The government extended National Piped Natural Gas (PNG) drive 2.0 by three months until June 30 to accelerate adoption amid liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage in the country.
The initiative, which is aimed at improving PNG connectivity across the country to increase the share of gas to 15 percent in the country’s energy basket, was earlier scheduled to end on March 31.
Under the initiative, the government aims to extend natural gas pipeline connectivity to an additional 37 geographical areas (GAs) not connected to the national gas pipeline, and 44 districts not connected with the PNG network.
India added more than 310,000 new PNG connections in March across domestic and commercial users, and issued another 270,000 PNG connections, the government said in a press release.
City gas distribution (CGD) companies are offering incentives to promote PNG connections. Indraprastha Gas Ltd and GAIL Gas Ltd are providing free gas worth around Rs. 500 for domestic consumers.
Mahanagar Gas Ltd has waived registration charges of about Rs. 500 for domestic PNG consumers and security deposits for commercial users. Bharat Petroleum Corporation has also announced a waiver of security deposits for all commercial connections.
To ensure cooking fuel for domestic consumption, the government has relaxed kerosene distribution rules for the next 60 days. Select petrol pumps, operated by state-run oil-marketing companies, have been permitted to distribute kerosene, including in 21 states and Union territories that have been declared “kerosene-free.”
Singapore's Changi Airport has topped the list of world's best airports for the fourteenth time since 2000 at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026.
The airport was also named the World’s Best Airport Dining, the World’s Best Airport in the 60–70 Million Passenger Category, the World’s Best Airport Immigration Service, and the Best Airport in Asia.
Air India has partnered with Uzbekistan Airways to expand connectivity between India and Central Asia, with the codeshare agreement. Under the partnership, Air India has started placing its ‘AI’ code on Uzbekistan Airways flights on routes including Delhi–Tashkent, Mumbai–Tashkent, and seasonal Goa–Tashkent services.
The arrangement allows passengers to travel seamlessly to Tashkent from major Indian cities on a single ticket, with baggage checked through to the final destination. It also provides onward connections across Air India’s domestic and international network.
India’s Abhay Singh has been declared the outstanding Men’s Player of the Year 2025 by the Asian Squash Federation (ASF), while rising teenaged sensation Anahat Singh was selected for the top honours in the girls section (juniors).
The Indian boys team which clinched bronze at the 2025 World Junior Team Championships in Egypt, was picked for the Men’s team award, according to the awardees list released by ASF on March 31,2026. The previous time Indian players featured on ASF annual awards list was in 2022 when Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa bagged the men’s and women’s players honours respectively.
Three Panchayats of Tripura have won top honours in the Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Nanaji Deshmukh Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 2025. Sepahijala district has been ranked the best District Panchayat in the country. Kanchabari Gram Panchayat topped in the Health-Friendly category, while Baikunthapur secured third place in the Women-Friendly category.
The winners will receive financial assistance ranging from fifty lakh to five crore rupees. This achievement highlights Tripura’s strong progress in development, healthcare, and women’s empowerment.
Senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav has been appointed as the chief of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre.
Yadav, a 1996 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Odisha cadre, succeeds incumbent Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, who has now been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Yadav is an Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Twenty-five civil servants have been appointed in various central government departments at the level of additional secretaries in rejig.
Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo announced the appointment of William Walsh, popularly known as Willie, as its Chief Executive Officer. The move follows the departure of Pieter Elbers, who stepped down as CEO on March 11 after a turbulent period marked by mass flight cancellations that affected thousands of passengers.
Walsh, currently the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), brings extensive global experience, having previously served as CEO of British Airways and the International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level, and Vueling.
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) marked a significant achievement with the ceremonial launch of Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Shachi (Yard 1280) for the Indian Navy and the delivery of ICGS Achal (Yard 1274) to the Indian Coast Guard.
INS Shachi, part of the Navy’s NGOPV programme, was launched in the presence of Smt. Shagun Sobti, Vice Admiral Tarun, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, V K Parmar, DIG, Indian coast along with senior naval officials, marking a key step in strengthening indigenous naval capabilities.
Simultaneously, ICGS Achal was handed over to the Indian Coast Guard, enhancing coastal surveillance and maritime security.
Chairman & Managing Director Shri Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay stated that the twin milestones reflect GSL’s strong execution capability and growing production capacity.
The Indian Navy has received Dunagiri, an indigenous stealth frigate built under Project 17A, from Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata, the Ministry of Defence said.
Delivered on March 30, the warship is the fifth vessel of the Nilgiri-class and the second to be built at GRSE.
The induction comes as part of the Navy’s ongoing programme to bring in next-generation multi-mission frigates.
Named after the earlier INS Dunagiri, which served from 1977 to 2010, the new ship features upgrades in stealth, firepower, automation and survivability, officials said.
Designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built using an integrated construction approach, the frigate represents an advance over the earlier Shivalik-class vessels.
The Project 17A ships are equipped with advanced weapon and sensor systems, including BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, MFSTAR radar and the MRSAM air defence system.
They also carry a 76 mm gun, close-in weapon systems and anti-submarine warfare capabilities such as rockets and torpedoes, and are powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system.
The delivery of Dunagiri marks the fifth induction under Project 17A in the last 16 months.
Indonesia has become the first country in South-East Asia to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, as governments around the world move to protect young people from online harm. The measure came into force, with children set to be blocked from creating accounts on platforms including,
YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox, all of which the Indonesian government has classified as high risk.
The ban covers around 70 million children, who make up roughly a quarter of Indonesia's 280 million population. Enforcement and account deactivation are expected to be rolled out gradually.
The 2026 observance of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), held under the theme “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value,” highlights and affirms the dignity and worth of all autistic people as part of our shared human future.
Since the United Nations General Assembly designated 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in 2007, the UN has worked to promote the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for autistic individuals, ensuring their equal participation in society.
The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a free electricity scheme for handloom and power loom weavers, aiming to provide financial relief and strengthen the struggling weaving sector.
The initiative came into effect. Under the scheme, eligible handloom weavers will receive up to 200 units of electricity per month free of cost, while power loom operators will be provided 500 units per month at no charge.
The policy is expected to benefit around 93,000 handloom families and 11,488 power loom families across the state.
Officials estimate that handloom households will save approximately 8,640 rupees annually, while power loom units could save up to 21,600 rupees per year. The government has earmarked about 150 crore rupees annually to implement the scheme.
