15th December 2025

Explanation - The selection of Assam's Demow Model marks a significant recognition of grassroots innovation. The model has shown notable success in Assam's Sivasagar district through strong community mobilisation and rapid referral systems. Core Features of the Demow Model — High community participation with local volunteers acting as first responders. A robust referral network to ensure that patients reach health centres within the "golden hour". Awareness campaigns on preventing snakebites and first-aid dos and don'ts. Training of ASHA workers, schoolteachers, and village leaders. Collaboration with local hospitals such as Demow Hospital. Because of its strong outcomes, the model will now undergo scientific evaluation and may be scaled across multiple states.

Explanation - It is a key digital initiative designed to transform rural drinking water governance. It has been developed with the support of Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N). Features of Sujalam Bharat App — It enables advanced geo-referencing, monitoring and management of rural water supply infrastructure under Jal Jeevan Mission. It integrates critical data including water sources, asset inventories, scheme designs, operational records, water quality reports, supply metrics, and community feedback into a single platform. With the introduction of the Sujal Gaon ID, every habitation will have a clear digital profile showing: Its source of drinking water (local or bulk supply), The nature and condition of its infrastructure, Supply reliability, Water quality status, O&M arrangements. It is integrated with PM Gati Shakti GIS which provides up-to-date geospatial mapping of rural water networks, supporting future planning, repair, and expansion with greater precision. Significance: It will ensure transparency in the performance of Gram Panchayats, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and service providers, thereby promoting community participation and oversight.

Explanation - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations. Its primary mission is to lead international efforts in the fight against hunger and to promote sustainable agricultural practices. FAO's work encompasses a wide range of areas including food security, nutrition, agricultural production, fisheries, forestry, and more. The organisation plays a crucial role in global efforts to address the challenges of food security and sustainable development.

Explanation - It is a U.S.-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation driven silicon supply chain—from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and logistics. The term 'Pax Silica' comes from the Latin term 'pax' which means peace, stability, and long-term prosperity. Silica refers to the compound that is refined into silicon, one of the chemical elements foundational to the computer chips that enable AI. It aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to AI, and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale. Which Countries Are Part of Pax Silica? Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Australia. Countries Affirmed a Shared Commitment To: Pursue projects to jointly address AI supply chain opportunities and vulnerabilities in priority critical minerals, semiconductor design, fabrication, and packaging, logistics and transportation, compute, and energy grids and power generation. Pursue new joint ventures and strategic co-investment opportunities. Protect sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure from undue access or control by countries of concern. Build trusted technology ecosystems, including ICT systems, fiber-optic cables, data centres, foundational models and applications. Statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct as per the provided text. Statement 4 is incorrect because India is not listed among the member countries.

Explanation - APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. It was envisioned under the New Education Policy, 2020. It is an identification number which is linked to enrollment, and a student's journey from pre-primary to higher education can be tracked through it. APAAR assigns a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student, offering a comprehensive record of their academic achievements, including degrees, scholarships, awards, and other credits. The APAAR ID will be unique and remain the same through one's education journey. It is linked to Aadhaar and stored in DigiLocker for easy access. The APAAR ID embodies the vision of "One Nation, One Student ID", ensuring a unified and accessible academic experience for students across India. It serves as a lifelong academic passport, consolidating all achievements and credentials of a student in one place. APAAR is generated through Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+). Statement 3 is incorrect as the text does not state that APAAR ID is mandatory for all school admissions. Objectives of APAAR — To accumulate and store students' academic achievements in a central database. To facilitate seamless transfer between institutions. To provide standardised digital records for mark sheets and institutional affiliations. To help in educational policymaking and analysis.