Daily Current Affairs

World Haemophilia Day is observed globally every year on 17 April to raise awareness about haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. The day is organised by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) and highlights the need for early diagnosis, proper treatment, and equal access to healthcare worldwide.

• 2026 Theme: “Diagnosis: First Step to Care” — focuses on timely and accurate diagnosis as the foundation for effective treatment.
• Key fact: More than 75% of people with inherited bleeding disorders remain undiagnosed globally.
• Why April 17: Marks the birthday of Frank Schnabel, founder of the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH).
• WFH: Founded 1963; HQ: Montreal, Canada; “Light It Up Red” campaign — iconic landmarks worldwide illuminated in red for solidarity.
• Disease: Haemophilia is a rare inherited bleeding disorder where blood does not clot properly due to missing/deficient clotting factors — Factor VIII for Haemophilia A; Factor IX for Haemophilia B.

Siachen Day is observed annually by the Indian Army (IA) on 13 April to commemorate Operation Meghdoot (1984), when Indian troops secured key positions at Bilafond La Pass on the Siachen Glacier. 13 April 2026 marks the 42nd year of the Indian Army’s presence at the Siachen Glacier.

• Operation Meghdoot: Launched 13 April 1984 to secure the Siachen Glacier; world’s longest ongoing military operation.
• Reason: Initiated after intelligence inputs indicated Pakistan was attempting to occupy the Siachen Glacier region.
• Siachen Glacier: Located in the Eastern Karakoram range, Himalayas, Ladakh; at ~5,400m altitude; world’s highest battlefield.

The anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also known as the Amritsar Massacre, is observed annually across India on 13 April. The 2026 observance commemorated the 107th anniversary of the tragic incident that took place in 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab (then under British India).

• The Massacre: Hundreds of unarmed people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar during Baisakhi; General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on the peaceful crowd protesting the Rowlatt Act; at least 379 killed (official count); real number much higher.
• Hunter Commission: British government set up the Hunter Commission in 1919, headed by William Hunter, to investigate the incident.
• Date: 13 April 1919; 107th anniversary in 2026.

In April 2026, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), launched the Operational Guidelines for the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) along with the Credit Repayment Guarantee Sub-Scheme (CRGSS) in New Delhi to strengthen urban infrastructure financing.

• Focus cities: Tier-II and Tier-III cities; transforms cities into financially sustainable growth hubs.
• Funding model: Market-linked — requires funding through municipal bonds, bank loans, PPPs; Central Assistance capped at 25% of project cost.
• CRGSS: Allocates Rs 5,000 crore to provide credit guarantees for smaller cities accessing market-based financing.
• Alignment: Vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

In April 2026, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), announced that patent application filings in India increased by 30.2% to 1,43,729 in FY 2025-26 (FY26), compared to 1,10,375 in FY25 — registering a record high.

• Top sectors: Computer-related fields (highest), followed by mechanical engineering, chemistry, communication, and electronics.
• Top domestic states: Tamil Nadu (TN), Karnataka, and Maharashtra; also growing: MSMEs, educational institutions, startups, R&D institutions.
• Foreign applicants: USA leads, followed by Japan, South Korea, and China; combined share less than one-third of total filings.
• IPO: Intellectual Property Office of India, under CGPDTM (Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks).
• Global body: WIPO — World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva; established 1967.

On 13 April 2026, the Indian Army’s (IA) 1st Regiment of Artillery flagged off its first blue water sailing expedition “Samudra Sahas” from Marve, Mumbai (Maharashtra), inaugurated by N. S. Sarna, Commandant of the School of Artillery.

• Voyage details: Covers ~520 nautical miles along the Konkan Coast using 21-foot Seabird class boats in four legs: Mumbai–Vijaydurg (Maharashtra)–Goa–Vijaydurg–Mumbai.
• Team: Led by Ksitij Nair and Prakash Funde; ground support by Vardhan Shidhye; pre-expedition training at Heavy Bridge Training Centre, Marve.
• Support: Administratively and operationally supported by Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• Significance: Marks the bicentenary (200 years) of the 1st Regiment of Artillery; pays tribute to the maritime legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• Sailing conditions: Around 7 nautical miles off the coast; wind speeds 2-4 to 10-15 knots.

