13th July 2026

Explanation – India's hydrogen train is among the world's longest and most powerful hydrogen trainsets, with the following specifications:

• Configuration: Eight passenger cars and two driving power cars (10 coaches total).
• Power: 2400 kilowatts (3200 hp).
• Capacity: 682 seats, with a total passenger capacity of 2,600.
• Route: 89-km Jind-Sonipat section via 12 stations, with a 2-hour travel time.
• Speed: Operational speed of 75 km/h, maximum speed of 120 km/h.
• Operations: Two round trips daily, covering 356 km and consuming about 300 kg of hydrogen.
• Emissions: Zero CO₂ emissions; the only by-product is harmless water vapour.

Explanation – Global Liveability Index is published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Its purpose is to evaluate how suitable cities are for living by measuring everyday living conditions rather than economic size or tourist popularity.

• Coverage: It assesses 173 cities across the world across 30 indicators.
• Parameters: It is grouped into five categories namely Stability (25%), Healthcare (20%), Culture & Environment (25%), Education (10%), Infrastructure (20%).
• Score: It uses a 1–100 scale.

Key Highlights of Global Liveability Index:

• The report finds that although the global average liveability score remained unchanged at 1 out of 100, healthcare registered the strongest year-on-year improvement, increasing by an average of 0.74 points.
• Global Top Cities: Copenhagen (Denmark) remains the world's most liveable city, edging out Vienna (Austria) and Melbourne (Australia).
• India: New Delhi ranked 120, followed by Mumbai (121), Chennai (123), and Bengaluru (127).

Explanation – It is a flagship rural digital transformation initiative of the Department of Telecommunications built on the BharatNet network.

Objective: It is envisaged as a pioneering phygital (physical + digital) services model integrating on-ground presence with robust digital infrastructure to empower rural citizens. It is aimed at transforming rural India through a seamless integration of physical and digital services.

At the heart of the initiative are Samriddhi Kendras, established as one-stop village-level hubs delivering integrated phygital services by combining reliable telecom connectivity, digital platforms and assisted physical service delivery.

The Samriddhi Kendras will deliver a comprehensive suite of services:

• Education & Skilling: Smart classrooms, AR/VR-based learning, and digital skilling aligned with government schemes/initiatives.
• Agriculture: IoT-based soil testing, drone support, and smart irrigation systems.
• Healthcare: Teleconsultations, Health ATMs, and emergency care.
• e-Governance: Assisted access to citizen services, documentation, and grievance redressal.
• E-Commerce: Integration with ONDC and digital marketplaces for local entrepreneurship.
• Financial Inclusion: Digital banking and payments.

Connectivity Backbone: Strengthened BharatNet FTTH with a Village Area Network and public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Explanation – Phu Quoc, also known as Pearl Island, is a Vietnamese island located in the Gulf of Thailand, not the South China Sea. It is famous for its stretches of white sand beaches.

• A large part of the island is protected under Phú Quốc National Park, which is recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
• The highest point on the island is located on Mount Chua.
• Tropical Phu Quoc has just two seasons — six months of dry, sunny weather between November and April and six rainy months between May and October.
• The island’s cultural identity remains deeply rooted in its maritime heritage, with traditional fishing villages like Ham Ninh maintaining age-old customs.
• It is also famous for producing fish sauce (nước mắm) and black pepper, both of which are important local products.

Explanation – Cyanobacteria are also called blue-green algae, microscopic organisms found naturally in all types of water. They have the distinction of being the oldest known fossils, more than 3.5 billion years old.

Habitat: These single-celled organisms live in fresh, brackish, and marine water.

Characteristics of cyanobacteria:

• Autotrophs: All cyanobacteria are autotrophs, meaning they produce their own energy by photosynthesising sunlight.
• Cyanobacteria are a very old group of organisms.
• Reproduction in Cyanobacteria: Cyanobacteria also reproduce asexually and the commonest mode of reproduction in them is transverse binary fission.
• Some are solitary, others are colonial, and a few cyanobacteria produce toxins.
• Cyanobacteria blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients from sources such as fertiliser runoff or septic tank overflows. In warm, nutrient-rich environments, microscopic cyanobacteria can grow quickly, creating blooms that spread across the water’s surface and may become visible.