Daily Current Affairs – 08-04-2026

Tamil Nadu News

Tamil Nadu Electoral Roll Updated with 5.73 Crore Voters

The integrated electoral roll for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections was released on April 7, with the total number of voters rising to 5,73,43,291 (5.73 crore) after the addition of 6,35,911 new voters. The Election Commission carried out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, during which details of 6.41 crore voters were verified in November, and 97,37,831 names were removed from the draft roll released on December 19. The final roll initially contained 5.67 crore voters, and after allowing applications through Form-6 till March 26, out of 6,48,285 applications, 6,35,911 names were included in the supplementary electoral roll, leading to the updated total.

National News

Kalpakkam PFBR Achieves First Criticality Stage

The 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Chennai achieved the first stage of nuclear fission (first criticality) on April 6 at 8:25 PM, marking a significant milestone in India’s nuclear power programme. The reactor was designed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and constructed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (BHAVINI) under the Department of Atomic Energy. It uses Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel and is designed to eventually utilize Thorium-232, contributing to long-term energy security. The project supports advanced nuclear technologies, including liquid sodium coolant systems and nuclear fuel recycling, and strengthens India’s indigenous technological capabilities. The operation was conducted after safety clearance by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in the presence of officials including Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Srikumar, G.P. Pillai, Allu Anand, and K.V. Suresh Kumar.

TAFE Launches J-Farm Centre in Rajasthan

TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited) launched a new ‘J-Farm’ agricultural research and training centre at Bhawani Mandi, Rajasthan on April 7 to improve farm productivity and promote modern and natural farming practices. The centre was inaugurated by T.R. Kesavan (Group President) in the presence of Sandeep Sinha (CEO). It will enable farmers to observe modern agricultural equipment, receive training on machinery handling, and interact with experts on crop protection and advanced cultivation methods. The J-Farm initiative, first established in 1964 at Kelambakkam, Chennai, was later expanded to Telangana, and the Rajasthan centre is the third branch established under CSR initiatives.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson Resigns

Campbell Wilson, the CEO and Managing Director of Air India, owned by the Tata Group, resigned from his position on April 7. He had taken charge in September 2022 after the privatisation of Air India and has been leading the airline since then. The Air India Board of Directors has constituted a high-level committee to select a new leader, and he will continue in his role until a successor is appointed. During his tenure, the airline achieved milestones such as the merger of four airlines and the addition of 100 new aircraft. Earlier, Alok Singh, head of Air India Express, stepped down on March 19 after completing his tenure.

NCERT Reconstitutes NSTC After Supreme Court Intervention

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) reconstituted the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) following the Supreme Court’s intervention on a section related to “corruption in the judiciary” in a discontinued Class 8 Social Science textbook. As per the April 2 notification, the committee was revised from 22 members to 20 members, with inclusion of V. Kamakoti (Director, IIT Madras), Raghuvendra Tanwar (Chairman, ICHR), R. Venkata Rao (former Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU), and Amarendra Prasad Behera (NCERT). Three members—Michel Danino, M.D. Srinivas, and Bibek Debroy—were removed from the committee. The reconstituted committee continues under M.C. Pant (Chairperson) and Manjul Bhargava (Co-Chairperson), while other members including Sudha Murty, Shankar Mahadevan, Chamu Krishna Shastry, and Sanjeev Sanyal have been retained.

Bhavasagara and Agharkar Institute Notified as National Repositories

The Government of India has notified the Bhavasagara Referral Centre at Kochi and the Agharkar Research Institute, Pune as National Repositories for deep-sea fauna under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Bhavasagara centre, located at the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), houses over 3,500 taxonomically identified and geo-referenced specimens, while the Agharkar Research Institute is recognized for its microorganism collections and National Fungal Culture Collection. These repositories will serve as custodians of newly discovered deep-sea species and support research aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030). The deep sea, defined as regions below 200 metres, constitutes about 90–95% of Earth’s habitable space, and its conservation is supported by global frameworks such as UNCLOS, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), SDG 14, and the BBNJ Agreement.

International News

India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be Signed on April 24

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand is scheduled to be signed on April 24 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with leaders from both countries participating. The agreement will allow duty-free export of Indian manufactured goods to New Zealand and is expected to bring investment inflows over the next 15 years. The negotiations were concluded and finalized in December. Under the agreement, imports from New Zealand such as wool, coal, wood, wine, avocado, and blueberries will receive up to 95% tariff exemption, while milk and dairy products, onions, sugar, spices, edible oil, and rubber are excluded from tax concessions to protect domestic farmers. Additionally, New Zealand will provide 5,000 temporary work visas annually to Indians, allowing doctors, engineers, and skilled professionals to work for up to 3 years.

China and Russia Veto UN Resolution on Strait of Hormuz

A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz was defeated after China and Russia, as permanent members, used their veto power on April 7 in New York. The resolution, introduced by Bahrain, received support from 11 countries, while China and Russia voted against it and two countries abstained. The proposal was brought in the context of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route, but was blocked due to opposition from the veto-wielding members.

