About INS Srishti:

• INS Srishti (Yard 1283) is the fourth Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Navy.
• INS Srishti forms part of the Indian Navy’s NGOPV acquisition program.
• The project is being executed simultaneously by two Indian shipyards, with seven vessels being constructed by GSL and four by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
• The program has been developed under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, placing emphasis on indigenous design, development, and manufacturing.
• Designed as versatile multi-mission platforms, the NGOPVs will undertake a broad range of operational tasks, including maritime surveillance, Search and Rescue (SAR), protection of offshore assets, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and anti-piracy
• Key Features of NGOPVs:
  • The NGOPVs are significantly larger and more capable than the Offshore Patrol Vessels.
  • They can achieve speeds of up to 23 knots and have an endurance of 8,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots.
  • The vessels can operate at sea for up to 60 days.

About Sakurajima Volcano:

• It is located on the southern tip of Kyushu Island near the city of Kagoshima, Southern Japan.
• It lies in Kagoshima Bay (Kinkowan Bay), on the southern edge of the Aira Caldera.
• It is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis.
• As it is situated on a convergent plate margin, Sakurajima is a stratovolcano formed from layers of lava and ash.
• It is an andesitic volcano.
• It consists of two principal volcanic peaks:
  • Kitadake (Northern Peak): Older and currently inactive.
  • Minamidake (Southern Peak): Younger and currently active.

About Surangams:

• Surangams, also known as tunnel wells, are a remarkable indigenous water management system unique to the Kasaragod District of Kerala and parts of Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka.
• They are also known by different names, such as Surangas, Thurangams, or Thorappu.
• While its origins remain unclear, historians draw parallels to the Qanat system of Persia, introduced to India via the ancient Silk Route.
• Features:
  • These are basically horizontal tunnels dug through a laterite hillock through which water seeps out and into the tunnel.
  • Water is then collected at the end of the tunnel in a storage pit.
  • Built without pumps or electric motors, surangams rely entirely on natural water percolation.
  • They channel underground water to the surface using gravity, ensuring a steady and sustainable supply for households and agriculture.
  • Surangams are dug in places where the hydrogeological profile consists of lateritic and weathered rocks.

About Sankosh River:

• It is a major transboundary river flowing through Bhutan and India.
• It is one of the major north bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra
• In Bhutan, the river is called “Puna Tsang Chu.”
• Course:
  • It originates in northern Bhutan, where it is fed by glacial melt and snow from the Himalayas.
  • It is formed by the confluence of the Phochu and Mochu rivers.
  • It flows southward through Bhutan before crossing into India, where it flows through the Dhubri district of Assam and empties into the Brahmaputra River at Gauripur.
  • In its lower course it forms part of the boundary between the states of Assam and West Bengal.

About Mollisia sokpayensia:

• It is a new species of fungus.
• It is a fungal endophyte isolated from a rhizome of Panax sokpayensis, a rare and high-value medicinal plant found in the Sikkim Himalaya.
• It has been named after its host plant, recognising the association between the fungus and the medicinal species.

What are Fungal Endophytes?

• They are microorganisms that inhabit the internal tissues of healthy plants without causing visible disease symptoms.
• They are distinct from the fungi that grow on the surface of plants (epiphytic fungi).
• They can form associations with their hosts and are increasingly studied for their potential to produce bioactive compounds relevant to medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.

About Mexico:

• Location: It is located in the southern part of North America.
• Bordering Countries: It shares its land border with the United States of America, Guatemala and Belize.  
• Maritime boundaries: Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
• Capital City: Mexico City
• Geographical Features of Mexico:
  • It is a part of the circum-Pacific “Ring of Fire”—a region of active volcanism and frequent seismic activity. 
  • Peninsulas: Baja Peninsula and Yucatan Peninsula.
  • Major Rivers: Rio Grande River and Colorado River
  • Lakes: Lake Chapala and Lake Cuitzeo.
  • Major mountain range: Sierra Madre.

About National Cooperative Development Corporation:

• It is a statutory organisation established in 1963, under the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India.
• Objective: Promoting, strengthening and developing farmer cooperatives for increasing production and productivity and instituting post- harvest facilities across the country. 
• Functions of National Cooperative Development Corporation:
  • Promoting and strengthening farmer cooperatives: It aims to increase production, productivity by developing farmer cooperatives and instituting post-harvest facilities
  • Postharvest Facilities: It provides assistance for developing processing, storage, cold chain and marketing of agricultural produce and the supply of seeds, fertilizer and other agricultural inputs etc.
  • Financial Assistance: It provides financial assistance to the cooperative sector for their economic development and social upliftment through NCDC Sponsored schemes and various schemes implemented by NCDC
  • It also supports income-generating cooperatives across various non-farm sectors such as weaker section activities which include dairy, livestock, handloom, sericulture etc.

Initiatives of National Cooperative Development Corporation:

• Yuva Sahakar: The scheme aims at encouraging newly formed cooperative societies with new and/ or innovative ideas.
• Ayushman Sahakar: The scheme has a comprehensive approach to cover hospitals, healthcare, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, health insurance and holistic health systems such as AYUSH.
• Nandini Sahakar: The scheme aims to improve the socio-economic status of women and supports the entrepreneurial dynamism of women through women’s cooperatives.
• Dairy Sahakar: It is a cooperative dairy business focused framework of financial assistance for encouraging cooperatives to achieve higher outcomes in ESG (environmental, social, governance) linked activities.
• Swayam Sahakar: Scheme for providing NCDC's financial assistance to Agricultural Credit Cooperatives for providing loan/advances to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs).

About Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in Karnataka.
• It borders with Ranipuram Hills and Kottencheri hills in Kerala.
• Vegetation: It has Tropical Evergreen Forests, Tropical Semi-evergreen Forests and grasslands.
• Flora: It includes Michelia champaca (Champak), Mesua (Ironwood), Diospyros (Ebony and other species), Toona ciliata (Indian mahogany), Chukrasia tabularis, Calophyllum angustifolium (Poon spar).
• Fauna: It mainly has Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard P. pardus, Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Gaur Bos frontalis, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus.
• It is one of the Important Bird Area (IBA) and supports species such as the Nilgiri wood pigeon, Asian fairy-bluebird, Malabar trogon and great hornbill.

About Ayushman Vay Vandana Initiative:

• It was launched in 2024.
• It extends the benefits of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to elderly citizens,
• It aims to improve access to healthcare and reduce the financial burden of hospitalisation.
• It is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Features:
  • Under the initiative, all citizens aged 70 years and above are eligible for health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
  • Senior citizens belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY receive an additional top-up cover of up to ₹5 lakh annually, exclusively for themselves.
  • This coverage is separate from the existing family cover available to members below 70 years of age.