Latest Current Affairs Capsules & MCQs
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ISRO-NASA Joint "NISAR" Earth Observation Radar Satellite Mission Milestone
The ISRO-NASA joint satellite mission NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) completed its pre-launch orbital calibration. It is the worlds first dual-frequency (L-band and S-band) radar imaging satellite designed to map the Earths surface deformation, glaciers, and ecosystems every 12 days.
- ā¢Joint Developers: ISRO (Space Applications Centre & URSC) and NASA (Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
- ā¢Radar Frequencies: Dual-frequency L-band (NASA) and S-band (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar.
- ā¢Orbit: 747 km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit with 12-day exact repeat cycle.
- ā¢Launch Vehicle: ISRO GSLV-F12 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
The NISAR satellite, developed jointly by ISRO and NASA, operates on which dual radar frequency bands?
Union Budget 2026-27: Capex Target Fixed at ā¹12.5 Lakh Crore with Focus on High-Speed Rail & AI
The Ministry of Finance presented the Union Budget for FY 2026-27, maintaining the effective capital expenditure target at ā¹12.5 lakh crore (3.5% of GDP) with major allocations towards the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, Semiconductor Mission 2.0, and IndiaAI Ecosystem.
- ā¢Capital Expenditure Target: ā¹12.5 Lakh Crore (3.5% of GDP).
- ā¢Fiscal Deficit Target: Consolidated at 4.5% of GDP for FY27.
- ā¢Semiconductor Mission 2.0: ā¹10,000 Crore supplementary allocation.
- ā¢Railways Allocation: ā¹2.65 Lakh Crore for modern Kavach automatic train protection & high-speed corridors.
What is the targeted effective capital expenditure (Capex) allocation in the Union Budget 2026-27?
PM-JANMAN Mission Expansion: 100% Electrification & Piped Water in PVTG Habitations
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced saturation of 11 critical interventions across 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) covering 22,000 habitations in 18 states and UTs with an outlay of ā¹24,104 crore under PM-JANMAN.
- ā¢Total Outlay: ā¹24,104 Crore (Central share ā¹15,336 cr, State share ā¹8,768 cr).
- ā¢Target Groups: 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- ā¢Key Sectors: Pucca housing (PMAY-G), tap water (JJM), off-grid solar power, and Van Dhan Vikas Kendras.
- ā¢Lead Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs in coordination with 9 line ministries.
The PM-JANMAN scheme primarily targets the socio-economic empowerment of which community in India?
45th Chess Olympiad & FIDE World Cup: India Sweeps Historic Double Gold
The Indian Men's and Women's chess contingents secured double gold medals in the Chess Olympiad, with Grandmasters D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Divya Deshmukh winning individual board gold medals.
- ā¢Historic Milestone: First time India won simultaneous Gold in both Open and Women's sections.
- ā¢Top Performers: D. Gukesh (Board 1 Gold), Arjun Erigaisi (Board 3 Gold with 2800+ Live Elo rating).
- ā¢Women's Team Stars: Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal.
- ā¢FIDE Governing Body: International Chess Federation headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In the Chess Olympiad, which country won double Gold in both the Open and Women's sections?
NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2025-26: Kerala & Uttarakhand Lead Overall Composite Score
NITI Aayog released the 5th edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index. India's composite score improved from 66 to 74, with Kerala and Uttarakhand emerging as top performers among States, while Chandigarh led the Union Territories.
- ā¢National Composite Score: Improved from 66 to 74 points.
- ā¢Top Performing States: Kerala (79 points) and Uttarakhand (79 points).
- ā¢Top Union Territory: Chandigarh (77 points).
- ā¢Fastest Mover States: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar showed the fastest decadal progress.
Which institution releases the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index?
India's 106th Constitutional Amendment: "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam" Implementation Matrix
The Union Law Ministry formalized the statutory rules for the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), which provides 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
- ā¢Constitutional Amendment: 106th Amendment Act (128th Amendment Bill).
- ā¢New Articles Inserted: Article 330A, Article 332A, and Article 239AA amendment.
- ā¢Reservation Quota: 33% (1/3rd) seats reserved for women, including sub-quota for SC/ST women.
