6th October 2026

Explanation - Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country located midway between Hawaii and Australia in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Its neighbours include Kiribati, to the north, and Fiji, to the south. It comprises nine islands (four reef islands and five coral atolls) scattered in a chain lying approximately northwest to southeast over a distance of some 420 miles (676 km). All islands are low-lying, with no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5 m above sea level. Thus, the islands are threatened by any future sea level rise. There are no rivers. Tuvalu’s climate is hot and rainy. With the exception of tiny Vatican City, Tuvalu has the fewest inhabitants of any other independent nation. Capital — Funafuti Languages — Most people speak a language called Tuvaluan. English is also common. Economy — Most people are subsistence farmers and are aided by remittances from relatives working overseas. A small quantity of copra is produced for export, the sale of stamps accounts for modest earnings, and fees are collected from foreign fishing fleets. Political Overview — Tuvalu became independent from the United Kingdom in October 1978. It operates as a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. It is part of the Commonwealth Realm, with King Charles III recognised as King of Tuvalu. He is represented by a Governor-General, who is appointed upon the advice of the Prim

Explanation - It is located in the Thar Desert near the town of Jaisalmer, in Rajasthan. It is one of the largest national parks in the country. Topography: The substantial part of the park is on a landscape, which comprises of lakebed of extinct salt lakes and thorny scrubs and a considerable area consists of sand dunes. Climate: The area falls in the extreme hot and arid region of the very low rainfall zone (<100mm) of the country. One of the most interesting features of this park is the presence of fossils from the Jurassic Period. Vegetation — The vegetation of a major part of the arid region of the Thar falls under the thorn forest type. The vegetation is quite sparse with open grassland, thorny bushes, plantations and dunes as the broad habitat types. Lakes: There are three main lakes in this sanctuary- Rajbaugh Lake, Malik Talao Lake and Padam Talao.

Explanation - Ramappa Temple is located in the state of Telangana. It was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by RecharlaRudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva. The presiding deity here is RamalingeswaraSwamy. It is also known as the Rudreshwara Temple. It got its name Ramappa because of its chief sculptor Ramappa. It is probably the only temple in India that is named after the architect. Architectural features — The temple stands on a 6 feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors. Earthquake-proof: Made out of clay mixed with acacia wood, chaff and myrobalan fruit (a family of amla), the bricks used in building the gopuram of the temple are light enough to float on water. Using this technique has made the temple light, meaning, in case of a natural event like an earthquake, the probability of it collapsing would be very low. Sandbox technique: The temple construction was done using the sandbox technique. This is a technique where the foundation pit is filled with a mixture of sand-lime, jaggery and black myrobalan fruit. This mix acts as a cushion in case of earthquakes. In 2021, the temple was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as “Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana”.

Explanation - To convey the particular peril posed by nuclear weapons, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists devised the Doomsday Clock in 1947. It is a symbolic clock adopted by atomic scientists to show how close human beings are considered to be to a global catastrophe, with midnight standing for annihilation, or “doomsday.” It is recognised as a universal symbol of threats to humanity from a variety of sources: nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and disruptive technologies. The Doomsday Clock appeared on the Bulletin’s first cover when it transitioned from a newsletter to a magazine. Its original setting was seven minutes to midnight. Since its invention in 1947, the clock has been reset 27 times. In 2026 the clock was set to 85 seconds before midnight, the closest it has ever been to doomsday.

Explanation - The GEC is a flagship government programme to build dedicated transmission infrastructure integrating large-scale renewable energy — solar and wind — into the national power grid. What's New in Phase 3 — For the first time, GEC includes a dedicated battery energy storage component, with provisions for deploying 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Understanding Storage — Energy storage systems store excess renewable electricity during high-generation periods and discharge it when demand rises but generation remains low. They convert electricity into a storable form when available, then convert it back to electricity when needed. A GWh measures total energy produced, consumed, or stored over a period.