UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

 

InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents

GS Paper 1/2 :

  1. The Report On From Borrowers To Builders: Women And India’s Evolving Credit Market

GS Paper 3:

  1. Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

  1. Gorakhpur’s AI-based Flood Warning System

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

  1. 11 Years of PM Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

  2. Direct-to-Device (D2D) Technologies

  3. Elephanta Island

  4. The National Quantum Mission (NQM)

  5. Argentina formally withdraws from World Health Organization

Mapping:

  1. Lebanon

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026


GS Paper 1/2 :


The Report On From Borrowers To Builders: Women And India’s Evolving Credit Market

Source: PIB

Subject: Women and associated issues

Context: NITI Aayog released the second edition of the joint report From Borrowers to Builders, highlighting that women now hold a ₹76 lakh crore credit portfolio, accounting for 26% of India’s total system credit.

About The Report On From Borrowers To Builders: Women And India’s Evolving Credit Market:

What it is?

  • The report, From Borrowers to Builders: Women and India’s Evolving Credit Market, is a comprehensive study published in April 2026 by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), TransUnion CIBIL, and MicroSave Consulting (MSC).
  • It utilizes longitudinal credit data from 16 crore credit-active women and qualitative field insights to map the transition of women from microfinance borrowers to mature business builders.

Key Data and Statistics:

  • Massive Portfolio Growth: Women’s outstanding credit grew 4.8x from ₹16 lakh crore in 2017 to ₹76 lakh crore in 2025.
  • Rising Penetration: Credit penetration among women nearly doubled, rising from 19% in 2017 to 36% in 2025.
  • Commercial Credit Surge: Business-purpose loans for women grew at a 31% CAGR over the last three years, significantly outperforming the overall commercial credit growth of 17%.
  • Efficiency Gains: Same-day loan approvals for women in consumption categories increased from 34% in 2022 to 45% in 2025, driven by digital onboarding.

Current Status of Credit for Women

  • Shift to Secured Assets: Women are increasingly participating in long-term asset ownership, with their share in housing loan originations rising to 69% in 2025.
  • Microfinance Graduation: Approximately 19% of active microfinance borrowers have successfully graduated to individual retail or commercial loans.
  • Geographic Expansion: While southern states like Tamil Nadu lead in volume, northern states like Bihar (59% CAGR) and Uttar Pradesh (42% CAGR) are seeing the fastest growth in women business borrowers.
  • Younger Cohort Participation: Women under 35 are accelerating credit uptake across gold, consumption, and vehicle loans, with 1 in 3 young housing loan borrowers being a woman.
  • Responsible Borrowing: Women maintain resilient credit profiles, with a default rate 0.7x lower than overall credit originations as of 2024.

Challenges Associated with Women’s Credit:

  • Untapped Potential: Nearly two-thirds of credit-eligible women (approx. 29 crore) remain unserved by formal financial systems.
  • Decision-Making Gaps: Many rural women nano-entrepreneurs (RWNEs) lack full autonomy over credit and investment decisions, limiting the strategic use of borrowed funds.
  • Digital Translation Gap: While smartphone use is high, many women struggle to understand how AI or advanced digital tools can directly improve their business marketing or planning.
  • Time Poverty: Overlapping household responsibilities and unpaid care work (cited by 38% in Kerala) limit women’s ability to engage consistently with digital credit platforms.
  • Structural Barriers: Nano-enterprises often lack formal collateral, making them reliant on entry-level products and vulnerable to credit supply contractions.

Initiatives Taken So Far:

  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Aadhaar e-KYC, UPI, and DigiLocker have lowered entry barriers for first-time women borrowers in rural areas.
  • Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP): A NITI Aayog initiative that aligns financial institutions and CSOs to support women in moving from initial access to sustained growth.
  • Financing Women Collaborative (FWC): Launched in 2023 to bridge sex-disaggregated data gaps and coordinate the financing ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.
  • Project Seher: A TransUnion CIBIL credit education program aimed at strengthening credit literacy and awareness among women.
  • Government Incentives: Interventions like specific stamp duty benefits have actively encouraged women to take up housing loans.

