Prelims Current Affairs includes United Nations Day 2026, Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (Iprd) 2026, Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (Aebs), Akash Missile System, Pankaj Advani Wins 29th World Title, The Sakharov Prize 2026 & Ashoke Sen Receives 2026 Oskar Klein Medal

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. UNITED NATIONS DAY 2026

Current Context: United Nations Day is celebrated each year on 24 October in recognition of the date on which the UN Charter came into effect in 1945.

ABOUT UNITED NATIONS DAY

• First celebrated:
• Declared by: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
• Purpose: To raise awareness about the objectives, achievements and work of the United Nations and strengthen public support for international cooperation.
• Founding document: Charter of the United Nations, signed on 26 June 1945 at San Francisco, USA.
• Historical significance: The UN Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945, officially bringing the United Nations into existence.
• Headquarters: New York City, United States of America.
• 2026 marks the 81st anniversary of the organisation.

DEFENCE / INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDO-PACIFIC REGIONAL DIALOGUE (IPRD) 2026

Current Context: The Indian Navy will host the 2026 edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi.

ABOUT IPRD

• Organised by: Indian Navy, in association with the National Maritime Foundation.
• Nature: Annual, apex-level international strategic dialogue of the Indian Navy.
• Participants: Maritime experts, naval practitioners, scientists, academicians, policymakers and technology specialists from 18 countries.
• Main objective: To discuss emerging opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific maritime region and develop practical proposals for regional cooperation.
• The dialogue serves as the Indian Navy’s principal platform for strategic-level international outreach and maritime engagement.
• It is the eighth edition of the IPRD.
• Theme: “Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.”
• The idea of an annual IPRD was first conceptualised and conducted in
• IPRD seeks to translate the broad framework of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) into specific, actionable proposals.
• It supports India’s maritime vision of MAHASAGAR – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

ABOUT THE INDO-PACIFIC OCEANS INITIATIVE (IPOI)

• PM Narendra Modi proposed the IPOI at the East Asia Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 4 November 2019.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

3. ADVANCED EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEMS (AEBS)

Current Context: The Ministry of Road Transport proposed making Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) mandatory for all new passenger car models starting 1 October 2030, with existing production models required to comply by 1 October 2032.

ABOUT AEBS

• AEBS is an active vehicle-safety technology that detects a potential collision and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not respond in time.
• It is an important component of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
• Main objective: To prevent collisions wherever possible and reduce the severity of accidents when a collision cannot be avoided.
• The system can help reduce rear-end collisions and may detect certain pedestrians, cyclists or other obstacles, depending on the vehicle’s design and system capabilities.

HOW IT WORKS

• Environmental Sensing and Detection: Uses radar, cameras and LiDAR to identify obstacles, measure relative speed and distance, and calculate time-to-collision (TTC).
• Stage 1 – Warning Phase: Issues visual, audible and dashboard alerts when collision risk increases.
• Stage 2 – Pre-Braking Phase: Prepares brake pressure, enhances braking assistance and may initiate deceleration.
• Stage 3 – Emergency Braking Phase: Automatically applies strong emergency braking when collision risk becomes critical.

DEFENCE

4. AKASH MISSILE SYSTEM

Current Context: India’s reported sale of its indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan could mark an important step in the country’s ambition to become a major global arms exporter.

ABOUT AKASH MISSILE SYSTEM

• It is a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
• It is designed to protect vulnerable areas, points and assets from aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and helicopters.
• Indigenously designed and developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Produced by: Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL), Hyderabad.
• The missile is 5.87 meters long, 350 millimeters in diameter, and weighs 710 kilograms.
• It covers a range of 5 km to 25 km and can engage aerial threats flying between 100 meters and 20 kilometers in altitude.

SPORTS

5. PANKAJ ADVANI WINS 29TH WORLD TITLE

Current Context: Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won his 29th career world title at the WBL World Billiards Championships.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• He defeated England’s Robert Hall 1,906-1,206 in the final, held in Great Wyrley, England.
• 29th career world title: The victory extended Advani’s overall tally of world titles across billiards and snooker.
• 21st world billiards title: The 2026 championship added another billiards world crown to his collection.
• He received the John Roberts Trophy, named after the 19th-century English billiards champion John Roberts Sr.

AWARDS & HONOURS

6. THE SAKHAROV PRIZE 2026

Current Context: The European Parliament announced the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials as the collective winners of the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

ABOUT THE SAKHAROV PRIZE

• Instituted by: European Parliament in 1988.
• Named after: Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet physicist, human-rights activist and dissident.
• Purpose: To honour individuals, groups or organisations that defend human rights, freedom of thought, democracy and fundamental freedoms.

WINNER OF 2026

• Awarded collectively to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its personnel, including judges, prosecutors and investigators, under ICC President Tomoko Akane.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

• Established: 1 July 2002, when the Rome Statute entered into force.
• Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands.
• Adoption of the Rome Statute: 17 July 1998, at Rome, Italy.

AWARDS & HONOURS

7.  ASHOKE SEN RECEIVES 2026 OSKAR KLEIN MEDAL

Current Context: Physicist Ashoke Sen received the 2026 Oskar Klein Medal.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• He is the first Indian physicist to receive the medal.
• The medal is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
• It is named after Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein.
• On 22 October 2026, Sen delivered the 2026 Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture at Stockholm University’s AlbaNova Centre, titled “Gravity from Strings and Strings from Gravity.”
• His work in string theory spans more than four decades.
• His contributions include work on S-duality, black hole entropy and string field theory.

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