20th June 2026

Explanation – Downblending is the reverse of enrichment. It is the process of making uranium less pure — mixing enriched uranium with depleted or natural uranium to reduce the concentration of U-235 to below 5%.

• The key concept it serves is breakout time — the time required for a country to convert its civilian nuclear material into enough weapons-grade uranium for a bomb.
• Downblending increases breakout time by reducing available U-235.
• Longer breakout time = more warning time for the international community to act.
• The 2015 JCPOA allowed Iran to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% — sufficient for reactor use, insufficient for weapons.

Explanation – It is a centralised platform for registering and monitoring complaints of sexual harassment of women in the workplace. SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment electronic Box) portal was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in 2024. It has been developed to operationalise the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Key Features:

• It serves as a centralised repository of information related to Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) formed across the country, encompassing both the government and private sectors.
• It provides assured redressal of complaints and a streamlined process for all stakeholders.
• The portal enables real-time monitoring of complaints through a designated nodal officer.
• It provides single-window access for women across all organised, unorganised, public and private sectors to register and track complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace.
• The portal enables seamless coordination among stakeholders and strengthens the implementation framework of the SH Act by providing a more structured monitorable system.
• It provides a secure, confidential and user-friendly interface that enables women to report incidents without fear of stigma or retaliation.
• The portal is available in 22 languages, including Hindi and English, ensuring inclusivity and wider accessibility across diverse user groups.

Explanation – NIXI is a not-for-profit organisation under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, and was registered on 19th June, 2003. It works under the overall aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• NIXI was set up for peering of ISPs among themselves for the purpose of routing the domestic traffic within the country, instead of taking it all the way to US/Abroad, thereby resulting in better quality of service (reduced latency) and reduced bandwidth charges for ISPs by saving on International Bandwidth.
• NIXI is managed and operated on a neutral basis, in line with the best practices for such initiatives globally.
• .IN is India's Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). The Government of India delegated the operations of INRegistry to NIXI in 2004. The INRegistry operates and manages India's .IN ccTLD.
• Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) in India provides allocation and registration services of IP addresses and AS numbers, and contributes to the society by providing internet-related information as a non-profit, affiliation-based organisation, and performing research, education and enlightenment activities.

Explanation – It is an innovative biopolymer-based technology developed by the ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad.

Key Features:

• Multifunctional Layer — It uses biodegradable biopolymers to form a multifunctional protective layer around seeds.
• Delivery Platform — This coating acts as a delivery platform for beneficial microorganisms, nutrients, micronutrients, and crop-protection agents directly at the seed-soil interface, improving germination rates and early plant growth.
• Microenvironment — It creates a favourable microenvironment that promotes faster germination, stronger seedling growth, better root development, and enhanced tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stresses during the crucial crop establishment phase.
• The coating can be tailored for a broad range of crops, including cereals, millets, pulses, vegetables, and horticultural produce, and is particularly suited to rainfed farming.

Significance:

• The technology is particularly relevant for rainfed agriculture, which accounts for a major share of India's cultivated area and is highly vulnerable to climatic uncertainties.
• It aligns closely with national priorities on sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, improved seed systems, and enhanced resource-use efficiency.

Explanation – It is a narrow water body in the Mediterranean Sea in southern Italy. It is an example of a strait that runs through a country.

• It separates mainland Italy and the island of Sicily.
• It is named after the city of Messina, located on the northeastern tip of Sicily.
• It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea in the north with the Ionian Sea in the south. Both are parts of the larger Mediterranean Sea.
• The waters of the strait are known for strong currents, whirlpools, and tidal flows.
• The strait was greatly feared by sailors in antiquity, mainly because of the rocks and whirlpools known as Scylla and Charybdis, which were personified as female monsters in Greek mythology.
• It has a unique marine ecosystem due to its strong water currents. The alternating and intense current, abundant phosphorus and nitrogen, and low water temperature support abundant and diverse species.
• It is a migratory route used by fish and other species to access the Mediterranean Sea.

•           Every year, several bird species pass through the strait to their breeding grounds in Europe.