Artemis-2 Mission Sets Record in Lunar Exploration

The NASA Artemis-2 mission crew crossed the far side of the Moon on April 7, marking a major milestone in human space exploration. The crew of four astronauts traveled a record distance of 2,52,756 miles (4.06 lakh km) from Earth, surpassing the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 (3.99 lakh km). During the mission, astronauts conducted observations of meteorite impacts on the lunar surface and experienced a communication blackout of about 40 minutes while crossing the far side of the Moon. The mission is part of the United States’ plan to land humans on the Moon by 2028, and serves as a precursor to future human missions to Mars.

Sri Lanka Announces $317 Million Relief Package Amid West Asian Crisis

Amid the West Asian conflict, Sri Lanka announced a relief package worth 100 billion Sri Lankan rupees (about $317 million) for a period of three months, as stated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament. The measures include fuel and fertilizer subsidies, a temporary increase in cash transfer schemes for the poor, and government coverage of electricity costs for consumers using less than 90 units. The announcement coincides with talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the next tranche of the $2.9 billion assistance package extended after the 2022 economic crisis. To address fuel supply concerns, Sri Lanka is in discussions with Russia and China, while India supplied 38,000 metric tonnes of petroleum on March 28, including 20,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of petrol.

2026 PHC Summit Focuses on NCD Prevention in Cities

The 2026 Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC) Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together health officials, urban planners, and experts from 55 cities. The PHC is a global network of 74 cities dedicated to preventing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and injuries, with Indian cities Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru as members. Under this initiative, each city adopts one of 15 proven interventions to reduce NCDs and injuries. NCDs are long-term non-transmissible diseases, and globally account for over 80% of deaths (more than 47 million). The major NCDs include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, with over 80% of premature deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

Sports News

Palak–Mukesh Win Gold with World Record at ISSF World Cup

At the ISSF World Cup shooting competition held in Granada, Spain, the Indian duo Palak and Mukesh Nelavalli won the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event with a world record score of 487.7 points, including 243 by Palak and 244.7 by Mukesh. This score set a new world record in both Senior and Junior categories, surpassing the previous record of 481.3 points set by Uzbekistan’s Mukhammad Kamalov and Nigina Saidkulova in February. In the competition, China’s Qianjun Yao and Cai Hu secured the silver medal with 484.8 points, while Hungary’s Veronika Major and Akos Karoly Nagy won the bronze medal with 414.9 points. The Indian pair had earlier qualified for the final by finishing second with 581 points in the qualifying round.

Lalit Sehrawat Wins Silver at Asian Wrestling Championships

At the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Bishkek, India’s Lalit Sehrawat won the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 55 kg category, losing 0-9 to Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Botirov in the final. In the 87 kg category, Sunil Kumar secured the bronze medal by defeating Uzbekistan’s Mukhammadkodir Rasulov 5-4, marking his second consecutive bronze at the Asian Championships. In the 97 kg category, Nitesh advanced to the final by defeating China’s Zeguang Wang 7-2 and is set to face Iran’s Mohammad Hadi Saravi. In the 82 kg category, Prince lost to Iran’s Mohammadamin Hosseini and moved to the bronze medal round, where he will face Turkmenistan’s Didar Amanazarov. In the 77 kg category, Aman narrowly missed a medal after losing 14-15 to South Korea’s Yonggun Noh, while in the 67 kg category, Sachin Sehrawat entered the repechage round and will compete against China’s Ji Leng for the bronze medal.

Economy News

Private Banks Lead Deposit Growth in FY2025–26 Q4

In the fourth quarter (January–March) of FY2025–26, private sector banks recorded higher deposit growth of 12% to 17%, surpassing public sector banks, which showed 2% to 14% growth. Among private banks, IDFC First Bank led with 17.2% growth, followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank (14.7%) and HDFC Bank (14.4%). Among public sector banks, Bank of India recorded 14.33% growth, followed by Bank of Maharashtra (14%) and Central Bank of India (13.37%). Banks are increasingly focusing on Certificates of Deposit due to declining savings in savings and current accounts. In lending, public sector banks recorded 12% to 22% growth, while overall banking sector credit growth stood at 13.8%, influenced by GST reforms and consumer demand. Net profit of private banks is expected to grow up to 11.9%, whereas public sector banks are expected to show 2.1% growth.

Environment News

Madras Hedgehog Genome Study Reveals Evolutionary Link

The first complete mitochondrial genome analysis of the Madras hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris), also known as the bare-bellied hedgehog, has provided new insights into its evolutionary history. The study, conducted by R. Brawin Kumar, Harald Meimberg, and Thapasya Vijayan, was published in the journal Mitochondrial DNA Part A. It established that the species is a closely related sister species to the Indian hedgehog (Paraechinus micropus) and that both species diverged around 3.69 million years ago during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene period. The DNA samples for the study were collected from specimens in Thoothukudi district over an area of 62 sq km, marking a significant step in understanding a species previously lacking genetic data.