Prelims Current Affairs includes International Day Of Human Space Flight 2026, Vantara University – India’s First Global Wildlife Institution, Pace Satellite Tracks Pollution At Factory-Level Precision, Narit Ai – India’s First Ai System For Ndps Cases, Operation Himsetu – Army Completes High-Risk Rescue Near India-China Border, Rbi’s Utkarsh 2029 – New Financial Strategy & Himachal Cm Sukhu Lays Stone Of Bulk Drug Park In Haroli

Important Day

1.  INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT 2026

Current Context: Celebrated each year on April 12, the International Day of Human Space Flight honours the historic 1961 mission of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

• Date:April 12 every year
• Established by:United Nations General Assembly in 2011
• Commemorates:Yuri Gagarin’s 108-minute orbit aboard Vostok 1 (April 12, 1961)
• Theme for 2026:“A Tribute to Exploration, Unity, and Progress”

Important Day

ENVIRONMENT 

2. VANTARA UNIVERSITY – INDIA’S FIRST GLOBAL WILDLIFE INSTITUTION

Current Context: Vantara has announced the launch of Vantara University in Jamnagar, Gujarat, founded under the vision of Anant Ambani, set to become the world’s first integrated global university dedicated to wildlife and veterinary sciences.

ABOUT VANTARA UNIVERSITY

• Vision:Draws inspiration from Nalanda University (holistic and inclusive learning)
• Known for:Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, advanced veterinary care, conservation breeding and species recovery, rewilding and ecosystem restoration

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

3. PACE SATELLITE TRACKS POLLUTION AT FACTORY-LEVEL PRECISION

Current Context: NASA’s PACE satellite can now detect nitrogen dioxide pollution at a highly refined scale, enabling scientists to pinpoint emissions from individual factories and major highway corridors.

ABOUT PACE SATELLITE MISSION

• Full Form:Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ocean Ecosystem
• Launch Date:February 2024
• Orbit:Sun-synchronous orbit
• Coverage:Hyperspectral coverage of Earth every one to two days
• Key Instruments:
• Ocean Color Instrument (OCI):Advanced optical spectrometer measuring ocean colour (ultraviolet to shortwave infrared)
• SPEXone (Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration):Analyses light polarisation
• HARP2 (Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter):Studies light polarisation through clouds, aerosols, and ocean particles
• Capability:Detects nitrogen dioxide emissions at fine spatial scales (factory-level precision)

STATE NEWS

4.  NARIT AI – INDIA’S FIRST AI SYSTEM FOR NDPS CASES

Current Context: Gujarat Police has launched ‘NARIT AI’, becoming the first law enforcement agency in India to deploy advanced artificial intelligence for narcotics cases.

ABOUT NARIT AI

• Full Form:Narcotics Analysis & RAG-based Investigation Tool
• Type:Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) based system
• Developed by:Western Railway Police, Vadodara in collaboration with Mumbai-based AI startup
• How It Works:
  • Officer uploads FIR copy
  • Tool analyses case and generates structured investigation report
  • Identifies strengths and weaknesses
  • Suggests legal remedies and next steps
  • Provides investigation guidelines based on court judgments
  • Checklist of evidence required
• Legal Backbone:Trained using High Court and Supreme Court judgments, BNS, BNSS, BSA, government guidelines
• Addresses:Procedural lapses in NDPS cases (major challenge where evidence fails due to improper procedures)

DEFENCE

5. OPERATION HIMSETU – ARMY COMPLETES HIGH-RISK RESCUE NEAR INDIA-CHINA BORDER

Current Context: The Indian Army launched Operation HimSetu to rescue over 1,400 stranded tourists and locals in North Sikkim after landslides and a bridge collapse near Lachen disrupted connectivity.

ABOUT OPERATION HIMSETU

• Led by:Trishakti Corps of Indian Army (Eastern Command)
• Cause of Crisis:
  • Massive landslides and relentless snowfall
  • Collapse of newly constructed bridge near Tarum Chu (inaugurated February 2026)
  • Severe damage to connecting roads
  • Complete disruption of accessibility to Lachen region
• Army Response:
  • Temporary walkable footbridge constructed
  • Army vehicles transported people, civilian vehicles towed
  • Reception centres for food, shelter, medical assistance
• Coordination:Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and civil administration for snow clearance, road restoration, connectivity repair

ECONOMY

6. RBI’S UTKARSH 2029 – NEW FINANCIAL STRATEGY

Current Context: The Reserve Bank of India has launched ‘Utkarsh 2029’, a medium-term strategy framework for 2026-2029 focused on digital finance, rupee internationalization, and inclusive credit access.

ABOUT UTKARSH 2029

• Key Focus Areas:
• Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC):Scale up use, especially for cross-border payments
• Project Sa-Mudra:Modernizing currency management systems
• Unified Lending Interface (ULI):Scale up to improve credit access for underserved and rural populations
• Internationalization of Rupee:Promote UPI adoption in other countries; increase international trade settlement in INR
• Six Pillars:

1. 1. Robust regulations
   2. Customer-centric and inclusive finance
   3. Competitive financial markets
   4. Effective use of technology
   5. Future-ready organizational structure
   6. Global integration of India’s financial system

HIMACHAL NEWS

7. HIMACHAL CM SUKHU LAYS STONE OF BULK DRUG PARK IN HAROLI

Current Context: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone for site development and infrastructure works worth Rs 250 crore for the Bulk Drug Park project at Polian Beet village in the Haroli Assembly segment of Una district.

ABOUT THE BULK DRUG PARK

• Location:Polian Beet village, Haroli Assembly segment, Una district, Himachal Pradesh
• Total Project Cost:Rs 2,000 crore
• Funding:Central Government – Rs 1,000 crore, State Government – Rs 1,000 crore
• Phase 1 Investment:Rs 250 crore for site development and infrastructure works
• Purpose:Manufacture Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and reduce dependence on foreign nations for raw materials used in medicines

OTHER INITIATIVES ANNOUNCED

• Working Women’s Hostel:At Panjuana village at a cost of Rs 10 crore
• Dr YS Parmar Student Loan Scheme:Loans for higher education at 1% interest rate

MSP for Naturally Grown Produce (Himachal Pradesh):

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