WBCS Current Affairs 2025-26

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### National Appointments * **Chairperson of National Commission for Women in India:** Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar * ভারতের জাতীয় মহিলা কমিশনের চেয়ারপারসন - বিজয়া কিশোর রাহাতকর * **26th Chief Election Commissioner of India:** Gyanesh Kumar * ভারতের ২৬তম প্রধান নির্বাচন কমিশনার - জ্ঞানেশ কুমার * **26th Governor of Reserve Bank of India:** Sanjay Malhotra * ভারতীয় রিজার্ভ ব্যাংকের ২৬তম গভর্নর - সঞ্জয় মালহোত্রা * **29th Controller General of Accounts (CGA):** TCA Kalyani * হিসাব নিয়ন্ত্রক জেনারেল (সিজিএ) - টিসিএ কল্যাণী * **Chairman of 23rd Law Commission of India:** Dinesh Maheswari * ভারতের ২৩তম আইন কমিশনের চেয়ারম্যান - দীনেশ মহেশ্বরী * **New Chairperson of UPSC:** Ajay Kumar * UPSC-এর নতুন চেয়ারপারসন - অজয় কুমার * **11th Chairman of ISRO:** Dr. V. Narayanan * ISRO-এর ১১তম চেয়ারম্যান - ডঃ ভি. নারায়ণন * **Comptroller and Auditor General of India:** Kundu Sanjay Murthy * ভারতের নিয়ন্ত্রক ও অডিটর জেনারেল - কুণ্ডু সঞ্জয় মূর্তি * **New Chairman of SEBI:** Tuhin Kanta Pandey * SEBI-এর নতুন চেয়ারম্যান - তুহিন কান্ত পান্ডে * **Newly elected Chief Ministers** * **West Bengal:** Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) * **Tamil Nadu:** Joseph Vijay (TVK) * **Keralam:** V. D. Satheesan (INC) * **Assam:** Hemant Biswa Sharma (BJP) * **Bihar:** Samrat Chowdhury (BJP) * **Manipur:** Yumnam Khemchand Singh (BJP) * **Delhi:** Rekha Gupta (BJP) * **Newly appointed Governors** * **Bihar:** Syed Ata Hasnain * **Goa:** Ashok Gajapati Raju * **Haryana:** Ashim Kumar Ghosh * **Himachal Pradesh:** Kavinder Gupta * **Maharashtra:** Jishnu Dev Varma * **West Bengal:** R.N. Ravi * **Nagaland:** Nand Kishore Yadav * **Tamil Nadu:** Rajendra Arlekar * **Telengana:** Shiv Pratap Shukla * **Lokayukta of West Bengal:** Justice Rabindranath Samanta * পশ্চিমবঙ্গের লোকায়ুক্ত - বিচারপতি রবীন্দ্রনাথ সামন্ত * **Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):** Vir Vikram Yadav * বেসামরিক বিমান চলাচল অধিদপ্তরের (ডিজিসিএ) মহাপরিচালক - বীর বিক্রম যাদব * **Power Finance Corporation:** * **Chairman & Managing Director (CMD):** Smt. Parminder Chopra * **Director (Finance):** Shri Rajesh Kumar Agarwal * **New Chairperson of NASSCOM:** Srikanth Velamakanni * **First woman Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court:** Justice Lisa Gill * **CMD of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited:** Burra Vamsi Rama Mohan * **Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (third consecutive term):** Harivansh Narayan Singh * **CMD of SAIL:** Dr. Ashok Kumar Panda * **CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (April 2026):** Sanjay Khanna * **Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India:** Rohit Jain * **Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):** Ravi K * **New Chairman of Prasar Bharati:** Prasoon Joshi * **Brand Ambassador of Census 2027:** Sudarsan Pattnaik (Sand artist) * **India's current High Commissioner to Britain:** Periyasamy Kumaran * **Badminton World Federation Council member:** PV Sindhu * **Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog:** Nidhi Chhibber * **Chief Secretary of West Bengal:** Manoj Kumar Agarwal * **Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court:** Justice Sujoy Paul * **First woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra:** Sunetra Pawar * **National President of Nationalist Congress Party:** Suneta Pawar * **CEO & MD of GAIL:** Deepak Gupta * **Chairman of National Medical Commission:** Abhijit C. Sheth * **President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India:** Mithun Manhas * **New Secretary of Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI):** Devajit Shaikia * **Chairperson of National Commission for Backward Classes:** Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti * **Vice Chief of Indian Army Staff:** Dheeraj Seth * **Chairman of GIFT city:** Uday Kotak * **First Female President of Indian Cricket Association:** Shanta Rangaswamy * **Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):** Saurabh Vijay * **Chief Information Commissioner of India:** Raj Kumar Goyal * **Head of Food Corporation of India (FCI):** Rabindra Kumar Agarwal * **Chairperson of IRDAI:** Ajay Seth * **FSSAI chairperson (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India):** Punya Salila Srivastava * **CEO of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India):** Rajit Punhani * **29th Director General of Border Road Organisation:** Harpal Singh * **Head Coach of the Senior Indian Women's Football Team:** Crispin Chettri * **Chief Coach of the Indian Women's hockey team:** Sjoerd Marijne * **Head of National Medical Commission:** Abhijit Seth * **CMD of Coal India Limited:** B. Sai Ram * **Director of National Investigation Agency:** Rakesh Agarwal * **Director General of Foreign Trade:** Lav Aggarwal * **Goodwill Ambassador for Pune Grand Tour 2026:** MS Dhoni * **Director General of ITBP:** Shayrujeet Singh Kapoor * **Chairman of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board:** A. K. Balasubramaniam * **First woman chief secretary of Odisha:** Anu Garg * **Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs:** Vivek Chaturvedi * **President of Advertising Standards Council of India:** Sudhanshu Vats * **Executive Chairman of NALSA:** Vikram Nath * **Chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority:** Siva Subramanian Ramann * **First Woman president of Press Club of India:** Sangeeta B. Pisharoty * **Chairman of the 8th Pay Commission:** Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai * **Chairperson of Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA):** Vandana Gupta * **Director of Botanical Survey of India:** Kanad Das * **Brand Ambassador of Vikshit Bharat Buildathon 2025:** Subhrangshu Shukla * **Chairman of Inland Waterways Authority of India:** Sunil Paliwal * **Mental Health Ambassador by Union Health Ministry:** Deepika Padukone * **First Female Ambassador of Punjab National Bank:** Harmanpreet Kaur * **Director General of Central Industrial Security Force:** Praveer Ranjan * **Director General of SSB:** Sanjay Singhal * **President of Associate Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM):** Nirmal Kumar Minda * **53rd Chief Justice of India:** Surya Kant * **First Woman Vice Chancellor of IGNOU:** Uma Kanjilal * **First Woman CEO of Hindustan Unilever Limited:** Priya Nair * **Chairperson of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):** Anant Goenka * **First woman chief of Railway Protection Force:** Sonali Misra * **Chairman of National Stock Exchange:** Srinivas Injeti * **Vice President of India:** C. P. Radhakrishnan * **President of Confederation of Indian Industry:** Rajiv Memani * **President of International Big Cat Alliance:** Bhupendra Yadav * **Executive director of IMF (For India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka):** Urjit Patel * **New Chief of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing):** Parag Jain ### International Appointments * **Newly elected Prime Ministers of various countries:** * **Belgium:** Bart De Wever * **Lebanon:** Nawaf Salam * **Canada:** Mark Carney * **Germany:** Friedrich Merz * **Sudan:** Kamil Idris * **Mongolia:** Uchral Niyam-Osorg * **South Korea:** Kim Min-Seok * **Ukraine:** Yuliya Spiridonova * **Thailand:** Anutin Charnvirakul * **France:** Sébastien Lecornu * **Japan:** Sanae Takaichi * **Bangladesh:** Tariq Rahman * **Nepal:** Balendra Shah * **Netherlands:** Rob Jetten * **Vietnam:** Le Minh Hong * **Newly appointed President of Various Countries:** * **Bulgaria:** Rumen Radev * **Hungary:** Péter Magyar * **Peru:** Luis Arroyo Sánchez * **Tanzania:** Muigulhu Nchemba * **Uganda:** Yoweri Museveni * **Cameroon:** Paul Biya * **First woman President of Suriname:** Jennifer Geerlings Simmons * **Vietnam:** To Lam * **Iraq:** Nizar Amidi * **Myanmar:** Min Aung Hlaing * **Chile:** José Antonio Kast * **South Korea:** Lee Jae-myung * **Venezuela:** Nicolás Maduro * **Tanzania:** Samia Suluhu Hassan * **Ireland:** Catherine Connolly * **Lebanon:** Joseph Aoun * **Ecuador:** Daniel Noboa * **High Commissioner of India in UK:** Periyaswamy Kumaran * **Chairperson of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Advisory Board of Judges:** Pratibha M. Singh * **India's new High Commissioner in Bangladesh:** Dinesh Trivedi * **Executive Chairman of Apple's board:** Tim Cook * **Apple's next CEO (effective 1 September 2026):** John Ternus * **New Supreme Leader of Iran:** Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei * **Director General of BBC:** Matt Brittin * **Security Council Chief of Iran:** Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr * **India's Ambassador to China:** Vikram Doriaswami * **High Commissioner of India to Malta:** Rachita Bhandari * **President of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance:** Gyanesh Kumar * **15th Administrator of NASA:** Jared Isaacman * **Head of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:** Barham Salih * **Next UNESCO Director General:** Khaled El-Enany * **First female and African President of International Olympic Committee:** Kirsty Coventry * **80th President of United Nations General Assembly:** Annalena Baerbock * **First Woman Secretary General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation:** Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais * **Secretary General of INTERPOL:** Valdecy Urquiza * **Secretary General Of Commonwealth of Nations:** Shirley Botchwey ### Awards & Honours * **Jnanpith Award 2025 winner:** R. Vairamuthu * **Pulitzer Prize 2026 in Illustrated Reporting and Commentary:** Anand RK and Suparna Sharma (for "trAPPed") * **Best District Panchayat Award (Ministry of Panchayati Raj):** Sepahijala District Panchayat * **Whitley Award 2026:** Parveen Shaikh (for conservation of Indian Skimmer) * **UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2026:** The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate * **Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2026:** Soma Mondal * **Abel Prize 2026:** Gerd Faltings * **Stockholm Water Prize 2026:** Kaveh Madani * **Femina Miss India World 2026:** Sadhvi Satish Sail * **WWF National Award (for AI-based conservation app):** N. Alim Yusuf * **13th Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards 2026 winner:** Sumitra Guha and Pandit Laxman Krishnarao Pandit * **2026 Goldman Environmental Prize (all six winners are women):** Iroro Tanshi (Nigeria), Borim Kim (South Korea), Sarah Finch (United Kingdom), Theonila Roka Matbob (Papua New Guinea), Alannah Acaq Hurley (United States), Yuvelis Morales Blanco (Colombia) * **2026 Laureus World Sports Awards:** * **Sportswoman of the Year:** Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) * **Sportsman of the Year:** Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) * **Prof. M. S. Swaminathan Award 2026:** Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao * **President's Police Colour (highest honour for a police force in India):** Odisha Police * **Machhli National Award (for wildlife conservation):** Anita Chaudhary * **Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 2026:** Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi * **98th Oscars Awards:** * **Best Film:** One Battle after Another * **Best Actor:** Michael B Jordan * **Best Actress:** Jessie Buckley * **Best Director:** Paul Thomas Anderson * **Homebound** (only Indian film shortlisted for best international feature film) * **79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) 2026:** * **Best Film:** One Battle after Another * **Best Actor:** Robert Aramayo * **Best Actress:** Jessie Buckley * **Best Director:** Paul Thomas Anderson * **First Indian film to win BAFTA awards:** Boong (Manipuri film; children and family film category) * **Global Teacher Prize 2026 at the World Government summit:** Roubel Nagi * **Youngest winner of Stockholm water prize 2026:** Kavesh Madani from Iran * **Women empowerment award in UK:** Rituparna Sengupta * **35th Saraswati Samman 2025 winner:** Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay (for "Hara Parbati Katha") * **Esmond B. Martin Royal Geographical Society Prize 2026:** Kriti K Karanth * **Jeevan Gaurav Samman at the National Arogya fair:** Devendra Triguna * **68th Grammy Awards 2026:** * **Album of the Year:** Debi Tirar Mas Fotos - Bad Bunny * **Song of the Year:** Wildflower * **2026 Grammy Awards for Best audio book, narration & story telling recording (for "Meditations"):** Dalai Lama * **2026 Mark Lynton History Prize:** William Dalrymple (for "The Golden Road") * **Sangeet Kalanidhi Award for 2026:** Jayanthi Kumaresh * **Women Empowerment Trailblazer Award winner:** Kalpana Soren * **Meta Lifetime Achievement Award:** Amol Palekar * **Time's Women of the Year 2026:** Safeena Husain * **Speaker of the Knesset Medal:** Narendra Modi * **Chief guest in Raisina Dialogue:** Alexander Stubb, President of Finland * **Padma Awards 2026:** (131 recipients: 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, 113 Padma Shri) * **Padma Vibhushan:** 1. Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) - Industry 2. Dr. K. T. Thomas - Public Affairs 3. Mrs. N. Rajam - Art 4. Shri P. Narayanan - Literature & Education 5. Shri V. S. Achuthanandan (Posthumous) * **Padma Bhushan:** (13 recipients) 1. Mrs. Alka Yagnik * **Padma Shri:** (113 recipients) * Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma nominated for Padma Shri 2026. * **Padma Shri recipients from West Bengal:** 1. Shri Ashok Kumar Halder 2. Shri Gambhir Singh Yonjan 3. Shri Hari Madhav Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous) 4. Shri Jyotish Debnath 5. Shri Kumar Basu 6. Shri Prosenjit Chatterjee 7. Shri Saroj Mondal 8. Shri Tarun Bhattacharya 9. Smt. Tripti Mukhopadhyay * **Ashok Chakra (India's highest peacetime gallantry award):** Shubhanshu Shukla * **Gallantry and service awards for 70 Armed forces personnel:** Approved by President Draupadi Murmu * **Nobel Peace Prize medal handed to Donald Trump:** Maria Corina Machado * **Best tableau award in the Republic Day parade 2026:** Maharashtra (Ganeshotsav: A Symbol of Aatmanirbharta) * **United Nations Secretary-General's Award 2025:** Swati Shanta * **Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2025:** Graca Machel * **83rd Golden Globe Awards 2026 Best Film:** Hamnet * **Golden Peacock award at the 56th International Film Festival of India:** Skin of Youth * **FIFA Peace Prize 2025 winner:** Donald Trump * **PETA India's Person Of the Year 2025:** Raveena Tandon * **National Book Award 2025:** Rabih Allameddine (for "The True Story of Raja the Gullible") * **2025 Champions of the Earth Award:** Supriya Sahu (Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu) * **Young Earth Champions 2025 award from UNEP winner:** Jinali Modi * **Israel Peace Prize 2026:** Donald Trump * **Booker Prize 2025:** David Szalay (for "Flesh") * **International Booker Prize 2025:** Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi (for Kannada story 'Heart Lamp') * **British Academy Book Prize 2025:** Sunil Amrith * **Mrs. Universe 2025:** Sherry Singh * **Miss World 2025:** Opal Sucheta * **Sakharov Prize 2025:** Andrez Poczobut and Mzia Amaghlobeli * **Vigyan Ratna Award 2025:** Jayant Vishnu Narlikar * **Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023:** Malayalam Actor Mohanlal * **Nobel Prize 2025:** * **Physiology:** Mary Ann Brunkow (USA), Fred Ramsdell (USA), Shimon Sakaguchi (Japan) * **Physics:** John Clarke (Britain), Michel H. Devoret (France), John M. Martinis (USA) * **Chemistry:** Susumu Kitagawa (Japan), Richard Robson (Australia), Omar M. Yaghi (Jordan) * **Literature:** László Krasznahorkai (Hungary) * **Peace:** María Corina Machado (Venezuela) * **Economics:** Joel Mokyr (Israel), Philippe Aghion (French), Peter Howitt (Canada) * **Pen Pinter Prize 2025 winner:** Leila Aboulela * **Pen Translate Award 2025 winner:** Geetanjali Shree (for 'Once Elephants Lived here') * **2025 Ramanujan Prize:** Alexander Smith * **Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025 winners:** 'Educate Girls' (first Indian organization), Shahina Ali, F. A. L. Villanueva * **Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award 2025 winner:** Dr. Ademola A. Adenle * **Pritzker Architecture Prize 2025:** Liu Jiakun * **Whitley Gold Award 2025 winner (Green Oscar):** Olivier Nasengimana ### Books & Authors * "Mahatma, A Great Communicator" - Dheeraj Kakadia * Autobiography of Manoj Mukund Naravne - "Four Stars of Destiny" * 'The Sage who Reimagined Hinduism' - Sashi Tharoor * "Flesh" - David Szalay * "Heart Lamp" - Bhanu Mustaq * "Sanatan Sanskriti Ki Atal Dristi" - Vasudev Devnani * "The Burning Earth" - Sunil Amrith * "The Chola Tigers" - Amish Tripathi * "Justice Denied Justice Lost" - Kanchan Chakraborty * "Different But No Less" - Anupam Kher * "The Conscience Network" - Sujata Srinivasaraju * 'Believer's Dilemma' - Abhishek Chowdhury * 'History That India Ignored' - Prem Prakash * Autobiography of Kailash Satyarthi - Diyasalai * "Sonia and Sunny" - Kiran Desai * Autobiography of Shikhar Dhawan - 'The One: Cricket My Life and More' * 'Why the Constitution Matters?' - DY Chandrachud * 'Why India Matters' - S. Jaishankar * 'Win the Battle of your mind' - Rita Ramamoorthy Gupta * "Tides of Time" - Sudha Murty * 'Speaking with Nature' - Ramachandra Guha ### Sports Current Affairs * **ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026:** * **Host country:** India & Sri Lanka * **Champion:** India * **Runners up:** New Zealand * **Final match:** 8th March on Narendra Modi Stadium * **Player of the Match:** Jasprit Bumrah * **Man of Tournament:** Sanju Samson * **2026 FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament:** R Vaishali won (held in Cyprus) * **FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 (Male Category):** Javokhir Sindarov won * **World's first quadruple amputee to win international archery gold:** Payal Nag * **First player to score 9,000 runs in IPL history:** Virat Kohli * **World Para Athletics Championships 2027:** Tashkent will host (June 2027) * **1st Edition of Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026:** * **Overall championship:** Karnataka (23 gold, 38 medals) * **Host state:** Chhattisgarh * **Mascot:** 'Mor Veer' * **SAFF U-20 Championship 2026:** * **Champions:** Bangladesh (2nd title) * **Runners-up:** India * **Venue:** Maldives * **Asian Squash Federation (ASF) Awards 2025:** * **Men's Player of the Year:** Abhay Singh * **Junior Girls' Player of the Year:** Anahat Singh * ASF honored Indian players for 2025. * **Australian Open 2026:** * **Men's Singles:** Carlos Alcaraz * **Women's Singles:** Elena Rybakina * **French Open 2026 (Grand Slam):** * **Men's Singles:** Jannik Sinner * **Women's Singles:** Madison Keys * **Wimbledon Open 2026 (Grand Slam):** * **Men's Singles:** Jannik Sinner * **Women's Singles:** Coco Gauff * **US Open 2026 (Grand Slam):** * **Men's Singles:** Carlos Alcaraz * **Women's Singles:** Iga Swiatek * **Women Premier League winner:** RCB * **BNP Paribas Open 2026 at Indian Wells:** * **Men's Singles Title winner:** Jannik Sinner * **Women's Singles Title Winner:** Aryana Sabalenka * **Ranji Trophy 2026 winner:** Jammu and Kashmir * **Santosh Trophy 2026:** Services team * **2026 Winter Olympics host country:** Italy * **FIFA partnered with YouTube** as "Preferred Platform for the 2026 FIFA World Cup" * **2026 Thomas Cup title:** China * **First Indian cricketer to receive her own Barbie doll:** Smriti Mandhana * **BBC sports woman of the year:** Smriti Mandhana * **BCCI cricketer of the year 2026:** Shubman Gill * **94th Chess Grandmaster:** Mayank Chakraborty * **India Open 2026 women's Singles Title Winner:** Anahat Singh * **2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships host country:** India (Bhubaneswar) * **Indian Army team won Overall championship** at the 6th Khelo India Winter Games 2026 * **First edition of Khelo India Tribal Games will be held in:** Chhattisgarh * **First Indian shutter to win 500 singles match:** P V Sindhu * **Hockey World Cup 2026 host countries:** Belgium & Netherlands * **First Chess eSports World Cup winner:** Magnus Carlson * **World Police and Fire Games 2029 will be organised in:** Gujarat * **Blind Women's Cricket T20 World Cup winner:** India * **World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship winner:** Magnus Carlson * **Women's Blitz Chess Championship title 2025:** Bibisara Assaubayeva * **Scotland replaced Bangladesh** in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. * **Hockey India League 2026 winner:** Kalinga Lancers * **Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2025 winner:** India * **India secured first position in the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025** * **Second Indian woman cricketer to complete 10000 runs in international cricket:** Sriti Mandhana * **Deepti Sharma holds the world record** for the most wickets in the history of women's T20 international cricket. * **World's first bowler to take eight wickets in an innings in men's T20 international:** Sonam Yeshey * **Italian Open winner:** Carlos Alcaraz * **FIFA announced an increase in teams for Women's World Cup** from 32 to 48 from 2031. * **Kilanga Super Cup winner:** Goa * **Sansad Khel Maha Kumbh** organised in Lucknow * **FIDE Women's World Championship 2025 