Way Ahead:

  • Flow-Based Underwriting: Integrate digital footprints (UPI trails, merchant activity) as productive economic assets to assess creditworthiness for collateral-free nano-enterprises.
  • Lifecycle-Based Products: Develop gender-intelligent bundles that integrate savings, credit, and insurance specifically for younger women under 35.
  • From Access to Progression: Shift policy focus from just disbursement volumes to tracking graduation rates and multi-product holdings to ensure enterprise maturity.
  • Trust-Based Capability Building: Leverage social networks and collectives (SHGs/Federations) to provide peer-endorsed digital training that builds long-term confidence.
  • Inclusive Design: Financial tools must be vernacular-first and voice-enabled to accommodate diverse literacy levels and contextual constraints.

Conclusion:

The report concludes that India’s economic future is being rewritten by the quiet revolution of women borrowers who are evolving into resilient builders of formal enterprises. By transforming digital behaviors into actionable data trails, India can unlock the potential of the remaining 29 crore unserved women. Ultimately, supporting women’s progression within the credit ecosystem is not just a social imperative but a core driver of India’s long-term sustainable growth.

 

 


UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026 – GS Paper 3:


Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

Source: TH

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: In a significant milestone for India’s nuclear energy ambitions, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam achieved criticality.

About Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor:

What it is?

  • A Fast Breeder Reactor is a high-efficiency nuclear reactor that uses fast neutrons to generate more fissile material (fuel) than it consumes. Unlike conventional reactors, it uses a fuel composed primarily of plutonium and is surrounded by a blanket of depleted uranium, which it breeds into more plutonium.

Need for India to Have Fast Breeder Reactors:

  • Three-Stage Programme Bridge: FBRs serve as the essential second stage, acting as a bridge between initial uranium-based reactors and the final thorium-based stage.
  • Fuel Security: India possesses only modest reserves of uranium but has abundant quantities of thorium.
  • High Efficiency: FBRs achieve a fuel use rate of approximately 10% or more, compared to only 1% in traditional Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).
  • Waste Utilization: They utilize the depleted uranium and plutonium produced as by-products from the first stage of the nuclear programme.
  • Self-Sufficiency: The breeder cycle allows India to potentially achieve long-term energy independence by creating its own fuel supply.

How a Fast Breeder Reactor Works?

  • Plutonium Core: The central core consists mainly of plutonium-based fuel.
  • Breeder Blanket: The core is surrounded by a blanket of depleted uranium-238.
  • Fast Neutrons: Unlike PHWRs, FBRs do not use a moderator to slow down neutrons; they utilize high-speed (fast) neutrons to sustain the reaction.
  • Transmutation: Fast neutrons bombard the uranium-238 blanket, transmuting it into plutonium-239, which can then be reprocessed as new fuel.
  • Sodium Cooling: The PFBR uses liquid sodium as a coolant because it is highly efficient at transferring heat at high temperatures without requiring pressurisation.

Challenges for India

  • Operational Complexity: Liquid sodium reacts violently with air and water, necessitating perfectly sealed systems and stringent leak detection protocols.
  • Economic Viability: FBRs are technically feasible but currently suffer from high construction and operating costs compared to water-cooled reactors.
  • Infrastructure Gaps: The broader fuel cycle, including reprocessing spent fuel and fabricating new fuel assemblies, requires substantial new infrastructure.
  • Timeline and Budget Overruns: The PFBR has faced significant delays; originally costing ₹3,500 crore, the budget ballooned to over ₹6,800 crore by 2019.
  • Regulatory Hurdles: The nuclear establishment must develop new regulatory processes for commercial breeder operations that have not yet been standardized globally.

