10th July 2025

Explanation - PARAKH RS is administered by PARAKH, an autonomous body under NCERT. The survey covered Grades 3, 6, and 9, testing Language, Mathematics, Environmental Studies (Grades 3 & 6), and Science & Social Science (Grade 9). Punjab and Kerala were top performers in multiple grades, while districts like Sahebganj (Jharkhand) and North & South Garo Hills (Meghalaya) were low performers. Kendriya Vidyalayas showed mixed performance—low in Grade 3 Mathematics but excelled in Grade 9 Language, indicating intra-institutional disparities rather than consistent underperformance. 

Explanation - The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris. The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris. 

Explanation - National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project is aimed at strengthening maritime and coastal security. The project will bring in an integrated approach to data collation, analysis, and information sharing amongst the various maritime stakeholders. The project entails upgradation of the existing National Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence (NC3I) Network to the NMDA Network along with the incorporation of AI-enabled software for smarter surveillance and decision-making. As part of the project, the existing Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurugram, which is the nodal centre of the NC3I Network, will also be upgraded into a Multi-Agency NMDA Centre. This upgraded centre will host personnel from 15 agencies spanning seven key ministries — including Defence, Shipping, Petroleum, Fisheries, and others — to ensure seamless coordination and information sharing. The NMDA project will link various maritime agencies, coastal states, and union territories for a unified operational picture of India's vast coastline and surrounding seas. It will also integrate data from sectors such as commercial shipping and fisheries, improving response capabilities to maritime threats, search-and-rescue missions, and environmental incidents. The project, set to be executed on a turnkey basis, will be administered by the Indian Navy. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will serve as the lead integrator, providing state-of-the-art hardware and AI-enabled software solutions. 

Explanation - EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas to enable them to access the best opportunities in education and to bring them at par with the general population. EMRS are established in the States/UTs from the grants received under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India. 

Features — 

• EMRS are co-educational residential schools from Class VI to XII.
• Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
• Each school has a capacity of 480 students with equal number of seats for boys and girls.
• Non-ST students can be admitted in these schools on seats up to 10% of the total seats.
• CBSE curriculum is followed in these schools, and education is completely free.

The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organisation has been set up under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to establish and manage EMRS across the country. 

Explanation - The great hornbill also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. Its scientific name is Buceros Bicornis.