Current Affairs

Scientists across institutions are exploring cyborg botany, integrating living plants with electronic components to create “living circuit boards.” It is interdisciplinary (biology, materials science, engineering); “cyborg” derives from cybernetic organism. Nanowires and transistors embedded in plant cell walls act as biosensors. Conductive polymers like PEDOT function as living wires carrying signals to external devices, enabling early detection of biotic (pests, disease) and abiotic (drought, extreme temperature) stress for targeted inputs.

Researchers report that daily 300 mg vitamin E improves liver tissue in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (fatty liver with inflammation and damage). Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin; alpha-tocopherol is the only form used by humans and is stored in fatty tissue and liver. It acts as an antioxidant. Sources: vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, meats, dairy, leafy greens, fortified cereals. Deficiency may occur with fat-malabsorption (pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease), causing retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, reduced immunity.

Central government has invited nominations for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, a national honour conferred annually by the Government of India and organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It recognises excellence in Bravery, Art and Culture, Environment, Social Service, Science and Technology, and Sports. Eligible nominees must be Indian citizens aged above 5 and not exceeding 18 years as on 31 July; achievements must be within two years. Up to 25 awardees (relaxable by National Selection Committee) receive a medal, certificate and citation booklet.

Tamil Nadu Forest Department began the third synchronised survey of the Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiri ibex/Varayaadu), an endangered mountain ungulate endemic to the southern Western Ghats and the only such species in southern India. It inhabits open montane grasslands and sholas at 1,200–2,600 m across a ~400 km stretch in Tamil Nadu and Kerala; Eravikulam National Park has the largest population. IUCN: Endangered; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I. Threats include deforestation, livestock competition, hydroelectric projects and monoculture plantations.

Excavations at Virli Khandar, a 2,500-year-old megalithic burial site (first reported 2008) in Pauni tehsil, Bhandara, Maharashtra, reveal composite stone circles with menhirs (unlike dolmen burials at Pimpalgaon Nipani, Tirota Kheri), inverted pottery stacks on black cotton soil over lateritic/murum base, and artefacts (copper, iron, etched carnelian, gold earring, bones). Dating: ~500 BCE; radiocarbon sequence 1000 BCE–300 CE. Menhirs include Grand Menhir Brisé, Brittany (20.6 m) and Nartiang Monoliths, Meghalaya (~8 m).

Anti-defection law gained attention after Raghav Chadha and three others left AAP to join BJP, raising Tenth Schedule disqualification issues. Enacted in 1985 via the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, it applies to Parliament and State Assemblies; Presiding Officer decides on member petitions. Grounds include voluntarily quitting, whip defiance, nominated/independent joining. Merger needs two-thirds (91st Amendment, 2003). Decisions face judicial review; key rulings: Kihoto Hollohan (1992), Ravi S. Naik (1994), Keisham Meghachandra (2020), Padi Kaushik Reddy (2025).

India–New Zealand FTA aligns with Viksit Bharat 2047 for global value chains and inclusive growth (MSMEs, farmers, women, youth). New Zealand offers 100% duty-free access for Indian exports (textiles, leather, footwear, gems) and commits USD 20 billion investment over 15 years. India grants access in 70% tariff lines (95% trade); 30% excluded (dairy, sugar, vegetable products, aluminium). Product-specific rules of origin, student/STEM and skilled mobility (5,000 temporary visas/year), AYUSH facilitation, services access (118) with MFN (139). NZ is India’s 2nd-largest Oceania partner; trade rose 49% to USD 1.3 billion in 2024–25; India has surplus; diaspora ~300,000 (~5%).

Health authorities issued caution after suspected West Nile fever cases in Ernakulam. West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus transmitted mainly by Culex, was first identified in Uganda (1937) and occurs in Africa, Europe, Middle East, North America and Asia. Birds are natural hosts; humans and horses are dead-end hosts. About 80% infections are asymptomatic; <1% develop neuroinvasive disease (meningitis/encephalitis/paralysis). Diagnosis: IgM ELISA, PCR, virus isolation (blood/CSF). No human vaccine/antiviral; supportive care and mosquito control (DEET/picaridin, covering clothing, removing standing water).