Way Ahead:

  • Low-Power Testing: The PFBR will be operated at low power for several months to check behavior across different operating conditions.
  • Data Collection: Engineers will collect and analyze data from these tests to refine safety protocols and increase power output.
  • Commercial Certification: Operators will eventually seek approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to run the reactor at rated capacity for the grid.
  • Reprocessing Expansion: The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will parallelly develop dedicated fuel reprocessing facilities to support the FBR fleet.
  • Scaling Up: Future planning for additional FBRs will determine if the vision of a closed fuel cycle can be successfully realized on a national scale.

Conclusion:

The criticality of the PFBR represents a triumph of Indian engineering and a pivotal step toward realizing Homi Bhabha’s vision of nuclear self-sufficiency. While operational and economic challenges remain, the reactor’s successful activation establishes the technical foundation for utilizing India’s vast thorium reserves. Ultimately, the transition from experimental to commercial mode will dictate the future sustainability and scale of India’s nuclear energy sector.

 

 


UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026 – Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)


Gorakhpur’s AI-based Flood Warning System

Context: Gorakhpur’s AI-based Urban Flood Management Cell (UFMC) has received appreciation from the Prime Minister’s Office and NITI Aayog for its data-driven and proactive flood management model.

About Gorakhpur’s AI-based Flood Warning System:

What it is?

  • The Urban Flood Management Cell (UFMC) is India’s first AI-enabled urban flood early warning and decision support system, established in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
  • It combines artificial intelligence, real-time sensors, and hydrological modelling to predict rainfall, waterlogging, and flood risks in advance.

Aim:

  • To shift urban flood management from a reactive response model to a proactive forecasting model.
  • To reduce loss of life, property damage, and urban disruption caused by sudden flooding and waterlogging.

Key Features:

  • AI-based Rainfall Forecasting: Predicts rainfall and flood risk up to 24 hours in advance with over 80% accuracy.
  • Sensor-based Water Monitoring: Real-time sensors track water levels at drains and hotspots, sending instant alerts when thresholds are crossed.
  • Automated Response Mechanism: Rising water levels automatically activate pumping systems and emergency drainage responses.
  • 24×7 Digital Control Room: Continuous monitoring of 28 waterlogging hotspots and 85 sensitive locations, with digitally mapped drains, equipment, and field teams.

Significance

  • Disaster Risk Reduction: Enhances urban resilience by enabling timely evacuation, drainage, and emergency action.
  • Model for Smart Cities: Can be replicated in flood-prone cities under disaster management and smart governance frameworks.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus

GS Paper 3:

  • Disaster Management
  • Science and Technology applications in governance
  • Urban flooding and climate resilience
  • AI and data-driven public administration

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)


11 Years of PM Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

Source: News on Air

Subject: Government Scheme

Context: Prime Minister of India marked the 11th anniversary of the PM Mudra Yojana (PMMY), highlighting its role in redefining credit access and fostering entrepreneurship among the youth and women.

About 11 Years of PM Mudra Yojana (PMMY):

What it is?

  • The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency) Yojana is a flagship scheme designed to provide collateral-free loans to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro-enterprises.
  • It operates through a refinancing model, where MUDRA provides support to banks, NBFCs, and MFIs to lend to grassroots entrepreneurs.

Launched in: 2015.

Aim:

  • To Fund the Unfunded by bringing small enterprises into the formal financial system.
  • To encourage entrepreneurship among the youth (Yuva Shakti) and women (Nari Shakti).
  • To generate large-scale employment opportunities at the local level.

Key Features:

  • Three Loan Categories: The loans are tailored to the stage of growth of the business:
    1. Shishu: Loans up to ₹50,000 (for start-ups/early stages).
    2. Kishore: Loans from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh (for established businesses seeking expansion).
    3. Tarun: Loans from ₹5 lakh up to ₹10 lakh (for diversification or larger scaling).
    4. Tarun Plus: covers loans above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹20 lakh.

