16th APRIL - CURRENT AFFAIRS

1R. Vaishali won the 2026 FIDEWomen's Candidates Tournament

Chess, India’s Grandmaster R. Vaishali won the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus (15th April)

The 24-year-old defeated Russia’s Kateryna Lagno in the final round, finishing with 8.5 points out of 14 to clinch the title

With this victory, Vaishali has earned the right to challenge China’s Ju Wenjun for the World Championship later this year.

Awards

Arjuna Award (2023)

two-time FIDE Women's Grand Swiss winner (2023, 2025)

Gold medalist from the 2020 Online Olympiad

2. Indian Railways Marks April 16 Annually As Its Foundation Day

To commemorate the anniversary of the first passenger train journey in India.

On this day in 2026, the national transporter celebrated its 173rd anniversary

train ran between Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai) and Thane, covering a distance of approximately 34 ) on 16th April 1853

A Train carrying 400 lucky passengers in 14 carriages began itsjourney to Thane. ,

The train was famously pulled by three massive steam locomotives named Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan.

In 1925, the first electric train ran in Bombay on DC traction.

The first locomotive manufacturing unit was commissioned in 1950 at Chittaranjan with the first coach manufacturing unit set-up at Madras in 1955.

Indian Railways is among the world’s largest rail networks.

Indian Railways route length network is spread over 1,23,236 km, with 13,452 passenger trains and 9,141 freight trains plying 23 million travellers and 3 million tonnes (MT) of freight daily from 7,349 stations.

Lord Dalhousie is recognized as the "Father of Indian Railways"

3, India’s first dedicated nuclear missile tracking and ocean surveillance ship

INS Dhruv is India’s first dedicated nuclear missile tracking and ocean surveillance ship, enhancing strategic maritime capability.

It was commissioned on 10 September 2021 and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)

The ship tracks ballistic missiles, gathers Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), and supports India’s missile defence programme. It provides early warning of missile threats and helps calibrate Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) systems using trajectory data

Different Types of Warships

Based on the usage and other combat features, warships are categorized into seven major types. These are as follows:

1Frigates - small and fast.

2Aircraft Carriers-center of the naval power of sea,It serve as an airbase on the Sea.

The Indian Navy currently has 2 Aircraft Carriers.INS Vikramaditya & INS Vikrant

3Destroyers- INS Kolkata,INS Kochi,INS Chennai

4Corvettes - smallest class of warships that is generally used as a fast attack vessel

5Submarines -INS Arihant, INS Arighat

6Crusiers Ships -used not only for defending its fleet but also for attacking a far-off enemy.

7Amphibious Assault Ships - used to transport assault troops and their equipment from one place to another during combat.

4. Infosys Announces 7-Time Grand Slam Champion Carlos Alcaraz As Global Brand Ambassador

Alcaraz will collaborate with Infosys to develop AI-based match analysis tools and personal performance apps, leveraging Topaz to improve in-game strategies.

The multi-year partnership combines Alcaraz's high-performance tennis with AI innovation and includes joint initiatives to support technology-driven social impact programs.

Indian Ambassador in 2025-26

Narendra Kumar Yadav (Fit India Movement)

Salman Khan (Kho Kho World Cup 2025)

Kangana Ranaut (World Para Athletics Championships 2025

PV Sindhu - Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

Sakshi MalikBeti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign (Haryana)

5. Japan Deep-Sea Discovery

Japan has identified a vast deposit of rare earth elements nearly 6,000 metres beneath the Pacific Ocean near Minamitorishima island.

The deposit contains over 16 million tonnes of rare earth-rich mud, including key elements such as yttrium and dysprosium

crucial for manufacturing high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and advanced electronics

The discovery was made by researchers from the University of Tokyo using the advanced deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu

India'sDeep Sea Discovery

The Government of India is exploring the depths of the ocean through its flagship Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).

Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), this mission is designed to sustainably harness ocean resources, promote India's Blue Economy, and address climate change

Flagship Project: Samudrayaan, which aims to send three humans into the deep sea in an indigenously developed submersible called MATSYA 6000.

In 2025, India secured a contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore the Carlsberg Ridge, becoming the first nation with two separate deep-sea exploration contracts with the ISA.