winner:** Ju Wenjun * **Commonwealth Games 2030 host city:** Ahmedabad * **First South Asia Football Federation Women's Club Championship 2025 winner:** East Bengal FC * **European Football Association (UEFA) League 2025 winner:** Portugal * **FIFA Women's World Cup 2031 host country:** America * **Under-19 SAFF Championship 2025 winner:** India * **World's first franchise based archery league** launched in India * **Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2025:** Jharkhand * **Squash World Cup 2025:** India * **62nd edition of the Duleep Trophy winner:** Central Zone * **ICC Women's World Cup 2025:** * **Host countries:** India and Sri Lanka * **Champion:** India * **Runners-up:** South Africa * **Highest Runs:** Wolvaardt * **Highest Wickets:** Deepti Sharma * **Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy 2025 Winner:** Belgium, Runners Up - India * **Men's Asia Cricket Cup in 2025 winner:** India * **Men's Hockey Asia Cup 2025 winner:** India * **Women's Hockey Asia Cup 2025 winner:** China * **FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 Trophy renamed:** After Viswanathan Anand * **Young Indian shooter Samrat Rana won gold in 10m Air Pistol** at ISSF World Championship in Cairo. * **ICC World Test Championship:** Champion - South Africa (for the first time) * **38th National Games host state:** Uttarakhand (39th game will be held in Meghalaya) * **First Indian to win World Tour Title in BWF 2025:** Ayush Shetty * **Kabaddi World Cup 2025 winner:** India * **First Indian to win Formula 2 race at Monaco Grand Prix:** Jehan Daruvala * **9th edition of ICC Champions Trophy 2025:** Champion - India, Runners up - New Zealand * **India-England Test series renamed:** 'Tendulkar Anderson Trophy' * **Kho Kho World Cup 2025 winner:** India * **Saudi Arabia will host FIFA World Cup 2034** * **FIFA World Cup 2026 host countries:** Canada, Mexico, USA * **FIFA World Cup 2030 host countries:** Portugal, Spain, Morocco * **FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025 winner:** Divya Deshmukh ### Important Dates * **UN declares 2025** as International Year of Cooperatives * **International Year of Women Farmers:** 2026 * **January:** * 1st January - DRDO Day * 4th January - World Braille Day * 9th January - Non Resident Indian Day (প্রবাসী ভারতীয় দিবস) * 10th January - World Hindi Day * 11 to 17th January - National Road Safety Week * 12th January - National Youth Day * 14th January - Army Veteran Day * 15th January - Indian Army Day * 16th January - National Startup Day * 19th January - NDRF Raising Day * 23rd January - Parakram Diwas * 24th January - International Education Day * 25th January - National Voters Day * 25th January - National Tourism Day * 26th January - Republic Day * 26th January - International Customs Day * 27th January - International Holocaust Day * 28th January - Date Privacy Day * 29th January - Leprosy Day * 30th January - Martyrs Day * **February:** * 1st February - Indian Coast Guard Day * 2nd February - World Wetlands Day * 4th February - World Cancer Day * 4th February - International Day of Human Fraternity * 10th February - World Pulses Day * 11th February - International Day of Women and Girls in Science * 12th February - National Productivity Day * 13th February - National Women's Day & World Radio Day * 20th February - World Social Justice Day * 21st February - International Mother Language Day * 24th February - Central Excise Day * 27th February - World NGO Day and National Protein Day * 28th February - National Science Day * **March:** * 1st March - Zero Discrimination Day * 3rd March - World Wildlife Day * 4th March - National Safety Day * 7th March - Jan Aushadhi Diwas * 8th March - International Women's Day * 10th March - International Day of Women Judge * 14th March - Pi Day * 15th March - World Consumer Right Day * 16th March - National Immunisation Day * 18th March - Global Recycling Day * 20th March - World Sparrow Day & International Day of Happiness * 20th March - World Oral Health Day & French Language Day * 21st March - International Forest Day * 22nd March - World Water Day * 23rd March - Sahid Diwas and World Metrological Day * 24th March - World TB Day * 30th March - International Zero Waste Day * **April:** * 1st April - Foundation Day of the Reserve Bank of India * 2nd April - World Autism Awareness Day 2026 (Theme: "Autism and Humanity Every Life Has Value") * 10th April - World Homeopathy Day 2026 (Theme: "Homoeopathy for Sustainable Health") * 5th April - National Maritime Day 2026 (Theme: "Maritime India Empowering Progress") * 18th April - World Heritage Day (Theme: "Emergency Response for Living Heritage in Contexts of Conflicts and Disasters") * 21st April - National Civil Service Day 2026 * 22nd April - World Earth Day 2026 (Theme: "Our Power, Our Planet") * 23rd April - World Book and Copyright Day 2026 (Theme: "Readers today, creators forever. Respect books. Protect creativity") * 24th April - National Panchayati Raj Day * 25th April - World Malaria Day (Theme: "Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must") * **May:** * 1st May - International Labour Day * 3rd May - Press Freedom Day * 4th May - Coal Miners Day * 7th May - World Athletics Day * 8th May - World Red Cross Day * 12th May - International Nurses Day * 17th May - World Telecommunication Day * 18th May - International Museum Day * 21st May - National Anti Terrorism Day * 22nd May - International Day for Biological Diversity * 31st May - Anti Tobacco Day * **June:** * 4th June - International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression * 5th June - World Environment Day * 8th June - World Ocean Day & World Brain Tumor Day * 15th June - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day * 17th June - World Day to Combat Desertification & Drought * 20th June - World Refugee Day * 21st June - International Day of Yoga * 21st June - World Music Day, Summer Solstice * 23rd June - UN Public Service Day * 26th June - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking & International Day in Support of Victims of Torture * 29th June - International Day of the Tropics * 29th June - National Statistics Day * 30th June - International Day of Parliamentarism * **July:** * 1st July - National Doctor's Day * State Bank Foundation Day, National GST Day & National Chartered Accountant Day * 11th July - World Population Day * 18th July - International Nelson Mandela Day * 22nd July - National Flag Day * 24th July - National Income Tax Day * 26th July - Kargil Victory Day * 27th July - CRPF Foundation Day * 28th July - World Hepatitis Day * 29th July - International Tiger Day * 30th July - World Day Against Human Trafficking * 31st July - World Rangers Day * **August:** * 1st August - National Mountain Climbing Day, World Lung Cancer Day, World Wide Web Day & Muslim Women Rights Day * 3rd August - Indian Organ Donation Day * 6th August - Hiroshima Day * 7th August - National Handloom Day & National Javelin Throw Day * 8th August - Quit India Movement Day * 9th August - Nagasaki Day * 10th August - World Lion Day, World Biofuel Day * 12th August - International Youth Day & World Elephant Day * 13th August - World Organ Donation Day * 14th August - Partition Horrors Remembrance Day * 15th August - Independence Day * 19th August - World Photography Day & World Humanitarian Day * 20th August - National Harmony Day & National Renewable Energy Day * 21st August - World Senior Citizens Day * 23rd August - National Space Day * 29th August - National Sports Day * 29th August - International Day Against Nuclear Tests * 30th August - National Small Industry Day * **September:** * 2nd September - World Coconut Day * 5th September - National Teachers' Day * 5th September - International Day of Charity * 7th September - International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies * 8th September - International Literacy Day * 10th September - World Suicide Prevention Day * 11th September - National Forest Martyrs Day * 14th September - Hindi Diwas / National Hindi Day * 14th September - World First Aid Day * 15th September - National Engineers' Day, International Day of Democracy * 16th September - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer / World Ozone Day * 17th September - World Patient Safety Day * 18th September - World Bamboo Day & International Equal Pay Day * 21st September - International Day of Peace * 21st September - World Alzheimer's Day * 22nd September - World Rhino Day * 25th September - Antyodaya Diwas * 26th September - World Environment Health Day * 27th September - World Tourism Day * 28th September - World Rabies Day * 29th September - World Heart Day * 30th September - International Translation Day * **October:** * 1st October - International Day of The Older Persons * 2nd October - International Day of Non-Violence * 4th October - World Animal Day * 5th October - National Dolphin Day, World Teachers Day * 6th October - World Smile Day * 7th October - World Habitat Day * 8th October - Indian Air Force Day * 9th October - World Post Day * 10th October - World Mental Health Day * 11th October - International Day of the Girl Child * 12th October - World Sight Day * 14th October - World Standards Day * 15th October - World Student's Day & International Day of Rural Women * 16th October - World Food Day * 17th October - International Day for Eradication of Poverty * 20th October - World Osteoporosis Day * 21st October - Police Commemoration Day * 23rd October - World Snow Leopard Day * 24th October - United Nations Day & World Polio Day * 27th October - World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day * 31st October - National Unity Day * **November:** * 3rd November - International Day For Biosphere Reserve * 5th November - World Tsunami Awareness Day * 6th November - International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict * 7th November - National Cancer Awareness Day * 9th November - National Legal Service Day * 9th November - World Freedom Day * 10th November - World Science Day for peace and Development * 11th November - National Education Day * 14th November - National Children's Day * 16th November - World Philosophy Day * 16th November - National Press Day * 17th November - International Student's Day * 18th November - National Naturopathy Day * 18th November - World Day for the prevention of and healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence * 20th November - World Children's Day * 21st November - World Television Day * 25th November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women * 26th November - Constitution Day * **December:** * 1st December - World AIDS Day * 2nd December - National Pollution Control Day * 2nd December - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery * 3rd December - World Day for the Handicapped * 4th December - National Navy Day & International Day of Banks * 5th December - World Soil Day * 7th December - Armed Forces Flag Day * 10th December - Human Rights Day * 11th December - UNICEF Day & International Mountain Day * 14th December - National Energy Conservation Day * 18th December - Heritage Rights Day in India * 18th December - International Migrants Day * 22nd December - National Mathematics Day * 23rd December - National Farmer's Day (Kisan Diwas) * 24th December - National Consumer Rights Day * 25th December - Good Governance Day ### Central & State Schemes * **Annapurna Bhandar Scheme (Annapurna Yojana)/Lakshmir Bhandar scheme (West Bengal):** Women-centric welfare scheme launched in May 2026, eligible women to receive ₹3,000/month via DBT. * **Yuvasathi scheme (West Bengal):** For unemployed youth aged 21-40 years. * **Mukhyomontri Grammothhan Yojana (Gujarat):** Launched by Gujarat government. * **PM RAHAT Scheme:** Provides cashless treatment up to $1.5$ lakh for road accident victims. * **Meri Rasoi scheme (Punjab):** Launched by Punjab Government. * **Stree Suraksha Yojana (Kerala):** Launched by Kerala government. * **Project GANGA (Uttar Pradesh):** For providing high-speed internet connectivity. * **PRARAMBH initiative (Ministry of Finance):** Policy Reform And Responsible Action For Mission Vikshit Bharat. * **'Lake and Air Watch' initiative (Gujarat):** Launched by Gujarat government. * **Nativity card bill (Kerala):** Proposed by Kerala government. * **Mission Vasundhara 3.0 (Assam):** Launched by Assam. * **Rah Veer scheme (Delhi):** Launched by Delhi government. * **Namo Laxmi Scheme (Gujarat):** Benefits 12+ lakh girl students from 9th-12th grade, $50,000 over four years. * **Atal Vichal Agragami scheme (Assam):** To support research scholars. * **Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana (Punjab):** Launched in Punjab. * **Mukhya Mantri Eti Koli Duti Paat Scheme (Assam):** Provides $5,000 one-time financial assistance to tea garden workers. * **PM Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY):** Approved by Central Cabinet on 16th July 2025, focuses on 100 agri-districts. * **PM Vikshit Bharat Rojgar Yojana:** Announced by PM Modi to generate $3.5$ crore jobs. * **NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent) scheme (Ministry of Women and Child Development):** Launched for vocational training for young adolescents. * **Mangalyaan-2 Mission (ISRO):** Announced its launch in 2030. * **Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (Bihar):** $10,000 deposited in accounts of $75$ lakh women. * **PM SETU project (Skill and Employment Transformation through Unskilled):** For transformation of 100 ITIs across India. * **NISAR (NASA and ISRO joint project):** Launched on 30th July 2025. * **‘PARI’ (Public Art of India) project (Ministry of Culture):** For creating public art reflecting India's cultural identity. * **Pradhan Mantri Vidyalakshmi project:** Approved by Central Cabinet for higher education loans. * **SHRESTH scheme (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment):** For residential education for high school students in targeted areas. * **ASMITA project (Ministry of Education and UGC):** Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing. * **'VISTAAR' (Virtual Integrated System for Accessing Agricultural Resources) (IIT Madras and Ministry of Agriculture):** Launched. ### Superlatives in India & World * **India's first caste free village:** Soundala village of Maharashtra * **India's first privately