Daily Current Affairs

International Jazz Day is observed globally on 30 April every year, proclaimed by UNESCO in November 2011 to celebrate jazz as a universal art form fostering peace, intercultural dialogue, and human dignity. The 2026 edition marks the 15th anniversary and is hosted by Chicago, Illinois, USA — Herbie Hancock’s hometown. The celebration also coincides with the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

• All-Star Global Concert: Held at Lyric Opera of Chicago on 30 April 2026; artists include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jacob Collier, Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, Gregory Porter and others.
• Focus areas: Peace, gender & racial equality, diversity, freedom of expression, intercultural dialogue.
• Jazz Appreciation Month: April — International Jazz Day is its culmination.
• Notable past host: 2016 — Washington DC (White House, hosted by President Obama).

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed on 28 April every year, led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the United Nations. The 2026 theme focuses on mental and psychosocial wellbeing at work.

• 2026 ILO Campaign: Released a global report examining psychosocial risks at job level, work organisation, and broader workplace policies.
• ILO: International Labour Organization; specialised agency of the United Nations (UN); HQ: Geneva, Switzerland.

World Immunization Week (WIW) is observed in the last week of April, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote the life-saving benefits of immunization for people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sikkim on 27–28 April 2026 to participate in the closing ceremony of the state’s 50th Year (Golden Jubilee) of Statehood celebrations held at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok. He inaugurated, launched, and laid foundation stones for 30+ development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore across infrastructure, healthcare, and connectivity.

• 50th Statehood: Sikkim became India’s 22nd state on 16 May 1975; 50-year celebrations commenced May 2025.
• Orchidarium Visit: PM Modi visited Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park, Gangtok — a world-class Orchid Experience Centre showcasing the state’s rich floral heritage.
• Cricket Infrastructure: PM inaugurated the Indoor Cricket Academy at Rangpo, Pakyong district, Sikkim; virtually launched five academies at Doimukh (Arunachal Pradesh), Imphal (Manipur), Madankurliang (Meghalaya), Aizawl (Mizoram), Sovima-Chumoukedima (Nagaland).

NITI Aayog released the report “DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat: A Strategic Roadmap to Enable Non-linear Inclusive Socio-economic Growth” in April 2026, detailing the roadmap for adoption of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) 2.0.

• Unveiled by: Suman Berry (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog) and Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood (Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI) in New Delhi.
• Developed in collaboration with: EkStep Foundation and Deloitte.
• Economic Impact: DPI initiatives already contribute ~1% of GDP; projected to rise to 4% by 2030.
• Focus: Eight sectoral transformations targeting MSMEs, agriculture, education, and health.
• NITI Aayog: National Institution for Transforming India; established 1 January 2015; replaced Planning Commission; HQ: New Delhi.

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena officially notified the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh in April 2026, following preliminary approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in August 2024.

• Earlier districts: Only 2 — Leh and Kargil.
• Total districts now: 7 (2 original + 5 new).
• Significance: Improves administrative efficiency and faster delivery of services in the remote UT.
• LG approved Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) for all five new districts.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, MeitY) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Google Cloud India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub in Tarluvada, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

• Key Components: Hyperscale data centres, high-capacity fibre networks, international subsea cable landing station.
• Goal: Make Vizag a global AI and Cloud Capital.
• AdaniConneX: Joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) proposed the creation of a new Index of Service Production (ISP) to measure the performance of India’s services sector on a monthly basis.

• Base Year: 2024–25; will use GST Network (GSTN) as key input.
• Coverage: ~70% of services sector Gross Value Added (GVA); excludes ~30% (public administration, defence, non-market financial services, informal segments).
• Purpose: Complements Index of Industrial Production (IIP) by providing high-frequency insights into services sector.
• Consultation: Developed with Technical Advisory Committee on ISP (TAC-ISP) in line with global best practices.
• MoSPI: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; oversees India’s statistical systems.

