About Penna River:

• The Penna River, also known as Pennar, Pinakini, or Penneru, is a river in southern India that flows through the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Course:
  • Origin: It rises in the Nandi Hills, an upland region on the Deccan plateau, in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district.
  • It flows north into Andhra Pradesh state and turns east and then southeast.
  • After passage through a gap in the Eastern Ghats range, it again bends east toward the Coromandel Coast, emptying into the Bay of Bengal near the Nellore district.
• It has a total length of about 597 km.
• The river basin lies in the rain shadow region of the Eastern Ghats.
• The river is seasonal, becoming a torrent after the rains and a thin stream during dry periods.
• Tributaries:
  • The Penna River has several tributaries, most of which are seasonal.
  • Major ones include the Chitravati, Papagni, Cheyyeru, and Kunderu
• The Penna River is crucial to agriculture in parts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly the drought-stricken Rayalaseema region.
• Several irrigation projects, such as the Somasila, Mylavaram, and Gandikota projects, have been constructed to use the river’s waters for farming and drinking purposes.

About Birhor Tribe:

• The Birhor are a forest-dependent semi-nomadic tribal community concentrated in the eastern central Indian state of Jharkhand.
• Some of them are also found in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
• The Birhor community is one of eight Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) identified in Jharkhand.
• The term "Birhor" is derived from the words “Bi”, meaning “Jungle”, and “hor”, meaning “man”; thus, it means “the man living in Jungle” or “people of Jungle”.
• They belong to the Porto-Australoid stock.
• Religion: The Birhor follow a mixture of animism and Hinduism.
• Language:
  • The Birhor tribes have their own language, known as Birhor, which belongs to the Munda group of languages of the Austroasiatic language family.
  • Their language has similarities with the Santali, Mundari, and Ho languages.
  • However, due to increased contact with other communities and the influence of mainstream languages, many Birhor people are bilingual or trilingual, with proficiency in Hindi, Bengali, or other regional languages.
• Ethnology:
  • The Birhors are of short stature, with long heads, wavy hair, and broad nose.
  • They claim they have descended from the Sun and believe that the Kharwars, who also trace their descent from the Sun, are their brothers.
• Ethnologically, they are akin to the Santals, Mundas, and Hos.
• Society:
  • They typically live in small, close-knit communities, and their social organization is primarily based on kinship ties.
  • The tribe is divided into several clans, and each clan has its own leader who plays a crucial role in resolving disputes and maintaining social harmony within the community.
  • They live in small settlements in the forest or on the outskirts of villages.
  • The temporary Birhor settlements are known as tandas or bands.
  • These consist of at least half a dozen huts of conical shape, erected with leaves and branches.
  • Birhor society is characterized by a strong sense of community, cooperation, and mutual support.
• Economy:
  • The “primitive subsistence economy” of the Birhors has been based on nomadic gathering and hunting, particularly for monkeys.
  • They make ropes out of the fibres of a particular species of vine, which they sell in the markets of the nearby agricultural people.
  • Some of them have settled into stable agriculture.
  • According to socio-economic standing, the Birhors are classified into two groups. While the wandering Birhors are called Uthlus, the settled Birhors are called Janghis.
  • The Birhor tribe has a rich knowledge of traditional medicine and uses various medicinal plants found in the forest for treating common ailments.

About Ion Chromatography:

• Ion chromatography (IC), or ion exchange chromatography, is a powerful analytical technique used to separate and quantify ions in a sample.
• It separates charged molecules based on their affinity to the ion-exchange resin.
• Ion chromatography techniques of various types enable scientists to target specific ions or classes of ions, providing precise and sensitive analysis.
• It is of two types: cation exchange and anion exchange.
  • Ion chromatographs are able to measure concentrations of major anions, such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate, as well as major cations, such as lithium, sodium, ammonium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range.
• Concentrations of organic acids can also be measured through ion chromatography.
• How Does Ion Chromatography Work?
  • Ion chromatography, a form of liquid chromatography, measures concentrations of ionic species by separating them based on their interaction with a resin.
  • Ionic species separate differently depending on species type and size.
  • Sample solutions pass through a pressurized chromatographic column where ions are absorbed by column constituents.
  • As an ion extraction liquid, known as eluent, runs through the column, the absorbed ions begin separating from the column.
  • The retention time of different species determines the ionic concentrations in the sample.
• Applications:
  • Drinking water analysis for pollution and other constituents.
  • Determination of water chemistries in aquatic ecosystems.
  • Determination of sugar and salt content in foods.
  • Isolation of select proteins.

About Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD):

• It is a very contagious illness caused by a virus.
• The disease gets its name from the blister-like rash that forms on your child’s hands and feet and painful sores that develop in their mouth.
• The rash can actually appear anywhere on their body, including their chest, back, arms, legs, genitals, and buttocks.
• Infants and children younger than 5 are most likely to get HFMD. It is extremely uncommon in adults; however, it is still a possibility.
• It tends to spread quickly among children in daycare and school
• Because several viruses can cause the disease, it’s possible to get HFMD multiple times.
• It is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses.
  • Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.
• Transmission: It easily spreads through contact with unwashed hands, feces, saliva , mucus from the nose, or fluid from the blisters.
• Symptoms:
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Painful mouth sores that blister
  • Rash commonly found on the hands and feet
  • Complications from HFMD are rare.
• Treatment:
  • There's no cure for HFM and no vaccine to prevent it.
  • Most people get better on their own in 7 to 10 days with minimal or no medical treatment.
  • However, it can take children younger than 2 years old a little longer for their bodies to clear the virus.

About Almatti Dam:

• It is a hydroelectric project on the Krishna River in North Karnataka.
• The dam was completed in July 2005.
• It was built with the primary objectives of supplying irrigation and potable water to adjacent regions, generating hydroelectric energy, and managing flood risks in the area.
• The annual electric output of the dam is 713,000,000 kilowatts (KW).
• The dam holds a gross water storage capacity of 123.08 TMC at 519 meters MSL.
• Standing at a height of 52.5 meters and extending 3.5 kilometers in length, Almatti Dam serves as the principal reservoir of the Upper Krishna Irrigation Project; the 290 MW power station is located on the right side of the Almatti Dam.
  • The facility uses vertical Kaplan turbines: five 55 MW generators and one 15 MW generator.
  • Two separate facilities, namely, Almatti 1 Powerhouse and Almatti II Powerhouse, each separated by distance, do provide power generation capabilities.
  • After generating power, water is released into the Narayanpur reservoir to meet the irrigation requirements downstream.
• 77 acres surrounding Almatti Dam have been developed into meticulously maintained gardens, including the Japanese Garden, Rock Garden, Mughal Garden, Gopal Krishna Garden, and Lavakush Garden.

About International Labour Organisation:

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to improving labour conditions and living standards throughout the world.
• It is the only tripartite U.N. agency that brings together governments, employers and workers’ representatives of 187-member States.
• History of International Labour Organisation:
• It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I
• In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed UN.
• It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDP), a coalition of UN organizations aimed at helping meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Member countries: It has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
• Functions of International Labour Organisation:
  • Policy Formulation: It forms international policies and programmes to promote basic human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities
  • Creation of international labour standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application
  • An extensive programme of international technical cooperation formulated and implemented in an active partnership with constituents, to help countries put these policies into practice in an effective manner
  • Training, education, and research activities to help advance all of these efforts.
• In recognition of its activities, the ILO was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1969.
• Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.

About Saunders’s Tern:

• It is a species of bird in the family Laridae.
• Saunders’s terns (Sternula saundersi) are a small, ground-nesting marine bird species.
• It is sparsely resident along the shores of the north-western Indian Ocean.
• Geographical Range: It breeds in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf to islands between India and Sri Lanka; apparently winters mainly Seychelles to Maldives and Cocos (Keeling) Island.
• Habitat: This species occupies a variety of coastal areas: estuaries, shallow tropical and subtropical inshore waters, tidal lagoons, and harbors.
• Food: Its diet comprises many kinds of marine animals, such as small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
• It nests on the ground up to 2 km inland on uncovered sandy sites, shingles, or dried mud.
• Breeding Season: The breeding season for the Saunders’s tern is between March and June.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List).

Key Facts about the Adyar estuary

• It is formed by the Adyar River at the point at which the river meets the Bay of Bengal.
• It lies between Santhome beach in the north and Elliots Beach in the south.

About Bureau of Indian Standards:

• It is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016.
• Objective: It was established for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking, and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• It is the successor of the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), which was created in 1947 to ensure quality control and competitive efficiency in the rapid industrialization era.
• Functions of Bureau of Indian Standards
  • BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways by
    • Providing safe, reliable quality goods; 
    • Minimizing health hazards to consumers; 
    • Promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification, and testing.
  • It operates product certification schemes through which it grants licenses to manufacturers covering practically every industrial discipline, from agriculture and textiles to electronics.
  • BIS represents India in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
  • Nodal Ministry: It is functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
  • Headquarter: It is headquartered in New Delhi and maintains regional and branch offices throughout the country.