Daily Current Affairs – 26-04-2026

International News

U.S. Economic Sanctions on Chinese Entities

The United States imposed economic sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, for its involvement in crude oil trade with Iran, along with approximately 40 shipping companies and cargo vessels linked to Iran’s oil transport network. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the refinery, which is the second-largest independent refinery in China, purchased more than 5 million barrels of Iranian crude oil since 2023 through sanctioned vessels. The sanctions also targeted a “ghost fleet” transporting crude oil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petroleum, and petrochemical products from Iran to global markets, thereby supporting Iran’s financial activities. As part of the sanctions, assets of the listed entities in the United States or under U.S. control are frozen, and violations may lead to civil or criminal action. Among the sanctioned entities are the Topo Shipping Company (China) and the vessel Etor (Marshall Islands flag). The move comes ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with China being a major importer of Iranian crude oil, previously accounting for 80–90% of Iran’s crude exports.

US Imposes 123.04% Anti-Dumping Duty on Indian Solar Exports

The United States Department of Commerce imposed a 123.04% provisional anti-dumping duty on Indian solar cells and modules in 2026, alleging that Indian products are being sold at unfairly low prices in the US market. The department also imposed duties on Indonesia (35.17%) and Laos (22.46%), and these three countries together accounted for about $4.5 billion of solar imports to the US, nearly two-thirds of total imports. The investigation was initiated following a complaint filed in July 2025 by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade, which includes First Solar (Arizona, USA), Qcells (Hanwha, South Korea), Talon PV, and Mission Solar, alleging unfair subsidies to manufacturers from India, Indonesia, and Laos. Earlier, in February 2026, the US had already imposed countervailing duties, including a 126% levy on Indian solar exports.

National News

Restructuring of NITI Aayog

The Central Government restructured NITI Aayog, the public policy think tank of India, on April 25, 2026, and appointed Ashok Kumar Lahiri as the new Vice Chairman. Five full-time members were also appointed, namely K.V. Raju (Economist), M. Srinivas (Director of AIIMS), Abhay Karandikar (Secretary, Department of Science and Technology), Govardhan Das (Scientist), and Rajiv Gauba (Former Union Cabinet Secretary). The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is the Chairman of NITI Aayog. Ashok Kumar Lahiri, a BJP MLA from West Bengal, previously served as the Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India and was a member of the 15th Finance Commission. Following his appointment, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

India’s First Private Rocket ‘Vikram-1’ Hardware Dispatched

The hardware for ‘Vikram-1’, India’s first private rocket developed by Skyroot Aerospace, was dispatched from Hyderabad, Telangana on April 25, 2026, with the flag-off conducted by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The rocket is scheduled to be launched into Earth’s orbit in the coming months from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Skyroot Aerospace had earlier developed its first rocket in 2022, marking a significant milestone in India’s private space sector. According to Central Government data, Telangana recorded a 117.9% growth in engineering goods exports between 2023–24 and 2024–25, with major contributions from aircraft spare parts and defence equipment.

IIT Madras to Lead India’s First Geothermal Power Project

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) will lead India’s first geothermal energy project to generate electricity from abandoned oil and gas wells. The project, funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, is valued at ₹15.5 crore and will be implemented at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) site in Ankleshwar, located about 50 km from Surat. The pilot project aims to produce up to 450 kilowatts of continuous power during a two-year demonstration phase by converting depleted hydrocarbon wells into geothermal energy sources. If successful, the project is expected to be expanded to other regions, including the Cauvery Delta, and has the potential to generate several gigawatts of clean electricity if scaled across the country.

States’ News

Karnataka Approves 15% Internal Reservation for SCs

The Karnataka Cabinet, in a meeting held on April 24, 2026 in Bengaluru under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, approved 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 3% reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs), based on the report submitted by the Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Within the 15% SC reservation, 5.25% each was allocated to Group ‘A’ (Left-hand castes) and Group ‘B’ (Right-hand castes), and 4.5% to Group ‘C’ castes, covering multiple sub-castes. The decision follows the Supreme Court judgment dated August 1, 2024, delivered by a 7-judge bench, which empowered state governments to provide internal reservation for SCs. Earlier, the Karnataka government had proposed 17% reservation for SCs and 7% for STs based on the report of the Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission, but implementation was stayed by the Karnataka High Court, leading to delays and leaving 56,432 government posts vacant. A technical committee was later formed under Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and after the completion of by-elections, the cabinet finalized the revised reservation structure and decided to issue an official notification to fill vacancies.

