April 14, 2026, marks the birthday of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and the Sikh religious festival of Baisakhi. Both, B R Ambedkar and the Sikh Gurus fought against caste discrimination. But caste in Sikh history has been complicated terrain.

The Sikh faith was founded on the cornerstone of brotherhood, equality and fraternity. The founder of the faith, Guru Nanak was born in 1469 Common Era, a time when the Punjab and Northern India were witness to invasions, inter-religious conflict and caste atrocities.

Nanak, through his life and teachings, sought to bring religious communities closer and end caste discrimination.

North Korea conducted another test-fire of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles on Sunday as part of operational efficiency trials of its destroyer Choe Hyon, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Leader Kim Jong Un observed the test alongside senior defence officials and naval commanders, the report said.

Two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-warship missiles were fired to check the warship's integrated weapons command system, train crews in missile-launch procedures and verify the accuracy and anti-jamming performance of upgraded navigation systems, KCNA said.

Australia on Monday said a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of the country's defence force leadership.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July, the government said in a statement. She will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.

Coyle's appointment comes as Australia's military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It faces a wave of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination.

Until a few days ago, over 100 residents of Nelangur, a hilly village deep inside the forests of Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad, depended entirely on water streams and faced acute shortages, especially in summer. That changed last week when the government, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, provided tap water connections to homes.

Nelangur is among the remotest villages, located on hilly terrain about 52 km from the Narayanpur district headquarters and nearly 8 km from Kuwakodi village in Maharashtra’s Bhamragad taluka.

Last April, security forces set up a police camp, clearing the security vacuum and easing Naxal influence in the area. It was only last year that Abujhmad, long seen as a Maoist stronghold since the 1980s, was largely freed of such influence.

A day after workers in Noida Phase 2 took to the streets in large numbers, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced an interim minimum wage increase of approximately 21 per cent for workers across Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad. The protesters, however, are not done yet.

The high-level committee constituted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the interim wage revision with effect from 1 April, covering workers across skill categories in two of Uttar Pradesh's most industrially significant districts.

According to the Noida District Magistrate's office, the revised monthly wages for workers in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad are as follows. Unskilled workers will see their monthly pay rise from ₹11,313 to ₹13,690. Semi-skilled workers will move from ₹12,445 to ₹15,059. Skilled workers, previously earning ₹13,940 per month, will now receive ₹16,868 — an increase that tracks closely to the 21 per cent headline figure across all categories.

The Department of Posts, Karnataka Postal Circle, today unveiled two commemorative postage stamps and souvenir sheets celebrating the remarkable progress of India’s human spaceflight programme led by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The stamps, released at a function in Bengaluru, trace India’s inspiring journey in space exploration, from the launch of Aryabhata to its ambitious future plans in human spaceflight and orbital infrastructure. The design also highlights India’s rich scientific heritage, symbolised by the iconic Jantar Mantar.

Addressing the gathering, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan outlined the organisation’s growth trajectory across various states and detailed upcoming milestones. He said ISRO is preparing for the Gaganyaan mission, which will include three crewed missions followed by a fully safe crewed mission. He also revealed plans for establishing an Indian Space Station with 52-tonne flight modules, with the first module targeted for launch by 2028. Additionally, studies are underway for a future crewed lunar mission. Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, who was present at the event, shared his experiences in space with students, inspiring young minds about careers in space science and exploration. The programme was presided over by K. Prakash, Chief Postmaster General of the Karnataka Circle.

Nepali feature film Elephants in the Fog has made history by becoming the first Nepali film to be selected in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film follows a family living in a settlement affected by elephant attacks, focusing on the mother-daughter relationship. Written and directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, the film will compete at the 79th edition of the festival, scheduled to be held in France from 12th to 23rd May. Un Certain Regard, a section introduced in 1978 that highlights emerging filmmakers and distinctive storytelling voices, runs parallel to the competition for the Palme d’Or and is considered the second most prestigious section at Cannes.

Veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai on Sunday following a cardiac arrest and pulmonary complications.

Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed the news of her death and said, "She is no more. Her last rites will be held at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai,'' as per NDTV.

Earlier in the day, news agency PTI reported that the legendary singer remained in critical condition after she hospitalised in South Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday.

Her granddaughter, Zanai, took to Instagram to share details about Bhosle's health on April 11. "My grandmother, Asha Bhosle due to extreme exhaustion and suffering a chest infection has been admitted to hospital and we request you to value our privacy. Treatment is ongoing and hopefully everything will be well and we shall update you positively," she wrote.

The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the U.S. was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.

The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the U.S., officials said.

Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday (April 11, 2026) by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.

An Indian Army contingent comprising 60 personnel departed today for the 7th edition of the India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise, Exercise DUSTLIK. The exercise, which commenced today in Uzbekistan, will continue until the 25th of this month.

The Defence Ministry noted the exercise is conducted on a yearly basis alternatively in India and Uzbekistan, with an aim to foster military cooperation and enhance combined capabilities to execute joint operations in semi-mountainous terrain. It will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of conducting joint operations and will further strengthen interoperability, operational synergy and joint command and control coordination between the contingents.

The event will also provide an opportunity to enhance the level of defence cooperation, further fostering bilateral relations between the two friendly nations. The Indian Armed Forces contingent is being represented by 45 personnel from the Indian Army, majorly from a Battalion of the MAHAR Regiment and 15 personnel from the Indian Air Force. The Uzbekistan contingent also comprises a total of 60 personnel from the Uzbekistan Army and Air Force.