Daily Current Affairs

On 14 April 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor in Dehradun during visits to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. He also performed darshan at Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple and addressed a public gathering.

• Wildlife integration: The 12-km elevated section is the longest elevated wildlife corridor in Asia, ensuring safe passage for animals across the Rajaji NP buffer zone.
• Inauguration date: 14 April 2026 — Ambedkar Jayanti and Baisakhi.
• States covered: Passes through Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoC&I) through DPIIT notified the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (FoF 2.0) with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem, with a focus on deep tech and manufacturing.

• 4-Segment Approach: (1) Deep Tech; (2) Early Stage; (3) Innovative Manufacturing; (4) Technology Startups.
• Selection mechanism: Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC) screens AIFs; Empowered Committee (EC) chaired by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary DPIIT, monitors performance.
• FoF 1.0 legacy (2016): Rs 10,000 crore corpus; committed to 145 AIFs; invested Rs 25,500 crore+ into 1,370+ startups in AI, robotics, agri, clean-tech sectors.

In April 2026, NITI Aayog released two landmark reports — (1) Ease of Doing Research and Development in India and (2) Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India — aimed at enabling a more efficient and innovation-driven research ecosystem across the country.

• Released by: Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Chief Guest: Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union MoS (IC), Ministry of Science & Technology.
• Coverage: 9-month exercise involving 400+ institutional leaders and insights from 850+ distinguished scientists and researchers across India.
• Four key pillars: (1) Funding; (2) Governance; (3) Regulatory Frameworks; (4) Research Translation.
• Key recommendations: Strengthen innovation ecosystems; support early-stage researchers; boost private sector R&D investment; simplify regulatory and administrative processes.

On 14 April 2026 — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti — the Department of Posts (DoP) under the Ministry of Communications and the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya and Library (PMML) signed a MoU to jointly preserve and showcase India’s democratic and national heritage, on the occasion of PMML’s 4th Foundation Day.

• Philatelic Exhibition: Titled ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat: Celebrating India’s Unity and Democracy through Postage Stamps’; inaugurated by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (Ministry of Communications) at Teen Murti Estate, New Delhi.
• Picture Post Cards: Three sets released — marking PMML’s 4th Foundation Day, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, and the Constitution of India.

On 13 April 2026, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) signed two strategic MoUs — with Porter (SmartShift Logistics Solutions) and Gigin Technologies — to boost job opportunities and strengthen digital job-matching on the National Career Service (NCS) portal, in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

• Gigin’s edge: Uses AI-powered ‘Verification Intelligence’ to ensure authentic job listings on the NCS portal.
• NCS portal status (April 2026): 7 lakh+ active vacancies; 59 lakh registered establishments; 6 crore registered job seekers.

On 12 April 2026, the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps launched Radio Sikkim Sundari at 88.4 MHz FM in East Sikkim, near the India-China border — becoming the first border village community radio station in Sikkim.

• Infrastructure: UPS and solar backup for uninterrupted service; dedicated encoder enables streaming via Google Play Store app.
• Purpose: Promotes socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and last-mile connectivity in border areas under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).
• Similar IA initiatives: Radio Sangam (88.8 FM) Rajouri, J&K; Ibex Tarana (88.4 FM) Jyotirmath, Uttarakhand; high-altitude radio stations in Drass and Kharu, Ladakh.

On 13 April 2026, the Indian Air Force (IAF) signed a strategic agreement with GE Aerospace to establish an in-country depot facility for F404-IN20 engines used in LCA Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A, enhancing India’s Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) capabilities under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

• Engine specs: 3-stage fan; 7-stage high-pressure compressor; digital FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control).
• Strategic context: Addresses past supply delays; strengthens India’s indigenous MRO ecosystem for fighter jets.

The 43rd Badminton Asia Championships 2026 (The Bank of Ningbo BAC 2026) was held from 7–12 April 2026 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, Ningbo, China. It was organised by Badminton Asia and hosted by the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA).

• India’s highlight: Ayush Shetty (age 20; World No. 25) won the Men’s Singles Silver — the first Indian in 61 years to reach the BAC final (after Dinesh Khanna in 1965).
• Edition: 43rd Badminton Asia Championships.
• Venue: Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, Ningbo, China.

In April 2026, Vingroup — Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate — signed a MoU with the Government of Maharashtra to explore strategic investments totalling USD 6.5 billion (approx. Rs 54,000 crore) over 2 years across multiple sectors — one of the largest single-state investments by a Vietnamese entity in India.

