Delhi Hosts First International Film Festival at Bharat Mandapam | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
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.
- 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.
Hockey India 8th Annual Awards 2025 | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
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 | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
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.
Meghalaya Signs Reform-Linked MoU under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
Why in News?
Meghalaya has signed a reform-linked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Government under the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, becoming the 12th state to join the mission’s reform-based implementation framework.
Key Points
- 12th State: Meghalaya became the 12th state to sign the reform-linked MoU under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.
- Approval of JJM 2.0: The second phase of the mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 10th March 2026.
- MoU: The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil and Minister of State V. Somanna, while Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma participated virtually.
- The framework promotes decentralised governance by empowering Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) to manage village-level water supply systems.
- District Water Sanitation Missions (DWSMs) will prepare village-level action plans and monitor implementation of water supply projects.
- Focus: The MoU emphasises reliable and sustainable rural drinking water services, ensuring adequate quantity and quality of water to rural households on a regular basis.
- Coverage: The state has already achieved around 83% rural tap water coverage under the mission and aims to reach 100% household tap connections.
- National Target: The mission aims to ensure universal rural tap water supply (“Har Ghar Jal”) by December 2028, supported by an additional ₹1.51 lakh crore outlay for implementation.
- Jal Jeevan Mission: Launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the mission aims to provide safe and adequate piped drinking water to every rural household in India.
Government Extends PM E-DRIVE Scheme Till March 2028 | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
Why in News?
The Government of India has extended the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme till March 2028, citing slow utilisation of allocated funds and the need to accelerate electric vehicle adoption.
Key Points
- Extension: The Centre has extended the tenure of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme until 31st March 2028.
- The subsidy for electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) has been extended until 31st July 2026, while incentives for electric three-wheelers such as e-rickshaws and e-carts will continue until 31st March 2028.
- Reason: The government stated that slow fund utilisation occurred due to phased implementation, milestone-based fund release, and evolving readiness of EV segments.
- Objective: The scheme aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and support the development of EV infrastructure across India.
- Launch: The PM E-DRIVE scheme was launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Heavy Industries to promote sustainable and green mobility
- Financial Outlay: The scheme has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore, aimed at providing incentives for EV purchase and infrastructure development.
- Eligible Vehicle Categories: Incentives under the scheme cover electric two-wheelers, electric three-wheelers, e-buses, e-trucks, e-ambulances, and EV charging infrastructure.
India Leads Globally in Issuing Compliance Certificates under Nagoya Protocol | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
Why in News?
India has emerged as the global leader in issuing Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) under the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
Key Points
- Global Leader: India has issued 3,561 IRCCs out of a global total of 6,311, accounting for over 56% of all certificates worldwide, making it the leading country in implementing the protocol.
- The certificates are recorded on the ABS Clearing-House, a global platform designed to promote transparency and accountability in the use of genetic resources.
- Limited Participation Globally: Out of 142 countries registered on the ABS Clearing-House platform, only 34 countries have issued IRCCs so far.
- After India, the countries issuing the highest number of certificates include France (964), Spain (320), Argentina (257), Panama (156), and Kenya (144).
- Purpose of IRCCs: IRCCs serve as official proof that Prior Informed Consent (PIC) has been obtained and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) have been established between users and providers of genetic resources.
- These certificates help track the use of genetic resources from research and innovation to commercial applications, ensuring that benefits are shared fairly with the provider country.
- Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Framework: The ABS framework ensures that when biological resources such as plants and microorganisms are used by companies or researchers, the benefits are shared with local communities and farmers who conserve these resources.
- Nagoya Protocol: The Nagoya Protocol is an international agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity that aims to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources.
- The Nagoya Protocol was adopted on 29th October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.
- Came into Force: 12th October 2014.
- India ratified the protocol in 2012
Virat Kohli Becomes First Player to Score 4,000 Runs in IPL Chases | National Current Affairs | 01 Apr 2026
Why in News?
Virat Kohli created history in the Indian Premier League by becoming the first player to score more than 4,000 runs while chasing targets in the tournament.
Key Points
- Match: The milestone was achieved during the opening match of IPL 2026 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Venue: The historic feat took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
- Nickname: Because of his consistent ability to perform in pressure situations during run chases, Kohli is popularly known as the “Chasemaster.”
- Key Achievements:
- He became the captain of the Indian Under-19 cricket team and led the side to victory in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2008.
- Won the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year four times (2012, 2017, 2018, 2023) and was also named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2018.
- Broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record by scoring 50 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs), the highest ever in ODI history as of 2023.
- Received major national honours, including the Arjuna Award (2013), Padma Shri (2017), and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018).
- Became the highest run-scorer in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and led Royal Challengers Bangalore to their first IPL title in 2025.