1.UNICEF India Names Smriti Mandhana Celebrity Advocate

• UNICEF India appointed Smriti Mandhana as its Celebrity Advocate on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child.
• Smriti Mandhana is the captain of the Indian women's cricket team and an Arjuna Award recipient.
• She was part of the Indian team that won its first ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title in 2025.

2.BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 Begins in New Delhi

• The BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 commenced at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026.
• It is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, under India's BRICS Presidency 2026.
• Theme: “Shared Stories, Shared Futures.”

3.Sunil Bharti Mittal to Receive France’s Highest Civilian Honour

• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was named a recipient of France’s highest civilian honour, the Légion d’honneur, by French President Emmanuel Macron.
• He was awarded the rank of Chevalier (Knight) of the National Order of the Legion of Honour.
• In 2024, he became the first Indian citizen to receive an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) from King Charles III.

4.Indian Army launches 'Bharat Rice' for defence forces

• The Indian Army launched Bharat Rice for defence personnel in New Delhi.
• The Army signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to use its warehousing, manpower and material-handling infrastructure during operational contingencies.
• Procurement will be available in 10 kg and 30 kg bags to ease handling and transportation.

5.INS Tarkash Joins IBSAMAR IX 2026 Naval Exercise

• The Indian Navy’s frontline guided-missile stealth frigate INS Tarkash is participating in the ninth edition of the India–Brazil–South Africa Maritime Exercise (IBSAMAR IX 2026) in South Africa.
• IBSAMAR has been conducted biennially since 2008 under the India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) framework.
• Theme of the ninth edition: “Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain.”

6.Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford Win 2026 Economics Nobel Prize

• American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford won the 2026 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
• The prize recognises their work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.
• The award was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

7.Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Wins F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2026

• Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen won the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore.
• He won by 7.335 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished second.
• The win marked Verstappen’s 73rd career Grand Prix victory and came on his 250th Grand Prix start.

8.Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi Wins ITF W35 Singles Title

• Indian tennis player Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, aged 17, won her maiden professional women’s singles title at the ITF W35 Lagos tournament held at Clube Ténis Lagos in Portugal.
• She defeated Spain’s Celia Cervino Ruiz by 6–4, 6–2 in the singles final.
• Revathi became the youngest Indian woman to win an ITF W35-level singles title, breaking a record previously held by Sania Mirza.