The Agreement on Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan was signed on which date and entered into force on which date respectively?
The Agreement on Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities was signed on December 31, 1988 (when PM Rajiv Gandhi and PM Benazir Bhutto were in office) and entered into force on January 27, 1991. Under the agreement, both countries exchange lists of their nuclear installations and facilities on January 1 each year through diplomatic channels. The 35th consecutive annual exchange occurred on January 1, 2026.
💡 Concept Note
India-Pakistan Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) include: this Nuclear Non-Attack Agreement (1988/1991), the Consular Access Agreement (2008), the Simla Agreement (1972) which established the Line of Control (LoC), and the Lahore Declaration (1999) signed by PM Vajpayee and PM Nawaz Sharif. The IWT (Indus Waters Treaty, 1960) is another key bilateral framework. Despite strained ties, the January 1 nuclear installations exchange has been one of the few consistently maintained CBMs.
The Sacred Piprahwa Relics exhibition 'The Light and the Lotus' was inaugurated in January 2026. Piprahwa in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh is identified as which ancient site?
Piprahwa is identified as ancient Kapilavastu, the Sakya kingdom where Prince Siddhartha Gautama lived until age 29. W.C. Peppe excavated the site in 1898 and found stone caskets with Brahmi inscriptions confirming them as the Buddha’s sariras.
💡 Concept Note
The four main Buddhist Dhams: Lumbini (birth, Nepal), Bodh Gaya (enlightenment, Bihar), Sarnath (first sermon, UP), Kushinagar (parinirvana, UP). Nalanda University (Bihar) was the greatest Buddhist monastery-university, destroyed ~1193 CE by Bakhtiyar Khilji.
In FY 2024-25, India became the world's largest rice producer. What was India's rice production figure that surpassed China?
India produced 150.18 million tonnes (MT) of rice in FY 2024-25, surpassing China’s 145.28 MT to become the world’s largest rice producer for the first time. This was the ninth consecutive year of higher rice production for India, driven by above-normal monsoon rainfall, expanded minimum support price (MSP) coverage, and a record 50 million hectares under rice cultivation. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement.
💡 Concept Note
India is also the world’s largest rice exporter, accounting for approximately 40% of global rice trade (though export restrictions were imposed in 2023-24 to protect domestic supply). Major rice-producing states: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also released 184 new crop varieties across 25 crops on the same occasion: 122 cereals, 24 cotton, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder, 6 pulses, 6 sugarcane. China and India together account for more than 50% of global rice production.
Under Mission Mausam, 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations were developed by which institution?
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune developed 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations under Mission Mausam. The first batch was to be deployed in Delhi in February 2026, with the stations certified by IMD and BIS.
💡 Concept Note
Mission Mausam has a budget of Rs 2,000 crore (2024-2026) with a goal of 100% population coverage for 72-hour weather forecasts. NCMRWF at Noida is a parallel body to IITM for medium-range weather forecasting.
DSIR's PRISM scheme, which had its eligibility criteria relaxed in January 2026, stands for which of the following?
PRISM stands for Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Startups and MSMEs. DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) celebrated its 42nd Foundation Day in January 2026 and removed the 3-year mandatory existence condition for deep-tech startups under IRDPP, with maximum assistance of Rs 1 crore per startup.
💡 Concept Note
DSIR was established in 1984 and functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It manages PRISM, SIRO (Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), and IRDPP (Industrial Research and Development Promotion Programme).
The Salal Hydroelectric Project, which has been a subject of India-Pakistan dispute under the Indus Waters Treaty, is located on which river in Jammu and Kashmir?
The Salal Hydroelectric Project (690 MW, run-of-river) is located on the Chenab River in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, and is operated by NHPC. It was the first hydropower project built by India in J&K under the Indus Waters Treaty regime. Construction started in 1970 and was completed in 1987 after a bilateral agreement with Pakistan in 1978. Under the IWT 1960, India can construct run-of-river hydropower on western rivers (Chenab, Jhelum, Indus) but cannot build large storage dams.
💡 Concept Note
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960 was mediated by the World Bank and signed by PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan PM Ayub Khan. Eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) are allocated to India; western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) are allocated primarily to Pakistan, with India permitted run-of-river hydropower. Other key NHPC projects in J&K: Baglihar (900 MW, Chenab), Uri I and II (Jhelum). Pakistan has raised disputes over Salal, Baglihar, and Kishanganga projects under the IWT arbitration mechanism.
Pakistan's Taimoor air-launched cruise missile, tested in January 2026, has an approximate range of which of the following?
The Taimoor is an air-launched, subsonic, turbojet-propelled cruise missile with a range of up to 600 km. It incorporates stealth design elements and a precision guidance system as Pakistan’s indigenously-developed long-range precision strike capability.
💡 Concept Note
Pakistan’s cruise missile arsenal includes Babur (ground-launched, 700 km), Ra’ad (air-launched, 350 km), and now Taimoor. India’s comparable systems include BrahMos (supersonic, ~300-500 km) and Nirbhay (subsonic cruise, ~1,000 km).
Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme for semiconductor and display manufacturing in India is administered by which ministry?
The DLI (Design Linked Incentive) Scheme is administered by MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology). It provides financial incentives of up to 50% of eligible expenditures for semiconductor chip design startups and companies over 5 years.
💡 Concept Note
India’s semiconductor mission also includes the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) under MeitY, PLI for IT hardware, and specific provisions under the Semicon India programme. Tata Electronics and Micron Technology have received approvals for fabrication and assembly/test units.
Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, who has the power to take special measures and prescribe regulations to prevent the outbreak or spread of a dangerous epidemic disease?
Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, state governments can take special measures and prescribe regulations when they find that ordinary provisions of law are insufficient to prevent an epidemic. Central Government powers were added through a 2020 amendment.
💡 Concept Note
The Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 is one of the oldest public health laws. The 2020 amendment added protection for healthcare workers during epidemic duties. The National Disaster Management Act 2005 is a parallel law used during COVID-19.
The wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus), found only in Nubra Valley in India, has what IUCN conservation status for its wild population as per the latest 2025 assessment?
The wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus — the wild form, distinct from the domestic Camelus bactrianus) was reclassified by IUCN in 2025 from Critically Endangered to Endangered. The latest population estimates range from 1,040 to 1,840 individuals globally (640-740 in China and 400-1,100 in Mongolia). The reclassification does not mean recovery — the species remains severely threatened by poaching, habitat loss, hybridisation with domestic camels, and climate change. India has a small population in Nubra Valley, Ladakh — the only location in India.
💡 Concept Note
The Bactrian camel (two humps, Camelus ferus in the wild) is distinct from the Dromedary (one hump, Camelus dromedarius) found in Rajasthan. Nubra Valley also hosts Snow Leopards, Tibetan wolf, and wild yak. Under India’s Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the Bactrian camel has Schedule I status — the highest protection level. The Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF) campaigns for the species’ survival in the Gobi and Gashun Gobi deserts of China and Mongolia.
