Asia Current Affairs — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Sat, 02 May 2026
Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme outreach workshop held at NIRD&PR, Hyderabad
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Telangana's Department of Panchayati Raj held an outreach workshop on the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme at NIRD&PR, Hyderabad, on 2 May 2026, with over 400 participants including 70 sarpanches recognised for own source revenue generation.
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade celebrates 63rd Foundation Day
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with campuses in New Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada and GIFT City, celebrated its 63rd Foundation Day on 2 May 2026.
Fri, 01 May 2026
Amit Shah inaugurates exposition of Lord Buddha's sacred relics in Leh on Buddha Purnima
Home Minister Amit Shah on 1 May 2026, Buddha Purnima, inaugurated the 'Sacred Exposition of the Holy Relics of the Tathagata' in Leh, bringing relics linked to the Piprahwa Stupa to Ladakh after 75 years; the exposition runs until 14 May and will also travel to Zanskar.
Census 2027 houselisting begins in six States/UTs; self-enumeration opens in five more
House-to-house Houselisting and Housing Census operations under Phase 1 of Census 2027 began on 1 May 2026 in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while the online self-enumeration facility, used by nearly 82 lakh households so far, opened in five more States/UT.
India's first Multi-Lane Free Flow barrier-less tolling launched at Chorayasi, Gujarat
Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on 1 May 2026 launched India's first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) barrier-less tolling system at Chorayasi Toll Plaza on the Surat–Bharuch section of NH-48 in Gujarat, using ANPR cameras and FASTag; about 41,500 vehicles crossed it on the first day.
BIS publishes six new standards for priority assistive products
The Bureau of Indian Standards published six new Indian Standards for priority assistive products — elbow crutches, walking sticks, multi-legged walking sticks, portable ramps, tactile guide maps and Braille on signage — under ICMR's National List of Essential Assistive Products, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said on 1 May 2026.
PMGSY-IV launched in Odisha with 827 roads; Centre releases MGNREGA instalment
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi launched PMGSY-IV in Odisha at Rayagada on 1 May 2026, with 827 new roads covering 1,701.84 km at a cost of ₹1,698.04 crore sanctioned in the first phase.
Amit Shah lays foundation of 10,000-litre-a-day dairy plant in Kargil
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on 1 May 2026 laid the foundation stone of a ₹25-crore, 10,000-litres-per-day dairy plant in Kargil and witnessed an MoU between Ladakh Milk Federation and Mother Dairy to take Ladakh's dairy products to national markets.
Anugraha Narayana Das becomes CGDA; Vishvajit Sahay takes over as Secretary (Defence Finance)
Anugraha Narayana Das, a 1991-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer, took charge as Controller General of Defence Accounts on 1 May 2026, the same day his predecessor Vishvajit Sahay assumed charge as Secretary (Defence Finance) in the Ministry of Defence.
Ashutosh Gowariker appointed Festival Director of 57th IFFI
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on 1 May 2026 appointed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker as Festival Director of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goa.
Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day observed on 1 May
Maharashtra and Gujarat marked their statehood days on 1 May 2026, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting the people of both states; the two states were formed on 1 May 1960 under the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960.
President Droupadi Murmu visits Army Training Command headquarters in Shimla
President Droupadi Murmu, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited the headquarters of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla on 1 May 2026 and was briefed on its drone training, 'Red Teaming' and digitisation initiatives.
NCB's Operation WHITE STRIKE seizes 349 kg cocaine worth ₹1,745 crore in Mumbai region
The Narcotics Control Bureau, under Operation WHITE STRIKE, busted a transnational cocaine syndicate and seized about 349 kg of high-grade cocaine worth nearly ₹1,745 crore from the Mumbai region, the Home Ministry said on 1 May 2026.
'Padma Doree' textile initiative blending Eri silk and Chanderi launched
The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation, a CPSE under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, on 1 May 2026 launched 'Padma Doree', a textile initiative blending Northeast India's Eri (Ahimsa) silk with Madhya Pradesh's Chanderi weaving.
IITM's Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed observatory opens at Andhra University
The open-field observatory of the Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART), set up by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, under Mission Mausam, was inaugurated on 1 May 2026 by Earth Sciences Secretary M. Ravichandran.
Bharat Khera assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of MSME
Bharat Khera, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Ministry said on 1 May 2026.
