GK One-Liners

What: Indian Railways conducted a trial run of ‘Rudrastra’, billed as Asia’s longest freight train at approximately 4.5 km long. The train comprised 345 wagons hauled by seven locomotives, created by coupling multiple long-haul rakes to move cargo more efficiently on key freight corridors.

How: The trial covered 209 km from Ganjkhwaja (Uttar Pradesh) to Garhwa (Jharkhand) in 5 hours 10 minutes at an average speed of about 40.5 km/h. Such super-long trains reduce the number of trips required, optimise locomotive usage, decrease operational costs, and improve line capacity utilisation on congested routes.

Why: Indian Railways’ freight modernisation initiatives—including Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), double-stack container trains, and super-long trains—are relevant for UPSC GS-III (Infrastructure). Understanding railway freight operations, PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, and logistics efficiency improvements demonstrates awareness of India’s infrastructure development priorities.

What: Aadhaar-based face authentication recorded a record 19.36 crore transactions in July 2025, significantly higher than the same month in the previous year. On 1 July 2025 alone, the system logged 1.22 crore transactions, demonstrating rapid adoption of contactless, AI-enabled identity verification across India.

How: Over 150 organisations across banking, telecom, oil and gas, and government services have integrated Aadhaar face authentication. The technology uses AI to match a live photograph with the stored image in UIDAI’s database, enabling verification without fingerprint scanners or OTPs—particularly beneficial for elderly citizens and those with worn fingerprints.

Why: Aadhaar authentication methods (biometric, OTP, face authentication) and UIDAI’s role in digital identity are frequently tested in banking exams and UPSC GS-II (Governance). Understanding Aadhaar’s applications in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), financial inclusion, and e-KYC demonstrates awareness of India’s digital governance infrastructure. UIDAI is headquartered in New Delhi.

What: Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement at a White House summit hosted by US President Donald Trump, signalling an end to the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The accord also proposes a new connectivity corridor—described as a ‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’—to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave.

How: The Nagorno-Karabakh region, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but with a historically Armenian population, has been a flashpoint since the 1990s. The 2020 war resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control of surrounding territories. The peace agreement reopens transport and trade ties, with provisions for border demarcation, prisoner exchange, and normalisation of diplomatic relations.

Why: The South Caucasus region is strategically important, connecting Europe and Asia. Questions on regional conflicts, peace processes, and US diplomatic initiatives are relevant for UPSC GS-II (International Relations). Understanding the historical context of ethnic conflicts in post-Soviet states and major power involvement provides depth for essay and interview questions on global affairs.

What: Numbeo’s 2025 Safety Index ranked Mangalore as India’s safest city (49th globally), with Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Surat also ranking highly—highlighting strong showings from Gujarat cities. Other safe Indian cities included Jaipur, Navi Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Pune, and Chandigarh. Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad were among the lowest-ranked Indian cities.

How: Numbeo compiles the Safety Index based on user surveys covering crime levels, safety perceptions, and quality of life indicators. The index considers factors like violent crime rates, property crime, corruption, and respondents’ sense of security while walking alone. Abu Dhabi retained the world’s safest city title for the ninth consecutive year.

Why: Global indices and rankings—including safety, ease of doing business, human development, and innovation indices—are frequently tested in competitive exams. Understanding methodology, India’s position, and top-performing cities/countries demonstrates awareness of global benchmarking. Such rankings often inform policy discussions on urban governance and citizen welfare.

What: IndiaAI and the National Cancer Grid launched the CATCH (Cancer AI Technology for Community Health) Grant Program to fund AI solutions for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The programme offers up to ₹50 lakh for pilot projects and up to ₹1 crore for scale-up, with applications due by 2 September 2025.

How: The programme targets startups, hospitals, and academic institutions developing AI tools for early cancer detection, pathology analysis, treatment planning, and patient monitoring. Selected projects must emphasise responsible AI practices and undergo rigorous clinical validation to ensure safety and efficacy before deployment in healthcare settings.

Why: IndiaAI Mission (approved with ₹10,372 crore outlay) aims to build AI computing infrastructure, develop indigenous AI models, and promote AI applications across sectors. Questions on AI policy, healthcare technology initiatives, and National Cancer Grid (a network of 300+ cancer centres) are relevant for UPSC GS-III (Science & Technology) and health-related topics.

What: World Biofuel Day is observed on 10 August to promote biofuels as cleaner, renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuels. The 2025 theme was “Biofuels: a sustainable pathway to net zero.” The day commemorates Rudolf Diesel’s demonstration of running an engine on peanut oil on 10 August 1893, pioneering the concept of using biological feedstocks for fuel.

How: India’s National Biofuel Policy targets 20% ethanol blending in petrol (E20) by 2025 and promotes biodiesel, compressed biogas, and second-generation (2G) biofuels from agricultural waste. Biofuels reduce carbon emissions, decrease import dependence on crude oil, provide income to farmers, and support rural employment in feedstock collection and processing.

Why: Biofuel policy, ethanol blending programme, and India’s renewable energy targets are high-yield topics for UPSC GS-III (Environment, Energy Security). Understanding biofuel generations (1G from food crops, 2G from agricultural residue, 3G from algae), policy targets, and environmental benefits is essential. India has achieved significant progress in ethanol blending, exceeding 12% in 2023-24.