Current Affairs – April 07, 2026

{GS1 – A&C} Piprahwa Relics to Arrive in Ladakh

Context (IE): Piprahwa relics will arrive in Leh as part of the “The Light & the Lotus” exposition, marking a significant moment in India’s Buddhist heritage.

About Piprahwa relics

The relics include Buddha’s bone fragments, crystal and steatite caskets, gold ornaments, and gemstones. A Brahmi inscription confirmed the relics belonged to Lord Buddha of the Shakya clan.
Discovery: William Claxton Peppé excavated them in 1898 at Piprahwa, Siddharthnagar, U.P., which is identified as the ancient Kapilavastu.
Transfer: Lord Elgin presented part of the bone relics to King Rama V of Siam (Thailand), while Peppé kept another portion.
Repatriation: Ministry of Culture secured its return in 2025 by stopping a Hong Kong auction and purchasing the Peppé family collection.
Cultural Diplomacy: The exposition strengthens India’s ‘Buddhist diplomacy’ by reaffirming its identity as the birthplace of Dhamma and a spiritual centre.

Ladakh’s Significance in Buddhism

Ladakh stood at the crossroads of the Ancient Silk Road, linking Kashmir–Gandhara Buddhism with Central Asian centres like Khotan and the Tarim Basin.
It preserves early Buddhist traditions, such as stupas, rock carvings, and the Mulbekh Maitreya statue.
Canonical Preservation: Ladakhi monasteries preserve Kangyur and Tengyur Buddhist canons, sustaining ancient Indian knowledge systems as living museums.

Read More > Piprahwa Relics

{GS2 – MoM} Minerals Concession Rules (Second Amendment), 2026

Context (PIB): Ministry of Mines recently notified the Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Minerals) Concession (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026.

Objective: Optimise mineral allocation and operational efficiency to increase domestic production of critical and deep-seated minerals.
Significance: The amendment complements the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2025, to cut delays and strengthen India’s mineral self-reliance.

Key Provisions

Areal Cap: Contiguous area inclusion capped at 10% (Mining Lease) and 30% (Composite Licence), to ensure viable extraction of deep-seated minerals like gold, copper, and lithium.
Critical Minerals: Mandated that State Governments must approve the inclusion of these minerals within 30 days of application.
Reclassification: If a major mineral is found in a minor mineral block, the area must be auctioned as a major mineral block.
Exploration Mandate: Mining leases for minor minerals (excluding sand) require G3 level preliminary exploration proving commercial viability for approval.
Captive Sales: Removes previous restrictions, allowing surplus mineral sales from captive mines after end-use plant requirements are met.

{GS2 – Governance} GeM Strengthens Digital Public Procurement Ecosystem **

Context (PIB | DDN): The Government e-Marketplace has reached ₹18.4 lakh crore Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), including ₹5 lakh crore procurement in FY 2025–26.

MSME Participation: MSMEs account for 68% of orders and 47.1% of GMV, with over 11 lakh enterprises actively participating.
State Participation: Procurement by States and UTs grew by 38.3%, showing wider adoption and deeper penetration of GeM.
Inclusive Growth: Women-led, SC/ST enterprises and startups have seen significant growth.
Technology Used: Use of AI, ML, and analytics enables fraud detection, price monitoring, and efficient bidding processes.

Government e-Marketplace

Launch: In 2016, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a national public procurement platform. Replaced the earlier Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) system.
Operator: The GeM Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the MoCI operates the platform.
Objective: It aims to ensure transparency, efficiency, competitive pricing, and timely delivery.
Legal Framework: Procurement through GeM is mandated under the amended General Financial Rules for government departments.
Need: Public procurement accounts for 20–22% of India’s GDP, requiring efficient, transparent systems.

Context (TH): CBSE has introduced a Computational Thinking (CT) and AI curriculum for Classes 3–8 from 2026–27, raising concerns about student preparedness.

The curriculum integrates these into conventional subjects through games, puzzles, and storytelling, avoiding standalone subjects.
Core Focus: Developing pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and problem-solving as foundational computational thinking skills.

