The Government of India has announced 131 Padma Awards on the eve of Republic Day 2026. The awards include 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri recipients.
Key Highlights:
Conferred by the President of India.
Total Awards (2026)
Padma Vibhushan โ 5
Padma Bhushan โ 13
Padma Shri โ 113
Padma Vibhushan 2026 Awardees:
Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) โ Art โ Maharashtra
K T Thomas โ Public Affairs โ Kerala
N Rajam โ Art โ Uttar Pradesh
P Narayanan โ Literature & Education โ Kerala
V S Achuthanandan (Posthumous) โ Public Affairs โ Kerala
About Padma awards:
Instituted in 1954
Among the highest civilian awards in India, after the Bharat Ratna.
Padma Vibhushan โ Exceptional and distinguished service (2nd highest civilian award)
Padma Bhushan โ Distinguished service of a high order (3rd highest)
Padma Shri โ Distinguished service in any field (4th highest)
Kaamya Karthikeyan, an 18-year-old from Mumbai, has become the youngest Indian to reach the South Pole. She has also achieved the remarkable feat of scaling the Seven Summits (highest peaks on each continent)
Seven summits:
The Seven Summits challenge involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. The seven summits (Continent-wise Highest Peaks) are:
Asia: Mount Everest (8,848 m / 29,029 ft) โ Located on the border of Nepal and China, it is the highest point on Earth.
South America: Aconcagua โ Located in Argentina, it is the highest peak in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
North America:Denali โ Formerly known as Mount McKinley, it is located in Alaska, USA.
Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro โ A dormant volcano in Tanzania, it is the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
Europe: Mount Elbrus โ An inactive volcano in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia.
Antarctica: Vinson Massif โ The most remote of the summits, located in the Sentinel Range.
Parakram Diwas is observed every year on January 23 to mark the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.
Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar:
Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar award established to recognize individuals and institutions for their outstanding service in the field ofย disaster management.
Instituted inย 2019, the award is announced annually onย January 23rd, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (celebrated asย Parakram Diwas).
Recent awardees are:
Institutional Category: Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority
Individual Category: Lt. Col. Seeta Ashok Shelke
Key facts related to Subash Chandra Bose:
Political mentor: Chittaranjan Das
Spiritual influence: Swami Vivekananda
1938 (Haripura Session): Elected President of the Indian National Congress; set up the National Planning Committee
1939 (Tripuri Session): Re-elected after defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya, leading to ideological differences with Mahatma Gandhi.
Founded the All India Forward Bloc in 1939.
Took command of the INA (Azad Hind Fauj) in Singapore (originally formed by Mohan Singh)
Formed the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, an all-women combat unit led by Captain Lakshmi Sahgal
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) recently reached a historic milestone, celebrating 25 yearsof connecting rural India. With over 7.87 lakh kilometers of roads completed out of 8.25 lakh kilometers sanctioned, it remains the backbone of rural economic transformation and accessibility.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojanaย (PMGSY):
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)ย is a flagship nationwide program launched by the Government of India onย December 25, 2000. Its primary goal is to provideย all-weather road connectivityย to unconnected rural habitations to facilitate poverty reduction and socio-economic development
Its objective is to linking unconnected habitations with:
a population ofย 500 or moreย in plain areas
250 or moreย in hill states, tribal areas, and desert areas.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
Union Cabinet extended the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) until the fiscal year 2030โ31. This move aims to ensure long-term social security for India’s unorganized workforce.
About Scheme:
Atal Pension Yojana (APY)ย is a government-backed pension scheme in India primarily targeted at workers in the unorganised sector. Launched in 2015, it provides aย guaranteed minimum monthly pensionย of โน1,000 to โน5,000 after the age of 60, depending on the subscriber’s contribution and age of joining
Age: Must be betweenย 18 and 40 years.
Citizenship: Must be anย Indian citizen.
Regulatory Body: The scheme is administered and regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
The Government of India has officially issued the notification for the 16th National Census, originally delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic. This exercise is critical as it marks a historic shift in Indiaโs demographic data collection, introducing digital-first methodology and the first nationwide caste count since 1931.
Key Highlights of Census 2027:
The Census will be executed in two distinct phases to ensure comprehensive data accuracy
Phase I: House-listing & Housing Census (April โ September 2026): Each State and Union Territory will designate a 30-day window within this period to identify and list residential structures across the country.
Phase II: Population Enumeration (February 2027): The actual counting of individuals and collection of socio-economic data will occur during this month.
Major Policy Shifts:
Digital Transformation: This is India’s first “Paperless Census.” Data will be collected via mobile applications.
Caste-Based Enumeration: In a landmark decision, the 2027 Census will include a specific count of castes. While the 1931 Census was the last to do this nationwide, this is the first time in Independent India that such data will be collected during the general census
Static General Knowledge Link: Key Facts
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
Governed by the Census Act, 1948
1872: The first non-synchronous census was conducted under Lord Mayo.
1881: The first synchronous (complete and simultaneous) census was held under Lord Ripon.
2027 Edition: This will be the 16th Census of India overall and the 8th Census since Independence.
Seventh Schedule: The Census is a Union Subject listed under Entry 69 of List I.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved $372 million funding for 36 environmental projects in developing countries. The move supports global efforts to achieve biodiversity targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022)
Global Environment Facility:
Established in 1991, theย Global Environment Facility (GEF)ย isย the worldโs largest multilateral fund dedicated to the environment. It serves as an independent financial mechanism for several major international conventions, helping developing countries and transition economies address urgent environmental challenges.ย
GEF Supports 5 Major International Conventions:
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF):
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), also known as The Biodiversity Plan, is a landmark international agreement adopted on 19 December 2022 during the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is often described as the “Paris Agreement for Nature,” serving as the global roadmap to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030
It has four global goals:
Restore and protect ecosystems & species
Ensure sustainable use of biodiversity
Fair and equitable sharing of genetic resource benefits
Mobilize finance, technology, and capacity-building
