1) 16th Finance Commission submits its report (2026–2031) to President Droupadi Murmu

• Event: The 16th Finance Commission officially submitted its recommendations for the 2026–2031 award period to President Droupadi Murmu.
• About the Commission:
• Chairperson: Arvind Panagariya
• Constituted to recommend the tax devolution formula, grants-in-aid, fiscal consolidation roadmap, and strengthening of local bodies.
• Significance: Sets the financial distribution structure between the Centre and States for the next five years.

2) Indian Art Director Thota Tharani honoured with France’s prestigious Chevalier Award

• Event: Renowned Indian art director Thota Tharani received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s highest cultural honours.
• Contribution:
• Known for iconic work in films like Nayakan, Indian, Enthiran, and Saaho.
• Celebrated for advancing Indian cinema through set design, production design, and visual storytelling.
• Significance: Recognizes India’s growing influence in global cinema and arts.

3) Keerthy Suresh appointed UNICEF India Celebrity Advocate for Child Rights

• Event: South Indian actress Keerthy Suresh has been appointed as UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate.
• Role:
• To promote awareness on child protection, education, nutrition, and gender equality.
• To support UNICEF campaigns on ending child marriage and improving adolescent well-being.
• Significance: Strengthens UNICEF’s outreach through youth-focused public engagement.

4) First-ever Tribal Sport Conference organised in Ladakh

• Event: Ladakh hosted the first Tribal Sport Conference aimed at celebrating and promoting indigenous sports and traditional games.
• Organised by: Ministry of Tribal Affairs & Ladakh Administration.
• Objective:
• To preserve tribal sporting heritage.
• To identify talent from tribal communities for national-level sports development.
• Significance: Boosts sports inclusivity, especially among Himalayan tribal groups.

5) China’s Chang’e-6 mission discovers small iron oxide crystals on the Moon

• Discovery: The Chang’e-6 lunar mission detected small iron oxide (FeO) crystals on the far side of the Moon — a first-of-its-kind scientific finding.
• Importance:
• Provides new insights into lunar geology, surface oxidation, and solar wind interactions.
• Supports deeper understanding of the Moon’s mineral composition.
• Agency: China National Space Administration (CNSA).

6) Cambridge Dictionary chooses Parasocial as Word of the Year 2025

• Meaning: Parasocial refers to a one-sided emotional relationship people develop with celebrities, influencers, or fictional characters.
• Reason for Selection:
• Increased influence of digital content creators,
• Growing public discussion around online relationships and fan culture.
• Significance: Reflects the evolution of social behaviour in the digital age.

7) First edition of ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy to begin in Thailand

• Event: The inaugural ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy will be hosted in Thailand.
• Objective:
• To promote women’s cricket among emerging and developing cricket nations.
• To expand competitive opportunities for associate countries.
• Significance: Strengthens ICC’s focus on women’s cricket growth and global participation.

8) Oman Airport WiFi becomes the world’s first to launch WiFi 7 in partnership with Huawei

• Event: Oman Airports has become the first airport authority in the world to implement WiFi 7 technology, in collaboration with Huawei.
• Features of WiFi 7:
• Ultra-high-speed connectivity,
• Low latency,
• Better performance for AR/VR, streaming, and cloud services.
• Significance: Sets a global benchmark for smart airport digital infrastructure.