GK One-Liners

What: Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003, passed away at the age of 84 in Bengaluru on April 26, 2025. Born on October 24, 1940 in Ernakulam, Kerala, he began his career at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad in 1969. As ISRO Chairman, he directed the development and operationalisation of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and initiated India’s planetary exploration programme that culminated in Chandrayaan-1 (launched 2008). He received the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992), and Padma Vibhushan (2000).

How: Dr. Kasturirangan’s tenure as ISRO Chairman (1994–2003) was transformative: the PSLV achieved its first successful flight in 1994 (the year he took charge), and under his stewardship it became ISRO’s workhorse rocket. He also led India’s remote sensing satellite programme (IRS series) to international prominence, and expanded ISRO’s commercial launch services. Beyond ISRO, he served as a member of the Planning Commission, was elected to the Rajya Sabha (2003–2009), and chaired the National Education Policy (NEP) drafting committee — whose recommendations led to the NEP 2020.

Why: Dr. Kasturirangan is one of ISRO’s most significant figures and his passing will generate near-certain exam questions. Key MCQ anchors: ISRO Chairman tenure (1994–2003), birth place (Ernakulam, Kerala), career start (PRL, Ahmedabad, 1969), directed (PSLV + GSLV), initiated (Chandrayaan-1), Padma awards (Shri 1982, Bhushan 1992, Vibhushan 2000), additional roles (NEP 2020 committee chair, Rajya Sabha member 2003–09). The NEP 2020 connection — linking him to education policy beyond space science — is a distinctive UPSC Mains angle.

What: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi declared Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district as India’s 107th National Park and Odisha’s second National Park (after Bhitarkanika, 1998). The National Park area covers 845.70 square kilometres — the largest National Park in Odisha — within a total reserve area of 2,750 square kilometres. The declaration was made under Section 35(4) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Similipal is home to 360+ bird species, approximately 40 wild tigers including the world’s only known wild melanistic (black) tigers, and approximately 25% of Odisha’s elephant population. It has been a UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) site since 2009. Its name derives from ‘Simul’ — the Silk Cotton tree abundant in the area.

How: Melanistic tigers — colloquially called ‘black tigers’ — are pseudo-melanistic: they have extremely wide, merged stripes that cover most of their orange base coat, giving them a near-black appearance. This is a genetic trait caused by a mutation in the Taqpep gene, and Similipal is the only known location in the world where this trait persists in a wild population. By upgrading to National Park status (stricter protection than a Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone), Similipal now has stronger legal barriers against human activities including grazing, collection of forest produce, and encroachment within the 845.70 sq km core zone.

Why: New National Park declarations and wildlife records are tested in UPSC GS-III (biodiversity, protected areas) and Environment sections of all exams. Key MCQ anchors: India’s NP serial number (107th), state (Odisha), district (Mayurbhanj), area (845.70 sq km NP / 2,750 sq km total reserve), Odisha’s first NP (Bhitarkanika, 1998), legal provision (Section 35(4), WPA 1972), world’s only wild melanistic tigers, bird species (360+), tiger count (~40), elephants (~25% of Odisha’s), UNESCO WNBR (since 2009), name origin (‘Simul’ / Silk Cotton tree). The ‘world’s only wild black tigers’ fact is the single strongest MCQ hook.

What: Grandmaster Koneru Humpy (India) won the 5th leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25 held in Pune (April 13–24), on tiebreaks after finishing tied on 7/9 points with Zhu Jiner (China). This was Humpy’s 8th FIDE Women’s Grand Prix title — a new world record, surpassing the previous joint record held with China’s Hou Yifan. Divya Deshmukh (India) finished third. In the cumulative standings, Goryachkina leads with 308.34 points, followed by Humpy (279.17 points) and Zhu Jiner (235 points). The final leg will be held in Großlobming, Austria (May 5–16), and the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series qualifies players for the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. FIDE is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland (est. 1924), and led by President Arkady Dvorkovich.

How: The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix is a series of round-robin tournaments at the highest level of women’s chess, serving as a qualifying pathway for the Women’s World Chess Championship cycle. Winning 8 GP titles is an unprecedented achievement that underlines Humpy’s consistency as a top-level competitor over more than a decade. The tiebreak win in Pune came after Humpy and Zhu Jiner finished level on points, with Humpy prevailing on the secondary tiebreak criteria.

Why: Indian chess achievements — especially world records — are tested in Banking Sports GK and UPSC current affairs. Key MCQ anchors: event (FIDE Women’s GP 2024–25, 5th leg, Pune), result (Humpy wins on tiebreaks, 7/9, tied with Zhu Jiner), world record (8th GP title, surpasses joint record with Hou Yifan), Divya Deshmukh (3rd), cumulative leader (Goryachkina, 308.34 pts), Humpy (2nd, 279.17 pts), final leg (Großlobming, Austria, May 5–16), qualification stakes (Women’s Candidates 2026), FIDE President (Arkady Dvorkovich), FIDE HQ (Lausanne, est. 1924). The ‘world record 8th title’ and the Hou Yifan comparison are the strongest exam anchors.

