2nd June 2026

Explanation - Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was a ruler of the Malwa territory, a part of the Maratha Confederacy, from 1767 to 1795. She is known as Punyashlok (“One as Pure as the Sacred Chants”). John Keay, the British historian, gave the queen the title of ‘The Philosopher Queen’.

Early Life and Marriage — She was born on May 31, 1725, in the village of Chondi in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), and her father Mankoji Rao Shinde was the village head. She got married to Khanderao Holkar (son of Malhar Rao Holkar) in 1733.

Rise to Power — Ahilyabai's husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in the battle of Kumbher in 1754. Her father-in-law, Malhar Rao passed away in 1766, and in the following year, she lost her son, Male Rao. She ascended the throne and became the ruler of Indore on December 11, 1767. She had appointed Tukoji Rao Holkar as the commander of her army. She made Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh as the capital of the Holkar dynasty.

Key Contributions —
Temple Construction: She was instrumental in rebuilding major temples, notably the Kashi Vishwanath temple in 1780, and supported infrastructure such as rest houses and public ghats at various pilgrimage sites.

Cultural: She patronised stalwarts such as Marathi poet Moropant, Shahir Ananta Gandhi, and Sanskrit scholar Khushali Ram.

Promotion of craft: She established a textile industry in Maheshwar, which today is very famous for its Maheshwari sarees. Understanding the importance of education, she established many gurukuls and schools.

In a revolutionary move for her time, she formed a women’s army and trained them in warfare, self-defence, and administrative security.

Explanation - The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s most powerful telescope, is scheduled to be rocketed into orbit no earlier. Though Webb is often called the replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA said it prefers to call it a successor.

• Wavelength - The James Webb Space Telescope will observe primarily in the infrared range and provide coverage from 0.6 to 28 microns. The instruments on Hubble see mainly in the ultraviolet and visible part of the spectrum. It could observe only a small range in the infrared from 0.8 to 2.5 microns.
• Size - Webb’s primary mirror has a diameter of 6.5 metres. Hubble’s mirror was much smaller – 2.4 metres in diameter. So, Webb will have a larger field of view compared to the camera on Hubble.
• Orbit - Hubble orbits around the Earth at an altitude of 570 km. Webb will not orbit the Earth. It will orbit the sun at about 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth.

Explanation - It is a legal doctrine that states that if someone reasonably relies on a promise and acts (or fails to act) in a way that causes them some harm because of that promise, the promise can be enforced. Promissory estoppel prevents the promisor from arguing against the enforcement of a promise.

When is the doctrine applied?

The doctrine applies when the promisor has made a promise to the promisee. The promisee must have relied on the promise and suffered a detriment due to the non-performance of the promise. The doctrine prevents the promisor or enterprise from going back on its word or promise.

The doctrine enables the injured party or the promisee to recover on a promise. The doctrine seeks to protect the rights of a promisee or aggrieved party against the promisor. Thus, Promissory estoppel requirements include a clear promise (whether oral or in writing), reliance on that promise by the promisee, a detriment suffered, and a need to avoid injustice.

Explanation - Before the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, the Nepalese kingdom stretched from the Sutlej river in the west to the Teesta river in the East. Nepal lost the Anglo-Nepalese War and the resulting Treaty limited Nepal to its present territories. The Sugauli Treaty stated that “[t]he Rajah of Nipal [Nepal] hereby cedes to the Honourable [the] East India Company in perpetuity all the under-mentioned territories”, including “the whole of the lowlands between the Rivers Kali and Rapti.”

It elaborated further that “[t]he Rajah of Nipal [Nepal] renounces for himself, his heirs, and successors, all claim to or connection with the countries lying to the west of the River Kali and engages never to have any concern with those countries or the inhabitants thereof.”

Explanation - Kalapani is an area, mapped within Uttarakhand. It is a 372-sq km area bordering far-west Nepal and Tibet.