National Affairs

MoEFCC & NBA Launch 5-Year Project on Grassroots Biodiversity Governance in TN and Meghalaya

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in collaboration with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), launched a five-year project titled 'Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments' to be implemented in the Sathyamangalam landscape of Tamil Nadu (TN) and the Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Support: The project is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a grant of USD 4.88 million for 2025–2030.

Objective: Integrates biodiversity into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), strengthens Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), and promotes community-led conservation with sustainable livelihoods.

Financing: Activates Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and green micro-enterprises to link conservation with livelihoods and economic incentives.

Six Border Villages in J&K Included Under Vibrant Village Programme-II

The Government of India (GoI) announced the inclusion of six strategically located border villages in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)'s Kathua district under the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP–II), aimed at boosting development and improving living conditions in remote frontier regions.

Selected Villages: Bobiya, Kadyala, Gajnal, Karol Krishna, Rathua, and Gujjar Chak — located along the International Border, identified during a meeting chaired by Rajesh Sharma in Kathua, J&K.

Background: The VVP was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to develop border villages and reduce out-migration from India's remote frontier areas.

VVP-II: In April 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the 2nd phase with a total budget outlay of ₹6,839 crore for the comprehensive development of villages located in blocks along all International Land Borders (ILBs), other than the Northern border already covered under VVP-I.

DRDO Unveils Advanced Armoured Platforms (Tracked & Wheeled) in Maharashtra

Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D) and Chairman of DRDO, unveiled the Advanced Armoured Platforms (Tracked and Wheeled) at the DRDO laboratory in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, on 25 April 2026, to enhance mobility, firepower, and protection for the Indian Armed Forces.

Overview: Unveiled for the Indian Army (IA) as part of the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) programme to replace ageing BMP-2K Sarath Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

Indigenous Development: Designed and developed by the Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), a DRDO laboratory, with 65% indigenous content — planned to increase to 90% in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence manufacturing.

Manufacturing: Produced by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) with support from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), strengthening the defence industrial ecosystem.

IITM Pune Inaugurates X-Band Doppler Weather Radar at Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), officially commissioned an X-Band Dual-Polarization Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at its High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory (HACPL) in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, under Mission Mausam — the government's multi-year initiative to transform India into a Weather-Ready Nation.

MoU Signed: IITM and the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO signed an MoU to jointly develop advanced satellite-based meteorological products.

MSJE Launches SMILE–Beggary Survey Mobile App During Chintan Shivir 2026

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) launched the SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise)–Beggary Survey Mobile Application (App) during the Chintan Shivir held in Chandigarh (Punjab) from 24–26 April 2026.

The initiative operates under the SMILE Scheme (2021–2026) of MSJE, supporting rehabilitation through shelter, skills, and reintegration.

Features: Real-time data capture, geo-tagging, hotspot mapping, analytics dashboards, and end-to-end monitoring from identification to rehabilitation.

Coverage: Expanded to 181 cities, creating a centralised national database for identifying vulnerable populations and improving policy planning.

Process: Records demographic and socio-economic details; links beneficiaries to shelter homes, healthcare, counselling, de-addiction, skill training, and reintegration services.

Integration: Supported by model shelter home guidelines and complemented by the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) 2.0 App, which aids drug demand reduction and provides access to Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System (MANAS).

International Affairs

Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2026: USA Tops; India Ranks 6th in Ultra-Wealthy Population

Knight Frank, the global property consultant firm, released the 20th edition of 'The Wealth Report 2026'. India ranked 6th globally with an estimated 19,877 Ultra-High Net-Worth Individuals (UHNWIs) and 207 billionaires in 2026, accounting for 2.8% of the world's ultra-wealthy population, up from just over 2% five years ago.

India Projections by 2031: UHNWIs projected to increase by 27% (to 25,217) and billionaires by 51% (to 313).

Global UHNWI Growth: Globally, UHNWIs grew from 551,435 (2021) to 713,626 (2026) — nearly 89 new UHNWIs created every day over the last 5 years.

Top 5 Wealth Markets (by UHNWIs, 2026):

India-Specific: India's billionaire count rose 58% over 5 years to 207, making it the 3rd-largest globally after the USA (914) and China (485).

Banking & Finance

FM Nirmala Sitharaman Delivers Keynote & Launches Mission Jagrook at 38th SEBI Foundation Day

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs (MoF&CA), delivered the keynote address at the 38th Foundation Day programme of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Cyber Risk Warning: The Union Minister urged SEBI to stay highly alert against rising cyber threats, warning that a single major attack on exchanges can destabilise markets at a national scale. She asked SEBI to expand investor awareness campaigns across digital platforms and regional languages.

