Daily Current Affairs 22 April 2026

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has hosted the inaugural BRICS Health Working Group (HWG) meeting virtually in New Delhi. The session was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

The meeting was chaired by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and saw participation from delegates representing 9 nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE, and Indonesia. During the event, India proposed the “BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles” as a key priority to improve public health outcomes among the member states.

Herbalife India, a subsidiary of Herbalife Ltd (HLF), has signed an MoU with theIIT Madras to establish the first Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology in India. The CoE will be located at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai.

The 7th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bhutan was held in Munnar, Keralam. The session was co-chaired by Yogendra Garg, Special Secretary and Member (Customs) of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and his Bhutanese counterpart Sonam Jamtsho.

India is the largest trading partner of Bhutan, accounting for 80% of the total trade volume of Bhutan. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached over $1.9 billion in FY25, showing a growth of more than 46% compared to FY24.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has signed a contract with GE Aerospace to establish a domestic Base Depot Facility for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of F404-IN20 engines. These engines power the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A fighter fleet.

The facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the IAF to provide in-country technical support and sustainment for the engine fleet.

The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Pvt Ltd for the procurement of TRAWL Assembly for T-72 and T-90 tanks at a cost of ₹975 crore.

The TRAWL Assembly is an indigenous equipment developed by the DRDO to enhance the minefield breaching capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement is categorized under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) (IDDM) framework.

Razorpay has partnered with OpenAI to integrate the payment infrastructure of Razorpay into Codex, the coding platform of OpenAI. This collaboration enables developers to build and monetize AI applications using a single natural language prompt.

The World Bank has approved a $225 million (₹2,080 crore) loan for the Rajasthan Highway Modernisation Project to improve the efficiency, resilience, and safety of state highways.

The loan, provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), features a 35-year maturity period and a 5-year grace period. It is to be noted that the financial package includes the first Step-Up Loan (SuL) of India to support the modernization of the road network of the state.

Sayani Gupta, a Bollywood actress, has been designated as the South Asian ‘Person of the Year’ by the Harvard University South Asian Association (SAA). The honour recognises her contributions to the fields of film, storytelling, and representation.

The global media brand TIME has released the 23rd edition of the “TIME 100 Most Influential People 2026” list. Three Indian nationals featured in the publication include Sundar Pichai (the CEO of Google and Alphabet), Chef Vikas Khanna, and actor Ranbir Kapoor.

It is to be noted that the list also recognized Zohran Mamdani (the Indian-origin Mayor of New York City) and Balendra Shah (the 35-year-old PM of Nepal) as prominent young leaders.

R Vaishali, an Indian Grandmaster (GM), becomes the first Indian woman to win the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.

She defeated Kateryna Lagno (Russia) in the final round of the tournament held in Pegeia, Cyprus. It is to be noted that Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has won the Open Section of the Candidates Tournament.

Suman Bery, the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, has launched an anthology titled “Divya Bharat: A Window to the Soul of India” in New Delhi. The publication aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tourism potential of the nation.

The anthology features 3,000 curated entries, comprising 2,100 tourism destinations and 1,200 cultural listings. This initiative supports national efforts and the strategic plan to develop 50 global tourist destinations.

Narayana Ramachandran, the former president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the World Squash Federation (WSF), passed away at the age of 77.

He served as the 12th president of IOA from 2014 to 2017. During his tenure as the WSF president (2008-16), he became the first Indian to lead an International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized international federation.

World Parkinson’s Day: Day - April 11; Theme 2026 - “Bridge the Care Gap”; Observed since - 1997; Commemorating - Birth anniversary of Dr James Parkinson