3rd August 2026

Explanation - Samudra Manthan Scheme is also called a as the National Offshore Exploration Scheme. Nodal Ministry: It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. Implementation Period: Up to FY 2030–31. The scheme aims at unlocking India’s vast offshore energy potential. Features of Samudra Manthan Scheme — It encompasses a comprehensive set of interventions across the offshore exploration value chain. It provides for large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, accelerated deep water and ultra-deep water exploratory drilling, scientific drilling in frontier basins. It involves development of common offshore production and evacuation infrastructure, and establishment of an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone. It also includes dedicated provisions for digital programme management, capacity building, technology adoption, stakeholder engagement and international outreach, creating an integrated ecosystem to accelerate offshore exploration and production in the country.

Explanation - Kimi K3 is the latest AI model developed by Moonshot AI, a Chinese start-up founded in 2023 by Yang Zhilin, a graduate of Tsinghua University and Carnegie Mellon University. According to the company, Kimi K3 is among the world's largest open-weight AI models, containing ~2.8 trillion parameters. In AI systems, parameters are the numerical values learned during training that determine how the model processes information and generates responses. A larger number of parameters generally reflects greater computational investment, although model performance also depends on factors such as data quality, architecture, and training techniques. Kimi K3 offers capabilities across multiple domains, including: Coding assistance Financial consulting Deep research Video editing General conversational AI Following its launch, demand reportedly surged to such an extent that Moonshot AI temporarily paused new user registrations.

Explanation - The Consulate General of India in Munich launched an AI-enabled video awareness series featuring a virtual avatar named 'Sarathi', a month ago. Sarathi addresses common issues faced by Indians abroad — passports, visas, OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) services, birth registration, police clearance, and consular matters — through short videos. Officials describe the goal as leveraging artificial intelligence and modern digital communication tools to educate and assist the regional diaspora. The shift to audio-visual content over text-based advisories aims to make information more accessible and easier to comprehend for a wider, more diverse audience.

Explanation - Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana is a scheme for the development of Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) Projects with Energy Storage Systems (ESS). Features — It envisages the development of 5,000 MW of Floating Solar Photovoltaic projects with co-located Energy Storage Systems. Time Period: The projects will be sanctioned during FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31, with disbursement of financial support continuing up to FY 2032-33. Significance — It would enhance the floating Solar PV capacity in the country by 5,000 MW, which is presently around 700 MW only. It would provide an opportunity to gainfully utilise existing reservoirs & industrial ponds, and eliminate competition for scarce land resources. The integration of an energy storage system will help strengthen grid reliability. It would help in the reduction of around 10 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions It would help in the generation of approximately 16,000–17,000 full-time equivalent employment opportunities across the project value chain. The scheme would also promote domestic manufacturing of floatation systems as well as the entire value chain of the projects.

Explanation - Environmental Performance Index is a biennial index that is a scorecard that ranks countries on their environmental performance. It is a data-driven global benchmark developed by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions. Framework: It includes 47 indicators across 12 issue categories spanning three policy objectives: Environmental Health, Ecosystem Vitality, and Climate Change. It serves as a vital analytical tool for measuring how close nations are to achieving global sustainability targets, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement objectives