CDS / OTA Current Affairs · Topic

CDS History, Art & Culture Current Affairs 2026

Culture-related questions — festivals, heritage, classical languages, literature and the anniversaries of historical figures — are a steady part of the CDS general knowledge paper. These explainers take each commemoration or cultural event and teach the history and the facts behind it. Every article carries ten practice MCQs and a note on how the topic is asked.

24 articles · updated 23 October 2026 · page 1 of 2

Latest articles

23 October 2026 Kittur Rani Chennamma and the 1824 Revolt Against British Rule
The birth anniversary of Kittur Rani Chennamma and the 202nd anniversary of her 1824 victory over the East India Company were marked at Prerana Sthal, Parliament, on 23 October 2026. An expl…
23 October 2026 Bastar Dussehra: Inside Chhattisgarh's 75-Day Tribal Festival
The President attended Bastar Dussehra at Jagdalpur on 23 October 2026, meeting tribal leaders at the Muria Darbar. An explainer on India's longest Dussehra, its devotion to goddess Danteshw…
22 October 2026 1,330 Couplets, and a 133-Foot Statue That Counts Them
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0, from 28 November to 12 December 2026, takes the Thirukkural as its theme. An explainer on the Sangamam's five editions and their themes, the structure of the Thiruk…
10 October 2026 A Wick Lamp on a Pallava Temple, and 87 Data Stations Today
India has 205 lighthouses, 75 developed for tourism and 87 carrying AIS shore stations. An explainer on the Marine Aids to Navigation Act 2021, the DGLL, why a light still matters in the GPS…
7 October 2026 4,000 Years of Lost Wax, and a Stole Covered in 1 Word
Chhattisgarh's 16 mementos in the 8th PM Mementos collection feature Dhokra lost-wax casting and a Ramnami Samaj stole. An explainer on cire perdue, the Bastar GI, and the anti-caste movemen…
4 October 2026 A Lodging House in Highgate, and an Urn That Waited 73 Years
Shyamji Krishna Varma's birth anniversary on 4 October 2026. An explainer on India House, the Indian Home Rule Society of 1905 — not to be confused with the Home Rule Leagues of 1916 — and t…
3 October 2026 11 Classical Languages, and the Criterion That Let Pali In
The Ministry of Education approved five Centres of Excellence for Classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit. An explainer on India's eleven classical languages and the 2024 revi…
27 September 2026 6,175 Entries, 270 Selected, 20 Awarded
The Lalit Kala Akademi announced 20 awards at the 65th National Exhibition of Art on 27 September 2026. An explainer on India's three national akademis, how a two-tier jury works, the differ…
8 September 2026 Moirang, 14 April 1944: The Flag, the Army and the Museum the Vice-President Visited
Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan visited the INA Museum at Moirang and Sainik School Imphal on 8 September 2026. An explainer on the Indian National Army from Mohan Singh to Netaji, the Aza…
16 August 2026 Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Punya Tithi: Pokhran, Coalition Dharma and the Reforms That Outlived Him
On 16 August 2026 the Prime Minister paid homage to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal on his Punya Tithi. A CDS/OTA explainer on his three tenures, Pokhran-II, Kargil, the Lahore Declarati…
15 August 2026 Sri Aurobindo at 154: Revolutionary, Editor, Philosopher
On 15 August 2026 the PM paid tribute to Sri Aurobindo on his birth anniversary. A CDS/OTA explainer on his role in the Swadeshi movement, Bande Mataram, the Alipore Bomb Case, the Uttarpara…
14 August 2026 Partition Horrors Remembrance Day: The History Behind 14 August
On 14 August 2026 India observed Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. A CDS/OTA explainer on the road to Partition, the Mountbatten Plan, the Indian Independence Act 1947, the Radcliffe Line a…
7 August 2026 Quit India at 84: The 1942 Movement and the Road to Freedom
On 7 August 2026 Parliament marked the 84th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. A CDS/OTA explainer on the 8 August 1942 resolution, 'Do or Die', Gowalia Tank, Aruna Asaf Ali and the mov…
6 August 2026 India's Intangible Cultural Heritage & the UNESCO 2003 Convention
On 6 August 2026 the Culture Ministry detailed India's intangible cultural heritage work. A CDS/OTA explainer on the UNESCO 2003 Convention, the Representative List, Kutiyattam, Yoga, Kumbh …
3 August 2026 Gyan Bharatam Mission & India's Manuscript Heritage
On 3 August 2026 the Culture Ministry detailed the Gyan Bharatam Mission for manuscripts. A CDS/OTA explainer on the National Manuscript Survey, the National Mission for Manuscripts, palm-le…
1 August 2026 Swami Vivekananda & India's Spiritual Renaissance
On 1 August 2026 the PM inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre at Mysuru. A CDS/OTA explainer on Swami Vivekananda — the 1893 Chicago address, the Ramakrishna Mission, Belur…
30 July 2026 Underwater Archaeology & India's Submerged Heritage
On 30 July 2026 the government detailed ASI underwater exploration at Dwarka, Mahabalipuram and Poompuhar. A CDS/OTA explainer on underwater archaeology, India's submerged heritage sites, th…
25 July 2026 Sarnath Joins the UNESCO World Heritage List
On 25 July 2026 the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List — India's 45th. A CDS/OTA explainer on Sarnath, Buddha's first sermon, the Dhamek Stupa, …
23 July 2026 Lokmanya Tilak — 'Swaraj is My Birthright'
On 23 July 2026 the nation paid tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his birth anniversary. A CDS/OTA explainer on Tilak — the Home Rule League, Lal-Bal-Pal, Kesari & Maratha, Ganesh …
18 July 2026 72nd National Film Awards
On 18 July 2026 the 72nd National Film Awards (for 2024) were announced, with Article 370 winning Best Feature Film. A CDS/OTA explainer on the National Film Awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Awa…

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