Current Affairs: Complete Current - AFCAT General Awareness

Current Affairs for Competitive Defence Exams

Current affairs are a critical component for defence competitive exams, focusing on recent defence exercises, appointments, awards, international events, and environmental developments. The following notes provide a structured, exam-focused revision of the most relevant facts, events, and personalities as explicitly covered.

Key Defence Exercises and Operations

Recent defence exercises and operations are frequently asked in exams, especially those conducted within India or involving Indian forces. Focus on the name, participating countries, location, and unique features.

• Trishul Exercise: Led by Indian Navy.
• Vayu Shaman Exercise: Conducted in Southern Command (domestic). -…

Current Affairs for Competitive Defence Exams

Current affairs are a critical component for defence competitive exams, focusing on recent defence exercises, appointments, awards, international events, and environmental developments. The following notes provide a structured, exam-focused revision of the most relevant facts, events, and personalities as explicitly covered.

Key Defence Exercises and Operations

Recent defence exercises and operations are frequently asked in exams, especially those conducted within India or involving Indian forces. Focus on the name, participating countries, location, and unique features.

• Trishul Exercise: Led by Indian Navy.
• Vayu Shaman Exercise: Conducted in Southern Command (domestic).
• Drone Kavach & Yudh Kaushal: Both held in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Prachand Shakti: Conducted by Ram Division in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
• Divya Drishti: Held in Sikkim.
• Jal Shakti: Conducted in Patiala, Punjab.
• Indian Coast Guard Exercises:
  • Sagar Kavach: Maharashtra & Goa coast.
  • Rapprex (Regional Pollution Response): Mumbai coast.
  • Net Power Lex: Chennai coast (high probability question).
  • Regional Search & Rescue: Mangalore, Karnataka (Panambur coast).
• K4 Missile Test: Submarine-launched ballistic missile (Sagarika), launched from INS Arihant; range is important.
• Agni-5 Test: Conducted by DRDO.
• Integrated Air Defence System Test: Air drop test at Sriharikota for Gaganyaan, by ISRO.
• EQRAS Rocket: Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket, test-fired from INS Kavaratti.
• International Exercises:
  • Ekatha: India-Maldives, Thiruvananthapuram, 14th edition.
  • Harimau Shakti: India-Malaysia, Rajasthan.
  • Garuda Shakti: India-Indonesia, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
  • Surya Kiran: India-Nepal, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, 19th edition.
  • Mitra Shakti: 11th edition, Belagavi, Karnataka.
  • Ajeya Warrior: India-UK, Bikaner, 8th edition.
  • Maitree: India-Thailand, Umroi, Meghalaya.
  • Samudra Shakti: India-Indonesia, Visakhapatnam.
  • SLINEX: India-Sri Lanka, Colombo.
  • PASSEX: India-Greece, Arabian Sea, first edition, involved INS Tarkash.
  • JIMEX: India-Japan.
  • Malabar: Multilateral, Guam, 29th edition, INS Sahyadri participated.
  • BRIGHT STAR: Egypt, 43 nations participated.
  • Ocean Sky: Spain, India participated as first non-NATO country.
  • Talisman: Australia, 19 countries.
  • JEPAAD: Russia.
• Notable Operations:
  • Trashi: Counter-terrorism, Indian Army.
  • Shiva: For Amarnath Yatra.
  • Mahadev: For Pahalgam terror attacks.
  • Shiv Shakti: For Poonch sector counter-terrorism.
  • Sagar Bandhu: For Cyclone Dithwa (named by Myanmar).
  • Sindhu: For Israel-Iran conflict.
  • Operation Burma: For Myanmar earthquake.
  • Absolute Resolve & Midnight Hammer: US and Iran operations.
  • Rising Lion & True Promise: Israel-Iran reciprocal attacks.

Defence Assets and Appointments

Recent changes in defence assets and key appointments are high-yield topics. Focus on names, positions, and unique distinctions.

