28th May 2026

Explanation - Being set up by the Karnataka government, the project is near Mekedatu, in Ramanagaram district, across the river Cauvery from Tamil Nadu. Its primary objective is to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and recharge the groundwater table in the region. Tamil Nadu has moved the Supreme Court. Its main argument is that the project violates the final award of the Cauvery River Water Tribunal, and that the “construction of the two reservoirs would result in impounding of the flows in the intermediate catchment below the Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs, and Billigundulu in the common border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu”. Karnataka says, the project will not come in the way of releasing the stipulated quantum of water to Tamil Nadu, nor will it be used for irrigation purposes.

Explanation - PAIMANA (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation building) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It functions as a centralised national repository of infrastructure projects, enabling web generated analytical reports and enhancing data accuracy, and operational efficiency. It is integrated with DPIIT’s Integrated Project Monitoring Portal (IPMP/IIG-PMG) through APIs. Key Features of the PAIMANA Portal — Centralised Project Monitoring: It serves as a centralised project monitoring system, providing a single-window interface for ministries, departments, and implementing agencies to upload, track, and review project information. Real-time Dashboards: It features real-time dashboards with drill-down capabilities, enabling users to monitor progress across sectors, states, and timelines. Advanced Data Analytics: It includes advanced data analytics, role-based user access, interactive dashboards, reporting and query modules, and review cases for identification of data gaps. It is mandated to monitor Central Sector Infrastructure Projects worth ₹150 crore and above.

Explanation - National Sports Board will function as the central authority for granting recognition to National Sports Bodies and ensuring compliance with governance, financial and ethical standards. Composition — It shall consist of a Chairperson and two Members to be appointed by the Central Government. It is constituted from a panel of names recommended by the Search-cum-Selection Committee. Term of Office — The Chairperson and every other Member shall hold office for a term of 3 years or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They are eligible for re-appointment for one more term. Functions — The Board shall maintain a register of affiliate units of the National Sports Bodies registered with the Board. They specify model guidelines or regulations in relation to matters of sports governance, as may be specified by or referred to the Board by the Central Government.

Explanation - On the sidelines of the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM), India and the United States signed the bilateral India-US Critical Minerals Framework — formally titled "Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths.” What Triggered This Framework — China's Export Controls - The immediate trigger for the framework was China's imposition of a licensing regime on rare earth element exports in 2025 — effectively choking global supplies during its trade war with the US. This directly impacted Indian industry, which began facing shortages of rare earth magnets late last year. The strategic context is stark — China controls 90% of global critical mineral processing, giving it enormous leverage over global technology supply chains. India is 100% import-dependent for key critical minerals including cobalt, lithium, nickel, rare earth elements (REEs), and silicon — with little domestic processing capacity. Key Objectives of the India-US Framework - The bilateral framework seeks to — Deepen cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare earths supply chain — covering mining, processing, recycling, and related investments. Strengthen resilient and diversified supply chains — reducing dependence on China. Promote collaboration in financing and effective management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap. Accelerate R&D collaboration and promote investment across the entire critical mineral value chain. Align domestic laws and regulations of both countries to facilitate easier supply chain access. Tighten controls to address national security requirements.

Explanation - Quad -  United States, India, Japan, and Australia (or “Quad”) form the four members of the Quad. The four countries collectively launched ad hoc operations to provide relief following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. In Manila in 2007, the PMs of India, Japan, and Australia met with the then U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, marking the first Quadrilateral summit. Later in 2007, the four countries along with Singapore held a large multilateral naval exercise, the Exercise Malabar, in the Bay of Bengal. China, which saw the exercises as part of a containment strategy, registered diplomatic protests with all four capitals. Late in 2012, in an influential article outlining his vision for 'Asia’s Democratic Security Diamond', PM Shinzo Abe argued that peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the Pacific are inseparable from peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean, and called for the four powers to work together.  In November 2017, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending "Quad" Coalition to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence (especially China). There is no proposal for the headquarters of Quad, as of yet.