Prelims Current Affairs includes World Sanskrit Day 2026, Trump Signs Order To Rename Lake Ontario, Delhi Tops States In Own Revenue Share, Jago Ai Assistant, Amaravati To Get India’s First Quantum And Ai University, Gujarat Launches India’s First Sports Genomics Programme, Ins Samarthak Delivered To Indian Navy & India To Acquire Us Javelin Missiles

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD SANSKRIT DAY 2026

Current Context: World Sanskrit Day (Sanskrit Diwas) was observed on 28 August 2026, coinciding with Shravana Purnima, to promote the Sanskrit language, literature and India’s traditional knowledge heritage.

ABOUT WORLD SANSKRIT DAY

• Observed: Shravana Purnima every year
• First Observed:1969 (by Ministry of Education)
• The day is dedicated to the promotion, preservation and development of Sanskrit.
• Sanskrit Day is celebrated across India through seminars, lectures, competitions, cultural programmes and Sanskrit-learning activities.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO RENAME LAKE ONTARIO

Current Context: U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for U.S. federal use. The move came amid escalating U.S.-Canada trade tensions.

ABOUT THE ORDER

• Location: Between New York, USA and Ontario, Canada
• One of: The five Great Lakes of North America
• Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario
• Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States.
• Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest by surface area of the five Great Lakes.
• It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River.

Canada’s Response:

• PM Mark Carney rejected the order
• Canada will continue using “Lake Ontario”
• USA cannot rename Canadian portion of international lake

ECONOMY

3.  DELHI TOPS STATES IN OWN REVENUE SHARE

Current Context: Delhi recorded the highest own revenue share at 93.2% among comparable States and Union Territories in FY 2024-25 Budget Estimates (BE), according to the Business Standard India State Fiscal Health Tracker, based on data from the RBI’s 2025 Handbook of Statistics on Indian States.

WHAT IS OWN REVENUE?

• Own revenue refers to revenue generated by a State/UT from its own sources, rather than transfers received from the Union Government.
• Major sources include own tax revenue and own non-tax revenue.
• A higher share generally indicates greater fiscal self-reliance and lower dependence on transfers from the Centre.

DELHI’S PERFORMANCE

• Position: Highest among comparable States and UTs.
• This means that approximately 93 out of every ₹100 of Delhi’s revenue receipts were estimated to come from its own sources.
• Haryana followed Delhi among the leading regions in this indicator.

MAJOR SOURCES OF DELHI’S OWN REVENUE

• State GST
• Excise duty
• Stamp duty and registration fees
• Motor vehicle tax
• Sales tax/VAT-related receipts
• Non-tax revenue such as fees, charges and other receipts.
• Delhi’s large urban economy, consumption base and commercial activity provide a substantial revenue base.

TOP 3 STATES/UTs:

BOTTOM 2:

SCHEMES/PROGRAMMES

4.  JAGO AI ASSISTANT

Current Context: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched Jago AI Assistant, an AI-powered conversational assistant designed to make information about tribal welfare schemes, government programmes, policies and official documents easier to access.

It allows users to ask questions in simple language and receive relevant information more quickly.

Features:

• Simplifies access to tribal welfare schemes, policies, guidelines, official documents
• Allows questions in simple language
• Currently available in: English and Hindi

STATES IN NEWS

5. AMARAVATI TO GET INDIA’S FIRST QUANTUM AND AI UNIVERSITY

Current Context: Andhra Pradesh approved India’s first dedicated Quantum and AI University campus in Amaravati.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Nature: India’s first institutionally dedicated university campus focused exclusively on Quantum and Artificial Intelligence.
• Set up by:NIELIT (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)
• The project is part of Andhra Pradesh’s broader Amaravati Quantum Valley and proposed Andhra Quantum Mission.

Focus Areas:

• Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Security
• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
• Semiconductor Fabrication, Chip Design
• Data Science, Embedded Systems, High Performance Computing

STATES IN NEWS

6. GUJARAT LAUNCHES INDIA’S FIRST SPORTS GENOMICS PROGRAMME

Current Context: Gujarat has launched India’s first state-level Sports Genomics Programme to apply genomics, sports science, physiology and nutrition to athlete identification, personalised training, performance improvement and injury-risk assessment.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

• Sports genomics is the application of genomics and genetic analysis to sports science.
• It studies how genetic variations may be associated with characteristics relevant to athletic performance.
• First of its kind: India’s first state-level Sports Genomics Programme
• Implementing agency: Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC)
• Duration: 5 years
• Target: Around 10,000 athlete samples over five years

Significance:

• Aligns with Gujarat’s preparations for 2030 Commonwealth Games
• Positions Gujarat as Sports Biotechnology Innovation Hub

DEFENCE

7.   INS SAMARTHAK DELIVERED TO INDIAN NAVY

Current Context: INS Samarthak, the first Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV), delivered to Indian Navy.

ABOUT INS SAMARTHAK

• An MPV is a highly versatile naval platform capable of performing multiple specialised roles.
• Unlike conventional warships designed primarily for combat, an MPV can support activities such as:
• Trial and evaluation platform for next-generation weapons and sensors
• Maritime surveillance and patrolling
• Launching and recovering surface/aerial targets
• Humanitarian assistance
• Builder:Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Kattupalli
• Name Meaning:‘The Proponent’
• Indigenous Content:75%+
• Max Speed:15 knots

DEFENCE

8.  INDIA TO ACQUIRE US JAVELIN MISSILES

Current Context: India has finalised an agreement with the United States to acquire FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems for the Indian Army through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

ABOUT JAVELIN MISSILE

• Features:Top-attack capability, penetrates explosive reactive armor
• Launch: Shoulder-launched
• Guidance: Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker
• Technology: Fire-and-forget
• Primary target: Armoured vehicles and tanks
• Manufacturer: Javelin Joint Venture, involving Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

WHAT IS FIRE-AND-FORGET?

• The operator locks onto the target before launch.
• After firing, the missile guides itself towards the target.
• The operator does not need to continuously guide the missile.
• This allows the soldier to move, take cover or engage another target immediately after launch.

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