About Saqqara:

• It is part of the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis.
• In 1979 the ancient ruins of the Memphis area, including Ṣaqqārah, Abū Ṣīr, Dahshūr, Abū Ruwaysh, and the Pyramids of Giza, were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, tombs, mastabas, temples, and other funerary monuments.
• A mastaba is an ancient Egyptian rectangular tomb structure with a flat roof and sloping sides.
• Saqqara is where the transition from the use of the mastaba as a burial site to the pyramid design that is more popularly known today took place.
• Kings and noblemen from the very first two dynasties (c.3040–2686 BC) were buried here, and this is also the location of the Step Pyramid of Djoser (c.2686–2667 BC).
  • It is the oldest surviving pyramid in the world.
  • Designed by the architect Imhotep, its distinctive six-tiered form marked a crucial stage in the development of pyramid construction and paved the way for the great pyramids that followed.
• The pyramids of some of the most important kings of the Old Kingdom Fifth (c.2494–2345 BC) and Sixth (c.2345–2181 BC) Dynasties are located in Saqqara.
• One of these, the pyramid of Unas (also known as Wenis; (c.2375–2345 BC), features the oldest pyramid burial chamber decorated with texts.
• Among the most important of Saqqara’s monuments is the Serapeum, a series of underground galleries in which the Apis Bulls were buried from the Eighteenth Dynasty (c.1550–1295 BC) to the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC).
  • The Apis Bull was considered an incarnation of Ptah himself, one of the most important gods of Memphis.

About Shivneri Fort:

• It is a very old and important hill fort located near the town of Junnar in the Pune district of Maharashtra.
• This fort is famous because it is the birthplace of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• History:
  • The Shivneri Fort was built during the time of Satavahanas.
  • After the Satavahanas, the Shivneri Fort was occupied by the Shilaharas and the Yadavas.
  • This fort was very important for protecting an old trading route. This route connected the region of Desh to the port city of Kalyan.
  • In the 15th century, it came under the Bahmani Sultanate. Later, in the 16th century, it was taken over by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.
  • In 1595, a Maratha chief named Maloji Bhosale was honored by the Ahmadnagar Sultan, Bahadur Nizam Shah.
    • Maloji Bhosale was the grandfather of Shivaji Maharaj.
    • The Sultan gave him control of Shivneri and Chakan forts.
  • Shivaji Maharaj was born at Shivneri Fort on February 19, 1630. Some records suggest he was born in 1627. He spent his early childhood years growing up within the fort's walls.
  • An English traveler named Fraze visited the fort in 1673. He wrote that the fort was very strong and could not be easily defeated.
• Features:
  • It is a triangular-shaped hill fort and has its entrance from the southwest side of the hill.
  • It has winding gates that are very well protected. All around the fort, there are strong mud walls.
  • At the very center of the fort, there is a water pond called 'Badami Talav'. To the south of this pond, you can see statues of Jijabai and a young Shivaji.
  • In the fort there are water springs, called Ganges and Yamuna, which have water throughout the year.

About Atherosclerosis:

• It is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries.
  • Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to organs and tissues throughout your body.
  • Plaque is a sticky substance made up of cholesterol, fat, blood cells, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
• Over time, plaque hardens and causes arteries to narrow. That limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body.
• Arteriosclerosis is hardening of the arteries, which means that the arteries thicken and become less flexible. It can have several different causes.
• Atherosclerosis, which develops from plaque buildup, is a common type of arteriosclerosis.
• What causes atherosclerosis?
  • Plaque often starts to build up during childhood and gets worse with age.
  • The exact cause is unknown, but researchers believe that this buildup happens when there is damage to the arteries. This damage may be caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits, medical conditions, and your genes.
  • Recent studies also point that atherosclerosis meets the criteria for an autoimmune disease.
• Atherosclerosis can affect most of the arteries in the body. It has different names, based on which arteries are affected:
  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is plaque buildup in the arteries of your heart.
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is plaque buildup in the arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. It most often affects the arteries of legs, but it can also affect the arteries of arms or pelvis.
  • Carotid artery disease is plaque buildup in the neck arteries. It reduces blood flow to the brain.
  • Renal artery stenosis is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to kidneys.
  • Vertebral artery disease is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the back of brain.
  • Mesenteric artery ischemia is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply intestines with blood.
• Symptoms:
  • Symptoms usually depend on the arteries that are affected, and the most common include:
    • chest pain (or angina)
    • feeling confused, as a result of limited blood flow to your brain
    • difficulty breathing
    • feeling very tired (fatigued)
    • pain in any of limbs, where there may be a blocked artery weak muscles
  • Atherosclerosis can cause other health problems, or complications.
• Treatment: Treating atherosclerosis may include having a heart-healthy lifestyle and taking medicines.

