Prelims Current Affairs includes United Nations Peacekeepers Day, Quad Unveils 5 Major Indo-Pacific Initiatives At Delhi Meet, Cabinet Approves Sarthak-Pds Scheme, Pm-Wani (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface), Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar Committee, Bsf Creates History With First-Ever All-Women Everest Summit, Mekedatu Project, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Hits Record 65 Sixes In Ipl 2026 & Karnataka Grameena Bank Wins Pfrda Award For Atal Pension Yojana Performance

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPERS DAY

Current Context: Every year on May 29, the world observes United Nations Peacekeepers Day to recognize the dedication, bravery, and sacrifice of peacekeepers serving under the UN flag.

ABOUT THE DAY

• Designated by: UN General Assembly resolution 57/129
• Date significance: 29 May marks the establishment of first UN peacekeeping mission – United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Palestine (1948)
• First UN peacekeeping mission: 1948 (UNTSO)
• Dag Hammarskjöld Medal: Awarded posthumously to peacekeepers who have fallen while serving in the cause of peace during the preceding year

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).
• It represents all 193 UN member states, each having one vote.
• Headquarters: New York, United States

INTERNATIONAL 

2. QUAD UNVEILS 5 MAJOR INDO-PACIFIC INITIATIVES AT DELHI MEET

Current Context: Quad nations-India, US, Japan, and Australia-launched five major Indo-Pacific initiatives at the Delhi meeting, focusing on maritime security, ports, energy resilience, critical minerals, and regional stability.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVES

• Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation: Integrates surveillance systems of Quad nations for real-time tracking and maritime awareness
• Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA): Expanded to provide near real-time commercial vessel tracking support to regional countries
• Ports of the Future partnership: Strengthening strategic port infrastructure in Indo-Pacific; pilot project in Fiji
• Indo-Pacific Energy Security Initiative: Focus on energy technology cooperation, policy coordination, fuel supply chain resilience, market intelligence sharing, emergency response preparedness
• Critical Minerals Cooperation: India and US signed cooperation agreement on critical minerals and rare earths
• Key Fact: 60% of global maritime trade passes through Indo-Pacific

QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FM Meet) 2026

• The 11th QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in New Delhi on 26 May 2026.

About QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)

• Quad is an informal strategic grouping of four countries.
• Initiated in 2007 on the sidelines of ASEAN Regional Forum. Revived in 2017 with a stronger focus on Indo-Pacific cooperation.
• Promote a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
• Ensure maritime security and stability.

SCHEMES

3. CABINET APPROVES SARTHAK-PDS SCHEME

Current Context: The Union Cabinet approved the Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling-Income with Automation in PDS (SARTHAK-PDS).

ABOUT SARTHAK-PDS

• Modernise and strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Improve foodgrain distribution and reduce leakages.
• Ensure food security for nearly 80 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
• Period: April 2026 to March 2031

Merged Programmes:

• Assistance to State Agencies for intra-State movement of foodgrains and FPS dealers’ margin under NFSA
• Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in PDS (SMART PDS)

Technology Pillars:

• Nirmal: AI-driven real-time beneficiary registry
• ASHA: Multilingual AI-powered grievance redressal and citizen engagement platform
• Saksham: AI-enabled supply chain management platform with QR code traceability and GPS-enabled vehicle tracking
• Technologies used: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Blockchain

Public Distribution System (PDS) in India

• Public Distribution System (PDS) is India’s food security system for distribution of essential food items to poor and vulnerable sections at subsidised prices.
• Managed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures and stores foodgrains.
• State governments distribute foodgrains through Fair Price Shops (FPS).

Evolution of PDS

• 1940s: Introduced as rationing system during World War II.
• 1960s: Expanded to manage food scarcity and rising food prices.
• 1992: Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) launched.
• 1997: Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) introduced focusing on poor households.
• 2013: National Food Security Act (NFSA) strengthened legal food security framework.

NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT (NFSA), 2013

• PDS operates mainly under the NFSA, 2013.
• Covers about two-thirds of India’s population.
• Provides subsidised foodgrains to eligible households.

SCHEMES

4. PM-WANI (PRIME MINISTER’S WI-FI ACCESS NETWORK INTERFACE)

Current Context: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced a series of user-friendly reforms under the PM-WANI framework.

ABOUT PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface)

• It is a framework launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, to expand public Wi-Fi hotspots across India.
• Approved by the Union Cabinet on 9 December 2020
• Increase affordable broadband internet access across India.
• Strengthen public Wi-Fi infrastructure and digital connectivity.
• Bridge the digital divide in rural and remote regions.

