Current Affairs – April 24, 2026

{GS2 – MoCA} PM Internship Scheme (PMIS) Expands Eligibility *

• Context (NOA): Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MoCA) has expanded eligibility for the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) to include final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students.

• Age Bracket: The eligible age bracket has been widened to 18-25 years from the earlier 21-24 years.
• Income Ceiling: Applicants remain ineligible if family income exceeds ₹12 lakh or if family members hold permanent government jobs.
• Exclusions: Graduates of premier institutions (IITs, IIMs, NLUs) and holders of professional degrees (CA, MBBS, MBA, MPhil, PhD) are excluded.

About Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS)

• PMIS is a flagship initiative of the MoCA, designed to provide youth with real-world industry exposure.
• Launch Target: It was launched in the Union Budget 2024-25 to offer 1 crore internship opportunities across India’s top 500 companies over five years.
• Workplace Exposure: At least 50% of the internship period must involve actual workplace experience rather than classroom training.
• Monthly Assistance: Interns receive ₹9,000 monthly, including ₹8,100 government support and ₹900 company contribution.
• Incidental Grant: Government provides a one-time ₹6,000 grant through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in two instalments.
• Insurance: Interns receive life and accident cover under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) during the internship.

Read More > PM Internship Scheme

{GS2 – Governance} India Placed in Highest Doping Risk Category by Athletics Integrity Unit *

• Context (NIE): Athletics Integrity Unit has upgraded the Athletics Federation of India from Category B to Category A.

About AIU Anti-Doping Category-A Classification

• Category A is the highest risk classification assigned by the Athletics Integrity Unit to countries with very high levels of doping violations.
• Implication: Nations in this category must follow strict anti-doping rules, including enhanced testing, monitoring, and compliance mechanisms.
• Requirements:
  • Mandatory extensive testing programmes for national athletes
  • Strong investigation and surveillance systems
  • Compliance with international anti-doping standards
• Purpose: To ensure the integrity of athletics by closely regulating countries with high doping risk.

About Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)

• AIU is an independent body of World Athletics responsible for safeguarding integrity in athletics.
• Established: It was set up in 2017 and is headquartered in Monaco.
• Purpose: Its primary role is to tackle doping and non-doping issues in athletics (track and field) that threaten the sport’s integrity.

Read More > Rising Doping Cases in India

{GS2 – Governance} Recurring Firework Factory Explosions in India **

• Context (IE): Two firecracker explosions in Kerala and Tamil Nadu within 48 hours killed at least 38 people.

Firecracker Regulations in India

• Parent Law: The Explosives Act, 1884, regulates the manufacture, possession, sale, transport, import, and export of explosives, including firecrackers.
• Certifying Body: The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), certifies firecrackers in India.
• Green Cracker: CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) develops and certifies green crackers in India.
• Banned Items: The Supreme Court has banned barium salts, lithium, arsenic, lead, and joined crackers (laris) across India.
• Sound Limit: Sound-emitting crackers must not exceed 125 dB (AI) or 145 dB(C)pk at 4 metres from the bursting point.

Factors Behind the High Frequency of Firework Explosions

• Climatic Trigger: Extreme summer temperatures and low humidity facilitate spontaneous ignition and dangerous static electricity buildup during chemical handling.
• Operational Risk: The piece-rate wage system incentivises workers to prioritise speed over safety protocols, resulting in the rough handling of volatile mixtures.
• Sub-leasing Practice: Licensed factories often clandestinely subcontract production to smaller, unregulated cottage units where safety standards are non-existent.
• Cluster Concentration: The high density of factories in hubs like Sivakasi creates a domino-effect risk where one blast triggers several nearby explosions.

{GS – IR} 11^th India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) Meeting

• Context (PIB): The 11^th India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting was held in Cairo.

• New Plan: A new Defence Cooperation Plan (2026-27) was agreed to increase joint military exercises and structure cooperation.
• Co-Development: Both countries plan to establish a defence industry cooperation framework to co-develop and co-produce defence equipment.
• Naval Talks: The inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks were held on the sidelines to promote freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean region.

Overview of India-Egypt Bilateral Relations

• India and Egypt elevated bilateral ties to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ in 2023.
• Trade Ties: India is Egypt’s 6^th largest trading partner, with trade reaching ~$5 billion in FY 2024-25. India maintains a trade surplus.
  • Key Exports: Petroleum products, buffalo meat, cotton yarn, and iron and steel.
  • Key Imports: Crude petroleum, fertilisers, raw cotton, and inorganic chemicals.
• Defence Exports: Egypt has expressed interest in acquiring Indian-made equipment, including LCA Tejas fighter jets, Akash missiles, and radar systems.
• Joint Exercises: Exercise Cyclone (Army) and Desert Warrior (Air Force).
• India Unit: A dedicated ‘India Unit‘ within the Egyptian Cabinet signals a deep political coordination.
• Key Convergences: Counter-terrorism, Global South solidarity, and regional stability in the Red Sea.
• Key Divergences: Egypt’s economic reliance on China, and Middle East diplomatic alignment.

