April 8, 2026 - Current Affairs

Custodial Deaths in India

Context

A trial court in Madurai sentenced 9 Tamil Nadu policemen to death for the brutal 2020 custodial killing of a father and son, P. Jayaraj and J. Benicks.

What is Custodial Death?

Custodial death refers to the death of an individual while in police or judicial custody. This may occur before trial, during police interrogation, or after conviction.

The death may be caused by torture, negligence, denial of medical aid, or even under suspicious circumstances.

New Curriculum on Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence

Context

Recently the Union Education Minister launched a new CBSE curriculum on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for students from Classes 3 to 8, aligning with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020

What is the New CT-AI Curriculum?

The initiative is designed to develop foundational computational thinking skills: logical reasoning, problem-solving, and pattern recognition, starting from the 2026-27 academic session.

It is introduced as a cross-curricular skill, integrated into subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Language, and Social Sciences.

For Classes 3–5 the focus is on puzzles, pattern recognition, and problem-solving through text-based activities.

India Achieves Highest-ever Annual Wind Energy Addition

Context

India has achieved the highest-ever annual wind energy capacity addition of 6.05 GW in 2025-26, taking cumulative installed capacity to over 56 GW.

About

It represents an increase of nearly 46% over the capacity in FY 2024-25.

States such as Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have been the primary contributors to capacity addition during the year.

Centre Proposes first-ever Tar Balls Management Rules to Tackle Marine Pollution

Context

The Centre has, for the first time, proposed dedicated rules to manage tar balls that cause on-shore and off-shore marine pollution.

About Tar Balls

Tar balls are fragments or lumps of oil weathered to a semi-solid or solid consistency, feel sticky, and are difficult to remove from contaminated surfaces.

They are formed through the combining of viscous hydrocarbons with debris that is present in the water column.

Sundarbans Losing Ability to Recover

Context

A recent study shows that around 10–15 percent of the Sundarbans is undergoing a “critical slowing down” process from environmental stress.

Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is ecologically significant.

The world's largest mangrove forest, spread across the delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal.

News In Short 08-04-2026

Context

A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India has begun hearings on petitions concerning women’s entry into religious places, including the Sabarimala Temple.

Background

In 2018, a Constitution Bench (4:1 majority) allowed entry of women of menstruating age into the temple, declaring the restriction unconstitutional.

Due to widespread protests, in 2019, the matter was referred to a larger bench. The Court started reviewing this, along with other issues of women's entry into religious spaces.