Explanation

• Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025, released in October 2025.
• As per the report, India has achieved a significant milestone in global forest statistics by advancing to the 9th position worldwide in terms of total forest area.
• Key findings – India continues to maintain 3rd position worldwide in terms of net annual forest area gain.
• India ranked 5th among the top global carbon sinks, with its forests removing 150 Mt of CO? per year during 2021-2025.
• The annual rate of net forest loss fell from 10.7 million ha (1990–2000) to 4.12 million ha (2015–2025).

For more, click here

Explanation

• Statement 1 is correct – The faecal-oral route is a transmission pathway for disease where pathogens from an infected person's feces are ingested by another person.
• This often occurs through poor hygiene, contaminated food or water, or failures in sanitation systems. Polio virus is transmitted through this route.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – Polio cannot be cured, which makes the statement false.
• It is a viral disease, and once the infection takes hold, there is no treatment that can reverse paralysis or make the virus go away faster.
• While some people fully recover from the initial infection, others have long-term effects, including paralysis or post-polio syndrome.
• Statement 3 is incorrect – India became polio free in 2014 after 3 years, as there were no cases recorded since 2011.

For more, click here

Explanation

• 1 is correct – Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It is located above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
• 2 is correct – Recently, The Taal Volcano erupts three times in Philippines. Taal Volcano is located on Luzon Island in the Philippines, about 50 km south of Manila.
• It lies within Taal Lake, a large freshwater lake, making it a volcano within a lake on an island within a lake, a rare geological feature.
• It is a complex volcano and also classified as a caldera volcano, meaning it has a large crater formed by past massive eruptions.
• 3 is correct – Kilauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. It is located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island.
• The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level about 100,000 years ago.

Explanation

• Statement 1 correct – Rani Chennamma was born to a Lingayat family on October 23, 1778 in Kagati, Belagavi district of Karnataka.
• She was trained from a young age in horse riding, sword fighting, and military strategy. She was married off to Raja Mallasarja of Kittur.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – The British rejected Shivalingappa (son of chennamma) as the legitimate heir and subsequently introduced Doctrine of Lapse (not subsidiary alliance).
• Under the doctrine, any princely state without a natural heir would collapse and would be annexed by the British. This lead to rebellion against East India Company.

For more, click here

Explanation

• Statement 1 is correct – Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri, participated in JAIMEX-25 (Maritime exercise between India and Japan).
• It underscores the strong and burgeoning Navy-to-Navy interactions that underpin ‘Special Strategic & Global Partnership’ established between India & Japan in 2014.
• Statement 2 is correct – It has 2 phases i.e. Sea phase – It includes advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare and missile defence drills, enhancing interoperability by undertaking flying operations and underway replenishment.
• Harbour phase – It includes cross-deck visits, collaborative operational planning, sharing of best practices, and a combined Yoga session to foster camaraderie and unity.