About Mission Pegase 26:

• It is the seventh edition of France's long-range air projection exercise.
• Distance: More than 40,000 kilometres
• Route:
  • Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Qatar, Réunion, and then Egypt.
  • Pegase 26 is following a route linking the Arctic, Indo-Pacific, and Middle East.
• Stated aims: Operational readiness, strategic partnerships, freedom of air navigation.
• India is a key stop on the Indo-Pacific leg of Pegase 26.
• In India, the French contingent will participate in Tarang Shakti.

Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026:

• It is the multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Venue: Air Force Station, Jodhpur, and adjoining air bases.
• It is the second edition of the exercise. The maiden edition of the exercise took place in August-September 2024 in two phases.
• Participating Countries: Seven foreign air forces—from the S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UAE—are participating, while 32 nations will be attending as observers.
• It is aimed at enhancing interoperability among participating air forces, while providing a platform for exchanging operational experience and showcasing India’s air combat capabilities.
• The exercise will see the participation of advanced combat aircraft, including the S. Air Force’s F-35, the French Rafale, the UAE’s F-16, and a Bangladeshi C-130J.
• The IAF will field a range of its frontline platforms, including the Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29, and Su-30MKI.

About Global Cities Index (GCI):

• It is an annual report published by Oxford Economics, a leading global economic advisory firm.
• The index ranks 1000 cities across the world based on five major factors: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance.
• The rankings are designed to look at both a city's present performance and its future potential.
• GCI 2026 Highlights:
  • New York has taken the top spot in the index.
  • London has been ranked second, followed by Paris at third, Seattle at fourth, and San Francisco at fifth.
  • India Specific Findings:
    • Around 100 Indian cities feature among the 1,000 major cities evaluated worldwide.
    • Delhi has the highest overall ranking at 268, followed by Bengaluru at 311, Mumbai at 330, Chennai at 381, Hyderabad at 421, and Pune at 427.
    • 55 Indian cities have secured spots among the world's top 100 fastest-growing city economies.
    • Delhi is currently the world’s 63rd-largest city economy. Oxford Economics projects that it could become the 14th-largest by 2050, with economic output exceeding USD 2 trillion.
    • Delhi’s strongest performance came in the Human Capital category, where it ranked 13th globally, ahead of Toronto, Seoul, and Beijing.
    • Mumbai is India's leading city for corporate headquarters, ranking 23rd globally on that measure.
    • Mumbai's city economy, currently the world's 99th-largest, could rise to 36th-largest by 2050.
    • Bengaluru climbed 20 places to 311th globally and was named a ‘City to Watch’, recording the biggest improvement among India’s six largest metropolitan cities.
    • Bengaluru is also among the 10 fastest-growing cities globally by forecast GDP growth.
    • Chennai and Hyderabad ranked 16th and 15th worldwide, respectively, for forecast GDP growth.
    • The primary reason behind Indian cities ranking below the 250th position in the overall index is the lack of adequate infrastructure and quality of life.
    • Indian cities rank very low in terms of income equality.
    • Delhi ranks second globally for having the worst air quality.

About ICGS Shaunak:

• It is an Indian Coast Guard ship, specifically an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of the Samarth-class.
• It has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.
• ICGS Shaunak was commissioned in 2017.
• It is based at Visakhapatnam under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East).
• It is deployed extensively for EEZ surveillance and other duties to safeguard the maritime interests of India.
• Features:
  • It has a maximum speed of 26 knots and has an endurance of 6500 NM at economical speed.
  • Its features include a 30 mm CRN 91 Naval Gun, Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS), Power Management System (PMS), and High Power External Fire Fighting System.
  • The ship is designed to carry one twin-engine Light Helicopter and five high-speed boats, including two Quick Reaction Inflatable Boats for swift boarding operations, search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime patrol.
  • The ship is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to contain oil spills at sea.

QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission:

• It brings together personnel from the four QUAD countries (India, United States, Japan, and Australia) for shipboard activities and professional exchanges.
• It is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving coordination, and strengthening mutual trust among the maritime forces.
• Six officers, described as Sea Riders, have embarked on ICGS Shaunak for the mission to sail from Chennai for Perth, Australia.
• The contingent comprises two officers each from India and Japan and one officer each from Australia and the United States.
• The mission also reflects India’s broader maritime vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).

About Krasheninnikov Volcano:

• It is an active stratovolcano located in the Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.
  • The Kamchatka Peninsula lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
• The volcanic complex consists of two adjacent main stratovolcano cones.
• The sides of both cones are covered with ejecta.

Key Facts about NISAR Mission:

• NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a joint Earth observation satellite mission between NASA and ISRO.
• It is a satellite equipped with advanced radar instruments for Earth observation.
• It was successfully launched on July 30, 2025, by ISRO's GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.
• It marks the first-ever collaboration of its kind between India and the United States in radar-based Earth monitoring from space.
• NISAR maps the entire Earth’s surface every 12 days, enabling high-frequency, precise, and repeat observations.
• It is the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet's surface less than a centimeter across.
• NISAR will monitor earthquakes, volcanic activity, land deformation, and environmental changes, providing critical data for hazard assessment, disaster response, and resource management.

