26th June 2026

Explanation – The immediate cause of the heatwave in Europe is a meteorological phenomenon called the Omega Block — named because the resulting air pressure pattern resembles the Greek letter Ω. Normally, jet streams — high-altitude winds — blow steadily from west to east over Europe, moving weather systems along. When this flow gets disrupted, it develops large bends. A high-pressure zone builds in the middle, flanked by low-pressure zones on either side. This creates the omega shape.

Explanation – It is a short-term indicator designed to measure changes over time in the volume of output produced by the services sector relative to a specified base period. It measures changes in the real output of service-producing industries over time. It is being developed with 2024-25 as the proposed base year and will primarily use Goods and Services Tax (GST) data to track activity.

Explanation – It is co-led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and Citi Foundation, in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).

Genesis of Youth Co:Lab:

• It was co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation.
• In India, Youth Co: Lab was launched in 2019 in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission.
• It aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth so that they can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• It is implemented by T-Hub Foundation.
• It has emerged as a key platform for promoting youth-led innovation and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Explanation – The concept of res judicata has evolved from the English Common Law System. Res judicata literally means “the thing has been judged”. It is also known as claim preclusion.

The principle of res judicata applies when a litigant attempts to file a subsequent lawsuit on the same matter after having received a judgment in a previous case involving the same parties. It is a judicial concept, which means that the issue before the court has already been decided by another court, between the same parties, and the courts do not allow a petition to be filed in the same court or in another court. Therefore, the court will dismiss the case before it as being useless.

Explanation – It is a unique form of jewellery making that is completely handcrafted. It is an intricate form of jewellery-making that involves fusing gold onto coloured glass to create intricate designs and patterns. It was evolved in Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan. It is a 400-year-old art work that was first crafted by Nathu Lal Sonewal in the 18th century. The word Thewa is derived from the local dialect of the region and means “setting”. The Thewa art work received its Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2014.