Student Preparedness and Implementation Challenges

Literacy Gap: National surveys like ASER 2024 show 50% students cannot read Class 2-level text, affecting AI learning readiness.
Digital Divide: Many rural students share a single household smartphone, resulting in double disadvantage compared to their urban counterparts.
Policy Mismatch: NIPUN Bharat Mission targets universal literacy by 2026–27, coinciding with AI curriculum rollout; lack of sequencing, risk to student adaptation capacity.
Infrastructure Gap: Many schools lack reliable electricity, internet access, and the modern hardware required for AI-enabled learning platforms.
Teacher Preparedness: Around 85% teachers lack AI tool exposure, while programs like NISHTHA remain largely theoretical in training delivery.

Context (IE): Infectious diseases have historically dominated India’s child mortality, but childhood cancer is now emerging as a leading cause of death.

India’s Paediatric Cancer Burden

Global Burden: India bears one of the highest paediatric cancer burdens globally, with 50,000–75,000 new cases diagnosed annually.
Mortality Rank: Cancer ranks as the tenth leading cause of death among children in India.
Global Share: Childhood cancers form only 3-5% of all cancer cases in the country, but India accounts for ~20% of global paediatric cancer cases.
Most Common: Leukaemia (particularly lymphoid leukaemia) is the leading cancer type, followed by lymphomas and Central Nervous System (CNS) tumours.
Highest Burden: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh are the five states with the largest absolute number of cases.
Highest Incidence: Delhi consistently reports the highest age-adjusted incidence rates, at 203.1 per million among boys and 125.4 per million among girls.
Survival Gap: The overall survival rate for childhood cancers in India stands at 40%, compared to over 80% in high-income countries. 17,000 children died from cancer in India in 2023.

Factors for India’s High Paediatric Cancer Burden

Demographic Driver: India’s youth population, with nearly one-quarter of citizens under 15, drives a high absolute volume of paediatric cases.
Late Diagnosis: Subtle early symptoms are frequently mistaken for common childhood infections, leading to advanced-stage presentation in many patients.
Treatment Abandonment: High out-of-pocket costs and long travel distances cause many families to discontinue life-saving therapy prematurely.
Environmental Link: Rising levels of air pollution and pesticide residues in food and water are increasingly linked to paediatric leukaemia and brain tumours.
Policy Absence: India lacks a dedicated national childhood cancer policy, leaving most paediatric initiatives to fragmented NGO and private efforts.

Initiatives for Paediatric Cancer

Early Screening: Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram provides free diagnostic and therapeutic services for children from birth to 18 years.
Survival Targets: WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer works with the Indian government to raise national paediatric survival to 60% by 2030.
Operational Standards: WHO’s CURE-ALL Technical Package implements standardised global management guidelines for paediatric oncology in Indian government hospitals.
Network Access: South-East Asia Childhood Cancer Network connects public institutions to virtual tumour boards and specialised consultation for complex childhood cases.
Drug Availability: Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines secures quality-assured paediatric oncology medications through a global supply chain.
Strategic Alignment: Indian Childhood Cancer Initiative integrates paediatric-specific oncology standards into the national healthcare system through a multi-partner platform.

Read More> Cancer as Notifiable Disease

{GS3 – S&T} India’s Indigenous Insulin Production Push

Context (DDN): Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh recently stated that India is scaling up indigenous biosimilar insulin production to strengthen domestic biomanufacturing.

Biosimilar insulin is a biological medicine that is highly similar but not identical to approved insulin.

Need for Indigenous Production

Supply Vulnerability: Three multinationals dominate around 90% of the global supply, creating supply and pricing risks.
Production Shift: Major firms are prioritising new GLP-1 therapies (1.5–3 times costlier), reducing traditional insulin availability and affordability.
Disease Burden: India has the second-largest diabetic population, with ~10.1 crore people living with diabetes in 2023.
Logistical Fragility: Insulin needs continuous temperature-controlled storage and transport; failures can lead to wastage and shortages.
Strategic Need: Domestic insulin manufacturing reduces external supply shocks and strengthens India’s role as a medicine supplier for the Global South.

Key Government Initiatives

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes incentivise biopharmaceuticals and medical devices manufacturing, including Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems.
Biopharma SHAKTI was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 to boost domestic production of biologics and biosimilars.
National Biopharma Mission by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) subsidises R&D and funds shared infrastructure for biomanufacturing and biosimilars.
Bio-RIDE and BioE3 Policies integrate Bio-AI Hubs and Biofoundries to support bio-based product development and commercialisation.

