GK One-Liners

What: Noida International Airport, located at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 28 March 2026. Its International Air Transport Association (IATA) code is DXN, and Phase 1 has been built with an investment of Rs 11,200 crore under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with Zurich Airport International AG as the developer.

How: Phase 1 can handle 12 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA), scalable to 70 MPPA across 5 runways by 2040. The 3,900-metre runway supports wide-body aircraft and operates 24×7 with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) for all-weather operations. It also includes a 40-acre Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility and a cargo hub starting at 2.5 lakh MT per year, scalable to 18 lakh MT.

Why: This is the second international airport for the Delhi-NCR region (alongside Indira Gandhi International/DEL), serving Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura, and Agra. Its inauguration makes Uttar Pradesh the state with the highest number of international airports in India. UPSC Prelims frequently tests IATA codes, MPPA figures, and PPP-model infrastructure projects; Mains can link this to urban connectivity and regional economic development.

What: India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR) — defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a designated place where ships in distress can seek shelter to stabilise conditions, protect life, and limit environmental damage — was operationalised on 27 March 2026 by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ). Two sites have been designated: Dighi Port (Maharashtra, west coast, on the Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf route) and Gopalpur Port (Odisha, east coast, on the Bay of Bengal/Malacca Strait route).

How: A tripartite MoU was signed between APSEZ, SMIT Salvage (the salvage and emergency response division of Royal Boskalis Westminster NV, a Dutch maritime giant), and MERC (Marine Emergency Response Centre). Together they provide salvage, wreck removal, firefighting, pollution containment, and emergency coordination for vessels in distress along India’s 11,000+ km coastline.

Why: APSEZ is India’s largest port operator, handling 27% of India’s port cargo across 15 ports, and is also the world’s fastest-growing integrated transport utility. This development is significant for GS-III (infrastructure, maritime security) and for Mains questions on India’s blue economy and shipping safety governance. The IMO definition of PoR and the two designated locations are strong Prelims anchor facts.

What: India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031–35, approved by the Union Cabinet, sets three headline targets: (1) a 47% reduction in GDP emissions intensity by 2035 compared to 2005 levels (India had already achieved 36% by 2020); (2) 60% of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2035 (52.57% achieved by February 2026); and (3) an additional 3.5–4 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent carbon sink through forests by 2035.

How: NDCs are national climate commitments submitted under the Paris Agreement (UNFCCC) and updated periodically. India’s targets build on its earlier NDC pledges and reflect rapid progress in the renewable energy sector — particularly solar and wind — as well as afforestation programmes to enhance the carbon sink.

Why: This is one of the most data-rich items for UPSC Prelims (three distinct quantitative targets, base year 2005, achievement levels). Mains relevance spans GS-III (environment, energy policy), international relations (climate diplomacy), and essay topics on sustainable development. Distractors commonly mix up the percentage figures or base years.

What: The Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Modified UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme with an outlay of Rs 28,840 crore for a 10-year period from FY2026-27 to FY2035-36. The scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations and serve 40 million passengers, focusing on underserved and unserved Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The original UDAN scheme was launched in October 2016.

How: UDAN operates through Viability Gap Funding (VGF), a mechanism where the government subsidises airlines to operate on commercially unviable but socially important routes, making air travel affordable for common citizens. The modified version scales up both the geographic coverage and financial commitment significantly over the previous phase.

Why: UDAN is a flagship aviation connectivity scheme and a frequent subject in UPSC Prelims (full form, launch year, outlay) and Mains GS-III (infrastructure, regional connectivity, PPP in aviation). Questions often test the distinction between UDAN phases and the VGF mechanism. The 10-year timeline and 120-destination target are strong Prelims anchors for this edition.

What: Dr. Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay has been awarded the Saraswati Samman 2025 for his Bengali novel Hara Parbati Katha (published 2020), making him the first Bengali winner in 22 years. The prize, instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation, carries Rs 15 lakh along with a citation and plaque. The selection committee was chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri.

How: The Saraswati Samman is awarded annually for an outstanding literary work in any of the 22 scheduled Indian languages, published within the preceding 10 years by an Indian citizen. The selection involves 22 language committees and 5 regional committees. The award was founded the same year as India’s economic liberalisation and has honoured works across the full spectrum of Indian literary traditions.

Why: Literary awards linked to India’s 22 scheduled languages are a recurring Prelims theme (GS-I: Art & Culture). Key facts to remember: institution year (1991), founder (K.K. Birla Foundation), first recipient (Harivanshrai Bachchan for a four-volume Hindi autobiography), prize amount (Rs 15 lakh), and the 10-year eligibility window for published works. The 22-language scope also connects to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

What: The Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) scheme has been extended by the Union Cabinet for a new term from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 with an outlay of Rs 1,800 crore. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) and classifies as a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). The extended version aligns with the recently enacted Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

How: IVFRT provides the digital backbone for all immigration-related services in India — visa issuance, entry/exit tracking at international borders, foreigners’ registration at Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs), and real-time data sharing with security agencies. Its extension integrates it with the new legislative framework under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which consolidated older laws.

Why: IVFRT is a high-yield Prelims item because it combines an acronym (full form must be known), a ministry (MHA), an implementation agency (BoI), and a legislative link (Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025). For Mains GS-II (governance, internal security), it exemplifies e-governance in national security infrastructure. The Rs 1,800 crore outlay and the 2026–2031 period are likely distractor targets in objective questions.