Here is the curated GK news from The Hindu, The Assam Tribune, and other leading sources:
🏛️ National & Political Affairs
* Launch of India Census 2026-27 (Phase 1): India has officially launched its first census in 16 years (the last was 2011).
* Phase 1: Known as the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), it runs from April 1 to September 30, 2026.
* Digital First: This is India’s first-ever fully digital census, using a mobile app for data collection.
* New Feature: A “Self-Enumeration” portal is now live, allowing citizens to fill in their details online for the first 15 days.
* Income Tax Act 2025 Implementation: As of today, the new Income Tax Act (which replaces the vintage 1961 Act) comes into effect. Note the simplified tax slabs and the increase in the tax-free income limit to ₹12 lakh under the new regime.
* Transgender Bill 2026: President Murmu has given her official assent to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026, strengthening legal protections for the community.
🌾 Assam & Northeast Focus
* Export Milestone: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first major export of GI-tagged Joha Rice from Assam to the UK and Italy.
* Assam Direct Recruitment 2026: The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and other state departments have begun issuing appointment letters for Grade III and Grade IV posts today, concluding a major recruitment cycle.
* Sikkim Organic Conclave: International buyers and sellers have gathered in Gangtok (concluding today) to boost organic agri-exports from the Northeast, a key theme for regional economy questions.
💰 Economy & Banking
* RBI Security Mandate: The Reserve Bank of India has made two-factor authentication (2FA) mandatory for all online transactions starting today to curb rising digital payment frauds.
* Small Savings Rates: The Finance Ministry announced that interest rates for schemes like PPF (7.1%), NSC, and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana will remain unchanged for Q1 (April–June) of FY 2026-27.
* New Financial Year (FY27): Today marks the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
🏆 Sports & Awards
* ITTF Table Tennis World Cup (Macau):
* Manika Batra (ranked 30th) defeated USA’s Lily Zhang 3-2 to stay in the knockout race.
* Sreeja Akula is set to face world No. 2 Wang Manyu today (April 1).
* Rotary Award: Veteran table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal was honored with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to Indian sports.
* Miami Open: Jannik Sinner captured the “Sunshine Double” after winning the Miami final.
* Miami Open: Jannik Sinner captured the “Sunshine Double” after winning the Miami final.
🏛️ Cultural Milestone: Samrat Samprati Museum
Location: Koba Tirth, Gandhinagar.
Significance: Inaugurated on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti.
Key Detail: Named after Samrat Samprati (the grandson of Emperor Ashoka), who is a revered figure in Jain history for propagating non-violence. The museum features seven themed galleries showcasing rare Jain artifacts and ancient manuscripts.
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