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About Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index (EVOI):

• It is published by org in partnership with Consumer VOICE.
• The index ranks 15 States and Union Territories on how easily a citizen or dealer can buy, sell, and transfer a pre-owned vehicle.
• The EVOI scores each state on six pillars: policy and regulatory framework, digital infrastructure, process efficiency, transparency and accountability, institutional ecosystem and dealer support, and cost and affordability.
• The pillar scores are combined using a weighted geometric mean, so strength in one area cannot hide weakness in another.
• The findings draw on a pan-India survey of over 1,000 buyers and sellers, interviews with dealers, RTO agents, and sector experts, and a review of central and state motor vehicle rules.
• EVOI 2026 Highlights:
  • It is the first edition of the index.
  • Andhra Pradesh scored 5.91 out of 10, followed by Kerala at 5.74.
  • Uttar Pradesh came last at 2.47, just behind Bihar at 2.51 and West Bengal at 2.56.
  • No state scored above 6.0, highlighting widespread administrative challenges.
  • Together, the 15 states account for over 85% of India’s organised used-car market.

About Safe Harbour:

• A safe harbour provision is a legal provision that exempts an entity from legal liability in certain situations as long as certain conditions are met.
• It acts as a protective shield against any legal liability expected from the immoral acts of third parties.
• Safe harbour in the context of India’s IT landscape refers to legal immunities granted to online intermediaries, that is, platforms and services that merely transmit, store, or facilitate access to third-party content, shielding them from liability under certain conditions.
• Rooted in Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), it forms a key safeguard in promoting innovation and shielding platforms from being punished for content they did not create.
• Intermediaries were permitted to use the safe harbour principle to safeguard themselves from being held liable for criminal actions of an external party that were carried out without the knowledge of the intermediary.
• It is meant to differentiate this distinction between the person who creates the content and the platform that hosts it.
• However, the safe harbour rule does not mean this immunity is conditional.
  • Platforms must follow due diligence requirements under the IT Act and the IT Rules, 2021.
  • They must also act on court orders and government notifications to remove unlawful material.
  • Failure to comply with these can result in the loss of safe harbour protection.
• In a 2015 judgment, the Supreme Court also placed an important safeguard on the interpretation of these provisions.
  • It said that an intermediary’s obligation to take down content on the basis of actual knowledge would generally be triggered by a court order or a notification from the government, not every private complaint.
  • This was meant to prevent platforms from having to independently decide the legality of the posts.

About Shigellosis:

• It is a highly contagious bacterial diarrhoeal disease caused by shigella.
• It is one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhoea worldwide.
• Transmission:
  • Humans are the only natural reservoir of the Shigella bacteria.
  • The infection is transmitted through direct, close contact with infected individuals and through sexual contact.
  • It can also spread through contaminated food and water or contact with faeces of an infected person.
  • Outbreaks of shigellosis are linked to poor sanitation, contaminated food and water, and crowded living conditions.
• Treatment:
  • Medicines, including antibiotics

About Nyoma Airbase:

• Officially known as the Mudh-Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), it is located on the banks of the Indus River adjacent to Nyoma village in Ladakh.
• It is the world’s highest fighter-capable airbase.
• The facility can support operations involving fighter aircraft, helicopters, and transport planes.
• It was the fourth such air force base in Ladak The three others are located in Leh, Kargil, and Thoise.

About Begonia siangensis:

• It is a new species of wild flowering plant.
• It was found growing along the dense forests of the Siang River basin in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The plant’s scientific name, Begonia siangensis, honours the Siang River Valley, the river canyon where it was originally found and to which it appears to be native.
• Researchers have provisionally designated it as "Data Deficient" under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

About Exercise VAJRA-SAT: 

• It is the national tabletop exercise on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) serotype SAT-1.
• Theme: It was held under the theme “Detect Early, Confirm Fast, Contain Together,”
• Participants: It brought together 83 participants from 25 States, three Union Territories and key national institutions.
• Organised by: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), in coordination with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru.

Key Facts about Foot-and-Mouth Disease

• It is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats.
• Cause: It is caused by an Aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae.
• Transmission: It is transmitted through infected animals and contaminated materials
• Treatment: Vaccination is the only effective preventive measure against FMD.

About Booker Prize:

• It is the world’s leading literary award for a single work of fiction.
• It aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English.
• History: It was founded in the UK in 1969, the Booker Prize initially rewarded Commonwealth writers and now spans the globe: it is open to anyone regardless of origin.
• Eligibility for Booker Prize:
  • The Booker Prize awards any novel originally written in English and published in the UK and Ireland in the year of the prize, regardless of the nationality of their author.
  • The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation)
  • It must be published by a registered UK or Irish imprint; self-published novels are not eligible.
• Prize Money: The winner receives £50,000 and each of the shortlisted authors will be given £2,500.
• Booker Prize Laureates from India and Indian-Origin Writers 
  • VS Naipaul for Free State
  • Salman Rushdie for Midnight’s Children
  • Arundhati Roy for The God of Small Things
  • Kiran Desai for The Inheritance of Loss (2006),
  • Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger (2008)

About Paraguay:

• Location: It is a landlocked country located in central South America.
• Bordering countries: It is bordered by Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina
• The Tropic of Capricorn passes through it.
• Capital City: Asunción, a city that lies on the Paraguay River.
• Geographical Features of Paraguay:
  • It is divided by the Paraguay River into two distinct regions: the eastern Región Oriental and the western Región Occidental, also known as the Chaco Boreal.
  • Climate: It has subtropical to temperate climate, characterized by a rainy season in summer and a dry season in winter.
  • Rivers: It is drained by the Paraguay, Parana, and Pilcomayo Rivers.
  • Lakes: Lake Ypoa and Lake Vera
  • Mountain: Cerro Pero is the highest mountain in Paraguay

About Physical AI:

• Physical AI refers to artificial intelligence (AI) systems that operate in and interact with the physical world, rather than existing only in software or digital environments.
• This involves the combination of AI models with sensors, actuators, and other control systems that allow models to act upon real-world environments. 
• Physical AI perceives, reasons, and acts in the physical world through systems like robots, industrial machines, and autonomous vehicles.
• It involves physics, motion, timing, safety, uncertainty, and real-world feedback.
• Physical AI examples include:
  • A robot that picks and places parts
  • An autonomous forklift navigating a warehouse
  • A humanoid robot executing multi-step tasks in changing environments
• Working of Physical AI:
  • Physical AI works by combining perception, planning, control, and feedback so machines can act in the real world.
  • It extends current generative AI with an understanding of spatial relationships and the physical behaviour of the world by taking in multimodal inputs such as images, videos, text, speech, or real-world sensor data and converting them into insights or actions that an autonomous machine can then execute.

About Exercise Naseem Al Bahr:

• It is a bilateral naval exercise between India and Oman.
• It was initiated in 1993, symbolises the long term strategic relationship between the two countries. 
  • Oman is the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which has been conducting bilateral exercises with India jointly.
• Phases: The exercise will comprise professional activities during the harbour and sea phases, including cross-deck visits, operational interactions and sporting events.
  • These activities will provide opportunities for personnel of both Navies to exchange experiences and Best Practices, enhance interoperability and foster greater mutual understanding.
• Significance: It underscores the strong and enduring maritime partnership between India and Oman, founded on longstanding ties between the two nations.
• It is in consonance with the Government of India’s vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).