Daily Current Affairs- 18th April 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 18th April 2026

Ahmedabad’s Kankaria Coaching Depot Becomes India’s First ‘Water Neutral’ Railway Depot

In the News: Ahmedabad's Kankaria Coaching Depot has become India's first "water neutral" railway depot, achieving the milestone of treating and reusing as much water as it consumes. The depot saves nearly 1.60 lakh litres of water daily through an innovative multi-stage wastewater treatment system centred on phytoremediation, setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly railway operations in India.

Key Points:

• Water Neutral Status: The Kankaria Coaching Depot has achieved water neutrality, meaning it treats and reuses an amount of water equal to what it consumes, eliminating net freshwater depletion. This makes it the first railway depot in India to attain this distinction.
• Scale of Water Savings: The depot saves approximately 1.60 lakh litres of water every day, equivalent to more than 300 household water tanks. On an annual basis, this translates to approximately 5.84 crore litres of water saved, demonstrating the large-scale conservation impact of the initiative.
• Phytoremediation — The Core Technology: The central innovation behind the depot's water neutrality is phytoremediation, an eco-friendly, nature-based wastewater treatment technique that uses plants to naturally filter and purify contaminated water. Wastewater generated from activities such as coach washing and maintenance is channelled through carefully designed natural systems where plants absorb pollutants and restore water quality, rather than being discarded.
• Multi-Stage Treatment Process: The water treatment system at the depot follows a three-stage purification process. In the first stage, wastewater passes through wetland-based systems where plants remove impurities. In the second stage, advanced filtration techniques — including sand and carbon filtration — further enhance water clarity and quality. In the final stage, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection ensures that the treated water is safe and suitable for reuse in railway operations.
• Environmental Benefits: The initiative significantly reduces the depot's dependence on freshwater sources, lowers wastewater discharge into the environment, and conserves natural water resources. The system also ensures compliance with environmental regulations and sustainability standards, promoting eco-friendly industrial practices within the Indian Railways network.

Meghalaya Recognises Khasi and Garo as Official Languages After Long Deman

In the News: The Meghalaya State Cabinet approved the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, officially recognizing Khasi and Garo as state languages alongside English. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma described the decision as historic, marking a significant step toward preserving indigenous identity and strengthening the case for inclusion of these languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Key Points:

• The Ordinance: The Meghalaya State Cabinet approved the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, granting official status to Khasi and Garo alongside English. The move repeals the earlier Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005, replacing it with a revised language policy framework.
• Languages Granted Status: Khasi and Garo, spoken by the two largest tribal communities in Meghalaya, have been granted official state language status. English will continue to function as a linking language for governance and communication.
• Changes in Governance: Once implementation frameworks are in place, state officials will be permitted to use Khasi and Garo in administrative processes, legislators will be able to speak and debate in these languages in the State Assembly, and the languages may also be introduced in government examinations and recruitment processes.
• Push for Eighth Schedule Inclusion: A key motivation behind granting official status is to strengthen Meghalaya's case for including Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which currently recognizes 22 official languages. Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule would entitle these languages to representation in official examinations, state support for language development and promotion, and greater national recognition.

Philippines Joins US-Led Pax Silica Initiative to Boost Semiconductor Supply Chains

In the News: The United States and the Philippines announced that Manila had joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative, becoming its 13th member. As part of the partnership, a 4,000-acre industrial hub is planned in Luzon to strengthen global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.

Key Points:

