Key details of the discovery:

• Location: Approximately 15 kilometers off the east coast of the Andaman Islands.
• Well Name: Sri Vijayapuram-3.
• Discovering Company: Public sector undertaking Oil India Limited (OIL).
• Depth: The reserve was discovered at a water depth of 355 meters. Production testing was conducted at a depth exceeding 1,900 meters.
• Part of the Campaign: This discovery marks a major success under the 'Samudra Manthan Mission,' launched to explore India's deep-water energy reserves.

Multifaceted Significance:

• Proximity to the Strait of Malacca: Situated near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, this block lies at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca—one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. India's energy presence here is of critical importance.
• Influence in the Indo-Pacific: Large-scale energy exploration in this region will strengthen India's strategic position in the Indo-Pacific and assist in monitoring China's growing activities.
• Strengthening the 'Act East' Policy: This discovery will provide fresh momentum to India's 'Act East' policy in terms of economics and infrastructure.
• The Government of India has set a target to increase the share of natural gas in its primary energy basket from 6% to 15% by 2030. This discovery will aid in achieving that goal.

• Maruti Suzuki: Retains the top spot with a market share of approximately 43–46%.
• Other Major Players: Tata Motors ranks second and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) third, followed by Hyundai, Toyota, and Kia.
• Contribution to GDP: The automobile sector contributes approximately 49% to India's manufacturing GDP and over 7.1% to the total GDP. Growth in this sector boosts the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Global Ranking: Driven by this sustained growth, India has emerged as the world's third-largest automobile market (after China and the US).

• Fuel Capability: The vehicle is capable of running seamlessly on any blend ranging from E20 (20% ethanol and 80% petrol) to E100 (pure 100% ethanol).
• Objective: The primary goal of this technology is to reduce massive crude oil imports, cut carbon emissions, and boost Indian farmers and the rural economy.
• Energy Transition: According to the government, India has achieved its ethanol blending target well ahead of schedule, marking a significant step towards self-reliance.

• Theme (2026): "Inspired by Nature, for the Climate, for Our Future"
• Global Host Country: Azerbaijan
• Leading Organization: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Established: By the United Nations General Assembly during the 1972 Stockholm Conference
• First Observed: June 5, 1973
• First Slogan: "Only One Earth"

• Maria Montserrat Alvarado: First female head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication.
• Historic Role: Head (Prefect), Vatican Dicastery for Communication.
• Distinguished Record: First lay woman (non-religious woman) in history to lead a Vatican Dicastery.
• Appointment Date: June 2, 2026 (announced by Pope Leo XIV).
• Assumption of Office: Will officially take charge on November 1, 2026.
• Current Position: President and COO, EWTN News (global Catholic media network).
• Nationality: Mexican-American.
• Succession: She will succeed Paolo Ruffini, who had held the position since 2018.

• Direct elevation from the Bar: Justice V. Mohana is the second woman in the country's judicial history—after Justice Indu Malhotra (appointed in 2018)—to be elevated directly from the Bar (lawyer quota) to the position of a Supreme Court judge.
• Long tenure: Due to her direct appointment from the Bar, she will have a long tenure of approximately five years in the Supreme Court and is set to retire in June 2031.
• First from Tamil Nadu: She is the first woman lawyer from Tamil Nadu to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge directly under the Bar quota.
• Current status: With the appointment of Justice V. Mohana, there are now two sitting women judges in the Supreme Court—Justice V. Mohana and Justice B. V. Nagarathna.
• Justice B. V. Nagarathna is in line to become India's first woman Chief Justice (CJI) in 2027.
• First woman judge: Justice M. Fathima Beevi became the first woman judge of the Supreme Court in 1989.
• Second woman judge: Justice Sujata Manohar (1994).
• Other notable fact: In 2021, during the tenure of the then CJI N. V. Ramana, a new record was set when three women judges (Justice Hima Kohli, Justice Bela M. Trivedi, and Justice B. V. Nagarathna) took the oath simultaneously.

Supreme Court:

• Establishment: 26 January 1950.
• The first Supreme Court (Supreme Court of Calcutta) was established in 1774. Sanctioned strength of judges: Total sanctioned posts: 38 (37 other judges and 1 Chief Justice of India)
• Current judges: 37 (including the CJI)

Note: In May 2026, the sanctioned strength was increased from 34 to 38 by the Central Government through the 'Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance'. Subsequently, in June 2026, 5 new judges were appointed, bringing the total number to 37.

