GK One-Liners

What: The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor is a 213-km, 6-lane access-controlled expressway connecting Akshardham in Delhi to Dehradun, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 April 2026. Built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore, it is managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

How: The corridor cuts travel time from approximately 6.5 hours to just 2.5 hours. Its key engineering features include 10 interchanges, 3 Rail Over Bridges (ROBs), a 12-km elevated wildlife corridor — the longest such structure in Asia — along with 8 animal passages and 2 dedicated elephant underpasses to minimise disruption to the Shivalik forest ecosystem.

Why: This topic maps to UPSC GS-3 (Infrastructure) and is highly relevant for Banking/SSC exams. Key MCQ anchors: total length (213 km), cost (Rs 12,000+ crore), wildlife corridor length (12 km — Asia’s longest), travel time reduction (6.5 hrs → 2.5 hrs), and inauguration date (14 April 2026). Watch for a direction trap — the corridor runs Delhi to Dehradun, not Delhi to Haridwar.

What: Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (FoF 2.0) is a government initiative with a Rs 10,000 crore corpus to channelise capital into Indian startups through SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). The nodal ministry is the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) as the primary Investment Adviser (IA).

How: Unlike FoF 1.0 (2016) which was sector-agnostic and committed to 145 AIFs covering 1,370+ startups, FoF 2.0 narrows focus to four strategic segments: Deep Tech, Early Stage, Innovative Manufacturing, and Technology Startups. It covers the 16th and 17th Finance Commission cycles. An Empowered Committee (EC) chaired by Amardeep Singh Bhatia (Secretary, DPIIT) governs fund allocation. Gigin Technologies provides AI-powered Verification Intelligence for the ecosystem.

Why: Relevant to UPSC GS-3 (Indian Economy, Startups) and Banking exams (RBI Grade B, IBPS PO). Key MCQ anchors: corpus size (Rs 10,000 crore — same as FoF 1.0, a number trap), implementing agency (SIDBI, not DPIIT directly), the 4 focus segments, and the EC chair. Common swap trap: confusing SIDBI’s role (IA) with DPIIT’s role (nodal ministry).

What: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and GE Aerospace of the United States have established an in-country Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) depot for F404-IN20 engines — the powerplant used in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A. The IAF owns and operates the depot while GE provides technical support. The development was announced on 13 April 2026.

How: The depot will service 20 engines by December 2026. Separately, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has a USD 1 billion (approximately Rs 8,870 crore) deal with GE for the procurement of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines to power the expanded Tejas Mk1A fleet. This in-country MRO capability is a key step toward reducing India’s dependence on foreign repair facilities and aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) defence policy.

Why: This is a high-yield topic for UPSC GS-3 (Defence Technology, Internal Security) and CDS/NDA exams. Key MCQ anchors: engine designation (F404-IN20), aircraft (LCA Tejas Mk1/Mk1A), HAL deal value (USD 1 billion / Rs 8,870 crore), number of engines in HAL deal (113), and MRO target (20 engines by Dec 2026). Watch for a body trap — IAF operates the depot, not HAL or GE.

What: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its World Economic Outlook (WEO) for April 2026, titled “Global Economy in the Shadow of War.” It projects India’s GDP growth at 6.5% for FY2026–27 — an upward revision of 10 basis points (bps) from the earlier estimate of 6.4% — and maintains the same 6.5% forecast for FY2027–28. India’s inflation is projected at 4.7% for FY27.

How: At the global level, the IMF projects calendar year 2026 GDP growth at 3.1% and global inflation at 4.4%. The WEO is a flagship publication released twice yearly (April and October) and is watched closely by policymakers, rating agencies, and markets. The IMF is headed by Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, is headquartered in Washington D.C., and was established in 1944.

Why: Relevant to UPSC GS-3 (Indian Economy, International Institutions) and RBI Grade B / IBPS PO. Key MCQ anchors: India FY27 GDP (6.5%), the 10-bps upgrade (from 6.4% — number trap), WEO title, global growth (3.1%), IMF MD name, and establishment year (1944). A common year trap: conflating FY27 and FY28 estimates — both are 6.5% for India.

What: Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty (20 years, World No. 25) won the Men’s Singles Silver medal at the 43rd Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) 2026, held at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre in Ningbo, China from 7–12 April 2026. This made him the first Indian to reach the BAC Men’s Singles final in 61 years.

How: The last Indian to reach the BAC Men’s Singles final before Shetty was Dinesh Khanna in 1965 — a gap of six decades. The championship was organised by Badminton Asia in partnership with the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA). South Korea topped the medal tally with 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze.

Why: Sports GK is high-frequency across SSC, Banking, and State PSC exams. Key MCQ anchors: edition number (43rd), venue city (Ningbo), year gap (61 years), last Indian finalist (Dinesh Khanna, 1965), Shetty’s world ranking (No. 25), and overall champion nation (South Korea). Watch for an outcome trap — Shetty won Silver, not Gold.

What: A new gecko species named Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis — commonly called the Raimona bent-toed gecko — has been discovered in the Kokrajhar district of Assam, near Raimona National Park. The species belongs to the genus Cyrtodactylus, which is among the most diverse gecko genera in South and Southeast Asia. The discovery was published in the international taxonomy journal Zootaxa.

How: The gecko has a snout-vent length of 71.1 mm. The species name (raimonaensis) is derived from the adjacent Raimona National Park, following standard biodiversity nomenclature practice. Raimona National Park was declared India’s 54th national park in 2021, located in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam.

Why: Relevant to UPSC GS-3 (Environment, Biodiversity) and State PSC exams with ecology sections. Key MCQ anchors: scientific name (Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis), location (Kokrajhar, Assam), associated protected area (Raimona NP — declared 2021), publication journal (Zootaxa), and snout-vent length (71.1 mm). Watch for a location trap — Kokrajhar district, not Kamrup or Kaziranga.