PRELIMS CA 16 SEPT 2026

Subject: Misc

Context: Ministry of Defence organised VIMARSH 2026 synergy meet in New Delhi under theme 'Varta se Vikas'.
Organiser: Ministry of Defence | Platform connecting DRDO with MSMEs, start-ups, and academia.
Objective: Transition from buyer-seller model to a co-created defence technology ecosystem.
Software Sharing: Secure framework to share DRDO source-codes with licensed industry partners.
SAMAR 2.0: Collaboration with Quality Council of India to assess defence manufacturing maturity.

Subject: History

Context: Prime Minister paid tribute to Bengali novelist Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary.
Biography: Born in 1876 in Hooghly district, Bengal | Lived in Rangoon (Burma) from 1903 to 1916.
Freedom Struggle: Served as President of Howrah District Congress (1921–1936) + Participated in Non-Cooperation Movement.
Banned Work: 1926 novel Pather Dabi depicted revolutionary resistance and was banned by colonial authorities.
Literary Works: Authored Devdas, Parineeta, Charitraheen, Srikanta, and Sesh Prashna + Portrayed women's social agency.
Honours: Awarded Jagattarini Gold Medal (1923) | Received honorary D.Litt. from University of Dacca (1936).

Subject: Geography

Context: Five basin states and Delhi signed an agreement to implement the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Project.
River & Location: Proposed on Tons River | Major tributary of Yamuna River.
Host States: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand | Joint host states executing the project.
Beneficiaries: HP, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
Implementing Agency: Kishau Corporation Limited | 50:50 joint venture between HP and Uttarakhand.
Dam Type & Capacity: 232.6-metre concrete gravity dam | 422 MW hydropower + 97,076 hectares irrigation potential.
Funding Model: Project of National Importance | Centre bears 90% of water-component cost.
Related Framework: Rooted in 1994 Upper Yamuna MoU | Key basin storage projects include Kishau, Lakhwar, and Renukaji.

Subject: Environment

Context: Nepal requested $20 million following glacial floods, marking a major early request under the fund.
Nature: Multilateral financing entity under UNFCCC | Assists vulnerable developing nations recovering from climate shocks.
Origin: Established at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh (2022) + Operationalized at COP28 in Dubai (2023).
Funding: Voluntary non-binding contributions | Contains no binding liability or mandatory historical compensation quotas.
Financial Instrument: Grants-based concessional allocations | Avoids exacerbating external debt distress in recipient nations.
Scope: Addresses both economic and non-economic losses + Covers biodiversity loss, displacement, and cultural damage.
Disbursement: Operates via an 11-step project cycle | Channels resources via direct budget support and small grants.

Subject: Misc

Context: The 22nd edition of the India–US joint military exercise commenced at Auli Foreign Training Node.
Nature: Annual bilateral army exercise | India and US | Alternates annually since 2004.
Venue: Auli (Uttarakhand) for high-altitude warfare | Mahajan Range (Rajasthan) for semi-desert maneuvers.
Key Features: First-ever simultaneous dual-terrain execution across mountain and desert sectors.
Operational Focus: Tactical employment of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) + counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS).

Subject: Geography

Context: India and Cambodia postponed their bilateral trans-continental tiger reintroduction program from 2025 to 2028 due to an inadequate prey base.
Capital: Phnom Penh | Constitutional monarchy in mainland Southeast Asia.
Borders: Land borders with Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam | Coastline on the Gulf of Thailand.
Physical Features: Low-lying central plain around Tonle Sap lake + seasonal flow reversal with Mekong River.
Mountain Ranges: Dângrêk Mountains in north + Cardamom and Elephant Mountains in southwest.
Highest Peak: Phnom Aôral (1,813 m) located in the Cardamom Mountains.

Subject: Geography

Context: Habitat assessments in Cardamom National Park revealed an inadequate natural prey base, delaying tiger reintroduction from India.
Location: Cardamom (Krâvanh) Mountains, southwestern Cambodia | Situated between Tonle Sap basin and Gulf of Thailand.
Establishment: Protected tropical forest landscape established in 2016.
Key Fauna: Asian elephant, clouded leopard, Sunda pangolin, sun bear, dhole, and Siamese crocodile.