Current Affairs

Noida International Airport appoints Nitu Sarma as CEO on an interim basis

Noida International Airport (NIA) has appointed Nitu Sarma as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors conclude a formal selection process.

This change in leadership follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national.

BCAS recently rejected the security approval of Christoph Schenellmann, CEO of NIA, as he is a foreign national. Schnellmann, who has led the airport as CEO since August 2020, will join the airport’s Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman.



Guntur Municipal Corporation wins UNIDO’s 4th Gender Equality Mobilisation Award in Vienna

The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has secured the 4th Gender Equality Mobilisation (GEM) Award, presented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) at the International Day of Women in Industry 2026 celebrations in Vienna on Wednesday (April 22, 2026).

Municipal Commissioner K. Mayur Ashok said the award was received on behalf of GMC by Sustainable Cities Project Manager and Industrial Development Officer Olga Rataj. Former Finnish President Tarja Halonen and senior UNIDO officials were among those at the event.



Rajnath Singh to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers’ meet in Bishkek

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Bishkek on April 27–28 to attend the Defence Ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where regional security challenges and evolving geopolitical dynamics are expected to dominate discussions.

A senior defence official confirmed that Mr. Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the high-level meeting, which will bring together defence ministers from SCO member states. Key issues on the agenda include terrorism, extremism, and regional security concerns amid shifting global alignments.



Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi inducted into US Army War College International Hall of Fame

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the US Army War College today. Mr Dwivedi became the third person to receive this honour after General V K Singh and General Bikram Singh.

During his visit to the college, General Dwivedi addressed faculty and international student officers on leadership, professional military education, and evolving security dynamics. He also toured key facilities and participated in academic engagements, including panel discussions and reviewing advanced study projects under the Scholars Program. General Upendra Dwivedi is also an alumnus of the US Army War College.



Bikaji Foods International founder Shiv Ratan Agarwal passes away at 70

Shiv Ratan Agarwal, chairman and whole-time director of Bikaji Foods International, is no more, according to the company’s stock exchange filing.

“A visionary entrepreneur and founder, Shri Shiv Ratan Agarwal was instrumental in shaping the company’s journey from its origins in Bikaner into a globally recognised packaged food enterprise. With over five decades of experience in the ethnic snacks and sweets industry, he built a strong foundation rooted in innovation, quality, and deep consumer understanding,” the company said in a statement.

The release also added that under Agarwal’s leadership, the ethnic snacks major evolved into one of India’s leading fast-moving consumer goods brands with a growing international footprint and a portfolio of products.



Pakistan Withdraw From SAFF Women's Championship In India

Pakistan national football has officially withdrawn from the 2026 SAFF Women's Championship amid worsening relations between the two nations, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Thursday. The decision, rooted in persistent political tensions between India and Pakistan, leaves the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to move forward with a reduced six-team lineup for the tournament, scheduled to take place at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, from May 25 to June 6. This will mark the second time India will host the SAFF Women's Championship, after the 2016 edition in Siliguri, West Bengal, where India won their fourth title. It will also be the second time that Goa will stage a SAFF tournament. The men's championship of 1999 was also held at the PJN Stadium, where India won the title, defeating Bangladesh in the final.



Maharashtra approves CBG Policy 2026 to boost waste-to-energy and clean fuel push

The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the Maharashtra State Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy 2026, marking a significant push toward sustainable energy and scientific waste management. Chaired by Devendra Fadnavis, the decision aims to convert organic waste into clean fuel while advancing India’s circular economy and climate goals.

The policy earmarks ₹500 crore for FY 2026–27 to support project developers through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). This funding is intended to reduce investment risks and accelerate the rollout of large-scale CBG plants across Maharashtra.



UNGA President Annalena Baerbock set to visit India next week for key diplomatic engagements

President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock will visit India next week and hold several bilateral meetings with government officials. Her spokesperson, La Neice Collins, said that the President of the 80th session of the UNGA, Baerbock, will undertake official travel to New Delhi and Beijing next week. Collins said Baerbock is travelling at the invitation of the governments of India and China.

During her visit to India, Baerbock will hold multiple bilateral meetings with various government officials and also meet the UN country team in India led by UN Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner. This will be Baerbock’s first visit to India in her capacity as President of the UNGA. She had previously travelled to the country when she served as Germany’s foreign minister. In February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited India to attend the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

She will then travel to China, where she will hold bilateral meetings with government officials and meet the UN country team led by Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson.



Rocklink India opens lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Uttar Pradesh

Rocklink India has opened a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in India as part of its efforts to build a domestic ecosystem for recycling of critical and rare earth minerals, said Leonard Ansorge, Director, Rocklink India Private Ltd.

Commenting on the key development for the company in India, Ansorge told ANI, “(Today is) the opening of our facility as well as the opening of our first lithium-ion battery recycling plant here in India,” on the sidelines of the launch of the facility at Sikandrabad industrial area in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh, nearly 60 km from the national capital New Delhi.



NASA Roman Space Telescope set for launch

Dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universe. Humanity has never directly detected either. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named for NASA's first chief of astronomy and the first woman to hold an executive position at the agency, recently reached a milestone: it is complete.

At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, scientists and engineers gathered to celebrate the observatory's moment of achievement while its clean-room lighting displayed the observatory's beauty before its upcoming mission.