Static GK Notes — General Knowledge for Competitive Exams

Bimal Jalan Committee: Recommended the Economic Capital Framework range of 4.5 percent to 7.5 percent for the Contingent Risk Buffer.
Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934: Mandates the transfer of surplus profits from the RBI to the Central Government.

RBI

RBI Toughens Loan Recovery Regulations with Device Lock and Communication Restrictions

26 May 2026

IIBF: Indian Institute of Banking and Finance
RBI Governor: Shaktikanta Das
RBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
RBI Established: April 1, 1935

Individual Achievements

Gurindervir Singh and Vishal TK Shatter National Records at 2026 Federation Cup in Ranchi

25 May 2026

The Federation Cup 2026 was held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Ranchi is known as the 'City of Waterfalls' due to its numerous scenic falls.

App Launches

Social Justice Ministry Rolls Out JEEVAN App and SHATAYU Dashboard for Elder Care

25 May 2026

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is responsible for welfare, social justice, and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society.
JEEVAN stands for Joint Elderly Empowerment and Virtual Assistance Network.

Unique Achievements

ITBP and BSF All-Women Mountaineering Teams Conquer Mount Everest in Historic Feat

25 May 2026

The Border Security Force (BSF) was established on December 1, 1965, and is primarily tasked with guarding India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was raised in 1962 and primarily guards the Indo-China border.

Defence Manufacturing

Private Sector Defence Boosted as Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Shirdi Complex and Suryastra Launcher

25 May 2026

NIBE Limited is a Pune-based defense technology company.
Shirdi is located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

Rankings

BWSSB Ranks Among Top Five Global Water Utilities at Madrid Summit 2026

25 May 2026

The Global Water Summit 2026 was hosted in Madrid, Spain.
SDG 6 targets ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

International Awards

ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 Honored with Goddard Astronautics Award 2026

25 May 2026

AIAA is the world's largest aerospace technical society.
August 23 is celebrated as National Space Day in India to commemorate the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.

International Awards

Major Abhilasha Barak Conferred with UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025

25 May 2026

The UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was instituted in the year 2016.
UNIFIL is a peacekeeping mission established by the UN Security Council in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

International Organizations

Saudi Arabia Inducted as the Newest Member of the India-Led International Big Cat Alliance

25 May 2026

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) focuses on the protection of: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.

Mission Launches

India Achieves Milestone as Digital Health Records Cross 100 Crore Linked Under ABHA

25 May 2026

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 September 2021.
The National Health Authority (NHA) implements ABDM under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

RBI

RBI Central Board Reviews Balance Sheet Expansion and Financial Metrics at 623rd Meeting

25 May 2026

The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The headquarters of RBI was permanently moved from Kolkata to Mumbai in 1937.

Winners

Gurindervir Singh and Vishal TK Shatter National Records at 2026 Athletics Federation Cup

25 May 2026

Athletics Federation Cup 2026 Venue: Ranchi, Jharkhand
First Indian to break 45-second barrier in 400m: Vishal TK
100m National Record holder (2026): Gurindervir Singh (10.09s)

Digital Banking

Fintech Skydo Bags Crucial Payment Service Provider Approvals from RBI & GIFT City

25 May 2026

GIFT City: Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
PA-CB Framework Full Form: Payment Aggregator-Cross Border
Fintech Company: Skydo

Research Initiatives

BWSSB Ranks in Top Five Global Water Utilities at Madrid Summit 2026

25 May 2026

Global Water Summit 2026 Host: Madrid, Spain
UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for all by 2030
BWSSB Flagship Project: Cauvery Stage V Drinking Water Project

Policies, Rules & Regulations

India Surpasses 100 Crore ABHA-Linked Digital Health Records Under ABDM

25 May 2026

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) Launched: 27 September 2021 by PM Narendra Modi
Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA)
ABHA Digit ID length: 14-digits

International Organizations

Saudi Arabia Joins India-Led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as 26th Member Country

25 May 2026

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) launched in: 2023
Number of targeted big cat species: 7 (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma)
Total IBCA member count: 26 member countries and 5 observer nations

First-ever Initiative

Historic Feat: ITBP and BSF All-Women Mountaineering Teams Successfully Summit Mount Everest

25 May 2026

ITBP Established: 24 October 1962
BSF Established: 1 December 1965
BSF Director General (2026): Praveen Kumar
Mount Everest officially recognized height: 8,848.86 meters

Defence Manufacturing

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Private Artillery Shell Plant and 'Suryastra' Launch System

25 May 2026

Nibe Limited HQ: Pune, Maharashtra
Elbit Systems HQ: Haifa, Israel
Universal Rocket Launching System Name: Suryastra

