• A monthly radio programme hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• First aired on October 3, 2014

• Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• Governor: Shiv Pratap Shukla
• Borders: Shares boundaries with Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Ladakh (UT), Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and an international border with Tibet (China).
• Lok Sabha Seats: 4 (Current MPs include Kangana Ranaut from Mandi and Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur).
• Rajya Sabha Seats: 3
• Major Festivals: Kullu Dussehra, Lavi Fair, Minjar Fair, Phulaich/Ukhyang (Kinnaur), Losar (Lahaul-Spiti)
• Famous Folk Dances: Rakshasa (demon), Kayang, Bakayang, the Bnayangchu, the Jataru Kayang, Chohara, Shand and Shabu
• Tribes: Koli, Hali, Dagi, Dhaugri, Dasa, Khasa, Kanaura, and Kirata
• National Parks: Pin Valley, Great Himalayan (UNESCO World Heritage), Inderkilla, Khirganga, and Simbalbara
• UNESCO Sites: Kalka-Shimla Railway and the Great Himalayan National Park.

Key Mountain Passes:

• Rohtang Pass: Connects Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti Valleys.
• Bara-Lacha La: Connects Lahaul with Leh (Gateway to Ladakh).
• Shipki La: Located on the Tibet border; the Sutlej river enters India through this pass.

• Formed: in 1956 as Mysore State and in 1973 renamed as Karnataka
• Capital: Bengaluru
• Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot
• Festivals: Kambla – Buffalo race, Ugadi, Hampi festival, Vairamudi Brahmotsava, Tulu Sankramma, Gowri, Karaga
• National Park: Bandipur NP, Anshi NP,
• Kudermukh NP, Nagarahole NP, Bannerghatta NP, Mudumalai NP
• Lakes: Ulsoor Lake, Kukkarahalli Lake, Jaraganahalli Lake
• Waterfalls: Jog, Gokak, Shivanasamudra Fall
• Dances: Yakshagana, Nagamandala, Kunitha, Krishna Parijatha, Bhootha Aradhane
• Hill Stations: Chikmagalur, Brahmagiri, Kodachadri, Nandi Hills, Kemmangundi, Madikeri, Nandi hills
• Tribes: Barda, Bavacha, Chodhara, Dubla, Gowdalu, Irulina

• Capital: Tehran
• President: Masoud Pezeshkian
• Supreme Leader: Ali Khamenei
• Bordering Nations: Turkey, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• Strategic Chokepoint: The Strait of Hormuz (separating Iran and Oman) is crucial for global oil shipments.
• Governance: Islamic Republic (theocracy) since the 1979 revolution.
• Currency: Iranian Rial
• Mountains: Dasht-e Lut, Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert)
• Rivers: Karun River, Sefid-Rud and Zayandeh River
• Major Ports: Chabahar Port, Bandar Abbas and Bandar Imam Khomeini
• Iran has 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the 10th-highest in the world) and ranks 4th in intangible cultural heritage or human treasures.

Gautam Buddha

• Birth: 563 BCE at Lumbini (Nepal) into the Sakya clan.
• Parents: King Suddhodana (Sakya Chief) and Queen Mahamaya (Koliya princess).
• Renunciation (Mahabhishkramana): At age 29, after seeing "Four Sights" (Old man, Sick man, Corpse, Ascetic).
• Enlightenment (Nirvana): At age 35 at Bodh Gaya (Bihar) under a Pipal tree on the banks of River Niranjana.
• First Sermon (Dharmachakra Pravartana): At Sarnath near Varanasi.
• Death (Mahaparinirvana): 483 BCE at Kushinagar (UP) under a Sal tree.

Philosophical Doctrines

• Four Noble Truths (Ariya-Sacchani): 1) Dukkha (Suffering exists), 2) Samudaya (Desire is the cause), 3) Nirodha (Suffering can end), 4) Magga (Path to end suffering).
• Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga): Includes Right View, Resolve, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration.
  • Three Jewels (Triratna): Buddha (Teacher), Dhamma (Teachings), and Sangha (Community).

