Daily Current Affairs

Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the notification for the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh on 27 April 2026, increasing the total from 2 (Leh and Kargil) to 7 districts. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had originally approved the formation of these five districts in August 2024. The formal inauguration took place on 29 April 2026 by LG Saxena.

• Ladakh as UT: Became a separate Union Territory in 2019 after bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir; largest UT by geographical area — 86,904 sq km; population: 2.74 lakh (Census 2011); borders both China and Pakistan.
• Revenue villages: Leh — 44; Nubra — 30; Changthang — 24; Kargil — 80; Sham — 27; Zanskar — 26; Drass — 19.
• LG of Ladakh: Vinai Kumar Saxena (also LG of Delhi).

The Indian Navy took delivery of INS Mahendragiri, the sixth ship under Project 17A (Nilgiri-class frigates), at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on 30 April 2026. It is the fourth vessel of the Nilgiri class built at MDL, delivered within 17 months of the first Project 17A ship INS Nilgiri being handed over in December 2024.

• Project 17A: Comprises 7 frigates — 4 at MDL (Mumbai) and 3 at GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata). INS Mahendragiri is the 7th and final ship in the programme.
• Capabilities: Multi-mission platform for anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare; equipped with state-of-the-art weapons, enhanced stealth features, advanced sensors, and platform management systems.
• 100th WDB ship: Marks a milestone for India’s indigenous naval design capability.

Google announced an investment of USD 15 billion in India, making it one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in the country’s history, with a 1 GW data centre capacity spread over approximately 600 acres. The project will be developed in Tharluwada, Adavivaram, and Rambilli in Andhra Pradesh, executed by AdaniConnex and Airtel Nxtra, with completion targeted by September 2028.

• Scale: 1 GW capacity across ~600 acres — among the largest data centre projects globally.
• Location: Andhra Pradesh (Tharluwada, Adavivaram, Rambilli).
• Executing partners: AdaniConnex (Adani Group–EdgeConneX JV) and Airtel Nxtra (Bharti Airtel’s data centre subsidiary).
• Significance: Strengthens India’s digital infrastructure backbone for AI, cloud, and data services; aligns with India’s Digital India mission.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to launch E-PRAAPTI (EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts) to help members manage old and inactive Provident Fund (PF) accounts through an Aadhaar-based digital access system.

• Full form: E-PRAAPTI — EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts.
• EPFO: Statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE); administers the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. HQ: New Delhi.
• Significance: Addresses dormant PF accounts; enhances ease of access, portability, and transparency for members managing multiple past accounts.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) organised the 10th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Systems in Chandigarh. The summit was inaugurated by JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

• Purpose: Showcases best practices and replicable innovations in public health delivery across states; facilitates knowledge sharing for health system strengthening.
• JP Nadda: Union Minister of MoHFW and also BJP National President.
• Venue: Chandigarh — 10th edition of the summit.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially exited both OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and OPEC+ effective 1 May 2026, ending nearly six decades of membership and marking a major shift in global energy politics.

• Reasons for UAE’s exit: Desire for greater production flexibility; frustration with OPEC quota limits; expanded investment in oil capacity to meet rising global energy demand.
• Impact: OPEC membership reduced to 11 countries; could weaken OPEC’s collective pricing influence; potential increase in global oil supply and market volatility.
• India angle: India, as a major oil importer, closely monitors OPEC+ decisions; UAE’s independent production increase could benefit India’s energy security.

The Indian men’s badminton team stormed into the semi-finals of Thomas Cup 2026 (34th edition) held in Horsens, Denmark, by defeating Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the quarter-finals on 1 May 2026 — assuring themselves of a medal. This is only the second time India has reached the Thomas Cup semi-finals (the first was in 2022, when India won the title).

• Thomas Cup: Men’s team world badminton championships; named after Sir George Thomas (England); held every 2 years; organised by Badminton World Federation (BWF). 34th edition in Horsens, Denmark.
• India’s history: Won Thomas Cup 2022 — first-ever title. This semi-final appearance is only the second time in history.
• Most successful: Indonesia (14 titles); Defending champions: China (11 titles).
• India’s semi-final opponent: Winner of Japan vs France quarter-final.
• Uber Cup (women’s): India’s women exited in the group stage with a loss to China.

India and Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the exchange of pre-arrival customs information to improve the clearance of goods and boost bilateral trade. The agreement was signed between the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) during the 10th India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

• CBIC: Under Ministry of Finance (MoF), Department of Revenue; administers GST, customs, central excise, and service taxes. HQ: New Delhi.
• Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA): Kenya’s national tax authority — counterpart to India’s CBIC.
• Mechanism: Enables electronic sharing of import data before cargo arrival via iCMS (Integrated Customs Management System).
• Significance: Ensures faster clearances, better risk management, and smoother trade cooperation between India and Kenya.

India launched its first barrier-free tolling system on the Delhi-Mumbai National Highway (NH-48), marking a major step towards modernising its highway infrastructure. The system uses GPS-based technology and electronic vehicle identification to enable seamless toll collection without physical barriers or stopping, improving traffic flow and reducing fuel wastage at toll plazas.

• NH-48: One of India’s major national highways connecting Delhi to Mumbai via Jaipur and Vadodara; managed under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
• Technology: GPS-based tracking + electronic vehicle identification — no physical barriers, no stopping required.
• Significance: First of its kind in India; aligns with the FASTag ecosystem and digital payment infrastructure; reduces congestion at toll plazas and lowers fuel wastage.

World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is observed globally on 3 May each year, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993, to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of media independence globally, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

• Windhoek Declaration (1991): Adopted by African journalists on 3 May 1991, calling for a free, independent, and pluralistic press — the foundation of WPFD.
• UNESCO’s mandate: UN agency mandated to promote ‘the free flow of ideas by word and image’; coordinates WPFD globally.
• Guillermo Cano Prize: Created 1997; named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, Colombian journalist assassinated in 1986; awarded annually on WPFD.
• India in RSF Index 2026: Ranked 157th out of 180 — a drop of 6 places from 151st in 2025. Norway topped for the 10th consecutive year; Eritrea ranked last (180th).
• Key stat: A journalist is killed every four days on average; in 9 out of 10 cases, perpetrators go unpunished. 128 journalist killings confirmed by IFJ in 2025.