24 August 2026

UPSC GS 1

1. Thiksey Monastery

News: Recently, the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, visited the historic Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh.

What is it:

o   Thiksey Monastery is one of the largest and most prominent Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh.

o   It belongs to the Gelug sect (Yellow Hat School) of Tibetan Buddhism.

Establishment:

o   It was founded in 1433 CE.

o   It was established by Spon Palden Sherab under the guidance of his teacher Jangsem Sherab Zangpo, a disciple associated with the Gelug tradition.

Architectural Features:

o   Its architecture closely resembles the Potala Palace, the traditional residence of the Dalai Lamas.

Maitreya Buddha Statue:

o   It houses a 15-metre-high statue of Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha).

o   The statue was installed during the 1980s.

Religious Artifacts: The monastery contains:

o   Stupas.

o   Buddhist statues.

o   Thangkas (religious paintings).

o   Wall murals.

o   Ancient manuscripts and artifacts.

Annual Festival:

o   The famous Gustor Festival is celebrated here.

o   It is held from the 17th to 19th day of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar (usually October–November).

o   The festival features sacred mask dances and Buddhist rituals.

2. Brazil

News: India and Brazil recently signed a MoU to strengthen bilateral cooperation in Telecommunications and Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Definition: Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth-largest country in the world by area.

Location:

o   It is located in the central-eastern part of South America.

o   It is intersected by both the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Neighbouring Countries:

o   Argentina and Paraguay (Southwest).

o   Bolivia and Peru (West).

o   Colombia (Northwest).

o   Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (North).

Water Body:

o   It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

Capital:

o   Brasília.

Physiographic Regions:

o   Brazilian Highlands.

o   Amazon Rainforest.

o   Pantanal Wetlands.

Major Rivers:

o   Amazon River.

o   São Francisco River.

o   Iguaçu River.

Amazon Basin:

o   It is the world's largest river basin.

Highest Peak:

o   Pico da Neblina (2,999 metres) is the highest mountain in Brazil.

Natural Resources:

o   Iron ore.

o   Tin.

o   Copper.

o   Pyrochlore.

o   Bauxite.

3. Dimna Lake

News: Dimna Lake, Jamshedpur, was among the 25 lakes across India after which spectator galleries were named during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi's Red Fort.

About Dimna Lake:

o   Location: It is located at the foothills of the Dalma Hills in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

o   Type: It is a man-made reservoir.

o   Nearby Protected Area: It is situated near the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary.

o   River Association: It was created by damming the Subarnarekha River.

o   Constructed By: The lake was developed by Tata Steel under the Dimna Nala Water Supply Scheme. 

UPSC GS 2

1. Political Clearance for CMs

News: The United States leg of Telangana Chief Minister foreign tour was cancelled after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied political clearance.

Definition: Political clearance is an approval granted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for foreign travel by public servants and government officials.

Why is it needed?

o   It ensures that official foreign visits do not create diplomatic or foreign policy implications that have not been assessed by the Government of India.

o   It helps maintain consistency between foreign visits and India's broader foreign policy objectives.

Supreme Court View:

o   In M. Karunanidhi v. Union of India, the Supreme Court held that a Chief Minister is a public servant because the office receives salary from the government treasury for performing public duties.

Process for Political Clearance for Chief Ministers:

o   Prior Intimation: Before undertaking any foreign visit, whether official or private, the Chief Minister must inform:

ü  Cabinet Secretariat.

ü  Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

o   Political Clearance:

ü  The Ministry of External Affairs examines the proposed visit.

ü  It may grant or deny political clearance.

o   Basis of Decision:

ü  Nature of the event.

ü  Countries participating in the event.

ü  Nature of the invitation.

ü  India's diplomatic relations with the host country.

o   Application Process:

ü  Since 2016, applications for political clearance can be submitted through the MEA's online portal.

ü  The proposal is processed through coordination among different divisions of the ministry.

Other Clearances Required:

o   Economic Clearance: Chief Ministers, State Ministers and State officials require clearance from the Department of Economic Affairs.

o   FCRA Clearance: Clearance under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is required from the Ministry of Home Affairs if hospitality is provided by organisations other than those of the United Nations.

Approval Process for Other Dignitaries

o   Union Ministers:

ü  Require political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.

ü  Need approval from the Prime Minister for both official and private foreign visits.

o   Members of Parliament (MPs):

§  Lok Sabha MPs: Require approval from the Speaker.

§  Rajya Sabha MPs: Require approval from the Chairperson.

§  Private Visits: MPs are not required to inform the respective Secretariat about personal foreign visits.

o   Government Officers:

o   Officers up to Joint Secretary Level:

ü  Require political clearance from MEA.

ü  Final approval is granted by the concerned Minister.

o   Officers above Joint Secretary Level:

ü  Require approval from the Screening Committee of Secretaries after political clearance.

o   Judges:

o   Official Foreign Visits:

ü  Proposal is sent to the Department of Justice after obtaining approval from the Chief Justice of India.

