11 April 2026

The country commemorated the 199th birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, born on April 11, 1827. The Ministry of Social Justice released a commemorative volume of his Satyashodhak Samaj writings, and the President unveiled a statue at the Phule Wada in Pune, highlighting his pioneering role in women's education, caste reform, and the founding of Bhide Wada school in 1848.

IIT Kanpur's Transportation Engineering Group successfully tested India's first indigenous hyperloop prototype at its campus facility, reaching 315 km/h in a 422-metre partially evacuated tube. The passive magnetic levitation pod was developed under the Mission Innovation programme funded by DST and Indian Railways with a Rs 125 crore grant.

India was elected Plenary Chair of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods for 2026-27 at the Vienna meeting. As Chair, India will steer revisions to dual-use control lists covering AI chips, quantum cryptography modules, and commercial space technologies. India joined the 42-member regime in 2017.

The RBI's Sovereign Gold Bond Series 2026-I closed with a record 4.8x subscription, mopping up Rs 12,400 crore from 11.3 lakh applications. Issue price was Rs 7,812 per gram (with Rs 50 discount for online applicants). Cumulative SGB issuances since 2015 now exceed Rs 90,000 crore, reducing physical gold import dependence.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released Swachh Survekshan 2025 results under SBM-Urban 2.0. Indore retained its top rank for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai. Chandigarh was declared cleanest UT and Maharashtra the cleanest state. The survey covered 4,500+ cities with 11 crore citizen responses via SS-2025 mobile app.

The Zoological Survey of India and Tamil Nadu Forest Department completed large-scale coral transplantation across 35 hectares of bleached reef in the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve. Approximately 18,000 coral fragments of Acropora and Porites species were micro-fragmented and re-implanted, achieving a 72% survival rate after six months of monitoring.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited rolled out the 100th Tejas MK1A Light Combat Aircraft from its second assembly line at Nashik, following IAF orders totalling 180 aircraft worth Rs 98,000 crore. The MK1A variant features an Uttam AESA radar, Astra Mk-1 BVR missile integration, and 43 modifications over the baseline Tejas. Full induction expected by 2028.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the extension of 10% Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation under Article 15(6) and 16(6) to direct recruitment in higher judicial services, ruling that reservation in appointments to subordinate judiciary falls within State powers under Article 234. The 4-1 verdict clarifies the scope of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment.

The President appointed Justice (Retd) Pradeep Kumar Mishra, former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, as Chairperson of the Lokpal of India for a five-year term. He succeeds Justice A.M. Khanwilkar whose tenure ended in March 2026. Four judicial and four non-judicial members were also appointed, restoring the Lokpal to full strength.

IMD commissioned 25 upgraded S-band Doppler Weather Radars across cyclone-prone eastern and peninsular coasts, taking the total network to 62 radars. The radars provide 250 km range coverage with 3-dimensional nowcasting capability, improving cyclone landfall prediction accuracy to within 12 km. The project was executed under the Mission Mausam initiative.