International Awards

Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Mission Honoured with 2026 Goddard Astronautics Award

25 May 2026

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) HQ: Reston, Virginia, USA
Goddard Award Named after: Robert H. Goddard, father of modern liquid rocketry
Chandrayaan-3 Landing Date: 23 August 2023 (now celebrated as National Space Day in India)

International Awards

Major Abhilasha Barak Honoured with UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award 2025

25 May 2026

UNIFIL Headquarters: Naqoura, Lebanon
UNIFIL Established: March 1978
UN Military Gender Advocate Award established: 2016

RBI

RBI Approves Landmark ₹2.87 Lakh Crore Surplus Transfer to Central Government for FY26

25 May 2026

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) established: 1 April 1935 under RBI Act 1934
RBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
RBI Governor (in 2026 context): Sanjay Malhotra

International Awards

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan and Prof. Manindra Agrawal Elected as Fellows of the Royal Society

25 May 2026

The Royal Society, established in London in 1660, is the oldest continuously functioning scientific academy in the world.
Professor Manindra Agrawal was previously awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 for his milestone work in Science and Engineering.

Missiles

India Successfully Test Fires Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher System off Odisha Coast

25 May 2026

The Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha, serves as the primary multi-range testing ground for India's domestic rockets, missiles, and air defense systems.
NIBE Limited is an Indian engineering enterprise specializing in manufacturing specialized components for the country's defense sector.

National Parks

India's Reintroduced Cheetah Population Rises to 53 Under Project Cheetah

25 May 2026

Cheetahs were officially declared extinct in India in 1952 due to continuous hunting and loss of habitat.
Project Cheetah is recognized globally as the first intercontinental wild carnivore translocation and reintroduction initiative.
Kuno National Park is situated in the Sheopur and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Infrastructure Projects

India Approves Critical Chenab River Hydropower and Tunnel Projects Worth ₹2,600 Crore

25 May 2026

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed in Karachi in 1960 between India and Pakistan, mediated by the World Bank.
Under the IWT, Pakistan received primary rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), while India retained limited rights for run-of-the-river power, irrigation, and non-consumptive uses.
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), a Premier PSU under the Ministry of Power, was established in 1975.

Rules & Regulations

PFRDA Forms Advisory Panels to Modernize Asset Classes and National Pension System Architecture

25 May 2026

The National Pension System (NPS) was launched in January 2004 for government employees and was later opened to all Indian citizens in 2009.
PFRDA is governed by a board comprising a Chairperson, not more than three whole-time members, and not more than three part-time members.

Capital Markets

NCDEX Introduces India's First Exchange-Traded Weather Derivatives Contract 'RAINMUMBAI'

25 May 2026

NCDEX is a leading online multi-commodity exchange in India, established in 2003 and headquartered in Mumbai, regulated by SEBI.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), established in 1875, acts as the primary agency responsible for meteorological observations and weather forecasting.

RBI

RBI Grants Final Prepaid Payment Instrument Issuer License to ZikZuk Technologies

25 May 2026

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was established on April 1, 1935, under the RBI Act, 1934, and nationalized on January 1, 1949.
The Payment and Settlement Systems Act (PSSA), 2007, designates the RBI as the sole authority to regulate and supervise payment systems within India.

Pension Schemes

PFRDA Celebrates Atal Pension Yojana Milestones at Annual Felicitation Ceremony

25 May 2026

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was launched on June 9, 2015, targeting unorganized sector workers aged between 18 and 40 years.
Subscribers under APY are guaranteed a minimum monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 after attaining the age of 60 years.
PFRDA was established in 2003 and granted statutory status through the PFRDA Act, 2013, operating under the Ministry of Finance.

Film Awards

Romanian Drama 'Fjord' Clinches Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival

23 May 2026

Location of Cannes Festival: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes, France
Jury President of Cannes 2026: Park Chan-wook
Palme d'Or Winner film: Fjord (Romania)

Research Initiatives

Scientists Unearth 200-Kilometer Long Ancient Buried River Channel in Uttar Pradesh

22 May 2026

CSIR Director General: Nallathamby Kalaiselvi
NGRI Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana

Digital Platforms

Central Bureau of Investigation Unveils AI-Powered Helpbot 'ABHAY' to Verify Notices

22 May 2026

CBI Director: Praveen Sood
CBI Headquarters: New Delhi
CBI Established: 1963

Rules & Regulations

Bureau of Indian Standards Formalizes E30 Petrol Norms to Propel Higher Ethanol Blending

22 May 2026

BIS Director General: Pramod Kumar Tiwari
BIS Headquarters: New Delhi
Ethanol is commonly produced from: Sugarcane, maize, and agricultural biomass

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