India

A 45-year-old man from Kalyan East in Maharashtra’s Thane district allegedly died by suicide after cybercriminals blackmailed him with morphed obscene photos and extorted money over several months. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a Rs 500 increase in the monthly honorarium for purohits and muezzins hours before the Assembly poll announcement, raising it to Rs 2,000 and approving fresh applications under the scheme.

The Union Environment Ministry has informed the Supreme Court that it has no objection to a Central Empowered Committee proposal to form a 10-member expert panel to frame a uniform definition for the Aravalli hills and ranges.

Actor Vijay’s much-anticipated political debut through Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) comes in the aftermath of the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives. With a CBI probe underway, Vijay is busy interviewing candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.

With just a day left for the Rajya Sabha elections, political activity has intensified across party lines. NDA leaders, including JD(U)’s Narendra Narayan Yadav and BJP’s Ram Kripal Yadav, expressed confidence in sweeping all five Bihar seats.

Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. The Congress leader highlighted Kanshi Ram’s role in mobilising Dalits and marginalised communities.

Regulatory authorities in India are proposing a ban on added sugar in all milk-based foods for infants aged 6–24 months. The move follows global criticism of manufacturers accused of selling sugary baby foods in developing countries while offering sugar-free versions in Europe.

Kashmir’s higher reaches, including Gulmarg, Pir Ki Gali, and Zojila, received fresh snowfall, closing the Srinagar-Leh highway, while plains like Srinagar experienced rain. The Meteorological Department forecasts erratic weather with rain or snow and gusty winds until March 25

  The Environment Ministry has no objection to the Supreme Court’s proposed 10-member expert committee to define the Aravalli hills. Headed by Kanchan Devi, the committee includes forest, geological, and academic experts to examine ecological and policy aspects comprehensively 

A bus carrying Indian pilgrims fell off a slope in Gorkha District, Nepal, killing seven and injuring seven others. The pilgrims were returning from Manakamana Temple. Police said the driver escaped, and investigations into the accident are ongoing

AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami ruled out any alliance with Vijay’s TVK for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, calling such reports media speculation. He also denied rift with BJP’s Annamalai and said AIADMK-AMMK differences have been resolved

Actor-turned-politician and TVK President Vijay appeared before the CBI in New Delhi for his third round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede that claimed several lives last year.

Air India and Air India Express will operate 72 flights to and from West Asia despite tensions, including services to Jeddah and Muscat. Meanwhile, airlines including IndiGo and Akasa Air introduced fuel surcharges due to rising ATF prices

Central Board of Secondary Education cancelled Class 12 board exams for students in several West Asian countries due to the regional crisis. Exams scheduled between March 16 and April 10 across Gulf nations will not be held; alternative result declaration methods will be announced later

Yogi Adityanath directed recruitment boards in Uttar Pradesh to avoid remarks hurting religious or community sentiments after a controversial question in a Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board exam sparked backlash over the inclusion of “pandit” as an option 

Indian Army troops foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in the Uri sector, killing a Pakistan-backed terrorist during a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police. Weapons were recovered and the anti-infiltration search operation continues

India’s top-10 firms lost Rs 4.48 lakh crore in market value as equities plunged, tracking a sharp fall in BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty. Banking giants State Bank of India and HDFC Bank led losses amid rising crude prices and Middle East tensions

The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference at Vigyan Bhawan at 4 p.m. Sunday to likely announce Assembly election schedules for Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry after reviewing poll preparedness and security arrangements across the regions

India’s GDP growth between 2012 and 2023 may have been overstated, with actual expansion closer to 4–4.5% a year than the official estimate of about 6%, says a working paper by Abhishek Anand, Josh Felman and Arvind Subramanian

India’s young boxers continued their strong performance at the World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok, with Chandrika, Gunjan, Joyshree Devi and Ambekar Meetei advancing to the finals, while Radhamani Longjam settled for a bronze medal after a semifinal defeat

Former Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur urged India to bring former athletes back into the sporting ecosystem as coaches and mentors while calling for stronger athlete development systems, better data tracking and greater investment by states in sports infrastructure

India’s young boxers continued their strong performance at the World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok, with Chandrika, Gunjan, Joyshree Devi and Ambekar Meetei advancing to the finals, while Radhamani Longjam settled for a bronze medal after a semifinal defeat

Rishabh Singh’s unbeaten century guided North Zone to a nine-wicket win over West Zone in the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T-20 Cricket Trophy during the SJFI National Convention in Delhi, while DSJA-1 and SJAM-1 progressed to the table tennis final

Sreenidi Deccan FC returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Gokulam Kerala FC at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri. Fabrice Kah scored the decisive goal in the 54th minute as the Deccan Warriors secured their second win of the season