NOTE: Exclusively for entrepreneurs who have successfully availed and repaid Tarun loans.

  • Collateral-Free: No security or collateral is required from the borrower, lowering the barrier to entry for the poor.
  • MUDRA Card: Borrowers receive a RuPay debit card for the loan amount, allowing for flexible withdrawals and management of working capital.
  • Processing Charges: Generally, there are no processing fees for Shishu loans, making them highly accessible for micro-entrepreneurs.
  • Target Group: Focuses specifically on small manufacturing units, service sector units, shopkeepers, fruit/vegetable vendors, and truck operators.

Significance:

  • It has successfully bridged the credit gap for millions of citizens who were previously dependent on informal moneylenders and high-interest rates.
  • A significant majority (historically around 68-70%) of the total loan accounts have been sanctioned to women entrepreneurs, fostering financial independence.
  • Over 50% of the loans are typically disbursed to SC/ST and OBC categories, ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach marginalized sections.

 


Direct-to-Device (D2D) Technologies

Source: PIB

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently organized a high-level workshop through the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) to explore Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite communication.

About Direct-to-Device (D2D) Technologies:

What it is?

  • Direct-to-Device (D2D) is an emerging satellite communication technology that allows standard, off-the-shelf mobile devices (like your smartphone) to connect directly to satellites without the need for specialized hardware, satellite phones, or intermediate ground equipment.
  • It essentially turns satellites into cell towers in space, extending cellular coverage globally.

How it Works?

  • Satellite Constellations: A network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites is deployed, equipped with large, powerful antennas capable of picking up low-power signals from standard phones.
  • Spectrum Integration: These satellites use the same terrestrial LTE or 5G frequency bands that mobile operators already use on the ground.
  • Seamless Handover: When a user moves out of the range of a traditional terrestrial cell tower, the phone automatically switches its connection to a passing satellite.
  • Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN): The satellite acts as a relay, sending the signal to a ground station (gateway), which then connects to the core mobile network of the service provider.

Key Features:

  • Standard Device Compatibility: Unlike traditional satellite telephony which requires bulky handsets with large antennas, D2D works with existing 4G and 5G smartphones.
  • LEO Satellite Utilization: By using Low Earth Orbit satellites (500–2,000 km altitude), the latency (delay) is significantly reduced compared to traditional geostationary satellites.
  • No Additional Infrastructure: It eliminates the need for expensive ground-based towers in geographically challenging terrains like mountains, deserts, or islands.
  • Software-Defined Connectivity: Many D2D solutions are being integrated into the 3GPP (Global Telecom Standards) release 17 and 18, making it a globally standardized feature.
  • Emergency SOS & Messaging: Early-stage D2D focuses on low-bandwidth services like emergency text alerts, though it is evolving toward full voice and data capabilities.

Significance:

  • It provides a safety net of connectivity in areas where it is economically or physically impossible to build towers, ensuring 100% geographical coverage.
  • In the event of an earthquake or flood that destroys ground-based infrastructure, D2D provides an indestructible communication link for rescue operations.

 


Elephanta Island

Source: TH

Subject: Art and Culture

Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a 1,500-year-old T-shaped stepped reservoir on Elephanta Island, highlighting advanced ancient water management.

About Elephanta Island:

What it is?

  • Elephanta Island, locally known as Gharapuri (City of Caves), is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Mumbai Harbour.
  • It is world-renowned for its majestic rock-cut cave temples, primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, which represent the pinnacle of Indian rock-cut art and sculpture.

Discovered/Named By:

  • Original Name: Local inhabitants called it Gharapuri.
  • The Elephanta Name: The name Elephanta was given by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century after they found a massive monolithic stone elephant near the island’s landing area.

