About Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple:

• Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also called Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• The temple is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati; her consort Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva; and her brother Alagar, a form of Vishnu.
• The temple is theologically significant, as it represents a confluence of the Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism denominations of Hinduism.
• History:
  • It was built during the Pandya reign by Kulasekarer Pandya.
  • According to historical findings, the creation of this temple can be traced back to early A.D.
  • There are mentions of this temple in the songs of the great Hindu Saint Thirugnanasambandar, who lived during the 7th century.
  • It is also said that during the 12th or 13th century, at the time of Islamic conquest, this temple was destroyed to an extent.
  • However, later it was restored to its present structure. It was later expanded during the rule of Thirumalai Nayak (1623-55 AD). During this time, the present structure of the temple came into being.
• Architecture:
  • It is a finest example of the Dravidian style of architecture.
  • The oldest gopuram is the eastern one, built by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan during 1216-1238.
  • The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is based.
  • The temple has four entrances, while the entrance on the Eastern side being the main temple entrance.
  • There are several corridors, and halls such as Aayirankaal (1000-pillared hall), Kilikoondu-mandapam, Golu-mandapam, and Pudu-mandapam, and shrines inside the temple. The corridors and pillars are adorned with wonderful artwork.
  • The Thousand Pillar Hall contains 985 (instead of 1000) carved pillars. It was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar in 1569 and currently houses a museum with artifacts collected from Madurai from the 8th century onwards.
  • There are the Musical Pillars outside this hall towards the west. Each pillar produces a different musical note when struck.
  • The temple is an architectural wonder with an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple.

About Willingdon Island:

• It is a man-made island in the city of Kochi, Kerala.
• It is one of the largest man-made islands in India.
• History:
  • The island was created in 1936 by dredging the soil from the Vembanad Lake, which is the largest lake in Kerala.
  • The aim was to create a deep-water port that could accommodate large ships and vessels and to improve the trade and commerce of Kochi.
  • The project was initiated by Lord Willingdon, the British Viceroy of India, who also gave his name to the island.
  • Designed and created by the harbour engineer Sir Robert Bristow, it is today a massive commercial centre in Kochi.
• Apart from its commercial significance, Willingdon Island also hosts several important institutions and facilities.
  • The Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is headquartered here.
  • It is also home to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology and the Port of Kochi.
• The island is connected to the mainland Kochi by the Venduruthy Bridge.

Who was Lord Willingdon (1931 – 1936)?

• He was a British administrator who served in several high offices of the British Empire.
• Positions held in India:
  • Governor of Bombay: 1913–1918
  • Governor of Madras: 1919–1924
  • Viceroy and Governor-General of India: 1931–1936
• He served as 22nd Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1931 to 1936.
• Major events during his tenure:
  • He succeeded Lord Irwin.
  • His tenure coincided with the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference (1931) in London shortly after Willingdon assumed office.
  • After the failure of the conference, the Civil Disobedience Movement resumed, and the British government adopted a stricter policy toward nationalist leaders.
  • The Communal Award (1932), introduced by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, was announced during his tenure.
  • The Poona Pact (1932) between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar also took place during this period.
  • The Government of India Act, 1935, an important constitutional reform that introduced provincial autonomy, was enacted during his tenure.

About Planet Mercury:

• It is the smallest planet in our solar system and the nearest to the Sun.
• It is one of the four terrestrial (rocky) planets, along with Venus, Earth, and Mars.
• As the closest planet to the Sun, it experiences extreme temperature variations at its surface, from about +450ºC (day) down to –180ºC (night).
  • However, Mercury is not the hottest planet; Venus has the highest average surface temperature because of its thick atmosphere and strong greenhouse effect.
• It has permanently shadowed regions at its poles that never see sunlight and thus enables ice to exist on its floor.
• Mercury’s ancient, cratered surface shows signs of past volcanic and tectonic activity and is heavily weathered by the harsh space environment.
• The planet has huge impact basins, including the Caloris Basin, one of the largest impact features in the solar system.
• Mercury has a large iron-rich core, which occupies a substantial portion of the planet's interior.
• Its closeness to the Sun and its smallness make it the most elusive of the planets visible to the unaided eye.
• NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, entering orbit in 2011 and studying the planet until 2015.
• The BepiColombo mission, a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is studying Mercury and is expected to enter orbit in 2026.

