Prelims Current Affairs includes World Red Cross Day 2026, Santa Marta Climate Conference, South Korea Introduces First Humanoid Robot Monk Gabi, India To Host First International Big Cat Alliance Summit, Skyroot Aerospace Becomes India’s First Space-Tech Unicorn, Nse Launches Electronic Gold Receipts (Egrs), Delhi To Host 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship & Spiti’s Langza Village Steps Into India’s Geo-Heritage Map

 DAY TO REMEMBER

1. WORLD RED CROSS DAY 2026

Current Context: World Red Cross Day is celebrated annually on 8th May to honor Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the first ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.

ABOUT WORLD RED CROSS DAY

• Honours:Henry Dunant (founder of ICRC, first Nobel Peace Prize winner)
• Theme 2026:“Keeping Humanity Alive”
• Official recognition:1948
• History:Red Cross Movement founded after Henry Dunant witnessed atrocities of Battle of Solferino (1859), ICRC created in 1863
• Red Cross in India:Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) – disaster relief, blood donation, first aid training, public health

ENVIRONENT

2. SANTA MARTA CLIMATE CONFERENCE

Current Context: Representatives from around 50 countries gathered in Santa Marta in April 2026 to discuss faster action against fossil fuel dependence and climate change.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

• Location:Santa Marta (jointly hosted by Colombia and Netherlands)
• Purpose:Alternative platform to traditional UN climate negotiations focusing on quicker, stronger commitments for clean energy transition
• Three Major Themes:
• Reducing fossil fuel dependence
• Transforming energy supply and demand systems
• Strengthening climate diplomacy
• Key Announcement (France):Phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045, natural gas by 2050
• New Institution:International Scientific Panel on Energy Transition (alongside IPCC, focusing on fossil fuel phase-out)
• Next Conference:2027 in Tuvalu (co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland)

INTERNATIONAL

3. SOUTH KOREA INTRODUCES FIRST HUMANOID ROBOT MONK GABI

Current Context: South Korea introduced its first humanoid robot monk, Gabi, at a Buddhist ceremony at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul on 6 May 2026.

ABOUT GABI

• Height:130 centimetres
• Platform:Unitree G1 (developed by Unitree Robotics, China)
• Presented by:Jogye Order (largest Buddhist order in South Korea)
• Dharma Name:Gabi (combines Siddhartha + jabi – Korean word for mercy)
• Other Buddhist robots:Seokja, Mohee, Nisa (expected to join lantern parades)

ENVIRONMENT

4. INDIA TO HOST FIRST INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE SUMMIT

Current Context: India will host the first International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit on 1-2 June 2026 in New Delhi.

ABOUT IBCA

• Type:Inter-governmental international organisation
• Headquarters:India
• Members (as of 28 April 2026):24 member countries
• Observer status:Kazakhstan, Namibia, Thailand
• Seven Big Cat Species:Lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, puma
• Summit Theme:“Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem”
• Outcome Document:Delhi Declaration on big cat conservation

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

5. SKYROOT AEROSPACE BECOMES INDIA’S FIRST SPACE-TECH UNICORN

Current Context: Skyroot Aerospace became India’s first space-tech unicorn on 7 May 2026 after raising about $60 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion.

ABOUT SKYROOT AEROSPACE

• Headquarters:Hyderabad
• Vikram-1:Orbital launch vehicle under development (final stages of integration and testing; launch from Sriharikota planned in coming weeks)
• Vikram-S:India’s first privately built rocket to reach space (2022)
• Funding Round:Co-led by Sherpalo Ventures (Ram Shriram) and GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund)
• WHAT IS A UNICORN?Privately held startup valued at $1 billion or more

ECONOMY

6. NSE LAUNCHES ELECTRONIC GOLD RECEIPTS (EGRs)

Current Context: The National Stock Exchange of India has launched Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs), offering investors a regulated way to trade gold digitally.

ABOUT EGRs

• Full Form:Electronic Gold Receipts
• Represent:Physical gold stored in SEBI-accredited vaults
• Can be traded:On stock exchange platform like shares/securities
• Quality Standards:LBMM (London Bullion Market Association) and BIS
• Key Difference from Gold ETFs:EGR holders can take physical delivery of gold; Gold ETF retail investors generally do not receive physical delivery

SPORTS

7. DELHI TO HOST 2026 COMMONWEALTH TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

Current Context: Delhi will host the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship (CTTC 2026) from 27 July to 2 August 2026 at Thyagraj Stadium.

ABOUT CTTC 2026

• Dates:27 July -2 August 2026
• Venue:Thyagraj Stadium, Delhi
• Organised by:Delhi government and Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI)
• Expected participants:England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore (over 35 Commonwealth countries)

HIMACHAL NEWS

8. SPITI’S LANGZA VILLAGE STEPS INTO INDIA’S GEO-HERITAGE MAP

Current Context: On March 6, 2026, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared Langza village in Spiti, Lahaul-Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, as a geo-heritage site of national importance.

ABOUT LANGZA VILLAGE

• Elevation:4,400 metres above sea level
• Nickname:Spiti’s “fossil village”
• Declared by:Geological Survey of India (GSI)
• Geological Significance:
  • Sits atop marine sediments laid down when region was submerged under ancient Tethys Sea during Jurassic period (approx. 150 million years ago)
  • Spiti Shale and Tagling formations yield abundant ammonites (spiral-shelled cephalopods, critical index fossils for dating geological strata)
  • Over 60 species of Jurassic ammonites recorded from Spiti valley (links from Europe to New Zealand)
• Fossils Found:Ammonites, corals, bivalves (Inoceramus), fragments of marine reptiles, aptychi (jaw elements of ammonites)
• Legal Protection:
  • Fossils already protected under Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972
  • Himachal Pradesh High Court (2024) directed authorities to curb fossil smuggling
• Future Vision: Potential to evolve into model fossil park and earn recognition as UNESCO Global Geopark.

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