Kingdoms Associated:

  • Kalachuris of Mahishmati: The 6th-century excavations (including the recent coins of King Krishnaraja) suggest the Kalachuris were the primary patrons of the main caves.
  • Konkan Mauryas: Historical records suggest they ruled the region before the Kalachuris.
  • Chalukyas & Rashtrakutas: Subsequent dynasties that maintained or contributed to the island’s religious and strategic importance.
  • Portuguese & British: Later colonial powers who used the island for military and administrative purposes.

Key Characteristics of Elephanta:

  • Main Cave (Cave 1): A sprawling 60,000-square-foot rock-cut temple featuring a complex layout of halls, pillars, and shrines.
  • Sadashiva (Trimurti): The most iconic sculpture on the island, a 20-foot high masterpiece depicting Shiva as the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer.
  • Gangadhara & Ardhanarishvara: Elaborate relief panels depicting the descent of the Ganges and the union of Shiva and Parvati as half-male and half-female.
  • Geological Composition: The caves are carved out of solid basalt rock, typical of the Deccan Trap formations.
  • Dual Religious Influence: While primarily Shaivite (Hindu), there are also smaller groups of Buddhist stupas on the island, indicating a syncretic religious history.

Recent Discovery (2025-2026 Excavation)

  • Stepped Reservoir: A T-shaped massive structure (14.7m long) built with imported stone blocks from the mainland, used to combat the island’s rocky runoff and store monsoon water.
  • Economic Hub Evidence: A dyeing vat for textiles and large storage pots suggest the island was an industrial and commercial center, not just a religious site.
  • International Trade: Over 3,000 sherds of Mediterranean amphorae and West Asian torpedo jars prove that the island had maritime links with Rome and Mesopotamia.
  • Numismatic Evidence: The discovery of 60 coins, including silver and copper coins of King Krishnaraja (Kalachuri dynasty), helps firmly date the island’s peak activity to the 6th century CE.

 


The National Quantum Mission (NQM)

Source: ANI

Subject: Government Scheme

Context: The Union Minister for Science & Technology, recently announced that the National Quantum Mission (NQM) has achieved a historic 1,000-km secure quantum communication milestone in less than two years.

About The National Quantum Mission (NQM):

What it is?

  • The National Quantum Mission is a specialized initiative aimed at seeding, nurturing, and scaling up scientific and industrial R&D in Quantum Technology (QT).
  • It seeks to make India a leading nation in the quantum domain, which is considered the next frontier of computing and communication.

Launched in: The mission was formally approved by the Union Cabinet in April 2023 and became operational in October 2024.

Aim:

  • To develop intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years.
  • To establish a pan-India Quantum Communications network spanning 2,000 km.
  • To ensure national security by developing indigenous, hack-proof communication systems.

Key Features:

  • Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs): The mission is structured around four specialized hubs established in top academic and R&D institutions:
    1. Quantum Computing: Developing hardware and software for high-speed computation.
    2. Quantum Communication: Focusing on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and secure networks.
    3. Quantum Sensing & Metrology: Creating highly sensitive sensors for navigation and healthcare.
    4. Quantum Materials & Devices: Developing the physical components needed to sustain quantum states.
  • Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): Utilizing the principles of quantum mechanics (like entanglement and superposition) to create encryption keys that are physically impossible to intercept without detection.
  • Satellite-Based Communication: The mission includes plans for ground-to-satellite and long-distance inter-city quantum communication.
  • Startup Support: Expansion of funding to ventures like QNu Labs, with new financial instruments like Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD) to support startups without immediate equity dilution.
  • Indigenous Development: A strong focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat, ensuring all critical components—from photon sensors to atomic clocks—are developed within India.

Significance:

  • By achieving the 1,000-km QKD milestone, India can now secure critical infrastructure, and financial systems against the threat of future quantum hacking.
  • The mission bridges the gap between lab research and market-ready products, fuelling a new deep-tech economy and attracting private investment through TDB and BIRAC.

 


Argentina formally withdraws from World Health Organization

Source: DD News

Subject: International Organisation

Context: Argentina has officially completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), effective March 2026, following a one-year notification period initiated by President Javier Milei’s administration.

