Current Affairs — 01 April 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Wed, 01 Apr 2026
Census 2027 begins with Houselisting and Housing Census; President first to self-enumerate
Phase I of Census 2027, the Houselisting and Housing Census, began on 1 April 2026 with India's first digital data capture and self-enumeration, with President Droupadi Murmu the first to self-enumerate.
Income-tax Act, 2025 comes into force, replacing the 1961 Act
The Income-tax Act, 2025 came into force on 1 April 2026, replacing the Income-tax Act, 1961, with the Income-tax Rules, 2026 notified by CBDT on 20 March 2026.
BCGCL and MCL sign land lease for coal-to-ammonium nitrate project at Lakhanpur, Odisha
Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd signed a land-leasing agreement on 1 April 2026 for a 2,000 TPD coal-to-ammonium nitrate project at Lakhanpur, Odisha, using BHEL's indigenous gasification technology.
RBI foundation day: Reserve Bank established on 1 April 1935
The Reserve Bank of India was established on 1 April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934; 1 April 2026 marked its 91st foundation day.
Concessional customs duty notified for SEZ-to-domestic sales
The government on 1 April 2026 notified conditional concessional customs duty on goods manufactured in SEZs and cleared to the Domestic Tariff Area, capped at 30% of a unit's highest annual FOB exports in the previous three years.
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth becomes Vice Chief; new chiefs for Western, Eastern and Southern Commands
On 1 April 2026 Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth took over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, while Lt Gens Pushpendra Pal Singh, VMB Krishnan and Sandeep Jain took command of the Western, Eastern and Southern Commands.
Lok Sabha passes Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Amaravati as capital
The Lok Sabha on 1 April 2026 introduced and passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which designates Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh; the Rajya Sabha passed it on 2 April.
Utkal Divas: Odisha marks its 90th foundation day
Odisha celebrated Utkal Divas (Odisha Day) on 1 April 2026, its 90th foundation day, marking the creation of the province of Orissa on a linguistic basis in 1936.
Defence Ministry fully utilises ₹1.86 lakh crore capital budget for FY 2025-26
The Ministry of Defence fully utilised its capital outlay of ₹1.86 lakh crore for the Defence Services in FY 2025-26 at Revised Estimates, it said on 1 April 2026.
Chanchal Kumar takes charge as Secretary, Information and Broadcasting
Chanchal Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on 1 April 2026, succeeding Sanjay Jaju.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission in Haryana: ₹113.60 crore released, indigenous cattle up 16.94%
The Centre has released ₹113.60 crore to Haryana under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, where indigenous cattle numbers rose 16.94% between the 19th and 20th Livestock Censuses, the Animal Husbandry Department told Parliament on 1 April 2026.
President attends 119th birth anniversary of Sree Sivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math
President Droupadi Murmu attended the 119th birthday celebrations and Guruvandana Mahotsava of Dr Sree Sree Sivakumara Mahaswamiji at Sree Siddaganga Math, Tumakuru, Karnataka, on 1 April 2026.
RoSCTL scheme for apparel and made-ups exports extended to 30 September 2026
The Ministry of Textiles on 1 April 2026 notified the extension of the RoSCTL scheme for apparel and made-ups exports up to 30 September 2026, with RoDTEP also continued for other textile products.