Find the Weekly Current Affairs for the 2nd week of April 2026. Stay informed with the most important news and events from around the world. Our curated updates provide a comprehensive summary of the week’s key happenings, covering politics, economics, science, technology, sports, and international affairs.
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Highlights of April 2nd Week Current Affairs
- Childhood cancer is emerging as a major cause of death in India, replacing infectious diseases as a key child health concern.
- India reports around 50,000–75,000 paediatric cancer cases annually, contributing nearly 20% of the global burden.
- Survival rate in India is about 40%, significantly lower than over 80% in high-income countries, with ~17,000 child deaths in 2023.
- Most common cancers include leukaemia (especially lymphoid), followed by lymphomas and CNS tumours.
- High burden states include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, with Delhi showing highest incidence rates.
- Major reasons include late diagnosis due to infection-like symptoms, high treatment costs, long travel distances and treatment abandonment.
- Environmental factors like air pollution and pesticide exposure are linked to cancers such as leukaemia and brain tumours.
- Government e-Marketplace (GeM) achieved ₹18.4 lakh crore GMV, boosting transparent and digital public procurement with strong MSME participation.
- Piprahwa relics of Gautama Buddha will be showcased in Ladakh, strengthening India’s Buddhist heritage diplomacy and cultural ties.
- World Health Day 2026 (7 April), themed “Together for health. Stand with science”, highlights global cooperation and evidence-based healthcare policies.
- Rising energy costs in India are severely affecting migrant labourers, as higher LPG and fuel prices have pushed up food, transport, and rental expenses in cities, making urban survival increasingly unaffordable for low-income workers and forcing many to temporarily return to villages in search of financial relief.
- The crisis highlights the fragile condition of India’s migrant workforce, with over 4.1 crore interstate migrants and more than 28 crore unorganised workers registered on the e-Shram Portal, many of whom depend on unstable informal jobs without contracts, fixed wages, or social protection, leaving them highly vulnerable during inflation shocks.
- India’s oil import dependence has reached alarming levels, with nearly 91% of crude oil needs being met through imports in February 2026, exposing the country to global price volatility, especially amid the Iran war and disruptions in West Asian shipping routes that threaten crude and LNG supplies.
- The Strait of Hormuz remains a major strategic concern, as around 40% of India’s crude oil imports and 80% of LPG imports pass through this chokepoint; any escalation in regional conflict could sharply increase India’s import bill, widen the current account deficit, and worsen domestic inflation.
- Concerns over India’s internet censorship regime have intensified after studies revealed that website blocking is being enforced inconsistently across internet service providers, with only a small fraction of blocked domains uniformly restricted, raising fears of arbitrary censorship, unequal digital access, and lack of transparency in implementation.
- The Sattankulam custodial death verdict has renewed national attention on police accountability, as despite thousands of custodial deaths reported over the past two decades, convictions remain extremely rare, exposing deep structural flaws in policing, weak enforcement of safeguards, and the urgent need for anti-torture reforms.
- Poshan Pakhwada 2026 has begun with a focus on maximizing brain development in the first six years of life, emphasizing maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and early childhood care, reinforcing the importance of nutrition as a foundation for long-term health and cognitive growth in India’s children.
- Jammu and Kashmir’s decision to revive the historic Mohra Power Project marks an important step toward strengthening local energy security, as the 1905 hydropower plant on the Jhelum River is being upgraded to enhance clean electricity generation and reduce dependence on external power sources.
- ISRO’s Mission MITRA is advancing India’s human spaceflight ambitions by testing astronaut performance in extreme conditions such as hypoxia, cold, and isolation in Leh, generating critical data that will improve crew preparedness and mission safety for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
- Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has completed 11 years as a major pillar of financial inclusion, having expanded collateral-free credit access for micro and small enterprises across manufacturing, services, and agriculture-linked sectors, thereby strengthening entrepreneurship, self-employment, and grassroots economic development in India.
- A World Inequality Lab report has revealed that rural land ownership in India remains highly concentrated, with the top 10% of households owning 44% of all land, exposing deep structural inequality in agrarian society.
- Nearly 46% of rural households in India are landless, showing widespread exclusion from productive assets and limiting economic mobility, especially among marginalized and lower-caste communities.
- States such as Punjab, Bihar, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu show severe regional disparities in land distribution, with Punjab recording the highest landlessness at nearly 73%, highlighting uneven rural development.
- Historical land systems like zamindari, weak implementation of land reforms, caste-based exclusion, and concentration of fertile land in market-rich regions continue to fuel rural land inequality across India.
- The Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit held in Rio de Janeiro renewed global efforts to combat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which now account for 74% of global deaths and nearly 66% of all deaths in India.
- India is intensifying its anti-NCD response through schemes like NP-NCD, the 75/25 hypertension-diabetes initiative, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Fit India Movement, and digital platforms like the National NCD Portal and eSanjeevani.
- Due to disruptions in West Asian energy routes and reduced LPG/LNG supplies linked to Strait of Hormuz tensions, India has temporarily reintroduced kerosene under PDS for 60 days as an emergency energy measure for vulnerable households.
- The revival of kerosene, though addressing short-term fuel shortages, raises serious concerns over indoor air pollution, respiratory illnesses, black carbon emissions, subsidy leakages, and reversal of India’s clean energy transition goals.
