National Affairs

Union MoS Jayant Chaudhary Launches India's First UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development

Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge, IC) Jayant Chaudhary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE), formally launched India's (and Asia's) first "UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development" during the International Conference on "Women Leading the Future of Work" at Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) in Pune, Maharashtra.

The conference, organised in partnership with UNESCO, brought together global institutions, policymakers, industry leaders, and academia to deliberate on strengthening women's participation in emerging sectors.

Aim: To expand access to future-ready skills for women and improve employability in emerging sectors like Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductor, among others.

Key Sectors: Robotics, semiconductor technology, advanced manufacturing, and defence.

Key Activities: Policy inputs, international collaboration, and training frameworks aligned with UNESCO priorities.

Leadership: The UNESCO Chair will be led by Swati Mujumdar, Pro-Chancellor of SSPU.

Govt Forms Panel under SBI Chief to Assess Risks from AI Platform Mythos

The Government of India (GoI) constituted a panel under the chairmanship of Challa Sreenivasulu (C.S.) Setty, Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), to assess potential risks from advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform Anthropic's Mythos and suggest mitigating measures.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting co-chaired by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF), and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Co-ordinated Response Mechanism: GoI has directed the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) to create a coordinated response mechanism for AI-related threats.

Report Cybercrimes: Banks have been mandated to report cyber cases immediately to authorities like the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to ensure early detection and fast dissemination of emerging threats.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Launches Bharat Taxi App in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoC&I), launched Bharat Taxi — India's 1st cooperative-led ride-hailing platform — along with an auto-rickshaw and cab driver onboarding programme and application (app) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Impact: The app offers various benefits to taxi drivers:

• Zero commission
• No subscription charges
• Free insurance cover of ₹5 lakh
• Access to MUDRA loans

Background: In June 2025, eight national-level cooperative institutions established Bharat Taxi under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS Act, 2002); it was officially launched on February 5, 2026.

Key Progress:

Union Minister Jaishankar Launches Logo, Theme & Website for 4th India-Africa Forum Summit

Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), officially launched the logo, theme, and website for the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV), after the third summit held in 2015.

Event: Scheduled for 31 May 2026 in New Delhi, Delhi, in collaboration with the African Union Commission.

• Preparatory meetings of senior officials: May 28, 2026
• India–Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting: May 29, 2026

Logo: Features a Lion superimposed on interlocked maps of India and Africa, symbolizing pride, courage, and a shared identity.

Theme: "IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation."

'SPIRIT' captures the essence of a relationship marked by shared values, mutual respect, solidarity, and collaboration.

Official Website: www.iafs2026.in

MoCAF&PD Expands Procurement in Chhattisgarh; Launches Pulse Procurement in Bihar

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) has expanded procurement operations under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme in Chhattisgarh and launched the first-ever structured pulse procurement initiative under the Atmanirbhar Pulses Mission (APM) in Bihar.

The procurement drive is spearheaded by the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED).

Procurement Boost in Chhattisgarh:

• Digitised farmer registration through the Electronic (E)-Samyukti portal with extensive on-ground awareness campaigns.
• A network of 85 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) centres currently operational across districts such as Dhamtari, Durg, Balod, Balodabazar, Raipur, Raigarh, and Sarangarh, with further expansion planned in Sarguja, Kondagaon, and Koriya.

Procurement in Bihar:

• NCCF has initiated the first organised procurement of masoor (lentil), supported by scientific storage in Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA)-approved warehouses in collaboration with the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC).
• NAFED is gearing up to expand operations under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) through its cooperative network.

Himadri Speciality Chemical Commissions India's First Anode Material Plant in West Bengal

Himadri Speciality Chemical Limited (HSCL), India's largest speciality carbon black producer, commissioned India's first anode material production facility with an initial capacity of 200 Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) at Mahistikry, Hooghly, West Bengal (WB), marking a major entry into the lithium-ion battery value chain.

Ecosystem: Himadri produces both anode and cathode materials, which together contribute ~65% of lithium-ion battery cost, essential for electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, and electronics.

Expansion: The Mahistikry facility is evolving into an integrated hub with total carbon black capacity of 250,000 MTPA, including 130,000 MTPA speciality carbon black and a newly commissioned 70,000 MTPA line.

Strategy: Expansion into clean energy includes silicon-carbon anode technology partnerships, investment in battery ventures, and a 2,000 MTPA lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode project expected by Q3 FY27.

Akashvani & MyGov Launch Nationwide Signature Tune & Jingle Contest

Akashvani (All India Radio, AIR), operated under Prasar Bharati (PB), in collaboration with MyGov (National Portal of India), launched two nationwide contests — 'Signature Tune-Making Contest' and 'Jingle-Making Contest' — to celebrate its 90-year legacy.

