6th November 2025

Explanation - River Umngot (popularly known as Dawki river) flows through the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. 

Origin: It originates from the Eastern Shillong Peak, located 1,800 m above sea level. The river forms a natural boundary between the Jaintia Hills and the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. 

Water Quality: Famous for its picturesque crystal-clear water, earning it the reputation of being the cleanest river in India. 

Annual Events: The Umngot River is known for an annual boat race held in March–April. 

International Boundary: It forms a natural international boundary between India (Meghalaya) and Bangladesh (not Myanmar). 

Suspension Bridge: The suspension bridge over the Dawki River on NH-40 was constructed in 1932 and serves as one of the busiest bilateral trade routes between India and Bangladesh. 

Explanation - The Ramman Festival is an annual religious festival celebrated in late April in the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra, Uttarakhand, in honour of the local deity Bhumiyal Devta. 

Features: 

• Complex Rituals: Includes recitations of the Ramayana, songs, and masked dances with distinct roles for each caste and group. 

• Divine Storytelling: Performances include recitations of the Rama Katha (episodes from the Ramayana) combined with masked dances of deities and local legends, blending mythic and local narrative layers. 

• Sacred Space: Held in the courtyard of the Bhumiyal Devta temple in Saloor-Dungra. 

• Community Participation: Entire village households contribute; roles are caste-based (priests, mask-makers, drum players); funding comes from the village. 

• Masks: 18 different types made of Bhojpatra (Himalayan birch), not just wood generically. 

• Instruments: Dhol (drum), Damau (smaller percussion drum), Manjira (hand cymbals), Jhanjhar (larger cymbals), Bhankora (trumpet). 

• UNESCO Recognition: Inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. 

Explanation - The CITES is part of a multilateral treaty that includes plants, animals and birds under varying categories of threat of extinction and which will be jointly protected by members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. India is a signatory to this. 

Key Facts: 

• Conceptualisation: 1963 at a meeting of the IUCN 

• Implementation: Came into force in 1975; consists of 183 member-countries 

• Location: Geneva, Switzerland 

• Administration: Administered by the United Nations under UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), not the IUCN 

• Legal Status: Although legally binding on Parties, it does not replace national laws. Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which must adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure CITES implementation at the national level. 

Explanation - BRICS Pay represents the grouping's most concrete step to reduce reliance on the SWIFT network, a Belgium-based system used by over 11,000 banks for global money transfers. SWIFT's control by G-10 central banks, especially under U.S. influence, has long been criticised for allowing the weaponisation of the global financial system through sanctions. The prototype of BRICS Pay was demonstrated in Moscow in October 2024, marking a milestone in the bloc's efforts to build an independent payment ecosystem. 

Development: The project is being developed by the BRICS Payment Task Force (BPTF), which aims to ensure interoperability between national payment systems. 

Technological Backbone: Each BRICS nation possesses robust digital payment infrastructure: 

• India - Unified Payments Interface (UPI) 

• China - Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) 

• Russia - System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) 

• Brazil - Pix Instant Payment System 

• South Africa - South African Multiple Option Settlement (SAMOS) 

Together, these systems form the technological backbone of BRICS Pay, offering a credible alternative to SWIFT within the bloc and potentially to other developing economies. 

Explanation - The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, released by global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, revealed a decline in the rankings of most top Indian institutions. Despite improvement in absolute scores, 9 out of 10 leading Indian universities—including seven IITs—fell in rank due to stronger performance by universities from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Malaysia. 

Key Highlights of QS Asia Rankings 2026 — 

• Top performers in Asia: The University of Hong Kong topped the rankings, overtaking Peking University (China), which slipped to second place. National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) shared the third position. 

• East and Southeast Asian universities showed consistent upward mobility, driven by investment in research collaboration and internationalisation. 

• Performance of Indian institutions: IIT Delhi retained its position as India's best institution but fell 15 places to 59th (from 44th in 2025). IIT Bombay witnessed the sharpest decline, dropping 23 places to 71st. Other IITs—Madras, Kanpur, and Kharagpur—also recorded their lowest ranks in recent years. The only Indian institution showing improvement was Chandigarh University, rising from 120 to 109.