Physics — Mechanics, Heat & Electrical Phenomena

Why This Chapter Matters

Current affairs typically fetch 8 to 12 marks in SSC MTS and CHSL General Awareness sections, more than almost any other single topic area. Examiners draw questions from the last 12 to 18 months before the exam, which means this chapter's window (2025 into 2026) sits squarely in the zone you are most likely to be tested on. The biggest mistake aspirants make with current affairs is treating it as a one-time read. Current affairs decay fast, a new appointment replaces an old one, a new record replaces the last one, so this chapter is meant to be your foundation layer, not your final layer.

This chapter covers major national events, government appointments, newly launched schemes, sports achievements, and science developments that were settled and confirmed heading into 2026. Before your actual exam, you must supplement this chapter with the latest three to four months of news, because some facts here (especially officeholders and record-breakers) can shift after this book goes to print. Treat this chapter as your 80%, and your own updated reading as the final 20% that closes the gap.

1. National Events and Political Developments

India's political and administrative landscape saw several notable developments through 2025. The Union Budget 2025-26 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2025, continuing her record as India's longest-serving Finance Minister to present consecutive budgets. The budget maintained its focus on infrastructure spending, direct tax relief for the middle class, and continued push on the "Make in India" and manufacturing agenda.

Exam trap: Students often forget which ministry presents which report. The Union Budget comes from the Ministry of Finance; the Economic Survey (usually released a day before the budget) comes from the Chief Economic Adviser's office, also under the Finance Ministry, but it is a separate document analysing the state of the economy, not the government's spending plan for the year ahead.

India continued hosting and participating in major international forums through 2025, maintaining its increasingly visible role in groupings like the G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). India had held the G20 presidency in 2023, handing it over in subsequent years, but continues to be referenced in exam questions asking which country hosted the G20 Summit 2023 (the answer remains India, held in New Delhi) since that milestone stays fixed and testable regardless of which year you sit the exam.

Several states conducted assembly elections through 2025, and results shaped state governments across the country. Because state election outcomes change quickly and vary by state, this chapter avoids naming specific winners; check your state's current Chief Minister and any recently concluded state election results as part of your final-month revision, since that is exactly the kind of fact that ages fastest.

Padma Awards 2025 were announced around Republic Day, as they are every year, honouring individuals across fields including arts, science, sports, public affairs, and social work under the three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day (25 or 26 January) and this remains a near-certain source of a question or two every exam cycle, so make it a habit to check the fresh list each January closer to your exam date.

2. Government Appointments

Appointments to constitutional and key administrative posts are a reliable current affairs zone because they are factual, singular, and easy to frame as a direct question ("Who is the current Chief Justice of India?" or "Who is the current Chief Election Commissioner?"). A few important posts to track heading into your exam:

• Chief Justice of India (CJI): This post rotates periodically as sitting judges retire by age; always verify the current CJI closer to your exam date, since the tenure of any individual CJI is typically limited to a year or two based on seniority and retirement age.
• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Oversees the Election Commission of India, responsible for conducting free and fair elections at the national and state level; this post also rotates periodically.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor: Heads India's central bank, responsible for monetary policy, currency issuance, and banking regulation.
• Cabinet Secretary: The senior-most civil servant in India, heading the Indian Administrative Service and the Cabinet Secretariat.
• Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC): Oversees recruitment to India's top civil services.

Exam trap: Do not confuse CJI (Chief Justice of India, head of the judiciary) with CEC (Chief Election Commissioner, head of the Election Commission). Both are "C" abbreviations tied to constitutional bodies, and question-setters enjoy testing whether students can tell judiciary from election machinery.

Memory hook: Treat appointment questions like tracking who currently captains your favourite cricket team. Captains change; you would not answer with last season's name. Build the habit of a five-minute check on "who currently holds X post" in your final month of preparation, exactly as you would check today's playing eleven before a match, rather than relying only on this chapter.

Internationally, keep a light eye on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the United States, and heads of India's immediate neighbours (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal), since SSC occasionally tests one international appointment fact per cycle, usually the most globally prominent one at the time.

3. Government Schemes Launched or Expanded Recently

Beyond the major established schemes covered in the previous chapter, 2025 saw continued expansion and refinement of several government initiatives:

• The Ayushman Bharat scheme's coverage was expanded in late 2024 and through 2025 to include senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their income category, extending the ₹5 lakh health cover to a much wider elderly population than before.
• The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (Free Electricity Scheme), launched in February 2024, continued its rollout through 2025, aiming to install rooftop solar panels on one crore households, giving eligible families up to 300 units of free electricity every month.
• The PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched in September 2023, continued supporting traditional artisans and craftspeople (carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, tailors, and similar trades) with skill training, modern tools, and low-interest loans, and remained active through 2025.
• Continued emphasis on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 rollout, with states progressively implementing the 4-year undergraduate programme and restructured school curriculum stages.

