About Mount Bromo:

• It is a small but active volcanic cinder cone located on the Indonesian island of Java.
• It is located in the center of the Sandsea Caldera, itself only a portion of the larger Tengger Caldera.
• The historical record indicates eruptions of Bromo every few years since 1804, and geologic evidence indicates eruptions at least several hundred years earlier.
• The most recent eruption occured in 2004 and tragically killed two tourists.

About Exercise Pitch Black 2026:

• It is a biennial and multinational exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• It is the RAAF’s flagship international flying exercise.
• The name ‘Pitch Black’ was derived from the emphasis on nighttime flying over large unpopulated areas.
• 2026 Edition:
  • It was based out of RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, as well as RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
  • It featured a massive assembly of global air forces, providing an unparalleled platform for interoperability.  
  • The exercise focused on highly complex aerial manoeuvres, including offensive counter-air operations, air defence tracking, and tactical coordination between completely different styles of aircraft and communication systems.
  • The IAF contingent consisted of 145 air warriors including the IAF Commandos team, Garuds, four Su-30 MKI, one C-130, and one C-17 for logistic support for induction and de-induction.
  • For the IAF, training alongside advanced air assets from nations like the US, UK, Australia, France, and regional partners offers crucial exposure to contemporary air warfare tactics, electronic warfare defence, and modern network-centric operations.
  • Previous participation of India: The IAF has previously participated in the 2018, 2022, and 2024 editions of this exercise.

About Qadr-F Missile:

• It is a ballistic missile developed by Iran.
• The missile was developed by the Islamic Republic of Iran under its national missile program based upon the Shahab-3 missile.
• Its existence was disclosed by the Iranian Armed Forces during a military parade in September 2007.
• Features:
  • It features a dual-stage propulsion system using both liquid and solid fuel and follows a ballistic flight path.
  • It has a maximum range of 2,000-2,500 kilometers.
  • It features a radar-evading warhead to allow it to penetrate areas protected by missile defenses.
  • It can carry a single blast fragmentation warhead or multiple reentry vehicles depending on the target profile.

About Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is a protected area located in the northwestern area of the Sonitpur district of Assam.
• Climate: The sanctuary experiences a subtropical type of climate with hot and humid summers, with heavy summer rains often causing floods and river overflows.
• The Burhidihing River traces its course through the sanctuary.
• The Namchang River, flowing from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, enters this region and joins the Burhidihing River.
• Flora: It mostly comprises evergreen forest. However, grasslands are also common in this region.
• Fauna:
  • The main attractions of the sanctuary are Elephant and Indian bison.
  • The other animals found in the sanctuary are deer, one-horned rhinoceros, leopard, tiger and some rare species of cats.
  • Avifauna includes endangered species like White Winged Wood Duck. Other birds commonly found here are Woodpecker, Hill Myna, Indian Roller, Nightjar, Horned Owl, etc.

About Palau:

• It is an island nation located in the western Pacific Ocean.
• It consists of a tightly clustered archipelago of approximately 300 islands.
• It is geographically positioned in both the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth.
• Palau shares maritime borders with the Federated States of Micronesia to the east, with Indonesia to the south, with the Philippines to the west, and with the international waters to the north.
• A huge barrier reef system, continuous on the west and broken on the east, encircles most of the archipelago.
• Its major populated islands are Babeldaob, Koror, Malakal, Arakabesan, and Peleliu.
• Located on Babeldaob (the largest island of Palau) is Ngerulmud, the capital of Palau.
  • It is the world’s least populous capital city.
• Koror is the largest and the most populous city of Palau. It acts as the main commercial center of Palau.
• Languages: Palauan, English, plus Japanese, Sonsorolese, and Tobian.
• Palau became independent in 1994, after being part of a United Nations trust territory administered by the US.
• It relies on financial aid from the US, provided under a Compact of Free Association, which gives the US responsibility for Palau’s defence and the right to maintain military bases there.

About Microbacterium pollutisoli:

• It is a new species of bacteria discovered in toxic soil of a banned pesticide Hexachlorocyclohexane in Uttar Pradesh.
• It is named by combining the Latin words pollutus, meaning "contaminated," and solum, meaning "soil." Together, the name literally translates to "the Microbacterium of polluted soil."
• Characteristics:
  • It forms shiny, yellow circular colonies and is shaped like a short rod.
  • It is capable of growing in temperatures ranging from 12°C to 46°C and surviving in highly alkaline conditions.
  • Its genome revealed biosynthetic gene clusters.
  • These are sets of instructions in their DNA that allow the bacteria to produce valuable compounds like carotenoids (natural pigments used in vitamins), ectoine (a substance that protects cells from stress), and beta-lactones (chemicals often studied for their ability to fight bacteria or even cancer cells.

About Yemen:

• Location: It is situated at the south-western corner of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. 
• Borders: It shares its border with Saudi Arabia (North) and Oman (East).
• Coastline & Strategic Importance:
  • Red Sea (West), Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Guardafui Channel (South).
  • Yemen is strategically located at the entrance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The strait links the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea via the Gulf of Aden. 
• Capital City: Sanaa
• Geographical Features of Yemen:
  • Climate: It lies in the border zone between two main weather patterns: the regular northerly winds (from the Mediterranean basin) and the southwest monsoon winds.
  • Highest Point: Yemen’s highest point is Jabal an Nabi Shu’ayb at 3,760 m.
  • Desert: Rub’ Al Khali Desert.
  • There are no perennial lakes and rivers

About Nyishi Tribe:

• The Nyishi are the largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • In Nishi, their traditional language, Nyi refers to “a man” and the word shi denotes “a being”, which combined together refers to a civilized human being. 
• Occupation: The Nyishi support themselves with slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting and fishing. 
  • Along with agriculture and allied activities, the Nyishis are experts in handicrafts such as weaving, cane and bamboo works, pottery, blacksmith, wood carving, carpentry, etc.
• Festivals: The Nyishi celebrates three major festivals, namely, Boori-Boot (February), Nyokum (February), and Longte (April).
• Society:
  • Polygymy is prevalent among the Nyishi.
  • They trace their descent patrilineally and are divided into several clans.
  • One striking feature of Nyishi society is that it is neither based on a caste system nor stratified into classes, except for a loose type of social distinction which is not determined by birth or occupation. 

About Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System:

• It is the Government’s flagship digital grievance redressal platform.
• It functions as a comprehensive digital ecosystem that combines technology, accountability, and citizen participation to ensure effective and accessible grievance redressal.
• It was developed and monitored by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
• Features of CPGRAM System:
  • It is available to citizens 24x7, CPGRAMS provides a single portal connected to all Central Ministries, Departments, State Governments, and Union Territories.
  • Language Inclusivity: To make grievance redressal more accessible, CPGRAMS supports submissions in 22 scheduled languages, in addition to English. 
  • One Nation–One Portal: Integration of State grievance portals and other Government platforms with CPGRAMS has created a unified and streamlined grievance redressal ecosystem across the country.
  • The status of the grievance filed in CPGRAMS can be tracked with the unique registration ID provided at the time of registration of the complainant.
  • Resolve within 21 Days: The grievances received on the CPGRAMS shall be resolved promptly as soon as they are received but within a maximum period of 21 days.
  • Appealing Facility: CPGRAMS also provides an appeal facility to the citizens if they are not satisfied with the resolution by the Grievance Officer.
    • After closure of grievance, if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution, he/she can provide feedback. 
    • If the rating is ‘Poor’ the option to file an appeal is enabled. 
    • The status of the appeal can also be tracked by the petitioner with the grievance registration number.