About NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System):

• It is a medium-range, ground-based air defense system.
• It is designed to intercept aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles.
• It was designed and developed jointly by Raytheon (United States) and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Norway).
• NASAMS reached operational capability in 1994 and was first deployed by the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
• NASAMS is operated by 13 countries and has been integrated into the U.S. National Capital Region’s air defense system since 2005.
• In addition to the S., Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, Oman, Lithuania, Indonesia, Australia, Qatar, Hungary, Ukraine, and one undisclosed country depend on NASAMS for homeland defense and the protection of critical assets.
• Features:
  • It is built on a modular, distributed, open-hardware and software architecture.
  • It is the world’s first networked short- and medium-range air defense system that could integrate with other equipment and air defense systems.
  • It features an X-Band, 360-degree phased array air defense radar with a 75-kilometer range to identify targets.
  • The primary weapon of the system is the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM), which have an engagement range of about 30 kilometers.
  • The NASAMS is armed with three launchers, each carrying up to six missiles.
  • The system can engage 72 targets simultaneously in active and passive modes.
  • It features network-centric, open architecture that provides increased survivability against electronic countermeasures.
  • NASAMS can fire on target data provided by external sensors.
  • Advanced emission control features of the radars minimize the risk of revealing the NASAMS unit's own position.

About Semeru Volcano:

• It is located in East Java, Indonesia.
• It is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.
• At 3,676 metres (12,060 feet), it is the highest peak on Java Island and sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
• It lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera.
• Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE.
• Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times in the past 200 years, including a deadly episode in 2021 that killed 62 people and buried villages in hot ash.
• It is known for its regular ash explosions that typically occur at intervals of 10-30 minutes.

About Curacao:

• Curacao is an island country situated in the south Caribbean Sea, about 60 km north of the coast of Venezuela.
• It is also a territorial country of the Netherlands.
• The country includes the main island of Curacao and the island of Klein Curacao, which cover a combined total area of 171 square miles.
• Although physiographically part of the South American continental shelf, Curaçao and neighboring islands off the northern coast of South America are usually considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.
• Until the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in October 2010, the country was one of its island territories and was governed as the “Island Territory of Curacao.”
• Currently, Curacao is administered by an independent government established by the people of Curacao and is fully autonomous in most matters, except those outlined in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
  • Government: Constitutional Monarchy (multi-party system)
  • The head of state is the Dutch monarch, represented by a governor, and the head of government is the prime minister.
• Once colonised by the Dutch for decades, Curacao has transformed into a thriving tourist destination and an important oil-refining hub.
• The capital is Willemstad. The center of the city, due to its unique architecture, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Languages: Papiamento, Dutch, English
• According to the 2023 census (published in January 2025), the population stands at 156,115, with a sex ratio of 81.9 men for every 100 women.

About BvS10 Sindhu:

• The BvS10 is a well-known articulated all-terrain vehicle used by several European militaries.
  • The BvS10 is already in service with the armed forces of Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
  • It’s also on order for the German Army and has been selected for the US Army’s Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program.
  • Its design allows for two connected vehicle sections that help it cross difficult terrain that conventional wheeled or tracked vehicles struggle with.
• BvS10 Sindhu is an upgraded variant of the BvS10 with adaptations tailored specifically for India’s terrain and climate.
• L&T will manufacture the BvS10 Sindhu at its Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira, Gujarat, with technical and design support from BAE Systems Hägglunds (a Swedish business unit of BAE Systems, focused on military ground vehicles), the original manufacturer of the BvS10 platform.
• The Sindhu variant can be reconfigured for multiple purposes: troop transport, command post, ambulance, recovery, logistics, or even a weapons-armed version.
• This flexibility is ideal for the Indian Army’s diverse mission needs.
• It’s customized for India’s extreme terrain: high-altitude regions, deserts, marshlands, and flood-prone zones.
• The vehicle is also amphibious, able to operate in water or flooded terrain.

About BIRSA 101:

• It is India's first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, designed to treat Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
• The therapy has been named Birsa-101 in honour of the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
• Developed by: It is developed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).
• Key Features of BIRSA 101
  • CRISPR Technology: It utilizes the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to correct the genetic mutation causing Sickle Cell Disease.
  • Affordability: It is priced significantly lower than global CRISPR treatments, making it more accessible to the poorest populations.

How does Birsa-101 cure sickle cell disease?

