National Affairs

Overview of PM Narendra Modi's Visit to UP from April 28–29, 2026

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Uttar Pradesh (UP) on 28–29 April 2026, where he participated in the Mahila Sammelan in Varanasi (Kashi) and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects worth around ₹6,350 crore.

The visit included major programmes in Varanasi and Hardoi, focusing on women empowerment, infrastructure development, healthcare, tourism, railways, and expressway connectivity.

Event: PM Modi attended a Mahila Sammelan in Varanasi with large participation of women and performed darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple while announcing and launching major development initiatives.

Outlay:

Inauguration — Ganga Expressway:

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Attends NRAI's 75th Anniversary; Launches NRAI Athlete App

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), attended the 75th anniversary celebrations of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (DKSSR) Finals Hall in New Delhi, Delhi, on 27 April 2026.

Launched Initiatives:

• Commemorative Logo: Unveiled to mark 75 years of Indian shooting, symbolising seven and a half decades of excellence, discipline, and achievements.
• MyNRAI Athlete App: A transformative digital platform positioning NRAI as India's first fully digitised sports federation.
• Grassroots Initiative: NRAI announced a nationwide programme to introduce 7.5 lakh school and college students to shooting before the 2028 Olympics through a hands-on "10-shot experience."

MEA Secretary Dr. Neena Malhotra Chairs BRICS MENA Meeting 2026 in Delhi

Dr. Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), chaired the BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa (BRICS MENA) meeting in New Delhi, Delhi, on 23–24 April 2026, in line with India's BRICS Chairship.

Focus: Members expressed deep concern over regional developments in the Middle East, including the situation in Palestine and Gaza, humanitarian assistance, and the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). They reiterated zero tolerance for terrorism, welcomed the Lebanon ceasefire, and condemned attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Regions Discussed: Post-conflict reconstruction in Syria, political settlement in Yemen, stability in Iraq, political process in Libya, and humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Outcome: Members agreed to meet again under China's chairship in 2027.

Union MoS Sanjay Seth Launches 'Namo Stall Scheme' for Vendors in Ranchi

Union Minister of State (MoS) Sanjay Seth, Ministry of Defence (MoD), launched the 'Namo Stall Scheme' for street fruit and vegetable vendors in Ranchi, Jharkhand, under Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.

Objective: Empowering local vendors by offering better infrastructure, enhancing visibility, and promoting self-employment.

Implementation: In the initial phase, five vendors were allotted free stalls, with each stall costing approximately ₹50,000.

PM SVANidhi Scheme: A central-sector micro-credit scheme launched on 1 June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to support street vendors.

All loans are collateral-free working capital loans.

International Affairs

THE Asia University Rankings 2026: Tsinghua University Tops; IISc Bengaluru Emerges as India's Top University

The United Kingdom (UK)-based Times Higher Education (THE) released the 14th Asia University Rankings 2026, in which Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Karnataka, emerged as India's top university and the only Indian institute in the top 50, securing 43rd rank (score: 65.1), down from 38th in 2025.

Top 10 Universities in Asia (2026):

Tsinghua University secured 1st place for the 8th consecutive year.

Top Representation: India led with 128 universities, followed by Japan (115) and Turkey (109).

Dominance: China holds the top two positions and five of the top 10 spots; Singapore and Hong Kong each have two universities in the top 10.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh Attends SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), attended the 23rd Defence Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 28 April 2026.

Focus: Strengthening regional security cooperation, counter-terrorism efforts, and promoting stability amid evolving global challenges.

Participants: Defence ministers of SCO member states — India, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.

India's Stand: Union Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted India's commitment to global peace and reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and extremism.

Bilateral Engagements: On the sidelines, Union Minister Singh held bilateral talks with defence ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, and Belarus to enhance defence cooperation, strengthen sectoral collaboration, and promote capacity building and training.