- The United States and Iran have announced a fragile two-week ceasefire after prolonged conflict, with peace talks set to begin in Islamabad, but unresolved disputes over nuclear enrichment, sanctions, and Strait of Hormuz control continue to threaten stability.
- India has withdrawn from hosting COP33 in 2028 under the UNFCCC, citing political timing, administrative burdens, diplomatic complexities, and climate accountability pressures, making South Korea the likely next host candidate.
- Violent clashes in Rayagada between police and tribal villagers over the road construction linked to the Sijimali bauxite mining project highlight the growing conflict between industrial development and protection of tribal rights, raising serious governance and human rights concerns.
- Bauxite is a strategic mineral and the primary raw material for alumina and aluminium, which are essential for key sectors like transport, construction, aerospace, and defence, making it critical for India’s industrial growth and infrastructure expansion.
- The Sijimali Bauxite Mining Project, located across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha, was allotted to Vedanta Ltd. in 2023 and is intended to supply raw material to the Lanjigarh alumina refinery, strengthening domestic aluminium production.
- The project has raised serious ecological concerns as it lies in ecologically sensitive zones, including elephant habitats and erosion-prone areas, posing risks such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and long-term environmental imbalance.
- There is strong tribal resistance from local communities who fear loss of livelihood, displacement, and erosion of cultural identity, along with allegations that consent for the project was obtained through unfair or non-transparent means.
- The region falls under the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which mandates special protections for tribal areas, including compulsory consent of Gram Sabhas under laws like the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and PESA Act, 1996, highlighting gaps in implementation of legal safeguards.
- The issue has reignited debates around Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), with critics arguing that tribal voices are often sidelined in large-scale development projects despite legal provisions meant to empower them.
- Odisha holds immense importance in India’s mineral economy, possessing around 41% of the country’s bauxite reserves and contributing nearly 73% of production, along with about 17% of total mineral wealth, making it a focal point for mining-driven development.
- The Niyamgiri case (2013) serves as a landmark precedent, where the Supreme Court upheld the authority of Gram Sabhas in deciding mining activities in tribal areas, and all 12 Gram Sabhas rejected the proposed project, leading to its cancellation and marking a major victory for tribal and environmental rights.
- Overall, the Sijimali conflict reflects a broader challenge in India—balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and tribal welfare, emphasizing the need for transparent governance, stronger legal enforcement, and inclusive decision-making in resource exploitation projects.
- India’s Nari Shakti reforms mark a shift from welfare to structural empowerment, with women placed at the centre of development through financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and political participation.
- Flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Mudra Yojana have significantly improved women’s access to banking, clean energy, and credit, while Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have created a strong grassroots economic network of over 10 crore women.
- Despite progress, challenges persist such as low female labour force participation (~37%), awareness gaps, and limited political representation (~13.6% in Lok Sabha), highlighting the need to focus on outcomes rather than just scheme coverage.
- Iran’s proposal to impose transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint handling 20–30% of global oil trade, has raised serious concerns over global energy security and international maritime law.
- The move violates principles under UNCLOS, which ensures free transit passage through international straits, leading to opposition from countries like Oman and potential geopolitical and legal tensions.
- India and other oil-importing nations could face higher energy costs and inflationary pressures if such transit fees are implemented, especially amid ongoing West Asia conflicts.
- Under the Namo Drone Didi Yojana, Karnataka has emerged as a leader by training women as drone pilots, promoting agri-tech empowerment, precision farming, and rural entrepreneurship.
- The scheme provides 80% subsidy on drones, skill training, and institutional support, helping integrate rural women into modern agriculture, though challenges like maintenance costs and digital infrastructure remain.
- India’s decision to halt new Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) production approvals after 2027 aligns with the Kigali Amendment, aiming to reduce emissions of high global warming potential gases used in cooling systems.
- Initiatives like Project Glasswing by Anthropic signal a major shift in cybersecurity, using AI to proactively detect vulnerabilities, while geopolitical developments like airstrikes on Qeshm Island highlight rising tensions affecting strategic, energy, and water security in the region.
- Narendra Modi’s long tenure revives debate on absence of term limits for PM; Constitution allows continuation based on Lok Sabha confidence.
- B. R. Ambedkar opposed fixed tenure, favouring parliamentary accountability over rigid limits.
- Weak parliamentary scrutiny, Anti-Defection Law, and strong majorities have reduced effective checks on executive power.
- Countries like the United States and Brazil follow fixed term limits, unlike India’s parliamentary model.
- Women’s Reservation (106th Amendment) ensures 33% seats but is delayed due to Census and delimitation requirements.
- Implementation faces political, administrative, and constitutional challenges.
- Proportional Representation (PR) model proposed to fast-track reservation but may weaken direct accountability.
- Compressed Biogas (CBG) is being promoted to boost clean energy, reduce imports, and support rural economy.
- FIU-IND and I4C MoU strengthens action against rising cyber-financial frauds through coordination and data sharing.
- Global and domestic developments—Iran–United States tensions, Keytruda, and UPI growth—highlight evolving challenges in energy, health, and digital sectors.
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8 to 14 April 2026 (Weekly Current Affairs Quiz)