NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Cabinet Approves ‘Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool’ with ₹12,980 Crore Sovereign Guarantee : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the creation of the ‘Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool’ (BMI Pool), backed by a sovereign guarantee of ₹12,980 crore, to ensure continuous and affordable maritime insurance coverage.The BMI Pool will provide insurance for vessels carrying cargo to and from Indian ports, including those transiting volatile maritime corridors, and will cover all major maritime risks such as Hull & Machinery, Cargo, Protection & Indemnity (P&I), and War risks.It aims to reduce India’s heavy dependence on the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (IGP&I) Clubs, ensuring continuity of trade even in situations involving geopolitical tensions, sanctions, or withdrawal of foreign insurance coverage.The Pool will have a combined underwriting capacity of around ₹950 crore, with policies issued by member insurers. It will also help develop specialized domestic expertise in marine underwriting, claims management, and legal matters tailored to Indian shipping needs, while a Governing Body will oversee its functioning.
2. NITI Aayog Launches “Divya Bharat: A Window to the Soul of India” Anthology for Tourism Promotion: NITI Aayog launched the anthology “Divya Bharat: A Window to the Soul of India”, released by Vice Chairman Suman Bery in New Delhi to promote tourism across all States and Union Territories.The book serves as a year-round tourism guide, covering destinations, culture, cuisine, textiles, and handicrafts, along with a monthly travel calendar and state-wise details highlighting both famous and lesser-known places.It complements initiatives like Dekho Apna Desh and Swadesh Darshan, along with the plan to develop 50 global destinations, aimed at boosting tourism and improving infrastructure standards.
3. PM Modi to Inaugurate India’s First Greenfield Integrated Refinery-Petrochemical Complex in Rajasthan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first Greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra, Rajasthan.The project has been developed as a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Government of Rajasthan, at a cost of over ₹1,79,450 crore.The refinery has a capacity of 9 MMTPA, along with a petrochemical production capacity of 2.4 MMTPA, making it a major energy infrastructure project.
4. India’s Eight Core Industries Contract 0.4% in March After Five Months of Growth: India’s Eight Core Industries recorded a 4% contraction in March, marking the first decline in the last five months, as per data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.The Eight Core Industries include Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity, which are key drivers of industrial growth.These sectors collectively account for 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), making them a crucial indicator of India’s industrial performance.
5. NSE-Listed Companies’ CSR Spending Jumps 23% to ₹22,212 Crore in FY25: CSR spending by companies listed on the National Stock Exchange main board increased by 23% to ₹22,212 crore in FY 2024–25, compared to ₹18,011 crore in the previous year, according to a report by PrimeInfobase (PRIME Database Group).The rise in CSR expenditure was driven by a 22% increase in average net profit over the last three years, which determines mandatory CSR spending under the Companies Act requirement of 2% of average net profits.Reliance Industries Ltd topped CSR spending with ₹1,309.5 crore, followed by HDFC Bank at ₹1,068.03 crore and Tata Consultancy Services at ₹960 crore.Among states, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu emerged as the leading recipients of CSR funds.
6. Indian Landfills Among Top Methane Super-Emitters: Two landfill sites in Telangana and Maharashtra have been listed among the world’s top 25 methane “super-polluters” in 2025, according to the report “Spotlight on the Top 25 Methane Plumes in 2025: Landfills” by UCLA’s STOP Methane Project. The findings highlight the growing climate and public health risks linked to landfill emissions, especially in rapidly urbanising regions where unmanaged waste generates large methane plumes. The report identified 25 landfill sites across 18 countries with the highest methane emission rates detected from space. Satellite data from Carbon Mapper tracked nearly 3,000 methane plumes from over 700 waste sites worldwide. The listed facilities emitted between 3.6 and 7.5 tonnes of methane per hour. A landfill near Buenos Aires, Argentina, was found to be the highest emitter globally, releasing around 7.6 tonnes per hour.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Bank Approves $225 Million Loan for Rajasthan Highway Modernisation Project: The World Bank has approved a USD 225 million loan for the Rajasthan Highway Modernisation Project to enhance road efficiency, resilience, and safety across the state.The project is expected to directly benefit over 3 million people by improving connectivity and stimulating job creation in key economic sectors including agriculture, industry, mining, and tourism.This funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 35-year maturity period and a 5-year grace period.
2. India and South Korea to increase bilateral trade to 50 billion dollars by 2030: India and South Korea signed four MoUs covering Sports, Cultural & Creative Industries, MSMEs, and the establishment of an Industrial Cooperation Committee, along with agreements on CEPA upgrade negotiations and the India-Korea Digital Bridge.The agreements were finalized after talks between Narendra Modi and Lee Jae Myung in New Delhi, emphasizing peace, stability, and a shared Indo-Pacific vision.Both nations launched the India-Korea Digital Bridge to deepen cooperation in AI, semiconductors, and IT, while also expanding collaboration across sectors from defence to energy and culture.Bilateral trade has reached $27 billion, with a target of $50 billion by 2030, alongside growing cultural ties (K-Pop, Indian cinema) and South Korea joining initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
3. Ministry of Textiles Launches ‘Vishwa Sutra – Weaves of India for the World’ to Globalize Indian Handlooms : The Ministry of Textiles has launched the initiative ‘Vishwa Sutra – Weaves of India for the World’, developed by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) in collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, to promote Indian handlooms in a global design framework.The initiative features 30 distinct handloom weaves from 30 states, creatively reinterpreted with design inspirations from 30 countries and showcased at the 61st Femina Miss India event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.It aligns with the Government’s vision of “Vocal for Local to Global” and the Prime Minister’s 5F framework (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign), highlighting cultural heritage, sustainability, and global textile outreach.
