Friday, 24 April 2026
Daily Current Affairs
Today's exam-ready bundle for SSC, Banking, UPSC, Railway and Defence — bilingual headlines, key facts, mnemonics, exam-track MCQs and flashcards.
22 AprLatest bundle
POLICYHIGH PRIORITYTop story
India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the inaugural Japan-India AI Strategic Dialogue to link Japan's ONESTRUCTION Inc. openBIM platform (based on the IFC global construction-data standard) with India's DataKaveri Systems' Intelligent Universal Data Exchange (IUDX) — already active in 55 Indian smart cities — enabling construction data to flow into AI-based urban planning and digital twins; DataKaveri is the commercial arm of IISc Bengaluru's Centre of Data for Public Good.
भारत एवं जापान ने उद्घाटन जापान-भारत AI रणनीतिक संवाद में एक समझौता ज्ञापन (MoU) पर हस्ताक्षर किए — जापान की ONESTRUCTION Inc. के openBIM प्लेटफ़ॉर्म (वैश्विक निर्माण-डेटा मानक IFC पर आधारित) को भारत की डेटाकावेरी सिस्टम्स के इंटेलिजेंट यूनिवर्सल डेटा एक्सचेंज (IUDX) से जोड़ने हेतु — जो पहले से ही 55 भारतीय स्मार्ट शहरों में सक्रिय है; निर्माण डेटा को AI-आधारित शहरी योजना एवं डिजिटल ट्विन्स में प्रवाहित करने में सक्षम; डेटाकावेरी IISc बेंगलुरु के सेंटर ऑफ़ डेटा फ़ॉर पब्लिक गुड की वाणिज्यिक शाखा है।
India and Japan have strengthened cooperation in artificial intelligence and urban planning through a new data partnership signed at the inaugural Japan-India AI Strategic Dialogue. The Memorandum of Understanding is between Japan's ONESTR…
24 April 2026 · Japan-India AI Strategic Dialogue — inaugural MoU announcement
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All 16 headlines at a glanceTap to expand
- policy· 4
- 01India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the inaugural Japan-India AI Strategic Dialogue to link Japan's ONESTRUCTION Inc. openBIM platform (based on the IFC global construction-data standard) with India's DataKaveri Systems' Intelligent Universal Data Exchange (IUDX) — already active in 55 Indian smart cities — enabling construction data to flow into AI-based urban planning and digital twins; DataKaveri is the commercial arm of IISc Bengaluru's Centre of Data for Public Good.SSCBankingUPSC
- 03Rajasthan's Commissionerate of Food Safety and Drugs Control has ordered the immediate withdrawal of seven substandard medicines — including antibiotics (Cefixime, Cefuroxime Axetil, Ciprofloxacin), anti-helminthic Albendazole, cough medicines, and corticosteroid Methylprednisolone — after laboratory testing flagged quality failures; manufacturers are spread across Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, with the antibiotics being particularly concerning due to antimicrobial-resistance risk.SSCBankingUPSC
- 09India's new online gaming rules — notified under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 (PROGA) — kick in from 1 May 2026 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); a new Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) will be the central regulator headed by an Additional Secretary-level official with representatives from Ministries of I&B, Youth Affairs & Sports, and Departments of Financial Services and Legal Affairs; the rules remove mandatory pre-registration for all games but require e-sports and certain platforms to register, with a focus on user-safety safeguards against excessive spending, psychological harm, and inappropriate content.SSCBankingUPSC
- 15Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) has been selected under the Safe Cities Project 2026 — led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development — with a dedicated allocation of ₹10 crore for five-year implementation covering CCTV surveillance, improved street lighting, advanced monitoring systems, 'Pink Toilets' in public areas, dedicated waiting spaces in hospitals, tourist-site safety improvements, gender-sensitivity training, and community awareness campaigns.SSCBankingUPSC
- international· 3
- 02International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial judges have confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged extrajudicial killings between 2011-2019 during his 'war on drugs'; the ICC ruled it retains jurisdiction — the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 but the crimes occurred during membership; 500+ victims authorised to participate; Duterte's 'unfit to stand trial' argument rejected based on expert medical opinion.SSCBankingUPSC
- 05Türkiye's Parliament has passed a Bill restricting social media access for children under 15 — requiring platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to implement age verification and parental controls; the legislation follows a tragic Kahramanmaras school shooting where a 14-year-old student killed nine classmates and a teacher; President Erdogan supported the Bill, while the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) criticised it as restriction-based rather than rights-based; the move joins a global trend including Australia (under-16 restriction, December 2025) and similar measures in Indonesia, Spain, France, and the UK.SSCBankingUPSC
