11th May 2026

Explanation -
The Somnath temple, also called Somanātha temple or Deo Patan, is located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India.

One of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for the Hindus, they believe it to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

It was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and rulers.

After India's independence, those ruins were demolished and the present Somnath temple was reconstructed in the Māru-Gurjara style of Hindu temple architecture.

The contemporary Somnath temple's reconstruction was started under the orders of the first Home Minister of India Vallabhbhai Patel and completed in May 1951 after his death.

Presently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Chairman of Shree Somnath Mandir trust.

Explanation -
Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation weapon is India's first indigenous glide weapon system to convert unguided warheads into precision guided weapons.

Glide weapon system — once released from an aircraft, the system uses aerodynamic lift and onboard guidance mechanisms to glide towards a target instead of falling directly under gravity like a conventional free-fall bomb.

TARA has been designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad along with other DRDO laboratories.

Features —

• It is developed to enhance the lethality and accuracy of a low-cost weapon to neutralise ground-based targets.
• It enables stand off attacks from safer distances.
• It improves targeting accuracy against ground-based targets.
• It uses modular architecture for compatibility with existing munitions.
• It incorporates low-cost indigenous guidance technologies.
• It supports rapid integration with Indian Air Force platforms.
• It is the first glide weapon to utilise state-of-the-art low-cost systems.
• The development of the kit has been undertaken with Development cum Production Partners (DcPP) & other Indian industries.

Explanation -
The four Labour Codes enacted between 2019 and 2020 are —

• Code on Wages, 2019
• Industrial Relations Code, 2020
• Code on Social Security, 2020
• Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020

Significance of the Labour Codes —

• Ease of Doing Business: Simplified compliance framework, reduction in multiplicity of laws, and digitisation of labour administration.
• Formalisation of employment: Improved documentation, electronic wage payment systems, and universalised social security architecture.
• Expansion of social security: Inclusion of gig workers, platform workers, and unorganised labour marks a major policy shift.

Together, they replace 29 existing labour laws.

Wage-Related Provisions -

National Floor Wage — The Centre will determine a national floor wage in consultation with the Central Advisory Board, and State governments. The floor wage will consider minimum living standards, food, clothing, housing, and other factors deemed appropriate.

Working hours — 8-hour normal working day, weekly cap fixed at 48 hours, and daily wage calculations (hourly wage is equal to daily wage divided by 8, while monthly wage is equal to daily wage multiply by 26).

Mandatory wage slips — Employers must issue wage slips electronically or physically.

Timely wage payments — The government has mandated strict timelines for wage payments —

• Daily workers (by end of shift)
• Weekly workers (before weekly holiday)
• Fortnightly workers (within 2 days)
• Monthly workers (within 7 days of next month)

Payments must be made through the bank transfer electronic mode.

Penalties for contractors — Contractors failing to pay workers on time may face debarment, blacklisting, and procurement restrictions.

Explanation -
Under Article 164 of the Constitution, the Governor appoints the Chief Minister. However, the Constitution does not prescribe a fixed procedure for selecting a Chief Minister in the event of a hung Assembly.

The Governor's primary responsibility is to ensure the formation of a stable and responsible government while preserving constitutional governance in the State.

Recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission and various Supreme Court judgments emphasise that Governors must act impartially and constitutionally rather than on personal discretion.

Exploring Government Formation —
The Governor is expected to explore all reasonable possibilities for government formation by consulting political parties, alliances, and independent MLAs within a reasonable timeframe.

While some time may be allowed to establish majority support, the Governor cannot delay indefinitely, as prolonged uncertainty may encourage political defections and horse-trading.

Power to Dissolve the Assembly —
The Supreme Court of India, in cases such as B.R. Kapur case and Rameshwar Prasad case, recognised that the Governor may recommend dissolution of the Assembly under Article 174(2)(b) if no party is able to form a stable government.

If all possibilities of forming a government fail, the Governor may recommend President's Rule under Article 356 as a last constitutional option.

Explanation -
An orbital data centre is a network or constellation of satellites equipped with powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) similar to those used in terrestrial data centres.

Unlike traditional satellites that mainly transmit data back to Earth, orbital data centres can process data and run artificial intelligence models directly in space.

The concept extends the idea of edge computing, where computation happens close to the source of data generation instead of relying entirely on centralised cloud systems. In space, this allows faster and more efficient data analysis onboard satellites.

Pathfinder as a Demonstration Mission —
Pixxel's Pathfinder is being developed as a single-satellite demonstrator to test whether data centre-grade hardware can operate reliably in the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit.

The project aims to evaluate the performance of advanced computing systems in space, especially under extreme heat and radiation conditions encountered in orbit.