Daily Current Affairs 4 May 2026

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary has inaugurated the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Asia on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development at the Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) in Pune, Maharashtra.

The launch took place during the international conference “Women Leading the Future of Work”, organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Dr Swati Mujumdar, the Pro-Chancellor of SSPU, has been named the UNESCO Chairholder. The university has also introduced the “Kushal Saathi” initiative to provide structured mentorship for girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and career opportunities.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the nationwide indigenously developed Cell Broadcast System (CBS) in New Delhi. The system was engineered by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The initiative aims to strengthen the disaster management framework of the country through homegrown technology. The CBS features multilingual capabilities to deliver emergency alerts in multiple Indian languages to ensure effective communication across the population.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has inaugurated the first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) based tolling system of India at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza, located on the Surat-Bharuch section of National Highway-48 (NH-48) in Gujarat. The system aims to modernize the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) infrastructure.

The MLFF framework enables barrier-less tolling with minimal human intervention, allowing vehicles to transit toll locations without stopping for a seamless traffic flow. It is to be noted that 41,500 vehicles used the facility on the inaugural day of its implementation.

The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has officially declared the “Right to Safe Road Travel” as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

The judgment was delivered in the case of “In Re: Phalodi Accident”, where the SCI examined critical issues related to road safety and the accountability of authorities on highways and expressways.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) has launched the ‘SMILE–Beggary Survey Mobile Application’ during the ‘Chintan Shivir’ held in Chandigarh. The initiative is part of the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme (2021-2026), which focuses on rehabilitating individuals through shelter, skill development, and social reintegration.

The project has been extended to cover 181 cities across India. It is supported by model shelter home guidelines and is integrated with the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) 2.0 App for drug demand reduction. The platform also provides access to the Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System (MANAS).

Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd, in collaboration with Axis Bank Ltd and PayU Payments Pvt Ltd, has introduced biometric authentication for card-based transactions. The system enables users to authorize payments via fingerprint or Face Identification (Face ID), serving as a replacement for traditional One-Time Passwords (OTPs).

The RBI has approved the application of One MobiKwik Systems Ltd to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). This allows the company to establish a subsidiary named MobiKwik Financial Services Private Ltd as its lending arm, contingent upon the issuance of a Certificate of Registration (CoR).

RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹41.8 lakh on Bandhan Bank for non-compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines. It has also levied a fine of ₹80,000 on Muthoot Housing Finance Company for failing to follow the Fair Practices Code. Additionally, a cumulative penalty of ₹2.6 lakh was imposed on Ebix Payments Services Ltd and two cooperative banks under the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007.

According to a report titled “DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat-A Strategic Roadmap to Enable Non-linear Inclusive Socio-economic Growth” released by the NITI Aayog, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiatives currently account for nearly 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This contribution is projected to reach 4% by 2030.

The report, which details the implementation strategy for DPI 2.0, was developed in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation and Deloitte. It establishes a two-phase strategy to facilitate the digital transformation of the country.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has signed a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a constituent laboratory of the DRDO, for the Gas Turbine–Infrared Suppression System (GT-IRSS).

The technology, developed by the NSTL for LM2500 (Land and Marine) gas turbines, is used to enhance the stealth of naval vessels.

Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd (HSCL), the largest producer of speciality carbon black in India, has commissioned the first anode material production facility of the country at Mahistikry in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.

The facility has an initial operational capacity of 200 Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA). This marks the entry of HSCL into the lithium-ion battery value chain to strengthen the domestic energy storage sector.

Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy has flagged off the flight hardware of “Vikram-1”, the first privately developed orbital rocket of India, from the Skyroot Aerospace Max-Q campus in Hyderabad to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

Vikram-1 is a multi-stage launch vehicle designed to transport satellites weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which covers the region from 160 km to 2,000 km above the Earth. The maiden flight, tentatively scheduled for June 2026, will be a demonstration mission to validate the orbital capabilities of the vehicle through the deployment of several CubeSats. It is to be noted that the mission is subject to final approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN SPACe).

The Indian Junior Shooting Team has topped the medal tally at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup 2026 (Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun) held in Cairo, Egypt. India won 16 medals (5 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze), followed by Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) and France. India sent the largest contingent of 71 athletes to the competition. Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won gold and set a new Junior World Record in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event with 499.9 points.

Other gold medallists: Shiva Narwal (men’s 10m air pistol), Vanshika Chaudhary (women’s 10m air pistol), Vanshika Chaudhary and Chirag Sharma (10m air pistol mixed team), and Prachi Gaikwad (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions). The team is set to participate in the upcoming ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany.

Muni Narayana Prasad, the head of Narayana Gurukulam and a prominent spiritual leader, passed away at the age of 87. He was a recipient of Padma Shri in 2024.