- 08The UK Parliament has approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill — a generational ban that permanently prohibits individuals born on or after 1 January 2009 from purchasing tobacco products, making the legal age effectively rise year by year; the law also tightens vaping regulation (flavour, packaging, advertising restrictions; bans on vaping in playgrounds, schools, hospitals, and cars with children) and is framed by UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting as a preventive public-health measure to ease the NHS burden.SSCBankingUPSC
- science· 2
- 04Finland is preparing to operationalise Onkalo — the world's first permanent underground repository for highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel — located 400-450 metres below Olkiluoto Island in 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock; designed to safely store about 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel for up to 100,000 years using a multi-barrier system of copper capsules, bentonite clay, and stable rock; becomes the first operational deep geological repository globally since nuclear reactors began producing waste in the 1950s.SSCBankingUPSC
- 13Chinese researchers have identified 'Cerium-Magnesium Changesite' — the 11th officially recognised lunar mineral — from a 44-gram Moon meteorite recovered in China; the discovery was announced by the China Geological Survey and the mineral's fluorescence and rare-earth composition could support next-generation high-efficiency LED phosphor materials.SSCBankingUPSC
- polity· 1
- culture· 2
- 07The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun a major conservation operation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Konark Sun Temple (Odisha) — drilling a controlled 6×5-foot passage through the western wall of the Jagamohan (assembly hall) using diamond drilling technology to remove sand filled by British engineers between 1901 and 1903 to prevent collapse; sand samples analysed by IIT Madras were found stable; phase expected to take up to a year; original temple built in the 13th century by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty — designed as the giant chariot of the Sun God.SSCBankingUPSC
- 16The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has launched the 'VM Frames' National Filmmaking Competition to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram — the iconic national song written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay; the contest is open in three formats (Reels, AI-Based Films, Short Films) encouraging creative reinterpretation of patriotism, unity, and cultural identity with a submission deadline of 7 May 2026; the competition is part of a year-long nationwide celebration including states, union territories, and Indian missions abroad.SSCBankingUPSC
- people· 3
- 10Nadendla Bhaskar Rao — former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, best remembered as the central figure in the 1984 'August Coup' that briefly deposed N.T. Rama Rao — has died in Hyderabad at age 90; Bhaskar Rao was sworn in as CM on 16 August 1984 while NTR was in the United States for medical treatment, triggering NTR's 'Dharma Yuddham' public campaign; within 31 days central government intervention restored NTR as CM (16 September 1984); Bhaskar Rao later rejoined the Congress, won from Khammam Lok Sabha in 1998, and joined the BJP in 2019.SSCBankingUPSC
- 12Shiv Ratan Agarwal — founder, promoter, chairman, and whole-time director of Bikaji Foods International — has passed away at 74 following a heart attack; he built Bikaji (established as Shivdeep Products in 1986, rebranded as Bikaji in 1993) from a Bikaner-based snacks business into the world's largest manufacturer of Bikaneri bhujia (35,000+ tonnes annually), led the November 2022 IPO, and had a net worth over ₹9,200 crore as of March 2026; he was a grandson of the founder of the Haldiram's family business.SSCBankingUPSC
- 14Bagalkot University (Karnataka; established 2023) will confer honorary doctorates on former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan (cryogenic rocket technology), religious leader Sri Gurumahanth Swami, and tech entrepreneur-philanthropist Mahesh Bellad at its first-ever convocation; 1,691 students will receive degrees (46 gold medalists), with the address by IIM Nagpur Director Bheemaraya Metri in the presence of Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar.SSCBankingUPSC
- sports· 1
international
· 3INTERNATIONALHIGH
International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial judges have confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged extrajudicial killings between 2011-2019 during his 'war on drugs'; the ICC ruled it retains jurisdiction — the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 but the crimes occurred during membership; 500+ victims authorised to participate; Duterte's 'unfit to stand trial' argument rejected based on expert medical opinion.