- ā¢Duration: Initially for 15 years from commencement, extendable by Parliament.
Which Constitutional Amendment Act provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies?
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Expansion across 1 Crore Households
The Union Government has scaled up the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana aiming to provide up to 300 units of free electricity every month to 1 crore households through rooftop solar installations with a total outlay of ā¹75,021 crore.
- ā¢Total Budgetary Outlay: ā¹75,021 Crore.
- ā¢Subsidy: ā¹30,000 for 1 kW, ā¹60,000 for 2 kW, and ā¹78,000 for 3 kW+ systems.
- ā¢Target: 1 Crore households across all States and UTs.
- ā¢National Portal: Implemented through National Rooftop Solar Portal.
Under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, what is the maximum monthly free electricity units provided to eligible households?
ISRO Gaganyaan Mission: Uncrewed Test Flight with "Vyommitra" Humanoid Robot
ISRO completed human-rating certification of the CE-20 Cryogenic Engine and launched the final uncrewed orbital test flight featuring "Vyommitra", the female humanoid robot designed to monitor life support systems before the crewed mission.
- ā¢Launch Vehicle: LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III - Human Rated).
- ā¢Orbit: 400 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for 3 days with a safe splashdown in the Arabian Sea.
- ā¢Astronaut Candidates: 4 Indian Air Force Test Pilots (Prashanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, Shubhanshu Shukla).
- ā¢Robotic Precursor: "Vyommitra" (Half-humanoid developed by ISRO Inertial Systems Unit).
What is the name of the female half-humanoid robot developed by ISRO for the Gaganyaan uncrewed test missions?
RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): Repo Rate & Digital Rupee (eā¹) Offline Features
The Reserve Bank of India maintained the policy Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) and introduced programmability and offline functionality for the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC / eā¹) to facilitate transactions in poor connectivity areas.
- ā¢Monetary Policy Committee: 6 Members (3 from RBI including Governor + 3 External Members appointed by Central Govt).
- ā¢Inflation Target Band: 4% with a tolerance band of +/- 2% (2% to 6%) under Section 45ZA of RBI Act 1934.
- ā¢UPI Lite Limit: Wallet limit ā¹2,000, per-transaction offline NFC limit ā¹500.
- ā¢Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): Serves as the lower floor of the LAF corridor (without collateral).
Under the RBI Act 1934, what is the statutory medium-term Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation target assigned to the RBI MPC?
Aditya-L1 Completes 1 Year of Observations at Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1
India's first dedicated solar observatory Aditya-L1, successfully inserted into a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1) located 1.5 million km from Earth, transmitted breakthrough solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) data.
- ā¢Orbit: Halo Orbit around Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1 (1.5 million km from Earth).
- ā¢Key Payloads (7 total): VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph), SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope), ASPEX, PAPA.
- ā¢Launch Vehicle: PSLV-C57 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
- ā¢Advantage of L1: Uninterrupted, continuous view of the Sun without any occultation or eclipses.
At what distance from Earth is the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) located where the Aditya-L1 spacecraft is placed?
DRDO Successfully Flight-Tests Agni-5 with Multiple Warhead (MIRV) Technology
India successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology under "Mission Divyastra", capable of striking targets over 5,000 km.
- ā¢Mission Name: Mission Divyastra.
- ā¢Technology: MIRV (Single missile carries multiple nuclear warheads directed to distinct targets).
- ā¢Range: Intercontinental range (> 5,000 km).
- ā¢Propulsion: 3-stage solid-fuel rocket engine with composite rocket motor.
- ā¢Nations with MIRV: India joined USA, Russia, China, UK, and France.
What was the code name of the flight test of Agni-5 missile equipped with MIRV technology conducted by DRDO?
India Secures Historic Double Gold at 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest
Indian Men's and Women's chess teams created history by winning both Gold Medals at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi won individual board gold medals with unprecedented performance ratings.
- ā¢Host City: Budapest, Hungary (45th Chess Olympiad).
- ā¢Men's Team: D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna.
- ā¢Women's Team: Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev.