{GS3 – S&T} Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam Achieved Criticality **

Context (TH): India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attained first criticality by achieving a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Stage Entry: This marks India’s formal entry into the second stage of its indigenous three-stage nuclear power programme.
Rank: India is only the second country, after Russia, to operate a commercial-scale fast breeder reactor.

About Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)

PFBR is a 500 MWe reactor built indigenously by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited) under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Fuel Type: It uses Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel, a combination of plutonium and uranium, to sustain fission.
Waste Reduction: The reactor reprocesses spent fuel from Stage I to make MOX fuel, reducing nuclear waste volume and long-term radio-toxicity.
Blanket Mechanism: The reactor core is surrounded by a U-238 blanket that breeds Plutonium-239.
Breeder Function: PFBR produces more fuel than it consumes by converting the Uranium-238 blanket into Plutonium-239 during operation.
Neutron Type: Unlike conventional reactors that use slow thermal neutrons, it uses high-energy fast neutrons to sustain fission without a moderator.
Coolant: The reactor uses liquid sodium as the coolant instead of water due to its high thermal conductivity without slowing fast neutrons.
Energy Yield: It extracts 60 times more energy from natural uranium compared to Stage I Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).
Pool Design: A pool-type design contains the entire primary radioactive sodium circuit within a single main vessel, minimising external leak risk.
Safety Feature: The reactor’s negative power coefficient causes the nuclear reaction to slow naturally if the core overheats, preventing meltdowns.

India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme

Dimension	Stage I	Stage II	Stage III
Reactor Type	Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)	Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)	Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) / Thermal Breeder Reactor
Primary Fuel	Natural uranium (Uranium-238: 99.3%; Uranium-235: 0.7%)	Mixed Oxide (MOX): Plutonium-239 + Uranium-238 from Stage I spent fuel	Uranium-233 bred from Thorium-232 in Stage II
Neutron Type	Slow thermal neutrons	High-energy fast neutrons	Slow thermal neutrons
Coolant	Heavy water (D₂O)	Liquid sodium	Light water (boiling)
Moderator	Heavy water (D₂O)	None (fast neutrons must not be slowed)	Heavy water (D₂O)
By-product Bred	Plutonium-239 from Uranium-238; feeds Stage II	Plutonium-239 (surplus) + Uranium-233 from Thorium-232 blanket	Self-sustaining Uranium-233 and Thorium-232 closed cycle
Breeder Function	No	Yes	Yes
Reserve Rationale	Domestic uranium (~2% of global reserves)	Stage I spent fuel (Plutonium-239)	Domestic thorium (~25% of global reserves)
Current Status	Fully operational	First criticality achieved	R&D and demonstration phase

{GS3 – Envi} India Hits Record Wind Power Addition **

Context (PIB | ET): India has achieved a record wind energy addition of 6.05 GW in FY 2025–26, marking a 46% increase over the previous year.

Total Installed Capacity: India’s cumulative installed wind power capacity has crossed 56 GW.
Leading States: Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra were the major contributors to capacity addition.
Expansion is supported by wind-solar hybrid projects and green energy open access initiatives.

Wind Energy Potential in India

India holds massive wind energy potential, estimated at over 695.5 GW at 120 metres and 1,164 GW at 150 metres above ground level.
2030 Targets: Wind expected to contribute 140 GW towards India’s 500 GW non-fossil capacity goal.
India has the 4^th largest installed wind power globally and is 3^rd largest renewable energy producer.

Issues with Wind Energy in India

Intermittency of Wind: Wind energy is variable and unpredictable, which affects the consistency of power generation and grid stability.
Grid & Transmission Issues: Inadequate transmission infrastructure and delays in grid connectivity hinder the transfer of generated power.
Land Acquisition: Difficulty in acquiring suitable land and clearances in high wind potential areas.
Tariff Issues: Low tariffs from competitive bidding reduce profitability & discourage private investment.

Government Initiatives for the Wind Sector

National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy (2018): Encourages combining wind and solar in one project to ensure a continuous power supply and efficient land use.
Transmission Incentives: The government provides a waiver of Inter-State Transmission System charges till June 2028 to reduce project costs.
Offshore Wind Policy (2015): Provides a framework for developing offshore wind farms in Indian waters, including permissions and grid planning.
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme: For the implementation of Offshore Wind Energy Projects.
Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO): Mandates power distribution companies to source a certain percentage of electricity from renewable energy sources, including wind.