The SHP Development Scheme supports Small Hydro Projects (1–25 MW) to expand capacity during FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31. SHPs are administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; hydropower above 25 MW falls under the Ministry of Power. India’s SHP potential is 21,133.61 MW; 24.5% (5,171 MW) was harnessed by early 2026. Target: 1,500 MW. Assistance: ₹3.6 crore/MW or 30% (NES/border districts; cap ₹30 crore/project) and ₹2.4 crore/MW or 20% elsewhere (cap ₹20 crore/project).

The Ministry of Mines instituted a ₹5,000 crore incentive scheme under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for FY 2026–27. It targets mine operationalisation, higher mineral production, enhanced State revenue collection, and improved mining governance. Coverage includes implementation of mining reforms, mine operationalisation, and State Mining Readiness Index-based reforms. SASCI is a Central Sector Scheme, with Ministry of Finance as nodal ministry, providing States 50-year interest-free loans for capital expenditure.

Skyroot Aerospace, which flew a single-stage sub-orbital rocket in 2022, flagged off Vikram-1 payload fairing, starting its launch campaign. Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed multi-stage orbital launch vehicle authorised by IN-SPACe, is to launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It uses solid (Kalam), liquid (Raman) and cryogenic (Dhawan) propulsion, carries 350 kg to LEO and 260 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, with carbon-composite structure and indigenous 3D-printed engines.

As BRICS Chair in 2026, India issued a Chair’s summary expressing deep concern over the West Asia conflict, amid differing member positions. BRICS is an intergovernmental cooperation forum; term coined by Jim O’Neill (Goldman Sachs) in 2001; first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meet held at UNGA, New York (2006); South Africa joined in 2010. Chair rotates annually (Jan 1–Dec 31); pillars: political-security, economic-financial, cultural. BRICS has no permanent secretariat/charter; NDB set up at Fortaleza Summit (2014), HQ Shanghai; CRA provides BoP liquidity via swaps. Full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia; partners: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal gave Odisha and Chhattisgarh a final chance for amicable settlement in their inter-state water-sharing dispute (since 2016), involving Chhattisgarh’s barrages and downstream impacts. Mahanadi, India’s third-largest east-flowing peninsular river, rises in Sihawa hills (Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh), flows through both states to Bay of Bengal (851–900 km; catchment 1,41,600 sq km). Tribunal was constituted in 2018 per Supreme Court; Article 262 and Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (2019 amendment) govern adjudication.

Archaeological Survey of India has begun drilling into the Jagamohana of the Konark Sun Temple, Odisha, to remove sand packed during the British era as part of structural conservation. Located near the Bay of Bengal, the Surya temple, also called the Black Pagoda, forms Odisha’s Golden Triangle (Bhubaneswar–Puri–Konark). Built c.1250 CE by Narasimhadeva I (Eastern Ganga), it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984) in Kalinga (Nagara) style; the deul/shikhara have collapsed, while the Jagamohana remains intact.

Scientists discovered three new dragonfly species in Northeast India: Clouded Boghawker (Sarasaeschna nuboides), Siang Boghawker (Sarasaeschna sigotaayo) and Long-tailed Boghawker (Sarasaeschna dosdewaensis), order Odonata, family Aeshnidae. Clouded and Siang Boghawkers are endemic to Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh; Long-tailed Boghawker to Karimganj, Assam. Dragonflies (Anisoptera) indicate freshwater ecosystem health and prey on mosquitoes; eyes may have up to 30,000 facets.

Rising sea levels due to climate change may submerge much of Tuvalu by century-end, risking climate-induced displacement. Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation in the west-central Pacific between Australia and Hawaii, comprising nine islands (four reef islands, five coral atolls); capital is Funafuti Atoll. Entirely low-lying (highest point 4.5 m), it became independent from the UK in 1978, uses a Tuvalu dollar pegged to the Australian dollar, and is strategically courted by Australia, China and the US; migration occurs to New Zealand and Australia under special agreements.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj observes National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April (since 2010), marking 33 years of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which gave PRIs constitutional status, inserted Part IX (Articles 243–243O) and the 11th Schedule (29 subjects; agriculture, health, education). Gram Sabha (all registered voters) approves plans/budgets and social audits. 16th Finance Commission recommended 84% higher grants to Rural Local Bodies (80:20 basic:performance). Digital platforms: e-GramSwaraj, SabhaSaar. Panchayat Advancement Index 2.0 aligns with 9 SDG themes; indicators cut 516 to 150; 97.3% participation across 33 States/UTs. Panchayat Dharohar monographs: Tripura, Tirupati, Uttarkashi.

