RAS Current Affairs — March 2026
RAS current affairs monthly brief for March 2026 covering 303 RAS-scoped articles. The dominant themes this month are the West Asia crisis and India's BRICS chairmanship, the updated NDC 2031-2035 climate targets, and Rajasthan's new industrial, AI-ML and semiconductor policies alongside the state budget.
1 March 2026 – 31 March 2026
25 qualifying articles· 22 sources· 1 coverage areas
Articles in this archive
India Chairs BRICS 2026 Summit: Balances Relations with Global South, US Trade Pressure, and Xi Jinping Visit
India holds BRICS 2026 chairmanship; Xi Jinping's India visit possible at BRICS summit; US tariff pressure eased under a February 2026 framework applying an 18% reciprocal tariff; Canadian PM Carney met PM Modi; India pursues strategic multi-alignment.
30 March 2026 · Chatham House
WTO MC14 Concludes in Yaoundé: India's Position on Consensus, Agriculture, and Digital Trade Upheld
India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal led the Indian delegation at WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon (March 26–30, 2026). India upheld consensus-based decision-making, opposed IFD Agreement annexation, and pushed for a permanent solution on public food stockholding, with its position reflected in the final ministerial decisions.
30 March 2026 · PIB India / WTO
India-Iran Crisis: Indian Ships Stranded at Strait of Hormuz as Chabahar Port Project Faces US Sanctions Pressure
Indian ships stranded at Strait of Hormuz due to US-Israel action against Iran; India reduces Chabahar Port funding after US waiver denial; India navigates delicate diplomatic balance as BRICS chair 2026.
30 March 2026 · CNBC
Transparency International CPI 2025: Global Corruption at Record Low; India Ranks 96th
Transparency International's CPI 2025 placed India at 96th (score 38) and showed the global average at a record low of 42. The index highlights governance, transparency, and anti-corruption challenges relevant to RAS public administration syllabus.
29 March 2026 · The Hindu / Transparency International
India Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Amid Iran Oil Crisis and BRICS Dynamics
India balances Iran oil crisis (Chabahar Port, Hormuz shipping) with BRICS dynamics (China pushing cooperation) and strained US ties amid tariffs and H-1B curbs.
29 March 2026 · CNBC
World Public Summit India 2026 Concludes in New Delhi with Adoption of Delhi Declaration
World Public Summit India 2026 (March 23-26) concluded in New Delhi with the Delhi Declaration adopted by participants from 153 countries, advancing multilateralism and South-South cooperation.
28 March 2026 · ANI News
India Reaffirms Commitment to South-South Cooperation for Science and Technology Collaboration
India reaffirmed South-South Cooperation for S&T on March 24, covering healthcare, agriculture, and water management, leveraging its bioeconomy (about $195 billion) and India's 28% share of the global STEM workforce.
28 March 2026 · Newsgram
Iran Grants India Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Ongoing Crisis
Iran has granted India and four other 'friendly nations' safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing crisis, a major diplomatic win for India which depends heavily on energy imports through the strait.
26 March 2026 · India TV News / The Week
Cabinet Approves India's NDC 2031-2035 for UNFCCC: 47% Emissions Intensity Cut and Net Zero by 2070
India's Cabinet approved NDC 2031–2035 targeting 47% emissions intensity cut, 60% non-fossil electricity, and a 3.5–4 BT carbon sink by 2035, reaffirming Net Zero by 2070.
26 March 2026 · PIB / Business Standard
Cabinet Approves India's Updated NDC 2031–2035: 47% Emissions Intensity Cut and 60% Non-Fossil Energy Target
Union Cabinet approved India's updated NDC 2031–2035 on March 25: 47% emissions intensity cut vs 2005, 60% non-fossil power by 2035, 3.5–4 BT carbon sink, and Net Zero by 2070.
25 March 2026 · PIB
Global Terrorism Index 2026: Pakistan Ranked World's Most Terror-Affected Country; India Improves to 13th
GTI 2026 (Institute for Economics and Peace) released March 22, 2026: Pakistan ranked #1 most terror-affected (score 8.574, 1,045 incidents, 1,139 deaths in 2025); India improved to 13th (score 6.428, 43% fall in incidents); global terror deaths fell 28% to 5,582.
22 March 2026 · Organiser / Raksha Samachar
UN Commission on Status of Women (CSW-70) Concludes with Landmark Agreed Conclusions on Gender Equality
CSW-70 concluded on March 19, 2026 in New York with 190 nations adopting Agreed Conclusions on women's economic empowerment, social protection, and gender-based violence elimination — reinforcing India's Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and Rajasthan's women-focused welfare schemes.
20 March 2026 · UN Women / The Hindu