Answer: (a) Be Tsunami Ready: Resilience Starts With You

1. World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed on 5 November. The 2026 theme is Be Tsunami Ready: Resilience Starts With You.
2. The United Nations General Assembly designated the observance in 2015 to encourage public awareness and cooperation on tsunami risk reduction.
3. Tsunami preparedness includes accessible early warnings, evacuation routes, community drills and rapid movement to safe ground after a warning.
4. The UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission supports the Tsunami Ready programme. It complements the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Early Warnings for All initiative.

Answer: (b) NPCI Tech Solutions Limited

1. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) established NPCI Tech Solutions Limited (NTSL) as its fourth wholly owned subsidiary.
2. Vishal Kanvaty was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He joined NPCI in 2017 and became its Chief Technology Officer in April 2023.
3. NTSL extends NPCI’s technology capabilities into artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital financial infrastructure and digital public infrastructure.
4. Its remit includes Global Capability Centre services and support for platforms such as eKYC Setu and the Unified Ticketing Platform. It serves as a technology and innovation arm.

Answer: (b) ₹14,500 crore

1. The Cabinet approved a ₹14,500 crore Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme to support 92 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy storage capacity.
2. The allocation covers 60 GWh of pumped storage projects, 30 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and 2 GWh using emerging storage technologies.
3. The scheme runs from financial year 2026–27 to 2030–31 and is expected to catalyse investment of about ₹97,600 crore.
4. Energy storage helps integrate variable solar and wind generation, shifts electricity to periods of high demand and improves grid reliability. The scheme includes a 40% domestic value-addition requirement for supported BESS.

Answer: (d) 31 March 2031

1. The Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) scheme has been extended for five years, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.
2. The approved outlay is ₹3,788.04 crore: ₹2,353.15 crore as the Central share and ₹1,434.89 crore as the States’ share. The Central share is supported through the Nirbhaya Fund.
3. These courts expedite trials relating to rape and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
4. The extension envisages increasing the number of functional courts from 779 to 850. Faster disposal requires dedicated judicial capacity while preserving fair-trial safeguards.

Answer: (c) Lithium and nickel

1. The approved ₹2,814 crore scheme supports domestic processing of lithium and nickel, minerals important for batteries and other advanced industrial applications.
2. It covers financial years 2026–27 to 2030–31 and envisages four processing plants: two for lithium and two for nickel.
3. Capital support is set at 30% of eligible expenditure, subject to ceilings of ₹500 crore per lithium plant and ₹900 crore per nickel plant.
4. Nickel processing can also yield cobalt as a by-product. Building processing capacity helps strengthen mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on overseas refining.

Answer: (b) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

1. VISTAR stands for Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics and Research. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
2. The Cabinet approved an outlay of ₹4,371.10 crore for financial years 2026–27 to 2030–31.
3. Its three components cover comprehensive statistical operations and strengthening of the statistical ecosystem, Support for Statistical Strengthening, and the Economic Census.
4. The programme envisages 59 surveys compared with 43 earlier and supports a digital Eighth Economic Census. Better local statistics, modern analytics and stronger institutions aim to improve evidence-based policymaking.

Answer: (a) Dindori

1. The outbreak was reported in the Karanjia and Bajag forest ranges of Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh. The Forest Department ordered a fresh survey.
2. The sal borer’s scientific name is Hoplocerambyx spinicornis. Its larvae bore into wood and damage sal trees.
3. The renewed infestation follows extensive damage during the previous year, when more than 45,000 affected trees were felled.
4. The issue concerns forest health, biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities dependent on sal forests. Monitoring the spread is important before deciding the scale of further intervention.

Answer: (c) National e-Vidhan Application

1. The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly is preparing to adopt the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) as a paperless digital legislature.
2. The proposed rollout is expected before the upcoming Budget Session, with an implementation period of about three months. It should be described as planned, rather than already completed.
3. The Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) is the nodal agency, supported by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and NIC Services Incorporated (NICSI).
4. NeVA is a Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs initiative under Digital India. It gives legislators electronic access to questions, agendas, notices and other legislative papers.

