April 2026

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The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool with a sovereign guarantee of Rs 12,980 crore, to give Indian shipping affordable hull, cargo, P&I and war-risk cover and reduce dependence on foreign reinsurers.

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The 84th Constitutional Amendment (2001) extended an earlier freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats, based on the 1971 Census, until the first Census taken after 2026. The 87th Amendment (2003) updated only the basis for redrawing constituency boundaries (to 2001 Census), while keeping the seat-number freeze intact. With the 2026-27 Census still under way, this freeze underlay the 131st Amendment debate.

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The Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan held that EWS candidates cannot claim automatic parity with SC, ST or OBC candidates on age relaxation and on the number of permissible attempts. The Court reasoned that these are 'ancillary considerations' tied to social, not economic, backwardness, and reflect the distinct nature of the EWS quota introduced by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment.

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NIHSAD, Bhopal is the apex laboratory in India for foreign and emerging animal diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The 14 April 2026 H5N1 confirmation at Hesaraghatta came from NIHSAD. NCDC and NIV handle human public-health labs; IVRI is broader animal-health research, but HPAI confirmation specifically goes to NIHSAD.

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The Boilers Act, 1923 is the central law for the regulation, manufacture, inspection and certification of boilers in India. State Inspectorates of Boilers under DPIIT enforce it. The Factories Act covers broader factory worker safety, and the OSH Code, 2020 is set to consolidate labour laws on safety; but the boiler-specific regime continues under the 1923 Act.

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On 17 April 2026, India and Austria operationalised a Fast-Track Investment Mechanism (FTM) at the India-Austria Business Forum. The FTM is a single-window dispute-resolution and approvals platform for cross-border investors. Both sides also positioned the wider proposed India-EU FTA as the larger trade driver.

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India imports about 90% of its crude oil requirement. This is why disruptions in the Persian Gulf — for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz between 28 February 2026 and mid-April 2026 — translate so quickly into freight, insurance and pump-price spikes for India.

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Kerala reached the replacement-level TFR of 2.1 in 1987-88, well ahead of the rest of India. The other southern states followed in the mid-2000s. A TFR of 2.1 means each woman has, on average, just enough children to replace her generation; below this level, population eventually declines. NFHS-5 (2019-21) reported India's national TFR at 2.0, indicating the country has now also crossed into sub-replacement.

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R. Vaishali won the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament held in Cyprus in April 2026, becoming the first Indian to do so since the event was first held in 1952. The winner of the Candidates earns the right to challenge the reigning Women's World Champion — Ju Wenjun of China — in the World Championship match later in 2026. Divya Deshmukh had earlier won the FIDE World Cup in July 2025.

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India accounts for roughly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions — the third largest, after China and the United States — but its per-capita emissions are the lowest in the G20, at about one-eighth of the average American level. Its historical (cumulative) contribution is just about 3%. India has also submitted updated NDCs targeting 500 GW of non-fossil installed capacity by 2030.

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Tele-MANAS — Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States — was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2022. It is currently a voice-based helpline that has scaled significantly. The NIMHANS-ICMR consultation in April 2026 proposed augmenting it with AI-based screening, vernacular chat-bots and clinician-supervised digital CBT.

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The Bhubaneswar facility will use 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI) on glass substrates instead of traditional organic or silicon substrates. Glass has a lower dielectric constant than silicon (about 3-6 against 11.7), which improves signal speed and integrity in advanced chips meant for AI, 5G/6G, defence electronics and automotive radar.

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The Union Cabinet approved the BMI Pool on 18 April 2026 with a sovereign guarantee of Rs 12,980 crore. The pool will provide Hull and Machinery, Cargo, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) and War-risk cover to Indian-flagged or Indian-controlled vessels and to foreign vessels trading with Indian ports. Its combined underwriting capacity is around Rs 950 crore, with GIC Re as the administrator.

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NICRA stands for National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture. It is an ICAR project that develops and disseminates climate-resilient farming practices — heat-tolerant varieties, water-saving techniques, soil-carbon sequestration and district-level contingency plans — across India's vulnerable rainfed regions. The project has been a core element of India's climate-adaptation work in agriculture.

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Under the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), each side may simultaneously station up to 3,000 military personnel, 5 warships and 10 military aircraft on the other country's territory. RELOS was signed in February 2025 in Moscow, ratified by Russia in December 2025 and entered into force on 12 January 2026. It is valid for five years and can be extended.

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The blast happened at a private firecracker manufacturing unit in Kattanarpatti village in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, 19 April 2026. At least 23 workers were killed and 6 injured. The Sivakasi-Virudhunagar belt accounts for most of India's firecracker production. The unit was reportedly operating on a Sunday — designated as a mandatory rest day for fireworks units — and the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of the deaths.

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World Liver Day 2026, observed on 19 April, used the theme 'Solid Habits, Strong Liver'. The day commemorates the founding of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in 1966 and focused on four daily habits — balanced diet, physical activity, moderate or no alcohol and periodic liver check-ups. India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), launched in 2018, complements these public-health goals.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares a heatwave over the plains when the maximum temperature touches at least 40°C and is 4.5°C to 6.4°C above the normal for that location. The threshold is 30°C over hills and 37°C over coastal areas. A 'severe' heatwave is declared when the departure from normal exceeds 6.4°C. On 19 April 2026, the IMD warned of heatwave conditions over Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand.

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The new five-year roadmap targets raising bilateral trade from about $27 billion to $50 billion by 2030.

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The Cabinet on 20 April 2026 extended PMGSY-III by three years (from March 2025 to March 2028) to allow remaining sanctioned road works to be completed. PMGSY-IV runs separately from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29.

