The CDS 2 and NDA 2 2026 exams will be held on 13 September 2026. Current Affairs is an important part of the General Knowledge section, covering major national and international events, defence, sports, awards, appointments, science and technology, and government initiatives. This list of expected Current Affairs for CDS and NDA 2 2026 has been compiled to help aspirants revise the most important events quickly and effectively before the examination.
Expected Current Affairs for UPSC CDS/NDA 2 2026 Written Exam
The Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah, Uttar Pradesh and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch, Gujarat have been added to India's Ramsar network. India is one of the contracting parties to the Convention on Wetlands (known as the Ramsar Convention), signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India signed the convention on February 1, 1982.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced these significant initiatives in the Union Budget 2026-27. For the first time, the government has formally recognized the creative economy or 'Orange Economy,' which includes sectors such as animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC).
The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) recently concluded a significant joint exercise, 'Agni Pariksha', near Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 50th Raising Day (Golden Jubilee) on February 1, 2026. The Indian Coast Guard was established on February 1, 1977, with only 7 ships. Its motto is 'Vayam Rakshamah' (We Protect).
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz won his first Australian Open title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The tournament originated in 1905 at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne. It has been played on hard courts since moving to Melbourne Park in 1988.
Indian Railways has launched its first LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)-diesel dual-fuel DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train. Under this initiative, the coaches of a 1,400 HP DEMU train have been converted to a dual-fuel system.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the grant of Miniratna Category-I status to Yantra India Limited (YIL) on February 2, 2026. The criteria for Miniratna Category-I status include: The company must have consistently earned profits for the last 3 years. Net Worth: The company's net worth must be positive. Debt: The company must not have defaulted on any loan or interest payments to the government.
Dalai Lama, at the age of 90, won his first Grammy Award for his spoken-word album "Meditations”. He was awarded in the Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category.
The 13th edition of the joint military exercise "Khanjar" between India and Kyrgyzstan was held in Misamari, Assam. Exercise Khanjar is an annual joint special forces military exercise between India and Kyrgyzstan, which commenced in 2011.
Queen Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck of Bhutan was awarded the 22nd Upendra Nath Brahma 'Soldier of Humanity' Award, 2025, in Kokrajhar, Assam. She was honored for her exceptional humanitarian work.
The Indian Under-19 cricket team has won the ICC Under-19 Men's World Cup for a record sixth time, defeating England by 100 runs in the final played on February 6, 2026. This is India's sixth Under-19 World Cup title (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2026), the most by any country.
The 2027 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships will be held in New Delhi from December 1-10. New Delhi will also host an ISSF World Cup in April 2027.
Rubal Nagi, a teacher and social worker from Jammu and Kashmir (originally from Mumbai), has won the prestigious GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026 (a $1 million award). Nagi received the award for establishing over 800 learning centers in slums through her 'Rubal Nagi Art Foundation' (RNAF) and for her art-based education initiative, 'Living Walls of Learning'.
Goa has become the second state in India to publish its own bird atlas. Kerala was the first state in India to publish a state-level bird atlas. A book titled "Birds of Goa: Konkani Nomenclature - Olakh Suknyanchi," which provides local Konkani names for birds, was also released.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, with a brilliant batting performance, defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final played in Vadodara to win their second Women's Premier League title.
Alwar district in Rajasthan has become the first Indian district to achieve 100% insurance coverage under the 'Insurance for All by 2047' scheme.
The V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu has become the first major port in India to deploy an indigenous anti-drone system. The system is capable of detecting, tracking, and jamming unauthorized drones within a range of up to 5 km.
ISRO has selected the Mons Mouton region near the lunar south pole for its ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, which is scheduled for launch around 2028. Chandrayaan-4 will be India's first lunar sample return mission. India launched its first lunar mission on October 22, 2008 using a PSLV-C11 rocket.
India won the SAFF Under-19 Women's Championship title by defeating Bangladesh in the final. The SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) was founded in 1997, and its current secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 by Transparency International: India ranked 91st, an improvement of 5 places from the previous year (96th). Denmark remains in the first position, followed by Finland & Singapore. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) was first released in 1995.
India has been honored as the 'Country of the Year' at BIOFACH 2026 (the world's largest organic food fair) held in Nuremberg, Germany.
Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh has been selected as the pilot district under the 'World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector'. Under this scheme, a warehouse with a capacity of 500 metric tonnes (MT) has been constructed.
Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 released by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): China has surpassed the United States to become the world's largest R&D spender. India ranks 7th globally, with R&D spending recorded at $75.7 billion. WIPO was established through the WIPO Convention, signed on July 14, 1967. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
India's passport ranks 75th in the Henley Passport Index. Indian citizens can travel to 56 countries without a prior visa. Singapore leads the index with access to 192 destinations.