The Four Buddhist Councils

National Health Authority (NHA)

• Founded: 2 January 2019
• CEO: Sunil Kumar Barnwal
• Formed: 2 January 2019
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Parent Agency: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Preceding Agency: National Health Agency

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

• Formation: 1911
• Director General: Rajiv Bahl
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Parent organization: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India

The 2026 observance marks the 16th edition of this national event.

• Theme for 2026: "My India, My Vote".
• Tagline: "Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy".

• Established: 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934
• Recommendation: Based on the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission (1926), also known as the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance.
• Initial Location: Calcutta
• Concept Basis: Inspired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s book, The Problem of the Rupee–Its Origin and Its Solution.
• Nationalization: 1949
• Current Governor: As of January 2026, the RBI Governor is Shaktikanta Das.
• First Governor: Sir Osborne Smith (1935–1937)
• First Indian Governor: C. D. Deshmukh (1943–1949)
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Regulator of Payment Systems: Oversees systems like NEFT, RTGS, and UPI.

Objectives

• Aims to eliminate middlemen, ensuring farmers receive the full market value of their produce by connecting them directly to international perfume and oil markets.
• Positioning Indian agarwood as a benchmark in the global fragrance and flavor industry through quality assurance and branding.
• The scheme is part of the One District One Product (ODOP) and "Local to Global" initiatives aimed at making India Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in high-value sectors.

Two major facilities will be established to handle end-to-end processing, branding, and marketing:

1. One in North Fulkabari, North Tripura.
2. One in Golaghat, Assam.

Founded: 16 April 1853 (172 years ago)

Chairman and CEO: Satish Kumar

History

• First Train: The first passenger train ran on April 16, 1853, between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane, covering 34 km with three locomotives: Sahib, Sultan, and Sindh.
• Nationalization: Indian Railways was nationalized in 1951.
• First Woman Railway Minister: Mamata Banerjee (2000).
• Father of Indian Railways: Lord Dalhousie, who introduced the Railway Minutes of 1853.
• Global Ranking: 4th largest network in the world (after USA, Russia, and China) and 2nd largest in Asia under single management.
• Zones & Divisions: There are 18 zones and 70 divisions
• Longest Platform: The platform at Gorakhpur Railway Station (Uttar Pradesh)
• Fastest Train: The Gatimaan Express (160 kmph) and the indigenously built Vande Bharat Express.
• Longest Route: The Vivek Express (Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari), covering 4,273 km.
• Highest Rail Bridge: The Chenab Bridge in Jammu & Kashmir, standing 359m above the river bed (35m taller than the Eiffel Tower).

• 9th of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion
• Birth: 1 April 1621 in Amritsar, Punjab.
• Martyrdom (Shaheedi Diwas): 24 November 1675
• Parents: Youngest son of Guru Hargobind (6th Sikh Guru) and Mata Nanaki.
• Original Name: Tyag Mal (meaning a person of ascetic nature).
• Title "Tegh Bahadur": Conferred by his father, Guru Hargobind, after he showed exceptional valour in the Battle of Kartarpur (1634).
• Son: Guru Gobind Singh (10th Sikh Guru), born in Patna in 1666.

Meteorological Causes

1. Stretched Polar Vortex: A southward stretch of the stratospheric polar vortex has pushed a powerful Arctic air mass deep into the U.S..
2. Gulf Moisture: The storm system is pulling high amounts of moisture from a record-warm Gulf of Mexico, fueling intense precipitation.

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi

• Founded: June 15, 1909.
• Original Name: Imperial Cricket Conference (1909–1965).
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (shifted from Lord's, London in 2005).
• Motto: "Cricket for good".
• Members: 110 members
• Chairperson: Jay Shah (India)
• CEO: Sanjog Gupta

Recent Regulatory Changes & Facts

• "Mankad" Rule: ICC classified running out of the non-striker as a legitimate run-out, not "unfair play".
• Saliva Ban: Use of saliva for polishing the ball is banned permanently.
• New Batter Rule: An incoming batter must be ready to face the ball within 2 minutes in Tests/ODIs (formerly 3 minutes).
• Olympic Inclusion: Cricket (T20 format) is included in the LA 2028 Olympics.