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.

Firecrackers Landscape in India

Global Rank: India is the second-largest firecracker manufacturer, trailing only China.
Domestic Share: Tamil Nadu accounts for roughly 90% of India’s total firecracker production.
Export Markets: India’s primary export destinations are South Africa (51%), the United States (14%), and Germany (5.4%).
Annual Fatalities: Between 50 and 100 people die annually in fireworks accidents across India.

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.

Cold Spark Technology as an Alternative to Fireworks

Mechanism: Cold spark technology uses electric heating and fan-driven air to propel glowing granules without gunpowder.
Fuel Source: The cold spark effect uses specialised alloy powder, typically titanium and zirconium, which reacts to heat without combustion.
Thermal Safety: The sparks dissipate heat rapidly, remaining cool on contact without igniting skin, clothing, or paper.
Environmental Impact: Cold spark technology is virtually smokeless and odourless, making it a cleaner alternative for indoor and polluted urban venues.

{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.

Joint Defence Committee (JDC), established in 2006, coordinates joint training, military exercises, and technical exchanges between India and Egypt.

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.

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.

Social Stock Exchange (SSE) is a SEBI-regulated electronic platform on existing stock exchanges that allows enterprises to raise capital for social welfare objectives.
Zero-Coupon Zero-Principal (ZCZP) instruments are used by registered NPOs to raise funds on SSEs. They pay no interest and do not repay principal at maturity.

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.

India’s Dairy Sector

India is the world’s largest producer of milk, accounting for about 24% of total production.
The sector contributes about 5% to GDP, 25% to agricultural GDP, and supports over 80 million rural farmers, mostly women.
Export Gap: India’s share of global dairy exports is about 0.25%, necessitating investment in value-added artisanal processing.

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.

POWERR Asia Initiative

Launch: It was introduced at the AZEC Plus Meeting on energy resilience in April 2026.
Leadership: Announced by Sanae Takaichi as a Japan-led regional framework.
Nature of Initiative: A platform to strengthen energy and resource resilience across Asian economies.
Financial Commitment: Japan pledged ~$10 billion in support for participating countries.
Core Focus: Enhances energy security, supply chain stability, and resilience against global disruptions.
Participants: ASEAN nations along with India, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, & Timor-Leste.

{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.