About Celiac Disease:

• Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to react to a protein called gluten.
  • Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains.
  • It may also be in other products like vitamins and supplements, hair and skin products, toothpastes, and lip balm.
• When people with celiac disease eat gluten, it triggers an abnormal response from your immune system.
• The immune system attacks the gluten in digestive system, causing inflammation.
• This inflammation damages the small intestine.
• The damage may prevent body from absorbing vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food.
• Without treatment, celiac disease can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition.
• Malnutrition has many serious side effects, especially in children. Children with celiac disease may have growth and development delays.
• The condition is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
• What Causes Celiac Disease?
  • The exact cause of celiac disease is not known.
  • Research suggests that celiac disease only happens in people who have certain genes and eat food that contains gluten.
  • Researchers are studying other factors that may play a role in causing the disease.
• Treatment:
  • The only treatment for celiac disease is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet for life.
  • Sticking with a gluten-free diet will treat or prevent many of the symptoms and other health problems caused by celiac disease.
  • In most cases, it can also heal damage in the small intestine and prevent more damage.

About Tso Kar Lake:

• Tso Kar, meaning “White Lake” in Ladakhi, is a high-altitude salt lake located in the Rupshu Valley of Ladakh.
• It is the smallest of the three prominent lakes in the region, alongside Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
• The lake's name derives from the white salt deposits that fringe its shores, remnants of its saline nature.
• The Tso Kar basin includes both Tso Kar Lake and Startsapuk Tso (a nearby freshwater lake), creating a rare wetland system.
• It experiences extreme winters with temperatures falling below -40 °C, while summers see a maximum of 30°C.
• The nomads, commonly known as Khampas, inhabit the Tso Kar area, and they make a living here by collecting the salt from the banks of Tso Kar Lake and selling it to the regions nearby.
• The lake is surrounded by marshlands, which host different types of birds. Some of these are Brahmi Ducks, bar-headed geese, and great crested grebe.
• The most commonly spotted birds at the lake, though, are the black-necked cranes, which visit the lake to lay eggs.
• Mammals like Kianga, the largest of the wild asses, can also be spotted. The area surrounding the lake is also home to ibex, snow leopards, and snow foxes.
• Ramsar Site: In 2020, Tso Kar was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, highlighting its ecological significance.

About Malabari Goat:

• Malabari also known as Tellicherry or Cutch are native to Kerala.
• These goats are reared for milk and meat and their skin is popular in the tanning industry.
• Milk Yield: The milk yield ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 litres a day with an average of 90 kg in a lactation period of 178 days. 
• Adaptability: It exhibits exceptional adaptability to humid tropical stressors.
• The main threat to this goat is the invasion of Boer goats and also goats from other parts of the country to the breeding tract of Malabari resulting in the dilution of the breed.

Key Highlights of the study:

• These Malabari goats belong to a rare maternal genetic group found in only about 3% of domestic goats globally. 
• The goats were placed in mitochondrial haplogroup B1, a relatively uncommon lineage among domestic goats. 
• It also showed close maternal genetic relationships with goats from Oman, Arabia and Gujarat.

About Java Sea:

• It is a portion of the western Pacific Ocean situated between the islands of Java and Borneo.
• It is bordered by Borneo (Kalimantan) on the north, the southern end of Makassar Straiton the northeast, Celebes and the Flores and Bali seas on the east, Java on the south, the Sunda Straits on the southwest and Sumatra on the west.
• It forms part of the Sunda Shelf, a shallow part of the continental shelf of Southeast Asia.
• The Java Sea experiences a typical monsoon climate.
• It is home to several protected national parks such as Ujung Kulon and Karimunjawa.
• Resources: It is home to a wealth of marine life, as well as petroleum and natural gas deposits that are instrumental to Indonesia's export economy.

About Melanoma:

• It is a kind of skin cancer that starts in the melanocytes.
• Melanocytes are cells that make the pigment that gives skin its color. The pigment is called melanin.
• Cause of Melanoma:
  • The exact cause of all melanomas isn’t clear.
  • Most melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light, also called UV light, comes from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds.
• Treatments for melanoma:
  • Melanoma Surgery: In the early stages, surgery has a high probability of being able to cure melanoma.
  • Lymphadenectomy: In cases where melanoma has spread, removal of the lymph nodes near the primary diagnosis site may be required.
  • Metastasectomy: It is used to remove small melanoma bits from organs.

About INS Kulish:

• It is a Kora-class corvette of the Indian Navy.
• Kulish meaning is Thunderbolt in Sanskrit.
• It was built from 1995-2001 and commissioned in 2001.
• Designed by: It has been designed & built within India by Indian shipbuilders Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers [GRSE] & Mazagon Dock Limited [MDL].
• Features:
  • Their primary weapon is the Russian-origin Kh-35 Anti-Ship Cruise missile.
  • It has state-of-the-art sensors and electronic equipment, and be capable of operating at extended ranges up to 2,500 nautical miles without replenishment.
  • Displacement Capacity: The ship has a displacement of 1,500 tonnes.
  • It is powered by twin diesel engines generating a maximum speed of 25 knots.
  • The capability to operate Chetak Helicopter gives the ship extra flexibility in discharge of its duties.
  • It is armed with modern weapon systems, which include surface-to-surface missiles, and long range guns for delivering attacks on enemy units at sea and surface to air missiles for self-defence.