In April 2026, the Department of Posts (DoP), Ministry of Communications, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DTDC Express Limited to strengthen India’s logistics and e-commerce delivery network.

• Signed at: Dak Bhawan, New Delhi; by Neeraj Kumar Jha (General Manager, Parcel Directorate, DoP) and Jatinder Sethi (National Channel Head, DTDC Express Limited).
• Key Impact: DTDC gains access to India Post’s 1.64 lakh+ post offices for rural/semi-urban COD (Cash on Delivery) services.
• Benefits: Enhanced last-mile reach and delivery speed; strengthens rural e-commerce access.
• Alignment: India’s vision of becoming a global logistics hub.

In April 2026, SkyHop Aviation Private Limited received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), enabling India’s first commercial seaplane service, with initial operations planned in Lakshadweep (UT).

• Aircraft: 19-seater De Havilland Canada (DHC)-6 Twin Otter indigenously converted as seaplane with float attachments; can operate on water and short runways.
• Phase 1: Connects five islands with mainland India via seaplane docks at Agatti, Kiltan, and Kavaratti; plus water take-off/landing trials at Ganga Barrage (Rishikesh) and Tehri Lake, Uttarakhand.
• Scheme Alignment: UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) — launched 2016 by MoCA — enhances regional air connectivity.
• Significance: First commercial seaplane service in India; boosts last-mile connectivity and tourism in remote coastal areas.

In April 2026, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) signed a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a constituent laboratory of DRDO, for the Gas Turbine-Infrared Suppression System (GT-IRSS) used in naval vessels.

• Technology: GT-IRSS developed by NSTL for LM2500 (Land and Marine) gas turbines; reduces infrared signature by cooling exhaust and shielding heat emissions.
• Role of BHEL: Will handle technology absorption and execution of the GT-IRSS solution.
• Significance: Strengthens indigenous defence manufacturing; reduces foreign reliance; supports Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• BHEL: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited; Maharatna PSU; HQ: New Delhi; under Ministry of Heavy Industries.
• NSTL: Naval Science and Technological Laboratory; DRDO lab; HQ: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

In April 2026, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the SIPRI Fact Sheet April 2026 titled “Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2025,” confirming India as the 5th-largest military spender in the world in 2025, with defence expenditure of USD 92.1 billion.

• India’s growth: 8.9% increase year-on-year; accounts for 3.2% of global spending.
• Global Military Spending: USD 2,887 billion in 2025 — 11th consecutive year of growth; Europe as main growth contributor (Ukraine-Russia war).
• Regional trends: Europe: +14% to USD 864 Bn; Asia-Oceania: +8.1% to USD 681 Bn; NATO: USD 559 Bn (22 of 29 members met 2% GDP target).
• SIPRI: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; established 1966; HQ: Solna, Sweden; independent think tank on peace and conflict.

In April 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially announced its decision to exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the wider OPEC+ alliance, effective 1 May 2026.

• Reason 1: ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) expanded capacity to ~5 million barrels/day; OPEC+ quotas limited full utilisation.
• Reason 2: UAE seeks flexibility in production decisions aligned with national economic priorities.
• Impact: UAE’s exit may reduce OPEC cohesion and its ability to coordinate output and influence global oil prices.
• UAE’s OPEC Role: Joined OPEC in 1967; third-largest producer in OPEC (after Saudi Arabia and Iraq); accounts for ~12% of total OPEC output.
• OPEC: Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; established 1960; HQ: Vienna, Austria; 13 member nations.

In April 2026, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan formally joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), strengthening strategic cooperation with India in clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainable fuels.

• Handover: Membership documents handed over by Yousef Abdelghani (Jordan’s Ambassador to India) to Dr. Neena Malhotra (Secretary — South, MEA) in New Delhi.
• Jordan’s ISA Goal: Achieve 50% electricity generation from renewables by 2030; access global best practices and low-interest financing.
• ISA: International Solar Alliance; established 2015 at COP21; HQ: Gurugram, Haryana; co-founded by India and France; Director General: Ajay Mathur.
• CDRI: Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure; established 2019; HQ: New Delhi; India-led multilateral body.
• GBA: Global Biofuels Alliance; launched by India at G20 Summit (New Delhi, 2023); promotes biofuels adoption globally.