4. Dinesh Trivedi Appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh: Dinesh Trivedi has been appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh.He is a former Union Minister, having served as Railway Minister and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, and also represented Barrackpore as a Member of Parliament.
5. 22 April – Earth Day : Earth Day is observed every year on April 22 to raise awareness about environmental protection and sustainability worldwide.It was first celebrated in 1970, and today involves participation from over 190 countries, making it one of the largest global environmental movements.The day promotes actions like climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, pollution control, and sustainable living practices.
6. Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO After 15 Years : Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will step down from his leadership role on 1 September 2026, ending a 15-year tenure that transformed the company into one of the world’s most valuable technology giants. Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011, will move into the position of Executive Chairman. Apple has named senior executive John Ternus as the next CEO, marking a major leadership transition for the company as it enters a new era shaped by artificial intelligence and next-generation hardware innovation. Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011 following the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Under his leadership, Apple expanded far beyond the iPhone, strengthening its ecosystem with products such as Apple Watch, AirPods, services like Apple Music and Apple TV+, and major growth in subscriptions. He also led Apple through major supply chain shifts, privacy debates and increasing global regulatory challenges, while making it the world’s most valuable listed company for several years.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Defence Ministry Signs ₹975 Crore Tank Equipment Deals: The Defence Ministry has signed contracts worth nearly ₹975 crore to strengthen the Indian Army’s minefield breaching capability for its T-72 and T-90 tanks. The procurement focuses on TRAWL assemblies, a specialised system designed to help tanks safely cross minefields laid with anti-tank mines. The move is aimed at improving battlefield mobility and enhancing operational readiness along sensitive frontiers. TRAWL assembly is a critical minefield breaching equipment developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is mounted on T-72 and T-90 tanks and helps create safe lanes for armoured vehicles by neutralising anti-tank mines, including those fitted with proximity magnetic fuses. This significantly improves the Army’s ability to conduct offensive and defensive operations in mined zones.
SPORTS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. CBI Launches AI Chatbot ‘Abhay’ to Verify Notices and Combat Digital Scams: The Central Bureau of Investigation (Central Bureau of Investigation) has launched an AI-powered chatbot named ‘Abhay’ to help citizens verify official notices and protect them from digital scams.The chatbot enables users to check whether a notice is genuine or fake, thereby reducing panic and preventing financial fraud.It was unveiled by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, marking a step towards technology-driven fraud prevention.
2. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope to map space 1,000 times faster than Hubble: NASA Completes Roman Space Telescope Assembly
NASA has completed the final assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, marking a major milestone ahead of its planned 2026 launch. Built at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, the observatory is expected to become one of the most powerful survey telescopes ever developed. Often seen as the next major mission after the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, Roman will study dark energy, galaxy formation and distant planetary systems on an unprecedented scale.The Roman Space Telescope is designed to observe the universe in visible and near-infrared light. Its main mirror is 2.4 metres wide, similar in size to the Hubble Space Telescope. However, its field of view is nearly 100 times larger in a single image. This allows it to scan large regions of space much faster. NASA says Roman can collect survey data nearly 1,000 times faster than Hubble, making it ideal for wide-field cosmic mapping.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Ahana Launches RBI Reporting Solution for Co-operative Banks with Proprietary Data Model: Ahana has launched an RBI reporting solution for co-operative banks, built on its proprietary Data Model to streamline reporting across core banking, treasury, and digital systems.The solution addresses challenges like fragmented data, manual extraction, validation, reconciliation, and heavy reliance on spreadsheet-based workflows in reporting cycles.It provides a governed and standardised reporting framework that consolidates data and supports RBI and MIS reporting through structured pipelines and analytics-driven processes.
2. India Post Achieves Record ₹15,296 Crore Revenue in FY26, Registers 16% Growth: India Post recorded a historic revenue of ₹15,296 crore in FY 2025–26, marking a strong 16% growth, as highlighted by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia.The growth was driven by key segments like parcels (+69%), mail services (+34%), and citizen-centric services (+70%), along with expansion in savings bank and insurance services.India Post is transitioning into a revenue-driven, citizen-centric organisation, focusing on premium services (24/48 Speed Post), digital transformation, and enhanced logistics to become a future profit centre.
3. BHIM App Introduces New Feature to Check CIBIL Score Directly via NPCI Support : The NPCI-backed National Payments Corporation of India (BHIM app) has introduced a new feature that allows users to check their CIBIL score directly within the app.This facility has been launched in partnership with TransUnion CIBIL, enhancing easy and secure access to credit score information for users.
4. CheQ and AU Small Finance Bank Launch India’s First LED-Powered Co-Branded Credit Card ‘CheQ AU Credit Card’: CheQ has partnered with AU Small Finance Bank to launch India’s first co-branded LED-powered credit card named “CheQ AU Credit Card”, offering an innovative digital banking experience.The credit card lights up during transactions using energy from the NFC field of POS terminals, eliminating the need for any internal battery.The card supports dual payment networks, enabling Visa for global transactions and RuPay for UPI-based payments in India.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Sadhvi Satish Sail Crowned Miss India 2026; Rajnandini Pawar Secures Runner-Up Title: Sadhvi Satish Sail from Goa was crowned Miss India 2026, while Rajnandini Pawar from Maharashtra secured the 1st runner-up position.The 61st edition of Miss India was held on April 18, 2026, at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar, celebrating the theme “Daughters of This Soil.” Sadhvi Satish Sail was crowned by Nikita Porwal and will represent India at the Miss World 2027.
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