‘Viksit Udan’:

• Launch Date: July 4, 2026
• Launched by: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Location: Jodhpur, Rajasthan (on the occasion of the inauguration of a new terminal building)

Key Features:

• Total Budget: ₹28,840 crore
• Implementation Period: 10 years (2026-27 to 2035-36)
• Main Objective: Expansion of air connectivity facilities for Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities
• Infrastructure Development: 100 new aerodromes (airports), 200 modern helipads
• Financial Assistance: ₹10,043 crore in Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for airlines
• Special Focus: Promoting the use of indigenous aircraft in hilly and North-Eastern states.
• History of the Original Scheme: The 'Udan' (UDAN - Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme was first launched in October 2016, and the inaugural flight commenced between Shimla and Delhi in April 2017.

• Total Investment and Employment: Under this tripartite agreement, a total investment of ₹67,000 crore ($7–8 billion) will be made in Odisha. This will generate approximately 7,000 to 7,600 direct employment opportunities in the state.
• Key Project Components: Three integrated clean fuel plants will be established at Gopalpur and Paradip under this initiative:
• Gopalpur (Ganjam District): A green ammonia plant with a capacity of 0.4 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum) at a cost of ₹20,000 crore. Additionally, jetty-less floating terminal infrastructure worth ₹1,000 crore will be developed to facilitate exports.
• Paradip (Jagatsinghpur District): A green ammonia plant with a capacity of 0.8 MTPA, involving an investment of ₹34,000 crore.
• Paradip Green Methanol: A green methanol project with a capacity of 0.1 MTPA at a cost of ₹12,000 crore.
• International Financial Support (Japanese Subsidy): This joint venture (JV) has been granted substantial financial assistance amounting to $5 billion (approximately ₹41,000 crore) under the Japanese government's 'Contract for Difference' (CfD) and 'Long-term Decarbonized Power Source Auction' (LTDA) schemes.
• Export Target: Green ammonia produced at these plants will be exported directly to Japan via the Gopalpur and Paradip ports, starting from the 2029–30 fiscal year.

• Production Site: Chota Tingrai Tea Estate, located in the Tinsukia district of Upper Assam.
• Auction Centre: The first batch of Matcha tea was successfully auctioned at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).
• Market Price: The initial 5-kilogram batch was auctioned at a premium price of ₹3,000 per kilogram.
• International Collaboration: This historic achievement is the result of technical collaboration between India and Japan spanning the last decade (10 years).
• Matcha Tea:
• Origin: Matcha is a special type of premium green tea, traditionally originating in Japan. Historically, it was introduced to Japan by Chinese Buddhist monks.
• Scientific Name: The scientific name of the tea plant is *Camellia sinensis*.
• Production Method: Unlike standard tea, this tea is grown in the shade rather than in direct sunlight.

• Place of Origin: This sweet primarily originates from Chandannagar (a former French colony) in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.
• Literal Meaning: In Bengali, 'Jol' means water (liquid) and 'Bhora' means filled; thus, it translates to "Sandesh filled with liquid."
• History and Inventor: Its history dates back approximately 220 years. It was invented in the 19th century (around 1843–44) by Surya Modak and his son Siddheshwar Modak of the renowned Modak family. It was also locally known as "Jamata Thakano Mishti" (a sweet that tricks the son-in-law).
• Other co-products: Along with 'Jalbhara Sandesh', two other products from Hooghly district—'Janai-er Manohar' (a sweet) and the 'Balagarh traditional boat (Dingi)'—were also awarded the GI tag in June 2026.

GI Tag:

• Act and Legislation: In India, GI tags are administered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
• Date of Implementation: The Act came into effect on September 15, 2003.
• Nodal Agency/Headquarters: GI tag registration is handled by the Geographical Indications Registry located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Ministry: It falls under the 'Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade' (DPIIT) within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Validity: Once issued, a GI tag is valid for 10 years, after which it must be renewed.
• India's First GI Tag: 'Darjeeling Tea' (West Bengal) received India's first GI tag in 2004.

