About India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026:

• The 3-day conference, starting on the 21st of January, will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• It is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• IICDEM 2026 is poised to be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of democracy and election management.
• Nearly 100 international delegates, representing over 70 countries from across the world, are expected to participate.
• Representatives of international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the electoral domain will also take part.
• The programme will feature a mix of general and plenary sessions of Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
• These discussions will focus on global electoral challenges, international electoral standards, and innovations and best practices in election processes.
• As part of the conference, 36 thematic groups will conduct detailed deliberations.
  • These groups will be led by Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories and supported by national and international academic experts.
• During the event, the ECI will also formally launch ECINET, ECI’s one-stop digital platform for all election-related information and services.
• An exhibition highlighting the scale and complexity of conducting elections in India will run alongside the conference.
• The exhibition will also showcase recent initiatives undertaken by the ECI to strengthen electoral roll preparation and the conduct of elections.
• Additionally, the docuseries “India Decides”, which documents the conduct of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, will be screened on the opening day of IICDEM 2026.

Key Facts about India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM):

• IIIDEM is the dedicated training, academic & resource arm of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Established in 2011, the Institute was conceived to train, prepare, and equip election officials and other stakeholders for delivery of free, fair, credible, and error-free elections.
• It is a global knowledge and capacity-building centre dedicated to advancing democratic governance and strengthening electoral integrity.
• IIIDEM is one of the few institutions in the world which is not only involved in the training and capacity building of its electoral officials, but also caters to the requirements of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) the world over.
• IIIDEM has a team of senior experts and professionals to run its academic and research programmes.
• It holds domestic and international courses and training programmes that are residential and non-residential.
• Earlier, the IIIDEM was housed in the premises of the ECI. Now, the Institute is functioning from a full-fledged campus at Dwarka (Delhi).

About Sela Lake:

• Sela Lake, also known as Paradise Lake, is a glacial lake located near Sela Pass in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Sela Pass is a crucial mountain pass connecting the Tawang region with the rest of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Its crystal-clear waters reflect the peaks around it, offering a stunning view.
• The lake is usually frozen all winter because of its very cold temperatures (below zero).
• The lake and its surroundings have limited vegetation because of the altitude.
• Locals and Buddhist monks consider Sela Lake a sacred site.

About Type 096 Tang-Class Submarine:

• The Type 096 (NATO reporting name of Tang-class) submarine is China’s next-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).
• It is bigger, stealthier, and armed with longer-range missiles than its predecessors.
• Features:
  • It is said to have raft-mounted machinery, hull isolation systems, and a propulsion design that minimizes acoustic signatures during patrols.
  • These features are aimed at making the sub harder to detect in contested waters.
  • The vessel's pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor powers a single shaft via a steam turbine arrangement.
  • Modern power plant elements and improved vibration dampening technologies are said to enhance submerged speed and stealth performance.
  • The submarine is expected to carry between 16 and 24 JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), each capable of ranges exceeding 10,000 to 12,000 kilometers and equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).
  • It can also launch wire-guided, high-speed Yu-6 torpedoes with a range of over 29 km.

About Vadhavan Port:

• It is a proposed new port on the coast of Maharashtra.
• It is being developed as an all-weather greenfield deep-draft major port.
• It is ideal for large container and bulk vessels.
• The project will be constructed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).
• The strategic location of Vadhavan Port provides it with a unique edge. It will connect seamlessly to industrial centers across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and beyond.
  • The capacities created will also aid EXIM trade flow through IMEEC (India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor) and INSTC (International North South Transportation Corridor).

About Parakaempferia alba:

• It is a new species of Zingiberaceae (ginger family).
• It was discovered in the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Facts about Zingiberaceae:

• Zingiberaceae, the ginger family of flowering plants, is the largest family of the order Zingiberales.
• These aromatic herbs grow in moist areas of the tropics and subtropics, including some regions that are seasonably dry.
• Members of the family are perennials that frequently have sympodial (forked) fleshy rhizomes (underground stems).
• A few species are epiphytic—i.e., supported by other plants and having aerial roots exposed to the humid atmosphere.
• Many species are economically valuable for their spices and perfume.
  • The dried thick rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa) is commonly ground for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses.
  • The seeds of Elettaria cardamomum are the source of cardamom.
  • Ginger is obtained from the fresh or dried rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, and a number of ornamental gingers are grown for their attractive flowers and foliage.
  • Several species of shellflower (Alpinia) are cultivated as ornamentals.

About INS Sudarshini:

• It is an indigenously built Sail Training Ship (STS).
• It was built by Goa Shipyard Limited and based at Kochi, Kerala under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. 
• The aim of using such ships is to make sailors sea-friendly, as they are taught how to survive alone at sea, understand rough weather conditions and train themselves to become good sailors.
• Features of INS Sudarshini:
  • Sudarshini is a three-masted barque.
  • It is capable of operations under sail or power.
  • It has got a very high endurance and can be deployed at sea continuously for a period of twenty days.

What is Lokayan 26?

• It is a 10-month transoceanic expedition where the ship will visit 18 foreign ports across 13 countries.

About Saltwater Crocodile:

• It is the largest and heaviest of all living reptiles in the world.
• Other Names: Estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, or informally as saltie.
• It is an opportunistic hypercarnivorous apex predator.
• Habitat: It inhibits in saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands, rivers and mangroves.
• Distribution: It is found in India’s east coast, Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region and northern Australia and Micronesia.
• In India, these are distributed in Odisha and West Bengal and the coastal areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Odisha has India’s largest population of saltwater crocodile in natural habitat.
• Features of Saltwater Crocodile
  • They are solitary creatures, especially when it comes to adult males. 
  • They are highly territorial, with large male saltwater crocodiles often controlling extensive stretches of rivers, estuaries, or coastlines.
• Conservation Status: It is categorized as ‘Least Concern’ under the IUCN Red List.

About C-DOT’s Cell Broadcast Solution:

• It is an indigenous disaster and emergency alert platform.
• It is designed to enable near real-time dissemination of life-saving information to citizens in affected areas through cellular networks.
• It is developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
• Features of Cell Broadcast Solution:
  • It provides an automated integration between government emergency alert dissemination platforms and the telecom networks of the country for information delivery.
  • It is designed to support varied geographic & demographic scenarios.
  • It integrates multiple disaster alert generation agencies, including the India Meteorological Department, the Central Water Commission for floods, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, and Forest Survey of India.
  • It also brings together mobile service providers for message delivery, State Disaster Management Authorities and the National Disaster Management Authority for alert approval and disaster response.
  • It enables geo-targeted, multi-hazard alerts with support for 21 Indian languages.
• Significance of C-DOT’s Cell Broadcast Solution:
  • It significantly enhances the efficiency of disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
  • It aligns with the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All programme, the International Telecommunication Union’s Common Alerting Protocol.

About Chile:

• Location: It is located in the southwestern part of South America.
• It occupies a long, narrow coastal land strip wedged between the Andes Mountains to the east and the South Pacific Ocean to the west.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
• Capital City: Santiago
• Geographical Features of Chile:
  • Climate: Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south.
  • Desert: Atacama Desert which is the driest non-polar desert in the world is in Chile.
  • Major River: Loa River
  • Volcano: Ojos del Salado, the World’s highest active volcano.
  • It is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
  • Natural Resources: It is the world’s largest copper and Lithium producer. Other resources include molybdenum, iron ore, timber, hydropower, and precious metals.