Daily Current Affairs

World Earth Day is observed annually on 22 April to raise awareness about environmental protection and inspire action for a sustainable planet. The 2026 theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, emphasising the collective role of individuals, communities, and local initiatives in driving environmental change.

• 2026 Theme: ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ — focuses on empowering ordinary citizens, not just governments, to protect the environment through consistent everyday action.
• Founded: 22 April 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (Wisconsin) and Denis Hayes; the first Earth Day drew 20 million Americans.
• Organised by: EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) — mobilises over 1 billion people across 193 countries annually.
• India’s observance: National Science Centre (NSC), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi hosted a free Earth Day event featuring a Popular Science Lecture ‘Exploring Antarctica’ by Dr Amitava Sen Gupta, Honorary Distinguished Professor, ISRO.
• Significance: The Paris Climate Agreement was signed on Earth Day, 22 April 2016.

On 18 April 2026, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved a 2% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for Central Government employees and pensioners, and cleared two railway multitracking projects worth Rs 24,815 crore in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Andhra Pradesh (AP).

In April 2026, the Government of India expanded the scope of the Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) by adding Egypt and Jordan to the list of eligible destinations, supporting Indian exporters facing logistics disruptions due to ongoing West Asia tensions.

• RELIEF full form: Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — under Export Promotion Mission (EPM).
• Purpose: Provides logistics support to exporters in geopolitically sensitive corridors.
• New additions: Egypt and Jordan added to eligible destinations list; move aims to sustain trade flows via the extended West Asia and North Africa corridor.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) received ‘Prajna’ — an indigenously developed AI-enabled satellite imaging system for real-time security decision support. The handover was conducted at Kartavya Bhawan-3, New Delhi, by Samir V. Kamat (Secretary, DDR&D) to Govind Mohan (Secretary, MHA).

• Prajna: AI-enabled satellite imaging system developed by CAIR (Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics), DRDO; enhances real-time decision support for monitoring sensitive regions, counter-terrorism, and border management.
• Significance: Indigenously developed; boosts India’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) capabilities; aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence tech.

In April 2026, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena laid the foundation stone for India’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park on the banks of the Indus River at Sindhu Ghat, Leh, coinciding with World Heritage Day (18 April 2026).

• Purpose: Conserve centuries-old petroglyphs threatened by unregulated tourism, rapid infrastructure development, and lack of awareness; will house petroglyphs relocated from vulnerable sites across Ladakh.
• MoU: Signed between Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for scientific conservation.
• Foundation stone: Laid by LG Vinai Kumar Saxena; coincides with World Heritage Day, 18 April 2026.

On 19 April 2026, Odisha hosted the groundbreaking for India’s first advanced glass semiconductor packaging unit (3D Glass Solutions) at Info Valley, Khordha district, Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presided, with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (MeitY) in attendance.

President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea (ROK) paid a State Visit to India from 19–21 April 2026, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, New Delhi on 20 April 2026. The two leaders adopted landmark agreements to take bilateral ties to a new level.

• Joint Strategic Vision: Five-year roadmap for India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership (2026–2030) — the framework document of the summit.
• Three companion documents: (1) Comprehensive Framework for Partnership in Shipbuilding, Shipping & Maritime Logistics; (2) Joint Statement on Cooperation in Sustainability; (3) Joint Statement on Energy Resource Security.
• Trade target: Bilateral trade target set at USD 50 billion by 2030 (current ~USD 25–27 billion); CEPA to be upgraded within a year.
• Korean industrial townships: PM Modi announced development of dedicated Korean industrial townships in India.

State Bank of India (SBI) set a target to expand its balance-sheet to about 25% of India’s GDP by 2030, up from the existing 20%. SBI also aims to increase its market share by 1% in each of the 800 districts in FY 2026-27.

In April 2026, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) released the ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026’, projecting India’s growth at 6.4% in CY2026 and 6.6% in CY2027.

• Report: ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026: Socioeconomic Prosperity Amid the Transition to an Environmentally Sustainable Economy’.
• Top Greenfield FDI destinations (Q1–Q3 CY26): India (USD 50 billion) — #1, followed by Australia (USD 30 billion) and Kazakhstan (USD 21 billion).
• Remittances: India is the world’s largest remittance recipient (2024); ~40% used for essential spending; faces risk from US 1% tax on remittances (from Jan 2026).

In April 2026, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, signed an MoU with Jumps Automation LLP under the C-DOT Collaborative Research Programme (CCRP) to develop a gamification-based cybersecurity awareness platform.

• C-DOT: Centre for Development of Telematics; autonomous R&D centre under DoT, Ministry of Communications.
• Objective: Strengthen cybersecurity awareness through engaging, interactive training — gamified platform covering phishing, social engineering, malware response, and crisis management.
• Platform: Commercial-grade SaaS; combines Jumps Automation’s AI tools with C-DOT telecom and security tech.
• Programme: Under CCRP (C-DOT Collaborative Research Programme).

In April 2026, Titagarh Naval Systems Limited (TNSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd, launched the 4th Diving Support Craft (DSC A23, Yard 328) on the Hooghly River, Kolkata, for the Indian Navy.

• Series: Part of a 5-vessel series under the Make in India initiative; 30-metre catamaran-type vessels equipped with indigenously sourced systems for Command Clearance Diving Teams (CCDTs).
• Ceremony: Conducted by Deepa Sivakumar, spouse of Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar.

In April 2026, Aronyak Ghosh from Kolkata, West Bengal, became India’s 95th Chess Grandmaster (GM) after securing his third and final GM norm at the 23rd Bangkok Chess Club Open 2026, held in Bangkok, Thailand. He scored an unbeaten 7/9, tying for first place with a performance rating of 2,584.

• Profile: Born 6 December 2003 (age 22); National Rapid Champion (March 2026); Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) team member.
• Earlier achievements: Bronze medal, Under-16 World Youth Championship 2019; fourth Indian to become GM in 2026.

In April 2026, Apple Inc. announced that John Ternus, current Senior Vice President (SVP) of Hardware Engineering, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective 1 September 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, who will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board.

• John Ternus: Age 50; joined Apple in 2001; VP Hardware Engineering (2013); SVP (2021); led design of iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch, Vision Pro; mechanical engineering graduate, University of Pennsylvania.
• Tim Cook: CEO since 2011 (succeeded Steve Jobs); under his tenure Apple stock gained ~1,933%; transitions to Executive Chairman from 1 September 2026.
• Board change: Arthur Levinson, non-executive chairman for 15 years, becomes Lead Independent Director; Ternus joins Board.