Daily Current Affairs – 9 April, 2026

Context

A major excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Elephanta Island has revealed a 1,500-year-old stepped reservoir.

Key Features of the Stepped Reservoir

The excavated structure is a T-shaped stepped reservoir, indicating a planned architectural design.

The reservoir measures about 14.7 metres in length, with widths varying between 6.7 metres and 10.8 metres.

The excavation has reached a depth of five metres, exposing 20 well-aligned steps made of stone blocks.

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Context

India and Türkiye held the 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) after a gap of four years, indicating efforts to revive strained bilateral relations.

Background

Türkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, repeatedly raised the Kashmir issue at international forums.

Relations worsened during Operation Sindoor, where Türkiye supported Pakistan militarily and diplomatically.

India responded by excluding Türkiye from diplomatic briefings and witnessing public calls to boycott Turkish tourism and trade.

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Context

A working paper by the World Inequality Lab highlights the extent and nature of land inequality in rural India.

Key Findings of the Study

High Concentration of Land Ownership: The top 10% of rural households own 44% of total land, indicating a high concentration of land ownership.

The top 5% of households own 32% of land, while the top 1% alone own 18% of land, reflecting extreme inequality at the top.

Widespread Landlessness: About 46% of rural households are landless, which shows that nearly half of rural India has no access to land as a productive asset.

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Context

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued directives to chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, directing them to strengthen forensic science laboratories (FSLs), fill vacancies, and clear backlogs within three months.

Directives

The MHA has asked all the states to coordinate through the Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS).

States must institute monitoring to ensure timely forensic reports and launch a special drive to eliminate all backlogs by July.

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Context

To meet its target of one crore PM Surya Ghar households by 2027, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is encouraging States to adopt a ‘utility led aggregation (ULA)’ model.

About

The MNRE is mooting an incentive scheme to make PM Surya more attractive to States. 

The State electricity distribution companies (DISCOMS) will pay for installing rooftop solar systems in households that either can’t afford them or don’t have adequate infrastructure to install rooftop systems.

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