• Birsa-101 precisely corrects the mutations in the genetic code that causes the disease.
• The therapy has to be given as a one-time infusion, after which the body should start producing normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

• It is a genetic condition that leads to the body’s red blood cells becoming rigid, sickle-shaped, and less capable of carrying oxygen.
• The shape of the blood cells can also lead to blockages in blood flow, leading to acute episodes of pain, chronic pain, organ damage, anaemia, infections, and strokes.
• A person can be a carrier and not have a disease.
• The likelihood of a child having the disease increases if both parents are carriers or one parent has the disease and the other is a carrier.

About YUVA AI for ALL Initiative:

• It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), under the IndiaAI Mission.
• It is a first-of-its-kind free course that introduces the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to all Indians, especially the youth.
• It consists of 5-hour self-paced course designed to make students, professionals and other curious learners comfortable with the basics of Artificial intelligence.
• Aim: To empower 1 crore (10 million) citizens with foundational  AI skills.
• Key Features of YUVA AI for ALL Initiative:
  • It’s simple, practical, and filled with real-life Indian examples to make learning relatable and fun.
  • It is available for free on leading learning platforms - Future Skills Prime, iGOT  Karmayogi, and other popular ed-tech portals.
  • Every learner who completes the course will get an official certificate from the Government of India.
  • It’s 100% free and open to everyone.
  • It allows learning at one’s own pace — anytime, anywhere.

What is IndiaAI Mission?

• It was initially launched as a joint initiative between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Nasscom in 2023.
• The mission’s key goals are:
  • “Making AI in India” – Encouraging domestic AI development.
  • “Making AI Work for India” – Ensuring AI benefits various sectors in the country.
• It aims to bolster India’s AI ecosystem by making high-end computing resources accessible to startups and researchers.

About Indira Gandhi Peace Prize:

• It was instituted in the memory of the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by a trust in her name in 1986.
• It is also known as the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development.
• It consists of a monetary award of 25 lakh rupees along with a citation.
• It is awarded annually to a person or organization without any distinction of nationality, race or religion, in recognition of creative efforts towards:
  • Promoting international peace and disarmament, racial equality, and goodwill and harmony among nations;
  • Securing economic co-operation and promoting a new international economic order;
  • Accelerating the all-round advancement of developing nations;
  • Ensuring that the discoveries of science and modern knowledge are used for the larger good of the human race; and
  • Enlarging the scope of freedom and enriching the human spirit.
• Past recipients of this award include:
  • Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union (1987);
  • UNICEF (1989)
  • Jimmy Carter, former president of the US (1997)
  • UN and its secretary-general Kofi Annan (2003)
  • Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany (2013)
  • Indian Space Research Organisation (2014)
  • Former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh (2017)
  • Sir David Attenborough (2019)
  • Pratham NGO (2021)
  • Indian Medical Association and the Trained Nurses Association of India (2022)
  • Daniel Barenboim and Ali Abu Awwad (2023).

About Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in the state of Gujarat.
• The sanctuary falls on the border of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in March 1982. 
• It is also known as "Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary," due to its highest population of sloth bears in the Gujarat state.
• Rivers: It form the catchment of river Panam- a major river of Central Gujarat.
• Vegetation: It consists of dry teak forests at the foothills and mixed deciduous forests with dry bamboo brakes on the periphery.
• It consists of a high population of 'Mahudo' trees intermixed with pure patches of 'Sadad' and 'Timru' forest on plateaus of the hills.
• Flora: Teak, dudhlo, sadad, timru, amla, bamboo, dhavdo, kakadiyo, mahuda, tanach, charoli, ber, jamun, khakhro etc.
• Fauna: Leopard, Palm civet, Indian civet, Four-horned antelope, Loten’s sunbird, Large green barbet, yellow checked tit.

About Climate Change Performance Index:

• It is published by think tanks German watch, New Climate Institute, and Climate Action Network International.
• It tracks the progress of the world’s largest emitters in terms of emissions, renewables, and climate policy.
• The performance of countries is assessed in four categories — GHG emission, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy.
• It was first published in 2005.

Highlights of the Climate Change Performance Index 2026:

• Denmark, the UK and Morocco took the lead in this year’s CCPI .
• China (54th), Russia (64th), the US (65th) and Saudi Arabia (67th) are the G20’s worst-performing countries, receiving an overall very low score. 
• India fell 13 places from its previous ranking of 10th to stand at 23rd in the latest global climate change performance with a score of 61.31.
• It also labelled India among the biggest producers of oil, gas, and coal worldwide, leading it to fall from a ‘high performer’ to a ‘medium’ one in this year’s CCPI.
• India also scored medium in GHG emissions, climate policy, and energy use, and low in renewable energy.