Answer: (a) Coal Controller Organisation

1. SUVIKALP is a mine-repurposing tool developed by the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) under the Ministry of Coal.
2. It helps evaluate productive and sustainable uses for closed or abandoned coal and lignite mines in line with the Mining Plan Guidelines, 2025.
3. The tool uses TOPSIS, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution, within a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework. It assesses environmental, technical, financial and socio-economic factors.
4. RECLAIM supports community participation, while PRISM supports implementation planning, investment mobilisation and monitoring. Together, these elements connect land-use assessment with practical mine-closure planning.

Answer: (b) Ministry of Women and Child Development

1. The Supreme Court directed the Centre to establish a special cell to monitor enforcement of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016.
2. The order dated 29 October 2026 was issued by Justices S.V.N. Bhatti and N.V. Anjaria. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is to coordinate with State authorities through Chief Secretaries.
3. The amended law prohibits employment of children below 14 years, subject to limited statutory exceptions. Adolescents aged 14–18 are prohibited from hazardous occupations and processes.
4. The direction emphasises coordinated enforcement and monitoring. A legal prohibition alone does not eliminate child labour without effective implementation and rehabilitation.

Answer: (c) Chirag Paswan

1. Union Minister Chirag Paswan launched the revamped Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) website at Panchsheel Bhawan, New Delhi, on 4 November 2026.
2. The portal provides multilingual support and improved search to make ministry information easier to find and use.
3. Its upgrade includes enhanced data protection and alignment with Government of India website standards.
4. The initiative supports transparency and digital service delivery for citizens, food-processing businesses and officials. Avinash Joshi is the ministry’s Secretary.

Answer: (c) Muthuswami Dikshitar

1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released a ₹250 commemorative coin honouring Muthuswami Dikshitar at a BHU event in Varanasi on 3 November 2026.
2. The commemoration was organised in connection with his 250th birth anniversary. The event also featured the book Amara Guruguham Potruvam.
3. Dikshitar lived from 1775 to 1835 and was born in Tiruvarur, in present-day Tamil Nadu.
4. He forms the Carnatic Music Trinity with Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri. His musical legacy includes the Navagraha Kritis and Kamalamba Navavaranam compositions.

Answer: (b) Actual detention

1. The Supreme Court clarified that the constitutional clock starts with actual detention, rather than the later recording of a formal arrest.
2. Article 22(2) requires an arrested person to be produced before the nearest Magistrate within 24 hours, excluding the time necessary for the journey.
3. The ruling in Sujit Das v. Union of India, 2026 INSC 1195, was delivered by Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul S. Chandurkar.
4. The safeguard prevents authorities from extending custody merely by delaying arrest documentation. Magistrates must scrutinise the actual period of detention; special criminal statutes do not displace constitutional protections.

Answer: (a) Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve

1. A male tiger named Amur was released into the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan on 31 October 2026.
2. It followed the release of a female named Ümit on 31 July 2026, forming an important step in the country’s tiger reintroduction programme.
3. The programme seeks to restore tigers to Central Asian habitat where the Caspian or Turan tiger disappeared more than 70 years ago.
4. Amur tigers were selected because of their close genetic relationship with the extinct regional population. Habitat restoration, prey availability and post-release monitoring are central to successful reintroduction.

Answer: (c) Bhutan

1. Bhutan consecrated 108 Buddhist stupas in nine hours at the upcoming Gelephu Mindfulness City on 1 November 2026.
2. The Jangchub Chortens stand along an 11.7-kilometre stretch beside the Mau Chu River.
3. Gelephu Mindfulness City Governor Dr Lotay Tshering announced the record on 3 November. The event coincided with Lhabab Duechen and Bhutan’s Coronation Day.
4. Stupa No. 76 was dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The project links Bhutan’s Buddhist heritage with the new city initiative.

Answer: (a) Guyana

1. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced a US$500 million Line of Credit extension for Guyana during discussions with President Dr Irfaan Ali.
2. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.
3. The credit supports development cooperation in roads, healthcare and defence. The two countries also signed three agreements relating to manufacturing, Quick Impact Projects and digital infrastructure.
4. Discussions included digital public infrastructure and a payment system modelled on India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). A Line of Credit provides financing under agreed terms rather than an unconditional grant.

