Which historic event was commemorated during the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' organized in Gujarat in January 2026?

C. First sack and destruction of the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE

A. Inauguration of the modern temple by Dr. Rajendra Prasad

B. Reconstruction of the shrine by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar

C. First sack and destruction of the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE

D. Resolution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to rebuild Somnath

At the confluence of which three sacred rivers (Triveni Sangam) is the revered Somnath Temple geographically situated?

C. Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati

A. Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati

C. Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati

D. Sabarmati, Meshwo, and Vatrak

Which traditional regional architectural school defines the structural design and craftsmanship of the modern Somnath Temple?

D. Maru-Gurjara (Chaulukya / Solanki) Style

A. Vesara Hoysala Architectural Style

B. Dravida Temple Architectural Style

D. Maru-Gurjara (Chaulukya / Solanki) Style

What extraordinary geographic fact is inscribed upon the ancient 'Baan Stambh' (Arrow Pillar) erected at the Somnath temple complex?

D. An unobstructed straight sea route from the pillar all the way to the South Pole

A. The exact geometric center of the Indian subcontinent

B. The precise alignment of the Prime Meridian through Prabhas Patan

C. The meeting point of the Tropic of Cancer with the Arabian Sea

D. An unobstructed straight sea route from the pillar all the way to the South Pole

Who was the master architect of the modern Somnath Temple, and which national dignitary formally consecrated it on 11 May 1951?

C. Prabhashankar Sompura; President Dr. Rajendra Prasad

A. Edwin Lutyens; Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

B. B.V. Doshi; Governor-General Lord Mountbatten

C. Prabhashankar Sompura; President Dr. Rajendra Prasad

D. Chandrakant Sompura; Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Which apex international meteorological agency issued the warning regarding the development of an intense El Niño in mid-2026?

A. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

B. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

C. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

D. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Which ocean-atmosphere alteration typically occurs across the tropical Pacific during an active El Niño phase?

A. Easterly trade winds weaken or reverse into westerlies, driving warm water eastward toward South America

B. Trade winds intensify significantly blowing colder water westward

C. Coastal upwelling off Peru increases dramatically boosting marine fisheries

D. Atmospheric pressure plunges over Indonesia while escalating sharply over Peru

What is the typical consequence of a severe El Niño phenomenon on the Indian southwest monsoon rainfall regime?

B. Suppression of monsoon precipitation leading to deficit rainfall, agricultural drought, and heatwaves

A. Unprecedented widespread rainfall and severe cyclonic activity across North India

B. Suppression of monsoon precipitation leading to deficit rainfall, agricultural drought, and heatwaves

C. Early arrival of monsoon rains followed by prolonged winter depressions

D. Complete doubling of agricultural output due to moderated humid breezes

In which city and during which dates did India host the inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit in 2026?

A. Bengaluru; 15–16 July 2026

D. Dehradun; 5–6 September 2026

Which specialized statutory authority under the Union Environment Ministry serves as the primary operational anchor for the International Big Cat Alliance?

A. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

C. Botanical Survey of India (BSI)

D. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

Which of the following complete sets accurately enumerates the seven distinct big cat species protected under the mandate of the IBCA?

B. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma

A. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Ocelot, Caracal, and Serval

B. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma

C. Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Lynx, Jaguar, and Cougar

D. Lion, Leopard, Jaguar, Cheetah, Bobcat, Golden Cat, and Margay

Where is the permanent global headquarters of the International Big Cat Alliance located, and what is India's initial five-year budgetary commitment?

D. New Delhi, India; ₹150 crore

A. Nairobi, Kenya; ₹100 crore

B. Geneva, Switzerland; ₹250 crore

C. Brasilia, Brazil; ₹300 crore

D. New Delhi, India; ₹150 crore

Which underlying artificial intelligence architecture is primarily responsible for generating synthetic audio-visual impersonations known as 'deepfakes'?

