Shri Bhupendra Yadav declared Shekha Lake Bird Sanctuary as India’s 99th Ramsar site

1 Shri Bhupendra Yadav declared Shekha Lake Bird Sanctuary as India’s 99th Ramsar site

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav,  on  Tuesday  announced the declaration   of   Shekha Lake Bird Sanctuary in  Aligarh , Uttar Pradesh  , as a Ramsar site  , taking the total number of such sanctuaries in India to 99 and 12 in the state  . The sanctuary provides an important wintering habitat for migratory birds such as the Bar-headed Goose, Painted Crane, and a variety of ducks on the Central Asian Flyway from Siberia, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Ramsar sites are wetlands that provide a conducive environment for the conservation of birds. This convention was signed between India and Iran in 1971.

The Indian Navy  ‘s  diving support and submarine rescue ship, INS Nireekshak ,  arrived at   the Colombo port of Sri Lanka on 21 April 2026 to participate in  the fourth edition  of the bilateral diving exercise, IN-SLN DiveEx 2026 , scheduled from  21-27 April 2026.   In this joint exercise, diving teams from both navies will participate in specialized diving operations and training aimed at promoting interoperability, synergy, and exchange of best practices. This week-long exercise demonstrates India’s continued commitment to strengthening maritime relations and shared maritime interests. As part of India’s humanitarian assistance initiative, the ship will present two Maitri Bhishma Cubes (India Health Initiative Cooperation Interest and Maitri) to the Sri Lankan authorities under  the Government of India’s ‘ Arogya Maitri ‘ initiative  . These state-of-the-art portable medical units are capable of handling 200 emergency cases and are designed to provide rapid response. The Indian Navy will also hand over 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition to the Sri Lankan Navy to further strengthen maritime security cooperation.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh  held   a crucial meeting with  German  Defense  Minister Boris Pistorius in  Berlin  . This meeting was a significant part of his three-day visit to Germany  , aimed at further strengthening defense and strategic cooperation between the two countries. The major achievement of this meeting was the signing of the ” Defense Industrial Roadmap .” This agreement is considered to give a new direction to  defense industry cooperation between India and Germany  . During the meeting, Rajnath Singh said that every form of terrorism must be condemned without exception. The two leaders also discussed the global and regional security landscape, geopolitical challenges, and deepening defense cooperation.

4 Shri C.R. Patil launches the 9th Indian International Water Week, India’s flagship global water event

5 Atal Pension Yojana (APY) creates new record: Total enrolment crosses 9 crore

The Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a flagship social security scheme of  the Government of India  ,  administered  by  the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)  , achieved a historic milestone by crossing the total gross enrolment mark of 9 crore subscribers  on April 21, 2026. Gross enrolment during FY 2025–26 exceeded 1.35 crore subscribers, the highest ever recorded in a single financial year since the scheme’s inception, reflecting the scheme’s growing reach and impact.  Launched on May 9, 2015, with the objective of establishing a universal social security system for all Indians  , the APY is a  voluntary and contributory pension scheme  , specifically focusing on the poor, the underprivileged, and workers in the unorganized sector. Over the last decade, the Scheme has registered significant progress, which is a result of the sustained efforts of Banks (PSBs/RRBs/Private Banks/SFBs/Co-operative Banks), State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC)/Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC)/Lead District Managers (LDMs), Department of Posts (DoP) and continuous support of Government of India.

 On Wednesday,  the Indian Air Force  conducted  a comprehensive maneuver and air show at an airstrip   built on  the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh . The exercise aims to test the ability to use national highways as alternate runways in emergency situations.  The two-day exercise began at the 3.2-kilometer-long airstrip  near  Arwalkiri Karwat village in Sultanpur  . The Air Force’s state-of-the-art fighter and transport aircraft, including the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, and Tejas, participated in the exercise. Previously, the Air Force conducted a practice exercise at the same airstrip in June 2023.   On  November 16, 2021 , Prime Minister Narendra Modi  inaugurated the Purvanchal Expressway and   demonstrated its utility by landing on the same airstrip in an IAF Hercules aircraft .