Answer: (b) Mahabodhi Mahavihar, Bodhgaya

1. The ceremony is scheduled for 2–12 December 2026 at the Mahabodhi Mahavihar complex in Bodhgaya, Bihar.
2. The theme is Different Languages, One Meaning. Organisers expect about 25,000 participants from more than 27 countries.
3. The organisers are the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International–India and the International Tipitaka Chanting Council–India. Activities include chanting, meditation and religious discourses.
4. Tipitaka means Three Baskets: Vinaya Pitaka concerns monastic discipline, Sutta Pitaka contains discourses, and Abhidhamma Pitaka concerns systematic doctrinal analysis.

Answer: (a) Matsya 6000

1. Matsya 6000 is the crewed submersible being developed for Samudrayaan. India targets its first human dive to a depth of 6,000 metres by 2028.
2. The vehicle is designed to carry three aquanauts. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, is developing it under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
3. Samudrayaan is part of the Deep Ocean Mission, approved in 2021, which supports deep-sea technology and exploration capabilities.
4. A crewed submersible allows direct observation and scientific work in the deep ocean. Pressure-resistant systems, life support, communication and staged testing are essential before the full-depth mission.

Answer: (b) Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

1. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory re-entered the atmosphere on 4 November 2026. NASA confirmed re-entry over North Sumatra, Indonesia.
2. Swift was launched on 20 November 2004 and operated for nearly 22 years, far beyond its original mission expectations.
3. Its instruments included the Burst Alert Telescope, X-Ray Telescope and Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, enabling rapid observations across several wavelengths.
4. The observatory was especially important for gamma-ray bursts, their afterglows and other transient cosmic events. Rapid detection followed by follow-up observations helped reveal the physics of powerful explosions.

Answer: (c) Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

1. Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, demonstrated a silicon photonic chip for high-speed terahertz communication.
2. The reported data rate is 100 gigabits per second (Gbit/s). The device operates in the 310–360 gigahertz frequency range.
3. The work uses topological photonics and photonic Klein tunnelling to allow signals to pass barriers and bends with reduced reflection.
4. The research, associated with Dr Abhishek Kumar and published in Advanced Materials, is relevant to future 6G links. A laboratory demonstration is a technology milestone rather than a commercial network rollout.

Answer: (b) Two years

1. The Cabinet approved an additional two-year engagement for Agniveers who are not selected for regular service after their initial tenure and are willing to continue.
2. Under the existing arrangement, up to 25% may be selected for regular service on merit. The new provision concerns the remaining 75%, subject to willingness and applicable criteria.
3. The additional period provides higher remuneration and an enhanced Seva Nidhi benefit. Subsequent regular enrolment remains subject to the prescribed selection requirements.
4. The decision also provides for recognition of the additional engagement in seniority where applicable. It should not be interpreted as automatic regular appointment of every Agniveer.

Answer: (c) Cristiano Ronaldo

1. Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on 5 November 2026 at the age of 41.
2. His Portugal career spanned 23 years and ended with 234 senior appearances and 146 goals, both major landmarks in men’s international football.
3. He helped Portugal win UEFA Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He scored at six FIFA World Cups.
4. The announcement concerns international football. His club career with Al Nassr continues, so international retirement should not be confused with retirement from all football.

Answer: (a) The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community

1. Nirmala Lakshman received the Sharjah Award for Best International Non-Fiction Book for The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community.
2. The award was presented at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates on 4 November 2026 by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi.
3. Published by Aleph Book Company in January 2025, the book examines Tamil history, literature, society, politics, religion and cultural identity.
4. The award carries AED 50,000. Lakshman is an Indian author and journalist; this recognition concerns her broad historical portrait of the Tamil community.

Answer: (b) Edmund Richardson

1. Edmund Richardson won the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction for Alexander: God, King, Man. The announcement was made in London on 4 November.
2. The biography examines Alexander the Great’s life and conquests and became the first ancient-history book to win the prize.
3. The award carries £50,000. It was established in 1999 as the Samuel Johnson Prize and adopted the Baillie Gifford name in 2016.
4. Richardson’s work draws on extensive research and sources across ancient languages to reassess Alexander as both a historical ruler and a figure shaped by later narratives.

Answer: (c) National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management

1. The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, received recognition as a Centre of Excellence-Skills in the Agriculture Sector.
2. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) granted the recognition for three years. Secretary Debashree Mukherjee presented the certificate at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, on 2 November 2026.
3. MANAGE was established in 1987 and functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
4. The recognition supports agricultural skill development, professional training and entrepreneurship. Agricultural extension connects research and technology with farmers and field-level practice.