Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday launched ‘PRARAMBH 2026’, a nationwide awareness campaign by the Income Tax Department to educate citizens about the provisions of the new Income Tax Act, 2025, which will come into effect from April 1, 2026.

The campaign, spanning print, television, radio, digital and social media platforms, aims to build awareness about the new tax regime through simplified communication, guidance material and public engagement initiatives.

On the occasion, the Finance Minister also unveiled the upgraded Income Tax Website 2.0, designed to offer improved usability, simpler navigation and efficient service delivery as part of the government’s digital transformation efforts.

The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Taragiri (F41), the latest stealth frigate of the Project 17A class, at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command. The ship will be formally inducted into service on April 3, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Taragiri is the fourth of seven Project 17A frigates being built for the Indian Navy. The class also includes INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, which have already been commissioned, while Dunagiri, Vindhyagiri and Mahendragiri are expected to join the fleet in the future.

Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, Taragiri has been developed as a modern multi-role warship with enhanced stealth features and reduced radar cross-section.

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said that India has demonstrated that climate responsibility and economic development can go hand in hand. Inaugurating the International Conference on Carbon Markets named Prakriti 2026 and an Indian Carbon Market Portal at Bharat Electricity Summit in New Delhi today, Mr Lal said that India’s leadership in advancing climate commitments under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said, India is building a transparent and credible carbon market framework that will serve as a long-term national asset. He further noted that India has already established a transparent Carbon Credit Trading Scheme with nine notified methodologies and over 40 registered entities submitting projects in biogas, hydrogen, and forestry.

The Telangana government will roll out the Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme from June 2, offering Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to 1.15 crore families in the state.

The government said it aims to ensure that living in Telangana is a support, not a burden, noting that the loss of a sole earning member can push families into severe financial distress alongside emotional trauma. In this context, the state has allocated Rs 13,679 crore to the Medical and Health department, an increase of Rs 1,286 crore from Rs 12,393 crore in the previous fiscal.

The 2026-27 Budget introduces a cashless treatment initiative under the Employees Health Scheme (EHS), to be implemented through the Rajiv Aarogyasri Trust, covering government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members, and enabling access to treatment for 1,998 diseases across government hospitals and 421 empanelled private hospitals, with around 23.51 lakh beneficiaries expected to be covered.

Sikkim has been selected as the host venue for the 49th Yonex Sunrise Junior National Badminton Championship (Individual & Team – U-19) 2026. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 14th to 21st November.

Jacob Khaling, President of the Badminton Association of Sikkim, expressed pride over the state being chosen to host the prestigious national-level event for the first time. The championship, organised under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India, will see top junior players from across the country competing at the highest level.

Khaling extended his gratitude to Himanta Biswa Sharma, who also serves as President of the Badminton Association of India, along with Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, and the entire executive committee for placing their trust in Sikkim.

The championship is expected to be a landmark event for Sikkim’s sporting landscape, offering local athletes a rare opportunity to witness and compete alongside some of the finest young badminton talents in the country.

India on Thursday appointed seasoned diplomat Vikram Doraiswami as its new ambassador to China, a move seen as significant as both nations work to stabilise ties after years of strained relations.

Doraiswami’s appointment comes at a critical juncture, with New Delhi and Beijing seeking to reset diplomatic engagement following the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The tensions, triggered by the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, had pushed bilateral relations to their lowest point in decades before easing in October 2024.

A 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Doraiswami is currently serving as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He will succeed Pradeep Kumar Rawat in Beijing and is expected to assume charge shortly, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani, was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University (KIITU) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in recognition of her steadfast dedication to nation building through education, sports, healthcare, rural transformation, art and culture, and her unwavering commitment to empowering communities.

At the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) campus in Bhubaneswar, she was conferred the KISS Humanitarian Award 2025.

The award was presented by Nobel laureate from Sri Lanka Prof Mohan Munasinghe in the presence of KIIT & KISS founder Achyuta Samanta here on Monday, a KIIT statement said.

The Ministry of Ayush has launched “Yoga 365”, a nationwide campaign aimed at transforming yoga from a once-a-year celebration into a daily practice embedded in everyday life.

The initiative was unveiled during the launch of Yoga Mahotsav–2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, marking the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, said the campaign seeks to build on the global success of the International Day of Yoga by encouraging consistent daily engagement with yoga.

The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has launched a nationwide 'VB-G Ram G Youth Digital Campaign' in collaboration with the 'MY Bharat' portal, aiming to encourage participation of rural youth in development activities.

The initiative seeks to channel the energy and creativity of young people towards rural development, employment generation, and local livelihood initiatives.

The campaign is designed to make youth active partners in nation-building by providing them with a digital platform to showcase progress and innovation in their villages. Through this initiative, participants can present stories of development work, grassroots-level changes, and local innovations through videos and creative designs.

In a pathbreaking initiative to bring India’s rich tribal heritage to the forefront of global fashion and lifestyle, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram launched a dedicated premium signature brand, “RISA: Timeless Tribal,” on 18th March 2026 at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi in the august presence of Smt. Savitri Thakur, Hon’ble MoS Women and Child Development, Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Shri Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Shri M. Rajamurugan, MD TRIFED, and renowned designer Shri Manish Tripathi.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Jual Oram, Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs remarked that “tribal crafts are timeless yet undervalued, and platforms like Bharat Tribes Fest and RISA are bridging this gap through market access and fair profit-sharing.”