Core Elements:

• Public Data Office (PDO): Last-mile service delivery node
• Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA): Backend central management layer
• App Provider: Develops user-facing mobile applications
• Central Registry: Maintained by Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT)
• Key Features: Zero licensing and fee structure, open interoperability

POLITY & GOVERNANCE

5. JUSTICE (RETD) PRAKASH PRABHAKAR NAOLEKAR COMMITTEE

Current Context: The Centre constituted a high-level committee under Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to assess demographic changes across India due to “illegal immigration and other unnatural causes”.

ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

• Constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Members: Census Commissioner, Durga Shankar Mishra (Retd. IAS), Balaji Srivastava (Retd. IPS), Dr. Shamika Ravi

Objective

• To examine the impact of illegal immigration on demographic patterns.
• Identify regions experiencing unnatural demographic changes.
• Suggest legal, administrative, and policy measures to address the issue.
• Strengthen national security and border management mechanisms.
• Timeline: Submit report within one year

DEFENCE

6. BSF CREATES HISTORY WITH FIRST-EVER ALL-WOMEN EVEREST SUMMIT

Current Context: The Border Security Force (BSF) created history by successfully completing its first-ever all-women mountaineering expedition to Mount Everest during its Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

ABOUT THE EXPEDITION

• Mission Name: Mission Vande Mataram
• Occasion: BSF’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations
• Successfully scaled Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak (8,848.86 m).
• Significance: First-ever all-women BSF expedition to Mount Everest a milestone in promoting women empowerment in adventure and high-altitude operations

About BSF

• BSF stands for Border Security Force.
• Established in 1965 after the India-Pakistan War.
• Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Role: Guards India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

PLACES IN NEWS

7. MEKEDATU PROJECT

Current Context: The Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Tamil Nadu to review a November 2025 decision that termed the State’s challenge to Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu project as “premature”.

ABOUT MEKEDATU PROJECT

• The Mekedatu Project had not yet received all mandatory statutory and environmental clearances.
• Karnataka was only at the proposal/Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage.
• No final approval for construction had been granted by the Central Government.
• Since the project was not officially sanctioned, the Court held that an actual legal injury or violation had not yet occurred
• Mekedatu is a proposed multi-purpose balancing reservoir project on the Cauvery River in Karnataka.
• Mekedatu means “Goat’s Leap” in Kannada.
• Located near the confluence of the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers.
• Dam: 99-metre-high, 735-metre-long concrete gravity dam
• Capacity: Store 67 tmcft of water; generate 400 MW of power
• Submergence: Will submerge more than 5,000 hectares of protected area in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
• Issue: Tamil Nadu (lower riparian state) opposes, apprehending that the project would block free flow of water from Karnataka

Cauvery River

• The Cauvery (Kaveri) River is one of the major east-flowing rivers of southern India.
• Often called the “Ganga of South India”.
• Originates at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats in Karnataka.
• Total length: Around 800 km.
• Basin states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
• Left-bank tributaries: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathi
• Right-bank tributaries: Kabini, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati

SPORTS

8. VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI HITS RECORD 65 SIXES IN IPL 2026

Current Context: 15-year-old teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi broke Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single edition of IPL.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• Record: 65 sixes in IPL 2026 (surpassed Chris Gayle’s 59 sixes in 2012)
• Match: Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
• Also became: Youngest player to score 600 runs in an IPL season (broke Rishabh Pant’s record)
• Fastest to 100 T20 sixes: Reached milestone in just 515 deliveries

MOST SIXES IN A SINGLE IPL SEASON

AWARDS

9. KARNATAKA GRAMEENA BANK WINS PFRDA AWARD FOR ATAL PENSION YOJANA PERFORMANCE

Current Context: Karnataka Grameena Bank (KGB) has been awarded by PFRDA for its outstanding performance under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Achievement: 2,49,185 APY account enrolments against target of 1,75,500 (142% achievement rate)
• Presented by: M. Nagaraju (Secretary, DFS) and S. Ramann (Chairperson, PFRDA)
• Karnataka Grameena Bank: Major Regional Rural Bank (RRB) in Karnataka

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

• Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a government-backed pension scheme aimed mainly at workers in the unorganised sector.
• Any Indian citizen aged between 18 and 40 years can join.
• Minimum contribution period: 20 years.
• Launched by the Government of India on 9 May 2015.
• Administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the National Pension System (NPS).

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

• It is the statutory regulatory body for the pension sector in India.
• Established by the Government of India on 23 August 2003 as an interim authority.
• Became a statutory body under the PFRDA Act, 2013, effective from 1 February 2014.

National Pension System (NPS)

• National Pension System (NPS) is a government-backed contributory pension scheme regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Introduced by the Government of India in 2004 for Central Government employees and later opened to all citizens in 2009.

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