On 13 April 2026, the Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T), signed an agreement with Casey Aviation Private Limited for the project “Boost Electric Jump Take-Off (BE-JTO)” in New Delhi.

• Project focus: Develops advanced hybrid propulsion-based Jump Take-Off (JTO) system for unmanned and light aircraft — enables near-vertical climb similar to a helicopter.
• Partnership: India-United Kingdom (UK) Collaborative R&D Programme for Industrial Sustainability; partnered with ARC Aerosystems Limited (UK).
• Test facility: Casey Aviation will establish a dedicated test bench facility to validate rotorcraft propulsion systems — first of its kind in North India.
• Applications: Regional connectivity in remote areas, disaster response, medical evacuation, last-mile logistics via unmanned cargo delivery.
• TDB: Technology Development Board; under DST; provides financial assistance to Indian industry for commercialising indigenous technology.

On 15 April 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communication, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to integrate telecom intelligence with financial surveillance.

• Signatories: Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director General (AI & Digital Intelligence Unit), DoT; and Sandip Pradhan, Whole Time Member, SEBI.
• Data sharing: DoT will share Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) and Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) with SEBI to identify suspicious mobile numbers.
• Platform: DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) — connects 1,400+ stakeholders, enables real-time sharing of actionable information.
• Objective: Prevent financial crimes; curb misuse of telecom infrastructure in securities fraud and investment scams; tackle cyber fraud, impersonation, money mule activities.
• SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India; established 1988; statutory body 1992; HQ: Mumbai.

In April 2026, TIME, the 102-year-old global media brand, revealed the 23rd edition of the annual “TIME 100 Most Influential People 2026” list, featuring 3 Indians among the world’s most influential personalities.

• 3 Indians featured: Sundar Pichai (CEO, Google & Alphabet); Chef Vikas Khanna; Actor Ranbir Kapoor.
• 6 categories: Leaders, Icons, Artists, Innovators, Pioneers, and Titans.
• Key global figures: Donald Trump (USA) and Xi Jinping (China) both appeared; Zohran Mamdani (NYC Mayor); Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan chess).
• Notable entries: Reid Wiseman (NASA, Artemis II); Jennie (Blackpink); Victoria Beckham; Kate Hudson.
• TIME magazine: Founded 1923; HQ: New York, USA; 23rd edition of TIME 100.

On 14 April 2026, India and Germany officially launched a commemorative logo to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations during the India-Germany Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Berlin, Germany.

• FOC co-chairs: Vikram Misri, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); and Dr. Geza Andreas von Geyr, German State Secretary.
• Logo selection: Through a joint competition hosted on the MyGov platform; inviting participants from both nations.
• Strategic review: Both sides reviewed bilateral relations: trade & investment, defence & security, technology, green & sustainable development, mobility, and people-to-people exchanges.
• Diplomatic ties: India-Germany relations established in 1951; strategic partnership since 2000; both countries celebrate 75th anniversary in 2026.

In April 2026, Government of India (GoI) data showed that China emerged as India’s largest trading partner in Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), with bilateral trade reaching USD 151.1 billion — replacing the United States (USA) which had held that position for four consecutive years till FY25.

• China replaced USA as India’s largest trading partner in FY26; USA had held the position for four consecutive years till FY25.
• Negative export growth partners: Netherlands, UK, Bangladesh, Singapore, Australia, France, South Africa, Malaysia.
• Positive import growth partners: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong SAR, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia.

In April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the amended guidelines titled “RBI (Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) – Branch Authorisation) Amendment Directions, 2026” introducing greater operational flexibility for NBFCs.

• Effective: Immediately upon notification.
• Application: Must be submitted through the PRAVAAH portal (Platform for Regulatory Application, Validation and AutHorisation).
• Deposit-taking NBFCs (Rs 50 crore+ NOF): Can open branches for deposit taking only within their registered state.
• RBI: Reserve Bank of India; established 1 April 1935; HQ: Mumbai; Governor: Sanjay Malhotra.