• INS Vagsheer: Second submarine with a woman president on board; previously APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006 (INS Sindhurakshak).
• INS Sindhughosh: Decommissioned after 40 years.
• INS Kadmat: Participated in 50th Independence Day in Papua New Guinea.
• INS Nistar: First visit to Singapore (Pacific Reach).
• INS Mysore: Fitted with 3D radar.
• INS Tamal: Commissioned from Russia.
• Key Appointments:
  • Praveen Kumar: BSF.
  • Shatrughan Kapoor: ITBP.
  • Rakesh Agarwal: NIA.
  • Parveer Ranjan: CISF.
  • Sanjay Singhal: SSB.
  • Lt. Gen. Virendra Vats: NCC.
  • Prag Jain: RAW.
  • Vishwajeet Sahay: Controller General of Defence Accounts.
  • Pushpendra Singh: 48th Vice Chief of Army Staff.
  • Vice Admiral Sanjay Watson: 47th Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
  • Justice Surya Kumar: 53rd Chief Justice of India.
  • Rajkumar Goyal: 13th Chief Information Commissioner.
  • Attorney General: Reappointed (Article not specified).
  • Vivek Chaturvedi: CBIC.
  • B Sai Ram: Coal India.
  • Arun Singhal: NGSC.
  • Inderjit Saini: NSC.
  • Ajay Seth: IRDAI.
  • R. Doreswamy: LIC.
  • Rajiv Ranjan: Vice President, New Development Bank.
  • Urjit Patel: Executive Director, IMF.
  • Daniel Cart: First Deputy Managing Director, IMF.
  • Sanjay Garg: BIS.
  • Sunil Paliwal: IWAI.
  • Rajit: FSSAI.
  • Mithush Minaj: President, BCCI.
  • Shanta Tangaswamy: First President, Indian Women’s Cricket Association.
  • Sanjog Gupta: CEO, ICC.

Awards and Recognitions

Awards, especially those recently in news or with first-time recipients, are frequently tested. Focus on recipient, award, and context.

• Canton Armiller Award: First time awarded to Sonali Ghosh, Director, Kaziranga National Park.
• Sakharov Prize: Awarded by European Parliament to Andrez (Belarus) and Mizia (Georgia).
• Global Humanitarian Award: Anant Ambani.
• Time Entertainment of the Year: Leonardo DiCaprio.
• Time Person of the Year: Architects of AI (collective title).
• Booker Prize: David Szalay for "Flash Novel".
• Booker Prize Shortlist: Kiran Desai for "Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny".
• International Booker Prize: Bhanu Mustaq for "Heart Lamp" (Kannada language).
• PEN Painter Prize: Leela for work on Muslim women’s rights.
• PEN Translation Award: Geetanjali Shree for "Once Element Lived Here" (Hindi).
• FIFA Peace Prize: Donald Trump.
• Mrs. Universe (India): Sherry Singh, Delhi (first Indian winner, 40th edition).
• Miss Universe 2025: Fatima Bose, Mexico.
• 34th Saraswati Samman: Badre Swami for Sanskrit, established 1991 by KK Birla Foundation.
• Indian of the Year: Jay Shah.
• PV Narasimha Rao Award: Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• Filmfare Awards:
  • Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for "Jigra".
  • Best Actor: Kartik Aryan & Abhishek Bachchan (shared).
  • Best Film: "Lata Ladies".
  • Best Director: Sudipto Sen for "The Kerala Story".
• National Film Awards:
  • Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey (first time for both).
  • Best Actress: Rani Mukherjee (first time).
  • Best Feature Film: "12th Pass".
  • Best Hindi Film: "Kathal".
  • Best Children’s Film: "Naal 2".
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2023): Mohanlal (Malayalam actor).
• UNEP Champion of the Earth: Supriya Sahu.
• UN Population Award: Varsha Deshpande.
• Nobel Prize for Biodiversity: BB Fatima Women Self Help Group, Karnataka.
• MS Swaminathan Award: Adamola, Nigeria.
• Ramon Magsaysay Award: Educated Girls Child; first recipient Vinoba Bhave.
• Hockey Magic Skill Award: Deepika Saharmat.
• Magic Creator Award: Suhani Sai.

International Summits, Conferences, and Agreements

Summits, conferences, and international agreements are often tested for their location, edition, and key outcomes.

• 20th G20 Summit: Johannesburg, South Africa.
• World Summit on Disaster Management: Dehradun.
• UNESCO Intangible Heritage: 16th heritage—Diwali; 20th meeting at Red Fort, New Delhi.
• APEC Summit: South Korea.
• NAM Summit: Kampala, Uganda.
• WTO Traditional Summit: New Delhi.
• BIMSTEC:
  • 6th Summit: Thailand.
  • Marine Research Conclave: Kochi.
  • Port Conclave: Visakhapatnam.
  • Young Leader: Guwahati.
  • Traditional Music Festival: New Delhi.
• BRICS:
  • 17th Summit: Brazil, theme "Strengthening Global South Cooperation".
  • 18th Summit: To be hosted by India.
• ASEAN:
  • 47th Summit: Timor-Leste became 11th member.
  • Malaysia handed over chairmanship to Philippines.
• SCO Summit: Tianjin, China.
• India-Bhutan: Rail project initiated.
• India-Nepal: MoU for power transmission.
• India-Saudi Arabia: MoU for maritime relations.
• India-Jordan: 75 years of diplomatic relations celebrated.
• UN Human Rights Council: India elected as member for 2026–2028 (7th time).
• Global Coast Guard Summit: 4th edition in Rome (2025), 2027 to be hosted in Chennai.