India topped the medal tally at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships 2026, winning a total of 94 medals, including 51 gold, 23 silver, and 20 bronze. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) hosted the competitions in India. It was formed on April 17, 1951. Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
Central government launched, country's first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System (PDS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu over the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, Assam. This six-lane bridge connects Guwahati and North Guwahati. It is the first extradosed prestressed concrete bridge in Northeast India.
Kerala has become the first state in India to approve a long-term comprehensive urban policy for planned urbanization over a 25-year period.
The Indian Army hosted the first IMACC (International Military Sports Council) in February 2026 in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, in which teams from 7 countries (Bhutan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia) and Indian Army participated.
President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the 'Ol Chiki' script in Baripada (Mayurbhanj district), Odisha. The Ol Chiki script was invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925.
The Indian Navy inaugurated the Milan Village at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. The event marks the formal commencement of Exercise Milan 2026. Exercise Milan was initiated in 1995 as a biennial exercise by the Indian Navy.
India and France signed an MoU to manufacture Hammer missiles in India. Hammer missiles are being used in Rafale fighter jets. Hammer in English means - Highly Aisle Modular Munition Extended Range. The attack range of a Hammer missile is roughly 60 to 70 kilometers.
India has commissioned its first private sector helicopter final assembly line (FAL) with the inauguration of the Airbus H125 plant in Vemagal, Karnataka. It is a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and European giant Airbus. The world-famous H125 helicopter (famous for landing on Mount Everest) and its military version, the H125M, will be assembled here.
The Earthshot Prize 2026 award ceremony was held in Mumbai, the first time in an Asian city. It was launched in 2020 by Prince William and The Royal Foundation. The Earthshot Prize is also known as the 'Nobel Prize of the Environment'.
Kerala has become the first state in India to declare tidal flooding as a 'State-Specific Disaster'. Tidal flooding is also known as 'Sunny Day Flooding'.
India and the United States officially announced India's accession to the "PAX Silica" alliance as its 10th member during the "AI Impact Summit" held in New Delhi. "PAX" means peace, and "silica”.
This ₹8,175 crore lithium-ion battery gigafactory, to be set up in Kuppam (Chittoor district), Andhra Pradesh, will be India's largest ever. The project is part of a strategic investment or collaboration between Reliance Industries and Amara Raja. The plant's target capacity is 16 GWh.
The Indian Army successfully conducted "Exercise Vajraghat" in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. The "Pralay" missile system, the advanced K9-Vajra self-propelled howitzer, and the indigenous "Nag" missiles were extensively demonstrated.
The historic St. Joseph's Cathedral, located within the Vasai Fort, Maharashtra, has been awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards 2025 for preserving its cultural heritage.
President Droupadi Murmu created history as first Indian President to fly indigenous LCH Prachand helicopter as co-pilot in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on February 27 2026 targeting Taliban infrastructure in Afghanistan, described as open war by the Defence Minister.
Jammu and Kashmir won its maiden Ranji Trophy title defeating eight-time champions Karnataka on February 28 2026 at KSCA Stadium, Hubli.
India inaugurated its first semiconductor assembly and testing plant by Micron Technology in Sanand, Gujarat for DRAM and NAND chips.
First edition of Khelo India Tribal Games was held from March 25 to April 6 2026 in Raipur, Jagdalpur, Surguja with mascot Morveer.
India defeated New Zealand in the final held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India became the first team to win two consecutive T20 World Cups.
Denmark Becomes First EU Country to Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis.
India has launched its first "SkyCast" system to track and monitor thick fog up to 3 km, aiming to significantly reduce flight and train delays.
According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report, India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9.
The United Nations has placed Israel and Russia on its global blacklist focusing on conflict-zone violations and sexual violence.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Prominent economist Neelkanth Mishra has been appointed as India's Executive Director at the World Bank.
India and the United Kingdom jointly launched the Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) in New Delhi to secure essential mineral supply chains.
India officially designated Surha Tal (Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary) in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, as its 100th Ramsar Site on World Environment Day.
Kerala launched HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) for wildlife crime tracking and judicial integration.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj bagged the Gold Award for its Panchayat Audit Online initiative (PAI 2.0) under the National Awards for e-Governance 2026.
India dominated the inaugural World Yogasana Championship held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, finishing at the top of the medal tally with 114 medals.
India defeated host Japan 4–1 in Kakamigahara to secure a historic and record third Men's U-18 Asia Cup Hockey title.
Assam exported its first consignment of GI-tagged Tezpur Litchis to Dubai and Singapore.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a veteran experimental test pilot with more than 3,300 flying hours, has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS).
Senior Advocate Venkita Mohana became the second woman directly elevated to the Supreme Court from the Bar.
Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open.
Varanasi became India's first city integrated into the new Easy Connect Hub-and-Spoke Aviation Model.
Indian shooting legend and national coach Jaspal Rana passed away at the age of 49. He coached Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker.
Legendary Rajasthani Maand folk singer Gavri Devi passed away at the age of 98.