developed commercial orbital rocket:** Vikram-1 * **India's first transgender cricket umpire:** Rithika Sri * **World's first zero-emission 'coal battery' developed by:** China * **India's first commercial seaplane service in Lakshadweep:** SkyHop Aviation * **India's first paperless judiciary:** Sikkim * **India's first green methanol production plant:** Gujarat * **India's first indigenous warship ('Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel' programme):** INS Shachi * **India's first Pearl Farming Cluster:** Hazaribag * **World's second largest steel-producing country (First - China):** India * **World's First Wildlife University:** Vantara * **India's First Pod Taxi:** In Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex. * **India's first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor:** Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu * **India's first dedicated nuclear missile tracking and ocean surveillance ship:** INS Dhruv * **India's first water-neutral railway depot:** Kankaria Coaching Depot, Ahmedabad * **India's first 'musical road'** that plays "Jai Ho" as vehicles pass over it. * **World's first private space station planned for launch in 2027:** Heaven-1 (Developed by Vast Space) * **First Female member from Iran to be elected to the International Olympic Committee:** Soraya Aghaei * **World's first individual with a net worth of $800 billion:** Elon Musk * **India's first LNG Diesel dual fuel DEMU train:** Launched by Indian Railway at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad * **India's first exclusive women industrial park:** Andhra Pradesh * **India's largest lithium battery gigafactory project ($8175$ crore):** Andhra Pradesh * **India's first National cow culture museum:** Mathura, UP * **India's first cooperative based ride-hailing platform:** Bharat Taxi * **India's first government supported National biobank for Lysosomal Storage Disorder:** Gujarat * **India's youngest male analog astronaut (aged 17):** Aditya Pandya * **First legislature in India to use AI powered face recognition technology to mark MLA attendance:** Andhra Pradesh * **India's first district to achieve 100% insurance coverage:** Alwar district of Rajasthan * **Asia's largest Tulip garden:** Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden (Srinagar) * **India's 3rd largest export destination:** China * **India's first 'Digital twin' platform for port Operation:** V. O. Chidambaram port * **Largest exporter of Cotton products to the USA:** India * **Largest wool producer in India:** Rajasthan * **World's first country to approve Stem cell therapy for Parkinson disease:** Japan * **India's first fully integrated online platform for disability welfare scheme:** The Divyang Sahayak Portal (Maharashtra) * **First person in Assam to receive Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act:** Dipali Das * **First Indian woman to reach the South Pole:** Kamya Karthikeyan * **India's first Bio-Happy district:** Keyi Panyor of Arunachal Pradesh * **First country in the World to discontinue its 400 year old postal system:** Denmark * **India's first fully paperless district court:** Kalpetta in Wayanad district, Kerala * **Indian Railway's first ever humanoid robot:** ASC ARJUN * **India's first fully solar powered ATM van:** Tripura Gramin Bank * **India's first power museum:** Patna * **First Indian state to set up menopause clinics in government hospitals:** Maharashtra * **First country to have its entire national cuisine recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:** Italy * **World's first comprehensive Artificial Intelligence law implementation:** South Korea * **India's first officially 'extreme poverty free' state:** Kerala * **India's first AI based road safety project:** Uttar Pradesh * **India's first state to dissolve Madrasa board and introduce a minority education act:** Uttarakhand * **India's first World Peace Centre:** Inaugurated at Gurugram * **India's first ever Grassland Bird Census:** Conducted by Kaziranga National Park of Assam * **First female fighter pilot of Indian Navy:** Aastha Poonia * **India's first state to establish a senior citizen commission:** Kerala * **First African country to implement UPI:** Namibia * **India's first butterfly sanctuary:** Aralam Wild Life Sanctuary of Kerala * **India's first state to use Face Id for ration:** Himachal Pradesh * **India's first Diabetes Biobank:** Chennai (set up by Indian Council of Medical Research) * **First State in India to implement an AI based real-time forest alert system:** Madhya Pradesh * **India's first AI powered Anganwadi:** Launched in Maharashtra * **India's first AI city:** Lucknow * **India's first Wildlife Biobank:** Opened at Darjeeling Zoo * **First Country in the World to allow voters to elect judges at all levels:** Mexico * **India's first cold desert biosphere reserve:** Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh * **India's first fully literate state:** Mizoram * **India's first fully digitally literate state:** Kerala * **India's first AI powered translator for tribal language:** Adivani * **World's first digital tribal University:** Adi Sanskriti (launched in Delhi) * **India's first Slum free city:** Chandigarh * **India's first beggar free city:** Indore * **India's first cheetah safari:** Kuno National Park * **India's first 'Make in India' Green Hydrogen Plant:** Set up at Kandla Port * **India's first fully solar powered zoo:** Banarghata biological park, Karnataka * **India's first state to start Mining tourism:** Jharkhand ### Economy Related Current Affairs * **World Bank approved a $300 million loan** for the clean air program of Uttar Pradesh. * **Maharashtra government signed an MoU with a company from Finland** to modernise Sasson dock. * **Nirmala Sitharaman presented 9 consecutive budgets.** * **India and Israel signed 16 MoUs** to strengthen strategic partnerships. * **Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, had a 4-day visit in India.** * **Project Green Corridor:** A joint trilateral agreement between India, Japan, and Australia. * **SBI report:** 75% of India's agricultural export items to the USA now enjoy 0 tariff excess. * **First regional rural Bank co-branded RuPay credit card:** Tripura Gramin Bank. * **16th Finance Commission retained the states' share of tax devolution at 41% for 2026-2031.** * **World Economic Forum decided to establish a centre for fourth industrial revolution** in Andhra Pradesh. * **India is top producer of milk globally.** * **India is 3rd largest producer and 4th largest consumer of rubber.** * **India is eighth largest coffee producer globally.** * **India exports $387.6$ billion in 2025.** * **According to NITI Aayog, Multi-Dimensional poverty index rate is 11.28%.** * **Key features of Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget presented on February 1, 2026:** 1. The central budget was presented on a Sunday for the first time. 2. With a $4$ trillion GDP and $700 billion foreign exchange reserves, India is the fourth largest economy. 3. $10,000$ crore announced for Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swarojgar Yojana. 