Environmental and Biodiversity Developments

Environmental events, biodiversity conventions, and unique technological advancements are important for current affairs.

• CITES: Completed 50 years (est. 1975); COP held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
• China:
  • Building world’s first nuclear blast-resistant floating island.
  • World’s first solar thermal plant in Gobi Desert (China-Mongolia border).
• Russia:
  • Nuclear-powered cruise missile "Burevestnik": Range 14,000 km, duration 15 hours.
  • Launched "Poseidon" nuclear underwater drone.
• Maldives: First country to implement generation tobacco ban.
• Australia: Raised age limit for tobacco to 16 years.
• Malaysia & Denmark: Social media ban under 16 (Malaysia, Australia), under 15 (Denmark).
• Sweden: First cashless society.
• UNESCO: 16th intangible heritage—Diwali; 20th meeting at Red Fort, New Delhi.

Books and Authors in News

Books by prominent personalities and on significant themes are often asked. Focus on title, author, and subject.

• "The Dhawan": By Shikhar Dhawan.
• "Believer Dalmia": On Atal Bihari Vajpayee, by Abhishek Chaudhary.
• "The Man Who Fed India": On MS Swaminathan, by Priya Madidra.
• "Why the Constitution Matters": By DY Chandrachud.
• "Great Sense Hack": By Urjit Patel.
• "Ready, Relevant and Resurgent": By CDS.
• "Operation Sindoor": By KGS Dhillon.
• "Mother Mary Comes to Me": By Arundhati Roy.
• "Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny": By Kiran Desai.
• "Different but Not Less": By Anupam Kher.

International and National Appointments

Recent appointments, especially firsts and women achievers, are high-probability questions.

• First Woman President, Suriname: Jennifer.
• First Woman, Press Club of India: Sangeeta Bura.
• Kirti Suresh: UNICEF India Celebrity Advocate.
• Deepika Padukone: Mental Health Ambassador; first Indian on Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Lt. Astha Poonia: First woman fighter pilot, Indian Navy.
• Uma Kanjalia: First woman Vice Chancellor, IGNOU.
• Sukanya Sonawala: Brand Ambassador, Commonwealth Peace.
• Notable International Leaders:
  • Ukraine PM: Yuriy.
  • Myanmar PM: You No.
  • France PM: Sebastian.
  • Thailand PM: Ayutin (newly elected).
  • Russia: First to recognize Taliban as official government.

Language, Words, and Cultural Highlights

Recent selections for word of the year and cultural installations are sometimes asked.

• Oxford Word of the Year: "Rizz".
• Cambridge Word of the Year: "Parasocial".
• Collins Word of the Year: "Vibe".
• Ashoka Pillar Replica: Installed in Sri Lanka.

Exam-Focused Traps and Patterns

Exam setters often focus on location, edition number, and country swaps rather than numbering errors. Pay attention to these patterns.

• Most summits and conferences are held in New Delhi unless otherwise specified.
• For defence exercises, focus on those held within India or involving Indian assets.
• For awards, note first-time recipients, women achievers, and language distinctions.
• For international events, remember new members, handovers, and unique bans or recognitions.

Special Focus: High-Yield One-Liners

• K4 Missile: Submarine-launched, tested from INS Arihant.
• Net Power Lex: Indian Coast Guard, Chennai coast.
• Malabar Exercise: 29th edition, Guam, INS Sahyadri participated.
• Diwali: 16th UNESCO Intangible Heritage, 20th meeting at Red Fort, New Delhi.
• Maldives: First to implement generation tobacco ban.
• First Indian Mrs. Universe: Sherry Singh, 40th edition.
• First woman fighter pilot, Indian Navy: Lt. Astha Poonia.
• First woman President, Suriname: Jennifer.
• First woman, Press Club of India: Sangeeta Bura.
• First cashless society: Sweden.
• First non-NATO country in Ocean Sky: India.

These points cover the most exam-relevant current affairs, focusing on defence, appointments, awards, international events, environment, and cultural highlights as explicitly stated.