A. Generative Artificial Intelligence and Deep Neural Networks (GANs/Diffusion)

B. Rule-Based Deterministic Expert Logic Systems

C. Relational Database Management Sorting Algorithms

D. Linear Regression and Predictive Econometric Models

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BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs14 September 2026

Bihar Current Affairs: Somnath Swabhiman Parv, Godzilla El Niño & International Big Cat Alliance

Source: Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD Bihar) / Official Gazettes•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims

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BPSC 72nd Core Foundation Dossier — Module 5

1. Somnath Swabhiman Parv & Temple Architectural Heritage

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Historical Occasion: In January 2026, the Somnath Swabhiman Parv (8–11 January 2026) was celebrated to commemorate 1,000 years of the temple's resilience since the first catastrophic invasion by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE during the reign of Chaulukya monarch Bhima I.

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Jyotirlinga Status: Somnath is celebrated as the first among the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and bears the revered epithet “Shashwat Tirth” (The Eternal Shrine) due to its repeated destruction and resurgent reconstructions.

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Geographical Confluence: Situated at Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra, Gujarat, at the sacred Triveni Sangam of three rivers: Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati, on the shores of the Arabian Sea.

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Architectural Splendour:

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Executed in the traditional Maru-Gurjara (Chaulukya/Solanki) architectural style.

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Structural layout corresponds to the Kailash Mahameru Prasada, comprising a Garbhagriha (sanctum), Sabhamandap (assembly hall), and Nrityamandap (dance hall).

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The Famous Baan Stambh (Arrow Pillar): Features an ancient sea-guide inscription confirming that from that exact coastal coordinate, an unobstructed maritime straight line extends to the South Pole (Antarctica) without encountering any intervening landmass.

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Reconstruction Odyssey:

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Sacked 17 times and razed 6 times in historical records (last demolished under Aurangzeb in 1706).

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Ahilyabai Holkar constructed an adjacent shrine in 1783.

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In November 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel formally resolved to resurrect the grand temple.

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Master architect Prabhashankar Sompura designed the modern temple, inaugurated on 11 May 1951 by India's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

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Maintained by the Shree Somnath Trust; modern promenade opened in August 2021.

2. Climatology: El Niño & The Developing "Godzilla El Niño"

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Global Alert: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued an apex alert indicating a high probability of a severe El Niño phase emerging in mid-2026.

•

Godzilla / Super El Niño Defined: An informal meteorological designation for extreme El Niño episodes when central-eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST) rise 2.0°C to 2.5°C or higher above normal baselines.

•

Atmospheric & Oceanic Mechanism:

•

Represents the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

•

Normal easterly trade winds weaken drastically or reverse into westerlies, driving the massive Western Pacific Warm Pool eastward toward the South American coast.

•

Suppresses the nutrient-rich cold oceanic upwelling along the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coastlines.

•

Impact on Global & Indian Weather:

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Indian Monsoon: Severely weakens the southwest summer monsoon, suppressing convective cloud formation, exacerbating heatwaves, and driving widespread agricultural drought.

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Global Teleconnections: Triggers torrential rainfall and flash floods in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda) and the US Gulf Coast, while heightening drought risks across India, Indonesia, and Australia; reduces Atlantic hurricane frequency.

3. International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) 2026 Summit

•

Inaugural Global Summit: India hosted the first formal International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit in New Delhi on 1–2 June 2026.

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Institutional Genesis: Proposed and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger; formally approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024.

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Headquarters & Financial Commitment: Permanent global headquarters in New Delhi, India; backed by an initial budgetary commitment of ₹150 crore (2023–2028).

•

Nodal Anchor: Anchored through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

•

Seven Big Cats Covered: Dedicated to the worldwide protection and habitat preservation of seven apex feline species:

Tiger (Panthera tigris)

Lion (Panthera leo)

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Jaguar (Panthera onca)

Puma (Puma concolor)

•

Scope & Membership: Spans 95 range nations across five continents, uniting governments, scientific institutions, and conservation philanthropies.

4. Generative AI & Deepfake Challenges

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Technological Disruption: Emergence of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and multimodal diffusion models creating hyper-realistic synthetic media.

•

Governance Frontiers: Requires watermarking, biometric provenance standards, and legal safeguards against electoral manipulation and identity fraud.

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