7 Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar tops the nutrition campaign, Pune is second

Maharashtra  ‘s  Ahilyanagar district  has  ranked first in the country in conducting awareness activities under  the eighth National Nutrition Fortnight campaign,   run by  the Women and Child Development Department  . More than three lakh activities have been organized in Ahilyanagar district so far. Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil said that  Pune district has secured second place  . This year’s Nutrition Fortnight’s theme is brain development in the first six years of a child’s life.

 Shiv Narwal  won  the gold medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event  at the ISSF Junior World Cup shooting in  Cairo, Egypt   . This  is India’s first gold medal in the competition  . Narwal won the medal with a score of 241.8. Sodikjon Abdullayev of Uzbekistan finished second, while  Chirag Sharma finished third  . Earlier in the day, India’s  Panah Bhugra  won  the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event  . India won three medals on the first day of the competition, including one gold, one silver and one bronze.

9 Indian cheese shines at  Brazilian cheese competitions

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  congratulated  Indian cheesemakers on their remarkable achievement at  the prestigious  international cheese and dairy competition  Mundial do Queijo do Brasil 2026  held in Brazil  . This is a vibrant international competition for cheese and dairy products. Four Indian products won medals, including 1 Super Gold, 2 Gold and 1 Silver medal  . Shri Modi said, “Super Gold was won by Eleftheria Gulmarg (Brie Style); Gold medals were won by Yak Churpi-Soft (Nordic Farm, Leh, Ladakh) and Eleftheria Brunost (Whey Cheese); while the Silver medal was won by Eleftheria Kaali Miri (Belper Knolle Style).” The Prime Minister commended the efforts of the award winners, including Mausam Narang and Thenle Nurbu. He said that such achievements reflect the growing global recognition of India’s artisanal dairy sector.

10 India and Japan hold first Artificial Intelligence Strategic Dialogue in Mumbai

The India-Japan  Artificial Intelligence Strategic Dialogue  was inaugurated in  Mumbai  , where the two sides  discussed strategic cooperation across the AI ​​sector  . It also discussed ways to strengthen international talent flow and expand joint research through exchanges and collaborative projects. The dialogue was co-chaired  by  Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary (Cyber ​​Diplomacy), Ministry of External Affairs, and  Hanada Takahiro,  Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber ​​Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan .

11 Carlos Alcaraz appointed as global brand ambassador of Infosys

Technology company Infosys  has appointed  Spanish men  ‘s  world No. 1 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz  as its  global brand ambassador  . This deal continues Infosys’ successful partnerships with tennis legends, including Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Iga Swiatek (Poland). The company stated that it will collaborate with Alcaraz and his coaching team to utilize Infosys Topaz, an AI-first offering based on generative and agentic AI technology. The goal is to create AI-based match analytics and a personalized performance application to aid match preparation and in-game strategy. The partnership will also include a joint initiative between Infosys and the Carlos Alcaraz Foundation, which aims to drive social impact through technology, with a special emphasis on “tech-for-good” initiatives.

12 Former Andhra Pradesh CM Nadendla Bhaskara Rao passes away

 Former Andhra Pradesh  Chief Minister N. Bhaskar Rao  passed away  on  April 22nd  . He was 91 years old. Bhaskar Rao was first elected as an MLA in 1978  and  served as a minister in Chenna Reddy’s cabinet  . In 1978, Bhaskar Rao contested the Vijayawada election and won as a Congress MLA. Bhaskar later  joined  the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)  , founded by T.N. Rama Rao  . In 1983, Bhaskar Rao was elected as an MLA from the Vemuru constituency in Guntur district. In 1984, he took a major political step by rebelling against Telugu Desam Party founder T.N. Rama Rao and toppling his government.  Bhaskar became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1984.  However, his tenure was short,  lasting only a month  . Bhaskar served as a minister in the cabinets of NTR, Marri Chenna Reddy, and Anjaiah. In 1998, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Khammam Lok Sabha constituency. Bhaskar Rao, along with his supporters in the TDP and with the support of the Congress, toppled the NTR government while NTR was in the US due to a health emergency. Following the political coup, Bhaskar Rao became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on August 16, 1984. However, he served for only 31 days, remaining in the post until September 17, 1984. After resigning from the Chief Ministership, Bhaskar Rao  formed the Prajaswami Telugu Desam Party in 1985 .