1. The Sujal Gaon ID initiative has been launched under which flagship programme?
[A] Atal Bhujal Yojana
[B] National Rural Drinking Water Programme
[C] Jal Jeevan Mission
[D] AMRUT Mission
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jal Jeevan Mission]
Notes:
The Union Minister of Jal Shakti recently released the Sujal Gaon ID to strengthen digital monitoring of rural water supply. Sujal Gaon ID is a scheme-based unique digital identifier used for complete digital mapping of rural piped water supply assets. These IDs have been created for villages across 31 States and Union Territories (UTs). Each Sujal Gaon ID is linked with Sujalam Bharat ID for integrated digital records. It works under the “Sujalam Bharat” national digital architecture, which maps the entire rural water supply chain from source to tap. The initiative has been launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
2. The National Chambal Sanctuary lies at the tri-junction of which three states?
[A] Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana
[B] Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal
[C] Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan
[D] Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan]
Notes:
The Supreme Court of India recently took suo motu cognisance of reports about illegal sand mining threatening the ecology and aquatic life of the National Chambal Sanctuary. The sanctuary lies at the tri-junction of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan along the Chambal River. It is also called National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, a tri-state protected riverine sanctuary with deep ravines. It mainly protects Gharial, Red‑crowned roof turtle, and Ganges river dolphin.
3. Amblyceps vayavy, that was recently seen in news, belongs to which species?
[A] Catfish
[B] Spider
[C] Frog
[D] Ant
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Catfish]
Notes:
Researchers discovered a rare new catfish species Amblyceps vayavy in the Western Ghats. It was found in the northern Western Ghats across Goa and Maharashtra. The fish lives in shallow hill streams where the streambed has sand, pebbles, and stones. These streambed conditions create small microhabitats that help the fish hide and search for food. The name “vayavy” means “northwest” in Marathi and Konkani, referring to its location in the northwestern Western Ghats. The species has been recorded only from a few scattered locations, showing its rare distribution.
4. The Gajapati Empire was a medieval Hindu dynasty that originated from which present-day Indian state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Bihar
[C] Kerala
[D] Maharashtra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Odisha]
Notes:
A Telugu medieval inscription linked to the Gajapati Empire was discovered at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. The Gajapati Empire was a medieval Hindu dynasty from Odisha, ruling roughly from 1434 to 1541. It was founded by Kapilendra Deva of the Suryavamsa lineage after the death of Bhanu Deva IV of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The early capital was Cuttack, later shifted during Prataparudra Deva’s reign. At its peak in the 15th century, the empire extended from the Ganges River near Hooghly to the Kaveri River. Gajapati rulers strongly supported art, architecture, literature, and Odia culture.
5. Valles Marineris, that was recently seen in news, is a massive canyon system located on which planet?
[A] Venus
[B] Moon
[C] Jupiter
[D] Mars
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Mars]
Notes:
Researchers recently identified an unusual iron sulfate ferric hydroxysulfate in layered deposits near Valles Marineris using laboratory experiments and orbital data. Valles Marineris, also called Mariner Valley, is a vast system of interconnected canyons on Mars. It was discovered during the Mariner 9 mission in 1971. It is one of the largest canyon systems in the Solar System. Some canyon walls are fault scarps formed due to crustal movement linked to Tharsis Rise. Erosion also shaped the canyon, seen in deep gullies along the walls.
