DAILY PRELIMS CA — 9 SEPTEMBER

Context: IAF and Japan Air Self Defence Force commenced bilateral air exercise Veer Guardian-2026 at Jodhpur.
Type: Bilateral air-combat exercise | Conducted between air forces of India and Japan
Venue: Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Significance: First deployment and operation of JASDF fighter aircraft from an Indian air base
IAF Assets: Deploys LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI, and Dassault Rafale jets
JASDF Assets: Deploys F-2A multirole fighters + shares airframe lineage with American F-16 Falcon
Aim: Enhance tactical interoperability + joint mission planning + aerospace safety cooperation

Context: Former Chief Justice of India Justice Dipak Misra was conferred with the Kalinga Ratna Award 2026.
Nature: Annual state-level honor recognizing eminent individuals from Odisha for national or global achievements.
Conferred by: Sarala Sahitya Sansad | A prominent cultural and literary organization based in Cuttack.
Instituted: Established in 2007 + presented annually alongside the Sarala Samman literary awards.
Components: Silver idol of Goddess Saraswati + formal citation.

Context: Union Minister launched India’s ocean research vessel ‘ORV Sagar Manthan’ at Kolkata.
Nature: All-weather deep-sea research vessel engineered for extreme environments including the Southern Ocean | Projected life: 30 years
Built By: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
Mission Link: Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of Deep Ocean Mission | Outlay: ₹840 crore
Capabilities: Deploys ROVs, AUVs, and benthic corers + Maps polymetallic hydrothermal sulphide mineralization and cobalt-rich crusts
Certification: Dual-class classification by Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)

Context: Five juvenile orangutans were rescued in Balasore district, Odisha by the STF and WCCB.
Taxonomy: Belongs to genus Pongo | Only great ape native entirely to Asia
IUCN Status: All three species (Bornean, Sumatran, Tapanuli) are Critically Endangered
Distribution: Restricted to rainforests and peat-swamp forests of Borneo and Sumatra
Physical Traits: World’s largest arboreal mammal | Spends over 90% of life in forest canopy
Social Structure: Leads largely solitary life to avoid food competition
Ecological Role: Frugivorous keystone seed disperser essential for forest regeneration

Context: Indian producer Lohum dispatched its first lithium ore shipment from Matabeleland South Province in Zimbabwe.
Location: Landlocked sovereign nation in southern Africa | Capital: Harare (formerly Salisbury)
Borders: Bordered by four countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.
Topography: Elevated central spine formed by Highveld plateau + descends into Middleveld and Lowveld.
Geology: Rests on ancient Precambrian granite basement | Weathering forms exposed granite hills called kopjes.
Great Dyke: Mafic-ultramafic rock belt containing chromium, nickel, platinum-group metals, and asbestos.
Drainage: Tectonic depressions form Zambezi and Save-Limpopo basins + drains into Indian Ocean.
Minerals: Major hard-rock lithium in petalite and spodumene pegmatites | Mandates domestic processing and bans raw ore exports.

PRELIMS CA 10 SEPT 2026