TLDR;
This session covers current affairs and general knowledge, including international festivals, military exercises, summits, and organizational updates. It also touches on environmental issues like ozone layer recovery and diseases like river blindness. The session includes quizzes and homework for the audience.
- India International Science Festival 2025 will be held in Panchkula, Haryana.
- Harimau Shakti Exercise is a military exercise between India and Malaysia.
- Earth Summit 2025 was inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat by Amit Shah.
- Lucas Philips was chosen as the new president of Interpol.
- International Sand Art Festival 15th edition was conducted in Konark, Odisha.
- COP 24 was held in Cairo for the conservation of the Mediterranean Sea.
- Niger is the first African country to eliminate river blindness.
- The ozone hole is recovering in Antarctica.
Introduction [0:12]
The instructor greets the audience and sets the tone for a content-heavy session, advising students to focus on the material. The session will include solving previous year question papers from Punjab, Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh exams to give students an idea of the type of questions asked. The instructor also mentions upcoming exams like UP Police, GD, Delhi Police, and MTS.
Thought of the Day [1:42]
The thought of the day emphasizes that success often begins with failure, but persistence and experience eventually lead to selection.
India International Science Festival 2025 [3:19]
The 11th India International Science Festival 2025 will be hosted in Panchkula, Haryana. The first discussion about the festival took place in 2014, with the first hosting in 2015. It is organized by the Ministry of Earth and Sciences and IIT Pune. The festival will cover topics like biotechnology, bio-economics, sustainable economy, and innovation. The event is scheduled from December 6-9. The theme is "science to prosperity". Haryana has also hosted the Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra and the Surajkund Mela in Faridabad.
Quick Questions [7:32]
The instructor asks quick questions about recent events:
- The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 will be held in Prayagraj starting January 14th.
- The Kerala School Kala Shivam 2025 took place in Kerala starting January 4th.
- The Udaipur Tales International Short Telling Festival will be held in Udaipur starting January 10th.
- Diwali 2025 was celebrated on November 5th.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti was on November 5th.
- Chhath Puja started on October 27th.
Harimau Shakti Exercise [9:05]
The fifth edition of the Harimau Shakti Exercise is conducted between India and Malaysia. Singapore hosts the Bold Kurukshetra exercise, and Indonesia is currently holding the Pasika exercise. Malaysia is known as "Truly Asia" and hosts the headquarters of the Badminton Federation in Kuala Lumpur. The Harimau Shakti is a military exercise that first occurred in 2012. The current exercise is hosted in Rajasthan at the Mahajan Field Firing Range from December 5-18. The Dogra Regiment from India is participating.
Other Exercises [12:42]
- Surya Kiran exercise is between India and Nepal in Uttarakhand.
- Sagar Kavach is an Indian Coast Guard exercise.
- Ajay Warrior is between India and the UK.
- Konkan Exercise also took place.
- The Malabar Exercise was held in Guam Island with India, Japan, USA, and Australia participating.
Earth Summit 2025 [13:44]
The Earth Summit 2025 was inaugurated by Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Amit Shah holds the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation. This Earth Summit is not for the environment. The summit aims to promote the "Sahakar Se Samridhi" initiative, under which Bharat Taxi was launched. The Ministry of Cooperation is organizing the event. It will include 13 new services, focusing on rural areas, banking, and transportation, with a citizen-centric approach. The trial for Bharat Taxi is being conducted in Delhi and Gujarat. The Earth Summit for the environment took place in 1992, known as the Rio Earth Summit.
Ministries [17:19]
- Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Home Affairs Ministry: Amit Shah
- Ministry of Finance: Nirmala Sitharaman
- Road and Transport Ministry: Nitin Gadkari
- Agriculture Ministry: Shivraj Singh Chauhan
Interpol [18:17]
Lucas Philips has been chosen as the new president of Interpol, which is the International Criminal Police Organization. Interpol was created on September 7, 1923, and its headquarters are in Lyon, France. The previous president was Ahmed Naser Al Raisi. Interpol has 196 member countries. The CBI represents India at Interpol meetings. CBI's power comes under the Delhi Police Act of 1946. Interpol issues various lists, including black, silver, red, yellow, and purple lists. Recently, Interpol issued a red notice at the request of the MP Tiger Authority, requiring the arrest of the individual with a warrant.
