08th April 2026

1. India’s Indigenously Built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, TN Achieves Criticality
2. Indian Army Unveils Technology Roadmap for UAS & Loitering Munitions in Delhi
3. Bajaj Alts Gets SEBI Approval to Launch Portfolio Management Services
4. RBI Cancels Shirpur Merchants’ Co-op Bank Licence Over Poor Finances
5. Morgan Stanley Lowers India GDP Growth Forecast for FY27 to 6.2%
6. UP’s Divya Singh Becomes First Indian Woman to Cycle to Everest Base Camp in 14 Days
7. Jindal Stainless Appoints Actor Ranveer Singh as Brand Ambassador
8. International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 2026
9. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis unveils “My Village, Healthy Village” Initiative on World Health Day
10. Payal Nag Makes History by Becoming First Quadruple Amputee to Win an Archery Championship
11. UPI QR Code Deployment Rises 15% in 2025, Transactions Up 33%: Report
12. Vinay Tonse Takes Charge as MD & CEO of YES Bank
13. Narendra Bhooshan Appointed Secretary, Department of Land Resources
14. Menaka Guruswamy Takes Oath, Becomes India’s First Openly Queer MP
15. bob SAMVAD’, an AI-powered multilingual conversational platform of Bank of Baroda
16. Parliament Rejects Impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

National News

India Fast Breeder Reactor Achieves Criticality

• What: India’s first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, achieved criticality, starting a self-sustaining nuclear reaction and marking a key step in the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.
• Tell me more:
  • Criticality means a nuclear reactor starts a self-sustaining chain reaction, where each fission releases enough neutrons to keep the reaction going continuously, which is necessary for generating power.
  • The reactor produces more fuel than it consumes, which supports long-term energy production and reduces dependence on external fuel sources.
  • The development supports future use of thorium reserves under the three-stage programme, which includes Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, Fast Breeder Reactors, and thorium-based reactors.
  • India has large thorium reserves in coastal and inland sands, which can support stable long-term energy security.
  • The Department of Atomic Energy targets 22,400 megawatt electric nuclear capacity by 2032.
  • Bharat Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited was established in 2003 to build and operate the prototype Fast Breeder Reactor.
  • India will become the second country after Russia to operate a commercial Fast Breeder Reactor.

Impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

• What: Opposition parties initiated an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging bias and misconduct in electoral processes.
• Tell me more:
  • Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan examined the motion under constitutional provisions and rejected the motion citing insufficient grounds, signature discrepancies, and failure to prove misbehaviour or incapacity.
  • Article 324(5) of the Constitution mandates CEC removal in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court Judge.

State News

Maharashtra Unveils “My Village, Healthy Village” Initiative

• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launched the “My Village, Healthy Village” campaign on World Health Day on April 7 to improve rural healthcare by promoting preventive care and strengthening basic health services across villages in the state.

Banking and Economy

Bajaj Alts Gets SEBI Approval to Launch Portfolio Management Services

• What: Bajaj Alternate Investment Management received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to start portfolio management services (PMS).
• Tell me more:
  • The approval helps Bajaj Alts offer customised, research-based investment services to wealthy investors, expand into stock markets, improve risk management, and support better investment decisions in changing and complex market conditions.

RBI Cancels Shirpur Merchants’ Co-op Bank Licence Over Poor Finances

• What: Reserve Bank of India cancelled the licence of The Shirpur Merchants’ Co-operative Bank, stopped its banking operations from April 6, 2026, and initiated the process for winding up the bank.
• Tell me more:
  • RBI cancelled the licence because the bank had inadequate capital, weak earning prospects, and could not fully repay depositors, which could harm depositor interests.

Worldline India’s Report States UPI Drives Digital Payments Growth

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) led India’s digital payments growth in 2025 by processing 228.5 billion transactions with 33% growth and Rs 299.74 trillion value, showing increased adoption across users and merchants.

Bob SAMVAD, an AI-Powered Multilingual Conversational Platform of Bank of Baroda

• Bank of Baroda launched bob SAMVAD, an artificial intelligence based multilingual platform that enables real-time communication between customers and staff in different languages to improve service at bank branches.

GDP Forecasts

Morgan Stanley Lowers India GDP Growth Forecast for FY27 to 6.2%

• Morgan Stanley projected India’s financial year 2026-27 growth at 6.2%, reduced by 30 basis points due to supply disruptions and rising costs due to the Gulf conflict, higher crude oil prices, increased inflation, and pressure on external balance and economic activity.

Defence News

Army Releases UAS Technology Roadmap

• Indian Army released a technology roadmap on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions, outlining technical and operational requirements for nearly 80 variants across categories, to guide industry and academia amid changing warfare patterns.

Important Days

International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda – April 7

• Edition: 32nd

Sports

UP’s Divya Singh Becomes First Indian Woman to Cycle to Everest Base Camp in 14 Days

• Divya Singh became the first Indian woman to cycle to Everest Base Camp, completing a 14-day journey.

Payal Nag Makes History by Becoming First Quadruple Amputee to Win an Archery Championship

• Payal Nag, an 18-year-old para archer from Odisha, won gold medal in Bangkok, defeating Sheetal Devi, and became the world’s first quadruple amputee to compete internationally in archery.

Appointments

Jindal Stainless Appoints Actor Ranveer Singh as Brand Ambassador

Vinay Tonse Takes Charge as MD & CEO of YES Bank

Narendra Bhooshan Appointed Secretary, Department of Land Resources, under Ministry of Rural Development

Menaka Guruswamy Takes Oath, Becomes India’s First Openly Queer MP

• What: Menaka Guruswamy took oath as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from West Bengal as a nominee of All India Trinamool Congress, becoming India’s first openly queer member in Parliament.
• Tell me more:
  • Menaka Guruswamy studied at University of Oxford, Harvard Law School, and National Law School of India University, and served as visiting faculty at Yale Law School, New York University School of Law, and University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
  • Menaka Guruswamy served as B R Ambedkar research scholar at Columbia Law School from 2017 to 2019 and featured in Foreign Policy’s list of 100 Global Thinkers in 2019.

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