West Asia crisis following US-Israel strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. India called for an early end to the conflict during Ramadan.
- US delegation: Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau (March 3–6, New Delhi) — advancing President Trump’s America First policy; discussions on defence, critical minerals, counternarcotics, and trade
- Kenya: Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi visiting New Delhi March 5–7
- India-Finland talks: Also covered Russia’s war in Ukraine, India-Europe ties, and regional Asian issues
India balanced ties with Iran against its deepening partnerships with US and Israel. US Deputy Secy of State: Christopher Landau. West Asia crisis context: assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei. Kenya delegation head: Musalia Mudavadi.
Scotland has legalised alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation / aquamation) via the Hydrolysis (Scotland) Regulations 2026, effective March 2, 2026. It is the first part of the United Kingdom to do so — the most significant change to Scottish funeral law since cremation was introduced in 1902.
| Process Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Method | Body in pressurised chamber with water + 5% potassium hydroxide at ~150°C for 3–4 hours |
| Result | Bone fragments returned as white powder; accelerates natural decomposition |
| GHG emissions | ~35% less than flame cremation |
| Energy use | One-seventh the energy of flame cremation |
| Air emissions | Zero airborne toxic emissions |
| First procedures | Expected summer 2026; provider: Kindly Earth |
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto announced the reform following a 2023 consultation where 84% of respondents backed hydrolysis. Already legal in 28 US states, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously chose this method. The Law Commission in England and Wales is now reviewing similar legislation.
First UK nation to legalise water cremation | Method: Alkaline hydrolysis / aquamation | Effective: March 2, 2026 | Regulation: Hydrolysis (Scotland) Regulations 2026 | Most significant funeral law change since 1902 | 35% less GHG vs flame cremation | Consultation support: 84%.
👔 Appointments
| Person | Appointment | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nidhi Chhibber | CEO, NITI Aayog | Took charge after BVR Subrahmanyam’s term ended, February 24, 2026 |
| Arvind Krishna | Chief People Officer, OpenAI | New senior leadership role at OpenAI |
Nidhi Chhibber = new CEO of NITI Aayog (succeeded BVR Subrahmanyam) | Arvind Krishna = Chief People Officer, OpenAI. Also note: India Women’s Cricket team nominated for Laureus World Team of the Year Award 2026 following their historic maiden ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 title win.
🔬 Science & Technology
📅 Important Days
International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on March 8 every year. The 2026 theme is ‘Accelerate Action’ — emphasising that at current rates of progress, gender parity is still decades away and urgent reforms are needed.
- Observed since 1910; UN official celebration since 1975
- Celebrates women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements
- Calls for faster reforms in education, health, economic participation, and political representation
Multiple initiatives timed around IWD 2026: Maharashtra’s HPV vaccination campaign launch on March 8 | Delhi welfare schemes launched by President Murmu on March 2 | Indian Bison Fest at Debrigarh also on March 8.
IWD Date: March 8 | 2026 Theme: ‘Accelerate Action’ | First observed: 1910 | UN recognition: 1975.
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