17th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. World Haemophilia Day

Observed on April 17 with the 2026 theme “Diagnosis: First Step to Care” to raise awareness about inherited bleeding disorders

Haemophilia- When you bleed, a series of reactions take place in the body that help blood clots form. This process is called the coagulation cascade.

Factor VIII (eight) is one such coagulation factor. Hemophilia A is the result of the body not making enough factor VIII

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is a blood disorder in which the blood does not clot properly

Cause: People with the disease have low levels of von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps blood clot, or the protein doesn’t perform as it should.

National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD):

Haemophilia is included under Group 1 of the rare diseases policy, which provides financial support of up to Rs. 20 lakh to patients Below Poverty Line (BPL) for treatment at central government-designated centers.

Inclusion in Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016,Haemophilia is officially recognized as a benchmark disability under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act) 2016, enabling affected individuals to access benefits like education, employment, and government aid

Hemophilia A: Caused by Factor VIII deficiency (most common).

Hemophilia B: Caused by Factor IX deficiency (known as Christmas disease).

Inheritance: X-linked recessive (typically affects males, transmitted by females).

2. India’s First Chip Fabrication Plant at SEZ Dholera

Government has notified that an SEZ to be set up by M/s. Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Private Limited exclusively for Electronic Hardware and Software including IT/ITES at Dholera, Gujarat.

The SEZ will be spread over 66.166 hectares of land andprovide employment to 21000 persons.

The Dholera project is part of the broader India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 1.0 & 2.0

Key significance of this fab

Reducing the minimum land requirement for sector-specific SEZs from 50 hectares to 10 hectares.

Introducing flexibility in encumbrance norms.

Allowing the inclusion of free-of-cost supplies in Net Foreign Exchange (NFE) calculations.

Permitting domestic sales in the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA)

3. Telangana Declared Naxal-Free

Telangana has been declared Naxal-free following the surrender of 42 cadres.

Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy announced that the state is now free of armed Maoist presence after 42 cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)

Naxalites:Originating from the 1967 peasant uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal led by Charu Majumdar

Operation Black Forest (2025), which targeted top Maoist leadership on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.

4. China Becomes Top Trading Partner with India

According to commerce ministry data, China was India's top trading partner from 2013-14 till 2017-18 and also in 2020-21. Before China, the UAE was the country's largest trading partner. The US has been the largest partner since 2021-22

The US was India's largest trading partner for four consecutive years till 2024-25

India's exports to China rose 36.66 per cent to USD 19.47 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 16 per cent to USD 131.63 billion

The major trading partners with which India recorded negative exports growth in 2025-26 include the Netherlands, the UK, Singapore, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, South Africa, and Malaysia.

5. Dheeran Chinnamalai Anniversary: Today Marks the 271st Birth Anniversary

17 April 1756 – 3 August 1805

Born as Theerthagiri Sarkarai Manradiar on 17 April 1756 near present-day Kangeyam, Tiruppur district

played a key role in the Second Polygar War

Theerthagiri earned the title “Chinnamalai” after asserting sovereignty between Sennimalai and Shivamalai hills.

He was skilled in archery, horse riding, weapon handling and guerrilla tactics, later strengthened by exposure to French style military training during his association with Tipu Sultan.

He forcibly collected taxes from Diwan Muhammad Ali.

This resulted in the Battle of Noyyal River, where Chinnamalai defeated Mysore forces, asserting Kongu’s autonomy.

He supported Tipu Sultan during the Third and Fourth Anglo Mysore Wars.

After Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799, Chinnamalai built the Odanilai Fort

He defeated British forces at the Cauvery River in 1801, Odanilai in 1802 and Arachalur in 1804.

1805, he was betrayed by his cook,Nallapancaptured along with his brothers and hanged at Sankagiri Fort on 31 July 1805

6. President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Governors in different States and Union Territories

1▪️Governor of Himachal Pradesh Shiv Pratap Shukla has been appointed Governor of Telangana.

2▪️Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has been appointed Governor of Maharashtra.

3▪️Former Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav has been appointed Governor of Nagaland.

4▪️Lieutenant General (Retired) Syed Ata Hasnain has been appointed Governor of Bihar.

5▪️Governor of Tamil Nadu RN Ravi has been appointed Governor of West Bengal.

6▪️Governor of Kerala Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.

7▪️LG of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta has been appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

8▪️LG of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena has been appointed LG of Ladakh.

9▪️Former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed LG of Delhi.

Article 153 (Governors of States): It mandates that there must be a Governor for every state

The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956 facilitated the appointment of a single Governor for multiple states simultaneously.

Article 155: The Governor is appointed directly by the President of India

The appointment is formalized by a warrant under the hand and seal of the President

Article 239 of the Constitution states that every Union Territory shall be administered by the President of India acting through an "Administrator" appointed by him.

In five UTs ((National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands), they are designated as Lieutenant Governors (LGs).

In Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, they are simply called "Administrators".

Article 239AA: Specifically dictates that the Administrator of the NCT of Delhi shall be designated as the Lieutenant Governor