National Affairs

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Karnataka, where he inaugurated the Sri Guru Bhairavaikya Mandira at the Sri Kshetra Adichunchanagiri Mutt, a prominent spiritual and educational center in Mandya district.

• Felicitation: PM Modi was honored with a traditional Mysuru Peta crafted from Mysuru and Benaras silk, adorned with pearls—a style historically worn by King Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
• Nine-Point Agenda: The PM unveiled a citizen-driven development agenda focusing on sustainability, cultural values, and collective responsibility for achieving “Viksit Karnataka” and “Viksit Bharat.”
• Book Release: He also jointly released a book titled ‘Saundarya Lahari and Shiva Mahimna Stotram’ alongside former PM H.D. Deve Gowda.

MoC&I Notifies India’s First Chip Fabrication Plant at Dholera SEZ
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) notified India’s first chip fabrication plant—a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be established by Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Private Limited (TSMPL) at Dholera, Gujarat, with a proposed investment of ₹91,000 crore.

• Objective: The SEZ will support electronic hardware, software, and IT-enabled services with dedicated infrastructure and streamlined approval mechanisms.
• Size: Covering 66.166 hectares, it is designed to fortify India’s semiconductor ecosystem and boost its import substitution strategy.
• Policy: The approval follows strategic 2025 amendments to the SEZ Rules 2006 aimed at promoting electronics investments.

MeitY Constitutes AIGEG to Drive AI Governance Strategy of India
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) constituted the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), a high-level inter-ministerial body that will serve as the central institutional mechanism for India’s AI policy development.

• Recommended by: Proposed in India’s AI Governance Guidelines and the Economic Survey to steer a whole-of-government approach to AI regulation.
• Technical Support: The group will be heavily supported by a newly established Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC).
• Composition: Chaired by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with MoS Jitin Prasada as Vice Chairperson and MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan as the Member Convener.

Rajya Sabha Reconstitutes Panel of Vice-Chairpersons
Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody announced the reconstitution of the Upper House's Panel of Vice-Chairpersons to ensure smooth parliamentary functioning.

• Composition: Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan nominated six MPs reflecting multi-party representation: Dinesh Sharma, S. Phangnon Konyak, Ghanshyam Tiwari (BJP), Phulo Devi Netam (INC), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), and Sasmit Patra (BJD).
• Role: These members will preside over the Rajya Sabha in the absence of both the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, exercising full powers to regulate debates.

FIU-India Signs MoUs with SEBI & PFRDA to Curb Financial Crimes
The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with SEBI and PFRDA to enhance data sharing, strengthen fraud detection, and curb money laundering and terror financing.

• FIU-IND–SEBI: Strengthens securities market surveillance through the regular exchange of financial data and cooperation with foreign FIUs.
• FIU-IND–PFRDA: Designates dedicated nodal officers to ensure seamless coordination and exchange of financial intelligence with global counterparts.
• Framework: Operates strictly under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 and the Egmont Principles of Information Exchange.

MoHFW Hosts First BRICS Health Working Group Meeting in New Delhi
Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava chaired the First Health Working Group (HWG) Meeting under the BRICS framework for 2026 in New Delhi, bringing together senior health officials and delegates.

• Participants: Included technical experts from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Indonesia.
• Key Priority Areas: Discussed 9 priority areas, including a TB Research Network, an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases, and traditional medicine (TCIM).
• Initiatives: As the 2026 BRICS Chair, India proposed two new initiatives: the ‘BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles’ and the ‘Promotion of Mental Health and Wellness’.

International Affairs

IMF’s WEO 2026: USA Tops, India Slips to 6th Spot in Global GDP Rankings
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest April 2026 World Economic Outlook revealed that India has temporarily slipped from the 4th to the 6th spot in global GDP rankings, placing behind the UK and Japan with a projected GDP of USD 3.92 trillion in 2025.

• Top 3 Major Economies: The USA retains its massive lead (USD 39 trillion), followed by China (USD 27.5 trillion) and Germany (USD 5 trillion).
• Fastest-Growing Economy: Despite the slip, India remains the fastest-growing major economy. It is expected to reclaim the 4th position by 2027 (USD 4.58 trillion), overtake Japan by 2028, and reach USD 6.17 trillion by 2030.

WEF Data: Global GDP Set to Jump USD 56 Trillion in 5 Years
The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its insights report, ‘Growth in the New Economy: Towards a Blueprint’, projecting that the global economy will expand by an astounding USD 56 trillion over the next five years.

• Sectoral Growth: Driven heavily by AI and quantum computing, growth will concentrate in IT services, advanced manufacturing, and energy sectors.
• Regional Growth Contribution: Middle-income economies will contribute around 65% of cumulative GDP growth by 2030. Asia will remain the primary engine of global expansion, driving over 50% of total growth.

