GK One-Liners

What: INS Aridhaman is India’s third Arihant-class SSBN (Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear), designated S4, displacing approximately 7,000 tonnes. It was commissioned on 3 April 2026 at Visakhapatnam by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Its Sanskrit name means ‘Vanquisher of Foes’, and it was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre (SBC), Visakhapatnam.

How: INS Aridhaman is powered by a Compact Light Water Reactor (CLWR) of 83 MW, developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). It carries 8 vertical launch tubes — double the 4 on INS Arihant — and can carry either 8 K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) with a 3,500 km range, or 24 K-15 Sagarika SLBMs with a 750 km range. India now operates three SSBNs: INS Arihant (2016), INS Arighaat (August 2024), and INS Aridhaman (April 2026).

Why: This commissioning makes India’s nuclear triad — land, air, and sea-based nuclear delivery — fully operational, enabling Continuous At-Sea Deterrence (CASD). This is a landmark strategic milestone frequently tested in UPSC Prelims (GS-III: Security), CDS, and NDA. Key MCQ anchors: SSBN class, designation S4, reactor type, missile types and ranges, commissioning date, Project Varsha base.

What: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted Deemed University status under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956, in the ‘Distinct Category’. This enables NCERT to independently offer Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG), and Doctoral programmes across its constituent institutions.

How: The status covers six constituent Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) — located in Ajmer (Rajasthan), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Mysuru (Karnataka), and Shillong-Northeast (Meghalaya) — plus the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE), Bhopal. These institutions, previously affiliated under other universities, can now award degrees directly under NCERT’s umbrella.

Why: This development is relevant for UPSC (GS-II: Education Policy, UGC Act), Banking (RBI Grade B), and SSC exams. Key MCQ anchors: Section 3 of UGC Act 1956, ‘Distinct Category’ designation, 6 constituent RIEs with their states, PSSCIVE Bhopal, UG/PG/Doctoral authority.

What: The CASA (Current Account + Savings Account) ratio — the proportion of CASA deposits to total bank deposits — fell to 37.9% in the December 2025 quarter, its lowest in two years, down from 40.1% in December 2023. Within this, the savings account share fell by 210 basis points (bps) to 28.9%. CASA deposits are a key metric for banks as they represent low-cost funds.

How: The decline is driven by depositors shifting funds toward higher-yield alternatives: Mutual Funds (MFs), equities, and gold. Certificate of Deposit (CD) issuances by banks hit a record Rs 15.5 lakh crore in FY26 (Financial Year 2026), up 17% year-on-year (YoY), as banks actively sought alternative short-term funding. A lower CASA ratio raises banks’ cost of funds and compresses net interest margins.

Why: CASA ratio is a staple in Banking exams (IBPS PO, RBI Grade B, SBI PO) and appears in UPSC Prelims Economy sections. Key MCQ anchors: CASA full form, 37.9% (Dec 2025), 2-year low, 210 bps savings decline, Rs 15.5 lakh crore CD record, 17% YoY growth, impact on net interest margins.

What: Mission MITRA (Mapping of Interoperable Traits & Reliability Assessment) is an ISRO-led human spaceflight preparatory mission conducted at 3,500 metres altitude in Leh, Ladakh, from 2 to 9 April 2026. It was inaugurated virtually by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan on 2 April 2026. The four Gaganyatris (astronaut-designates) are: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and P. Balakrishnan Nair.

How: The mission was designed by ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) in collaboration with the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Logistics were managed by Protoplanet Pvt Ltd, a Bengaluru-based startup. The high-altitude environment simulates physiological stressors of spaceflight — hypoxia, reduced pressure — and assesses the crew’s physiological, psychological, and operational performance under extreme conditions.

Why: Mission MITRA directly feeds into Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight mission targeting 2027 — a 3-day mission with 3 astronauts at 400 km orbit. This is a high-yield topic for UPSC Prelims (GS-III: Science & Technology), CDS, and NDA. Key MCQ anchors: full form of MITRA, altitude (3,500 m), Leh location, 4 Gaganyatris’ names, HSFC, IAM, Gaganyaan target year (2027).

What: SAMPANN (System for Accounting and Management of Pension) is a cloud-based, end-to-end digital pension management system developed by the Controller General of Communications Accounts (CGCA) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Ministry of Communications (MoC). In April 2026, both the Goa Government and the Cochin Port Authority (CPA) adopted the SAMPANN platform, expanding its reach beyond the central government telecommunications sector.

How: SAMPANN digitises the entire pension lifecycle — from service records and retirement processing to monthly pension disbursement and grievance redressal — on a unified cloud platform. By eliminating paper-based processing and manual ledger entries, it reduces processing time and errors. The adoption by Goa State and CPA indicates SAMPANN is being positioned as a scalable pension infrastructure model for state governments and autonomous bodies.

Why: Digital governance initiatives like SAMPANN are tested in Banking exams (RBI Grade B: Finance & Management), SSC, and UPSC GS-II (Governance, E-Governance). Key MCQ anchors: SAMPANN full form, developed by CGCA, under DoT/MoC, cloud-based pension system, April 2026 adopters (Goa Government + Cochin Port Authority).

What: The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026 was held from 25 March to 3 April 2026 across three cities in Chhattisgarh: Raipur, Jagdalpur, and Surguja. The games were launched by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, MoYAS) in Raipur. The official mascot was ‘Morveer’. Karnataka emerged as the overall champion with 23 Gold, 8 Silver, and 7 Bronze medals (38 total), followed by Odisha (57 total, 2nd) and Jharkhand (35 total, 3rd).

How: The games were organised by MoYAS in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federations (NSFs), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and the Chhattisgarh State Committee. Seven medal sports were contested: Archery, Athletics, Football, Hockey, Swimming, Weightlifting, and Wrestling — with Athletics contributing the highest medal share. Mallakhamb and Kabaddi featured as demonstration sports.

Why: KITG 2026 marks the first edition of this new format under the Khelo India umbrella, specifically focused on tribal sporting talent. It is testable in UPSC Prelims, SSC, and State PSC exams (especially Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka PSCs). Key MCQ anchors: inaugural edition, host state (Chhattisgarh), 3 cities, mascot ‘Morveer’, Karnataka as champion, 7 medal sports, demonstration sports (Mallakhamb, Kabaddi), total medals (338), organised under MoYAS.