Prelims Current Affairs includes International Firefighters Day 2026, India Sets Guinness Record With Largest Underwater Tricolour At Radhanagar Beach, Us Launches Project Freedom In Strait Of Hormuz, Ishank Singh Becomes Youngest To Swim Palk Strait, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (Rbsk 2.0) Revamped, Rohit Jain Appointed Rbi Deputy Governor, Prasoon Joshi Named Chairman Of Prasar Bharati, India Ranks 157 In Press Freedom Index

DAYS TO REMEMBER

1. INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS DAY 2026

Current Context: International Firefighters Day 2026 is observed on May 4, 2026, to honor the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of firefighters worldwide.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS DAY

• Established:1999
• Date Significance:Coincides with feast day of Saint Florian (protector of firefighters)
• Origin:Tragic incident in Victoria, Australia (1998) – five firefighters lost their lives battling wildfire; proposed by volunteer firefighter JJ Edmondson
• Symbol:Red and blue ribbon
  • Red represents fire
  • Blue symbolizes water
• ‘Sound Off’ Tradition:Fire sirens sound for 30 seconds at noon, followed by one-minute silence

PLACES IN NEWS

2. INDIA SETS GUINNESS RECORD WITH LARGEST UNDERWATER TRICOLOUR AT RADHANAGAR BEACH

Current Context: Andaman and Nicobar Islands created a Guinness World Record by unfurling the world’s largest underwater national flag at Radhanagar Beach, Swaraj Dweep, Havelock Island.

ABOUT THE RECORD

• Location:Radhanagar Beach, Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island), Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Flag Size:60 x 40 metres
• Participants:More than 200 trained divers
• Participating Agencies:
  • Andaman and Nicobar Police
  • Forest Department
  • Indian Navy
  • Indian Coast Guard
  • Professional scuba divers
• Youngest Divers (3 school students):Fateh Jahaan Singh, Lavanya Eira, Ranvijay Singh

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. US LAUNCHES PROJECT FREEDOM IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Current Context: The United States launched Project Freedom on May 4, 2026, to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation.

ABOUT PROJECT FREEDOM

• Purpose:Escort about 800 commercial vessels stranded due to dual blockade
• Assets:US Central Command (CENTCOM) – guided-missile destroyers, 100+ land/sea-based aircraft, unmanned platforms, 15,000 service members
• Regional Context:

• • Iran blocked Strait of Hormuz since February 28, 2026 (after US/Israeli airstrikes on Iran)
  • US imposed naval blockade on Iranian ports on April 13, 2026 (after peace talks in Islamabad failed)
• Strait of Hormuz:Narrow maritime passage between Oman and Iran, connects Persian Gulf with Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea; one of world’s most important oil transit chokepoints

SPORTS

4. ISHANK SINGH BECOMES YOUNGEST TO SWIM PALK STRAIT

Current Context: Young swimmer Ishank Singh has become the youngest individual to successfully swim across the Palk Strait.

ABOUT PALK STRAIT

• Location:Between Tamil Nadu (India) and Sri Lanka
• Connects:Bay of Bengal with Gulf of Mannar
• Distance:Approximately 40 to 85 kilometres
• Challenges:Strong currents, marine life (jellyfish), unpredictable weather, shallow waters, coral formations

HEALTH

5. RASHTRIYA BAL SWASTHYA KARYAKRAM (RBSK 2.0) REVAMPED

Current Context: The Union Health Ministry rolled out the revised Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK 2.0) guidelines in New Delhi on May 3, 2026.

ABOUT RBSK

• Launched:2013 under National Health Mission
• Coverage:Children from birth to 18 years
• Earlier Framework:“4Ds” – defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies, developmental delays
• RBSK 2.0 Expanded Scope:Mental health conditions, behavioural issues, non-communicable disease risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, obesity)
• Delivery Mechanism:Mobile Health Teams at Anganwadi centres (0-6 years) and schools; 451 District Early Intervention Centres
• Digital Features:Digital health cards, real-time data systems, integrated tracking platforms

APPOINTMENTS

6. ROHIT JAIN APPOINTED RBI DEPUTY GOVERNOR

Current Context: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Rohit Jain as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT

• Appointee:Rohit Jain (currently Executive Director at RBI)
• Term:Three years
• Succeeds: Rabi Sankar
• Experience:Nearly three decades within RBI, Executive Director since December 2020
• Expertise:Banking supervision, financial regulation, institutional oversight
• RBI Structure:Four Deputy Governors assisting the Governor, established 1935, nationalised 1949

 APPOINTMENTS

7. PRASOON JOSHI NAMED CHAIRMAN OF PRASAR BHARATI

Current Context: The Government of India has appointed Prasoon Joshi as the new Chairman of Prasar Bharati on May 2, 2026.

ABOUT PRASOON JOSHI

• Position:Chairman of Prasar Bharati
• Career Highlights:
  • Former Chairperson of CBFC (since 2017)
  • Former CEO of McCann World Group India and Chairman of Asia Pacific division
  • Trustee at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
  • Renowned lyricist
• Prasar Bharati:Statutory autonomous public service broadcaster established under Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 (operational since 1997)
• Divisions:All India Radio (largest radio networks worldwide) + Doordarshan
• Digital Initiative:Waves OTT platform (free-to-air digital broadcasting)

INTERNATIONAL

8. INDIA RANKS 157 IN PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

Current Context: India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released on April 30, 2026, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

ABOUT THE INDEX

• Index:World Press Freedom Index
• Published by:Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – Paris-based organisation
• Released:April 30, 2026
• Coverage:180 countries and territories
• India’s Rankings:
  • 2024: 159th
  • 2025: 151st
  • 2026: 157th (fell six places; placed in “very serious” category)
• Factors for Decline:Violence against journalists, concentrated media ownership, political alignment of media outlets, judicial harassment, use of criminal statutes (defamation, national security laws

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