NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
State Visit of South Korean President to India — Key Outcomes
- Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), undertook a state visit to India, strengthening the India–ROK Special Strategic Partnership through key agreements and frameworks.
- Major Outcome Documents: Joint Strategic Vision for the partnership; Joint Statements on sustainability and energy resource security; Comprehensive Framework on shipbuilding, shipping & maritime logistics.
- MoUs & Frameworks (15 signed): including Cooperation in ports, Establishment of Industrial Cooperation Committee, Cooperation in SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises, Collaboration in steel supply chain (technology & trade).
- The visit marks a deepening of economic, industrial, maritime, and sustainability cooperation, expanding bilateral ties into strategic and future-oriented sectors.
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BANKING | ECONOMY CURRENT AFFAIRS
Index of Eight Core Industries — March 2026
- Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded a decline of 0.4% (provisional) in March 2026 compared to March 2025. The cumulative growth for April–March 2025–26 stood at 2.6% (provisional), while February 2026 growth was revised to 2.8%.
- Index of Eight Core Industries: It is a monthly production volume index tracking performance of eight core infrastructure sectors, serving as a lead indicator of industrial growth before full IIP data release. With Base Year: 2011–12, it is Published monthly, usually on the last working day of the subsequent month.
- Compiled and Released by: Office of the Economic Adviser under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- Weight in IIP: Accounts for 27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
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Government approves additional 25 LMT Wheat Export
- After reviewing production, stocks, and price trends, Government of India has approved export of an additional 25 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat, taking total permitted exports to 50 LMT of wheat and 10 LMT of wheat products (60 LMT overall)
- Rabi 2026 Trends: Wheat acreage rose to 334.17 lakh hectares (from 328.04 lakh ha last year), reflecting farmer confidence supported by Minimum Support Price (MSP) and strong procurement.
- Production for 2025–26 is estimated at 1,202 LMT (Second Advance Estimates by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, 10 March 2026).
- Significance: The move will improve market liquidity, prevent distress sales, stabilise domestic prices, manage stocks efficiently, and boost farmers’ incomes, while ensuring food security remains safeguarded.
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BSE Housing Finance Index: New Market Benchmark
- BSE Index Services, a subsidiary of BSE Ltd, has launched the BSE Housing Finance Index to track the performance of housing finance companies, offering a focused benchmark within financial sector.
- BSE Housing Finance Index Highlights: The index selects stocks from BSE 1000 classified under housing finance and comprises 11 companies, including LIC Housing Finance, PNB Housing Finance, Sammaan Capital, Home First Finance Company, and Bajaj Housing Finance. It follows a capped free float m-cap (market capitalisation) method with semi-annual rebalancing (June, December).
- Designed for ETFs, index funds, and PMS, it enables targeted exposure and diversification in housing finance segment.
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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES CURRENT AFFAIRS
Samriddh Gram Initiative Nominated for WSIS Prizes 2026
- India’s Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model, was nominated for the WSIS ( (World Summit on the Information Society)) Prizes 2026 in the AL C6 (Enabling Environment) category.
- Samriddh Gram Initiative: It is led by Department of Telecommunications and has been Built on the BharatNet backbone. It promotes inclusive rural development and digital empowerment. With this India’s pushes for integrated rural service delivery through digital infrastructure.
- Features: It operates through Samriddhi Kendras, one-stop “phygital” hubs combining physical and digital services. These centres provide telemedicine, agriculture advisory, governance services, smart education, financial inclusion, and e-commerce access. Enabled by high-speed broadband, FTTH, and public Wi-Fi, model converts connectivity into socio-economic benefits.
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ENVIRONMENT CURRENT AFFAIRS
Jamun (Syzygium) Origin Study: India as Evolutionary Hub
- A study published in Journal of Palaeogeography revealed that Jamun (genus Syzygium) originated much earlier (~80 million years ago) in East Gondwana, with India as a major centre of early diversification.