Banking & Finance

RBI Eases Rules for Small NBFCs; Grants Exemptions from July 1, 2026

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued final guidelines — RBI (NBFC – Registration, Exemptions and Framework for Scale Based Regulation) Amendment Directions, 2026 — for NBFCs not availing public funds and not having customer interface. The regulations come into effect from July 1, 2026.

Framework:

One-Time Window: Existing NBFCs meeting these criteria can apply for deregistration by December 31, 2026 — the first-ever structured exit route from the regulatory framework.

Suo Motu Loan Resolution in Calamities: RBI also allowed banks and non-bank lenders to implement suo motu resolution for borrowers affected by natural calamities on the recommendation of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC). Effective from 1 July 2026.

SEBI Operationalises 'PaRRVA Framework' for Transparency & Investor Protection

The market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) operationalised the 'Past Risk and Return Verification Agency (PaRRVA) framework' to enhance transparency in performance claims made by market intermediaries.

Regulatory Recognition: CARE Ratings Limited granted recognition as PaRRVA; National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) will function as the PaRRVA Data Centre (PDC), in line with the regulatory framework issued on April 4, 2025.

Pilot Phase: Launched on December 8, 2025. Post completion, PaRRVA will begin providing regular services from May 4, 2026.

Objective: India's first mechanism to independently validate performance claims made by regulated intermediaries and unregistered finfluencers.

Tata AIA Life Insurance Launches 'Shubh Health Criti': Unit-Linked Health Fund Plan

Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited launched 'Shubh Health Criti', a unit-linked life insurance plan (ULIP) designed to build a market-linked health fund for long-term medical needs, offering coverage for over 60 critical illnesses and available to individuals aged 18–65 years.

Structure: Integrates Tata AIA Health SIP, Tata AIA Health Buddy, and Tata AIA Comprehensive Protection Rider for insurance, wellness, and protection features.

Key Benefits:

• Premium waiver on death or disability
• Accidental death and disability cover
• Terminal illness benefit with term booster
• Dual-life Outpatient Department (OPD) cover for family
• Return of Health Buddy premiums (if opted)
• 30-year premium guarantee

Wellness: Integrated with the Health Buddy ecosystem for preventive care through screenings and tracking; maturity benefits as total fund value at Net Asset Value (NAV) with eligible premium returns.

Economy & Business

Paras Defence Partners Complus & JV Micronics for Anechoic Chamber Projects

Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited (PARAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Complus Systems Private Limited and JV Micronics to collaborate on the development of advanced anechoic chamber projects in India.

Objective: Strengthen indigenous capabilities in electromagnetic testing infrastructure, crucial for defence, aerospace, and electronics sectors.

Key Roles:

Anechoic Chambers: Specialized facilities that absorb electromagnetic wave reflections to enable accurate testing of antennas, radar systems, and electronic equipment.

Awards & Recognitions

Sahajanand Medical Technologies Achieves ISO 50001 Certification in Cardiovascular Device Manufacturing Sector

Sahajanand Medical Technologies Limited (SMT) received ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System certification, becoming the first domestic cardiovascular manufacturing unit in India to adopt a structured international energy management system for its facilities in Surat (Gujarat) and Hyderabad (Telangana).

ISO 50001: An international framework specifying requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an Energy Management System (EnMS).

Significance: Highlights SMT's efforts to optimize energy use, enhance environmental responsibility, and integrate sustainability into operations.

Impact: Enhanced capability to monitor energy use, improve efficiency, and embed sustainable practices across the manufacturing ecosystem.

Appointments & Resignations

Justice Anupinder Grewal Appointed as President of NCLT

Justice (Retd.) Anupinder Singh Grewal, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC), was appointed President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for a five-year term or until the age of 67, whichever is earlier, with approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

He succeeds Bachu Venkat Balaram Das who served as acting president of NCLT.

Historic Appointment: The NCLT President is typically a former Chief Justice (CJ) of a HC — this is the first time a former senior judge has been appointed to the post.