Exam trap: Note the year carefully. Ayushman Bharat itself launched in 2018; the extension to senior citizens 70+ is a separate, later expansion (2024), not the scheme's original launch. Exams sometimes test the later date specifically to see if you conflate scheme launch with scheme expansion.

4. Sports Achievements

Indian sport continued its upward trajectory through 2025, building on the momentum from the Paris Olympics 2024, where India's contingent won 6 medals, led by Neeraj Chopra's silver in the javelin throw (having won gold at Tokyo 2020) and a bronze in men's hockey, continuing India's hockey resurgence under the team's recent Olympic cycle.

Cricket remained a major source of current affairs questions. India's men's and women's cricket teams competed across formats through 2025, including bilateral series and ICC events. Always check the most recent ICC World Cup (ODI and T20I) and Champions Trophy results closer to your exam, since a champion team named here risks going stale by the time you sit the paper; what stays reliably testable is the format and hosting pattern of these tournaments (for instance, the Champions Trophy 2025 was hosted in a hybrid format involving Pakistan and neutral venues due to longstanding India-Pakistan cricket arrangements).

Chess continued to be a strong Indian current affairs theme, with D. Gukesh having become the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 2024, at 18 years of age, defeating China's Ding Liren. This fact remains stable and highly testable: Gukesh's achievement is now a settled historical fact rather than a shifting current event, which makes it safer to memorise firmly than an ongoing tournament result.

Badminton, wrestling, and shooting continued producing strong Indian performances at various international meets through 2025; specific medal tallies change quickly, so treat named athletes and tournaments here as a starting point and refresh with the latest results before your exam.

India's shooting contingent had its best-ever Olympic showing at Paris 2024, winning 3 bronze medals, including from Manu Bhaker, who became the first Indian woman to win an individual Olympic shooting medal and the first Indian to win two medals at a single Olympic Games since independence. This is a strong, settled fact worth remembering precisely: two medals, one Games, a genuine first for Indian sport. Swapnil Kusale also won bronze in shooting at the same Games, adding to India's strongest shooting performance at any single Olympics so far.

Kabaddi and hockey also remain reliable current affairs zones. The Indian men's hockey team, after winning bronze at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, is often cited in exam questions as proof of the sport's revival in India after decades outside the medal bracket. Track any upcoming Hockey World Cup or Asian Games hockey results closer to your exam date for the most current details.

Exam trap: Do not confuse Neeraj Chopra's Olympic medals across two Games. He won gold at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic delay) and silver at Paris 2024. Two different colours, two different Games, and students frequently swap them.

5. Science and Technology Developments

India's space programme remained a strong current affairs zone through 2025. Following the historic success of Chandrayaan-3, which made India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and the first country to land near the Moon's south pole in August 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) continued preparing follow-on missions, including work toward the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, India's first crewed space mission, with uncrewed test flights preceding the eventual crewed launch.

Exam trap: Chandrayaan-3's landing site distinction is very specific and very testable: India was not the first country to land on the Moon (that was the erstwhile Soviet Union, decades earlier), but it was the first country to land near the Moon's south pole specifically. Read this fact carefully; examiners test the precise wording, not the general idea.

Aditya-L1, India's first dedicated solar observation mission, successfully reached its intended orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in January 2024 and continued transmitting solar data through 2025, giving scientists a continuous, uninterrupted view of the Sun without the Earth or Moon blocking the view.

In technology and digital policy, India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) continued to be recognised internationally as a model digital payments system, with several countries exploring similar frameworks or direct UPI interoperability agreements through 2025. India's digital payment volumes continued to set global records, a fact regularly referenced in current affairs sections to illustrate India's digital economy growth.

Artificial intelligence policy became an increasingly prominent government focus area through 2025, with continued work on India's IndiaAI Mission, aimed at building domestic AI computing capacity, supporting AI startups, and developing large language models suited to Indian languages. Approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2024 with a substantial multi-year outlay, the mission covers areas ranging from GPU (graphics processing unit) infrastructure for AI training to skilling programmes meant to prepare India's workforce for an AI-driven economy.

6. Awards, Honours, and Recognitions

Beyond the Padma Awards discussed earlier, a few award categories deserve special attention because SSC tests them almost every cycle:

• Nobel Prizes are announced every October, across six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Track the most recent winners in your final revision, particularly any Indian-origin laureate, since that gets extra weight in Indian exams.
• Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, is given rarely, sometimes skipped for several years at a stretch, so check whether any Bharat Ratna was announced in the period just before your exam.
• Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, is awarded annually to a writer for their overall contribution to Indian literature.
• Sports honours like the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (India's highest sporting honour, renamed from the earlier Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) and the Arjuna Award are announced around National Sports Day (29 August), marking the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Exam trap: Remember that the Khel Ratna Award was renamed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021. Older question banks may still reference the old name; if you see "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna" in an option, treat it as the historical name for the same award, not a separate award.

