27th October 2026

Explanation - INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is an aircraft carrier constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy. The IAC-1 is an advanced platform in comparison with Vikramaditya, the only aircraft carrier in service with the Indian Navy, in terms of capabilities, automation and net-centricity. And its degree of indigenisation is about 76%. Unlike Vikramaditya, which is steam-propelled, Vikrant is propelled by four gas turbines that were produced by GE but integrated and commissioned by its Indian partner, the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Similarly, the COGAG (combined gas and gas) gear boxes from Germany were integrated by an Indian company named Elecon. It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India. It is named 'Vikrant' as a tribute to India's first aircraft carrier, Vikrant (R11). The name Vikrant (Sanskrit vikrānta, literally "stepping beyond") means “courageous". The motto of the ship is "Jayema Saṁ Yudhi Spr̥dhaḥ", which is taken from Rigveda and means "I defeat those who fight against me”. INS Vikrant was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 2nd September 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Explanation - It is a prestigious international award that recognises outstanding contributions to theoretical physics. Established in 1988, the medal honours the legacy of Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein. The medal is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Past recipients of the medal have included some of the world’s top physicists, Alan Guth and Stephen Hawking, and Nobel laureates Peter Higgs, Kip Thorne, and Steven Weinberg, among others.

Explanation - The HKH region stretches 3,500 kilometres and spans eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

The range has numerous high snow-capped peaks, with the highest point being Tirich Mir or Terichmir at 7,708 meters (25,289 ft) in Chitral, Pakistan. It is considered the Third Pole (after the North and South Poles) and has significant implications for climate. It contains the largest volume of ice and snow outside of the Arctic and Antarctica.

The HKH region is the source of ten large Asian river systems: the Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtse, Yellow River, and Tarim. The basins of these rivers provide water to 1.9 billion people, a fourth of the world’s population.

HKH may be divided into three main sections: the eastern Hindu Kush, the central Hindu Kush, and the western Hindu Kush, also known as the Bābā Mountains. The inner valleys of the Hindu Kush see little rain and have desert vegetation.

Explanation - Narcotics Control Bureau was constituted by the Government of India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. It is the apex coordinating agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is based on Article 47 of the Indian Constitution which directs the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drugs injurious to health. Drug abuse control is the responsibility of the central government.

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

• It provides for the penalty of property derived from or used in illegal traffic in narcotic drugs.
• The Act made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act.

Explanation - On the final day of the COP27, a decision was taken to establish a fund for what negotiators call ‘loss and damage’. This fund will be used for compensating poor nations that are victims of extreme weather worsened by rich countries' carbon pollution. The expected monetary compensation from the L&D fund is estimated to be nearly $500 billion and rising by $200 billion annually. It is a big win for poorer nations which have long called for funds sometimes viewed as reparations because they are often the victims of climate worsened floods, droughts, heat waves, famines and storms despite having contributed little to the pollution that heats up the globe. The decision on donor base and beneficiaries will be clarified by 2023.