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INTERNATIONALHIGH
Türkiye's Parliament has passed a Bill restricting social media access for children under 15 — requiring platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to implement age verification and parental controls; the legislation follows a tragic Kahramanmaras school shooting where a 14-year-old student killed nine classmates and a teacher; President Erdogan supported the Bill, while the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) criticised it as restriction-based rather than rights-based; the move joins a global trend including Australia (under-16 restriction, December 2025) and similar measures in Indonesia, Spain, France, and the UK.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
INTERNATIONALHIGH
The UK Parliament has approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill — a generational ban that permanently prohibits individuals born on or after 1 January 2009 from purchasing tobacco products, making the legal age effectively rise year by year; the law also tightens vaping regulation (flavour, packaging, advertising restrictions; bans on vaping in playgrounds, schools, hospitals, and cars with children) and is framed by UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting as a preventive public-health measure to ease the NHS burden.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
policy
· 3POLICYHIGH
Rajasthan's Commissionerate of Food Safety and Drugs Control has ordered the immediate withdrawal of seven substandard medicines — including antibiotics (Cefixime, Cefuroxime Axetil, Ciprofloxacin), anti-helminthic Albendazole, cough medicines, and corticosteroid Methylprednisolone — after laboratory testing flagged quality failures; manufacturers are spread across Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, with the antibiotics being particularly concerning due to antimicrobial-resistance risk.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
POLICYHIGH
India's new online gaming rules — notified under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 (PROGA) — kick in from 1 May 2026 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); a new Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) will be the central regulator headed by an Additional Secretary-level official with representatives from Ministries of I&B, Youth Affairs & Sports, and Departments of Financial Services and Legal Affairs; the rules remove mandatory pre-registration for all games but require e-sports and certain platforms to register, with a focus on user-safety safeguards against excessive spending, psychological harm, and inappropriate content.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
POLICYMEDIUM
Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) has been selected under the Safe Cities Project 2026 — led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development — with a dedicated allocation of ₹10 crore for five-year implementation covering CCTV surveillance, improved street lighting, advanced monitoring systems, 'Pink Toilets' in public areas, dedicated waiting spaces in hospitals, tourist-site safety improvements, gender-sensitivity training, and community awareness campaigns.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
science
· 2SCIENCEHIGH
Finland is preparing to operationalise Onkalo — the world's first permanent underground repository for highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel — located 400-450 metres below Olkiluoto Island in 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock; designed to safely store about 6,500 tonnes of spent fuel for up to 100,000 years using a multi-barrier system of copper capsules, bentonite clay, and stable rock; becomes the first operational deep geological repository globally since nuclear reactors began producing waste in the 1950s.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
SCIENCEMEDIUM
Chinese researchers have identified 'Cerium-Magnesium Changesite' — the 11th officially recognised lunar mineral — from a 44-gram Moon meteorite recovered in China; the discovery was announced by the China Geological Survey and the mineral's fluorescence and rare-earth composition could support next-generation high-efficiency LED phosphor materials.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
polity
· 1culture
· 2CULTUREHIGH
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun a major conservation operation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Konark Sun Temple (Odisha) — drilling a controlled 6×5-foot passage through the western wall of the Jagamohan (assembly hall) using diamond drilling technology to remove sand filled by British engineers between 1901 and 1903 to prevent collapse; sand samples analysed by IIT Madras were found stable; phase expected to take up to a year; original temple built in the 13th century by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty — designed as the giant chariot of the Sun God.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
CULTUREMEDIUM
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has launched the 'VM Frames' National Filmmaking Competition to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram — the iconic national song written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay; the contest is open in three formats (Reels, AI-Based Films, Short Films) encouraging creative reinterpretation of patriotism, unity, and cultural identity with a submission deadline of 7 May 2026; the competition is part of a year-long nationwide celebration including states, union territories, and Indian missions abroad.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
people
· 3PEOPLEHIGH
Nadendla Bhaskar Rao — former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, best remembered as the central figure in the 1984 'August Coup' that briefly deposed N.T. Rama Rao — has died in Hyderabad at age 90; Bhaskar Rao was sworn in as CM on 16 August 1984 while NTR was in the United States for medical treatment, triggering NTR's 'Dharma Yuddham' public campaign; within 31 days central government intervention restored NTR as CM (16 September 1984); Bhaskar Rao later rejoined the Congress, won from Khammam Lok Sabha in 1998, and joined the BJP in 2019.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
PEOPLEMEDIUM
Shiv Ratan Agarwal — founder, promoter, chairman, and whole-time director of Bikaji Foods International — has passed away at 74 following a heart attack; he built Bikaji (established as Shivdeep Products in 1986, rebranded as Bikaji in 1993) from a Bikaner-based snacks business into the world's largest manufacturer of Bikaneri bhujia (35,000+ tonnes annually), led the November 2022 IPO, and had a net worth over ₹9,200 crore as of March 2026; he was a grandson of the founder of the Haldiram's family business.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway
PEOPLEMEDIUM
Bagalkot University (Karnataka; established 2023) will confer honorary doctorates on former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan (cryogenic rocket technology), religious leader Sri Gurumahanth Swami, and tech entrepreneur-philanthropist Mahesh Bellad at its first-ever convocation; 1,691 students will receive degrees (46 gold medalists), with the address by IIM Nagpur Director Bheemaraya Metri in the presence of Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar.
SSCBankingUPSCRailway