{GS3 – IE} SEBI Reduces Entry Barrier for Social Impact Funds

• Context (ET): Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the minimum investment threshold for individual investors in Social Impact Funds (SIFs) to ₹1,000.

• Threshold Cut: The threshold was reduced by 99.5%, from ₹2 lakh, to encourage retail participation in the Social Stock Exchange (SSE).
• Regulatory Alignment: The new ₹1,000 limit aligns SIFs with the minimum application size for Zero-Coupon Zero-Principal (ZCZP) instruments.
• NPO Registration: Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPOs) can remain registered on the SSE for three years, up from two, without mandatory fundraising.
• AIF Status: SEBI can now classify Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) as “inoperative” once they complete their tenure and distribute all funds.

About Social Impact Fund (SIF)

• Social Impact Fund (SIF) is a SEBI-regulated, privately pooled investment vehicle that generates measurable social or environmental impact alongside financial returns.
• Classification: They are a sub-category of Category I Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and replaced the earlier “Social Venture Funds” in 2022.
• Investment Mandate: These funds must invest at least 75% of their investable funds in unlisted securities, partnership interests of social ventures, or securities issued by social enterprises.
• Dual Returns: SIFs target both social impact and financial returns. They can also issue Social Units carrying only social benefits.
• Grant Capability: They are permitted to receive and provide grants to social enterprises, operating as a hybrid of a venture fund and a foundation.
• Mandatory Auditing: Every SIF must undergo an annual social audit by an independent practitioner to verify claimed social impact.
• Corpus Threshold: The minimum corpus for an SIF is ₹5 crore, significantly lower than the ₹20 crore required for other AIF categories.

{GS3– Agri} Indian Cheeses Gain Global Recognition *

• Context (PIB): Indian cheeses won four medals at the ‘Mundial do Queijo do Brasil 2026’ international competition, marking a historic debut.

• Winning Varieties: Eleftheria Gulmarg won Super Gold; Ladakh’s Yak Churpi and Eleftheria Brunost secured Gold; and Kaali Miri won Silver.
• Significance: The achievement shows India’s potential to shift from volume-driven dairying to value-added artisanal processing, strengthening exports and farmers’ incomes.

More About Award-Winning Indian Cheeses

• Eleftheria Gulmarg: Mumbai-crafted cheese using local milk, demonstrating India’s ability to master European artisanal fermentation techniques.
• Yak Churpi: Sustainable, high-protein traditional Himalayan cheese made using indigenous practices.
• Eleftheria Brunost: Zero-waste, Norwegian-style whey cheese made in India.
• Eleftheria Kaali Miri: Artisanal cheese that blends Swiss Alpine techniques with Kerala black pepper and Himalayan pink salt.

Read More > India’s Dairy Sector

{GS3 – Envi} Extreme Heat and Agriculture Report **

• Context (WMO | OK): Extreme Heat and Agriculture Report was jointly released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

• It highlights how extreme heat is increasingly threatening agriculture, food security, & rural livelihoods.

Findings of the Extreme Heat and Agriculture Report

• Rising Heat Extremes: Frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events have increased sharply over the past 50 years.
• Risk Multiplier Effect: Extreme heat acts as a compound risk, aggravating droughts, water stress, wildfires, and pest outbreaks.
• Labour Productivity Loss: Up to 250 days/year may become too hot for outdoor work in vulnerable regions like South Asia.
• Global Exposure: Over 1 billion people are directly affected by extreme heat. Agricultural workers are 35 times more vulnerable to heat-related death.

Impacts of Extreme Heat on Agriculture

• Crop Productivity Decline: Yields of staples like wheat and maize decline by 4–10% per 1°C increase, with severe cases showing losses of up to 50% (e.g., Punjab, Pakistan).
• Livestock Stress: Heat stress begins above 25°C, with 50–75% of livestock at risk by 2100, resulting in losses of ~$40 billion annually.
• Aquaculture Collapse: Over 90% of global oceans faced marine heatwaves in 2025, lowering oxygen levels and harming fish; 10 billion crab deaths in the Bering Sea show ecosystem collapse risks.
• Forest & Wildfire Risks: Heat-induced drying increases wildfire intensity (e.g., Forest fires in Uttarakhand and Northeast India).

Adaptation Measures for Extreme Heat

• Climate-Resilient Crops: Development of heat-tolerant crop varieties (e.g, ICAR has developed heat-tolerant wheat HD 3385) helps offset yield losses.
• Efficient Irrigation: Adoption of micro-irrigation (e.g. Per Drop More Crop) and drought-resilient practices mitigates rising water demand and flash drought risks under extreme heat.
• Early Warning Systems: The use of seasonal forecasts and heat alerts (e.g. IMD’s agromet advisories) enables anticipatory action, reducing losses.
• Adaptive Farm Practices: Measures like adjusting planting windows, crop diversification, and protective cultivation reduce exposure to heat stress.
• Financial Protection: Provision of crop insurance (PM Fasal Bima Yojana), credit, and cash transfers (PM-KISAN) enhances farmers’ capacity to absorb shocks.