India overtook Brazil and Indonesia to become the world's third-largest domestic aviation market.
Sudarsan Pattnaik won the Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026.
Lt General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff of India and will assume office on June 30.
India hosted the Global Wind Day Conference in Goa under the theme: "Wind Energy: From Ambition to Acceleration”.
Telangana Government launched the Breakfast and Milk Scheme for students from pre-primary to Class XII.
IIT Hyderabad has established CODENE (Centre for Design and Engineering in Nuclear Energy), India's first dedicated nuclear engineering design center.
India has successfully restored 21.76 million hectares of degraded land between 2011 and 2020 under the Bonn Challenge.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2026. Sweden secured the first position globally, while India improved by two places and ranked 70th.
Indian jurist Bimal N. Patel has been elected Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for a nine-year term.
Renowned physicist Prof. Jainendra K. Jain has been awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics for his pioneering work in condensed matter physics and composite fermion theory.
Senior Indian official Vivek Aggarwal has been elected Vice-President of FATF for the term July 2026–June 2027.
India secured the Gold Medal in the men's 4x100m relay event with a season-best performance.
Osmania University became the first university in India to receive four BIS-certified ISO management certifications simultaneously.
The Indian Coast Guard inducted its first fully indigenous hovercraft H-561 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Indian women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur became the first cricketer in the world to play 200 T20 International matches.
Meta Platforms announced that CRED founder Kunal Shah will take over as the Global Head of WhatsApp. Along with this, Meta will acquire a 20% minority stake in CRED for $900 million.
India secured the 13th position globally in the latest AI-Economy Readiness Index and ranked 1st among lower-middle-income countries.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced that India has become the world's leading ship recycling nation with a 35.4% share of the global ship recycling market.
The Ministry of Finance upgraded Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited from Miniratna Category-I to Navratna status.
India is hosting the 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting on 25–26 June in Gurugram, Haryana, under the theme "सर्वेषां ऊर्जम् (Energy for All).”
Thirty-five countries, including India, signed a landmark Statement on Artificial Intelligence during the 2nd Pax Silica Summit held in Washington D.C.
India launched Operation Amistad, a rapid Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission to earthquake-affected Venezuela.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the 'Guardian of the Blue Horizon', the highest civilian honour of Seychelles.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated the world's first carbon-free hydrogen production plant using advanced nuclear process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at IGCAR, Kalpakkam.
At Hockey India Awards 2026, Navneet Kaur and Hardik Singh received Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Players of the Year.
Under the revamped UDAN scheme approved recently, the government proposed developing 100 new airports across India to boost regional air connectivity.
As per World Economic Forum report, India's electronics industry grew to $130 billion forming the base of the electro-tech ecosystem.
World Tuberculosis Day 2026 observed on 24 March 2026 under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB” to raise awareness globally.
Manipur recently launched the “Ningol Van” Initiative statewide to promote women-led forest conservation and empower local women across communities.
RBI launched Medium-Term Strategy Framework Utkarsh 3.0 for 2026-2029 to guide central banking reforms and future regulatory initiatives.
Manav Thakkar won the men's singles title at Senior National Table Tennis Championships 2026 defeating opponents in the final round.
Government of India recently approved RELIEF scheme to support exporters affected by West Asia disruptions and logistics challenges.
According to UNIGME Report 2025, India's Under-5 Mortality Rate stood at 27 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
Total outlay of Rs 2,584.60 crore approved for Small Hydro Power Development Scheme for period 2026-2031 implementation recently.
English novel Crimson Spring won Sahitya Akademi Award 2025 for outstanding literary contribution and impactful storytelling excellence recently.
The film “One Battle After Another” won the Best Picture award at the 98th Academy Awards Oscars 2026 ceremony held recently.
The Supreme Court granted 12 weeks maternity leave to adoptive mothers irrespective of child's age in a landmark ruling recently.
Roger Binny and Rahul Dravid received Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at BCCI Naman Awards 2026.
Delhi Cantonment Board launched SMART sanitation monitoring system, Swachhata Monitoring and Automated Reporting Tool, for effective cleanliness tracking.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported India remained world's second-largest arms importer during 2021-2025 period globally as per data.
India and Canada recently signed a $2.6 billion uranium supply agreement to strengthen energy cooperation and long-term strategic partnership.
International Women's Day 2026 observed globally on 8 March with the theme Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.
Scientists studied mysterious X-ray flares from ULX M74 X-1 in the Messier 74 galaxy in March 2026 to understand origins.
In March 2026, Indian Navy conducted IONS Maritime Exercise IMEX TTX 2026 to strengthen cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
Revise these CDS NDA Current Affairs 2026 regularly, focusing on important facts, personalities, organisations, defence exercises, awards, appointments, schemes, and major national and international developments. Use this compilation as a quick revision resource alongside your static GK preparation to strengthen your overall General Knowledge for the CDS 2 and NDA 2 2026 examinations.
