13th November 2025

Explanation - Scientists sifting through the genomes of people scattered across the islands of south-east Asia have found echoes of ancient pairings with not just one, but three separate populations of the archaic hominins known as Denisovans. First discovered in 2010, the Denisovans are a relatively recent addition to the human family tree. 

Explanation - Humboldt penguins are a medium-sized species among at least 17 species. The largest, the Emperor penguin, stands at over 4 ft tall while the Little penguin has a maximum height of 1 ft. Humboldt penguins have an average height of just over 2 ft. Penguins are divided into six genera. The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) belongs to a genus that is commonly known as the 'banded' group. Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterised by cold waters. Humboldt penguins have large, bare skin patches around their eyes, an adaptation to help keep them cool. The Humboldt is one of the most popular zoo penguins due to its ability to withstand warmer climates. 

Explanation - Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 - Based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, Part XIV-A was added by the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, titled as 'Tribunals' which provided for the establishment of 'Administrative Tribunals' under Article 323-A: It gives exclusive power to the Parliament for establishing tribunals. 'Tribunals for other matters' under Article 323-B: It gives power to the concerned State Legislature to constitute Tribunals for the respective subjects specified therein. Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 - It provides for the establishment of three kinds of administrative Tribunals: (a) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), State Administrative Tribunals (SAT) and Joint Administrative Tribunals (JAT). 

Explanation - Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Product, Steel, Cement and Electricity are known as Core Industries. The eight Core Industries comprise nearly 37.9% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). 

Explanation - Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. IIP is published monthly, six weeks after the reference month ends.