Ganga Expressway Inauguration in Uttar Pradesh

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the Ganga Expressway on April 29, 2026 in Uttar Pradesh, which has been constructed at a cost of ₹37,000 crore. The expressway extends for 594 km between Meerut and Prayagraj and is a 6-lane highway, making it the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh and one of the largest infrastructure projects in India. The project passes through 12 districts, including Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Shahjahanpur, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the construction was completed in four segments. A 3.5 km airstrip has been constructed in Shahjahanpur on the expressway to facilitate aircraft landings during emergencies.

Sports News

Junior World Cup Shooting – India Wins Gold in Mixed Team

At the Junior World Cup Shooting Competition held in Cairo, Egypt on April 25, 2026, India won two medals (1 Gold, 1 Bronze) in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Junior event. The pair of Vanshika Choudhary and Chirag Sharma secured the Gold Medal with a score of 484.3 points, while the Russian team won Silver (467.6 points), and another Indian pair Mohini Singh and Rana Himanshu won the Bronze Medal (407.4 points). In the Trap Men’s Junior event, Zuhair Khan and Yugan Sakthivel finished in 7th and 8th positions respectively with 8 points each, and in the Trap Women’s Junior event, Bhavya Tripathi secured 8th place with 4 points. At the end of the 5th day of the competition, India topped the medal tally with 14 medals (5 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze), followed by France and Russia.

Sri Lanka Wins Women’s ODI Series Against Bangladesh

In the Women’s One Day International (ODI) Series held at Rajshahi on April 25, 2026, the Sri Lanka Women’s Team defeated the Bangladesh Women’s Team by 7 wickets in the 3rd ODI and won the 3-match series 2–1 to become champions. Bangladesh scored 213/8 in 50 overs, while Sri Lanka chased the target by scoring 214/3 in 46.3 overs. Hasini Perera scored 95 runs and was named Player of the Match, while Imesha Dulani, who scored 116 runs in the series, was awarded Player of the Series.

K.L. Rahul Becomes First Indian to Score 150+ in IPL Innings

K.L. Rahul of Delhi Capitals became the first Indian cricketer to score more than 150 runs in an IPL innings by scoring an unbeaten 152 runs off 67 balls against Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. In the list of highest individual scores in IPL history, he follows Chris Gayle (175 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in 2013)* and *Brendon McCullum (158 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008)**.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi – Youngest to Reach 1,000 Runs in T20 Cricket

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged 15 years and 29 days, became the youngest player to score 1,000 runs in T20 cricket during the IPL season, after scoring his third 15-ball half-century. He also became the fastest player to reach 1,000 T20 runs in terms of balls faced, achieving the milestone in 473 balls, thereby breaking the previous record held by Mitchell Owen (533 balls).

Tamil Nadu News

3rd Synchronised Nilgiri Tahr Survey in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department commenced the 3rd synchronised Nilgiri Tahr survey from April 24 to 27, 2026, covering the entire range of the species across the State under Project Nilgiri Tahr, which was launched on October 12, 2023 for the conservation of the State Animal of Tamil Nadu. The survey is conducted in coordination with the Kerala Forest Department across the Western Ghats to ensure accurate population estimation. The first survey in 2024 recorded 1,031 Nilgiri Tahrs across 140 survey blocks, and the second survey in 2025 recorded 1,303 individuals across 177 blocks. The 2026 survey covers more than 3,100 km, including 14 forest divisions, 43 ranges, 124 beats, and 177 survey blocks, with participation of nearly 800 trained staff. For the first time, a mobile application named ‘Varudai’ has been introduced for real-time data collection, GPS tracking, and standardised reporting, supported by a web-based data integration system. Independent observers from institutions such as the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), TANUVAS (Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University), Botanical Survey of India (BSI), and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) are also participating in the survey.

Reports and Indices

Foreign Portfolio Investment in India Hits 16-Year Low

According to a report by Morgan Stanley, the contribution of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) in the Indian stock market declined to its lowest level in 16 years in the quarter ending March 2026, with a decrease of 0.90%. In contrast, the share of domestic investors (institutional investors and individuals) reached a record high of 29%. During the same quarter, total domestic investment in listed companies increased by 0.4%, with the share of domestic institutional investors rising by 0.58% to 19.3%, and individual investors’ participation increasing by 0.20%. Although foreign investors continued to have higher investments in the financial sector, their allocation declined slightly, while the industrial sector remained their lowest investment area. Domestic investors invested the most in the consumer staples sector.

Important Days

April 26 – World Intellectual Property Day

April 26 is observed as World Intellectual Property Day, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to raise awareness about the importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks in promoting innovation and creativity. The day marks the entry into force of the WIPO Convention in 1970. The theme for 2026 is “IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity.”