UPSC current affairs · Sunday

Current Affairs, 12 April 2026

3 issues picked from 18 PIB releases · about 2 minutes each · written by UPSC Grade, each fact checked against its PIB release or by a second model

How to readRead “Why in news” and “What it is” for every issue. Open For Prelims or For Mains for the exam you’re preparing for, then Test yourself at the foot of each card. Half the news questions in Prelims are answered from background, not the news itself.

In 60 seconds

Railway Expansion under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Railways sanctioned a record 100 projects worth ₹1.53 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act), 2023. PM to address Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan on 13 April; Parliament session on 16 April for implementation.
State Bonus over MSP and Crop Diversification. Centre says its letter on State bonuses over MSP only advises crop diversification, not a directive.

Economy

Railway Expansion under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan

GS3 InfrastructureGS2 Government policiesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 April 2026, the Ministry of Railways said 100 projects worth ₹1.53 lakh crore, covering over 6,000 km, were sanctioned in FY 2025-26 under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
What it is: PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a framework for planning infrastructure projects in a coordinated way across ministries. Railway projects such as new lines, doubling and multitracking are aligned with it to cut logistics cost and ease congestion. The aim is faster freight movement and better connectivity to remote areas.

Comparison with FY 2024-25: The previous year saw 64 projects worth ₹72,869 crore over 2,800 km. Approvals rose 56%, route length over 114% and investment over 110%.
Lead states: Maharashtra has 17 projects, Bihar 11, Jharkhand 10 and Madhya Pradesh 9.
Tribal connectivity: The Rowghat–Jagdalpur line in Chhattisgarh and corridors in Jharkhand and Odisha are highlighted for tribal and remote regions.
Freight link: The projects are aligned with the Mission 3000 MT initiative to raise cargo capacity; energy corridors dominate and the Rail Sagar Corridor improves port connectivity.

Don’t confuse with Sanction vs completion: Sanctioned projects are approved with funds committed; they are not yet built, and construction takes years.

Don’t confuse with Gati Shakti vs National Logistics Policy: Gati Shakti is a planning platform for coordinated infrastructure; the National Logistics Policy targets logistics efficiency and cost across sectors.

Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting infrastructure topic with figures, but routine annual sanction data; economy-kind Prelims questions focus on terms and features, so no practice question.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Railways, 12 Apr, 15:05 IST · Release 287777

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act), 2023

GS2 Polity and GovernancePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 April 2026 the PMO announced that PM Modi will address a national 'Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan' at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 13 April 2026. A Parliament session is being convened on 16 April to focus on implementing women's reservation.
What it is: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 is the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act. It reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. It adds Articles 330A, 332A and 334A, and ties the reservation to the first census and delimitation held after the Act commenced.

Special session: The PM said a special session of Parliament's Budget Session will begin on 16 April to take the implementation forward.
Passage in 2023: The Act was passed in the new Parliament building in 2023, unanimously, with all parties agreeing it should be implemented by 2029 in any case.
Panchayat women: The PM cited over 14 lakh women working in local government bodies as the base for the move from panchayat to Parliament.
Constitutional basis: The Act is the 106th Constitution Amendment. It inserts Articles 330A (Lok Sabha), 332A (State Assemblies) and 334A (commencement and timing of reservation).
Trigger for effect: The reservation takes effect after the first census and delimitation following the Act's commencement. It lasts 15 years from commencement, subject to extension by Parliament.
Reservation share: One-third of seats are reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
Year of passage: Parliament passed the Act in September 2023.
Constitutional status: It is the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023.
New Articles: It inserted Articles 330A (Lok Sabha), 332A (State Assemblies) and 334A (start and duration of reservation).
Commencement condition: Reservation takes effect after delimitation based on the first census held after the Act commenced. It lasts 15 years, extendable by Parliament.

Don’t confuse with Article 243D vs Articles 330A/332A: Article 243D reserves one-third of panchayat seats for women. Articles 330A and 332A reserve seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

Don’t confuse with 106th vs 73rd Amendment: The 73rd Amendment (1992) created Panchayati Raj with women's reservation locally. The 106th (2023) covers Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

Don’t confuse with Lok Sabha/Assemblies vs Panchayats: The 2023 Act covers the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Women's reservation in Panchayats comes from the 73rd Amendment (Article 243D), and in Municipalities from the 74th (Article 243T).

Don’t confuse with Rajya Sabha: The Act does not reserve seats in the Rajya Sabha or State Legislative Councils.

Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting constitutional topic: one-third seats for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies. Laws make up 23 Prelims questions and 35 Mains, but this release only announces a event and session.

Source: PIB, Prime Minister's Office, 12 Apr, 16:43 IST · Release 287778

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Economy

State Bonus over MSP and Crop Diversification

GS3 AgricultureGS2 Centre-State relationsPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 12 April 2026 the Finance Ministry clarified that its 9 January 2026 letter asking States to align bonus policy over MSP to favour pulses, oilseeds and millets was an advisory, not a directive. This followed a reference to the letter by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
What it is: A State bonus is an extra payment a State government gives farmers over the Centre's announced Minimum Support Price (MSP). Bonuses on wheat and paddy can push farmers further into these crops. The Centre wants States to tilt support towards pulses, oilseeds and millets to cut imports and ease water and fertiliser stress.

Concern about bonuses: Bonus over MSP on wheat and paddy encourages their cultivation, reducing area under pulses, oilseeds and millets and raising import dependence.
Edible oil imports: Economic Survey 2025-26 says import dependence for edible oil fell from 63.2% (2015-16) to 56.25% (2023-24).
Missions cited: Centre cites the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds and National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm.
Who announces MSP: MSP is announced by the Central Government on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Don’t confuse with MSP vs State bonus: MSP is set by the Centre; a bonus is an extra amount added by a State on its own.

Don’t confuse with Advisory vs directive: An advisory is a non-binding suggestion; a directive must be followed.

Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting agriculture-policy debate on state bonuses skewing crops to wheat and paddy. Advisory only, so no firm provisions for a question; MSP is already on file.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Finance, 12 Apr, 18:10 IST · Release 287781

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.