- Fossil evidence: from India (about 60–20 million years ago), earlier underexplored, now confirms Jamun’s continuous presence in India since ~55 million years ago (Eocene era). Researchers identified 11 well-preserved fossil leaves and a new species, Syzygium paleosalicifolium.
- Conclusions: The study challenges earlier estimates (of origin ~51 million years) and theories linking jamun origin to Australia or Southeast Asia. It proposes dispersal of Jamun from India to Southeast Asia and Australia, highlighting its significance for climate change prediction, biodiversity conservation, ecological planning, and biogeography research.
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SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
IIT Madras launches ‘OmegaBall’, India’s First Three-Team Football Format
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras has introduced OmegaBall, marking its first entry into India, and proposed an IIT Madras OmegaBall Club to promote the sport nationally. The sport is also gaining popularity in Europe, US and Brazil.
- Objective: Initiative reflects IIT’s focus on innovation in sports and student engagement, building on its distinction as the first IIT to introduce sports-based admissions.
- About OmegaBall: It is a fast-paced football variant played by three teams on a circular field (~50–55 m) with three goals placed 120° apart. Each team attacks two goals and defends one, ensuring continuous gameplay and high scoring.
- Rules: Matches have three 13-minute sessions, no offside rule, and dynamic multi-directional play.
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Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 Held in Madrid:
- The Laureus World Sports Awards 2026, also known as “Oscars of Sport,” were held in Madrid, Spain, honouring top global athletes for their 2025 performances.
- Top Award Winners: Carlos Alcaraz won World Sportsman of Year, while Aryna Sabalenka secured World Sportswoman of Year.
- Laureus World Sports Awards: Established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, with founding patrons Daimler and Richemont. The first ceremony was held in 2000 at Monte Carlo, featuring Nelson Mandela. The awards recognise global sporting excellence annually.
- Record Holders: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic with five awards each.
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AWARDS & EVENTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
UN Chinese Language Day: April 20
- UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on 20th April, to promote multilingualism, cultural diversity, and equal use of official UN languages. The day honours Cangjie, traditionally credited with creating Chinese script, symbolising its historical legacy. The day encourages linguistic diversity, cultural exchange, and strengthens Chinese language use in global governance.
- Background: It was Instituted in 2010 by UN Department of Public Information. It evolved from International Chinese Language Day and was promoted by scholar Chen Entian. Initially observed on 12 November 2010, it has been celebrated on April 20 since 2011, aligning with traditional Chinese “Guyu” (aka Grain Rain) period.
- Chinese has been one of six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) since 1946.
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All-Women Cohort Wins Goldman Environmental Prize 2026
- For the first time, the Goldman Environmental Foundation honoured an all-women cohort at Goldman Environmental Prize 2026, marking a historic milestone in global environmental activism. Each awardee receives $200,000 to advance their work.
- Six Winners: Iroro Tanshi (Nigeria), Borim Kim (South Korea), Sarah Finch (UK), Theonila Roka Matbob (Papua New Guinea), Alannah Acaq Hurley (USA), and Yuvelis Morales Blanco (Colombia). They were recognised for grassroots leadership in climate justice, biodiversity conservation, and community sustainability.
- Goldman Environmental Prize: Known as the “Green Nobel Prize,” it was established in 1989 by Richard and Rhoda Goldman. So far, over $33 million has been awarded to 239 winners from 98 countries (including over 112 women).
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World Creativity and Innovation Day: 21 April
- World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) is observed annually on 21 April to emphasise role of creativity and innovation in addressing global challenges and advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Theme 2026: “Harnessing Creativity for Global Progress” . It focuses on innovative solutions, multidisciplinary thinking, and transformation in technology, entrepreneurship, and education.
- History: First observed in 2002, it was formally recognised by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with official UN observance beginning in 2018.
- Objective: The day promotes creative thinking for sustainable development and highlights creativity as a driver of economic growth. Reports by UNESCO, UNDP, and UNOSSC describe creative economy as “true wealth of nations.”
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