NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Bihar–Jharkhand Sign MoU to Resolve 25-Year-Old Sone River Water Dispute
- Bihar and Jharkhand have signed a MoU to resolve their 25-year-old Sone River water-sharing dispute, ensuring improved irrigation and drinking water supply for both states.
- Key Highlights: Under the agreement, Bihar will receive 5.75 million acre-feet (MAF) of water, while Jharkhand will get 2 MAF, resolving the dispute over the 7.75 MAF allocation made under the 1973 agreement for undivided Bihar. The pact is expected to provide irrigation benefits to lakhs of farmers and strengthen drinking water availability across several districts.
- Signed in the presence of the Union Home Minister, it is the fourth inter-state water-sharing agreement in 2026, promoting cooperative water management, rural development and sustainable resource utilisation.
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UPI Payments Enabled Across Uzbekistan via National UZQR
- NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL) has partnered with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre (NIPC), operator of the HUMO payment system, to enable UPI-based merchant payments across Uzbekistan through the UZQR network.
- About Agreement: Indian travellers can now use UPI-enabled apps to scan Uzbekistan’s national interoperable UZQR codes and make instant merchant payments across the country.
- Regulatory Approval: The partnership received approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU), which designated HUMO as NIPL’s authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance.
- Significance: Integration of UPI with Uzbekistan’s Unified National QR (UZQR) infrastructure provides near-universal acceptance across participating retail, hospitality and service merchants, strengthening India–Uzbekistan digital payment connectivity under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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BANKING | ECONOMY CURRENT AFFAIRS
NCDEX Launches ‘RAINCHNNAI’ Weather Derivatives for Chennai’s Northeast Monsoon
- National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) has launched RAINCHNNAI, a futures contract designed to help market participants hedge financial risks arising from variations in Chennai’s Northeast (retreating) Monsoon.
- About RAINCHNNAI: The contract uses a Cumulative Deviation Rainfall model and is based on official rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The Northeast Monsoon contributes nearly 70% of Chennai’s annual rainfall and significantly affects southern India.
- Development: RAINCHNNAI was developed by NCDEX in collaboration with IIT Bombay, building on its experience with RAINMUMBAI. Together, the contracts support monsoon-risk management from June to December.
- About RAINMUMBAI: It is India’s first SEBI-approved exchange-traded weather derivative, based on Mumbai’s monsoon rainfall data.
- Weather Derivatives: These financial instsruments help hedge risks from rainfall variability, temperature changes, droughts, excessive snowfall and storms.
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INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
China Tests GJ-21 Stealth UAV as Type 076 ‘Sichuan’ Enters Final Sea Trials
- China has tested the GJ-21 stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) alongside the final sea trials of the Type 076 Sichuan, enhancing its carrier-based unmanned combat and amphibious warfare capabilities.
- About GJ-21: The GJ-21 is the navalised variant of the GJ-11 “Sharp Sword” stealth attack drone, specifically designed for carrier and flat-deck operations.
- About Type 076 Sichuan: e 40,000-tonne Type 076 Sichuan is the world’s first amphibious assault ship equipped with an integrated electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear system.
- Key Features: The ship is designed to launch both crewed and uncrewed fixed-wing aircraft, including the GJ-21 stealth UAV, as well as helicopters, significantly strengthening China’s naval aviation and expeditionary capabilities.
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DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
HAL & Safran to Develop India’s First High-Power Helicopter Engine
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and France’s Safran Helicopter Engines have signed an agreement to jointly develop ‘Aravalli’, India’s first indigenously designed high-power helicopter engine, for the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH).
- Key Highlights: The engine will be developed through the 50:50 joint venture SAFHAL Helicopter Engines Pvt Ltd, providing lifecycle support for a 3,500–4,000 shaft horsepower engine. It marks the first high-power helicopter engine designed and developed in India and will be manufactured at Tumakuru, Karnataka.
- The Aravalli engine: It is named after India’s oldest mountain range, aims to strengthen Aatmanirbhar Bharat in aerospace propulsion. Its design is expected to be completed by 2032–33, subject to approvals from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
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ENVIRONMENT CURRENT AFFAIRS
4th Indo-German Environmental Forum Held in New Delhi
- The 4th Indo-German Environmental Forum was held in New Delhi to strengthen bilateral cooperation between India and Germany on environment and climate change. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider co-chaired the forum.
- Forum Theme: “Together for More Resilience”. It highlights the need for climate-resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable development pathways.
- Significance: It serves as the highest-level bilateral engagement between India and Germany on environmental policy, facilitating multi-stakeholder discussions and cooperation.
- Background: The forum has been held since 2008 and is organised in association with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business and Indian industry associations.
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SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
US Open 2026 Announces Record $108 Million Prize Money
- US Open 2026 announced a record USD 108 million (approximately ₹1,000 crore) prize pool, the highest for any tennis tournament, amid demands from leading players for a greater share of tournament revenues.
- Key Highlights: The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive USD 5.5 million, a 10% increase from 2025 and the highest champions’ prize in tennis history.
- Main-draw singles first-round prize money rises 27% to USD 140,000, while qualifying first-round payouts increase 16% to USD 32,000. Men’s, women’s and mixed doubles champions will receive USD 1 million per team.
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FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
- The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, held in Belgium and the Netherlands, concluded with Germany winning the men’s title and Argentina emerging as the women’s champions.
- Men’s Champion: Germany successfully defended its title by defeating Spain 1-0 in the final at Wavre, Belgium, becoming the first men’s team to win back-to-back FIH Hockey World Cup titles on two separate occasions.
- Historic Achievement: Germany secured its fourth Men’s Hockey World Cup title, equalling Pakistan’s record for the most men’s World Cup titles.
- Women’s Champion: Argentina (Las Leonas) defeated hosts Netherlands 3-1 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, clinching the Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 title.
- Runners-up: Spain (Men) and Netherlands (Women).
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STATES CURRENT AFFAIRS
Bihar Launches Vidya Saathi App
- Bihar Government has launched ‘Bihar Vidya Saathi’, a 24×7 one-on-one interactive learning platform for Class 9–12 students, providing live teacher support and digital learning resources to improve academic outcomes.
- Key Features: The initiative will benefit around 3 lakh students across 700 Saraswati Vidya Niketan Model Schools in all 38 districts of Bihar. Around 75,000 teachers will offer round-the-clock personalised 1-on-1 academic assistance, allowing students to choose teachers based on their learning needs.
- Coverage: The platform covers all subjects for Classes 9–10 and supports board exam, JEE and NEET preparation for Classes 11–12. It also integrates AI-powered learning tools to enhance conceptual understanding, practice and continuous self-study.
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Veligonda Project Phase-I Inaugurated
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated Phase-I of Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Project, a major irrigation project aimed at addressing irrigation and drinking water needs in drought-prone regions by diverting Krishna River water.
- Veligonda Project: It diverts 43.5 TMC of floodwater from the Srisailam Reservoir to the Nallamala Sagar Reservoir through two 18.8 km-long tunnels across the Nallamala Hills.
- Objective: To provide irrigation to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to 15 lakh people across 30 mandals in Markapuram, Nellore and Kadapa districts.
- Phase-I Highlights: The first phase stores 10.70 TMC of Krishna River water in Nallamala Sagar, providing irrigation to 1.19 lakh acres and drinking water to nearly 4 lakh people, offering long-term relief to drought- and fluoride-affected areas.
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