1. 1. The 25th edition of the India-Singaporebilateral naval exercise, SIMBEX, took place at the tri-services command in Port Blair.
   2. Changi Naval Base, officially known as RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base, is the latest naval facility of the Republic of Singapore Navy.
   3. The Shia community of Kashmir is associated with the ‘papier mache’ art.
   4. The Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Shopian is a crucial link between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
   5. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, also known as Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka, is a bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the state, only 40 acres in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri river.
   6. In December, 2018, the Supreme court directed that an area of 10 kilometre around 21 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries be declared as ESZs by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). ESZ are formed to serve as “shock absorber” for protected areas. The basic aim here is to regulate certain activities around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to minimise negative impact on the fragile ecosystem around. The Environment Protection Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-sensitive Zones”. These are:Assam – Pobitora Sanctuary

Jammu & Kashmir

• Hemis High Altitude National Park
• Kishtewar National Park
• Changthang Sanctuary
• Hokersar Sanctuary
• Trikuta Sanctuary

Karnataka

• Jogimatti Sanctuary
• Thimlapura Sanctuary
• Yadahalli Chinkara Sanctuary

Maharashtra

• DeolgaonRehekuri Sanctuary
• Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
• Malvan Marine Sanctuary

Manipur

• Siroi National Park
• Khongjaingamba Ching Sanctuary

Meghalaya

• Baghmara Pitcher Plant Sanctuary

Nagaland

• Fakim Sanctuary
• Puliebadze Sanctuary
• Rangapahar Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

• Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird Sanctuary
• Pilibhit Sanctuary

West Bengal –

• Jorepokhri Sanctuary

7. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday gave ‘in-principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment of the government’s entire stake in the Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) to a consortium of four ports viz. Vishakhapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust. The government holds 73.44% shares in DCIL.

8. Padur Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) is at Padur, Karnataka. India has constructed and commissioned underground rock caverns for storage of total 5.33 MMT of crude oil at three locations — Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MMT), Mangaluru (1.5 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT).

9. Bhils or Bheels are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in West India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India.Bhils are listed as indigenous people of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

10. According to the 2011 Census of India, Bhil is the most populous tribe with a total population of 4,618,068, constituting 37.7 per cent of the total ST population. Gond is the second largest tribe, with a population of 4,357,918 constituting 35.6 per cent.