15th January 2026

Explanation: Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act requires prior approval from the competent authority before conducting any inquiry or investigation against a public servant for actions taken in official capacity.

Objective (as per government):

• Protect honest officers
• Prevent frivolous, vexatious complaints
• Avoid policy paralysis

Explanation: Smartphone's Source Code is the foundational set of instructions and digital assets that power a software system. In simpler terms, the source code is highly confidential data that controls the device's memory, processor, sensors, and hardware features. While parts of platforms like Android are open-source, manufacturers make extensive proprietary modifications that they closely guard. Source code is protected not only for commercial reasons but also for security, as exposing a system's inner workings could allow malicious actors to identify vulnerabilities, leading to data breaches and cyberattacks.

Explanation: The Shaksgam Valley, or Trans Karakoram Tract, is part of the Hunza-Gilgit region of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and is a disputed territory claimed by India. It borders Xinjiang Province of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the north, the Northern Areas of POK to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east. It was ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963, when both countries signed a boundary agreement to settle their border differences.

Explanation: Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters was established in 1978.

Functions of Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters:

• To advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament
• To serve as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
• To advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme

Membership: The Secretary-General chooses the members of the Board from all regions of the world for their knowledge and experience in the field of disarmament and international security. There are fifteen members of the Board. The Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member. The Advisory Board holds two sessions a year, alternating between New York and Geneva. Board adopts its agenda based on requests from the Secretary-General for advice on specific disarmament issues and upon its own recommendations of items to be considered. The chairman of the Board rotates by region on a yearly basis.

Headquarter: New York.

Explanation: Co-operative banks in India are registered under the States Cooperative Societies Act. The Co-operative banks are also regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and governed by the Banking Regulations Act 1949, and Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.

Features of Cooperative Banks:

• Customer Owned Entities: Co-operative bank members are both customer and owner of the bank.
• Democratic Member Control: Co-operative banks are owned and controlled by the members, who democratically elect a board of directors. Members usually have equal voting rights, according to the cooperative principle of "one person, one vote".
• Profit Allocation: A significant part of the yearly profit, benefits or surplus is usually allocated to constitute reserves and a part of this profit can also be distributed to the co-operative members, with legal and statutory limitations.
• Financial Inclusion: They have played a significant role in the financial inclusion of unbanked rural masses.
• Supervision: In India, co-operative banks are registered under the States Cooperative Societies. They also come under the regulatory ambit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under two laws: the Banking Regulations Act, 1949, and the Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.