What: Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia (Mumbai; FTII graduate) was awarded France’s highest arts honour — ‘Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ — on April 24, 2025, presented by Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet, Consul General of France, Mumbai. Her Malayalam-language film ‘All We Imagine as Light’ (2024) won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival — the second-highest award after the Palme d’Or — making it the first Indian film in 30 years to win a major award in Cannes’ main competition. The film was also selected as France’s official entry for the Academy Awards (Oscars). Kapadia had earlier won the Oeil d’Or (Best Documentary) at the 74th Cannes Film Festival (2021) and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director (2025).

How: ‘All We Imagine as Light’ is a drama set in Mumbai, exploring the lives of two nurses from Kerala navigating loneliness and desire in the city. Kapadia’s FTII (Film and Television Institute of India, Pune) background reflects the institution’s pivotal role in producing internationally acclaimed Indian filmmakers. The ‘Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ is a French order of merit awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts and culture. The ‘Officier’ rank is the second level of this order (above ‘Chevalier’ / Knight and below ‘Commandeur’).

Why: Indian films winning international awards are consistently tested in Banking and SSC current affairs, and in UPSC GS-I (art and culture). Key MCQ anchors: filmmaker (Payal Kapadia, FTII graduate), French honour (‘Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’, Apr 24, 2025), film (‘All We Imagine as Light’, 2024), Cannes award (Grand Prix, 77th CFF), historical significance (1st Indian film in 30 years in Cannes main competition), France’s Oscar entry status, earlier award (Oeil d’Or, 74th CFF, 2021), Golden Globe nomination (Best Director, 2025). The specific Cannes award (Grand Prix, not Palme d’Or) and ’30 years’ context are the most precisely tested facts.

What: INS Surat — the fourth and final ship of the P15B Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers — successfully test-fired the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM), also known as Barak 8, in the Arabian Sea on April 24, 2025. INS Surat is 164 metres long, displaces 7,400 tonnes, has a top speed of over 30 knots, and features 75% indigenous content. The MR-SAM (Barak 8) was jointly developed by DRDO (India) and IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries); it has a range of 70 km, is 4.5 metres long, weighs 275 kg (with a 60 kg pre-fragmented warhead), and its first test occurred in 2016.

How: The P15B class represents India’s most capable surface combatant, combining stealth hull design, advanced sensors, and a layered weapons suite including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, and MR-SAM for aerial defence. The Barak 8 provides area air defence capability — protecting the ship and nearby vessels against aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and drones at ranges up to 70 km. The 75% indigenous content in INS Surat reflects the Navy’s progressive self-reliance programme under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) framework.

Why: Indian Navy warship capabilities, especially new missile systems, are tested in UPSC GS-III (defence indigenisation) and Defence GK sections of Banking/SSC exams. Key MCQ anchors: ship name (INS Surat), class (P15B Visakhapatnam-class), position (4th/final ship), dimensions (164 m, 7,400 t, >30 knots, 75% indigenous), missile (MR-SAM / Barak 8), developers (DRDO + IAI Israel), range (70 km), weight (275 kg, 60 kg warhead), first test (2016), test location (Arabian Sea, April 24, 2025), CNS (Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi). The DRDO + IAI joint development and the Barak 8 / MR-SAM name equivalence are standard exam traps.

What: China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, using the Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It is China’s 9th crewed mission to the Tiangong Space Station. The three-member crew will spend approximately six months aboard Tiangong. Commander Chen Dong is flying on his third mission and has accumulated over 200 cumulative days in space — a Chinese record. The other two crew members, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, are on their first missions. The mission involves physics and life sciences experiments (including studies on planarians — flatworms used in regeneration research), space debris protection work, and replacing the Shenzhou-19 crew on April 29.

How: The Tiangong Space Station is a T-shaped modular station comprising three modules: Tianhe (core), Wentian, and Mengtian. It has a total mass of approximately 100 tonnes and orbits Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 340–450 km altitude. The station is operated by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and is designed for continuous crewed operations, with crew rotation missions every six months. China aims to use Tiangong as a stepping stone toward establishing a lunar research base by 2030 — a stated national space goal.

Why: Chinese space missions and Tiangong station facts are tested in UPSC GS-III (space programme) and Science & Technology awareness sections. Key MCQ anchors: mission name (Shenzhou-20), launch date (April 24, 2025), rocket (Long March-2F), launch site (Jiuquan), mission number (9th crewed mission to Tiangong), commander (Chen Dong, 3rd flight, 200+ cumulative days — Chinese record), Tiangong structure (T-shaped, Tianhe+Wentian+Mengtian, ~100 t, 340–450 km LEO), operator (CMSA), lunar base goal (2030). Chen Dong’s ‘200+ days’ Chinese record and the Tiangong’s three-module T-shaped structure are the strongest exam differentiators.