- ā¢Historical Milestone: First time India won Gold in both Open and Women's sections simultaneously.
In which city was the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024 held where India won historical Double Gold medals?
Enactment of Three New Criminal Laws: BNS, BNSS, and BSA in India
India overhauled its British-era criminal justice system by enforcing three new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (replacing IPC 1860), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (replacing CrPC 1973), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (replacing Evidence Act 1872).
- ā¢Effective Date: 1st July 2024.
- ā¢Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS, 2023): Replaced Indian Penal Code 1860 (Introduced community service, redefined sedition as treason against state sovereignty).
- ā¢Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS, 2023): Replaced Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 (Mandated timeline for trial & forensic investigation for crimes with 7+ yrs punishment).
- ā¢Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA, 2023): Replaced Indian Evidence Act 1872 (Gave electronic records same legal status as primary evidence).
Which new criminal legislation replaced the colonial Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860 in India from July 1, 2024?
World's Highest Railway Arch Bridge: Chenab Rail Bridge Commissioned on USBRL Project
Indian Railways completed and operationalized the Chenab Bridge in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir, towering 359 meters above the river bed (35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower) on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
- ā¢Height: 359 meters above Chenab river bed.
- ā¢Total Length: 1,315 meters with a central arch span of 467 meters.
- ā¢Project: Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project (272 km).
- ā¢Wind & Seismic Resistance: Engineered to withstand blast loads, Zone V earthquakes, and wind speeds up to 266 km/h.
The world's highest railway arch bridge built by Indian Railways is constructed across which river in Jammu & Kashmir?
India Wins ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados
India clinched their second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title (first since 2007) by defeating South Africa by 7 runs in the thrilling final at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match and Jasprit Bumrah won Player of the Tournament.
- ā¢Hosts: USA and West Indies (First ICC tournament hosted in USA).
- ā¢Final Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
- ā¢Captain: Rohit Sharma (Became first captain to win 50 T20I matches).
- ā¢Player of the Tournament: Jasprit Bumrah (15 wickets with economy rate of 4.17).
- ā¢Retirements from T20Is: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja announced T20I retirement after the win.
Who was awarded the "Player of the Tournament" in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024?
Bharat Ratna 2024 Conferred upon 5 Eminent Dignitaries
The President of India conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour, to five eminent personalities for monumental contributions to agriculture, democracy, and governance.
- ā¢1. Karpoori Thakur (Posthumous): Former CM of Bihar, champion of social justice ("Jannayak").
- ā¢2. Lal Krishna Advani: Former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.
- ā¢3. P.V. Narasimha Rao (Posthumous): Former Prime Minister who pioneered 1991 LPG economic reforms.
- ā¢4. Chaudhary Charan Singh (Posthumous): 5th Prime Minister of India, legendary champion of farmers.
- ā¢5. M.S. Swaminathan (Posthumous): Father of Green Revolution in India.
Who among the following was known as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India" and was conferred the Bharat Ratna 2024?
BRICS 16th Summit: Official Expansion with 5 New Permanent Members
The BRICS grouping held its 16th summit under Russia's presidency in Kazan, officially integrating 5 new full member countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
- ā¢Venue: Kazan, Russia (16th BRICS Summit).
- ā¢New Members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- ā¢Theme: Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security.
- ā¢New Development Bank (NDB): Headquarters in Shanghai, China; President: Dilma Rousseff.
Where was the 16th BRICS Leaders' Summit held in October 2024 under Russia's Chairmanship?
India's Longest Sea Bridge: Atal Setu (MTHL) Operationalized in Mumbai
Prime Minister inaugurated the 21.8 km long Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - MTHL), becoming India's longest sea bridge connecting Sewri in South Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai.
- ā¢Length: 21.8 km (16.5 km over sea water and 5.5 km on land).
- ā¢Rank: Longest sea bridge in India and 12th longest sea bridge in the world.
- ā¢Key Feature: Uses Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) and Open Road Tolling (ORT) system.
- ā¢Travel Time Reduction: Reduces travel time from South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai from 2 hours to 20 minutes.
What is the total length of India's longest sea bridge "Atal Setu" (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link)?