GK One-Liners

What: India has claimed 1st place globally in ship recycling, holding a 35.4% share of world volume in 2025, up from 30.1% in 2024. The total volume reached 2.99 million Gross Tonnage (GT), nearly a 60% rise from 1.86 million tonnes (MT) the previous year. The data comes from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) “Review of Maritime Transport 2025.”

How: The Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yard in Gujarat handles approximately 97% of India’s recycling activity, making it the backbone of this industry. India has also achieved the Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 target five years ahead of schedule, backed by regulatory compliance and capacity expansion at Alang.

Why: This is a high-priority topic for UPSC Prelims (Economy/Trade) and state PSC exams. Questions may test India’s rank, the UNCTAD source, Alang’s location, or the MIV 2030 milestone. It also connects to the broader Blue Economy theme frequently asked in GS-III.

What: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched four digital policing applications — NCRB-Abhigyan, Criminal Procedure Identification (CrPI), e-Prosecution 2.0, and e-Forensics 2.0 — at the 26th All India Fingerprint Conference in New Delhi. All four apps were developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

How: These apps digitise and integrate the criminal justice pipeline — from FIR registration and biometric identification (CrPI) to forensic evidence management (e-Forensics 2.0) and court-stage prosecution tracking (e-Prosecution 2.0). The overarching target is to enable FIR-to-conviction within 3 years.

Why: Digital governance and policing reforms are recurring themes in UPSC Prelims and Mains (GS-II). Candidates should remember all four app names, the NCRB as developer, and the 3-year conviction target. This also connects to BNSS/criminal law reform questions.

What: India secured 13th rank globally in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World Future Skills Index 2027, scoring 89.4 out of 100. India topped South Asia and ranked 1st among lower-middle-income countries. The USA led the index with a score of 99.2, followed by Australia (97.5) and the UK (96.6). The index covered 89 countries and is headquartered in London, UK.

How: The index assesses a country’s workforce readiness for emerging skill demands across dimensions such as technology adoption, educational output, and labour market adaptability. India’s Future of Work sub-rank stood at 5th globally, reflecting strong performance in workforce flexibility and digital skilling initiatives.

Why: Global ranking questions are highly predictable in UPSC Prelims and SSC CGL. Testable facts here include India’s overall rank (13), score (89.4), Future of Work rank (5), top country (USA), and QS’s London headquarters. Also links to National Education Policy (NEP) and Skill India Mission themes.

What: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a defence public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) headquartered in Kolkata, has been conferred Navratna status, making it the 29th Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in India. Its revenue grew by approximately 300% — from Rs 1,754 crore in FY2022 to Rs 7,002 crore in FY2026.

How: The Navratna status grants enhanced financial and operational autonomy. GRSE can now invest up to Rs 1,000 crore or 15% of its net worth per project without seeking government approval. This status is awarded by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) based on criteria including Miniratna Category-I status, net profit, and a composite score on financial performance indicators.

Why: CPSE categorisation (Maharatna, Navratna, Miniratna) is a recurring topic in UPSC Prelims and EPFO/SSC exams. Key facts to memorise: GRSE’s 29th rank, MoD parentage, Kolkata HQ, and the Rs 1,000 crore / 15% net worth autonomy threshold. GRSE is also known for building warships and coastal vessels for the Indian Navy.

What: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) awarded the IndiaAI Fellowship 2025-26 to 7 students of Chandigarh University (CU), Union Territory of Chandigarh. Each recipient receives Rs 1 lakh as fellowship support. The fellowship is a flagship initiative under the “Future Skills” pillar of the IndiaAI Mission, which was introduced in 2024.

How: Fellows conduct applied research in areas including education technology, disaster response, traffic management, and yoga pose correction using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). The programme is designed to build a domestic pool of AI researchers who align with India’s national development priorities.

Why: IndiaAI Mission is a frequently tested scheme in UPSC Prelims (Sci & Tech) and state PSC exams. Key testable details: MeitY as nodal ministry, “Future Skills” as the relevant pillar, Rs 1 lakh award, and Chandigarh University as the 2025-26 recipient institution. Also connects to Digital India and National AI Strategy themes.

What: Belgian theoretical physicist François Englert passed away on 18 June 2026 at the age of 93 in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium. He was co-recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside British physicist Peter Higgs, awarded for the theoretical development of the Brout-Englert-Higgs (BEH) mechanism — the process by which fundamental particles acquire mass through interaction with the Higgs field.

How: The BEH mechanism, proposed in the 1960s, postulates an omnipresent quantum field (the Higgs field). Particles that interact with this field gain mass; those that do not (like photons) remain massless. The associated particle, the Higgs boson, was experimentally confirmed in 2012 at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), nearly 50 years after the theory was first proposed.

Why: Nobel Prize laureates and their discoveries are standard questions in UPSC Prelims and SSC exams, especially when a laureate passes away in a current-affairs window. Testable facts: 2013 Nobel in Physics, Englert + Peter Higgs as co-laureates, CERN’s LHC as confirmation site (2012), and the core concept — particles acquire mass via the Higgs field.