29 April 2026: PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS

Prelims Current Affairs includes World Day For Safety And Health At Work 2026, India Submits New Climate Targets To Un, Ladakh Gets Five New Districts, Symbiosis Launches Asia’s First Unesco Gender Chair, India Becomes Fifth Largest Defence Spender Globally, Issf Junior World Cup 2026: India Leads Medal Tally & Sabastian Sawe Creates History With Sub-2 Hour Marathon

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2026

Current Context: The World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026 is observed on 28th April every year to promote safe and healthy working conditions across the world.

ABOUT THE DAY

Led by:International Labour Organization (ILO)
Officially established by ILO:2003
Theme for 2026:“Good psychosocial working environments: A pathway to thriving workers and strong organizations”
Historical Background: Roots trace to workers’ movements in the 1970s

ENVIRONMENT

2. INDIA SUBMITS NEW CLIMATE TARGETS TO UN

Current Context: India has formally submitted its new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the 2031-35 period to the United Nations climate body under the Paris Agreement.

ABOUT THE NEW CLIMATE TARGETS (2031-35)

Three Major Quantitative Targets:

Target	Goal
Non-fossil fuel energy capacity	60% of cumulative installed electric power capacity by 2035
Emissions intensity reduction	47% by 2035 (compared to 2005 levels)
Carbon sink	3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest/tree cover by 2035

Condition:Achieving these goals depends on financial support, technology transfer, and capacity building from developed countries
India’s Progress on Existing Climate Goals (as of February 2026):
- Non-fossil fuel sources: Over 52.5% of installed electric power capacity
- Emissions intensity: Reduced by 36% (2005-2020)
- Carbon sink: Additional 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (2005-2021)
NDC:Nationally Determined Contributions under Paris Agreement (adopted 2015)
UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

POLITY & GOVERNANCE

3. LADAKH GETS FIVE NEW DISTRICTS

Current Context: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory.

ABOUT THE NEW DISTRICTS

Five New Districts:Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, Drass
Total Districts Now:7 (previously only Leh and Kargil)
Ladakh Facts:
- Became separate Union Territory on October 31, 2019 (after bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir)
- Article 370 abrogated on August 5, 2019
- Largest UT by area: 86,904 sq km
- Population: ~2.74 lakh (2011 Census)
Approval:Received from Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024 (under Home Minister Amit Shah)
Key Locations:
- Drass:One of coldest inhabited places in the world
- Changthang:High-altitude plateau famous for Pashmina wool and nomadic pastoral communities

GENDER & EDUCATION

4. SYMBIOSIS LAUNCHES ASIA’S FIRST UNESCO GENDER CHAIR

Current Context: Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU), Pune, has launched Asia’s first UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development.

ABOUT THE UNESCO CHAIR

Inaugurated by:Jayant Chaudhary (MoS – Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Education)
Training Provided (10,000 girls trained):Robotics, automation, semiconductor technology, advanced manufacturing, defence technology
Led by:Dr Swati Mujumdar (Pro-Chancellor of SSPU)
UNESCO:Founded 1945; headquartered in Paris

DEFENCE

5. INDIA BECOMES FIFTH LARGEST DEFENCE SPENDER GLOBALLY

Current Context: India ranked as the world’s fifth-largest defence spender in 2025, according to SIPRI report, with military expenditure reaching $92.1 billion.

ABOUT THE REPORT

Report by:Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
India’s Rank:5th globally
India’s Defence Expenditure:$92.1 billion (3.2% of global defence spending)
Growth:9% increase compared to 2024
Top Defence Spenders:

Rank	Country
1	United States
2	China
3	Russia
4	Germany
5	India

Pakistan’s Defence Spending:$11.9 billion (31st globally, 11% increase)
Global Military Expenditure (2025):$2.887 trillion (record high)
India’s Defence Budget (2026-27):Rs 7.85 lakh crore
SIPRI:Based in Sweden

SPORTS

6. ISSF JUNIOR WORLD CUP 2026: INDIA LEADS MEDAL TALLY

Current Context: India emerged as the top-performing nation at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2026 in Cairo, Egypt, winning 16 medals.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

Event:ISSF Junior World Cup 2026
Venue:Cairo, Egypt
India’s Medal Tally:16 medals (5 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze) – top of medal tally
Standout Performer:Hemant Burman (18 years) -Silver in 50m Rifle 3 Positions (score 351.7)
Trap Mixed Team Bronze:Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal
Upcoming Event:ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany (June)

SPORTS

7. SABASTIAN SAWE CREATES HISTORY WITH SUB-2 HOUR MARATHON

Current Context: Sabastian Sawe completed the London Marathon 2026 in 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon under two hours.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

Athlete:Sabastian Sawe (31-year-old Kenyan)
Previous Record:2:00:35 (Kelvin Kiptum)
Race Highlights:
- Halfway point: 60:29
- Second half: just over 59 minutes
- Average pace: Equivalent to running 100m in under 17 seconds repeatedly
Women’s Winner:Tigst Assefa (successfully defended title)
Comparisons:Roger Bannister (4-minute mile, 1954), Usain Bolt (100m world record 9.58 seconds)

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