About Bagmati River:

• It is a river that flows through south-central Nepal and northern Bihar, India.
• Course:
  • It originates from Bagdwar, located in the Shivapuri Hills north of Kathmandu, Nepal.
  • From there, it flows south through the Kathmandu Valley, passing through cities like Kathmandu and Patan.
  • It is fed by springs and monsoon rainfall and a number of tributaries as it flows down from the Kathmandu valley floor and passes through the valley at Chovar.
  • It flows southward through the Shivalik Range, the southernmost range of the Himalayas.
  • It continues across the plains of Tarai into Bihar and then flows southeastward to enter the Burhi (“Old”) Gandak River.
• It lies between the Gandak basin to the west and the Kosi basin to the east, forming a distinct river system across both countries.
• The basin transacts three distinct latitudinal physiographic zones (Mountain, Siwalik, and Terai) of the Nepal Himalayas.
• It is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. The banks of this holy river shelter various temples.
  • Pashupatinath Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage Site): A famous Shiva temple nestled on an outcrop above the river north of Kathmandu.
  • Gokarneswor Temple: Located in the north of the Kathmandu Valley.

About Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is situated in the Bargarh district of Odisha.
• It is located near Hirakud Dam (the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world) on the Mahanadi River.
• It finds a special mention because of noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.
• During his rebellion against the British, his base at Barapathara was located within the sanctuary.
• Vegetation: Most of the plant sanctuary is covered with mixed and dry deciduous forest. 
• Flora: Major trees found here are Sal, Asana, Bija, Aanla, Dhaura, etc.
• Fauna: 
  • Indian leopards, sloth bears, chousingha (four-horned antelope), sambar deer, gaurs (Indian bison), wild boars, and Indian wild dogs (dholes) are among the notable animal residents.
  • It is one of the most flocked wintering grounds of migratory birds crested serpent eagle, Flower Peckers, red-vented bulbul, tree pie, drongo, and white eye oriental.

Key Facts about Indian Gaur

• It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the Bovidae.
• It is considered as flagship species.
• Distribution: Gaurs are indigenous to the South and Southeast parts of Asia.
• Habitat: These are primarily found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests along with moist deciduous forests with open grasslands.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List:
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule-I.

About Caspian Cobra:

• It is the most venomous cobra in the world.
• It is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae.
• Other names: It is also called the Central Asian cobra, ladle snake, Oxus cobra, or Russian cobra.
• Habitat: It thrives in arid and semi-arid regions, including rocky hillsides and scrublands.
• Distribution: It is native to Central Asia.
  • It is found in parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Fergana Valley, north and east Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, the northern half of Pakistan from the Kashmir region east to the state of Himachal Pradesh in India, and in southwestern Tajikistan.
• Features:
  • It is slightly shorter than the Indian cobra.
  • It has long cervical ribs capable of expansion to form a hood. It has no hood marking, just a plain colour instead.  
  • Its coloration can vary from light brown to dark brown or even black, sometimes with a faint banding pattern. 
• Behavior: These snakes are good climbers and able swimmers.
• Diet: These are carnivores and prey on small mammals, amphibians, and birds.
• Hibernation: They hibernate from late September or late October to late March-April.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

About Blazar:

• Blazars are among the most energetic objects in the Universe.
• Formation: They typically form in young galaxies or galaxies undergoing a collision.
• A blazar consists of a supermassive black hole, the accretion disk and the galaxy that hosts them.  
• They are active galaxies powered by supermassive black holes at their centres, where matter falling towards the black hole releases large amounts of energy.
• These systems also emit high-speed particle jets directed close to Earth’s line of sight, making them appear exceptionally bright.
• A particularly extreme group of these objects are TeV blazars, which produce very-high-energy gamma rays reaching tera-electron volt energies.
• Significance of Blazars:
  • They are instrumental for exploring extreme physics that cannot be recreated on Earth.
  • The relativistic jets they produce offer clues about how matter behaves near supermassive black holes.
• Challenges in Observation:
  • As the powerful jets from blazars are directed almost toward Earth, their X-ray spectra are generally dominated by emission from the jet.
  • This makes it difficult to identify radiation from other parts of the galaxy, such as the accretion disk around the black hole.

About Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome:

• It is a group of conditions that affect the connective tissue of the human body, typically loosening or weakening it.
  • Connective tissue supports and provides flexibility to the skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, blood vessels, and organs.
• EDS is generally inherited and is commonly associated with hypermobility, meaning one’s joints can move past their normal range of motion.
• Cause: EDS is caused by certain genetic changes and is generally passed down to children by their parents.
• Types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome:
  • Hypermobile EDS (hEDS):
    • It is the most common form of EDS.
    • It shows symptoms such as stretchy, fragile skin, loose and clicky joints that dislocate easily, joint pain, and joint hypermobility.
    • hEDS may also manifest as extreme fatigue, skin that bruises quickly, digestive issues, and poor bladder control etc.
  • Classical EDS:
    • It is less common type of EDS, also exhibits similar symptoms, but it mostly affects the skin.
    • A person with this condition might have very stretchy and fragile skin that bruises easily or splits easily, especially around the elbows, on the forehead, and on the knees.
  • Vascular EDS:
    • It affects one’s internal organs.
    • This results in fragile blood vessels that can tear easily and cause internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening.
    • This condition poses a serious risk of bowel tearing, womb tearing during pregnancy, and lung collapse etc.
  • Kyphoscoliotic EDS (kEDS):
    • It affects the curvature of the spine. It might manifest during early childhood and is also characterised by joint hypermobility and loose joints.
  • Treatment: There is no cure for EDS, but symptoms, especially those of hEDS, can be managed.