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April 2026 current affairs

May 03, 2026
Atacama Desert, Chile .

  • Psychedelics:  Non-addictive, non-toxic substances altering perception; prohibited under India’s  NDPS Act, 1985 .

  • GLP-1 Receptor Agonists:  Drugs for  Type 2 Diabetes & Obesity  (e.g., Ozempic); DCGI cracking down on illegal circulation.

  • SMOPs 2026 (2nd Edition):  Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations held in  Bengaluru .

  • BIRAC BioNEST Incubation Centre:  Inaugurated at  CFTRI, Mysuru  (food processing & biotech startups).

  • Designer Rice:  Developed by CSIR-NIIST (Thiruvananthapuram) with  3x more protein ; low glycemic index; not GM.

  • Keytruda (Pembrolizumab):  Immunotherapy drug for cancer (Merck).

  • Artesunate Lumefantrine (Quatum Baby):  First antimalarial for infants (5-20kg), pre-qualified by WHO.

  • Microsoft new transcription model:   “Trib One”  (25 languages).

  • Bank of Baroda AI tool:   BOB Samvad  (22 languages).

  • Income Tax website AI assistant:   Kar Saathi .

  • India’s first indigenous quantum computing testbed:   Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh .

  • ISRO Gaganyaan test:   IADT-02  (Integrated Air Drop Test).

  • India’s first mental disorders database:   Kam Brain  in Bengaluru.

  • World’s first freight-only bullet train:   Japan’s E-series  (converted passenger coaches).

  • Snake venom identification app (ICP):  Launched by  Costa Rica .

    • Environment & Health

    • Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary:  India’s  99th Ramsar site ; freshwater wetland in  Uttar Pradesh ; on  Central Asian Flyway .

    • Varkala, Kerala:  Selected for UN’s “20 Cities Towards Zero Waste” initiative.

    • Emperor Penguins & Antarctic Fur Seals:  IUCN status upgraded to  Endangered .

    • India’s Updated NDCs (2026):  Target  47% reduction in GDP emission intensity  (from 2005 levels) and  60% non-fossil fuel-based electricity  by 2035.

    • COP Withdrawal:  India withdrew from hosting  COP 33 (2028)  under UNFCCC; South Korea sole candidate.

    • Nagoya Protocol:  India issued highest number (56%) of  Certificates of Compliance  under CBD’s Nagoya Protocol.

    • Tar Balls:  Hardened crude oil residues; Center proposed declaring them state disaster under Disaster Management Act.

    • Mount Semeru:  Active stratovolcano and highest peak on Java,  Indonesia ; recently erupted.

    • National Repositories (NBA):   CMLR, Kochi  (deep-sea biodiversity) and  ARI, Pune  (microbes/fungi) to handle physical samples of pathogens.

    • Annatto:  Natural food coloring agent from achiote tree seeds; antimicrobial, not hallucinogenic.

    • South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA):  Earth’s magnetic field dips, splitting into two cells; affects low-Earth orbit satellites; related to  Van Allen Radiation Belts  (discovered 1958, Explorer 1).

    • World’s first country to lose all glaciers:   Venezuela .

    • Finland:  Cleanest water access and first permanent nuclear waste repository.

    • Telangana declared cancer as a “notified disease”  (compulsory reporting).

    • Project Sanjeevani (road accident prevention):  Launched by  Telangana .

    • Anmol scheme (newborn health checkups):   Delhi .

    • Durga scheme (green e-autos for women/transgender):   Delhi .

    • Himsarovar Project (glacier meltwater storage):   Ladakh .

    • First state for forest products certification:   Andhra Pradesh .

    • Namo Drone Didi Scheme first pilot:   Karnataka .

    • Narit AI tool (combat cyberbullying & narcotics):   Gujarat Police .

    • Abhed app (safety of citizens):   Haryana Police .

    Sports

    • Hockey player retired:  Gurjant Singh.

    • Thomas & Uber Cup 2026:  Held in  Denmark .

    • ISSF Junior World Cup 2026:   Egypt  – India won  16 medals .

    • Laureus World Sports Awards 2026:  Men’s –  Carlos Alcaraz ; Women’s –  Aryna Sabalenka .

    • Miami Open 2026:  Men’s –  Jannik Sinner ; Women’s – not clearly named (hinted “Sania”).

    • SAFF U20 Championship 2026:  Winner  Bangladesh  (beat India).

    • Asia Wrestling Championship 2026:  Gold –  Sujeet Kalkal & Abhimanyu Mandwa  (different weight categories).

    • Para archery gold (Bangkok):   Payal Nag  (defeated Sheetal Devi).

    • Youngest Indian to 4000 IPL runs:   Shubman Gill .

    • ICC Men’s Player of the Month (March 2026):   Sanju Samson .

    • Hockey India Annual Awards:  Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime –  Zafar Iqbal ; Baljit Singh Best Goalkeeper –  Bichhu Devi ; Women’s Player of the Year –  Navneet Kaur .

    • Abel Prize (Maths Nobel) 2026:   Gregory Faltings  from  Germany .

    • First Indian woman to cycle to Everest Base

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