ü  Department of Justice obtains political clearance from MEA and FCRA clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (where applicable).  Final approval is then issued.

o   Personal Foreign Visits: Judges do not require political clearance for private foreign travel

UPSC GS 3

1. INS Mangrol

 News: Recently, INS Mangrol, the third of the eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) indigenously designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), was delivered to the Indian Navy.

About INS Mangrol:

o   Definition: INS Mangrol is an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) of the Indian Navy.

o   Indigenous Development: It is the third vessel among eight ASW-SWCs being indigenously designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

Primary Role:

o   Anti-Submarine Warfare: It has been specifically designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations in shallow coastal waters, where detecting and tracking submarines is particularly challenging.

Operational Capabilities:

o   Underwater Surveillance: It can undertake underwater monitoring and surveillance missions.

o   Search and Rescue Operations: The vessel is capable of conducting maritime search and rescue missions.

o   Low Intensity Maritime Operations: It can support a variety of low-intensity naval operations.

o   Mine-Laying Capability: The warship is also equipped to undertake mine-laying missions.

Key Features of INS Mangrol:

o   Maximum Speed: The vessel can achieve a maximum speed of 25 knots.

o   Diesel Engine-Waterjet Propulsion: It is powered by an advanced Diesel Engine-Waterjet Propulsion System.

o   Lightweight Torpedoes: It is equipped with lightweight torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.

o   Indigenous ASW Rockets: The vessel carries indigenously developed anti-submarine warfare rockets.

Detection Systems:

o   Shallow-Water Sonars: It is fitted with advanced shallow-water sonar systems for submarine detection and tracking.

Indigenisation:

o   High Indigenous Content: The warship incorporates more than 80% indigenous content, supporting India's defence self-reliance objectives.

Classification Standards:

o   DNV Certification: The ship has been designed and built according to the classification rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

o   Maritime Classification Society: DNV is one of the world's leading classification societies and a globally recognized advisor to the maritime industry.

2. Online Bond Platform Provider (OBPP)

News: SEBI has recently proposed an advertisement code for Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs) to enhance investor awareness and expand the reach of bond investments among retail investors.

About Online Bond Platform Provider (OBPP):

o   What is it?: An OBPP is a SEBI-registered platform that facilitates the buying and selling of bonds.

o   Role: It acts as a digital bridge between bond issuers, such as corporations and governments, and retail investors.

o   Purpose: It leverages technology to simplify bond investing and make it more accessible to non-institutional investors.

o   Online Ecosystem: It creates a digital marketplace and provides comprehensive information about bonds.

o   Investor Information: Investors can review bond features, credit ratings, interest rates, maturity periods and offer documents.

o   Decision Making: It enables investors to compare bonds and assess their risk-return profiles for informed investment decisions.

Benefits of OBPPs:

o   Low Investment Requirement: The minimum investment value is generally as low as ₹10,000.

o   Regulatory Compliance: Platforms must be registered stockbrokers and comply with SEBI regulations governing non-convertible securities.

o   Instant Discovery: Investors can quickly filter bonds based on credit rating, yield and maturity.

How Does an OBPP Work?

o   Account Opening: Investors must first open a Demat account and complete KYC formalities.

o   Bond Selection: Investors can browse available bonds and compare details such as yield, maturity, credit rating and issuer profile.

o   Order Placement: Orders for listed debt securities are routed through the Request for Quote (RFQ) platform of a recognised stock exchange.

o   Settlement: Transactions are settled through a recognised clearing corporation.

o   Credit to Demat Account: Purchased bonds are credited directly to the investor's Demat account.

3. Polysilicon

News: The Government is working to add 30 GW of polysilicon manufacturing capacity by 2030 and is considering a subsidy scheme to support domestic production.

About Polysilicon:

o   What is it?: Polysilicon, also known as polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), is a material composed of multiple tiny silicon crystals or grains.

o   Structure: It consists of several smaller silicon crystals fused together in a non-uniform manner.

o   Purity: It is highly pure and can generate almost as much energy as mono-crystalline silicon.

Importance of Polysilicon:

o   Solar Industry: It is a critical raw material for manufacturing solar cells used in solar panels.

o   Energy Transition: It plays a vital role in the expansion of renewable energy and solar power generation.

Manufacturing Process:

o   Ingot Formation: Polysilicon is melted at high temperatures to produce silicon ingots.

o   Wafer Production: These ingots are sliced into thin wafers.

o   Solar Cell Manufacturing: The wafers are processed into solar cells and subsequently assembled into solar modules.

Other Applications:

o   Semiconductor Industry: It is used in the production of integrated circuits and various electronic components.

o   Electronics Manufacturing: It serves as a key material in modern electronic and digital devices.

Production of Polysilicon:

o   Raw Material: It is produced by purifying metallurgical-grade silicon into a highly pure form.

o   Objective: The purification process removes impurities to achieve the quality required for solar and semiconductor applications.

Methods of Production:

o   Siemens Process: It is the most widely used method for producing high-purity polysilicon.

o   Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR) Technology: It is an alternative production method that can improve energy efficiency and reduce production costs.

Global Production:

o   Market Concentration: Global polysilicon production is highly concentrated in a few countries.

o   China's Dominance: China accounts for the majority of the world's solar-grade polysilicon production.