Supreme Court permitted medical termination for a 31-week pregnant minor, reaffirming reproductive choice as a fundamental right. The MTP Act allows abortion up to 20 weeks generally and 24 weeks for special categories (rape survivors, minors, differently-abled); beyond 24 weeks only in exceptional cases (severe foetal abnormality or grave risk) with medical board/judicial approval. SC held fundamental rights override statutory limits, linking choice to Articles 21 and 14; cited Suchita Srivastava (2009), Puttaswamy (2017), and its 2022 ruling removing marital-status distinctions; 2024–26 rulings stress no woman, especially a minor, can be compelled to continue pregnancy.

RBI flagged Paytm Payments Bank for non-adherence to payments bank licensing guidelines under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, highlighting compliance issues in differentiated banking. Payment banks, recommended by the Nachiket Mor Committee (2014), are small-scale institutions with minimal credit risk; other DBL entities include small finance banks. They are registered under Companies Act, 2013; governed by RBI Act, 1934, FEMA, 1999, and PSS Act, 2007; require ₹100 crore capital (promoters 40% for five years) and invest 75% in SLR securities and 25% with banks.

Jordan became the 63rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, expanding international cooperation for peaceful space exploration. Launched in 2020 under the Artemis space exploration programme, the Accords, led by the United States through NASA, set principles for cooperative exploration of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies. They reinforce the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and promote safe, transparent, sustainable activities, interoperability, scientific data sharing, conflict prevention and emergency assistance. India is a signatory.

NITI Aayog’s Trade Watch Quarterly reports a decline in the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) for India’s exports, indicating greater diversification across products and regions and improved trade resilience. HHI measures dispersion of trade across partners, computed as the sum of squared partner shares; higher values imply concentration. Gems and jewellery exports (excluding raw gold) hold 7.8% global market share. West Asia instability has slowed cooperation on the India–Gulf Cooperation Council FTA.

On Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the 8th century CE philosopher, born in 788 AD at Kalady, Kerala. He propagated Advaita (non-dualism), asserting Atman is not separate from Brahman; Maya explains perceived worldly duality as illusion, and moksha comes through realizing this oneness. He established four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath, and authored Bhaja Govindam, Atma Shatakam and Saundarya Lahari.

Ministry of Minority Affairs signed an MoU with IIT Patna under PM VIKAS, a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2024. It integrates Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil; covers notified minorities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis). Age: 14–45 (skilling/education), 18–45 (women leadership); reservations include 33% women (skilling), 50% (education), 100% (leadership), 3% PwDs; pan-India via PMJVK convergence, IIT/NIT/CSIR and state partners. Features: NSQF skilling, NIOS bridge, Biz Sakhi mentoring, placements, GI tagging, cultural tourism and minority Parvs; construction sector contributes 10% GDP, employs >50 million; digital transformation enables supply-chain integration, real-time monitoring, automation and startup-led innovation.

India’s construction sector (10% of GDP; over 50 million employed) is undergoing digital transformation to embed technologies across the project lifecycle and improve infrastructure delivery. The project economy spans highways, freight corridors, renewable energy, airports and data centres. Platforms such as Infra.Market, Metalbook and Brick & Bolt integrate supply chains, logistics and financing; sensors, robotics and computer vision enable real-time monitoring and automation. India’s startup-led model contrasts China’s state-driven approach. Globally, construction is a $10 trillion, low-tech-penetration industry.

On World Earth Day 2026 (22 April), National Science Centre, Delhi, is hosting a Popular Science Lecture on Antarctic exploration by Dr Amitava Sen Gupta (ISRO) and an open-house student quiz. Earth Day began in 1970 as a US environmental teach-in by Senator Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes. Theme: “Our Power, Our Planet”; campaign targets tripling renewables by 2030 (solar, wind, geothermal), highlights mitigation, biodiversity, reliability, 25% Revolution, Canopy Project, and 60% plastic cut by 2040; NASA showcased Artemis II Earth images.