4. The central budget aims to keep the fiscal deficit at 4.3% of GDP. 5. National Fiber Scheme launched for the development of the textile sector. 6. ISM 2.0 program launched for semiconductors with $400$ billion allocated. 7. $5$ regional medical centers and $3$ new All India Institutes of Ayurveda will be established. 8. Hostels for girls will be built in every district for higher education. 9. The prices of cancer and diabetes drugs will be reduced. * **World's largest producer of rice:** India (by suppressing China in total output). * **Australia eliminated customs duties on 100% of its tariff lines for Indian exports** from January 1, 2026. * **Union Cabinet approved 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Insurance Sector.** * **India ranks as the world's second-largest tea exporter.** * **India has become second largest producer of Tobacco.** * **India is adopting 2022-23 as the new base year for its national accounts (GDP, GVA, etc.).** * **Union Cabinet renamed MGNREGA** as Vikshit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar Ajivak Mission Gramin (VBG RAM G). * **Google launched its first-ever global credit card, 'Flex,' starting with India.** * **NABARD launched #OneRRBOneLogo initiative** to give all 28 Regional Rural Banks a single, unified brand identity. ### Military Exercise * **Naval exercise MILAN 2026:** Visakhapatnam (Participant: 70+ countries; Iran's IRIS Dena participated and sunk by US submarine in Indian Ocean). * **CINBAX-II 2026:** Second edition of the bilateral military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Cambodian Army. * **Exercise Dharma Guardian 2026:** India and Japan (Venue: Chawaubattia, Uttarakhand). * **Khanjar XII:** India and Kyrgyzstan (Venue: Misamari, Assam). * **Vajra Prahar exercise:** India and USA (Venue: Himachal Pradesh). * **DOSTI-17:** Trilateral Coast Guard exercise involving India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. * **Exercise Harimau Shakti 2025:** Joint military exercise conducted between India and Malaysia. * **Exercise Maitreyi:** Between India and Thailand. * **Nomadic Elephant (17th edition):** Between Indian and Mongolian armies. * **Sea Dragon Exercise 2025:** India and USA. * **'Tiger Triumph 2025' military exercise:** Between India and USA. ### Various operations * **Operation Lion's Roar:** Launched by Israel against Iran. * **Operation "Project Freedom":** Launched by United States in early May 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz. * **Operation Epic Fury:** Launched by Israel and USA against Iran. * **Operation True Promise:** Iran's major retaliatory operations against Israel. * **Operation Gazab Lil Haq:** Launched by Pakistan against Taliban in Afghanistan. * **Operation Sindhu:** Evacuation operation launched by the Indian government to bring back Indian nationals from conflict zones in Iran and Israel. * **Operation Sindoor:** Retaliatory strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, following the Pahalgam terror attack. * **Operation Brahma:** To provide disaster relief, medical aid, and SAR operations to Myanmar. * **Operation Ajay:** To bring Indians from Israel-Hamas war zone. ### Miscellaneous Current Affairs * **Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project:** Located near Malacca Strait. * **First phase of India Census 2027:** Starting from April 1, 2026. * **India's total coastline:** 11,098.81 km. * **Marathi films "Jeev" and "April May 99"** selected for the Marché du Film section of Cannes Film Festival 2026 in France. * **Union cabinet approved a proposal to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'.** * **The Government of India aims to achieve Universal Health Insurance coverage by 2033.** * **Meghalaya's living root bridges** nominated for UNESCO World Heritage evaluation for 2026-27 cycle. * **Richest person in the World:** Elon Musk. * **Newly discovered plant species in Manas National Park** named after Zubeen Garg. * **118th member country of International Solar Alliance:** Romania. * **2nd State to pass Uniform Civil Code:** Gujarat. * **Supreme Court of India allowed passive euthanasia** in the Harish Rana case. * **Maharashtra celebrated the 138-year-old tradition of the Elephant Procession festival.** * **Varanasi entered Guiness World Records** by planting over 2.5 lakh saplings in one hour using the miyawaki method for accelerating forest growth and improving biodiversity. * **3% job quota for tea tribes:** Assam government. * **Home Ministry issued detailed guidelines** to standardize the rendition of the national anthem 'Vande Mataram' at government and public events in February 2026. * **Rajasthan government renamed Mount Abu as Aburaj.** * **Kabak Yany** climbed Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America. * **20% of the world's oil supply** passes through the Strait of Hormuz. * **Salem Sago (Tamil Nadu) received GI tag.** * **India's total Ramsar sites:** 98 (with new additions: 97th - Patna Bird Sanctuary (UP), 98th - Chari Dhand wetland (Gujarat), 99th - Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary (UP)). Maximum Ramsar sites - Tamil Nadu ($20$). West Bengal - Sundarban, East Kolkata Wetland. * **Draupadi Murmu unveiled a statue of Rajasthan Gopalachari** in the central courtyard of Rashtrapati Bhavan, replacing the bust of Edwin Lutyens. * **Araku Old Seed Festival** held at Killoguda village in the Araku region of Andhra Pradesh. * **Rongali Bihu:** Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. * **IIT Kanpur developed a new method** to predict a solar cycle. * **Om Birla launched e-Vidhan application in Bihar** in February 2026. * **Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to menstrual hygiene** is an integral part of article 21. * **Musi river historical building and Bhuj historical water system** included in the World Monument Watch 2025. * **India's newest proposed research station in eastern Antarctica:** Maitri II. * **PM Narendra Modi renamed PMO as 'Seva Tirth'.** * **Assam Cabinet approved 'Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025'.** * **11th member country of ASEAN:** East Timor. * **Rare half-female and half-male spider, 'Damarchus inazuma,'** discovered in Thailand. * **World's oldest Solar calendar (13000 years old)** discovered in Turkey. * **Japan will be the focus country in IFFI - 2025.** * **France approved act to ban children under 15 from social media platforms.** * **Lucknow declared India's Second UNESCO City Of Gastronomy.** * **Panna Diamond of Madhya Pradesh received GI tag.** * **Ambaji Marble of Gujarat received GI tag.