Daily Current Affairs

UNESCO celebrates World Book and Copyright Day annually on 23 April to promote reading, publishing, and copyright protection. The 2026 theme is ‘Go All In on Reading’, with Rabat, Morocco designated as the World Book Capital 2026 — the 26th city to hold the title. The day honours the birth/death anniversaries of literary greats including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

• Copyright Significance: Day also highlights protection of intellectual property rights of authors and publishers globally.
• Static GK: India also celebrates on 23 April; UK/Ireland observe on the first Thursday of March to avoid Easter conflict.
• Literary Greats Honoured: William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega — birth/death anniversaries fall on 23 April.

National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April every year since 2010, commemorating the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 (effective 24 April 1993), which gave constitutional status to the three-tier Panchayati Raj System in India. The day is observed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), through its official notification, declared an area of 408.7 sq. km around the Barasingha Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). This declaration aids conservation of rich biodiversity and supports indigenous communities living in and around the WLS.

• ESZ Purpose: Acts as a transition zone between a protected area and surrounding human habitation; regulates development activities.
• Fauna: 41 mammal species, 373 bird species, 36 reptile species, 10 amphibians, 79 fish species.
• Flora: Over 280 plant species, including 81 medicinal plant species.

The 7th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) Meeting between India and Bhutan was held from April 20–21, 2026 in Munnar, Kerala. The JGC is the primary institutional mechanism for customs cooperation, trade facilitation, and border management between the two countries.

• Co-chaired by: Yogendra Garg, Special Secretary & Member (Customs), CBIC (India); and Sonam Jamtsho, Director General (DG), Department of Revenue and Customs, Ministry of Finance, Bhutan.
• Key Discussions: Arrival customs data exchange, anti-smuggling via intelligence sharing, digitisation of customs, Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS).
• Operation Numkhor: Intelligence-sharing summit between customs formations; led by Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), Kochi.

On 21 April 2026, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Private Limited for the procurement of TRAWL (Tank Mine Roller Assembly) Assemblies for T-72 (Ajeya) and T-90 (Bhishma) main battle tanks, valued at approximately Rs 975 crore.

• TRAWL Significance: Developed by DRDO; critical system for minefield breaching — creates vehicle-safe lanes through minefields, including mines fitted with proximity magnetic fuses.
• Category: Buy (Indian-IDDM) — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured; supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Employment Impact: Involves extensive network of MSMEs for component manufacturing; generates direct and indirect employment.

In April 2026, IIT Ropar, Punjab launched India’s first fully integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Agricultural Intelligence Ecosystem for smart farming and agricultural decision-making. Launched by IIT Ropar’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AI for Agriculture, the platform is named ANNAM.AI — Alliance for Next-Gen Nourishment through Agriculture Modernisation.

• Components: ‘Swan’ advanced weather stations, Krishi Intelligence Call Centres, and Annam Chat Engine (ACE).
• AI Architecture (3 layers): Infrastructure Layer (data collection) → Intelligence Layer (data analysis) → Engagement Layer (farmer advisory).
• Objective: Improve agricultural productivity and risk management using AI; support farmer decision-making.

Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), in collaboration with IIT Madras (IIT-M), Chennai, completed India’s first intra-city drone delivery flight trials in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The project was implemented with Amber Wings, an IIT-M incubated deep-tech start-up.

Vice President (VP) of India Chanrampuram Ponnusami (C.P.) Radhakrishnan undertook a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka from April 19–20, 2026 — marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Vice President to Sri Lanka.

In April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the new ‘Digital Payments — E-Mandate Framework, 2026’, consolidating existing regulations while introducing stricter safeguards, clearer notification protocols, and greater flexibility for users. The framework is applicable to all payment system providers and participants.

• Applicable Channels: UPI auto-pay, Debit and Credit cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI).
• Key Rules: One-time registration with Additional Factor Authentication (AFA) validation; every e-mandate must specify a validity period; can be fixed or variable amount with maximum limit for recurring transactions.

April 2026 saw three significant developments in India’s banking and financial sector: Karnataka Bank’s digital partnership, PLI’s onboarding to Bharat Connect, and UAE insurer ADNIC entering GIFT City.

• PLI/RPLI: Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance operated by India Post (Department of Posts), Ministry of Communications. Policyholders can now pay renewal premiums via Bharat Connect-enabled platforms.
• NBBL: NPCI Bharat Bill Pay Limited — wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• ADNIC: UAE-based multiline insurance & reinsurance provider; operations across UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. GIFT City licence approved by IFSCA.
• GIFT City: Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat — global hub for reinsurance, banking, and offshore financial services.

In April 2026, Tata Steel Limited announced a definitive agreement with Paul Wurth S.A. (SMS Group, Germany) to set up the world’s first large-scale EASyMelt (Electrically Assisted Syngas Smelter) technology at its Jamshedpur plant in Jharkhand, aiming to significantly reduce carbon emissions in steel production.

In April 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2026, recognising 118 leaders from 55 countries for their contributions across sectors. Ten Indians were featured, including Jay Shah (Chairman, ICC) and Isha Ambani.

• YGL Programme: Established 2004 by WEF; identifies leaders under 40 for a structured five-year leadership programme; based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2026 Cohort: 118 leaders from 55 countries; five-year programme aimed at fostering global collaboration and addressing societal challenges.

In April 2026, the Goldman Environmental Foundation named six women as recipients of the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize, often called the ‘Green Nobel’ — marking a historic first where all six winners are female, recognised for their efforts in combating climate change and protecting biodiversity.

• Ceremony: 20 April 2026; San Francisco, USA; hosted by Telemundo anchor Vanessa Hauc.
• About the Prize: Founded 1989 by Rhoda and Richard Goldman; awarded to grassroots environmental activists from 6 inhabited continental regions; 239 winners from 98 nations in 37 years.
• Historic First: First time since 1989 that all six recipients are women.

On 20 April 2026, the Laureus World Sports Academy presented the 26th annual Laureus World Sports Awards at Cibeles Palace in Madrid, Spain, recognising global sporting excellence for outstanding performances during the 2025 season.

• Hosts: Novak Djokovic (5-time Laureus winner; 24-time Grand Slam champion) and Eileen Gu (Chinese-American Olympic freestyle skiing champion).
• Venue: Cibeles Palace, Madrid, Spain — 26th edition of the ceremony.