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Abhay is an AI chatbot launched by the CBI on 20 April 2026 (at the 22nd D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture) so citizens can quickly verify whether a notice claiming to be from the CBI is genuine.

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G4 = India, Brazil, Germany, Japan. The group seeks expansion of both permanent and non-permanent UNSC seats, with the veto question for new permanent members deferred for 15 years.

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AIGEG was constituted by MeitY in April 2026, chaired by the Union Minister for Electronics and IT, and supported by the Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC).

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The report records 135 bat species in India, with 7 classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, 16 endemic, and 35 listed as Data Deficient.

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The species was described from North Tripura, near Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary, and is the 31st Cyrtodactylus species recorded from Northeast India.

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'Memflation' is the steep rise in memory-chip (DRAM, NAND) prices triggered by AI data-centre demand outpacing supply, with DRAM prices estimated to rise about 125 per cent and NAND about 234 per cent over the surge cycle.

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The Centre raised the wheat procurement target from 30.33 million tonnes to 34.5 million tonnes for the 2026-27 marketing season after unseasonal rains damaged crops and states reported higher demand. Madhya Pradesh's share alone was raised from 7.8 to 10 million tonnes. Wheat procurement supports both Food Corporation of India buffer stocks and the Public Distribution System. The Food and Public Distribution Secretary announced the revision on Friday.

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The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is the apex planning body for India's power sector and projects national peak demand each year. It has forecast a record peak demand of 271 GW for 2026, exceeding the previous high of 250 GW set on 30 May 2024. Real-time grid balancing during such peaks is handled by Grid Controller of India. Aspirants should distinguish between installed capacity (524 GW) and peak met demand.

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The PMI is a diffusion index where a reading above 50 indicates expansion of business activity and a reading below 50 indicates contraction. India's flash Composite PMI rose to 58.3 in April 2026 from 57.0 in March, signalling stronger expansion led by manufacturing. PMI is compiled monthly from surveys of purchasing managers and is one of the earliest indicators of economic momentum. It covers output, new orders, employment and prices.

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The agreement provides 5,000 work visas every year for skilled Indian professionals in sectors such as information technology, healthcare and education. The pact also offers duty-free market access for 100% of India's exports to New Zealand and carries a $20 billion investment commitment from Wellington. It was signed in New Delhi by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand's Trade Minister Todd McClay. The deal is significant as one of India's first free-trade pacts with a developed economy in the Indo-Pacific.

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The RBI's April 2026 monthly bulletin estimated India's GDP growth at 7.6 per cent for 2025-26, supported by robust consumption and investment. The bulletin also flagged downside risks from the United States-Iran conflict, including higher energy costs, input price pressures and disrupted trade flows. The central bank warned of possible second-round effects where a supply shock turns into a demand shock. Headline inflation has remained within the tolerance band but with rising upside risks.

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The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is the standards-setting body for fuel efficiency in India and has proposed the CAFE-III norms. The framework tightens the headline carbon dioxide target from about 113 g/km under CAFE-II to 77 g/km by 2031-32. It introduces super-credits, credit banking and three-year compliance blocks, which critics say weaken the push toward electric mobility. Transport is India's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so vehicle efficiency rules are central to climate policy.

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India has positioned its BRICS presidency as a platform for constructive multipolarity rather than a confrontational anti-Western bloc, focusing on inclusive global growth, human-centric globalisation and institutional reform. The government is pushing for a formal BRICS secretariat to improve continuity, coordination and implementation. India's digital public infrastructure such as Aadhaar, UPI, ONDC and DigiLocker gives it credibility in shaping conversations on digital governance for emerging economies. The approach builds on India's earlier G-20 presidency and Voice of Global South Summits.

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India's Neighbourhood First Policy gives priority to relations with immediate South Asian neighbours, including Nepal. Energy cooperation is a key pillar, with Nepal exporting surplus hydropower to India during the monsoon and importing power during the dry season. Open borders, shared cultural and religious links, and infrastructure projects such as cross-border petroleum pipelines and railway lines anchor the relationship. The framework guides engagement even during political transitions in neighbouring capitals.

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A diamond crossing is a track layout where two railway tracks intersect at an angle, allowing trains to cross without switching from one line to another. A coach of the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express recently came off the rails at such a crossing while entering Pune station, with no injuries reported. Central Railway has said similar non-standard diamond crossings on the network will be replaced on priority. The incident has drawn attention to yard modernisation needs as the Vande Bharat fleet expands.

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PRSC-EO3 was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China's Shanxi Province on a Long March-6 carrier rocket, lifting off at 8:15 PM Beijing time on 26 April 2026. PRSC stands for Pakistan Remote Sensing Centre, and the EO3 designation indicates the third in a series of Earth observation satellites. Earth observation capability has implications for border surveillance, disaster monitoring and resource mapping. India offers similar launch services to foreign customers through ISRO and New Space India Limited.

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The alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) process turns ethanol into jet fuel through three steps: dehydration of the ethanol, oligomerisation to lengthen the hydrocarbon chains, and hydrogenation to meet aviation turbine fuel specifications. SAF is a drop-in fuel that can be blended with conventional jet fuel without major engine modifications. The Government of India issued a notification on 17 April 2026 enabling ethanol as a feedstock for SAF, linking it to the existing E20 road-transport programme. The move supports compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization's CORSIA scheme.

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The BHISHM (Bhārat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri) cubes are developed under Project Aarogya Maitri. Each cube is a self-contained emergency-response unit capable of providing trauma care for up to 200 casualties.

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Article 324 vests in the Election Commission of India the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is carried out under this mandate and the Representation of the People Act. The Supreme Court's intervention under its writ jurisdiction (Article 32) protected eligible voters who had been wrongly excluded.

📖 Explanation

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.