• What is Pax Silica: Pax Silica is a strategic initiative led by the United States aimed at building a secure and resilient technology supply chain covering the entire ecosystem — from mineral extraction and chip manufacturing to data infrastructure. The name derives from the Latin word "Pax" (meaning peace) and "Silica" (a key compound used in chip manufacturing), together signifying that the supply chain for new technologies should promote peace and prosperity.
• Philippines Joins as 13th Member: The Philippines officially joined Pax Silica, becoming the 13th formal signatory of the initiative. The other 12 members include the United States, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, Sweden and India. Taiwan, the European Union, Canada, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) participate as observers. Netherland is not a signatory only participated in the inaugural summit.
• The 4,000-Acre Industrial Hub in Luzon: The United States and the Philippines will jointly develop a 4,000-acre industrial hub located within the Luzon Economic Corridor, a key manufacturing and logistics region. The hub will focus on semiconductor production, electronics manufacturing, and the processing of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and copper, positioning the Philippines as a key player in the global minerals-to-chips supply chain.
• Strategic Significance for the Philippines: The Luzon hub is expected to integrate the Philippines into the broader technology alliance being built by Washington and its partners, leveraging the country's rich critical mineral resources to contribute to the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence supply chain.
• Friendshoring and Supply Chain Resilience: The Pax Silica initiative reflects the broader US and allied strategy of "friendshoring" — shifting production to trusted partner countries to reduce overdependence on specific regions and mitigate risks of supply disruptions, particularly amid rising geopolitical tensions with China. The International Monetary Fund has noted that such structural shifts could significantly reshape global trade patterns.

Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron Launch Global Maritime Security Initiative for Strait of Hormuz

In the News: French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chaired a summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris, bringing together 51 countries to advance plans for a multinational maritime security force to protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. India has also been officially invited to participate in the initiative.

Key Points:

• The Summit: The Summit: The meeting was held at the Élysée Palace in Paris on April 17, 2026, chaired jointly by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with 51 countries participating either in person or via video conference. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni were among the in-person attendees.
• The Initiative: The talks centred on what has been formally named the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative, a defensive multinational mission aimed at restoring free passage through the strait once a lasting ceasefire in the ongoing US–Israel war on Iran is in place.
• Background — The Blockade: Iran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, 2026. The US subsequently imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports. Approximately one-fifth of the world's oil trade passes through the strait, and its closure has triggered warnings of higher inflation, food shortages, flight cancellations, and trapped over 20,000 seafarers aboard hundreds of vessels.
• Conditions for Deployment: A French presidential official stated that the mission would require an Iranian commitment not to fire on passing ships and a US commitment not to block vessels entering or leaving the strait before any deployment could proceed.
• US Exclusion: Washington was deliberately excluded from the talks. Macron clarified that the mission would be "strictly defensive" and limited to non-belligerent countries, as the US is an active party in the conflict.
• India's Invitation: India has been officially invited to join the initiative. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the invitation during a weekly media briefing, stating that New Delhi has been asked to contribute to a collaborative plan aimed at maintaining "uninterrupted navigation" through the Strait of Hormuz.

The River Basin Management Scheme

In the News: The Centre has proposed to continue the River Basin Management (RBM) Scheme during the 16th Finance Commission period from 2026–27 to 2030–31, with a fully funded outlay of ₹2,183 crore, an increase from the ₹1,276 crore allocated in the previous phase (2021–22 to 2025–26). The scheme, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, focuses on integrated water resource planning and development across major river basins in India.

Key Points:

• Implementing Agencies: The RBM Scheme is implemented through three organisations — the Brahmaputra Board, the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) — each responsible for distinct components of basin planning, survey, and project development.
• Priority Basins and Regions: The scheme focuses on strategically important but underdeveloped river basins, particularly those in the North Eastern Region and the Indus Basin in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the Brahmaputra, Barak, Teesta, and Indus river systems, prioritised for national water security and cross-border water management.
• Brahmaputra Board Component: The Brahmaputra Board prepares and periodically revises basin master plans, undertakes anti-erosion works (including protection of Majuli Island in Assam), constructs raised platforms in flood-prone areas, and carries out drainage development and springshed management in the North Eastern Region.
• CWC Component: The Central Water Commission conducts surveys, field investigations, and prepares Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for multipurpose water resource projects in the Brahmaputra, Barak, Teesta, and Indus basins, primarily in remote and difficult terrains of the North East and Jammu & Kashmir.
• NWDA Component: The National Water Development Agency conducts water balance studies and prepares Pre-Feasibility Reports, Feasibility Reports, and DPRs under the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) programme. Of the 30 identified river link projects under the National Perspective Plan, Feasibility Reports have been completed for 26 and DPRs for 15, including the Kosi–Mechi intra-state link in Bihar.