Current Affairs Quiz - April 2026

Notes:
Three Panchayats of Tripura won top honours in the Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Nanaji Deshmukh Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 2025. Sepahijala district was ranked the best District Panchayat in the country. Kanchabari Gram Panchayat topped the Health-Friendly category, and Baikunthapur secured third place in the Women-Friendly category. Winners will receive financial assistance from ₹50 lakh to ₹5 crore, reflecting Tripura’s progress in development, healthcare, and women’s empowerment.

Notes:
The Pride of Hills scheme is a special financial initiative introduced by the Central Government of India in March 2026 for the financial year 2026-27, specifically designed to support 9 Himalayan states. The initiative, operating under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) framework, aims to bridge developmental gaps caused by difficult terrain, low connectivity, and low population density. 9 Himalayan states are Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Mizoram.

Notes:
The INSPIRE Scheme (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research), implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, aims to attract meritorious youth to pursue basic and natural sciences and strengthen India’s Research & Development base. The scheme has supported large numbers of students in recent years, with INSPIRE-MANAK beneficiaries around 50,000 annually, while INSPIRE-SHE supports nearly 9,000–10,000 students per year.

Notes:
Sloth Bear was recently captured by forest officials near Shivamogga after straying into villages. It is one of the eight bear species globally and is myrmecophagous, feeding mainly on ants and termites. It inhabits dry and moist forests and grasslands with rocks and shrubs for shelter. It is found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan and is mostly nocturnal.
Important habitats include Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary and Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, its conservation status is Vulnerable.

Notes:
The Ministry of Textiles has extended the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme for exports of apparel, garments, and made-ups up to 30th September 2026 to promote textile exports. The RoSCTL Scheme has been operational since 2019 and aims to enhance the competitiveness of Indian textile exports in the global market. The scheme provides reimbursement of all embedded State and Central taxes and levies that are not otherwise refunded under any other mechanism. The RoSCTL Scheme was introduced as a successor to the Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) Scheme, which covered only State taxes and levies.

Notes:
Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious viral disease affecting poultry and wild birds, recently reported spreading across Europe and the United Kingdom (UK). It is caused by Avian Paramyxovirus Serotype 1 (APMV-1) and has global distribution. It occurs in three forms: lentogenic (mild), mesogenic (moderate), and velogenic (highly virulent). Transmission occurs via respiratory droplets, exhaled air, and feces of infected birds. Symptoms include respiratory distress (gasping, coughing), nervous signs (paralysis, twisted neck), and diarrhoea.

Notes:
SAMPANN (System for Accounting and Management of Pension) is a digital pension platform being adopted by Goa Government and Cochin Port Authority to modernize pension disbursement. It is a flagship initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), launched in 2018. It is managed by the Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA). It enables end-to-end pension processing including sanction, authorization, and payment on a single platform. It ensures direct bank transfer of pensions without intermediaries, improving transparency.

Notes:
The Khelo India Tribal Games concluded in Chhattisgarh, with the closing ceremony attended by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, highlighting the promotion of tribal sports talent. Renowned athletes Mary Kom and Bhaichung Bhutia participated as special guests, encouraging young players. In the overall medal tally, Karnataka emerged as the champion with 23 gold medals, followed by Odisha (second) and Jharkhand (third). The host state Chhattisgarh finished ninth with 3 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals. A total of about 3,800 athletes from 30 States and Union Territories participated, reflecting wide national representation.

Notes:
Min Aung Hlaing was elected President of Myanmar, consolidating his political power five years after the Myanmar coup 2021. His rise follows a controversial election dominated by the Union Solidarity and Development Party, widely criticised as a sham by Western nations. He overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering protests that escalated into a nationwide civil war. He secured victory with 429 votes against rival Nyo Saw, backed by military-appointed lawmakers. His presidency is seen as an attempt to legitimise military rule under a civilian façade.

Notes:
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Qdenga for individuals aged 4–60 years, making it India’s first dengue vaccine. Qdenga is a live-attenuated, tetravalent vaccine developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan. It targets all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4), with strongest efficacy against DENV-2 and relatively lower against DENV-3 and DENV-4. It does not require pre-vaccination screening and is administered in two doses, spaced three months apart. The vaccine provides strong protection against severe dengue and reduces hospitalisation rates.