Legacy: Handled civil, constitutional, criminal, service, and land acquisition cases, along with public interest litigations, for over 19 years.

NCLT Context: The tribunal was under Supreme Court scrutiny due to vacancies and delays in insolvency cases under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.

Science & Technology

DRDO & IN Successfully Conduct Maiden Salvo Launch of NASM-SR Missile in Odisha

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Indian Navy (IN), successfully carried out the maiden salvo launch of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR) from a naval helicopter off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha.

Trial Achievement: Two missiles were launched in quick succession from the same helicopter — the first-ever salvo launch of an advanced air-launched anti-ship missile system.

Test Outcome: All objectives were successfully achieved with tracking carried out using radar, electro-optical systems, and telemetry at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.

Development: Developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.

MeitY Launches Two Indigenous Silicon Photonics Solutions at IIT Madras, TN

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched two indigenously developed silicon photonics technology solutions at the Centre of Excellence for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CoE-CPPICS) at IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN):

Collaboration:

• SilTerra (Malaysia) — Fabrication
• izmo Microsystems (Bengaluru, Karnataka) — Packaging
• IIT Madras (TN) — Research & Development hub

Obituary

Veteran Indian Golfer Vijay Kumar Passes Away

Former Indian golfer Vijay Kumar passed away at the age of 57 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP). He was born in 1968 in Martinpurwa, Lucknow, UP.

Early Career: Started his journey as a caddie, initially playing with makeshift clubs made from tree branches; turned professional in 1988.

Domestic Dominance: A four-time Order of Merit champion (1995–96, 1997–2000); dominated Indian golf from the mid-1990s to early 2000s, winning nearly 100 titles.

International Representation: Represented India at the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1999 at St. Andrews, Scotland.

Major Achievement: Won the Indian Open in 2002 at the Delhi Golf Club; finished runner-up in 2006.

Important Days at a Glance

State News

Maharashtra Approves AI Policy 2026 with ₹10,000 Crore Investment Target

The Maharashtra Cabinet, under Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis, approved the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2026, aiming to attract ₹10,000 crore investment and generate 1.5 lakh employment opportunities by 2031 through development of AI infrastructure, innovation centres, and skill training initiatives across Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Infrastructure:

• 6 AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs)
• 5 AI Innovation Cities
• 2,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs)
• 'Compute as a Service' platform
• Training for 2 lakh youth via Maharashtra Centre for Advanced Artificial Intelligence Training (MCAIT) through industry–academia collaboration

Ecosystem:

• ₹500 crore venture capital fund (₹250 crore state share)
• 12 AI incubators
• Grants up to ₹1 crore (₹1.25 crore for women-led startups)
• Financial assistance to 5,000 MSMEs with up to 20% subsidy
• Development of 50 AI tools via 'Maha AI Tools Hub'

Governance: AI-based services, readiness audits, Maharashtra AI Mission, ethical AI framework, State AI Data Exchange (regional languages), and incentives including capital subsidy, stamp duty remission, power tariff benefits, and patent reimbursements.

Bengaluru Police Introduces India's First AI-Powered Multilingual 'Namma 112'

Bengaluru City Police launched a multilingual Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in the 'Namma 112' Emergency Response Support System, making emergency services more accessible and inclusive — a first-of-its-kind initiative in India.

Namma 112: An advanced emergency response platform integrated with AI that enables faster and more efficient handling of distress calls through real-time analysis and automated dispatch mechanisms.

AI System: Uses Multilingual Voice AI for Nationwide Key Interventions (VANKI) system, developed in collaboration with tech partners Monday Ventures and Aeos.

Multilingual Support: Supports 10+ additional languages including:

• Indian Languages: Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, Odia, Manipuri, Assamese, Kashmiri, and Nepali
• International Languages: Spanish, French, and Arabic
• Plans for further expansion based on usage data and demographics