Recent Current Affairs related to Gujarat

Ambaji Mohanthal, a traditional sweet offering of the Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, a pilot of flydubai, will receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, the highest civilian bravery award of Israel. He is recognised for preventing a potential catastrophe aboard an aircraft.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has designated four major and commercial facilities as the first “mega ports” of India under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.

The identified ports include the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Nhava Sheva, Paradip Port, Deendayal Port in Kandla, and the Mundra Port operated by the Adani Group.

The “mega port” status is granted for a 5-year duration, subject to periodic reviews, based on specific operational benchmarks. To qualify for this status, a bulk port must register an annual cargo throughput of at least 150 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT), while a container port is required to handle a minimum of 7.5 Million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (MTEUs).

Union Minister Amit Shah has flagged off India’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered train from the Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

During the event, he also inaugurated various railway development projects worth ₹1,472 crore and the Wide Gauge, Alternating Current, Goods (WAG-12) Maintenance Shed for railway locomotive engines, built at a cost of ₹700 crore.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation stone for the first port-based e-methanol production facility in India at the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla, Gujarat.

The project is being developed as a Joint Venture between the DPA and the Assam-based Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (APCL) with a total investment of ₹2,300 crore. The facility is designed to produce 150 tonnes of e-methanol per day to support maritime decarbonisation and establish India as a global green energy exporter.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, along with CM of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel, has inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is to be noted that this makes India the first South Asian nation to host the forum.

The event was organised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with Finland, under the theme “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity”. During the inaugural session, two publications were released: “Best Practices for Reuse of Treated Sewage” and “Driving Sustainability - A Guide to India’s Circular Economy and EPR Initiatives”.

Hirav Shah, a business strategist, has launched his business novel titled “SAARATHI” in Ahmedabad.

The book, which achieved bestseller status on Amazon India on the day of its launch, was independently published by the author and is distributed globally primarily through the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform of Amazon.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an MoU with Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) to establish a simplified and time-bound framework for granting approvals to facilitate the crossing of National Highways, canals, and pipelines across Gujarat.

According to the 40th edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 40) released by Z/Yen Partners, in collaboration with the China Development Institute (CDI), the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is ranked 37th globally.

New York is ranked top among the global financial centres, followed by London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has inaugurated the NIELIT-Infineon Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

It is to be noted that the CoE is established in collaboration with Infineon Technologies at the NIELIT facility in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Gaurang Vyas, a renowned Gujarati music composer, passed away at the age of 87.

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat, under the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ initiative.

He dedicated three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route km, built at a cost of over ₹20,700 crore. This expansion of WDFC provides direct port connectivity to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Mumbai. A new passenger train service between Tanda Road and Vadodara (Pratapnagar) was also launched.

Furthermore, foundation stones were laid for three National Highway projects in Gujarat with a total value of ₹1,780 crore. Urban development projects like the Vadodara City Command Control Centre for smart administration and the Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme were also dedicated to the public.

The Banas Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Model Plant, a joint initiative of Banas Dairy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has been inaugurated in Banaskantha, Gujarat.

The plant is designed to promote clean energy, support a circular economy, and create additional income opportunities for livestock farmers. The facility processes 100 Metric Tonnes Per Day (MTPD) of cattle dung through anaerobic digestion to generate clean fuel and organic fertilizer.

Additionally, 9 taxis were flagged off under the “Gramin Bharat Taxi” service, which is the first rural-level cooperative-model taxi service in India where drivers own their vehicles.

The Gujarat government has approved an allocation of ₹20 crore for the FY27 to establish four Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to expand natural farming practices across the state.

The CoEs will be set up in the districts of Navsari, Morbi, Bhavnagar, and Chhota Udepur.

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved the proposal to establish Asia’s first desert zoological park and desert-themed night safari at Juna Deesa in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat.

The project, with an estimated budget of ₹542.14 crore, spans across 103 hectares of contiguous government land. It will be developed as a 100% eco-friendly space utilizing solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and advanced sewage treatment systems.

Union Minister Amit Shah has launched the 'Gramin Gyan Setu', an mobile application, via video conferencing to interconnect libraries across the Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat.

The objective of the initiative is to establish a library in every village to encourage reading habits among children.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Asiatic lion population in India has grown by over 70% in the last decade. The population of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) has increased from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025.

It is to be noted that India is the exclusive habitat for the wild Asiatic lion, which is localized within the Gir National Park and its surrounding landscape across 11 districts of Gujarat. Project Lion, launched in 2020 to ensure the long-term conservation of the species, has led to an expansion of the lion range from 30,000 sq km in 2020 to nearly 35,000 sq km.

The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the centuries-old Pithora Painting tradition of Gujarat.

These paintings are traditionally created by Lakharas on the inner walls and verandahs of tribal homes.

Union Minister Amit Shah virtually inaugurated 'Sahakar Bhavan', the new headquarters of the Jamnagar District Cooperative Bank in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The project was completed at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

Gujarat has been honoured with the 'Agriculture Leadership Award 2026' for its performance in the horticulture sector.

The award was presented by Union Minister Rajnath Singh at the 17th Agriculture Leadership Conclave-2026 held in New Delhi.