• “Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit” is Norway’s highest honour conferred on foreign Heads of Government; PM Narendra Modi became the recipient in May 2026.

• The award was conferred by King Harald V of Norway during PM Modi’s Norway visit - the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years.

Interlink:
https://t.me/bpscweb/44037

https://t.me/bpscweb/43878

#CA2026
#AWARD
#VISIT

• FIFA World Cup 2026 Theme/Slogan: “WE ARE 26”

• FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico - first FIFA World Cup with 48 teams and 3 host countries.

• Official mascots:
– “Maple” (Moose – Canada)
– “Zayu” (Jaguar – Mexico)
– “Clutch” (Bald Eagle – USA).
• Tournament dates: 11 June – 19 July 2026; final at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA).

• Total host cities: 16
– USA: 11
– Mexico: 3
– Canada: 2

• Mexico will become the first country to host FIFA World Cup 3 times -1970, 1986 and 2026.

• FIFA World Cup 2026 will have 104 matches - highest in World Cup history.

• Official anthem/song: “Dai Dai”(We’re Ready) by Shakira and Burna Boy.

• Official match ball: “TRIONDA” by Adidas; inspired by colours/themes of USA, Canada and Mexico.

• Indian actress Nora Fatehi is set to perform at FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Toronto, Canada.

#CA2026
#SPORTS

ASHA Model = “Automated Solar-powered High-efficiency Irrigation Water Application”- a Bihar Water Resources Department pilot project using solar-powered pressurised pipeline irrigation for year-round, timely irrigation to farmers.

• The model uses surface water + solar energy–based pressurised pipe distribution system, aiming to improve water-use efficiency, reduce diesel/electricity dependence, and promote sustainable irrigation.

• First ASHA pilot project was inaugurated at Kalyanpur village in Paliganj block of Patna district in May 2026

#BIHARspecial

• Tushar Kumar became the youngest Indian-origin mayor in Britain at the age of 23, elected as Mayor of Borehamwood (often written as Elstree & Borehamwood).

• He belongs to the United Kingdom Labour Party and earlier served as Deputy Mayor before assuming the mayoral office.

#CA2026
#PERSON
👇🏻👇🏻

Researchers from IIT Madras (led by Sundargopal Ghosh and Stutee Mohapatra) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (in collaboration with Eluvathingal Jemmis) have successfully synthesized a completely carbon-free molecule that mimics the famous "sandwich" structure of ferrocene.

PADMA AWARDS

#CA2026
#AWARD

Squadron Leader Sanya became the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force to qualify as a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI).

#CA2026
#FIRST
#WOMAN
👇🏻👇🏻

Bihar has achieved about 94.5% 5G population coverage - higher than the national average (86.18%), Uttar Pradesh (85.25%), and Karnataka (79.92%); rural-focused expansion is a major reason behind Bihar’s strong 5G reach.

#BIHARspecial

Centre has constituted a high-level committee on “demographic change”, headed by retired SC judge by Justice Prabhakar Naolekar (retired), to assess demographic shifts linked to illegal immigration and abnormal population patterns.

#CA2026
#COMMITTEE

Project Zero” is Kerala’s anti-corruption initiative launched in 2026 to enable confidential public reporting of graft and ensure zero tolerance towards corruption through strengthened vigilance mechanisms.

#CA2026
#STATE