Banking & Finance

SEBI Extends NPO Registration Validity for SSE and Lowers Subscription for ZCZP
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) relaxed key norms for the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) to facilitate easier fundraising for Not-for-Profit Organizations (NPOs).

• Extension of Period: Extended the registration period for NPOs from 2 years to 3 years, giving them more time to navigate statutory approvals before raising funds.
• Minimum Subscription Requirement: Lowered the minimum subscription threshold for Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments from 75% to 50%.
• Issue Compliance: SEBI strictly mandated that funds must be fully refunded to investors if the new 50% minimum subscription requirement is not met.

World Bank Launches ‘Water Forward’ Initiative to Improve Water Security
World Bank Group (WBG) President Ajay Banga announced the launch of ‘Water Forward’, a massive global platform created alongside multilateral development banks to improve water security for 1 billion people by 2030.

• Framework: Adopts country-led water compacts to align policy reforms, financing, and investment-ready projects with private and philanthropic participation.
• Targets: WBG alone aims to deliver water security to 400 million people, while partner commitments will cover the remaining 600 million.

Awards & Recognitions

Indian Botanist N. Alim Yusuf Wins WWF Award for Invasive Plants Detection App
Indian botanist N. Alim Yusuf from Kerala was honored with the WWF National Award at the National ECHO Youth Innovation Summit 2026 in Hyderabad for developing ‘NeophyteID’, an AI-powered app that detects invasive plant species.

• Monetary Prize: Received a ₹1.5 lakh seed grant from WWF to scale the project.
• NeophyteID App: Capable of identifying around 100 invasive plant species in Kerala, developed alongside researchers at the Malabar Botanical Garden.
• Technology Used: Powered by the advanced Machine Learning model YOLOv11 and supports both Malayalam and English.

Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2026: Gautam Adani Overtakes Mukesh Ambani
According to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has overtaken RIL's Mukesh Ambani to become Asia’s richest person.

• Asian Standings: Adani’s net worth hit USD 92.6 billion (19th globally), closely followed by Ambani at USD 90.8 billion (20th globally).
• World’s Richest Persons: Elon Musk retained the top spot (USD 656 billion), followed by Larry Page (USD 286 billion) and Jeff Bezos (USD 269 billion).
• Other Prominent Indians: Lakshmi Mittal (62nd), Shiv Nadar (70th), and Shapoor Mistry (71st) also featured heavily.

Science & Technology

ISRO’s SAC Collaborates with ATREE for Sustainable Land Management
ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) signed an MoU to standardize ecosystem monitoring and generate policy-ready data for land-use planning.

• Aim: Combines ISRO’s satellite mapping with ATREE’s field-based ecological validation to support climate action and rural livelihoods.
• Scope: Will map roughly 319,675 sq. km (10% of India’s land area), focusing on Open Natural Ecosystems (ONE) like shrublands and woodland savannas.
• Strategic Importance: Represents a massive leap toward India’s commitment to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030.

Environment

New Burrowing Reed Snake Species Discovered in Meghalaya
A joint team of scientists from India and Indonesia discovered a new species of burrowing reed snake, named ‘Calamaria garoensis’ (Garo Hills reed snake), in the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

• Species: Belongs to the Calamaria genus, which consists of small, secretive, burrowing snakes.
• Challenge: Historically misidentified as Calamaria pavimentata due to incredibly similar physical characteristics.
• Key Characteristics: A small, non-venomous snake distinguished by a subtle neck ring, a blunt tail with a black under-stripe, and smooth scales arranged in 13 rows.

Obituary

Former IOA and WSF President N. Ramachandran Passes Away
Narayana Ramachandran, popularly known as ‘Rami’, former President of both the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the World Squash Federation (WSF), passed away at the age of 77 in Chennai.

• Administration: A vastly influential sports administrator, he served as President of the Asian Squash Federation (2001–2009), the WSF (2008–2016), and the IOA (2014–2017).
• Initiative: Founded the Indian Squash Academy (ISA) in Chennai in 2000, creating a world-class training hub to promote domestic squash talent.

State News

Odisha, NCCR Sign MoU on Marine Spatial Planning
The Odisha Government signed an MoU with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) to implement a Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Management initiative, becoming the first state to adopt it in the second phase.

• Signatories: Signed by Pooja Mishra (Additional Secretary, Science & Technology) and R.S. Kankara (Director, NCCR) in the presence of CM Mohan Charan Majhi.
• Objective: Promotes coastal economic growth while ensuring the strict protection of marine ecosystems along Odisha’s 574-km coastline.
• Climate Resilience: Incorporates advanced, data-driven strategies to make coastal communities resilient against rising sea levels and climate change.

Important Days at a Glance