About The World Health Organization (WHO):

What it is?

  • The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. It acts as a coordinating authority on global health work, setting norms and standards while providing technical support to countries.

Established in: It was founded on April 7, 1948.

Aim: The primary objective of the WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health, defined not just as the absence of disease but as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

Key Functions:

  • Global Health Leadership: Acting as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work and partnerships.
  • Setting Norms and Standards: Developing international guidelines, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR), and monitoring their implementation.
  • Health Emergency Response: Identifying, assessing, and managing global health risks, such as pandemics.
  • Policy and Technical Support: Providing evidence-based policy options and technical assistance to help nations strengthen their internal health systems.
  • Monitoring Health Trends: Collecting and analyzing global health data to assess performance and identify emerging threats.

About Argentina:

What it is?

  • Argentina is the second-largest country in South America and the eighth-largest in the world. It is a federal republic known for its rich cultural heritage (including Tango), vast natural resources, and highly diverse landscapes.

Located in: It occupies the southern portion of the South American continent, stretching from the tropics in the north to the sub-antarctic region of Tierra del Fuego in the south.

Border Nations:

  • North: Bolivia and Paraguay.
  • Northeast: Brazil and Uruguay.
  • West: Chile (separated by the Andes).
  • East: The South Atlantic Ocean.

Key Geological Features:

  • The Andes Mountains: The world’s longest continental mountain range runs along Argentina’s western border, containing Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere (6,960 meters).
  • The Pampas: Vast, fertile central plains that serve as the country’s agricultural heartland, famous for cattle ranching and grain production.
  • Patagonia: A rugged southern region characterized by a vast, cold plateau, deep canyons, and massive glaciers like the Perito Moreno.
  • The Paraná River System: One of the world’s largest river systems, which feeds into the Río de la Plata estuary, providing a critical maritime link for the capital, Buenos Aires.

 


UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 April 2026 Mapping:


Lebanon

Source: TOI

Subject: Mapping

Context: The current regional stability has been severely shaken as Israel continues heavy bombardment of Lebanon despite a US-Iran brokered ceasefire.

About Lebanon:

What it is?

  • Lebanon is a sovereign country in Western Asia, known for its complex multi-religious demographic, rich ancient history, and strategic Mediterranean coastline.
  • Despite its small size, it has historically served as a major commercial and cultural hub for the Middle East, though it has been plagued by political instability and conflict in recent decades.

Located in: It is situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea within the Levant region of the Middle East.

Border Nations:

  • North and East: Syria (shares the longest border).
  • South: Israel (separated by the UN-demarcated Blue Line).
  • West: The Mediterranean Sea.

Key Geographical Features

  • Lebanon Mountains: A rugged mountain range running parallel to the coast for nearly the entire length of the country, historically providing a refuge for minority groups.
  • Anti-Lebanon Mountains: A second mountain range running along the eastern border with Syria, separated from the Lebanon Mountains by a high plateau.
  • Beqaa Valley: A fertile, high-altitude plateau located between the two mountain ranges; it is Lebanon’s primary agricultural heartland and a strategic corridor.
  • The Litani River: The longest and most important river in Lebanon; it rises in the Beqaa Valley and empties into the Mediterranean. It is currently a focal point of conflict, as Israel seeks to push Hezbollah forces north of this river.
  • Coastal Plain: A narrow, broken strip of land along the Mediterranean where the majority of the population and major cities like Beirut, Tripoli, and Tyre are located.

Significance:

  • Due to its location, Lebanon is a primary theatre for regional proxy wars, particularly between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel.
  • It is the most religiously diverse country in the Middle East, with a unique power-sharing system between Maronite Christians, Sunni Muslims, and Shia Muslims.
  • Home to five UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos and the Roman ruins of Baalbek.

 

Facts for Prelims – 9th April 2026 Current Affairs


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