About TRISHNA Mission:

• The TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) mission, is a collaborative endeavor between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French Space Agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES).
• It is engineered to deliver high spatial and high temporal resolution monitoring of Earth's surface temperature, emissivity, biophysical and radiation variables for surface energy budgeting at regional to global scale.
• Objectives:
  • Detailed monitoring of the energy and water budgets of the continental biosphere for quantifying terrestrial water stress and water use.
  • High-resolution observation of water quality and dynamics in coastal and inland waters.
  • A comprehensive assessment of urban heat islands detection of thermal anomalies linked to volcanic activity and geothermal resources.
  • Precise monitoring of snow-melt runoff and glacier dynamics.
  • Provide valuable data on aerosol optical depth, atmospheric water vapor, and cloud cover.
• Payloads: TRISHNA satellite is equipped with two primary payloads.
  • The Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) Payload: It is provided by CNES and features a four-channel long-wave infrared imaging sensor capable of high-resolution surface temperature and emissivity mapping.
  • The Visible – Near Infra-Red – Short Wave Infra-Red (VNIR-SWIR) payload: It is developed by ISRO, includes seven spectral bands designed for detailed mapping of surface reflectance of VSWIR bands for generating important biophysical and radiation budget variables.
• The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 761 km.
• This orbit will provide a spatial resolution of 57 meters for land and coastal areas and 1 km for oceanic and polar regions. The mission is designed for a 5-year operational life.
• TRISHNA’s data will contribute to several global initiatives, such as GEOGLAM for agricultural monitoring, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and targets, and the Global Water Watch.
• Some of the mission’s outputs will serve as Essential Agricultural Variables (EAVs), and Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) for the global community.

About Financial Intelligence Unit- India:

• It was set by the Government of India in 2004.
• It is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
• FIU-IND is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.
• Function of Financial Intelligence Unit-India:
  • Collection of Information: It acts as the central reception point for receiving Cash Transaction reports (CTRs), Non-Profit Organisation Transaction Report (NTRs), Cross Border Wire Transfer Reports (CBWTRs) from various reporting entities.
  • Analysis of Information: Analyze received information in order to uncover patterns of transactions suggesting suspicion of money laundering and related crimes.
  • Sharing of Information: It shares information with national intelligence/law enforcement agencies, national regulatory authorities and foreign Financial Intelligence Units.
  • Central Repository: It establishes and maintains a national database on the basis of reports received from reporting entities.
  • Coordination: It coordinates and strengthens collection and sharing of financial intelligence through an effective national, regional and global network to combat money laundering and related crimes.
  • Research and Analysis: Monitor and identify strategic key areas on money laundering trends, typologies and developments.

About Lumpy Skin Disease:

• It is a viral disease affecting cattle and buffaloes.
• Cause and Transmission: It is caused by the Capripox virus and transmitted mainly through arthropod vectors.
  • Infected animals shed the virus through oral and nasal secretions, which may contaminate common feeding and water troughs.
  • Thus, the disease can either spread through direct contact with the vectors or through contaminated fodder and water.
• LSDV is not zoonotic, so humans cannot get infected by the virus.
• The disease is endemic in Africa and the Middle East and has been spreading increasingly in Europe and Southeast Asia over recent years.
• Symptoms: The disease is characterised by fever and enlarged superficial lymph nodes on the skin and peculiar multiple nodules or lumps on the Skin.
• Treatment:
  • There is no treatment for the virus, so prevention by vaccination is the most effective means of control.
  • The infected animals receive supportive care, which involves the use of antibiotics, painkillers, and wound care sprays to treat symptoms.

About Financial Fraud Risk Indicator:

• It was launched in 2025 by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT’s) Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU).
• It is a risk-based metric that classifies mobile numbers into three categories: Medium, High, and Very High Risk based on their likelihood of involvement in financial fraud.
• The classification draws from a comprehensive analysis using inputs from various platforms, including the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre’s National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), DoT’s Chakshu platform, and intelligence shared by banks and financial institutions.
• This tool enables banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and UPI service providers to take appropriate measures for customer protection and transaction validation.

Key Facts about Digital Intelligence Unit

• It was launched in 2024.
• It is a secure, nationwide intelligence-sharing and coordination platform developed by DoT.
• Purpose: To counter telecom-enabled cyber frauds and the misuse of telecom resources.
• Functions:
  • It enables real-time collaboration with telecom service providers, banks, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies and government departments, through the sharing of actionable intelligence on the Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL), suspected fraudulent mobile numbers (FRI) and related digital identifiers.
  • By bringing these stakeholders onto a single platform, DIP has institutionalised a whole-of-ecosystem approach to fraud prevention.

About Luxembourg:

• Location: It is a small landlocked western European Nation.
• Bordering Country: It is bordered by 3 Nations: Germany, France and Belgium
• It is a founding member of the European Union and NATO.
• Capital City: Luxembourg
• Geographical Features of Luxembourg:
  • Climate: It has a continental climate with cold winters and relatively mild-warm summers.
  • Highest Point: Burgplatz
  • Rivers: Major rivers are Alzette, Eisch, Moselle, Our and Sure.
  • Lake: The largest lake of Luxembourg is Lake Sure.
  • Natural resources: Its natural resources include oil, natural gas, coal, minerals, and the forest.

About Buellia maharajensis:

• It is a new species of lichen.
• It is the fourth lichen variety discovered within Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala.
• Features of Buellia maharajensis:
  • It is saxicolous lichen that grows directly on rock surfaces.

Key Facts about Lichen:

• A lichen is a symbiosis between different organisms — a fungus and an algae or cyanobacterium.
• The basis of their relationship is the mutual benefit that they provide each other. 
• The photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria form simple carbohydrates that, when excreted, are absorbed by fungi cells and transformed into a different carbohydrate. 
• They also produce vitamins that the fungi need. 
• Fungi contribute to the symbiosis by absorbing water vapour from the air and by providing much-needed shade for the light-sensitive algae beneath.
• The composite body of a lichen is called a thallus (plural thalli); the body is anchored to its substrate by hairlike growths called rhizines.
• Lichens are found worldwide and occur in a variety of environmental conditions.
• A diverse group of organisms, they can colonize a wide range of surfaces and are frequently found on tree bark, exposed rock, and as a part of biological soil crust.