6th September 2025

Explanation – Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Bargarh district of Odisha, located near Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River. During Veer Surendra Sai's rebellion against the British, his base at Barapathara was located within the sanctuary. The sanctuary is covered with mixed and dry deciduous forest (not tropical evergreen). It is an important habitat for the four-horned antelope (chousingha) and serves as one of the most important wintering grounds for migratory birds including crested serpent eagle, flower peckers, and red vented bulbul. 

Explanation – PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The features of such groups include zero or negative population growth, extremely low literacy levels, and pre-agricultural systems of existence. There are 75 PVTGs (not 95) officially notified in the country. The Konda Reddis and Irular tribes are both designated as PVTGs, found in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively. 

Explanation – NIRF was launched by the Union Ministry of Education in 2015 with a standardised methodology to rank institutions. The framework evaluates institutions based on five parameters: Teaching, learning and resources; Research and professional practice; Graduation outcomes; Outreach and inclusivity; and peer perception. This year's rankings have been released across 17 categories, with SDGs institutes introduced for the first time in 2025. 

Explanation – Immigration Officers hold final authority to validate or deny entry or exit and can refuse admission on national security grounds. Universities must report admissions of foreign students, while hospitals must notify authorities of foreign patients, births, and deaths within seven days via electronic submission. However, not all foreign nationals including OCI cardholders are required to register with FRRO—only certain categories of foreigners must register with designated authorities like SP/DCP or FRROs. 

Explanation – Major producing states—Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan—account for over 55% of production, while the top ten states contribute over 91% of the national output. However, nearly 80% of pulses cultivation is rain-fed (not predominantly dependent on irrigation), making production vulnerable to climatic fluctuations. Government interventions, including the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Minimum Support Price (MSP) policies, improved output significantly. By 2022-23, production rose by nearly 59.4% to 26.06 MT, with productivity increasing by 38%.