21st July 2026

Explanation - Uranium, though a common element found worldwide, requires several processing stages before becoming usable nuclear fuel: Mining and milling; Conversion; Enrichment (where required); Fuel fabrication. India's indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), which run on natural uranium, source fuel through a mix of domestic production and imports. In contrast, enriched uranium used in India's two Light Water Reactor (LWR) plants, Tarapur and Kudankulam, is entirely imported. Domestic reserves — India's uranium oxide reserves stand at around 4.3 lakh tonnes, spread across 47 deposits in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The state-owned Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) holds the mandate to mine and process uranium, operating major mines at Jaduguda and Turamdih (Jharkhand) and Tummalapalle (Andhra Pradesh). The supply gap — Despite these reserves, domestic sources meet the uranium requirement for only 2.4 GWe out of India's total 8.7 GWe nuclear capacity; the rest depends on imports. A Ministry of Power committee, tasked with preparing a roadmap for 100 GW capacity by 2047, estimated that India will need an additional 8,029 tonnes of natural uranium and 1,045 tonnes of enriched uranium annually by 2047.

Explanation - Directorate General of Maritime Administration is the apex maritime authority of the Government of India which was established in September 1949. Nodal Ministry — It is functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It deals with all executive matters, relating to merchant shipping. Headquarters — Mumbai Functions of the Directorate General of Maritime Administration — The Directorate is responsible for the implementation of national shipping policy and legislation. It is responsible for promotion of maritime education and training in coordination with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). It extends to the registration, survey and certification of vessels, examination and certification of Merchant Navy Officers. Issuing Licenses and Certifications to Seafarers: DG Shipping issues various important certificates to merchant navy officers, ensuring that they are trained and qualified to work on board ships at sea. Maritime Education and Training: As part of the implementation of its mandate, DG Shipping ensures the continuous development of maritime education and skills training. Protecting Seafarers’ Rights: One of the most important roles of DG Shipping is safeguarding the rights of Indian seafarers. Ship Inspections: DG Shipping ensures that both Indian-flagged ships and foreign vessels operating in Indian waters and ports are compliant with international conventions and regulations.

Explanation - Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs) are exchange-traded securities representing ownership of physical gold (specified purity) stored in SEBI-regulated vaults. They can be held electronically in a demat account, bought and sold in different denominations on the bourse and converted into physical gold via prescribed process. Buying and Selling of Electronic Gold Receipts — Like shares, EGRs follow a T+1 settlement cycle with the receipts credited to the buyer’s demat account the next trading day. Retail investors, jewellers, bullion traders, refiners, institutional investors and other eligible market participants can buy EGRs via registered stockbrokers. Investors need both trading and demat accounts to buy and sell EGRs. The EGRs are available in two purity standards: 999 (99.9% pure gold) and 995 (99.5% pure gold). In each purity category, investors have six different denominations such as 10 mg, 100 mg, 1 g, 10 g, 100 g and 1 kg. Those who prefer physical gold can convert EGRs into gold whenever needed. Advantage — This offers a transparent and standardised way to own gold while removing concerns over purity and personal storage.

Explanation - Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has said that the Government has formulated a National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem- NAMASTE scheme for cleaning of sewers and septic tank.

The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

It aims to achieve outcomes like zero fatalities in sanitation work in India, no sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter and all Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods.

The Ministry has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras. The same is also available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for ease of their procurement by States and Urban Local Bodies. Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation.

Explanation - It is a saline lake in Central Asia straddling the boundary between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the south and north. It was once a large saltwater lake in Central Asia and the world’s fourth-largest body of inland water. The remnants of it nestle in the climatically inhospitable heart of Central Asia, to the east of the Caspian Sea. Formation — The Aral Sea depression was formed toward the end of the Neogene Period. It was made by waters from the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers that were dependent on glacial melt. Climate — The Aral Sea is located within the harsh climate region of Central Asia. The area experiences a desert-continental climate, characterised by hot summers, cold winters, and varying diurnal air temperature. Reason for its Disappearance — The lake once covered large area between the Kyzylorda and Aktobe regions in Kazakhstan and the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan. However, the lake started shrinking in the 1960s, when the Soviet government decided to divert the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, to irrigate the surrounding desert region. By the 1980s, the Aral Sea had shed 80% of its volume, resulting in the extinction of native fish species and severe ecological degradation, including the emergence of the Aralkum Desert. Today it is on the verge of complete disappearance.