State Staff Selection Current Affairs — All time
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Tue, 21 Apr 2026
ECI begins Phase II of International Election Visitors' Programme 2026 for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal polls
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated Phase II of the International Election Visitors' Programme 2026 at IIIDEM, New Delhi, on 21 April 2026, with 34 delegates from 17 countries.
Blast at fireworks unit in Mundathikode, Thrissur kills at least 13; PM announces ex-gratia from PMNRF
A fire and series of explosions at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Mundathikode near Thrissur, Kerala, on 21 April 2026 killed at least 13 people, and the Prime Minister announced ex-gratia from the PMNRF.
18th Civil Services Day: Vice-President recalls Patel's 'steel frame'; PM's Excellence Award entries rise to 2,035
The 18th Civil Services Day was observed at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 21 April 2026, with Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan delivering the keynote address.
INS Sunayna reaches Jakarta on third port call of IOS SAGAR deployment with crew from 16 countries
Indian Navy offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna, deployed under the IOS SAGAR initiative, arrived at Jakarta, Indonesia, on 21 April 2026 for the third port call of its deployment.
Backgrounder: PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry — ₹10,900 crore outlay, 3.39 lakh jobs
A PIB backgrounder of 21 April 2026 said the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry, with an outlay of ₹10,900 crore for 2021-22 to 2026-27, had created about 3.39 lakh jobs by February 2026.
Defence Ministry signs ₹975 crore contracts for DRDO-developed TRAWL assemblies for T-72/T-90 tanks
The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth about ₹975 crore with BEML and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) on 21 April 2026 for TRAWL assemblies for T-72/T-90 tanks.
President Murmu inaugurates planetarium, tribal museum and command centre in Rourkela, Odisha
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a Planetarium and Science Centre, the Nirmal Munda Parivesh Path, a Tribal Museum and an Integrated Command and Control Centre at Rourkela, Odisha, on 21 April 2026.
India and Bhutan hold 7th Joint Group of Customs meeting in Munnar, Kerala
The 7th India–Bhutan Joint Group of Customs meeting was held in Munnar, Kerala, on 20–21 April 2026, co-chaired by CBIC Member (Customs) Yogendra Garg and Bhutan's Director General of Revenue and Customs Sonam Jamtsho.
Uttar Pradesh's rooftop solar push: Lucknow leads India with about 90,000 PM Surya Ghar installations
Lucknow has emerged as the leading city in India under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana with about 90,000 installations, followed by Varanasi with about 40,000, according to a session at the 18th Civil Services Day on 21 April 2026.
Skill Ministry reviews Vibrant Villages skilling; 74 proposals sanctioned for border villages
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship held a capacity-building and review workshop on the Vibrant Villages Programme in New Delhi on 21 April 2026, having sanctioned 74 skilling proposals so far.
Mon, 20 Apr 2026
NSS health survey 2025: 96% institutional deliveries; 13.1% report ailments, up from 7.5% in 2017–18
MoSPI released the 'Household Social Consumption: Health' survey of the NSS 80th round (January–December 2025) on 20 April 2026, showing 96% institutional deliveries and wider health insurance coverage.
India and South Korea adopt Joint Strategic Vision during President Lee Jae Myung's State Visit; CEPA upgrade talks to resume
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held talks in New Delhi on 20 April 2026 and announced a Joint Strategic Vision for the India–ROK Special Strategic Partnership for 2026–2030.
Eight core industries index falls 0.4% in March 2026; FY 2025–26 growth at 2.6%
The combined Index of Eight Core Industries fell 0.4% (provisional) in March 2026 from a year earlier, with cumulative growth of 2.6% in FY 2025–26, the Commerce Ministry said on 20 April 2026.
Government cuts raw jute stock limits for traders and balers to zero; mills capped at 45 days' consumption
The Ministry of Textiles said on 20 April 2026 that raw jute stock limits for traders and balers have been cut to nil, requiring them to sell their entire stock to mills by 5 May 2026, after prices rose well above MSP.
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma launches multi-scheme farm package in Tura; Ginger Mission to cover 15,000 more farmers
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma rolled out a multi-scheme agricultural support package at Tura on 20 April 2026, including an expansion of the state's Ginger Mission to more than 15,000 additional farmers.
