Prelims Current Affairs includes Mission Drishti, India-Cambodia Cinbax-Ii 2026 Military Exercise Begins, Balikatan 2026 Drills Continues In Philippines, Mayon Volcano Erupts In Philippines, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Padma Doree Initiative, Komagata Maru Incident (1914)& 2026 Assembly Election Results: Major Political Shift Across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam & Puducherry

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. MISSION DRISHTI

Current Context: Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye successfully launched Mission Drishti satellite aboard Falcon 9 from California.

ABOUT MISSION DRISHTI

• Type:World’s first multi-sensor Earth observation (EO) satellite
• Built by:GalaxEye (Bengaluru-based space start-up)
• Launch Vehicle:Falcon 9 from California
• Key Feature:OptoSAR satellite – combines electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors
• Applications:Border surveillance, disaster management, defence, infrastructure monitoring, agriculture

DEFENCE

2. INDIA-CAMBODIA CINBAX-II 2026 MILITARY EXERCISE BEGINS

Current Context: The second edition of the India-Cambodia Bilateral Military Exercise CINBAX-II 2026 began at Camp Basil in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia.

ABOUT CINBAX-II

• Venue:Camp Basil, Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia
• Focus:Counter-terrorism drills, UN peacekeeping tasks, interoperability training

DEFENCE

3. BALIKATAN 2026 DRILLS CONTINUES IN PHILIPPINES

Current Context: Balikatan 2026 is a joint military exercise between the Philippines and the United States, running from 20 April to 8 May 2026.

ABOUT BALIKATAN

• Meaning:“Shoulder-to-shoulder” (Filipino term)
• Participants:Philippines, US, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, New Zealand
• Total Troops:Over 17,000 (US: ~10,000; Philippines: ~7,000)
• 2026 Significance:Largest Balikatan exercise ever held
• New Participants:Japan (active combat personnel first time since WWII), US Space Force (first time)
• Weapons Used:HIMARS (US), Type 88 ground-to-surface missile (Japan)

PLACES IN NEWS

4. MAYON VOLCANO ERUPTS IN PHILIPPINES

Current Context: Thousands of people have been evacuated from areas south of Manila after the Mayon Volcano erupted recently.

ABOUT MAYON VOLCANO

• Location:Albay province, Luzon Island, Philippines
• Type:Active stratovolcano (also called composite volcano)
• Height:2,462 metres
• Known as:World’s most perfect volcanic cone due to symmetry of shape
• Features:Part of Pacific Ring of Fire, steep upper slopes capped by small summit crater
• Historical Eruptions:First recorded 1616 CE; over 30 eruptions recorded
• Deadliest Eruption:1814 killed more than 1,200 people

GEOGRAPHY

5. KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA

Current Context: Nepal has officially objected to the India-China plan to conduct the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the Lipulekh Pass, claiming the route violates its sovereignty.

ABOUT KMY

• Destination:Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar (Tibet Autonomous Region, China)
• Organized by:Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
• Traditional Routes:
• Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand):Oldest route, trek through Dharchula region (currently disputed)
• Nathu La Pass (Sikkim):Motorable alternative
• Eligibility:Indian citizens only (18-70 years), OCI cardholders and foreign nationals not eligible

CULTURE & ECONOMY

6. PADMA DOREE INITIATIVE

Current Context: NEHHDC officially launched ‘Padma Doree’, a cross-regional initiative merging Northeast India’s Eri silk with Madhya Pradesh’s Chanderi traditions.

ABOUT PADMA DOREE

• Executing Agency:North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC)
• Fusion:Eri (Ahimsa) silk (Northeast India) + Chanderi weaving (Madhya Pradesh)
• Eri Silk:Known as Ahimsa silk because it is processed without killing the silkworm

HISTORY

7. KOMAGATA MARU INCIDENT (1914)

Current Context: In his appearance on The Tonight Show, popstar Diljit Dosanjh spoke about the 1914 Komagata Maru incident.

ABOUT THE INCIDENT

• Ship:Komagata Maru (also called Guru Nanaka Jahaz) – Japanese steamship chartered by Gurdit Singh
• Passengers:376 Indians (340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, 12 Hindus)
• Destination:Vancouver, Canada (reached May 23, 1914)
• What Happened:Only 24 passengers allowed to disembark, Canadian authorities denied food, water, medical help, created blockade
• Continuous Journey Regulation (1908):Prevented entry to those not coming by continuous journey from country of birth
• After Return to India (Budge Budge):Troops opened fire, killing 20, Gurdit Singh escaped but later surrendered at Gandhi’s request
• Impact:Intensified calls for complete independence, mobilising force for Ghadar Party

ELECTIONS

8. 2026 ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS: MAJOR POLITICAL SHIFT ACROSS WEST BENGAL, TAMIL NADU, KERALA, ASSAM & PUDUCHERRY

Current Context: Assembly Election Results 2026 across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry (UT) show major political shifts. West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala witness regime change, while Assam and Puducherry see incumbent governments retaining power.

WEST BENGAL ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2026

• Total Seats:294
• Winner:BJP (206 seats) first time BJP will rule West Bengal since party’s formation
• Outgoing CM:Mamata Banerjee (AITC) – rule ends after 15 years
• AITC:80 seats

TAMIL NADU ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2026

• Total Seats:234
• Winner:Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) 108 seats (actor Vijay Thalapathy’s party)
• DMK:59 seats; ADMK: 47 seats

KERALA ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2026

• Total Seats:140
• Winner:United Democratic Front (UDF) clear majority, ended decade-long rule of Left Democratic Front (LDF). INC – 63, CPI(M) – 26.
• First time in 50 years:No left government in any state of India (CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s LDF lost)

ASSAM ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2026

• Total Seats:126
• Winner:BJP (82 seats) NDA alliance crossed 100 seats, incumbent government retained power
• INC – 19.

PUDUCHERRY ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2026

• Total Seats:30
• Winner:NDA retained power, CM N. Rangasamy secured victories in both constituencies he contested
• AINRC – 12
• DMK – 5

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