11th November 2025

Explanation - GPS spoofing involves manipulating navigation data with malicious intent. Unlike jamming, which blocks GPS signals, spoofing involves transmitting fake satellite signals to override genuine ones. The aircraft's navigation systems pick up these counterfeit signals and calculate wrong data for position, altitude, time, and speed. The aim is for the target to act on false navigation information. The fake signals over-ride the genuine satellite signals using specialised hardware or software. Since GPS satellite signals are weaker, the receiver considers the amplified spoofed signals as authentic. Aircraft may end up flying blind, or even worse, dangerously off-course. Spoofing is often reported in — Conflict zones like the Black Sea region West Asia and the Middle East Military action areas or electronic warfare zones Globally, spoofing and jamming of GPS signals have become a growing menace for airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recorded 4.3 lakh cases of GPS jamming or spoofing over conflict zones in 2024, up 62 percent from 2023. 

Explanation - It literally means 'voyage to Bali'. It is one of the country's largest open-air fairs that commemorates the 2,000-year-old maritime and cultural links between ancient Kalinga (today's Odisha) and Bali and other South and Southeast Asian regions like Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This year's Baliyatra, which concluded recently also found a place in the Guinness World Records for achieving an impressive feat of origami, the creation of beautiful paper sculptures. The festival is organised by the Cuttack district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation in association with several other government agencies. The origins of the festival, which begins on Kartik Purnima (full moon night in the month of Kartik) can be traced back more than 1,000 years. The Bay of Bengal region had several ports, and sadhavas (traders) traditionally began their voyage across the sea on this auspicious day, when the winds were favourable for the boats, known as boita, to sail. According to historians, popular items of trade between Kalinga and Southeast Asia included pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, silk, camphor, gold, and jewellery. Even today, thousands of people across Odisha sail decorative miniature boats made of banana stems, paper, or thermocol to celebrate boita bandana, or the worshipping of the boats. 

Explanation - Technical textiles are material and products manufactured primarily for their technical properties and functional requirements rather than for aesthetic characteristics. The scope of use of technical textiles encompasses a wide range of applications such as agrotextiles, medical textiles, geo-textiles, protection-textiles, industrial-textiles, sports-textiles and many other usages. Use of technical textiles have benefits of increased productivity in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture fields, better protection of military, para-military, police and security forces, stronger and sturdier transportation infrastructure for highways, railways, ports and airports and in improving hygiene and healthcare of general public. 

Explanation - The "Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes" was adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Convention's primary objective is to prevent, control, and reduce transboundary impacts on watercourses and international lakes to ensure their sustainable use and protection. India is not a signatory to the Convention. The Convention initially focused on the UNECE region but has been opened for global participation, though India has not joined. 

Explanation - The act provides exemptions for the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes in certain circumstances. These exemptions are granted based on specific conditions and subject to approval from the central government. The act seeks to strike a balance between conservation efforts and necessary development activities. The act applies uniformly across the country and is not limited to select states. It covers all forest areas, irrespective of their location. The act imposes penalties for violations of its provisions. It aims to regulate and monitor the use of forest land to ensure its conservation and prevent unauthorised activities. The act does not focus primarily on promoting commercial activities within forest areas. Its primary objective is to regulate and conserve forests while allowing sustainable and balanced use of forest resources.