13th April 2026

Explanation - Indus river dolphins are one of only four river dolphin species and subspecies in the world that spend all of their lives in freshwater. The Indus river dolphin is the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. At present, there are only around 1,800 of these in the Indus in Pakistan. Their population in the Beas River is between eight to 10. IUCN status: Endangered. Its scientific name is Platanista minor. The Indus river dolphin is classified as Endangered by the IUCN and, until recently, it was believed that these dolphins were endemic to Pakistan. But in 2007, a remnant but viable population of Indus dolphins was discovered in Punjab's Harike wildlife sanctuary and in the lower Beas river. Since its discovery, research is being done by Punjab's Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation in partnership with WWF-India on the current distribution, habitat use and population abundance of the mammal. The Indus river dolphin was declared the State aquatic animal of Punjab in 2019.

Explanation - Shree Chamundeshwari Temple is a Hindu temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills in Karnataka. It is dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari, who is an avatar of Durga. The original shrine is considered to be built by the Hoysala rulers from the 12th century and later by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 17th century. Notable though are the 1000-odd, stone stairway steps that lead to the temple carved sometime in mid-17th CE by Maharaja Dodda Devaraja of Mysuru. It is considered as Shakti Peetha and is one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. Architecture — The temple is of a quadrangular structure. Built in Dravidian style, it consists of the main doorway, entrance, Navaranga Hall, Antharala Mantapa, and Sanctum Sanctorum. There is a beautiful seven-tier Gopura, or pyramidal tower, at the entrance and a 'Vimana' (small tower) atop the sanctum sanctorum. The gopuram, adorned with colourful sculptures of gods, goddesses, and mythical figures, is visible from miles away. The doorway is silver-plated and has the images of the Goddess in different forms.

Explanation - Export Inspection Council was set up by the Government of India under Section 3 of the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. It ensures sound development of export trade of India through quality control and inspection and matters connected therewith. It is the official export-certification body of India which ensures quality and safety of products exported from India. It is headed by a Chairman. The Executive Head of the Council is the Director of Inspection & Quality Control who is responsible for day to day functioning of the Council. Function — It ensures that products notified under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act 1963 are meeting the requirements of the importing countries in respect of their quality and safety. It provides mandatory certification for various Food items namely fish & fishery products, dairy products, honey, egg products, meat and meat products, poultry meat products, animal casing, Gelatine, Ossein and crushed bones. The Export Inspection Agencies (EIAs) are located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Delhi and Chennai with a network of 30 sub offices backed by the state of art, NABL accredited laboratories at various places. Headquarter: Delhi. Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Explanation - The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) is a NASA satellite mission that studies global ocean biology, aerosols, and clouds. It was launched in 2024 into a Sun-synchronous orbit. It provides the world's first and only hyperspectral coverage of the globe every 1-2 days. PACE's primary instrument is the Ocean Colour Instrument (OCI), a highly advanced optical spectrometer to measure the ocean's colour across a spectrum from ultraviolet to shortwave infrared. It enables continuous measurement of light at finer wavelength resolution than previous NASA satellite instruments, extending key system ocean color data records for climate studies. It also features two polarimeters – the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone) and the Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter (HARP2). These are used to measure how the oscillation of sunlight within a geometric plane — known as its polarisation — is changed by passing through clouds, aerosols, and the ocean. The data from PACE allows researchers to study microscopic life in the ocean and particles in the air, advancing the understanding of issues including fisheries health, harmful algal blooms, air pollution, and wildfire smoke.

Explanation - Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule opened India's first girls' school in 1848. The Satyashodhak Samaj (1873) was founded to challenge Brahminical dominance and promote equality. Gulamgiri (1873) drew parallels between caste oppression and slavery. Phule emphasised compulsory education and economic incentives for marginalised communities.