Signature Tune-Making Contest:

Jingle-Making Contest:

CMEC Signs MoU with Delhi University to Boost Maritime Education

The Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity (CMEC), at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), and the University of Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen maritime education and research.

Signed In Presence Of: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW), at the Delhi School of Economics in New Delhi, Delhi.

Focus: Developing academic frameworks, joint research initiatives, training programmes, and knowledge-sharing efforts to bridge academia, policy, and industry.

Strategic Impact: New opportunities for students and researchers in maritime logistics, green shipping, and supply chain management — supporting India's goal of becoming a global maritime leader.

Additional MoU: Another MoU was signed between the RIS and the Delhi School of Economics to promote joint programmes in public policy research and training.

Alignment: Aligns with key government programmes such as Sagarmala and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Banking & Finance

RBI Revokes Banking Licence of PPBL Over Non-Compliance with Banking Regulations

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revoked the banking licence of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) under Section 22(4) of the Banking Regulation Act (BR Act, 1949), due to its failure to comply with norms stipulated in the payment bank licence issued to it.

As per RBI directions, PPBL will cease banking operations with effect from April 24, 2026.

Penalties Imposed on Banks & Financial Institutions:

Economy & Business

Rocklink India Opens India's First Lithium-Ion Battery & Rare Earth Recycling Plant in UP

Rocklink India Private Limited inaugurated India's first integrated lithium-ion battery and rare earth magnet recycling facility at Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh (UP), focusing on recovering critical minerals for electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, and defence applications.

Capacity:

Materials Recovered: Lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and rare earth elements such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.

Technology: Proprietary R2 recycling technology processing 95 types of battery scrap with over 98% recovery efficiency for aluminium, copper, and iron, safely managing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Features: Battery refurbishment, rare earth magnet recycling (NdFeB, SmCo, AlNiCo), semi-automated dismantling, reverse logistics via Magcycle™, and compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) norms through a Know Your Material approach.

Awards & Recognitions

AP's Guntur Municipal Corporation Wins UNIDO GEM Award 2026 in Vienna, Austria

The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC), Andhra Pradesh (AP), won the 4th edition of the Gender Equality Mobilisation (GEM) Award presented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on 22 April 2026.

On behalf of GMC, Olga Rataj, Sustainable Cities Project Manager & Industrial Development Officer (IDO), received the award during the International Day of Women in Industry 2026 (April 21) celebrations held in Vienna, Austria.

Origin: The GEM Award was established in 2018 by UNIDO to honour outstanding initiatives and leadership advancing gender equality and women's empowerment.

GMC Recognition: Honours GMC's exemplary efforts in advancing sustainable urban development, efficient resource management, and environmentally responsible industrial practices under the Global Eco-Industrial Parks initiative.

Appointments & Resignations

Ashok Lahiri Appointed as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog; Gobardhan Das Named Member

The Government of India (GoI) appointed veteran economist Dr. Ashok Lahiri, a former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the GoI, as the new Vice-Chairman and eminent scientist Dr. Gobardhan Das, Director, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (MP), as full-time Member of NITI Aayog.

Dr. Ashok Lahiri succeeds Suman Bery, who completes his four-year tenure on May 1, 2026, and becomes the second-highest authority in NITI Aayog after the Chairperson.

Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Appoints Parminder Singh as CEO

Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Limited (REIL), a joint venture (JV) between Reliance Intelligence Limited and Meta's Facebook Overseas Inc., appointed Parminder Singh as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect.

Profile: A global technology leader with over 30 years of experience across Google, Apple, Twitter, and IBM, specializing in scaling digital businesses, enterprise strategy, and AI-driven transformation.

Key Past Roles:

• Managing Director (MD) at Google (Asia-Pacific) and Twitter (Southeast Asia, India & MENA)
• Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) & Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Mediacorp

Ventures: Co-founded ClayboxAI and WeKamp, focusing on AI leadership, advisory, and community platforms.

State News

Coca-Cola India Signs 3-Year MoU with UP for Community Development

Coca-Cola India signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Invest UP, the investment agency for the Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), in Lucknow, UP, to strengthen environmental sustainability, community welfare, and access to safe drinking water across the state.

Key Focus Areas:

• Development: Water access infrastructure, safe hydration solutions, waste collection, recycling systems & environmental hygiene
• Livelihood: Skill development and employment opportunities, especially through tourism-linked economic activities
• Tourism: Targeting high-footfall destinations to improve environmental infrastructure and visitor experience
• Strategy: Scalable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives through community-led, public–private partnership models leveraging Coca-Cola India and SLMG Beverages expertise

Important Days at a Glance