4th June 2025

Explanation - Raigad is a hill fort situated about 25 km from Mahad in the Raigad district and stands 2,851 feet above the sea level. The British Gazette states the fort was known to early Europeans as the Gibraltar of the East. Its decisive feature is a mile and a half flat top which has adequate room for buildings.
In its prime, the fort had 300 stone houses and a garrison of 2,000 men. The fort, which was earlier called Rairi, was the seat of the Maratha clan Shirke in the 12th century. The fort changed hands a number of times from the dynasty of Bahaminis to the Nizamshahis and then the Adilshahis. In 1647, Chhatrapati Shivaji captured it from the More’s of Javli who were under... the suzerainty of the Adilshahi Sultanate. The fort not only helped Shivaji challenge the supremacy of the Adilshahi dynasty but also opened up the routes towards Konkan for the extension of his power.
In 1662, Shivaji formally changed the fort’s name to Raigad and added a number of structures to it. By 1664, the fort had emerged as the seat of Shivaji’s government. As the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji gained strength in their struggle against the Mughals, the announcement of a sovereign, independent state was made. On June 6, 1674, Shivaji was coronated at Raigad by Gagabhatt where he took on the title of Chhatrapati. Six years later, Shivaji passed away in Raigad in 1680 and he was cremated at the fort.

Explanation - Establishment: MERCOSUR was indeed established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991. This treaty marked the formal creation of the trade bloc. Founding Members: Venezuela is not a founding member of MERCOSUR. The original founding members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Venezuela joined MERCOSUR later, in 2012, but it is not considered a founding member. Objectives: MERCOSUR aims to promote economic integration and reduce trade barriers among its member countries, which aligns with the bloc's core objectives.

Explanation - BharatGen is India’s first-of-its-kind, indigenously developed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based, government-funded, Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) for Indian languages. It is developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and implemented through TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay. BharatGen aims to revolutionise AI development across India’s linguistic and cultural spectrum. The initiative is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and brings together a robust consortium of leading academic institutions, experts, and innovators. The platform integrates text, speech and image modalities, offering seamless AI solutions in 22 Indian languages. This initiative will empower critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance, delivering region-specific AI solutions that understand and serve every Indian. The BharatGen initiative is being executed through a network of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), four of which have been upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs). The Mission’s four pillars include technology development, entrepreneurship, human resource development, and international collaboration. Key features of BharatGen — Multilingual and multimodal models Bhartiya dataset-based training Open-source platform Generative AI research ecosystem in India.

Explanation - International Air Transport Association (IATA) - IATA is a global trade association of the world’s airlines. It represents, leads, and serves the airline industry, aiming to ensure safe, secure, efficient, and economical air transport. It represents 82% of global air traffic. It is headquartered at Montreal, Canada. Origin & members — IATA was founded in Havana, Cuba, on 19 April 1945. It is the successor to the International Air Traffic Association founded in the Hague in 1919 - the year of the world's first international scheduled services. At its founding, IATA had 57 members from 31 nations, mostly in Europe and North America. Today it has some 350 members from 120 nations in every part of the globe. Functions of IATA — Industry Standards & Regulations: Develops global commercial and operational standards for airlines (e.g. ticketing, cargo handling). Advocacy: Represents airline interests in global policy debates and with international organisations and governments. Financial Systems: Manages global financial systems like BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) and CASS (Cargo Accounts Settlement System) for efficient fund transfers. Training & Certification: Provides training, certification, and operational guidance to improve safety and efficiency. Sustainability: Supports the transition to net-zero emissions and promotes Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). Data & Research: Publishes reports and forecasts on industry trends, economics, safety, and performance.