Current Affairs 09 April 2026

Cabinet Approves Major Hydropower Projects in Arunachal Pradesh

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Narendra Modi, has approved two major hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh to boost energy capacity and infrastructure development.

Kalai-II Hydro Electric Project (HEP)

• Location: Lohit River, Anjaw District
• Capacity: 1200 MW
• Investment: ₹14,105.83 crore
• Annual Generation: 4852.95 MU
• This is the first hydro project in the Lohit Basin

Kamala Hydro Electric Project (HEP)

• Location: Kamla River, Kra Daadi & Kurung Kumey districts
• Capacity: 1720 MW
• Investment: ₹26,069.50 crore
• Annual Generation: 6870 MU

Other Hydropower Projects in Arunachal Pradesh

• Etalin – 3097 MW
• Subansiri Lower – 2000 MW
• Dibang Multipurpose – 2880 MW

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) Completes 11 Years

The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) completed 11 years on April 8, 2026, marking a major milestone in promoting financial inclusion and micro-entrepreneurship in India. The scheme was launched in 2015 with the objective of “Funding the Unfunded”, providing collateral-free loans to small entrepreneurs.

Key Highlights

• The scheme has disbursed over ₹40.07 lakh crore through 57.79 crore loans since its launch.
• The loans are provided for non-corporate, non-farm income-generating activities, supporting MSMEs and small businesses.
• Nearly two-thirds of the loans have been sanctioned to women entrepreneurs, indicating strong gender inclusion.

Loan Categories

Under PMMY, loans are classified based on business stage:

• Shishu – Loans up to ₹50,000
• Kishor – Loans from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh
• Tarun – Loans from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh
• Tarun Plus – Loans from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh

India–Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise ‘Cyclone-IV’

The Indian Army contingent departed for Egypt to participate in the fourth edition of the India–Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise ‘Cyclone-IV’, which was conducted from April 9 to 17, 2026 at Anshas, Egypt.

Key Highlights

• The previous edition of the exercise was conducted in India, reflecting growing bilateral engagement.
• The exercise was conducted as part of strengthening defence cooperation between India and Egypt.
• The Indian contingent consisted of 25 personnel from Special Forces units, who trained alongside Egyptian forces.

NITI Aayog Report: “From Borrowers to Builders: Women and India’s Evolving Credit Market”

The NITI Aayog released the report titled “From Borrowers to Builders: Women and India’s Evolving Credit Market” on April 7, 2026. The report was prepared in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), TransUnion CIBIL and MicroSave Consulting.

Highlights

• Women in India hold a total credit portfolio of ₹76 lakh crore, accounting for 26% of total system credit.
• The credit exposure of women has increased 4.8 times since 2017, indicating strong financial inclusion.
• The number of credit-active women borrowers has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2017 and 2025.
• Credit penetration among women has increased from 19% in 2017 to 36% in 2025.

Emerging Trends

• Women are shifting from microfinance loans to retail and business loans, indicating improved financial capability.
• Commercial credit to women entrepreneurs has grown rapidly with a 31% CAGR between 2022 and 2025.
• Personal loans and gold loans remain the most commonly accessed, while housing loans are increasing, showing rising asset ownership.
• Growth in women’s credit access is expanding beyond the southern states to northern states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

India Ranks 3rd Globally in Renewable Energy Capacity

India has secured the 3rd position globally in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity, surpassing Brazil, as per global statistics released for 2025. The announcement was made by the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi.

Key Highlights

• India’s total renewable energy installed capacity reached around 250 GW, while total non-fossil fuel capacity reached 283.46 GW.
• India achieved a major milestone by reaching 50% of its installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in 2025, ahead of its 2030 target.
• Renewable energy met 51.5% of electricity demand at peak (July 2025).
• Share of non-fossil fuel sources in total electricity generation stood at 29.2% in 2025–26.

Breakdown of Renewable Capacity

• Solar Power – 150.26 GW
• Wind Power – 56.09 GW
• Bio Energy – 11.75 GW
• Small Hydro – 5.17 GW
• Large Hydro – 51.41 GW

Future Targets: India aims to achieve 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

SMOPS-2026 International Space Conference Held in Bengaluru

The second edition of the International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2026) is being held from April 8–10, 2026 in Bengaluru, India. The conference is jointly organised by ISRO, Astronautical Society of India (ASI) and International Academy of Astrodynamics (IAA).

Theme of the Conference: “Innovative Operations for Smart and Sustainable Space Mission Management – Next Generation”

Key Highlights

• The conference focuses on Space mission operations, AI & robotics, Human Spaceflight Missions, Cybersecurity in space systems.
• Over 120 oral presentations and 88 poster presentations were conducted.