Thu, 30 Apr 2026
Nadda opens 10th National Summit on health best practices in Haryana; RBSK 2.0 guidelines released
Health Minister J.P. Nadda on 30 April 2026 inaugurated the 10th National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity: Best Practices Shaping India's Health Future, hosted by Haryana, where RBSK 2.0 guidelines and a guidance document on diabetes in children were released.
UPI completes 10 years; 24,162 crore transactions worth ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025–26
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched by NPCI on 11 April 2016, completed 10 years with over 24,162 crore transactions worth about ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025–26, 700+ banks onboard and nearly 49% of global real-time payments.
Sixth Project 17A stealth frigate Mahendragiri delivered to the Indian Navy
Mahendragiri, the sixth Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) stealth frigate and the fourth built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 30 April 2026 in Mumbai, less than 17 months after the first P17A ship.
Vande Bharat extended to Jammu Tawi: Jammu directly linked with Kashmir by passenger train for the first time
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 30 April 2026 flagged off the Srinagar–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express extended up to Jammu Tawi, directly linking Jammu and Kashmir by passenger train for the first time, with the train expanded from 8 to 20 coaches.
58 companies found eligible under ₹1,500-crore Critical Mineral Recycling incentive scheme
The Ministry of Mines said on 30 April 2026 that 58 companies, with pledged capacity of about 850 KTPA and investment of about ₹5,000 crore, have been approved as eligible under the ₹1,500-crore Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling under the National Critical Mineral Mission.
Commerce Department revises RoDTEP schedules to align with amended Customs Tariff
The Department of Commerce issued Notification No. 15/2026–27 on 30 April 2026 revising RoDTEP schedules across 194 tariff lines to align with Customs Tariff changes made by the Finance Act, 2026, effective 1 May 2026.
ECI introduces QR code-based photo ID cards for entry into counting centres
The Election Commission of India on 30 April 2026 introduced a QR code-based Photo Identity Card module on ECINET for counting centres, starting with the 4 May 2026 counting for five Assembly elections and seven bye-elections.
Cruise boat capsizes in Bargi Dam reservoir near Jabalpur during storm; 13 dead
A Madhya Pradesh tourism department cruise boat capsized in a storm in the Bargi Dam reservoir near Jabalpur on 30 April 2026; of 41 identified people on board, 28 were rescued and 13 died, and the Prime Minister announced PMNRF ex-gratia.
Indian Army concludes 'Op Netra 1.0' high-altitude eye camp in Leh
The Indian Army's four-day 'Op Netra 1.0' advanced surgical eye camp at 153 General Hospital, Leh, concluded on 30 April 2026 after screening 950 patients from seven districts of Ladakh and performing 214 procedures, including 197 cataract surgeries.
Live Events Development Cell holds 4th meeting; states urged to adopt model executive order by 31 May
The 4th meeting of the Live Events Development Cell, chaired by I&B Secretary Chanchal Kumar at Vigyan Bhavan on 30 April 2026, urged states and UTs to adopt a model executive order for live-event permissions by 31 May 2026.
India Post Payments Bank launches zero-balance savings account for Self Help Groups
India Post Payments Bank on 30 April 2026 launched a zero-balance, zero-charge Self Help Group (SHG) Savings Account with no minimum deposit and a maximum balance limit of ₹2 lakh, delivered through post offices and Gramin Dak Sevaks.
TRAI releases consultation paper on regulatory framework for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication
TRAI on 30 April 2026 released a consultation paper on the regulatory framework for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, following a DoT reference of 1 December 2025, with comments due by 28 May 2026.
Wed, 29 Apr 2026
DRDO and Navy conduct maiden salvo launch of Naval Anti-ship Missile–Short Range from a helicopter
DRDO and the Indian Navy on 29 April 2026 conducted the maiden salvo launch of the Naval Anti-ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR), firing two missiles in quick succession from the same Navy helicopter off the Odisha coast.
NSO 80th Round health survey: government insurance coverage more than triples, institutional deliveries cross 95%
Findings of the NSO 80th Round Household Social Consumption: Health survey, highlighted by the Health Ministry on 29 April 2026, show government health insurance coverage rising from 12.9% to 45.5% in rural areas and institutional deliveries at 95.6% (rural) and 97.8% (urban).