{Prelims – Initiatives} Ethanol Blending in Aviation Turbine Fuel

• Context (LM): Amid West Asia tensions, the Government has approved ethanol blending in aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

• Energy Security: The move aims to reduce dependence on imported crude oil (~88%) and shield the economy from global price volatility.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Ethanol blending supports SAF adoption, enabling cleaner aviation fuel with lower lifecycle emissions.
• Blending Method: Ethanol cannot be directly blended into ATF; instead, biofuels must be converted into synthetic hydrocarbons first.
• Standards Framework: Blended fuels must comply with BIS standards (IS 1571 for ATF and IS 17081 for synthetic blends), ensuring quality and safety.
• No Infrastructure Barrier: SAF can be used in existing aircraft engines without major modifications, easing transition.
• Climate Commitment: The initiative contributes to reducing carbon footprint and aligns with India’s decarbonisation goals.

{Prelims – IR} AZEC Plus *

• Context (AIR | ET): Recently, the Indian EAM participated in the AZEC Plus meeting on disruptions in energy markets.

Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC)

• It is an expanded cooperation platform focused on clean energy transition & energy security in Asia.
• Origin: Proposed by Japan in 2022 and launched in 2023 with 11 partner countries in the Asia-Pacific.
• Core objective: Promote decarbonisation and clean energy transition across Asia.
• Members: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
• “Plus” format: It includes additional partner countries (like India and ASEAN members) beyond core AZEC participants for broader cooperation.

{Prelims – Envi} Limnonectes motijheel

• Context (MC): Scientists discovered Limnonectes motijheel, a new frog species from Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is a medium-sized, terrestrial, mud-nesting, fanged frog species.
• Appearance: The frog has a dark line between its eyes and an inverted “V”-shaped ridge on its back.
• Fangs: Males have fang-like projections on the lower jaw for territorial defence or predation.
• Nesting: It constructs cup-shaped mud nests beneath the leaf litter on the forest floor.
• Habitat: The species inhabits moist soil and thick leaf litter of tropical evergreen forests.
• Distribution: It is endemic to the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.

{Prelims – S&T} Prajna AI Satellite Imaging System *

• Context (NIE): Home Ministry has inducted the ‘Prajna’ system to enhance real-time surveillance and intelligence in national security operations.
• Prajna is an AI-enabled satellite imaging system that provides surveillance and decision support for security agencies.
• Indigenous System: Developed by DRDO’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
• Purpose: Enhances internal security, surveillance, and counter-terrorism operations by monitoring sensitive regions.
• Pattern Detection: Uses AI to process large datasets, detect patterns, and flag anomalies missed by conventional methods.
• Situational Awareness: Strengthens real-time situational awareness for security agencies.
• Force Multiplier: Improves situational awareness & inter-agency coordination for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

{Prelims – In News} National Panchayati Raj Day 2026

• Context (PIB): Ministry of Panchayati Raj is celebrating the 17^th National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2026, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The day marks the enforcement of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which institutionalised Panchayati Raj in 1993.
• Theme: The 2026 celebration focuses on ‘Sashakt Panchayat, Sarvangeen Vikas’, aligning Panchayats with localised Sustainable Development Goals.
• Key Launches: The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 to monitor grassroots development and monographs on the rural heritage of Tripura, Tirupati, and Uttarkashi.
• Awards: On this day, the annual National Panchayat Awards are presented to recognise the best-performing Panchayats.
• Digital Shift: The 2026 observance moves beyond commemoration to promote Viksit Bharat through transparent monitoring via e-GramSwaraj.

About Panchayati Raj in India

• Constitutional Framework: 73^rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, added Part IX & 11^th Schedule to strengthen grassroots governance.
• Structure: It established a uniform three-tier system (for states with over 20 lakh population) comprising Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad.
• Equitable Representation: Article 243D mandates proportional reservation for SCs and STs and at least 33% reservation for women in Panchayats.
• Devolution Framework: Article 243-I mandates State Finance Commissions every five years, while Article 243G enables Panchayats to exercise powers over 29 subjects.

{Prelims – Infra} Purvanchal Expressway

• Context (PIB): Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a comprehensive two-day emergency-landing drill on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.

• The Expressway is a 341-km, six-lane, access-controlled highway connecting Lucknow to Ghazipur.
• It links eastern UP to the National Capital Region (NCR) via the Agra-Lucknow & Yamuna Expressways.
• Airstrip: A dedicated 3.2-km emergency landing facility in Sultanpur serves as an alternative military runway during crises.
• Dual Use: The infrastructure supports rapid Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations beyond wartime requirements.
• Industrial Corridors: It has developed land banks along the route to establish industrial hubs, food-processing units, and logistics parks.
• Significance: It acts as a vital economic catalyst for agro-commerce, industrial development, and regional connectivity.