In April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched Mission Saksham (Sahkari Bank Kshamta Nirman) — a nationwide capacity-building programme to strengthen the Urban Co-operative Banking (UCBs) sector.

• Full Name: Mission Saksham = Sahkari Bank Kshamta Nirman.
• Objective: Improve managerial and operational capabilities; strengthen compliance practices and institutional resilience of UCBs.
• Training Scale: Covers ~1.40 lakh participants across a large number of training programmes.
• Collaborative Approach: Developed with Umbrella Organisation of UCBs and national/state-level cooperative federations.
• RBI: Reserve Bank of India; established 1 April 1935; HQ: Mumbai; Governor: Sanjay Malhotra.

On 27 April 2026, the RBI issued a Master Direction on the framework for asset classification, income recognition and provisioning, introducing the Expected Credit Loss (ECL) approach, coming into force from 1 April 2027.

• ECL Framework: Banks shift from traditional “incurred loss” to a forward-looking ECL model; estimate expected losses using forward-looking risk measures.
• NPA Rule Retained: 90-day rule retained — loans overdue more than 90 days classified as NPAs (Non-Performing Assets).
• FX Derivatives Reporting: Banks to report all OTC foreign exchange derivative contracts involving INR executed globally by related parties, including offshore entities; effective July 2027.
• AD Cat-I: All Authorised Dealer Category-I (AD Cat-I) banks must report such transactions to Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL).

In April 2026, Union Minister Piyush Goyal (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Todd McClay (New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment) signed the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in New Delhi.

• Alignment: Supports Viksit Bharat 2047 vision; strengthens trade, services, investment, mobility, and overall economic cooperation.
• Significance: First FTA between the two countries; opens major markets in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Signatories: Piyush Goyal (India’s Commerce & Industry Minister) and Todd McClay (NZ’s Trade & Investment Minister).

In April 2026, Flipkart Internet Private Limited, in partnership with Axis Bank and PayU Payments Private Limited, launched biometric authentication for card payments, allowing users to approve transactions using fingerprint or Face ID instead of One-Time Passwords (OTPs).

• Key Entities: Flipkart (checkout), PayU (merchant infrastructure), Axis Bank (issuer), Wibmo (PayU subsidiary — issuer-side verification).
• Technology: Replaces OTP with fingerprint or Face ID on Android and iOS; device-bound verification, fraud detection, one-touch approval.
• Objectives: Reduce OTP delays/failures; prevent SIM swap and phishing fraud; improve transaction success rates.
• Regulatory Alignment: RBI Authentication Mechanisms for Digital Payment Transactions Directions, 2025.

In April 2026, China’s national space agency CNSA (China National Space Administration) launched Pakistan’s PRSC-EO3 (Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite-Earth Observation-3) aboard a Long March-6 rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, marking the 640th Long March mission.

• Technology: Uses visible, near-infrared, and UV sensors with AI-based onboard data processing; capable of 3D terrain analysis.
• Function: Earth observation, remote sensing, environmental monitoring, urban planning, agricultural assessment, disaster management.
• SUPARCO: Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission; Pakistan’s national space agency; established 1961; HQ: Karachi.

The SIPRI Fact Sheet on World Military Expenditure 2025 (released April 2026) provides a comprehensive overview of global defence spending trends, with India’s rise to 5th position being a key highlight. This complements the detailed coverage in the International News section above.

• Global total: USD 2,887 billion — 11th consecutive year of increase.
• Europe: +14% to USD 864 billion (driven by Ukraine-Russia conflict).
• Asia-Oceania: +8.1% to USD 681 billion.
• NATO total: USD 559 billion; 22 of 29 members met the 2% GDP target.
• India’s share: 3.2% of global military spending.