Current Affairs – April 13, 2026

{GS2 – IR} Iran-US Peace Talk Concluded without Agreement

Context (IE): High-level peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, mediated by Pakistan, ended without an agreement.

Historic First: The discussions were the first direct, highest-level negotiations between the two nations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Core Dispute: Iran refused to dismantle its domestic uranium enrichment programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
Hormuz Demand: The US rejected Iran’s demand to regulate vessel traffic and collect transit tolls through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ceasefire Scope: The US and Israel exclude Lebanon from the ceasefire’s scope, while Iran and Pakistan insist it applies to Lebanon.
US Response: Following the collapse, President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Position: Iran has categorised the US naval blockade as an act of piracy and has threatened a proportional military response against American assets.
Ceasefire Status: The two-week ceasefire technically remains in place, but the naval blockade has placed the regional truce under extreme strain.

Context (IE): Keytruda drug by Merck & Co. is transforming cancer care globally, but high cost and access issues limit its impact in India.

Keytruda

Keytruda is the brand name of Pembrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody used in cancer immunotherapy.
Drug Class: It belongs to checkpoint inhibitors, a class of drugs that enhance the immune system activity against cancer cells.
Approval: It was first approved by the US FDA in 2014 for advanced melanoma (skin cancer).
Scope of Use: It is used for multiple cancers, including lung, cervical, renal, and aggressive breast cancers.
Clinical Significance: It has shown effectiveness in advanced-stage cancers, improving survival and sometimes eliminating tumours.
Availability in India: Advanced immunotherapies like Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) are available mainly in tertiary care hospitals, limiting access for most patients due to cost and infrastructure constraints.

Mechanism of Action of Keytruda

PD-1 Blockade: Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) binds to PD-1 receptors on T-cells, blocking their interaction with PD-L1 on cancer cells.
Immune Activation: This removes inhibitory signals (“immune checkpoints”), enabling T-cells to recognise and attack cancer cells effectively.
Therapeutic Effect: It enhances targeted immune response, leading to tumour reduction and improved survival in advanced cancers.

T-Cells: T-cells are immune cells that detect and destroy infected or cancerous cells in the body.
PD-1 Receptors: PD-1 receptors are inhibitory checkpoints on T-cells that dampen the immune response and can be exploited by cancer cells to evade detection.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment approach that uses the body’s immune system to recognise and destroy abnormal cells.
Types: Major forms include checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T cell therapy, and cancer vaccines.
- Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs block proteins that prevent T-cells from attacking cancer cells, boosting the immune response.
- CAR-T Therapy: Involves genetically engineering a patient’s T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells.
- mRNA Vaccines: Experimental therapies train the immune system to recognise cancer-specific antigens and prevent recurrence.
Advantage: Unlike chemotherapy, it targets cancer cells precisely while sparing most healthy cells.
Clinical Impact: It has shown significant success in treating advanced and previously untreatable cancers.
Limitation: High cost, limited accessibility, and potential immune-related side effects.

India’s Cancer Burden

Rising Incidence: Cancer incidence rate has increased from 84.8 per 100,000 (1990) to 107.2 per 100,000 (2023).
Current Burden: India recorded approximately 14.13 lakh cancer cases in 2022.
Future Projection: Cancer cases in India are projected to rise by 73.8% to around 24.56 lakh by 2045.
Global Comparison: Although India’s incidence rate is lower than that of countries like Australia, the absolute burden is much higher due to population size.
Healthcare Challenge: Rising cancer burden is straining healthcare infrastructure, especially in early diagnosis, treatment access, and affordability.

{GS3 – IE} UPI Completes 10 Years

Context (AIR): UPI has completed 10 years of its operations since its launch in 2016.

Network: It has grown significantly, with participating banks increasing from 216 in 2021 to 691 by 2026.
Global Presence: UPI is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar.
Financial Inclusion: UPI has enhanced inclusion by providing low-cost, easy digital payment access across urban and rural areas.

