5th October 2026

Explanation - The Dnieper River primarily flows through Ukraine, not multiple countries. It has its source in the Valdai Hills in Russia and flows through Belarus before reaching Ukraine. The Dnieper River played a significant role in the trade and cultural exchanges between the Byzantine Empire and the Kievan Rus. It served as a key waterway for the transportation of goods and cultural influences. The Dnieper River originates in the Valdai Hills of Russia, not the Carpathian Mountains. The Dnieper-Bug Canal does not connect the Dnieper River to the Black Sea. Instead, the Dnieper River itself flows into the Black Sea.

Explanation - The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was established in 1889, not 1921, and it was initially based in Paris. It moved its headquarters to Geneva in 1921. The IPU Assembly is indeed its principal statutory body, responsible for expressing the views of the IPU on political issues. It brings together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action. The IPU is financed primarily by its members, and this funding comes from public funds.

Explanation - It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government launched in 2017. It provides free assisted-living devices to senior citizens belonging to BPL categories. Assisted living devices are provided to the senior citizens belonging to the BPL category and with monthly income not more than Rs. 15000/-. Under this scheme, senior citizens aged 80 years or older are eligible to receive free assisted-living devices directly at their doorstep. Assistive Devices: Eligible elders receive items like walking sticks, wheelchairs, hearing aids, spectacles, artificial dentures, and crutches based on their specific physical needs. Funding: The expenditure for implementation of the scheme is being met from the "Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund". Selection: Beneficiaries in each district will be identified by the State Governments/UT Administrations through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector. Implementation: The Scheme is being implemented by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Explanation - The TAPAS (Thermal Access Platform for Analytics & Solutions) is India’s first commercial private thermal-imaging payload, developed by Ahmedabad-based space technology startup Satleo Labs. Function: It has been designed to capture changes in the heat emitted from the Earth’s surface in the form of images. It uses long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensing to capture temperature information that is not visible in conventional optical imagery. It has been injected into an orbit 500 km high, from where the satellite will capture high-resolution images of heat and temperature variations at locations across the planet. It is a CubeSat-category payload, which are a class of cubical nanosatellites that typically measure 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm.

Application of TAPAS-1 data —

• Agriculture: It is used for monitoring of agricultural and water stress.
• Disaster Management: It is used for detection and monitoring of disasters such as forest fires.
• Urban Planning: Temperature variations across different areas of a city can be tracked in real time. This can help municipal corporations undertake the necessary planning to address heat stress.

Explanation - Rapunzel syndrome is a very rare condition in which a large hair ball (trichobezoar) gets lodged in stomach and extends into small intestine. The condition was first described in 1968. It’s named after a fairy-tale character, Rapunzel, who was known for her long hair. This condition is much more common among women than men.

What Causes Rapunzel Syndrome? The condition is strongly linked to trichotillomania and trichophagia. Trichotillomania is a disorder wherein a person repeatedly feels the urge to pull out their own hair, and trichophagia is a condition wherein the pulled or loose hair is swallowed.

Treatment —

• Endoscopy can sometimes be used to remove smaller hairballs, but very large masses or those causing obstruction generally require surgery.
• Surgery involves removing the hair mass from the stomach and, when necessary, the intestine.