Friday, Apr 03
Daily current affairs for 3 April 2026 with exam-focused key facts, connected news context, and revision notes for UPSC, SSC, banking and government exams.
Today at a glance
Key Updates:
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi flagged off the culmination ceremony of Bharat RannBhoomi Darshan D2D Expedition at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The 22-day expedition covered…
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth will move from General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command, Pune, to Army Headquarters as Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) from 1 April. Lt Gen P.P. Singh, currently Vice Chief of Army…
Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh will take over as GOC-in-C of Western Command at Chandimandir at month-end upon the retirement of Lt Gen M K Katiyar. He is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) since 31…
President of India Droupadi Murmu approved a major reshuffle of Governors and Lieutenant Governors across states and Union Territories. RN Ravi, former Tamil Nadu Governor, became Governor of West Bengal after CV Ananda…
[Gujarat]
Key Updates:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects worth approximately ₹16,450 crore across Kerala and Tamil Nadu on 11 March. In Kerala, projects worth about ₹10,800 crore were launched, including the…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ajmer, Rajasthan on 28 February 2026 and launched 43 projects worth ₹16,686 crore across urban development, drinking water, roads, railways, irrigation, energy and industrial…
Cabinet Minister Shri Jitubhai Vaghani announced that 5,492 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) involving investments worth Rs 5.78 lakh crore were signed during the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference. The state…
Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai presented a Rs 4.08 lakh crore Budget for 2026-27 with an estimated surplus of Rs 974 crore and no new taxes. The Budget continued the 5 per cent tax rebate on Motor Vehicle Tax…
[Mongolia]
Key Updates:
Yumnam Khemchand was elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative party. Nemcha Kipgen is likely to become the Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur.
Balendra Shah took oath as Prime Minister of Nepal on 27 March 2026. He leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) which won 182 of the 275 parliamentary seats in the 5 March 2026 election.
Tarique Rahman took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 17 February at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Tarique Rahman and his initial cabinet.
Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), won two parliamentary seats: Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6. BNP and its allies secured at least 212 of the 299 contested seats in the 13th Parliamentary elections.
Key Updates:
China became India’s third-largest export destination in February, overtaking the Netherlands. Exports to China grew 32.4 per cent to $1.67 billion in February, mainly due to a low base.
India held 8.2% of global major arms imports between 2021 and 2025, ranking second worldwide. Russia’s share of Indian arms imports fell from 70% in 2011-15 to 40% in 2021-25.
India achieved a record $47 billion (₹4.15 lakh crore) in electronics exports in 2025. Nearly $30 billion of total exports came from PLI-driven smartphone manufacturing.
India's total merchandise and services exports grew by 5.79% to reach US$ 790.86 billion (₹72.76 lakh crore) between April 2025 and February 2026. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) reported that merchandise…
Key Updates:
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) extended UPI One World wallet service to international delegates attending India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 16-20 February. The wallet…
India’s retail inflation quickened to 3.2% in February 2026, a 10-month high, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on 12 March 2026. CPI inflation was last higher…
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has partnered with Japanese IT services firm NTT Data to roll out Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Japan on a trial basis in fiscal 2026. The initial phase of the…
Currency in circulation reached Rs 40 lakh crore in January 2026, 11% higher than January 2025. UPI transactions touched Rs 28.33 lakh crore in January 2026, up over 20% year-on-year.
[Uzbekistan, Air India]
Key Updates:
Air India has signed a codeshare agreement with Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic to improve travel connectivity between India and the Baltic region. The airline announced the partnership on December 30, 2025.
Singapore Airlines holds a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India. The carriers will explore ways to improve connectivity between Singapore and India.
Air India and Lufthansa Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 17 February 2026 to establish a framework for a joint business agreement. The agreement covers Air India, Air India Express, Austrian Airlines…
Akasa Air becomes the fifth Indian airline to join IATA after Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and SpiceJet. IATA members account for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic.
Key Updates:
The Government has extended the National PNG Drive 2.0 till 30th June 2026 to sustain momentum in PNG expansion across the country. City gas distribution entities have been directed to speed up domestic PNG connections.