Unified Payments Interface

UPI is a real-time digital payment system that enables instant bank-to-bank transfers via mobile phone.
Regulator: Operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Interoperability: UPI allows seamless transactions across multiple banks and apps using a single interface (UPI ID).
Key Features: Supports instant payments, 24×7 availability, QR code payments, and peer-to-peer (P2P) and peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
Security Framework: Uses two-factor authentication & secure protocols to ensure safe transactions.

UPI in Numbers

Transaction Volume: UPI recorded 21.70 billion transactions in January 2026.
Transaction Value: Total value reached ₹28.33 lakh crore in January 2026.
Retail Share: UPI accounts for 81% of India’s retail digital payments.
Global Share: India contributes 49% of global real-time payment transactions via UPI.
Global Ranking: Recognised as the world’s largest real-time payment system by the IMF.

National Payments Corporation of India

NPCI was set up in 2008 as a not-for-profit entity under RBI and Indian Banks Association to consolidate retail payment systems.
Regulatory Oversight: NPCI operates under the supervision of the RBI and provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
Key Products: NPCI has developed major payment systems including UPI, RuPay, IMPS, AePS, FASTag, and National Automated Clearing House (NACH).

{GS3 – IE} RBI Proposes Measures to Curb Frauds in Digital Payments **

Context (IE): Reserve Bank of India released a discussion paper, “Exploring Safeguards in Digital Payments to Curb Frauds“, to address the surge in digital payment scams.

Key Proposed Safeguards

Cooling-Off Period: A mandatory one-hour delay for transfers exceeding ₹10,000 to new beneficiaries can allow users to cancel fraudulent transactions.
Trusted Person: High-value payments (over ₹50,000) by senior citizens or persons with disabilities may require secondary approval from a trusted individual.
Kill Switch: A Kill Switch lets users disable all payment channels instantly from a single point during an emergency.
Whitelisting: Users can pre-approve frequent payees to bypass ‘friction’ measures such as mandatory delays or extra verification.
Shadow Credits: Excess inflows over ₹25 lakh annual credit would be held as shadow credits and released only after verification.

Digital Fraud Landscape in India

Case Volume: Reported cases of digital fraud in India rose from 2.6 lakh in 2021 to approximately 28 lakhs in 2025.
Financial Impact: Total financial losses due to cyber fraud reached ₹22,931 crore in 2025.
Category Dominance: Card and internet fraud made up 66.8% of the total volume, whereas high-value transactions (over ₹10,000) accounted for 98.5% of the total value lost.
Cross-Border Origin: Investigators traced over 50% of cyber frauds against Indian citizens in 2025 to compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
Loss Projection: I4C predicts that total cybercrime losses could exceed ₹1.2 lakh crore in 2026 if current trends persist.

{GS3 – IE} RBI Proposes New Rule to Identify Upper Layer NBFCs **

Context (ET): Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed replacing its parametric scoring model with a single, absolute asset threshold to identify NBFC-Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) entities.

About Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)- Upper Layer

NBFC-UL is a regulatory category for systemically important non-banking financial companies subject to bank-like supervision.
Current Count: As of April 2026, 15 companies are officially identified in the NBFC-UL category.
Scoring Model: Potential candidates are evaluated using a framework that weighs quantitative factors (size, leverage) at 70% and qualitative factors (interconnectedness, complexity) at 30%.
Listing Obligation: Unlisted NBFC-UL entities must be listed on a stock exchange within three years of their notification.

Key Proposal for NBFC-UL Classification

Size Criterion: NBFCs with total assets of ₹1 lakh crore or more will automatically qualify for Upper Layer.
Govt Inclusion: For the first time, large government-owned entities will be included in the NBFC-UL category if they meet the asset threshold.
- Most PSU NBFCs currently resides in the Middle Layer (NBFC-ML) or Base Layer (NBFC-BL).
Threshold Review: RBI will formally review the asset size threshold every five years to account for economic growth and inflation.
Risk Transfer: NBFC-UL entities may use State Government guarantees as credit risk transfer instruments without any quantitative cap.

About Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)

An NBFC is a financial institution registered under the Companies Act that provides banking-like services without holding a full banking licence.
Regulator: RBI primarily regulates these entities under the RBI Act, 1934.
Deposit Bar: NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits or issue cheques drawn on themselves.
Deposit Insurance: The DICGC deposit insurance facility does not cover NBFC depositors.
FDI Limit: Most NBFC activities permit 100% Foreign Direct Investment under the automatic route.
SBR Framework: RBI classifies NBFCs into four layers under a Scale-Based Regulation (SBR) framework based on size, activity, and perceived riskiness: Base Layer, Middle Layer, Upper Layer, and Top Layer.

{GS3 – IS} Reptile Deterrence Proposal for India-Bangladesh Border Policing

Context (TH | TW): Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) instructed Border Security Force (BSF) to evaluate deploying reptiles in riverine gaps along the Bangladesh border.

Objective: To prevent illegal infiltration and smuggling through unfenced marshy and riverine terrain.

About India-Bangladesh Border

India shares a 4,096.7 km border with Bangladesh, its longest land border with any neighbour.
The boundary was defined by the Radcliffe Line during the 1947 Partition of British India.
Terrain: The border runs through plains, hills, forests, and difficult riverine terrain, complicating fencing, patrolling, and surveillance.
Legal Framework: The 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) guides border management between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Major Agreements: Land Boundary Agreement 2015, resolved territorial disputes, while the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) award, 2014, under UNCLOS, settled maritime disputes.
Key Challenges: Includes illegal migration, trafficking, and the smuggling of contraband, while gaps in fencing weaken border control.

Key Issues and Concerns of the New Proposal

Safety Risk: Releasing dangerous reptiles could endanger fishing and farming communities living near densely populated riverine areas.
Ecological Risk: Artificially increasing top predators could disrupt local food chains and fragile riverine ecosystems along the border.
Legal Hurdle: Moving protected reptiles, such as crocodiles, requires strict scrutiny under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Existing Border Surveillance Measures

Aerial Watch: BSF is using drones with night-vision to monitor dark, inaccessible riverine stretches.
Smart Fencing: Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) uses sensors, radars, and cameras to monitor areas unsuitable for physical fencing.
Water Patrol: Interceptor boats and floating Border Outposts (BOPs) are operational and periodically upgraded for riverine border management.

Read More > India-Bangladesh Relations

{Prelims – IR} Kalai-II Hydro Electric Project *

Context (PIB): Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the investment to construct the Kalai-II Hydro Electric Project.

The Project is proposed on the Lohit River in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh.

Lohit River: It is a tributary of the Brahmaputra, originating in Eastern Tibet and entering India at Kibithu; it is also called the “River of Blood” for the red tinge imparted by laterite soils.

Capacity: It has an installed capacity of 1,200 MW, comprising six 190 MW units and a 60 MW unit.
Technology: It uses run-of-river with pondage, featuring a 128.5-metre concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse.
Energy Share: The project will generate clean electricity, with Arunachal Pradesh receiving 12% of the power free of charge.
Social Benefits: It involves developing roads and bridges, creating local jobs, and allocating an additional 1% of power to the Local Area Development Fund.
Key Concern: The Environmental Impact Assessment overlooked its impact on the critically endangered white-bellied heron in the Lohit River basin.

{Prelims – IR} Punatsangchhu-I Hydropower Project *

Context (NDTV): Work on the Punatsangchhu-I Hydropower Project in Bhutan resumed after a seven-year suspension due to geological instability.

It is the largest India-Bhutan hydropower project to date, fully funded by India (40% grant, 60% loan).
The project is a run-of-river hydroelectric facility on the Punatsangchhu River in Wangdue Phodrang district in western Bhutan.
It features a concrete dam with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW for clean electricity generation.
Power Export: All surplus electricity will be exported to India at a mutually agreed price.
Key Challenges: Construction was halted in 2019 due to slope destabilisation on the right bank, requiring geological stabilisation interventions.
Significance for Bhutan: The project will increase Bhutan’s hydropower capacity by about 30%.

{Prelims – PAN} 25 Vulture Carcasses Found in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

Context (TOI): 25 vultures have been found dead in the buffer zone of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

Species: Most of the deceased birds were Himalayan Griffon vultures.
Cause: Preliminary investigations indicate deaths resulted from secondary poisoning after scavenging stray dog remains.

About Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR)

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a moist deciduous forest in Uttar Pradesh comprising Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur WLS and Katarniaghat WLS.
Location: It lies along the Indo-Nepal border and represents one of the last remaining Terai-Bhabar ecosystems in India.
Hydrology: Suheli and Mohana rivers feed the reserve. The Sharda and Girwa rivers flow through the Kishanpur and Katarniaghat WLS, respectively.
Vegetation: It is dominated by Sal trees interspersed with swamp forests and tall grasslands.
Key Fauna: Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Asian Elephant, Swamp Deer.
- DTR reintroduced the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros from Assam and Nepal in 1984-85.
- It has about 50% of the world’s Swamp Deer (Barasingha) population.

{Prelims – Species} Sentinel Species *

Context (TH): Emperor Penguins, a sentinel species for climate change in the Antarctic, have been uplisted to Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

About Sentinel Species

Sentinel species are organisms (usually animals) that help identify environmental hazards by providing early warning of potential threats.
Biological Smoke-Detector: They are more susceptible to hazards, have greater exposure, or respond faster to environmental changes.

Characteristics of Sentinel Species

High Sensitivity: Sentinel species respond to small amounts of toxins or pathogens before significant harm occurs to other organisms.
Measurable Response: Their reactions (e.g., illness, behavioural changes, or death) are readily observable and quantifiable.
Territorial Overlap: They inhabit the area under observation to reflect local environmental conditions.
Commonality: Ideal sentinels are non-endangered and abundant, making them easier to study without affecting the overall population.

Common Examples of Sentinel Species

Canaries: Historically used in coal mines to detect carbon monoxide.
Frogs and Amphibians: Highly sensitive to contaminants like pesticides due to their permeable skin.
Honeybees: Used for tracking air pollution and agricultural chemical loads.
Emperor Penguins: Sentinels for climate change in the Antarctic.

{Prelims – Disease} Hib Disease *

Context (TN): Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease is resurfacing in the United States due to declining childhood vaccination coverage in recent years.

Hib disease is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type b (not by a virus).
Transmission: Through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, and through prolonged close physical contact with infected individuals.
Symptoms: Hib infection leads to meningitis, epiglottitis, pneumonia, and septicaemia.
Vulnerable Group: Children under five face the highest risk, while adults with weakened immune systems are also vulnerable.
Prevention & Treatment: Treated with antibiotics, but resistance reduces effectiveness; Hib conjugate vaccine prevents infection via infant immunisation.
India’s Initiative: Hib vaccine is provided for free under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

{Prelims – S&T} Claude Mythos

Context (TH | IE): Anthropic, an AI startup, withheld the public release of its most powerful AI model, Claude Mythos, due to global cybersecurity risk.

Claude Mythos is an advanced Large Language Model (LLM) designed for coding, reasoning, and complex problem-solving.
Key Capability: The model can autonomously discover and exploit Zero-Day Vulnerabilities (previously unknown and unpatched software flaws).
Exploitation Ability: It chains multiple minor vulnerabilities to create sophisticated exploits, enabling complete network attack simulations without human intervention.
Key Concern: It can be misused to launch large-scale cyberattacks on digital and financial systems.
Access Control: Public access is blocked. Anthropic launched Project Glasswing for controlled defensive access to select major technology firms.
Implication for India: India’s IT sector depends on the global software ecosystem; exclusion from international cybersecurity coalitions increases exposure to risk.

{Prelims – Exercise} Exercise DUSTLIK

Context (PIB): Indian Army contingent has departed to participate in the 7^th edition of Exercise DUSTLIK being held in Uzbekistan.

It is an annual joint military exercise between India and Uzbekistan, held alternately in each country.
Objective: Enhance military cooperation and joint operational capability in semi-mountainous terrain.
Participants: About 60 personnel from each side, with India represented by the Indian Air Force and the Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army.
Focus: Tactical drills, joint planning, and the establishment of a unified command-and-control framework.
Significance: The exercise strengthens defence cooperation by improving interoperability and deepening ties between India and Uzbekistan.