17 April 2026

On World Haemophilia Day (April 17), the Ministry of Health notified Phase II of the National Policy for Rare Diseases, raising the treatment cap per patient from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore and expanding the list of notified rare diseases from 15 to 42. Gene therapies under CAR-T framework will now receive 80% reimbursement at 17 Centres of Excellence including AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER, and CMC Vellore.

A five-judge Supreme Court Constitution Bench held 4-1 that reservation in promotions for SCs/STs in All-India Services is constitutional provided the State demonstrates contemporaneous data on (i) inadequacy of representation, (ii) impact on administrative efficiency, and (iii) creamy layer exclusion. The ruling clarifies the Jarnail Singh (2018) framework and overrules partial observations in Nagaraj (2006).

India's merchandise trade deficit narrowed to USD 14.2 billion in March 2026 from USD 17.4 billion in March 2025, as exports rose 9.8% to USD 43.9 billion and imports grew 2.1% to USD 58.1 billion. Electronics goods exports surged 32% to a record USD 4.9 billion, while crude oil imports fell 11% on softer Brent prices. Services exports maintained 18% growth.

The eighth edition of Exercise AUSINDEX concluded off the Western Australian coast, with the Indian Navy deploying INS Chennai, INS Shakti, INS Kalvari submarine, and P-8I maritime aircraft alongside HMAS Hobart and Australian P-8As. The exercise featured first-ever joint deep-sea anti-submarine warfare drills using the MH-60R Romeo helicopter and high-end surface gunnery.

India was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027-29 term, securing 184 of 190 votes at the UN General Assembly — the highest tally among Asia-Pacific candidates. It is India's fifth consecutive term and sixth overall on the 47-member Council. India's candidature emphasised plurality, digital rights, and equitable access to climate finance for the Global South.

The Central Zoo Authority reported India's ex-situ rhino conservation breeding capacity reached 1,500 with the commissioning of new facilities at Nandankanan (Odisha) and Patna zoos. India's total one-horned rhino population stands at 4,014, with 80% in Kaziranga and Manas. A managed reintroduction of 25 rhinos at the Laokhowa-Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary is scheduled for 2027 under Project Rhino.

Scientists at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai demonstrated quantum teleportation of single-photon states over 50 km of standard telecom-grade optical fibre using dual-rail qubits and frequency-multiplexed entanglement sources. The experiment — published in Nature Photonics — is a key milestone toward a long-distance quantum internet backbone under the National Quantum Mission.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appointed T.V. Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, as the new Cabinet Secretary for a two-year term effective April 21, 2026. He succeeds Rajiv Gauba after multiple extensions. Somanathan earlier served as Finance Secretary, and as Expenditure Secretary oversaw the PM Gati Shakti implementation.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences released the National Seismic Hazard Map 2026, incorporating 30 years of earthquake data and 3D crustal modelling. Fifteen cities including Guwahati, Srinagar, and parts of Dehradun and Imphal are now classified Zone V (highest risk). The update supports BIS 1893 revision on building codes and includes microzonation data for 48 cities at 500-metre grid resolution.

The Archaeological Survey of India marked 50 years of continuous conservation at the UNESCO-listed Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, a 30-cave 2nd century BCE to 6th century CE Buddhist complex. The Centre for Conservation of Indian Art Heritage (CCIAH) completed restoration of eight murals in Cave 1 and Cave 17 using reversible nano-silica consolidants and multi-spectral imaging to map lost pigments.