State PCS - West Bengal (WBCS)

• 01 Apr 2026

Delhi Hosts First International Film Festival at Bharat Mandapam

Why in News? 

The first edition of the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) 2026 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. 

Key Points 

• About: The first edition of the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) is being organised from 25–31 March 2026 in New Delhi, establishing a global platform for cinema and filmmakers.  
  • Focus Country: Spain. 
• Organising Authority: The festival is organised by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) in association with the Government of Delhi. 
• Opening Film: The festival opened with the Spanish-language film Sirât, directed by Oliver Laxe.  
• Global Participation: The festival features over 130 screenings from 47 countries, selected from more than 2,000 film submissions from 101 countries, showcasing diverse global cinema. 
• Objective: The festival aims to position New Delhi as a global hub for cinema and filmmaking and to promote film tourism under the city’s broader film policy initiatives. 
• Cultural Events: The opening ceremony featured a tribute marking 150 years of “Vande Mataram”. 
• Awards and Honours: During the inaugural event, Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred on prominent film personalities including Sharmila Tagore, Dharmendra, and Nandamuri Balakrishna for their contributions to Indian cinema.  

Read More: 150 years of “Vande Mataram” 

Hockey India 8th Annual Awards 2025

Why in News? 

The 8th Annual Awards ceremony of Hockey India was held in New Delhi to honour outstanding performers and contributors to Indian hockey during the 2025 season. 

Key Points 

• About: The Hockey India Annual Awards, instituted in 2014, recognise outstanding performances by players, officials, and state units contributing to the growth of hockey in India.  
• Player of the Year Awards:  
  • Hardik Singh won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Men). 
  • Navneet Kaur received the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Women). 
    • Each award carried a cash prize of ₹20 lakh. 
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Former Indian captain Zafar Iqbal was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.  
  • He was part of India’s gold medal-winning team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.  
    • Includes a cash prize of ₹25 lakh.  
• Position-Wise Awards: 
  • Goalkeeper of the Year: Bichu Devi Kharibam – Hockey India Baljit Singh Award. 
  • Defender of the Year: Sanjay – Hockey India Pargat Singh Award. 
  • Midfielder of the Year: Sumit – Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award. 
  • Forward of the Year: Sukhjeet Singh – Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award. 
    • Each of these awards carried a ₹5 lakh prize. 
• Best Member Unit Award: Hockey Jharkhand received the award for its contribution to the development of hockey at the grassroots level. 
• Upcoming Player of the Year (Under-21): 
  • Men: Prince Deep Singh won the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award. 
  • Women: Sakshi Rana received the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award. 
    • Both awards carried ₹10 lakh each. 

Sheetal Devi Named World Archery’s Para Archer of the Year 2025

Why in News? 

Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi has been honoured with the ‘Para Archer of the Year 2025’ title at the World Archery Awards for her outstanding performances in international para-archery competitions. 

Key Points 

• Historic Achievement: The 19-year-old athlete from Jammu and Kashmir became the first and only female armless archer to win a gold medal at the World Para Archery Championships 2025.  
• World Championship Gold: She won the women’s compound individual event at the championship held in Gwangju, South Korea.  
  • At the same championships, she also secured a silver medal in the women’s team event and a bronze medal in the mixed team event, completing a full set of medals. 
• Other Achievements: She even won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and silver medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games. 
  • She was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2024. 
• Unique Technique: Born without arms, Sheetal Devi uses her feet, legs, and shoulder to draw and release the bow, demonstrating exceptional skill and determination in the sport. 
• Other awards: 
  • Archer of the Year: Emircan Haney of Turkey. 
  • Young Archer of the Year: Baptiste Addis of France. 
  • Best Team of the Year: South Korea men's recurve archery team from South Korea. 

Read More: 2024 Paris Paralympics