ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE
Research Initiatives
Gujarat's Sacred Pithora Tribal Wall Art Secures Geographical Indication Status
The Geographical Indications Registry under DPIIT has conferred the GI tag upon Gujarat's traditional Pithora Painting, an ancient tribal wall art tradition.
Predominantly practiced in Chhota Udepur district by tribal groups including Rathwa, Bhil, Bhilala, and Nayaka, the art is created by specialist ritual painters called Lakharas.
Artists exclusively employ natural pigments derived from leaves, flowers, minerals, and the mahua tree to create these ritualistic wall murals.
In July 2026, Gujarat also secured GI tags for Unjha Cumin and Unjha Fennel originating from the Unjha agricultural hub in North Gujarat.
Exam Perspective: GI tags are crucial elements of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and art/culture sections in civil services and banking general awareness papers.
Predominantly practiced in Chhota Udepur district by tribal groups including Rathwa, Bhil, Bhilala, and Nayaka, the art is created by specialist ritual painters called Lakharas.
Artists exclusively employ natural pigments derived from leaves, flowers, minerals, and the mahua tree to create these ritualistic wall murals.
In July 2026, Gujarat also secured GI tags for Unjha Cumin and Unjha Fennel originating from the Unjha agricultural hub in North Gujarat.
Exam Perspective: GI tags are crucial elements of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and art/culture sections in civil services and banking general awareness papers.
Key Facts / Static GK
GI tags in India are administered by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Practice Quiz — 4 August 2026
Q1. Who among the following was recently appointed as Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India to oversee financial markets regulation and foreign exchange departments?
Answer: (A) Monisha Chakraborty — Monisha Chakraborty was appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), where she will supervise foreign exchange and financial markets regulation.
Q2. Who has been appointed as India's next Ambassador to Iran?
Answer: (A) Vishwesh Negi — Diplomat Vishwesh Negi, who was serving as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been designated as India's next Ambassador to Iran.
Q3. Which lake was recently declared as Arunachal Pradesh's first Ramsar site, making it the 101st Ramsar site in India?
Answer: (B) Glaw Lake — Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh, situated within Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, was declared a Wetland of International Importance, taking India's Ramsar site total to 101.
Q4. Which bank recently introduced 'Specialé Senior Citizen Savings Account' and 'SavingsMax Account for Women'?
Answer: (B) HDFC Bank — HDFC Bank introduced two targeted savings products—Specialé Senior Citizen Savings Account and SavingsMax Account for Women—to cater to specific customer demographics.
Q5. What is the name of the new insurance digital platform launched by Karnataka Bank in collaboration with SprintMoney?
Answer: (B) KBL Finsurance — Karnataka Bank launched 'KBL Finsurance', a platform built by fintech SprintMoney, to integrate and automate insurance offerings across all branch locations.
Keep Learning with PrepZen
Get daily current affairs, live mock tests, mistake bank, vocab builder & more — all free on your phone.