7. Miscellaneous Facts Worth Tracking

A handful of loose-end facts round out this chapter, the kind that show up as a single stray question rather than a full topic:

• India's population crossed China's to become the world's most populous country, a milestone widely reported around 2023 and one that remains a stable, testable fact going forward.
• The census of India, last conducted in 2011, was delayed beyond its usual ten-year cycle; check closer to your exam whether a new census exercise has been scheduled or begun, since this affects several other statistics questions indirectly.
• India continued strengthening its semiconductor manufacturing push through 2025 under schemes aimed at building domestic chip fabrication capacity, part of a broader self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) push in electronics and technology manufacturing.
• G20 presidency was held by India in 2023 (Summit held in New Delhi in September 2023), followed by Brazil in 2024, and by South Africa in 2025, with the United States scheduled to hold it thereafter; the presidency rotates among member countries annually.

Infrastructure milestones also feature regularly in current affairs sections. Through 2024 and 2025, India continued expanding its metro rail network across multiple cities beyond the traditional Delhi and Mumbai systems, with newer lines opening in cities such as Pune, Kochi, and Nagpur, part of a broader urban transport push. The expressway network, including large projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, continued phased opening through this period, positioned as part of the government's larger infrastructure investment push under schemes like Gati Shakti, the National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity launched in 2021 to coordinate infrastructure planning across ministries.

Environmental and climate commitments also stayed in the news. India reaffirmed its commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, a target announced at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, and continued expanding renewable energy capacity, particularly solar and wind, as part of this long-term pledge. Track any updated climate target or COP summit outcome closer to your exam, since these commitments are periodically revised at annual UN climate conferences.

How to use this chapter responsibly: Static facts in this chapter (Chandrayaan-3's landing achievement, Gukesh's World Championship win, the Khel Ratna renaming, Neeraj Chopra's two Olympic medal colours) are safe to memorise as fixed history. Anything phrased with "current," "latest," or "as of" (current CJI, current RBI Governor, latest cricket tournament winner, latest Nobel laureates) needs a fresh check in the weeks before your actual exam date. Keep a small revision sheet of just those changeable facts and update it monthly as your exam approaches; that single habit will do more for your current affairs score than rereading this entire chapter repeatedly.

Quick Revision — One-Line Facts

• Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 in February 2025.
• The Economic Survey is released a day before the Union Budget, analysing the state of the economy.
• India hosted the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi; the presidency has since rotated to Brazil (2024) and South Africa (2025).
• Padma Awards are announced annually around Republic Day (25-26 January).
• The three Padma Award categories are Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
• Ayushman Bharat's cover was extended to citizens aged 70 and above regardless of income, starting late 2024.
• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched February 2024, offers up to 300 units of free electricity monthly to eligible households.
• PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched September 2023, supports traditional artisans with training and low-interest loans.
• India won 6 medals at the Paris Olympics 2024.
• Neeraj Chopra won gold at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024 in javelin throw.
• D. Gukesh became the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 2024, defeating Ding Liren.
• Chandrayaan-3 achieved a soft landing near the Moon's south pole in August 2023.
• India became the fourth country to achieve a soft Moon landing, and the first near the south pole.
• Aditya-L1 reached its orbit around Lagrange Point 1 in January 2024 to study the Sun.
• UPI continues to be recognised globally as a leading digital payments model.
• IndiaAI Mission focuses on building domestic AI computing capacity and Indian-language AI models.
• National Sports Day falls on 29 August, the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand.
• India's highest sporting honour is the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, renamed in 2021.
• India's highest civilian award is the Bharat Ratna, awarded rarely.
• Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honour, awarded annually.
• Nobel Prizes are announced every October across six categories.
• India became the world's most populous country, overtaking China, around 2023.
• The last full Census of India was conducted in 2011.
• The Champions Trophy 2025 used a hybrid hosting format involving Pakistan and neutral venues.
• India continues expanding domestic semiconductor manufacturing under its self-reliance push.
• Gaganyaan is ISRO's upcoming first crewed human spaceflight mission.
• Always verify the sitting CJI, CEC, and RBI Governor in the weeks before your exam.
• The Union Budget comes from the Finance Ministry; it differs from the Economic Survey.
• Aspirants should treat this chapter as a base layer and add the latest 3-4 months of news before the exam.