GAIL (India) Ltd (GAIL) has completed the 694-kilometre Mumbai-Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline (MNPL) built along the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. The pipeline has a capacity of approximately 16.5 million standard cubic…
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notified Green Ammonia and Green Methanol Standards on 27 February 2026. Green Ammonia must have total non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions not exceeding 0.38 kg CO₂ eq/kg NH₃…
The Central Government invoked the Essential Commodities Act (EC Act) to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas amid Middle East conflict disrupting oil and gas supply. Priority sectors for 100 per cent of…
[Tripura]
Key Updates:
Tripura has secured the top position in the national Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 for its performance in local self-governance and village-level administration. Jugal Kishore Nagar Village Committee in the…
Tripura council of ministers approved rollout of the central government’s Nari Adalat scheme as a pilot in 10 selected gram panchayats. Scheme spearheaded by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) to function…
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) will launch the PANCHAM – Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). MoPR will release the 17th issue of…
Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy announced NAVCHETNA to set up Innovation and Technology Laboratories in institutions. NAVCHETNA will focus on Artificial Intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things, coding and…
[Andhra Pradesh]
Key Updates:
NITI Aayog unveiled a draft blueprint under the ASSET platform to transform Andhra Pradesh into one of India’s top three renewable energy hubs by 2035. The plan envisages total sectoral investments of Rs 7.5 lakh crore…
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) unveiled a draft blueprint under the Accelerating Sustainable State Energy Transition (ASSET) platform to transform Andhra Pradesh into a top renewable energy hub…
[Goa Shipyard Limited]
Key Updates:
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launched INS Shachi (Yard 1280), a Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), for the Indian Navy. GSL delivered Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Achal (Yard 1274) to the Indian Coast Guard…
India INX Global Access IFSC (India INX GA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of India International Exchange (India INX), has entered a strategic partnership with HSBC International Financial Services Centre Banking Unit (HSBC…
The integration enables real-time, two-way data exchange between customs systems and land port operations, creating a unified digital ecosystem for cross-border trade. Critical customs data elements—including Bill of…
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to launch the GISAT-1A (EOS-05) earth observing satellite on 20 February 2026. The mission will be launched using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle…
[Meghalaya]
Key Updates:
The Uttar Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the State Transformation Commission (STC) and One OTT Entertainment Limited (OIL), a subsidiary of the Hinduja Group, to implement Project…
The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) signed a reform-linked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Meghalaya government under the National Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0. Meghalaya is the 12th state in India to sign the…
The Gujarat Government signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited (Starlink), a subsidiary of SpaceX, to enhance digital connectivity in remote and underserved areas. The LoI…
India climbed four spots to secure the 45th rank globally in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2025, released by the Portulans Institute. The country's overall score improved to 54.43 out of 100 in 2025, up from 53.63…
[United States, National Aeronautics and Space Administration]
Key Updates:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to launch the Artemis 2 mission in April to send four astronauts around the moon. The mission will be launched from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space…
NASA plans to launch Artemis II in early April, with the earliest possible launch date of 1 April. The mission was delayed from March after a helium leak forced the rocket’s return to the Vehicle Assembly Building at…
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) delayed the Artemis II moon mission launch to no earlier than 8 February 2026, following a delay in the fueling test due to a cold snap in Florida. The mission…
The Artemis 2 crewed mission is scheduled to launch on February 5, 2026, carrying Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a historic lunar flyby. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which…
Key Updates:
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, launched PRARAMBH 2026, the Income Tax Department’s nationwide awareness campaign on the Income Tax Act, 2025, in New Delhi on 20 March 2026. She…
Razorpay has partnered with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup Sarvam AI to introduce voice-led conversational commerce for India's multilingual population. The technology allows users to search for products, place…
Union Home Minister Amit Shah soft-launched four advanced digital platforms and unveiled mascots 'Pragati' and 'Vikas' for Census 2027. The digital tools developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)…
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ashwwa Vaishnaw unveiled three inter-linked measures to boost India’s media and creative economy. National AI Skilling initiative, implemented by Indian Institute of…
Key Updates:
The 8th annual Hockey India (HI) awards were held in New Delhi to recognise standout performances during the 2025 season. Hardik Singh and Navneet Kaur were conferred with the Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the…
Sahitya Akademi announced its 2025 awards on 16 March 2026 for 24 Indian languages. The award ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 31 March 2026.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has invited online nominations for the Sukhatme National Award in Statistics 2026 through the National Awards Portal. The award recognises Indian statisticians aged…
Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev launched the Bhavya Bharat Bhushan Award to recognise individuals for their contributions to the growth and well-being of the nation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the…
Key Updates:
International Asperger’s Day is observed annually on 18 February to raise awareness about the neurodevelopmental condition. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Hans Asperger, an Austrian paediatrician and…
Emirates Health Services (EHS) announced two gene therapy initiatives for rare neurological and genetic disorders in children. The first project targets monogenic autism and epilepsy, including Beta-Propeller…
World Down Syndrome Day 2026 will be observed on March 21. The global theme for 2026 is "Together Against Loneliness".
Rare Disease Day 2026 is observed globally on 28 February with the official theme More Than You Can Imagine. Approximately 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease, of which nearly 80 per cent are genetic…
[Singapore]
Key Updates:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase I of Noida International Airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh on 28 March 2026. The airport is located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district along the Yamuna Expressway and serves as…
Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) won the Airports Council International (ACI) World's 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport at Arrivals globally. MIA secured the honour for the second consecutive…
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) received the 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Customer Experience Award for Asia-Pacific's Best Airport for departures in the over 40-million-passenger…
Wings India 2026 is organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and held at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad from 28-31 January 2026. The event is formally launched by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu…
Key Updates:
Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) Virendra Kumar introduced the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament on 13 March. The Bill proposes to remove the right to…
International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the ban on 27 March 2026. Eligibility for women’s category will be decided by SRY gene screening; athletes testing negative for the SRY gene can compete.
International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed annually on February 6. The 2026 observance falls on Friday, February 6.
Zero Discrimination Day is observed globally on 1 March every year. The 2026 observance by UNAIDS highlights persistent discrimination faced by people living with and at risk of HIV.