Daily Current Affairs 01 April 2026

Today’s current affairs are crucial for aspirants preparing for SSC, UPSC, banking, state‑level, and railway exams, as they cover policy changes, government schemes, and key international developments that frequently appear in General Awareness and Prelims‑oriented MCQs. Below is a concise, exam‑oriented roundup of major national and international news for 01 April 2026.

National Current Affairs

• On 30 March 2026, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the 33rd edition of “Energy Statistics India 2026”, providing detailed data on reserves, production, consumption, and imports‑exports for coal, petroleum, gas, and renewables for FY 2024‑25. This is important for exam‑based questions on energy‑mix, renewable‑energy potential, and government energy statistics.

• In March 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) approved 29 proposals under the 4th tranche of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), with a projected investment of ₹7,104 crore and expected production of about ₹84,515 crore, creating around 14,246 direct jobs. This is relevant for questions on “Make in India”, electronics manufacturing, and MeitY schemes.

• The Ministry of Heavy Industries extended the demand subsidy for electric two‑wheelers under the PM E‑DRIVE scheme from 31 March 2026 to 31 July 2026; the overall scheme for e‑two‑ and e‑three‑wheelers continues till 31 March 2028 with a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore. This is important for exam questions on electric‑vehicle‑related schemes, subsidies, and green‑mobility policy.

• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) signed an MoU with Anuvadini AI in March 2026 to translate evidence‑based Ayurveda research and publications into 13 regional languages using AI‑enabled voice‑to‑voice translation. This is relevant for questions on AYUSH, digital‑health, and AI‑application‑in‑traditional‑medicine.

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) signed an MoU with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) to launch a 3‑year B.Sc. in Aviation Maintenance Engineering (AME) from August 2026, aligned with DGCA’s CAR‑66 and CAR‑147 standards. This is useful for exam coverage on skill‑development, aviation‑education, and industry‑academia MoUs.

• In March 2026, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth ₹1,950 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for two indigenous mountain‑radar systems for the Indian Air Force, designed to detect fighter aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles in high‑altitude terrain. This is important for defence‑technology and “Make in India”‑related questions.

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy extended the commissioning deadline for certain PM‑KUSUM solar‑agri projects from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2027 for projects where PPAs/LoIs were signed by 31 December 2025; the total scheme target is 34,800 MW with central financial assistance of ₹34,422 crore. This is a key update for agriculture‑solar‑scheme questions and rural‑energy programmes.

• The Ministry of Finance decided to retain the interest rates of all small‑savings schemes unchanged for the first quarter of FY 2026‑27 (1 April 2026 – 30 June 2026), continuing the Q4FY26 rates; major schemes include PPF (7.1%), SCSS (8.2%), NSC (7.7%), and KVP (7.5%). This is important for banking and economics‑based MCQs on savings‑schemes and interest‑rate policy.

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has mandated all insurers (life, general, health, reinsurers) to adopt Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) from 1 April 2026, with parallel‑reporting for two years alongside the existing framework. This is relevant for exam questions on insurance‑regulation and accounting‑standards‑in‑finance.

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) delivered three frontline platforms in March 2026 to the Indian Navy: the advanced guided‑missile frigate INS Dunagiri (2nd Nilgiri‑class under Project 17A), the survey vessel INS Sanshodhak, and the anti‑submarine‑warfare shallow‑water craft INS Agray. This is important for defence‑modernisation and “Make in India”‑shipbuilding‑related MCQs.

International Current Affairs

• On 31 March 2026, US‑led airstrikes struck an Iranian ammunition depot in Isfahan, while Iran reportedly launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks towards the Gulf region, including a crude‑oil‑tanker strike near Dubai and missile firings at Israeli targets. Exams may ask about India’s strategic‑oil‑route security and regional security dynamics.

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and several Western economies warned that extended US–Israeli military action against Iran could push global energy prices higher and slow worldwide growth, as Iran‑bound oil‑tankers and Gulf‑shipping lanes face disruptions. This is relevant for questions on global inflation, oil‑prices, and external‑sector‑risk factors.

• President Donald Trump indicated that the US may soon reach a ceasefire deal with Iran following intensified strikes and shuttle‑diplomacy by regional powers such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, while also warning of further pressure on Iran’s energy infrastructure if Strait‑of‑Hormuz‑related demands are not met. This is important for international‑relations‑based MCQs on US‑foreign‑policy and Gulf‑politics.

• Human Rights Watch reported that Iran had used cluster munitions against Israeli targets in late March 2026, describing such strikes as unlawful due to the high risk of unexploded sub‑munitions harming civilians; at least four civilians were reported killed in those strikes. This is relevant for questions on international humanitarian law and UN‑related bodies.

• On 31 March 2026, EU‑26 member states committed to full accountability for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, while Hungary maintained a more cautious stance; the bloc reiterated its support for sanctions and war‑crime‑investigation mechanisms. This is important for questions on EU‑foreign‑policy, sanctions, and international‑law institutions.

• President Trump stated that he has no issue with Russian‑tanker‑bound oil supplies to Cuban ports, even as Western sanctions remain in place, citing freedom‑of‑navigation and commercial‑practice arguments; European allies expressed concern over circumvention‑risks. This is relevant for questions on sanctions‑evasion, maritime‑law, and US‑alliance‑dynamics.

• On 31 March 2026, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in Paris to mark Celine Dion’s return to the stage, as part of a broader European cultural‑revival campaign to boost tourism and soft‑power visibility after the pandemic and war‑related downturns. This is useful for euro‑tourism and cultural‑diplomacy‑related questions.