In April 2026, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched two new digital initiatives: the “LIC’s Customer Application (MyLIC)” for policyholders and “Super Sales Saathi” app for sales intermediaries, unveiled at an event in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• Unveiled by: M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance (MoF).
• MyLIC App: Next-generation digital platform for policyholders to manage entire insurance portfolio through a unified interface.
• Super Sales Saathi: Digital platform to empower LIC’s sales intermediaries with advanced digital tools.
• Platform: Both delivered through LIC’s DIVE (Digital Innovation and Value Enhancement) digital transformation platform.
• LIC: Life Insurance Corporation of India; established 1956 by LIC Act; CMD: R. Doraiswamy; HQ: Mumbai.

In April 2026, Shriram Finance Limited announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Shriram Overseas Investments Limited received in-principle approval from the RBI to commence Primary Dealer (PD) business, subject to certain conditions.

• PD business: Primary Dealers are specialised financial institutions authorised by RBI to act as intermediaries between RBI and financial markets in the Government Securities (G-Sec) ecosystem.
• PD functions: Participate in G-Sec and Treasury Bills (T-Bills) auctions; underwrite issuances; provide liquidity through active buying and selling in secondary market.
• Regulation: Governed by RBI guidelines and disclosed under SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015 to stock exchanges.

In April 2026, Razorpay, India’s omnichannel payments platform for businesses, entered into a strategic partnership with OpenAI to enable developers to embed payments directly into AI-built applications using OpenAI’s Codex platform.

• Target audience: Developers, student builders, solo founders, and early-stage startups.
• Integration: Connects Razorpay’s payment infrastructure via Razorpay’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) server within OpenAI’s Codex platform.
• Significance: Simplifies monetisation for AI-built products; enables instant payment acceptance without complex integration.

On 15 April 2026, Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the 24th Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar — becoming the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader to hold the post. The oath was administered by Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain at Raj Bhavan, Patna (Bihar).

• Predecessor: Nitish Kumar, who resigned as CM of Bihar on 14 April 2026 after being elected to the Rajya Sabha.
• Nitish Kumar tenure: February 2015 to April 2026.
• Deputy CMs: Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.
• Significance: First BJP leader to become CM of Bihar; marks major political transition in the state.

On 15 April 2026, Infosys, a technology company, appointed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain as its Global Brand Ambassador. This deal follows a successful history of Infosys partnering with tennis icons, including Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Iga Swiatek (Poland).

• Collaboration: Leveraging Infosys Topaz (AI): Infosys will collaborate with Alcaraz and his coaching team to develop AI-driven match analytics and personalised performance applications.
• About Alcaraz: Spanish professional tennis player; as of April 2026, placed in history as the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam (all four major titles).
• Achievement: Youngest World No. 1 in ATP rankings; multiple Grand Slam titles including US Open and Wimbledon.
• Infosys: Founded 1981; HQ: Bengaluru; Chairman: Nandan Nilekani; CEO: Salil Parekh.

On 15 April 2026, Indian Chess Grandmaster (GM) R. Vaishali (Vaishali Rameshbabu) became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, held in Pegeia, Cyprus from 28 March to 16 April 2026. She finished with 8.5 points from 14 rounds after defeating Kateryna Lagno (Russia) in the final round.

• Next challenge: Will face reigning five-time Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun of China in the Women’s World Chess Championship 2026.
• Format: Double round-robin format involving 8 players; Open (Men’s) section also ran simultaneously.
• Open section winner: Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) won the Open FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026.
• Significance: First Indian woman to win the Women’s Candidates; youngest player in the field; analogous to D. Gukesh’s 2024 Candidates run.
• FIDE: International Chess Federation; founded 1924; HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland; President: Arkady Dvorkovich.

In April 2026, India’s Sonam Uttam Maskar finished 5th in the women’s 10-metre (m) air rifle final at the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) 2026 held in Granada, Spain, scoring 188.5.

• India’s gold: Mukesh Nelavalli and Palak won India’s only gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
• India at the meet: Reached seven finals; China topped medal tally with 13 medals including 8 golds.
• Sonam Maskar’s record: Won Silver at ISSF World Cup Cairo 2024 (Individual + Mixed Team with Arjun Babuta); Silver at New Delhi World Cup Final 2024.
• ISSF: International Shooting Sport Federation.

India’s patent filing ecosystem continued its record-breaking trajectory in FY26, with domestic innovation at the forefront. The data, announced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, reflects the government’s sustained push to strengthen the Intellectual Property (IP) ecosystem under WIPO frameworks and the domestic Intellectual Property Office (IPO).