26 April 2026

• International: The US Chabahar port sanctions waiver for India expired on 26 April; India sought a rolling extension to protect connectivity to Afghanistan.
• Economy: Gold prices crossed Rs 90,000 per 10 grams on the Multi Commodity Exchange as investors fled to safety assets.
• Internal Security: The J&K security forces killed four militants in two separate operations in Pulwama and Shopian.
• Science: DRDO tested a hypersonic glide vehicle at a speed exceeding Mach 6 over the Bay of Bengal.

GS area: International Relations (India-Iran, connectivity)

The US sanctions waiver specifically protecting India's development and operation of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port in Iran expired on 26 April 2026. India had sought a 12-month rolling extension.

• Chabahar port context: Located on Iran's southeastern Makran coast, Chabahar is India's strategic gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. India committed $500 million in 2016 to develop the Shahid Beheshti terminal.
• The waiver: The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued the first Chabahar waiver in 2018 when it tightened Iran sanctions. The waiver was renewed multiple times.
• Why India needs Chabahar: India-Afghanistan trade bypasses Pakistan (Pakistan does not grant transit rights to India for Afghanistan-bound goods). Chabahar-to-Zaranj-to-Delaram road connects Chabahar to Afghanistan's road network.
• Zaranj-Delaram Highway: A 218 km road from the Iran-Afghanistan border town of Zaranj to Delaram on the Afghan ring road. Built by India's BRO in 2009. India's most visible Afghanistan connectivity investment.
• INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor): A 7,200 km multi-modal corridor linking India (Mumbai) to Iran (Bandar Abbas and Chabahar), Azerbaijan, Russia and on to Europe. Chabahar is INSTC's primary Indian Ocean gateway.
• US response: The US agreed to provide a case-by-case licence for individual Chabahar shipments but declined the blanket rolling waiver. India's legal exposure for corporate entities involved in Chabahar operations remained in a grey zone.

Static linkage: India-Iran relations, connectivity, sanctions, INSTC.

GS area: Economy (commodities, investment)

Gold prices on India's Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) crossed Rs 90,000 per 10 grams for the first time on 26 April 2026, as the Chabahar waiver expiry and Iran-US tensions drove safe-haven demand.

• Gold pricing mechanism in India: International gold prices (in USD per troy ounce) are the benchmark. The MCX price = International price converted to INR + import duty + GST.
• Import duty: India's basic customs duty on gold is 12.5 per cent, reduced from 15 per cent in the July 2024 Union Budget. GST on gold is 3 per cent.
• Gold as safe haven: During geopolitical or economic uncertainty, investors shift from equities and bonds to gold. Gold prices rose globally through the West Asia crisis.
• RBI's gold strategy: The RBI increased gold reserves from 822 tonnes (March 2024) to 876 tonnes (March 2026), diversifying reserves away from US dollar instruments.
• SEBI's Gold Exchange: The India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) at GIFT City (Gujarat) was set up as India's first bullion exchange, allowing international bullion traders to participate without normal import duties, improving price discovery.
• Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs): Government securities denominated in grams of gold. The government discontinued new SGB issuances in 2025 after the total outstanding amount exceeded Rs 75,000 crore.

Static linkage: Commodity markets, gold, safe-haven assets.

GS area: Science and Technology (defence)

DRDO successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) over the Bay of Bengal, reaching Mach 6.0 sustained speed for 19 minutes before splashing down in the designated impact zone.

• Hypersonic weapon systems: Weapons capable of sustained flight above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). Two types: hypersonic cruise missiles (air-breathing, like BrahMos-II concept) and hypersonic glide vehicles (launched on a ballistic trajectory then glide at high speed toward target).
• Manoeuvring capability: HGVs are significant because they follow unpredictable trajectories (unlike ballistic missiles with fixed parabolic paths). Existing missile defence systems (like Patriot or S-400) struggle to intercept them.
• Global context: The US, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonic systems. India's test puts it in the exclusive hypersonic club.
• BrahMos-II: DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russia) are developing a hypersonic version of BrahMos. The HGV test is separate but provides design data.
• Scramjet engine: Supersonic combustion ramjet; the engine required for air-breathing hypersonic systems. ISRO has also tested scramjet technologies for its HSHV-TD programme.
• Strategic deterrence: India's nuclear deterrent currently relies on ballistic missiles (Agni series) and submarine-launched Shaurya/K-series. Hypersonic glide vehicles would add a third capability.

Static linkage: Defence technology, deterrence, DRDO.

GS area: Internal Security

Four militants were killed in two separate operations in Pulwama (2) and Shopian (2) districts of J&K on 26 April. The operations were based on intelligence inputs from the Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police.

• Rashtriya Rifles: A dedicated counter-insurgency force of the Indian Army, deployed in J&K. Formed in 1990 specifically for counter-insurgency operations. 65 battalions; soldiers drawn from different Army regiments.
• CRPF in J&K: The Central Reserve Police Force manages internal law and order situations in J&K alongside the Army and J&K Police. The three-tier security structure (CRPF, Army, JKP) has reduced civilian casualty figures significantly since the 2010s.
• Unified Headquarters (UHQ): The J&K Unified Headquarters at Srinagar coordinates all security agencies' operations. The Army's GOC-in-C Northern Command, DGP J&K Police and CRPF DIG coordinate weekly.
• Declassified casualty data (2026 YTD): 28 militants, 8 security personnel killed in J&K in January-April 2026. This is lower than the 2021 peak of 182 militant killings.
• AFSPA in J&K: The Armed Forces Special Powers Act is in force in most of J&K. It grants security forces powers of arrest and search without warrant in disturbed areas. Reduction of disturbed areas could lead to partial AFSPA withdrawal.

Static linkage: Internal security, counter-insurgency, J&K.

GS area: Economy (competition law, digital markets)

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) released its final report on the digital markets investigation, recommending that platforms with 10 crore or more active users in India be designated as "systemically significant digital enterprises" subject to pre-emptive non-discriminatory rules.

• CCI: Established under the Competition Act, 2002. Regulates anti-competitive behaviour, merger control and market dominance abuse.
• Digital Markets Act (EU) parallel: The EU's DMA designates "gatekeepers" (large platforms) subject to ex-ante (prior) obligations, not just ex-post (after violation) enforcement. The CCI's proposed framework follows the same logic.
• Systemically Significant Digital Enterprise (SSDE): Platforms meeting two thresholds (10 crore active users OR significant market cap OR systemic importance score) would be SSDEs. Self-preferencing, data portability barriers and bundling restrictions would be pre-banned.
• Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023: Introduced "settlement" and "commitment" mechanisms. Introduced "hub and spoke" cartel provisions covering digital platform-mediated price coordination.
• Market investigation: The CCI found that Google's Play Store billing system, Apple's App Store commission and Meta's data collection practices all raised competition concerns. The SSDE framework would address these systematically.
• DPIIT and MCA: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) administers the Competition Act. DPIIT is separately developing a Digital Competition Bill. The CCI report feeds into that legislative process.

Static linkage: Competition law, digital markets, regulation.

• India's fertiliser subsidy bill: The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers reported that India's total fertiliser subsidy for FY26 was Rs 1.75 lakh crore, the highest ever, driven by high natural gas prices (for urea, which is gas-feedstock). India produces about 54 per cent of its fertiliser domestically.
• National Forest Rights Act compliance audit: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs found that only 52 per cent of community forest rights claims under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, have been settled. Odisha and Chhattisgarh lead; Assam and Rajasthan lag significantly.