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.