• Right to Constitutional Remedies: Article 3
• It is also known as the guardian of the Constitution.
• Article 131: Details regarding the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
• Articles 133-136: Appellate jurisdiction
• Article 143: Advisory jurisdiction
• Article 137: Review of judgments

• Succession: Neelkanth Mishra will succeed Parameswaran Iyer, a retired 1981-batch IAS officer. To ensure a smooth transition, the government has extended Parameswaran Iyer's tenure until the new appointee assumes office.
• Representation: He will represent a South Asian constituency on the World Bank Board, comprising India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

World Bank:

• Establishment: 1944 (Bretton Woods Conference)
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Operations Began: 1946
• President: Ajay Banga

5 Institutions of the World Bank Group:

• IBRD – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• IDA – International Development Association
• IFC – International Finance Corporation
• MIGA – Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
• ICSID – International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

• First Direct Observation: This is the first direct detection of methane gas on any interstellar object originating outside our solar system.
• Chemical Fingerprint: The mid-infrared chemical fingerprint of an interstellar body has been captured for the first time using the James Webb Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
• Distinct Chemical Composition: This comet was found to have significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide and methane relative to water compared to comets within our solar system.
• Interstellar Comet '3I/ATLAS':
• Third Confirmed Interstellar Body: This is the third interstellar body to enter our solar system. Previously, 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) were discovered.
• Discovery: It was discovered in July 2025 by the NASA-funded 'ATLAS survey telescope' located in Chile.
• Characteristics: It has a diameter of approximately 2.6 kilometers. Scientific research suggests it could be around 7 billion years old, making it older than our solar system (4.6 billion years).

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):

• Mission Type: Space Observatory
• Launch Date: December 25, 2021
• Rocket: Ariane 5
• Cost: Approximately $10 billion
• Operators: NASA, ESA, and CSA
• Location: 1.5 million km from Earth, at Lagrange Point 2 (L2)

• Full name of KSTAR: Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research
• Dual Record: The reactor achieved two milestones during the latest test campaign.
• H-mode (High-confinement mode): Sustained a high-density, stable plasma state for 102 consecutive seconds.
• Extreme Temperature: Maintained a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds.

• Inauguration: The center was inaugurated by Telangana's Minister for IT and Industries, D. Sridhar Babu.
• Location and Size: The center is located in Hyderabad's HITEC City and spans a vast area of ​​250,000 square feet.
• Objectives and Hiring: The company plans to increase the workforce at this center to 1,000 employees by 2027. Operations have already commenced, and more than 500 employees have already been hired.

• Full Name: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution
• Launch: It was launched in November 2013 aboard an Atlas V rocket and entered Mars' orbit in September 2014.
• Mission Duration: It was designed for a primary mission of only one year but operated successfully for over 11 years.

India's Mars Missions:

• India's First Interplanetary Mission: Mars Orbiter Mission-1 (MOM / Mangalyaan-1)
• Launch: It was launched on November 5, 2013, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using the PSLV-C25 rocket.
• Orbit Entry: The spacecraft successfully entered Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014.
• India became the first country in the world to reach Mars on its very first attempt.
• India became the first Asian country and the fourth space agency globally (after NASA, the Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency) to reach Mars' orbit.
• Upcoming Mission: Mangalyaan-2: Potential Launch Year: According to the ISRO Chairman, the target is to launch this mission in the year 2030.

• Between 2009 and 2017, the global middle-class population grew from 1.8 billion to 3.5 billion, with Asia accounting for approximately 40% of this share.
• India has played a significant role in this shift.
• India's per capita GDP increased by 53% between 2011 and 2019, while the country's middle class grew at an annual rate of 6.3% between 1995 and 2021.
• The middle class constitutes approximately 31% of India's population.
• According to OECD projections, India will surpass China in total middle-class population between 2030 and 2035.
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that by 2036, India's middle-class and wealthy consumers will account for 93% of total consumer spending, up from 80% in 2026.
• The WEF also estimates that approximately 500 new "consumer cities" will emerge, and 93% of urban consumption growth is expected to originate from locations outside the country's five largest metropolitan areas.

What defines the middle class? :

• The income classification of countries for the financial year 2026 is as follows:
• Low income: $1,135 or less
• Lower-middle income: $1,136 to $4,495
• Upper-middle income: $4,496 to $13,935
• High income: Above $13,935
• This classification provides a framework for determining income groups, including the middle class, within the global economy.

Major Awards:

• AgriStack: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
• e-Jagriti: Ministry of Consumer Affairs
• Mahakumbh 2025: Prayagraj Mela Authority, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
• District Court Case Management System (DCMS): High Court of Kerala

Jury Award:

• Real-time precise positioning services via CORS network: Survey of India
• Nodal Ministry: These awards are presented annually by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• Inception: These awards were instituted in the year 2003.