Memory Tables

Table 1: Fixed Historical Achievements (Safe to Memorise as Settled Facts)

Achievement	Person / Mission	Year
First soft landing near Moon's south pole	Chandrayaan-3 (ISRO)	2023
Youngest ever World Chess Champion	D. Gukesh	2024
Solar observation mission reaches L1 orbit	Aditya-L1 (ISRO)	2024
Olympic javelin gold	Neeraj Chopra (Tokyo)	2021 (held)
Olympic javelin silver	Neeraj Chopra (Paris)	2024
G20 Summit hosted in New Delhi	India	2023
Khel Ratna Award renamed	Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna	2021

Table 2: Fast-Changing Facts to Verify Before Your Exam

Fact Category	What to Check
Chief Justice of India	Current sitting CJI
Chief Election Commissioner	Current sitting CEC
RBI Governor	Current sitting Governor
Latest Nobel laureates	Announced every October
Latest cricket tournament winners	ICC events, bilateral series
State election results	Current Chief Ministers
Latest Padma Award recipients	Announced each January
Latest scheme expansions	Coverage, budget, eligibility changes

Table 3: Scheme Launches Referenced in This Chapter

Scheme	Launch Year
PM Vishwakarma Yojana	2023
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana	2024
Ayushman Bharat cover extension to 70+	2024
Aditya-L1 orbit insertion at L1	2024
Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing	2023

Practice MCQs

Q1. Who presented the Union Budget 2025-26? (a) Piyush Goyal (b) Nirmala Sitharaman (c) Amit Shah (d) Rajnath Singh

Q2. India hosted the G20 Summit in 2023 in which city? (a) Mumbai (b) New Delhi (c) Bengaluru (d) Chennai

Q3. Padma Awards are announced annually around which occasion? (a) Independence Day (b) Republic Day (c) Gandhi Jayanti (d) Constitution Day

Q4. Ayushman Bharat's health cover was extended in 2024 to cover which additional group, regardless of income? (a) Farmers (b) Senior citizens aged 70 and above (c) Government employees (d) College students

Q5. How many medals did India win at the Paris Olympics 2024? (a) 4 (b) 5 (c) 6 (d) 7

Q6. Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in javelin throw at which Olympic Games? (a) Tokyo 2020 (b) Paris 2024 (c) Rio 2016 (d) London 2012

Q7. D. Gukesh became the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 2024 by defeating whom? (a) Magnus Carlsen (b) Ding Liren (c) Viswanathan Anand (d) Vishy Narayan

Q8. Chandrayaan-3 made India the first country to achieve a soft landing near which lunar region? (a) The Moon's equator (b) The Moon's north pole (c) The Moon's south pole (d) The far side of the Moon

Q9. Aditya-L1, India's solar observation mission, reached its orbit around which point in January 2024? (a) Geostationary orbit (b) Lagrange Point 1 (c) Low Earth orbit (d) Lunar orbit

Q10. The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana offers eligible households how many free units of electricity per month? (a) 100 units (b) 200 units (c) 300 units (d) 500 units

Q11. India's highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna Award, was renamed after which personality in 2021? (a) Milkha Singh (b) Major Dhyan Chand (c) Sardar Balbir Singh (d) P.T. Usha

Q12. National Sports Day, marking the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, is observed on: (a) 15 August (b) 29 August (c) 2 October (d) 26 November

Q13. India became the world's most populous country, overtaking which nation, around 2023? (a) United States (b) Indonesia (c) China (d) Brazil

Q14. PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched in September 2023, primarily supports: (a) Software engineers (b) Traditional artisans and craftspeople (c) Farmers (d) College graduates

Q15. The Economic Survey, released a day before the Union Budget, is prepared under which ministry's office? (a) Ministry of Commerce (b) Ministry of Finance (c) Ministry of Home Affairs (d) NITI Aayog independently

Answer Key

Q	Answer	Reason
1	(b)	Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 as Finance Minister.
2	(b)	The G20 Summit 2023 was hosted in New Delhi, India.
3	(b)	Padma Awards are announced every year on the eve of Republic Day, 25-26 January.
4	(b)	Ayushman Bharat extended its ₹5 lakh cover to all citizens aged 70+ starting late 2024.
5	(c)	India won 6 medals at the Paris Olympics 2024.
6	(b)	Neeraj Chopra won silver at Paris 2024, after winning gold at Tokyo 2020.
7	(b)	D. Gukesh defeated China's Ding Liren to become World Chess Champion in 2024.
8	(c)	Chandrayaan-3 landed near the Moon's south pole, a first for any country.
9	(b)	Aditya-L1 reached orbit around Lagrange Point 1 to continuously observe the Sun.
10	(c)	The scheme offers up to 300 units of free electricity monthly to eligible households.
11	(b)	The award was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
12	(b)	National Sports Day falls on 29 August, Major Dhyan Chand's birth anniversary.
13	(c)	India overtook China to become the world's most populous country around 2023.
14	(b)	PM Vishwakarma Yojana supports traditional artisans like carpenters and blacksmiths.
15	(b)	The Economic Survey is prepared under the Finance Ministry's Chief Economic Adviser's office.