Daily Current Affairs 24 April 2026

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Sri Guru Bhairavaikya Mandira at Sri Kshetra Adichunchanagiri in Mandya, Karnataka. During the visit, he was honoured with a Mysuru Peta, a traditional headgear crafted from Mysuru and Benaras silk and decorated with pearls and pendants, which was historically worn by the former King of Mysuru, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

PM Modi and former PM HD Deve Gowda have released the publication titled ‘Saundarya Lahari and Shiva Mahimna Stotram’ in Mandya, popularly known as the “Sugar City”. He also highlighted a “nine-point, citizen-driven development agenda” to facilitate the goals of “Viksit Karnataka” and “Viksit Bharat”.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the operational guidelines for the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) and the Credit Repayment Guarantee Sub-Scheme (CRGSS) in New Delhi. The UCF will be implemented from FY26 to FY31, with a possible extension until FY34.

The central government has allocated ₹1 lakh crore as Central Assistance for the UCF to attract a total urban investment of ₹4 lakh crore. Central Assistance is capped at 25% of the total project cost, while at least 50% must be sourced from marketbased sources like municipal bonds, bank loans, and PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPPs). Of the total outlay, ₹90,000 crore is for project funding and ₹5,000 crore is for capacity building. The CRGSS, which has an allocation of ₹5,000 crore, provides credit guarantees to assist smaller cities in accessing finance from market-based sources.

According to a report titled “Economic and Social Survey of Asia and Pacific 2026: Socioeconomic Prosperity Amid the Transition to an Environmentally Sustainable Economy” released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the economy of India is projected to grow at 6.4% in Calendar Year 2026 (CY26) and 6.6% in CY27.

The inflation of India is expected to reach 4.4% in CY26 and 4.3% in CY27. The growth rate of the South and South-West Asia region is estimated at 5.4% in CY25, which is an increase from 5.2% in CY24. During the first three quarters of CY26, India attracted the largest share of greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth $50 billion. It is followed by Australia, Republic of Korea, and Kazakhstan.

The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) has signed an MoU with NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd (NLDSL) to enhance logistics efficiency and facilitate data-driven policymaking for the MSME sector. NLDSL is the digital and data division of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC).

The World Bank Group (WBG) has launched a global platform named ‘Water Forward’ in collaboration with multilateral development banks and development finance institutions. The initiative aims to enhance water security for 1 billion people by 2030.

It is to be noted that the WBG aims to provide water security to 400 million individuals, while the commitments from the other partners will cover the remaining 600 million people to reach the collective target.

The 11th meeting of the India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) was held in Cairo, Egypt, to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. The Indian delegation was led by Amitabh Prasad, the Joint Secretary (International Cooperation).

Both nations reviewed the progress since the previous JDC and formulated a roadmap for future engagement. They also finalized and agreed upon a bilateral defence cooperation plan for the period 2026-27.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has received ‘Prajna’, an indigenously developed satellite imaging system designed to provide real-time decision support for security agencies. The system, an AI-enabled platform, was developed by the Centre for AI and Robotics (CAIR), a laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It utilizes advanced imaging to enhance the technical and operational capabilities of security forces.

The Board of JSW Steel Ltd has approved a proposal to form a 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) with the South Korea-based POSCO Group to establish an integrated steel plant in Odisha. The proposed plant will have a production capacity of 6 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).

Saffron Resources Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Steel, will transition into the JV entity through a share subscription and joint venture agreement.

The Meghalaya government has approved the ‘Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026’, formally recognizing Khasi and Garo as official languages in addition to English. This ordinance, which repeals the ‘Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005’, authorizes the use of Khasi and Garo in official government orders, notifications, and correspondence.

Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, the Director and Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), has been conferred the 9th “Prof. MS Swaminathan Award” for the 2024-25 period in Hyderabad. The award carries a Gold Medal and a cash prize of ₹2 lakh

Aronyak Ghosh from Kolkata becomes the 95th Grandmaster (GM) of India. He secured his third and final GM norm at the 23rd Bangkok Chess Club (BCC) Open 2026, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand.

India has won a gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) 2026 held in Granada, Spain. Mukesh Nelavalli and Palak Gulia secured the gold in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.

China topped the medal standings with 13 medals (8 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze), followed by Germany with 2 medals (1 gold and 1 silver). India concluded the tournament with a total of 1 gold medal.

Balbir Punj, a veteran journalist and former Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), passed away at the age of 76. He served two terms in the Rajya Sabha representing Uttar Pradesh from 2000-06 and Odisha from 2008-14. He was also a recipient of the “Lifelong Devrishi Narad Samman Award” in 2022.