Art & Culture Current Affairs One-liners — All time

Wed, 13 May 2026

• On 13 May 2026 Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced the repatriation of three Tamil Nadu temple bronzes — a Chola Shiva Nataraja (c. 990 CE), a 12th-century Somaskanda and a 16th-century Saint Sundarar with Paravai — from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.

Mon, 11 May 2026

• On 11 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi took part in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, marking 75 years since the restored Somnath Temple was consecrated in 1951.

Sat, 09 May 2026

• On 9 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on Pochishe Boishakh, Tagore's birth anniversary as per the Bengali calendar.
• On 9 May 2026 the National Commission for Minorities held a national seminar, 'Parsis in Modern India: Navigating Cultural and Socio-Economic Pathways', in Mumbai, where Union Minister Kiren Rijiju spoke on preserving Parsi heritage and reviving the Avestan language.
• On 9 May 2026 delegate registrations opened for the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), South Asia's oldest festival for documentary, short fiction and animation films, to be held at the NFDC premises in Mumbai from 15 to 21 June 2026.

Thu, 07 May 2026

• On 7 May 2026 the Pavilion of India opened at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia with 'Geographies of Distance: remembering home', curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, marking India's return to the Biennale Arte since 2019.

Wed, 06 May 2026

• Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) under construction at Lothal, Gujarat, and set July 2026 as the target for Phase 1, the Ministry said on 6 May 2026; India has signed NMHC MoUs with 10 countries.

Tue, 05 May 2026

• On 5 May 2026 Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh released a special issue of IIMC's research journal 'Sanchar Madhyam' marking 200 years of Hindi journalism, recalling Udant Martand, the first Hindi newspaper, published from Calcutta in 1826.

Fri, 01 May 2026

• Home Minister Amit Shah on 1 May 2026, Buddha Purnima, inaugurated the 'Sacred Exposition of the Holy Relics of the Tathagata' in Leh, bringing relics linked to the Piprahwa Stupa to Ladakh after 75 years; the exposition runs until 14 May and will also travel to Zanskar.
• The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on 1 May 2026 appointed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker as Festival Director of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goa.
• The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation, a CPSE under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, on 1 May 2026 launched 'Padma Doree', a textile initiative blending Northeast India's Eri (Ahimsa) silk with Madhya Pradesh's Chanderi weaving.

Sun, 26 Apr 2026

• Raghu Rai, one of India's foremost photojournalists and the first Indian photographer invited to join Magnum Photos in 1977 on the nomination of Henri Cartier-Bresson, died in Delhi on 26 April 2026 at the age of 83; Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his death.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026

• Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said at a curtain raiser at the National Museum on 22 April 2026 that Ladakh will host a Sacred Exposition of the Holy Relics of Tathagata from 1 to 15 May 2026, the first time in India that relics preserved at their original repository are brought out for public exposition.

Sun, 19 Apr 2026

• The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) and NIFT unveiled 'Vishwa Sutra – Weaves of India for the World', a collection of 30 state handloom weaves reinterpreted through 30 countries' styles, at the 61st Femina Miss India in Bhubaneswar, the Textiles Ministry said on 19 April 2026.

Sat, 18 Apr 2026

• A PIB backgrounder of 18 April 2026 on monument conservation said the Archaeological Survey of India safeguards 3,686 centrally protected monuments and that India has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Maratha Military Landscapes.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sri Guru Bhairavaikya Mandira at Sri Kshetra Adichunchanagiri in Mandya district, Karnataka, on 15 April 2026, and made nine appeals to citizens, including cutting cooking oil use by 10%.

Tue, 14 Apr 2026

• The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment marked the 135th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on 14 April 2026 at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House premises, where the Vice-President, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker paid floral tributes.
• Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the philatelic exhibition 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat: Celebrating India's Unity & Democracy through Postage Stamps' at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya on 14 April 2026, running until 17 April.

Mon, 13 Apr 2026

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage on 13 April 2026 to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, where people were killed or wounded on 13 April 1919; the site's memorial is governed by the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951.

Sun, 12 Apr 2026

• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Chairman Antar Singh Arya called for stronger education, skilling and jobs for tribal youth at the 'Chakma Yuva Samvad' and Bizu festival celebration in New Delhi on 12 April 2026.

Sat, 11 Apr 2026

• The Government launched the nationwide commemoration of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule's 200th birth anniversary on 11 April 2026, with floral tributes at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House Complex offered for the first time.

Tue, 07 Apr 2026

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah paid homage on 7 April 2026, the Parkash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru revered as 'Hind di Chadar'.
• Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations signed an MoU on 7 April 2026 at Doordarshan Bhawan, New Delhi, to broadcast ICCR cultural content across TV, radio, OTT and social media.

Sun, 05 Apr 2026

• Bharat Tribes Fest 2026, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs with TRIFED, concluded on 5 April 2026 at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, after 19 days and over 1.5 lakh visitors.
• Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on 5 April 2026 addressed the Global Conference of Meditation Leaders at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, citing the Tamil sage Thirumoolar.

Tue, 31 Mar 2026

• At the MP-UP Sahyog Sammelan in Varanasi on 31 March 2026, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and the Mahakaleshwar temple (Ujjain) signed an MoU, and the two states signed an MoU on ODOP products.
• On Mahavir Jayanti, 31 March 2026, PM Modi inaugurated the Samrat Samprati Sangrahalay, a Jain Heritage Museum at Koba Tirth in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Sun, 29 Mar 2026

• In the 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat on 29 March 2026, PM Modi urged people to join the Gyan Bharatam Survey of manuscripts and highlighted water conservation, sports achievers and community seed banks.
• On 29 March 2026 PM Modi greeted people on the ongoing Madhavpur Mela in Porbandar, Gujarat, saying it reinforces the cultural bond between Gujarat and the Northeast.

Fri, 27 Mar 2026

• On Ram Navami, 27 March 2026, a beam of sunlight directed through mirrors and lenses formed the 'Surya Tilak' on Ram Lalla's forehead at noon in the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Ayodhya; PM Modi witnessed it.