• Framework: Investments primarily in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and broader Maharashtra.
• State goal: Aligns with Maharashtra’s target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy.
• Vingroup portfolio: Diversified across real estate, technology, healthcare, education, and automotive (VinFast EVs).

In April 2026, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its World Economic Outlook (WEO) April 2026, titled ‘Global Economy in the Shadow of War’. The report upgraded India’s GDP growth forecast for FY2027 by 10 basis points to 6.5% (from 6.4% in the January 2026 WEO).

• Comparative India forecasts (FY27): IMF: 6.5% | ADB: 6.9% | World Bank (April 2026): 6.6% | RBI own estimate (FY26): 7.6%.
• India inflation: FY26 was 2.1%; expected to rise to 4.7% in FY27, easing to 4.0% in FY28 (within RBI’s target band of 2–6%).
• WEO title: ‘Global Economy in the Shadow of War’.

In April 2026, Worldline SA released its ‘India Digital Payments Report — Year 2025 in Review’, revealing that India’s UPI processed 228.5 billion transactions in 2025, a 33% year-on-year increase from 172.2 billion in 2024, with a total value of Rs 299.74 trillion.

• Merchant ATS drop: Merchant payment ATS fell to Rs 592 — reflecting the digitisation of small-ticket purchases (the ‘micro-payments economy’).
• Debit cards: Volumes declined 23% as users migrated to UPI.
• QR network: India’s 731.38 million merchant QR codes constitute the world’s largest merchant acceptance network.

In April 2026, Visa in partnership with HDFC Bank launched a limited-edition ‘FIFA World Cup 2026 Pixel Credit Card’ alongside a nationwide ‘Spend and Win’ rewards campaign, unveiled at a Mumbai, Maharashtra event.

• Key benefits: Eligible customers can win match tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026, themed travel packages, merchandise, and shopping vouchers.
• Availability: Existing Pixel Play customers via PayZapp app; new applicants via HDFC Bank web portal; also covers debit, business, and forex prepaid cards.
• FIFA World Cup 2026: Hosted jointly by USA, Canada, and Mexico — the first three-nation co-hosted FIFA World Cup; scheduled June–July 2026.

The 9th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC 2026) was held in Port Louis, Mauritius from 10–12 April 2026 with the theme ‘Collective Stewardship for Indian Ocean Governance’. It was jointly organised by India Foundation in association with the Government of Mauritius.

• India’s representation: EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Mauritius on April 9–10; delivered the keynote address; held bilateral discussions with Mauritian leadership.
• Key messages: Maritime chokepoints — Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz — flagged as major sources of global anxiety; India positioned as ‘First Responder’ in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• SAGAR framework: Security And Growth for All in the Region — India’s Indian Ocean vision articulated by PM Modi in 2015.
• Strategic significance: The Indian Ocean carries approx. 40% of global oil trade; China’s growing IOR presence heightens India’s leadership role.

The Parliament of Iraq elected Nizar Mohammed Saeed Amedi as the country’s 9th President (post-Saddam era since 2003) in Baghdad on 11 April 2026, ending a 5-month political deadlock following November 2025 parliamentary elections. Amedi secured 227 votes in the second round.

• Constitutional role: Largely ceremonial; President must nominate PM-designate within 15 days; PM then has 30 days to form cabinet and seek confidence vote.
• Muhasasah system: Informal power-sharing: PM = Shia Muslim; Speaker = Sunni Muslim; President = Kurd (convention since 2003).
• Pledge: Amedi pledged the ‘Iraq First’ principle.

In April 2026, researchers discovered a new bent-toed gecko species — Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis (Raimona bent-toed gecko) — in the Kokrajhar district near Raimona National Park, Assam. The discovery was published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.

• Naming: Named after Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district, Assam.
• Genus: Cyrtodactylus — one of the most diverse gecko genera in South and Southeast Asia.
• Key features: Maximum snout-vent length 71.1 mm; rounded body; bluntly conical head — distinguishing it from related species.
• Publication: Peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.

World Haemophilia Day is observed on 17 April every year — on the birthday of Frank Schnabel, founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). The 2026 theme is ‘Access for All: Partnership. Policy. Progress.’, emphasising equitable access to diagnosis and treatment for people with inherited bleeding disorders.

• Haemophilia: An X-linked recessive genetic disorder causing blood clotting deficiency — predominantly affecting males.
• WFH profile: World Federation of Hemophilia; est. 1963; HQ Montreal, Canada.