** * **Supreme Court Ruling:** Right to vote and contest elections are not fundamental rights. They are statutory rights under laws like the Representation of the People Act. Ruling given in April 2026 in a Rajasthan cooperative society election case. * **Cyclone Montha over the Bay of Bengal, hitting the east coast of India,** named by Thailand. * **49th International Kolkata Book Fair theme country:** Argentina. * **Chief guests at India's 77th Republic Day celebration:** President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. * **Shubhanshu Shukla:** Selected as Indian astronaut for Axiom Mission-4. Axiom Mission launched on June 25, 2025, to the International Space Station. * **Maratha Military Landscape** added to UNESCO World Heritage List; includes 12 major forts ($11$ in Maharashtra, $1$ in Tamil Nadu). ### Diplomacy & International Relations * **India-Sri Lanka:** C. P. Radhakrishnan made the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Vice-President to Sri Lanka on April 19-20, 2026. * **India-New Zealand FTA:** India and New Zealand will sign the Free Trade Agreement on April 27, 2026, to strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations. * **India's Cheetah Capital:** Bengaluru. * **Total Tiger Reserves in India:** 58 (57th - Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, 58th - Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh). * **Eri Silk, World's only vegan silk,** recently earned the prestigious Oeko tex certification. * **WHO recognized Kozhikode as ‘Age Friendly City’**. * **Bhagavad Geeta and Natyashastra** added to UNESCO Memory of the World Register. ### Events & Incidents * **Nalanda Temple Stampede:** A stampede occurred at Sheetla Mata Temple in Nalanda district, Bihar. At least 8-9 devotees died, mostly women. ### Maratha Military Landscape * **Maratha Military Landscape added to UNESCO World Heritage List.** It includes 12 major forts ($11$ in Maharashtra, $1$ in Tamil Nadu). ### Conferences / Summits * **BRICS Summit 2026:** * **Chairmanship:** India * **First meeting:** New Delhi * **India's BRICS sherpa:** Sudhakar Dalela * **India Pharma 2026:** Held on April 13-14, 2026, at FICCI, Federation House in New Delhi. * **G7 host country:** France * **World Ocean Science Congress:** Held in Goa * **Bharat Electricity Summit 2026:** New Delhi * **Agri Vision Agriculture Youth Parliament:** Manipur * **One Health Summit 2026:** France * **COP 15 meeting on the conservation of migratory wildlife:** Held in Brazil * **SCO summit 2026:** China * **G20 summit 2026:** South Africa * **46th Asian Summit 2025:** Malaysia * **COP 31 host country:** Turkiye * **6th BIMSTEC summit:** Thailand * **11th World Green Economy Summit:** Dubai * **World Hydrogen Summit 2026:** Netherlands * **9th Indian Ocean Conference (2026):** Held in Mauritius * **International Conference on Carbon Markets:** New Delhi * **Mobile World Congress:** Organised in Spain * **First International dam safety conference:** Bengaluru * **Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation host country:** Cameroon * **BioAsia 2026 International Summit:** Hyderabad * **AI Summit 2026 host country:** India. Youngest speaker - Ranvir Sachdeva (8 year old boy). Other host locations: 2027 - Switzerland, 2028 - UAE. * **World Sustainable Development Summit 2026:** New Delhi * **Black Swan Summit India 2026 host state:** Odisha * **Africa Union Summit 2026:** Ethiopia * **39th African Union summit:** Held in Addis Ababa * **Second international Olympic Research Conference 2026** hosted in India. * **International Solar Alliance Assembly 2025 host Country:** India * **International Big Cat Alliance meeting 2026:** India * **World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025:** Held in Baku, Azerbaijan * **Youth Spiritual Summit 2025:** Varanasi * **16th COP to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification:** Saudi Arabia * **Global Technology Summit 2025:** India * **20th United Nations Forum on Forest:** New York * **The 2nd WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit:** Held in New Delhi * **India will host the 33rd UN Climate Change Conference (COP 33)** in 2028. * **World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025:** Narendra Modi inaugurated in Mumbai. * **International Religious Freedom Summit:** Held in Nairobi, Kenya. * **NATO Summit 2026:** Held in Turkey. ### Rankings & Reports * **Global Terrorism Index 2026:** * **Top:** Pakistan * **India's rank:** 13th * **Internet Shutdowns 2025:** * **India ranked 2nd globally** with 65 internet shutdowns. * **Myanmar ranked 1st** with 95 shutdowns. * **SIPRI Report 2026:** * **India became the world's 5th-largest defence spender** in 2025. * **Top 4 spenders:** The United States, China, Russia, Germany. * **Global Nominal GDP 2025 (IMF):** * **India ranks 6th position.** * **World Cybercrime Index 2026:** * **India ranked 10th.** * **Russia ranks 1st** in cybercrime cases. * **Agriculture Marketing Reform Index by NITI Aayog:** * **Maharashtra historically ranked 1st.** * **Bloomberg Billionaires Index:** * **Asia's richest person:** Gautam Adani. * **World Press Freedom Index 2026:** * **India's rank:** 157th out of 180 countries. * **Norway ranked 1st.** * **World's best airport in the Skytrax Awards 2026:** Singapore Changi Airport. * **World's most polluted city:** Loni City. * **Topped in Global Pollution List:** Pakistan (India's rank - 6th). * **India has the 5th largest coal reserves** in the world and 2nd largest producer and consumer. * **Fiscal Health Index released by NITI Aayog:** * **Ranked First:** Odisha. * **India is the 2nd largest arms importer** in the World after Ukraine. * **Network Readiness Index 2025:** * **Top:** USA. * **India's rank:** 45th. * **Corruption Perception Index 2025:** * **Top:** Denmark. * **India's rank:** 91st. * **Women Peace and Security Index 2025:** * **Top:** Denmark. * **India's rank:** 131st. * **Global Hunger Index 2025:** India's rank - 102nd (out of 123 countries). * **Global Gender Gap Index 2025** released by World Economic Forum. * **Global Peace Index 2025:** * **Top:** Iceland. * **India's rank:** 115th. * **World Happiness Index 2025:** * **Happiest country (for 9 years):** Finland. * **India's rank:** 116th. * **Human Development Index 2025:** * Published by United Nations Development Programme. * **Top:** Iceland. * **India's rank:** 130th. * **Energy Transition Index 2025** released by World Economic Forum: * **Top:** Sweden. * **India's rank:** 71st. * **Economic Freedom Index 2025:** * **India's rank:** 128th. * **World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2025:** * **India's rank:** 86th. ### Obituaries * **Vinod Kumar Sharma:** 59th recipient of Jnanpith, passed away. * **Ram Vanji Sutar:** Greatest artist, passed away. * **Dharmendra:** Passed away at 89 years. * **Zubin Garg:** Famous singer, passed away in Singapore at 52. Google Maps renamed the island where he died 'Zubin Garg Island'. * **James D. Watson:** Co-discoverer of DNA structure, passed away. * **La Ganesan:** Governor of Nagaland, passed away. * **Dr. K. Kasturirangan:** Former ISRO Chairman, passed away at 84 years. * **Kumudini Lakhia:** Padma Vibhushan awardee Kathak dancer, passed away recently. * **Ratan Tata:** Business tycoon, passed away on October 9, 2024, at 86 years. (Maharashtra Udyog Ratna Award - 2023, Assam Vaibhav 2021, Padma Vibhushan - 2008, Padma Bhushan - 2000). * **David J. Farber:** 'Father of the Internet', passed away at 91 years. * **Khaleda Zia:** Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, passed away. * **Ajit Pawar:** Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, passed away. * **Piyush Pandey:** Indian advertising icon, passed away at 70 years.