30th August 2025

Explanation – The Gangotri Glacier originates at the northern slope of the Chaukhamba range of peaks in Uttarakhand. The Bhagirathi River emerges from its snout at Gaumukh and joins the Alaknanda River at Devprayag to form the Ganges. The glacier is situated at an altitude of around 4,000 meters, but it borders Tibet (China), not Nepal. It is approximately 30 km in length and 4 km in width. 

Explanation – The IAEA was established in 1957 as the world's "Atoms for Peace" organization, but not specifically in response to Soviet atomic bomb testing. It is not under direct control of the UN, though it reports to both the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The IAEA Secretariat is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and it serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in peaceful use of nuclear technology worldwide. 

Explanation – Samudrayaan is India's first manned ocean mission, part of the Deep Ocean Mission with a budget of ₹4,077 crores. The mission aims to send three personnel to a depth of 6,000 meters in a vehicle called 'MATSYA 6000' for exploring deep-sea resources like polymetallic nodules. This places India among an elite group of nations (USA, Russia, Japan, France, and China) that have such underwater vehicles for deep-sea exploration. 

Explanation – India conducts 2+2 ministerial dialogues with four key strategic partners: the US, Australia, Japan, and Russia. The 2+2 dialogue is a format where the foreign and defence ministers of both countries discuss strategic and security issues. This enables partners to better understand each other's strategic concerns and sensitivities. The US holds the oldest and most significant 2+2 talks partnership with India. 

Explanation – Exercise Dharma Guardian is a joint military exercise (not naval) between the Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is conducted annually, alternating between India and Japan. The 6th edition in 2025 was conducted at the East Fuji Training Area in Japan (February 24 to March 9, 2025), not near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It focuses on joint urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under UN mandate.