• Location: Pachpadra, Balotra district (formerly part of Barmer), Rajasthan
• Developer: A joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Government of Rajasthan
• Cost: Over ₹79,450 crore
• Capacity: The refinery has a capacity of 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), along with a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 MMTPA.
• Joint Venture and Stake:
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL): 74% stake
• Government of Rajasthan: 26% stake

Other Development Projects:

• During this visit, the Prime Minister gifted various projects worth a total of ₹1.06 lakh crore to Rajasthan, including:
• Jaipur Metro Phase-2: Laying the foundation stone for the North-South corridor (41 km) from Prahladpura to Todi Mod, costing over ₹13,000 crore.
• Jodhpur Airport: Inauguration of the new terminal building.
• Solar Power Plants: Dedication of SJVN's 1000 MW and NHPC's 300 MW solar power projects in Bikaner to the nation.

• Replaces the Old Agreement: This new agreement replaces the earlier Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIT) signed between the two countries on January 29, 1996.
• Background: Full diplomatic relations between India and Israel were established in 1992. Subsequently, in 2015, India revised its model 'Bilateral Investment Treaty' (BIT Model), under which old agreements were terminated and negotiations were initiated afresh.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, is overseeing its implementation.
• Special Significance: Israel is the first OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member country with which India has signed this revised strategic agreement.

• Total Investment: This state-of-the-art plant has been developed with a substantial investment of over ₹7,500 crore.
• Partnership Model: This project is a joint global effort involving industrial partners from India, Japan, and Thailand.
• Production Capacity: Currently, it produces 200 million (20 crore) chips annually. Upon commencing operations at full capacity, its annual output will reach 5 billion (500 crore) semiconductor chips.
• Target Sectors: The chips manufactured here will primarily be used in advanced sectors such as automobiles (cars, scooters), electronics, 5G, telecommunications, and IoT (Internet of Things).

• Who discovered it: Researchers from the University of Innsbruck in Austria (Hans-Christoph Nägerl’s group) developed this in collaboration with Alvise Bastianello, a theoretical physicist from CNRS and Université Paris-Dauphine in France.
• Element used: Cesium (Cs) atoms were used in this experiment.
• Ultra-cold temperature: Approximately 70,000 cesium atoms were cooled to temperatures near absolute zero—specifically, down to a few nanokelvins. At this temperature, the atoms lose their individual identities and behave like a unified quantum cloud.

• Lead Scientists: The research was led by Professor Abhijit Majumder (Department of Chemical Engineering) and Professor Debjani Paul from IIT Bombay, along with Dr. Deepak Modi from ICMR-NIRWoH.
• Research Journal: The study has been published in the prestigious international journal 'Biofabrication'.
• It is a microfluidic device. In this device, human placental cells and blood vessel cells are cultured on either side of a porous membrane.
• The chip faithfully replicates the interface and functions between the mother and the fetus within the uterus.
• Function: The placenta is a temporary organ that develops in women during pregnancy. It transports oxygen and nutrients (such as glucose) from the mother to the fetus and removes fetal waste products (such as urea).
• Hormones: It also produces hormones essential for maintaining pregnancy (such as hCG, progesterone, and estrogen).
• On what principle is it based? Microfluidics and soft lithography.

• Mission Name: These soldiers are deployed in the DRC under the UN's MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) mission.
• Challenging Conditions: For over two decades, Indian soldiers have been engaged in ensuring the safety of local civilians, providing humanitarian aid, and maintaining peace in this highly dangerous and conflict-ridden region of Africa.
• Supreme Sacrifice: During this recent award ceremony, two soldiers were also honoured with the medal posthumously.

United Nations Peacekeeping Forces:

• Establishment: UN peacekeeping operations began in 1948 with the deployment of the first military observer mission in the Middle East.
• 'Blue Helmets': UN peacekeepers are also known as 'Blue Helmets' due to their distinctive blue caps or helmets.
• Historical Losses: Since 1948, approximately 4,500 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty. In the year 2025 alone, the deaths of 59 peacekeepers were recorded.
• India has historically been one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations.
• India made history in 2007 by deploying the first-ever all-female police unit (FPU) under the UN in Liberia.
• India's Major Radhika Sen has been honoured with the "UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year 2023" award by the United Nations Headquarters.

• Tournament Name: Grand Chess Tour 2026 (Croatia Leg / Zagreb Leg)
• Venue: Zagreb, Croatia
• Format: Super Rapid and Blitz
• Top Finishers: R. Praggnanandhaa (India) and Alireza Firouzja (France) – both tied at 12 points
• Rapid Scoring System: 2 points are a
• warded for each win in the rapid format.

Reigning World Champion D. Gukesh drew all three of his matches and is currently two points behind the joint leaders, with a total of 10 points.