Answer: (a) India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives

1. BOB-NOR brings together India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives to connect ocean science with fisheries management. The Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) coordinates the initiative.
2. The network was launched on 3 November 2026 at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, alongside the TREVOR–SAFARI Symposium.
3. It promotes the use of ocean observations, climate information, satellite data and scientific collaboration to understand changing marine conditions and their effects on fisheries.
4. It complements the Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOBSAN). BOBSAN focuses on fish-stock status and exploitation, while BOB-NOR strengthens the environmental and oceanographic dimension of fisheries research.

Answer: (b) Ambala Cantonment, Haryana

1. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated the memorial at Ambala Cantonment, Haryana, on 5 November 2026.
2. The project was developed across 22 acres at a cost of approximately ₹594 crore. Its 22 galleries present the events and sacrifices associated with the uprising of 1857.
3. Virtual reality, holography and interactive projections are combined with historical material and traditional arts to explain the freedom struggle.
4. The complex also includes an open-air theatre and a light-and-sound presentation. Its educational purpose is to preserve the memory of the uprising and highlight Ambala’s contribution to that history.

Answer: (b) The Bahamas

1. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as its 116th member. Its Instrument of Accession was handed over during the Ninth Session of the ISA Assembly in New Delhi.
2. The Bahamas’ High Commissioner Peter Nicholas Symonette Jr. submitted the document to P.S. Gangadhar, Joint Secretary for Economic Diplomacy and Head of the Depository.
3. India and France jointly launched the ISA at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Its headquarters are in Gurugram, Haryana, and its Framework Agreement entered into force on 6 December 2017.
4. The alliance supports cooperation, capacity building and investment in solar energy. Such cooperation is particularly relevant to Small Island Developing States seeking more resilient and diversified energy supplies.

Answer: (c) Seventh largest

1. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the 2026 Antarctic ozone hole was the seventh largest by area in 48 years of monitoring.
2. Its average area during 7 September–13 October was about 25 million square kilometres. It reached a daily maximum of 27.1 million square kilometres on 18 September.
3. The lowest South Pole reading was 105 Dobson Units on 17 October. The ozone-hole boundary is conventionally defined by ozone concentrations below 220 Dobson Units.
4. A strong polar vortex helped sustain ozone-depleting conditions. The 1987 Montreal Protocol continues to support long-term recovery; one unusually large seasonal hole does not by itself overturn that recovery trend.

Answer: (c) 2026 QQ8

1. The object is 2026 QQ8, previously known by the provisional identifier Sar2901. The Minor Planet Center (MPC) discussed it in its October 2026 newsletter.
2. Follow-up astrometric observations extended the measured orbital arc. Researchers also estimated the effect of solar radiation pressure on the object’s motion.
3. These measurements helped rule out an artificial origin and supported the interpretation of a natural object, most likely a temporary mini-moon of Earth. The MPC published observations in MPEC 2026-U95.
4. A mini-moon is temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity. It differs from the Moon, Earth’s long-lived natural satellite, and from an artificial satellite or discarded rocket component.

Answer: (a) Pralay

1. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested Pralay at about 11:10 AM on 5 November 2026, off the Odisha coast.
2. The test formed part of user evaluation trials. Data recorded by instruments of the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, confirmed that all test objectives were met.
3. Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, developed the missile with other DRDO laboratories. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) produced the system as a development-cum-production partner.
4. Pralay is a solid-propellant surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic missile intended for precision strikes. A successful evaluation trial is a step towards induction and should not be described as proof that induction has already occurred.

Answer: (b) INS Sahyadri

1. INS Sahyadri, an indigenous guided-missile stealth frigate of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base on 4 November 2026.
2. Exercise MALABAR 2026 brings together the navies of India, Japan, the United States and Australia to improve operational coordination and interoperability.
3. The harbour phase includes professional interactions and coordinated planning. It is followed by a sea phase involving the participating naval units.
4. Sahyadri is a Shivalik-class, Project 17 frigate. Exercise Malabar began in 1992 as a bilateral India–United States exercise and subsequently developed into a multilateral naval engagement.

Answer: (d) Tanvi Patri

1. Tanvi Patri, the 15-year-old shuttler from Odisha, reached the women’s singles final at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
2. She beat Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in the semifinal, assuring India of its first women’s singles badminton medal at the Games.
3. The final has since been completed: Tanvi won silver after losing to China’s Zhang Yi Xin, who won 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 in an 82-minute match on 5 November.
4. Her medal follows Indian men’s singles silvers by H.S. Prannoy in 2010 and Lakshya Sen in 2018. Dakar 2026 is the first Olympic sporting event hosted on African soil.

Answer: (c) Japan

1. India defeated Japan 4-1 in the final at Mohali, Punjab, on 5 November 2026, claiming a record-extending sixth Men’s Asian Champions Trophy title and a third consecutive championship.
2. The final was played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium. Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored for India.
3. The victory provided a farewell to midfielder Nilakanta Sharma, who played his last international match. Hardik Singh also marked his 200th senior international appearance.
4. Malaysia took bronze by defeating South Korea 5-2. Krishan Bahadur Pathak was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, while Harmanpreet Singh received the Hero of the Tournament award.

Answer: (c) Jaypal Malviya

1. Jaypal Malviya won silver in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship in Doha, Qatar, on 5 November 2026.
2. He scored 242.2 in the final. China’s Hu Kai won gold with 243.9, while Czechia’s Jindrich Dubovy took bronze with 220.9. All three medallists secured quota places for their National Olympic Committees for Los Angeles 2028.
3. India also won women’s 10m air pistol team silver through Manu Bhaker, Suruchi Singh and Sainyam, whose combined score was 1738-61x. China won that team event with 1745-65x.
4. An Olympic quota earned in shooting belongs to the National Olympic Committee. It should not be presented as an unconditional personal selection of the athlete for the Olympic team.

Answer: (a) Sentinel

1. Sentinel, invented by Filipino structural engineer Aldrei Ong, won the 2026 global sustainability prize of the James Dyson Award, announced on 4 November.
2. Ong is a graduate of De La Salle University in the Philippines. The award provides £30,000 to support further development of his invention.
3. Sentinel converts a concrete spacer block into a sensor using electrically conductive self-sensing concrete. Cracks and internal damage change its electrical resistance, allowing monitoring of otherwise hidden structural damage.
4. The system connects measurements to an electronic module and an online dashboard. It is designed to make building-condition monitoring more affordable, including after earthquakes, while further validation and engineering development continue.

Answer: (b) Ministry of Railways

1. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan presented the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award to the Ministry of Railways on 5 November 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
2. The ministry ranked first in Maximum Buildings Solarized by Central Ministries/Departments. It had equipped 12,495 of 15,868 feasible railway buildings with rooftop solar, about 79%.
3. Railways had commissioned 351 megawatts (MW) against a target of 424 MW and aims to solarize its remaining feasible buildings by March 2027.
4. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched in February 2024 to promote rooftop solar, including a target of one crore households. The award recognises the ministry’s contribution to public-building solarisation.

Answer: (b) Google Arts & Culture

1. The Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google Arts & Culture on 5 November 2026.
2. The virtual signing took place in the presence of Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal and Amit Sood, Vice President and Founder of Google Arts & Culture.
3. The partnership covers Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monuments, national museum collections, manuscripts under Gyan Bharatam, crafts and performing traditions.
4. A central focus is the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum being developed in New Delhi’s North and South Blocks. Digital documentation and Indian-language access aim to widen public engagement while preserving heritage records.