Global Organizations [22:41]
- WTO (World Trade Organization) promotes global trade and is located in Geneva.
- UNESCO's headquarters are in Paris.
- The International Civil Aviation Organization sets aviation standards, with its headquarters in Montreal.
- The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by Oslo.
- The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- UNICEF works to protect children's rights.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
International Sand Art Festival [25:38]
The International Sand Art Festival, in its 15th edition, is conducted in Konark, Odisha. The festival includes Odissi and Kathak dance performances and runs from December 1-5, 2025. The Konark Sun Temple, built by the East Ganga Dynasty, is also known as the Black Pagoda and is built in the Kalinga style. It was added to the UNESCO list in 1984. The festival takes place at Chandrabhaga Beach. Subhadra Shakti Mela is also organized here. Golden Beach has a Blue Flag tag. Sudarshan Patnaik is a famous sand artist. The festival was inaugurated by Mohan Manjhi, the CM of Odisha. The 36th Konark Festival is also taking place, featuring Odissi dance.
Odisha [30:51]
- Jagannath Temple in Puri worships Lord Jagannath.
- Simlipal National Park is known for tigers.
- The state flower is Ashok.
- The deepest port is Paradip Port.
- Bhubaneswar is known as the Temple City.
- Odissi dance is a prominent dance form, often presenting Goti Pua drama.
- The state tree is the Banyan tree.
- The largest mineral producer is iron ore, along with bauxite.
COP 24 [32:58]
COP 24, related to the Barcelona Convention, was held in Cairo for the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea separates Africa and Europe and is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean Sea is divided into two parts by Sicily Island, which is part of Italy. The deepest point is the Calypso Deep, and Stromboli Volcano, known as the "Light House of Mediterranean Sea," is located here. The Barcelona Convention aims to conserve the Mediterranean Sea and prevent pollution and oil spills. The first meeting was held in Barcelona in 1976, leading to a law in 1978, implemented in 1995. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organizes the event. UNEP was formed in 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. They also celebrate Environment Day starting in 1974 on June 5th.
River Blindness [38:18]
Niger is the first African country to eliminate river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis. The disease is caused by a worm called Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted by black flies. It affects vision and can lead to blindness. The disease is most common in tropical areas, particularly in Africa and Yemen. WHO announced the elimination. WHO was formed on April 7, 1948, and has its headquarters in Geneva.
Ozone Hole Recovery [42:38]
The ozone hole is recovering in Antarctica. John Perma first confirmed the depletion of the ozone layer in Antarctica in 1985. The Montreal Protocol was established on September 16, 1987, to control the depletion of the ozone layer, which is caused by CFCs. The Vienna Convention in 1985 was for controlling the ozone layer. The Kigali agreement in 2016 addresses HFCs. The unit of measurement is the Dobson Unit. Ozone is found in the stratosphere, also known as the ozoneosphere.
Astrosat [45:52]
The Astrosat mission, launched by the IIA (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) in collaboration with ISRO, has completed 10 years. Astrosat is India's ISRO observatory, launched on September 28, 2015. It carries five payloads to detect UV rays and study visible light. ISRO's headquarters are in Bengaluru, formed in 1969.
Jerusalem Masters 2025 [48:13]
Arjun won the Jerusalem Masters 2025 title, defeating Viswanathan Anand, who is India's first Grand Master and a five-time world champion. Viswanathan Anand is also the Vice President of the organization that held a fight in Goa. India has a total of 91 Grand Masters.
One Liner News [49:14]
- International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated on December 7th. The theme is "Safe Skies Sustainable Future". It was created in 1944 in Montreal, Canada, with 52 countries. The first conference was in Chicago, USA, known as the Chicago Convention. It was added to the UN in 1996, and India is a part of it.
- Armed Forces Flag Day is celebrated on December 7th.
Homework and Class Details [51:05]
The instructor assigns homework and announces that the next session will solve the Punjab paper. The 11:00 AM class will cover the previous year's GD paper, and upcoming classes will cover new GK topics. There is a Flipkart sale ending on November 9th for the GK Pulse. The English version is available now, and the Hindi version will be available in December or January. Half-yearly and yearly magazines will also be launched. Class PDFs and notes are available on Telegram.