• Former Suriname President Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi, a key leader of the Indian diaspora and a 2021 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardee, passed away in March 2026 at the age of 67; he served as President from 2020 to 2025 and deepened ties with India. This is relevant for India–diaspora‑relations and foreign‑awards‑related MCQs.

Economy & Banking 

• The Government of India, in consultation with the RBI, finalised a borrowing programme for the first half of FY 2026‑27, including weekly Treasury‑bill auctions of about ₹24,000 crore, while retaining a greenshoe option of up to ₹2,000 crore per auction to manage liquidity and redemption pressure. This is important for exam questions on fiscal‑policy, government‑borrowing, and RBI‑debt‑management.

• Earlier advance estimates project India’s real‑GDP growth at around 7.3–7.4% for FY 2025‑26, with RBI forecasts indicating relatively low CPI‑inflation near 2%, giving space for a cautious easing stance; global‑inflationary pressures from the Middle‑East conflict, however, could constrain further rate cuts. This is relevant for macro‑economics and RBI‑policy‑stance‑based MCQs.

• The RBI has extended the implementation of its revised Capital Market Exposure (CME) framework from 1 April 2026 to 1 July 2026, under which loans against shares and securities for individuals are capped at ₹1 crore per borrower and ₹25 lakh for IPO‑FPO‑ESOP‑related finance across the banking system. This is important for banking‑regulation and capital‑market‑exposure questions.

• The RBI levied a monetary penalty of ₹31.8 lakh on Airtel Payments Bank in March 2026 for non‑compliance with disclosure norms in its FY 2024‑25 financial statements, following a Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2025). This is relevant for exam questions on payments‑banks, RBI‑supervision, and financial‑disclosure‑rules.

• On 31 March 2026, major global indices fluctuated amid fear‑driven oil‑price spikes and safe‑haven‑chase flows; US gasoline prices touched about $4 per gallon, while European and Asian markets saw mixed results depending on energy‑exposure and defence‑industrial stocks. This is useful for questions on global‑market‑trends and external‑shocks‑to‑EM‑economies.

• As of late March 2026, India’s foreign‑exchange reserves hover above $600 billion, supported by steady remittances, IT services exports, and stable capital‑inflows despite elevated geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region. This is relevant for questions on BoP, forex‑reserves, and RBI‑externalsector‑management.

Science, Technology & Environment

• The NSO’s Energy Statistics India 2026 report notes that India’s estimated renewable‑energy potential stood at 47,04,043 MW as of 31 March 2025, with solar accounting for about 71% of the total, followed by wind and large‑hydro; six states (Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh) host over 70% of this potential. This is key for exam questions on energy‑mix, renewable‑energy targets, and state‑wise potential.

• The CCRAS‑Anuvadini‑AI MoU will enable AI‑based voice‑to‑voice translation of Ayurveda research into 13 Indian languages, leveraging a platform developed by AICTE under the Ministry of Education, thereby reducing linguistic barriers in traditional‑medicine outreach. This is important for questions on India‑led AI‑applications in health and science‑communication.

• The newly contracted mountain‑radar system for the IAF, indigenously designed by DRDO’s LRDE and built by BEL, is meant to operate in high‑altitude Himalayan regions, overcoming line‑of‑sight and inclement‑weather constraints to detect fighter aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles. This is relevant for defence‑technology and indigenous‑R&D‑related MCQs.

• As part of the DGCA–Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya MoU, joint research will be promoted in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), aircraft maintenance, and parts manufacturing, aligning with India’s net‑zero‑aviation‑aspirations and Aatmanirbhar Bharat goals. This is useful for questions on sustainable‑transport and aviation‑policy‑in‑India.

Sports & Important Days

• In late March 2026, India hosted a bilateral T20 series against Afghanistan and a domestic kabaddi league round, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) announcing enhanced prize‑money and expanded youth‑academy ties. This is relevant for sports‑related GK on BCCI, PKL, and India‑as‑global‑sport‑host.

• 1 April 2026 marks Odisha Foundation Day, commemorating the formation of Odisha as a separate state on 1 April 1936, and also falls on April Fools’ Day and the beginning of Prevention of Blindness Week. These dates are important for exam questions on state‑foundation days, national‑days, and health‑awareness weeks.

• NSO released the 33rd edition of “Energy Statistics India 2026” on 30 March 2026 for FY 2024‑25.

• MeitY approved 29 ECMS projects worth ₹7,104 crore under the 4th tranche in March 2026.

• PM E‑DRIVE subsidy for electric two‑wheeler demand incentives is now valid till 31 July 2026.

• CCRAS signed an MoU with Anuvadini AI to translate Ayurveda research into 13 Indian languages.

• DGCA and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya agreed to launch a 3‑year B.Sc. in Aviation Maintenance Engineering from 2026–27.

• MoD signed a ₹1,950‑crore contract with BEL for two indigenous mountain‑radar systems for the IAF.

• PM‑KUSUM project‑commissioning deadline for select components has been extended to 31 March 2027.

• Small‑savings‑scheme interest rates are retained unchanged for Q1FY27 (1 April 2026 – 30 June 2026).

• IRDAI has mandated all insurers to adopt Ind AS‑based financial statements from 1 April 2026.

• RBI has extended the revised Capital Market Exposure (CME) framework implementation to 1 July 2026.

• RBI imposed a ₹31.8 lakh penalty on Airtel Payments Bank for disclosure‑norm violations in FY 2024‑25.

• 1 April 2026 is celebrated as Odisha Foundation Day, marking the separate‑state formation on 1 April 1936.