About Nagarjuna Sagar Dam:

• It is the largest and highest masonry dam in the world built between the Nalgonda district of Telangana and the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
• Built across the Krishna River, it boasts of one of the largest networks of canal systems in the world.
• It derives its name from a nearby hillock and island called Nagarjunakonda, where an ancient Buddhist Guru had once lived.
• The dam has a storage capacity of nearly 11,472 million cubic meters.
• It is one of the earliest projects built in post-independence India for irrigation and hydroelectricity generation.
• The construction of the dam commenced in 1956 and was completed by 1967.
• This dam supports the national grid with its electric power.
• The dam plays a crucial role for irrigation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
• As per the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Nagarjunasagar dam is controlled and supervised by Telangana.

About Blood Falls:

• It is a bright red waterfall flowing through Antarctica’s icy landscape.
• It is located at the edge of the Taylor Glacier in Antarctica, where it appears as if blood falls from the mountains made of glaciers.
• What makes it red?
  • The water that flows from Blood Falls comes from an underground reservoir trapped inside the glacier and contains large amounts of iron and salt.
  • Tiny cracks and fractures within the glacier provide natural pathways through which iron-enriched salt water can move up.
  • Once the water reaches the surface and gets in touch with the oxygen of the atmosphere, iron reacts with oxygen and turns into rust.
• Why isn't the water frozen?
  • The most mysterious thing about Blood Falls is why liquid water exists in such an extremely cold area.
  • It turned out that the water is incredibly salty, several times more than the sea water.
  • It prevents the water from freezing because of the low freezing point due to the high concentration of salts.

Recent Findings:

• Microbes in the Blood Falls suggest the brine is composed of ancient seawater that was trapped in a pool beneath the glacier when ocean levels fell and the glacier advanced.
• However, it's unclear exactly when that happened.

About HYDERACENE:

• It is a novel polymer-based material developed for use in solid rocket propellants for defence and space applications.
• The innovation was developed by Mutyalanaidu Ganivada, Sourav Jana, and Tushar Jana of the School of Chemistry, with the University of Hyderabad as the patentee.
• The patented material, formally described as Ferrocene Polyethylene Glycidyl Grafted Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene, was synthesised using ring-opening polymerisation.
• Why is this Innovation Significant?
  • In conventional solid rocket propellants, two critical components are required:
    • The Binder: A glue-like polymer that holds all active fuel components together while providing structural integrity.
    • The Catalyst: A specialized chemical additive that speeds up and controls the burning rate of the propellant.
  • Traditionally, these are two separate materials. HYDERACENE acts as both at the same time—a polymer binder-cum-catalyst.
  • This improves long-term stability by preventing the catalyst from separating from the binder over time and enables more controlled and efficient combustion in solid rocket motors.
  • Hyderacene has also been developed as an indigenous alternative to Butacene, a commercially used material in aerospace and defence applications.
    • BUTACENE is largely imported from European countries.
  • Named after the city of Hyderabad, the patented material is designed for use in high-performance rocket propellants and other advanced defence applications requiring controlled burn rates and improved propulsion efficiency.

About Hexavalent Vaccine:

• It is a combination vaccine that protects infants against six different diseases with a single injection.
• It combines six different antigens through special manufacturing processes.
• The hexavalent vaccine protects against:
  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Polio
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections
• Hexavalent vaccine could deliver several benefits, including:
  • Fewer injections for infants, making vaccination more convenient for children and caregivers.
  • Lower cold-chain storage requirements.
  • Reduced use of syringes and other vaccination supplies.
  • Less time spent by Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) administering vaccines and maintaining records.
  • Lower workload for cold-chain handlers and vaccine managers.
  • Time savings for parents and caregivers during immunisation visits.

About Hippocampus amandavincentae:

• It is a new species of seahorse.
• It was recorded off the southwest coast of Kerala.

What is a Seahorse?

• A seahorse is a marine fish belonging to the genus Hippocampus and related to pipefishes.
• Distribution: They are found in temperate and tropical waters around the world.
• Habitat:
  • Typically found in shallow waters with abundant vegetation such as coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and estuaries.
  • They are usually found clinging to plants or corals with their tails.
• They are unique in appearance, with their horselike head, prehensile tail, independently moving eyes, and brood pouch.
• Experts in camouflage, they can change color to blend into their surroundings and avoid danger.
• They are carnivores. They eat small crustaceans and invertebrates.

About Lesotho:

• Location: It is an enclaved nation that is located with the territory of South Africa.
• Capital City: Maseru.
• Geographical Features of Lesotho:
  • Climate: Mountainous Lesotho has a temperate climate.
  • Mountains: Drakensberg Range and Maloti ranges.
  • Highest Point: Thabana Ntlenyana
  • Rivers: The Orange River is one of the longest rivers in Africa which rises in the Lesotho Highlands as the Sinqu River.

About Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission:

• It is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It is created to set standards of drugs in the country.
• Functions of Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission:
  • Its basic function is to regularly update the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
  • It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
  • It further promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.
  • It prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from the health care perspective of human beings and animals.
  • It also provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a fingerprint for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.

Key Facts about World Health Organization South-East Asia Regulatory Network

• It is a collaborative platform established by the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) to strengthen regulatory systems across Member States.
• It was established in 2016.
• SEARN has facilitated cooperation among National Regulatory Authorities through knowledge sharing, regulatory convergence, capacity building, and reliance mechanisms.
• The network operates through thematic working groups focusing on key regulatory functions, including quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, clinical trials oversight, regulatory preparedness, and medical device regulation.

About Lalit Kala Akademi:

• It was inaugurated on 5th August 1954 by the then Minister for Education, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• The Akademi was given the status of statutory authority in 1957, under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Governance: It functions through its General Council, Executive Board, and other Committees.
• Regional Centres: It has regional centres situated at Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Garhi.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture.
• Functions of Lalit Kala Akademi
  • It has been at the forefront of promoting and nurturing visual arts in India through national and international exhibitions, artists' camps, workshops, scholarships, publications, documentation, research initiatives and collaborative cultural programmes.
  • It has preserved and documented a permanent collection of the highest order that reflects the vitality, complexity, and unfolding patterns of contemporary, modern, folk, and tribal art in India. 
  • It promotes the Visual Art of India in various countries of the world through Cultural Agreements and Cultural Exchange Programmes.
  • The National Exhibition of Art is the most prestigious annual event of the Lalit Kala Akademi. 
  • It continues to provide an important platform for artists and remains committed to strengthening India's visual arts ecosystem.

About Jeevan Raksha Padak:

• It is conferred on individuals who undertake life-saving efforts during incidents such as drowning, fire accidents, electrocution, natural calamities including landslides, animal attacks, and rescue operations in mines.
• Categories: The Jeevan Raksha Padak series comprises three categories.
  • Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak: It is awarded for conspicuous courage in saving life under circumstances of very great danger to the rescuer.
  • Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak: It is conferred for courage and promptitude in saving life under conditions of great danger.
  • Jeevan Raksha Padak: It is awarded for courage and promptitude in life-saving acts where the rescuer sustains grievous bodily injury.
• Eligibility:
  • The awards are open to individuals from all walks of life.
  • Members of the Armed Forces, Police Forces and recognised Fire Services are also eligible, provided the act of bravery is performed beyond the call of normal duty.
  • Personnel of Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations are also eligible under the revised framework.
  • It is presented to the awardees by the respective Union Ministries/Organizations/State Government to which the awardee belongs.
• Features of Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards:
  • Its nominations are invited annually from States/UTs and Union Ministries.
  • The recommendations of the award are considered by the Awards Committee within a period of two calendar years from the date of performance of the act.
  • Final approval is given by the Prime Minister and the President of India.
  • Award: The decoration of the award consists of a Medal, Certificate, along with a one-time monetary allowance: Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak (₹2 lakh), Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padam (₹1.5 lakh) and Jeevan Raksha (₹1 lakh).
  • No other facility/benefit in terms of any concession in Railways, Airfare etc. is provided by the Government.

About Pigeon pea:

• It is popularly known as ‘Arhar’ or ‘Tur’.
• It is one of India's most important pulse crops and a major source of dietary protein.
• It is a legume crop and protein-rich food which is primarily consumed as dal in India.
• It is predominantly a crop of tropical areas mainly cultivated in semi-arid regions of India.
• Required Climatic conditions:
  • Rain: It requires 600-650mm of annual rainfall along with moist conditions for the initial eight weeks and dry conditions during its flowering and pod development phase.
  • Temperature: It can be grown with a temperature ranging from 26 to 30 degree Celsius in the rainy season and 17to 22 degree Celsius in the post rainy (November to March) season.
  • Soil: It can be grown on all types of soil, however, sandy loam or loam soil is most suitable for its cultivation.
  • It is very sensitive to low radiation at pod development, therefore flowering during the monsoon and cloudy weather, leads to poor pod formation.
• It is commonly intercropped with a wide range of crops.
• Diseases: The important diseases of Pigeon pea are Wilt, Sterility mosaic disease, Phytophthora blight, Alternaria blight and Powdery mildew etc.
• Health benefits: It has low glycaemic index and is rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin A, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium
• Major Pigeon pea producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.