INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Vietnam–Russia Agreement for Nuclear Power Plant ‘Ninh Thuan 1’
• Vietnam and Russia have signed an agreement to build a nuclear power plant in Vietnam.
• The project marks Vietnam’s renewed push towards nuclear energy planning after a long gap.
• The nuclear plant project has been named “Ninh Thuan 1.”
• Vietnam had earlier scrapped similar nuclear plans in 2016 due to high costs and safety concerns.
• The agreement was finalised during an official visit to Moscow.
• Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
• The project will include two nuclear reactors designed by Russia, with a combined capacity of around 2,400 MW.
• Apart from nuclear cooperation, both countries also discussed collaboration in oil and gas, technology partnerships, and infrastructure development.
STATE NEWS
Gujarat Assembly Passes Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026
• The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the “Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026” through a majority vote.
• The bill was introduced in the House by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
• It was tabled about a week after a state-appointed committee submitted its final report on UCC implementation.
• The law proposes a common legal system for personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships.
• With this step, Gujarat became the second Indian state to adopt a Uniform Civil Code.
• Uttarakhand was the first state to pass a similar legislation in 2024.
• The UCC will apply to all Gujarat residents, even if they are living outside the state, while Scheduled Tribes have been kept outside its scope.
• The bill makes live-in relationship registration compulsory, provides rules for termination, and bans bigamy, allowing marriage only when both partners are unmarried at the time of marriage.
RANKING AND INDEX
Pakistan Tops Global Terrorism Index Amid Rising Fatalities
• Pakistan has ranked first on the Global Terrorism Index after a sharp rise in terrorism-linked deaths.
• Terrorism fatalities increased by around 6%, reaching the highest level recorded since 2013.
• In 2025, the country reported 1,139 deaths and around 1,045 terrorism incidents.
• This marks the sixth straight year of rising terrorism-related fatalities in Pakistan.
• A major increase in hostage-taking cases was recorded, with victims jumping from 101 to 655.
• The spike in hostage incidents was mainly linked to the Jaffar Express attack, where 442 hostages were involved.
• Security pressures have worsened due to strained ties with neighbouring states, especially Afghanistan.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan witnessed the highest share of attacks and casualties, and Pakistan is among five countries contributing nearly 70% of global terrorism deaths.
Morning Consult Survey Ranks PM Modi as World’s Most Popular Leader
• A recent international survey by US-based analytics firm Morning Consult ranked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the world’s most popular leader.
• He secured the highest approval rating of 68%, leading the global rankings.
• The survey was conducted between 2 March and 8 March using a seven-day moving average method.
• Swiss President Guy Parmelin stood second with an approval rating of 62%.
• South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also scored 62%, sharing the second position.
• The Czech Republic’s leader received 57% approval, while the Argentinian leader scored 56%.
• US President Donald Trump got 39% approval and did not feature in the top ten list.
• The findings were released at a key phase in Modi’s public career, as he remains among India’s longest-serving leaders, having served as Gujarat CM and later as Prime Minister.
AWARDS
Rituparna Sengupta Receives Women Empowerment Award in UK
• Actress Rituparna Sengupta was honoured with the Women Empowerment Award in the field of Art and Culture in the United Kingdom.
• The award was presented at the House of Commons, the elected lower house of the UK Parliament.
• The ceremony was held as part of the celebrations marking International Women’s Day.
• The award was conferred by Seema Malhotra and Virendra Sharma.
• The event was organised by GloWomen CiC.
• The programme recognised the achievements of women across diverse professional sectors.
• Rituparna was specially appreciated for her impactful work in art and cultural contributions.
• The recognition highlighted her role in promoting cultural excellence and women empowerment globally.
DEFENCE
INS Sudarshini Reaches France Under Lokayan-26 Maritime Expedition
• INS Sudarshini arrived at Sète, France on 26 March as a key milestone of the Lokayan-26 expedition.
• The visit is part of India’s long-distance transoceanic voyage to promote maritime cooperation.
• The expedition also supports cultural diplomacy through international naval engagements.
• The voyage highlights and showcases India’s rich maritime heritage on a global platform.
• INS Sudarshini will participate in the famous ‘Escale à Sète’ festival, known for traditional tall ships in Europe.
• The festival serves as an opportunity to build international friendship and naval partnerships.
• Before reaching France, the ship made port calls at Salalah, Safaga, Alexandria, and Valletta.
• The journey has covered around 5,500 nautical miles, with INS Sudarshini acting as a “Floating Ambassador” of India’s maritime legacy.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
WTO MC-14 Begins in Yaoundé to Discuss Key Global Trade Challenges
• The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC-14) began on 26 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon and will continue till 29 March 2026.
• Ministers from 166 WTO member countries are participating in the high-level meeting.
• The conference agenda includes major issues like WTO reforms, agriculture, e-commerce, and investment facilitation.
• The event is being chaired by Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.
• MC-14 is being held amid growing geopolitical tensions and global economic instability.
• Trade disputes, especially between the United States and China, have emerged as a key concern.
• Recent US tariff measures have been questioned for allegedly violating WTO norms.
• Discussions have highlighted WTO principles like Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment and bound tariff commitments, and the conference is seen as a chance to rebuild trust in the multilateral trading system.
ECONOMY NEWS
India’s GDP Growth Forecast at 7.1% for FY27
• India’s economic growth is projected to stay strong at around 7.1% in FY 2026–27, despite global geopolitical uncertainties.
• The positive outlook is supported by robust domestic demand and stable consumption trends.
• Export performance is expected to remain steady, contributing to overall resilience.
• A gradual revival in private investment has also been highlighted as a growth-supporting factor.
• India has been recognised as one of the fastest-growing major economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Growth in the Asia-Pacific (excluding China) is expected to rise to nearly 4.5% in 2026.
• Strong domestic activity and expansion in technology-driven sectors are seen as key contributors.
• Inflation is forecast to ease to around 4.3%, and although energy price volatility remains a concern, its impact is expected to stay under control.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
India Approves Revised Climate Plan and Extends Key National Schemes
• India has approved a revised climate action plan for the 2031–2035 period under international climate commitments.
• The country has set a goal to cut the emissions intensity of GDP by 47% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels.
• India has already crossed 52% non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by early 2026, achieving the target ahead of time.
• A new target has been fixed to raise non-fossil fuel capacity share to 60% by 2035.
• The government has extended the revised UDAN scheme for 10 years from 2026–27 to 2035–36.
• The UDAN scheme has been allocated a budget of ₹28,840 crore to develop around 100 airports by upgrading unserved and underserved airstrips.
• The IVFRT scheme has also been extended for 5 years from April 2026 to March 2031.
• An outlay of ₹1,800 crore has been provided for IVFRT, which integrates immigration, visa, foreigner registration, and tracking systems.