{Prelims – A&C} Parkash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur *

Context (PIB): PM Modi paid tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur on the occasion of Parkash Purab.

Parkash Purab or Gurpurab marks the birth anniversary of a Sikh Guru; the term “Parkash” signifies the spiritual light entering the world at his birth.

About Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)

He was the ninth Sikh Guru, born as Tyag Mal in Amritsar to Guru Hargobind and Mata Nanki Ji.
He earned the title “Tegh Bahadur” at 14 for his bravery in the Battle of Kartarpur against Mughal forces.
Guru Tegh Bahadur founded Anandpur Sahib (originally Chak-Nanki) and composed 116 hymns that are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
He is called “Hind-di-Chadar” for shielding Kashmiri Brahmins from Aurangzeb’s religious oppression.
Ideology: Promoted “Fear none, frighten none,” advocating for a society based on moral courage and universal human rights.
Martyrdom: Aurangzeb publicly executed him in Delhi for defending religious freedom. His martyrdom is annually commemorated as Shaheedi Divas (24 November).
Memorial: Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the execution site and the cremation site, respectively.

{Prelims – Species} Indian Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) *

Context (IE): Sixteen Indian Softshell turtles were rescued in Greater Noida from a suspected smuggler.
Indian Softshell Turtle is a large freshwater turtle species native to South Asia.
Appearance: It has a flat olive-green carapace and black streaks on the head.
Snout: The species has a tubular, snorkel-like snout that allows it to breathe surface air while buried in riverbed mud.
Habitat: It thrives in deep, turbid, slow-moving rivers and canals with sandy or muddy bottoms.
Distribution: The turtle occurs throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan, mainly in the Indus, Ganges, and Mahanadi basins.
Diet: It is an opportunistic omnivore feeding on fish, amphibians, molluscs, aquatic plants, and carrion.
Predator: The turtle is an ambush predator that conceals itself in riverbed sand and aestivates (dormancy) during dry seasons.
Ecological Role: It acts as a river scavenger, consuming dead organic matter and regulating prey populations to sustain the freshwater ecosystem.
Key threats: Poaching, habitat loss, sand mining, and fishing net entanglement.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I.

{Prelims – Disease} Obstructive Sleep Apnea Linked to Cardiovascular Diseases

Context (DDN): People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a 71% higher risk of cardiovascular diseases or all-cause mortality compared to non-OSA individuals.

Obesity significantly amplifies the risk, with a large proportion of OSA patients being overweight or obese.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OSA is a sleep disorder where the upper airway repeatedly gets blocked during sleep, causing interruptions in breathing.
It involves repeated pauses in breathing (apnea) and reduced airflow, leading to disrupted sleep cycles.
Symptoms: Loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Risk Factors: Strongly associated with obesity, ageing, and anatomical factors that narrow the airway.
Health Impacts: Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes.
Diagnosis: Diagnosed through a sleep study (polysomnography) that monitors breathing/sleep patterns.
Treatment: Managed through weight loss, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgery.

{Prelims – In News} Sādhana Saptah 2026 *

Context (PIB): Sādhana Saptah 2026 is being organised as a nationwide civil services capacity-building exercise to promote citizen-centric governance.

SĀDHANA stands for Strengthening Adaptive Development and Humane Aptitude for National Advancement, signalling a competency-driven administration.
Nodal Agencies: Capacity Building Commission (CBC), Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), and Karmayogi Bharat are organising it under the Mission Karmayogi.
Three Themes: It focuses on Technology, Tradition, and Tangible Outcomes—to build responsive, future-ready governance systems.
AI Integration: The initiative promotes digital upskilling through the AI Daksh training program on the iGOT Karmayogi platform.

{Prelims – In News} World Health Day 2026

Context (ET): World Health Day is observed every year on 7 April to focus global attention on major public health priorities.

It commemorates the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 7 April 1948, with official annual observance starting in 1950.
The day mobilises governments, international agencies, and communities to strengthen health systems.
It is one of WHO’s global health campaigns, alongside World Tuberculosis Day and World AIDS Day.
The 2026 theme, “Together for health. Stand with science,” emphasises scientific collaboration and a One Health approach to emerging threats.

WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) responsible for international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.