Mission Jagrook: A nationwide investor awareness campaign launched to protect retail investors from misinformation, fraud, and manipulative financial content.

Investor Protection: The minister appreciated SEBI's action against unregistered finfluencers, highlighting the importance of controlling misleading financial advice.

Appointments & Resignations

RBI Approves Reappointment of B. Ramesh Babu as MD & CEO of KVB

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the re-appointment of B. Ramesh Babu as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for a third two-year term from July 29, 2026 to July 28, 2028. He has been leading KVB since 2020, succeeding P. R. Seshadri.

Sports

India Tops Medal Tally with 16 Medals Including 5 Gold at ISSF Junior World Cup 2026 in Cairo, Egypt

The Indian Junior Shooting Team finished on top of the medal standings at the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun 2026 held in Cairo, Egypt, from 19–27 April 2026.

Medal Tally — Top 3:

Participation: 284 shooters from 25 federations; India fielded the largest contingent of 71 shooters.

Events: The 2026 season comprises two legs: Cairo, Egypt (rifle, pistol, shotgun) and Porpetto (September 12–20, 2026) — exclusively shotgun (trap & skeet).

Next: Indian junior shooters will compete in the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 at Suhl, Germany, in June 2026.

India to Host SAFF Women's Championship 2026 in Goa

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) announced that India will host the SAFF Women's Championship 2026, scheduled from May 24 to June 7, 2026 at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Fatorda) Stadium in Margao, Goa.

This marks India's first time hosting the tournament since 2016 in Siliguri, while Goa previously hosted a SAFF event during the men's championship in 1999.

Background: The tournament, held approximately every two years since its inaugural edition in 2010, was last conducted in 2024 in Nepal, where the hosts lost the final 2–1 to Bangladesh.

Group Stage:

The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals.

Pakistan Exit: Pakistan officially withdrew, citing lack of government clearance.

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe Becomes First Athlete to Run Sub-Two-Hour Competitive Marathon at London Marathon 2026

Kenyan athlete Sabastian Kimaru Sawe won the men's elite race at the London Marathon 2026 and made history by becoming the first athlete to complete a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race, breaking the previous world record set by Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) in 2023.

Record Time: 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds for the 42.2 km marathon.

Podium:

All three surpassed the previous world record time. Sawe surged in the final 10 km to win by 11 seconds.

Women: Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) won, setting a women-only world record and defending her title.

Wheelchair: Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) won the men's and women's wheelchair events respectively.

FIDE Joins International World Games Association

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) officially joined the International World Games Association (IWGA) during its Annual General Meeting (AGM 2026) held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Milestone: FIDE becomes the 40th member of the IWGA, marking a significant step in the recognition of 'mind sports'.

FIDE's Global Reach: With a well-established structure and millions of active players, FIDE strengthens the IWGA's global footprint.

World Games Potential: Membership opens the door for chess to be potentially included in the sports programme of The World Games, an international multi-sport event for disciplines not primarily contested in the Olympic Games.

Obituary

Padma Shri Awardee & Photojournalist Raghu Rai Passes Away

Veteran photographer Raghu Rai, known as the 'Father of Indian Photojournalism', passed away at the age of 83 in New Delhi, Delhi. He was born on 18 December 1942 in Jhang, Punjab Province, British India (now Pakistan).

He was awarded the Padma Shri (India's fourth-highest civilian honour) in 1972 in the field of art.

Career: Originally trained as a civil engineer, he started his professional career with The Statesman in 1966, chronicling major national events through photography.

Iconic Work: In 1977, he became the first Indian photographer nominated to Magnum Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson. He created powerful portraits of Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi, and Satyajit Ray, and captured defining moments like the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971) and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984).

Awards & Recognitions:

Spiritual Leader & Padma Shri Awardee Guru Muni Narayana Prasad Passes Away

Renowned spiritual leader and Padma Shri awardee Guru Muni Narayana Prasad, head of Narayana Gurukulam, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam at the age of 87. He was born on December 9, 1938, in Thiruvananthapuram.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of Literature & Education.

Spiritual Role: Joined the Narayana Gurukulam in 1958, received spiritual initiation from Nitya Chaitanya Yati in the mid-1980s, and became its president in 1999.

Leadership: Third leader of Narayana Gurukulam, after Nataraja Guru and Nitya Chaitanya Yati.

Literary Work: Authored around 130 books in Malayalam and English, covering Vedanta, philosophy, and religion, including detailed commentaries on major Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Global Engagement: Participated in a world religious leaders' meet in Moscow (1987); headed the Gita Ashram in Fiji (1989–1991).

Honours: Also received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award twice — in 2015 and 2018.

Important Days at a Glance