Current Affairs — 24 April 2026

📖 Explanation

National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April each year. The date marks 24 April 1993, when the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, came into force and gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

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PAI 2.0 has 150 indicators, down from 516 indicators in PAI 1.0. The framework is built on the nine themes of the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDG) and is hosted on the pai.gov.in portal.

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The MPC unanimously kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% in April 2026 with a neutral stance. The SDF rate is 5.00% (floor) and the MSF/Bank Rate is 5.50% (ceiling) — together forming the rate corridor.

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RBI cut FY27 GDP growth by 50 basis points to 6.9% and raised the CPI inflation projection to 4.6%, citing the West Asia conflict pushing Brent crude near 100 US dollars per barrel.

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The 11th meeting was held in Cairo from 20-22 April 2026. Outcomes included a defence cooperation plan for 2026-27 and the first-ever bilateral Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks.

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IFC-IOR is hosted at Gurugram, Haryana. It is operated by the Indian Navy and tracks merchant shipping and security incidents across the Indian Ocean Region in coordination with international liaison officers.

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The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman (which opens into the Arabian Sea). It lies between Iran in the north and Oman/UAE in the south. About 20-25% of global oil moves through it.

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The mining incentive is a component of SASCI — the Centre's interest-free 50-year capex loan to states. The scheme rewards states across three reform areas, including a 100 crore rupees baseline reform reward and a State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) ranking.

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SARAS Aajeevika Melas are run under DAY-NRLM by the Ministry of Rural Development. SARAS expands as 'Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society' and supports SHG women in marketing handicrafts and food products.

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BMCs are constituted under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which gives effect to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The three-tier structure is NBA (Centre, headquartered at Chennai), State Biodiversity Boards, and BMCs at panchayat level.

📖 Explanation

The Bar Council of India and State Bar Councils are constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961 (BCI under Section 4, State Bar Councils under Section 3). BCI sets professional standards, conducts the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) and is the appellate body for advocate discipline.

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TIFR was founded in 1945 by Dr Homi J. Bhabha and is an autonomous institute under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). It is headquartered in Mumbai. TIFR has co-developed instruments on AstroSat (launched 2015).