Department of Posts earns ₹15,296 crore in FY 2025–26, up 16%; Parcels grow 69%
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on 20 April 2026 that the Department of Posts earned ₹15,296 crore in FY 2025–26, 16% more than the ₹13,218 crore of FY 2024–25.
Minority Affairs Ministry signs MoU with IIT Patna under PM VIKAS to train 600 minority youth of Bihar in AI and analytics
The Ministry of Minority Affairs signed an MoU with IIT Patna under the PM VIKAS scheme, announced on 20 April 2026, to train 600 minority youth from Bihar in roles such as AI Technocrat and Business Analytics Executive.
NITI Aayog's seventh Trade Watch Quarterly focuses on gems and jewellery; India holds 7.8% of world exports
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery released the seventh edition of 'Trade Watch Quarterly', covering Q3 FY26 (October–December 2025), in New Delhi on 20 April 2026, with a thematic focus on gems and jewellery.
DoT's BharatNet-based Samriddh Gram initiative nominated for WSIS Prizes 2026
Samriddh Gram, the Department of Telecommunications' BharatNet-enabled 'phygital' rural service model, has been nominated for the WSIS Prizes 2026 under Action Line C6: Enabling Environment, DoT said on 20 April 2026.
Bus plunges down hillside in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 21; PM announces ex-gratia
An overcrowded passenger bus travelling from Ramnagar to Udhampur rolled down a hillside near Kagort village in Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, on 20 April 2026, killing 21 people.
Government allows additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat exports; total permitted rises to 50 LMT wheat and 10 LMT products
The Centre approved on 20 April 2026 the export of an additional 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, taking total permitted exports to 50 LMT of wheat and 10 LMT of wheat products.
ECI directs dry days for 48 hours before poll close and on counting day, 4 May, under Section 135C of the RP Act
The Election Commission of India directed on 20 April 2026 that dry days be declared in polling areas for 48 hours ending with the close of poll, and on the counting day of 4 May 2026, under Section 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
BSIP study traces Jamun's origin to East Gondwana about 80 million years ago, using fossils from Himachal's Kasauli Formation
A study led by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, reported by the Science Ministry on 20 April 2026, points to an East Gondwanan origin of the Jamun genus Syzygium about 80 million years ago, with India a major centre of early diversification.
Sun, 19 Apr 2026
Foundation stone laid for India's first advanced 3D glass semiconductor packaging unit at Bhubaneswar
The foundation stone of India's first advanced 3D chip packaging unit, promoted by 3D Glass Solutions, was laid at Info Valley, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on 19 April 2026 by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Indian Railways earns ₹6,813.86 crore from scrap sales in FY 2025–26, beating ₹6,000 crore target
Indian Railways earned ₹6,813.86 crore from scrap sales in FY 2025–26 against a target of ₹6,000 crore, the Railway Ministry said on 19 April 2026.
MSME Ministry trains 2,543 PM Vishwakarma artisans in AI tools; Telangana leads with 387
The Ministry of MSME said on 19 April 2026 that it has trained 2,543 beneficiaries of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme in using Artificial Intelligence tools, with Telangana contributing the most participants (387).
Railway projects worth over ₹90,000 crore under execution in Odisha; record ₹10,928 crore allocation, says Vaishnaw
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Bhubaneswar on 19 April 2026 that railway projects worth over ₹90,000 crore are under execution in Odisha, which has a record railway budget allocation of ₹10,928 crore.
Explosion at fireworks unit in Kattanarpatti, Virudhunagar kills 25 workers
An explosion at the Vanaja Fireworks unit in Kattanarpatti, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, on 19 April 2026 killed 23 workers on the spot, and the toll rose to 25 the next day.
Backgrounder: India's high-value crop push — horticulture output 370.74 million tonnes; India second in coconut
A PIB backgrounder of 19 April 2026 on high-value crop diversification said India's horticulture output rose to 370.74 million tonnes in 2024-25 and that India ranks second in the world in coconut production.
ECI acts on over 11,000 unlawful social media posts; AI content to be labelled, removed within 3 hours of notice
The Election Commission of India said on 19 April 2026 that over 11,000 unlawful social media posts had been acted upon since the 15 March poll announcement, and that misleading AI-generated content must be acted upon within three hours of notice.