About Manas National Park:

• Location: It is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Assam. 
• It shares a border with Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park.
• The park’s elevation ranges from 60 to 1,500 meters (200 to 4,900 feet) above sea level, contributing to its rich biodiversity.
• River: The Manas River (A major tributary of the Brahmaputra River), from which its name has been derived, flows through the west of the park and is the main river within it. 
• The area has the unique distinction of being a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, a Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve, a Biosphere Reserve, and an Important Bird Area.
• It is one of the first reserves included in the tiger reserve network under Project Tiger in 1973.
• The park is inhabited by several indigenous communities, including the Bodo.
• Vegetation: It consists of semi-evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, interspersed with grasslands and riparian vegetation (in the core area).
• Flora: The most presiding plant species found here are hoolong trees. Some other prominent species available here are Amari, Dewa Sam, Himolu, Garjan, etc.
• Fauna: It is home to Hispid Hare, Pygmy Hog, Golden Langur, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Buffalo, etc.

About Thailand:

• Location: It is located in the center of mainland Southeast Asia.
• Bordering Countries:  It shares boundaries with Myanmar (North-West), Laos (North-East), Cambodia (East), and Malaysia (South).
• Maritime boundary: It is bordered by the Andaman Sea (South-West) and the Gulf of Thailand (South)
• Capital City: Bangkok.
• Geographical Features of Thailand:
• Terrain: The Fold Mountains dominate the country's landscape to the north and west.
• Climate: It is influenced by the Southwest and Northeast Monsoon.
• Highest Peak: Doi Inthanon (Approx. 2,565 m)
• Plateau: Khorat Plateau in the northeast region, which is a vast tableland bounded by the Mekong River on the north and east.
• Major Rivers: Chao Phraya River and Mekong River (Forms a natural border with Laos)
• Natural Resources: It consists of Rubber, Rice, Tin, Natural Gas, Timber, Tungsten, and Tantalum.

About GRAPES-3 Telescope:

• Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3 (GRAPES-3) is designed to study the origin, acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays through measurement of extensive air showers.
• It is induced by primary cosmic rays or gamma rays entering the Earth’s atmosphere in tera to peta electronvolt energies.
• It also studies solar and thunderstorm phenomena using cosmic ray muons.
• GRAPES-3 employs an array of plastic scintillator detectors and a large area muon detector based on proportional counters.
• Location: It is located in Ooty, India.
• It is operated by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Key facts about Cosmic Rays:

• These rays were discovered more than a century ago.
• They are considered to be the most energetic particles in the universe.
• Our planet is constantly bombarded by them from outer space, almost uniformly from all directions at a constant rate.
• They enter Earth’s atmosphere and induce a shower of particles that travel to the ground almost at the speed of light.
• The shower particles constitute electrons, photons, muons, protons, neutrons, etc.
• They have been observed over a remarkably wide energy range (108 to 1020 eV).

About Joint Crediting Mechanism:

• It was first proposed by the Government of Japan and was officially launched in 2013.
• Aim: It is a Japanese initiative that aims to facilitate the diffusion of leading decarbonising technologies and infrastructure through investment by Japanese entities and contribute to the sustainable development of partner countries.
• It is a bilateral mechanism which is being implemented in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
• The JCM contributes to the achievement of both countries’ NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) by evaluating Japan’s contributions quantitatively and acquiring the part of credit.
• It operates under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• It complements other existing mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI).
• India is one of the 31 partner countries of the Joint Crediting Mechanism.
• Focus Area of Joint Crediting Mechanism
• This mechanism focuses on priority sectors, which include renewable energy with storage, sustainable aviation fuel, compressed biogas, green hydrogen and green ammonia, and in hard-to-abate sectors.

About Wind Turbine Supply Chain Management Portal:

• It is India's first dedicated digital platform for streamlining the wind energy supply chain.
• It is aimed at strengthening the country's domestic wind manufacturing ecosystem and accelerating its clean energy ambitions.
• It has been developed under the aegis of the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) with support from the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).
• Key Features:
• Visibility: It is designed to improve visibility across the wind energy supply chain.
• Approved List of Models and Manufacturers Linkage:  It facilitates compliance with domestic sourcing requirements under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework,
• Collaboration: It supports supplier discovery and qualification, strengthens collaboration among stakeholders and enhances export readiness.

What is Wind Energy?

• Wind energy is a renewable energy source that uses the wind's kinetic energy to generate electricity.
• Wind turbines capture the wind's power and use it to spin a generator, which creates electricity.
• Wind Energy Top States in India: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat (has the highest potential), Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, etc.

About Powai Lake:

• It is an artificial lake situated in the northern suburb of Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It was constructed by the British in 1890 by building two dams across the Mithi River to augment Bombay's water supply.
• The lake has a catchment area of 6.6 sq. km and a depth ranging from 3 to 12 metres.
• The southern hillocks around the lake form the lowest slopes of the Western Ghats.
• Powai Lake flanked by two premier institutions which are Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE).
• The Padmavati Devi Temple, situated on the bank of the lake inside IIT Bombay campus dates back to the 10th century AD.
• The lake is surrounded by the Powai Bird Sanctuary and is an important resting, feeding, and breeding site of several bird species, resident and migratory.
• The lake serves as an important habitat for resident and migratory birds, including the Watercock, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Woolly-necked Stork, Caspian Tern, and Peregrine Falcon. It also supports a small population of Marsh Crocodiles.
• It also supports fishing activities and is currently being used for the conservation of the Indian mahaseer.
• In recent times, 40% of the lake has disappeared due to the accelerated growth of residential, commercial, and industrial areas around the lake.

About INS Tarkash:

• It is a state-of-the-art stealth frigate of the Indian Navy.
• It is the second of three Talwar-class guided missile frigates.
• Designed and built in Russia, the Talwar-class guided missile frigates are modified version of the Krivak III-class frigate
• It was built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• It was commissioned into Indian Navy service on 9 November 2012 at Kaliningrad and joined the Western Naval Command on 27 December 2012.

Features:

• The ship is 8 m long, has a beam of 15.2 m and a draught of 4.2 m.
• Powered by four gas turbines, it can attain speeds of over 30 knots, has an operational range of 4,500 nautical miles, and an endurance of 30 days.
• It has been equipped with a weapon sensor that enables it to address threats in all dimensions.
• It uses stealth technologies and a special hull design to ensure a reduced radar cross-section.
• It can board one Ka-28 Helix-A antisubmarine helicopter or one Ka-31 Helix-B airborne early warning helicopter.
• It carries cutting-edge weaponry, which includes advanced surface-to-air missiles, 100 mm calibre guns (artillery), close-range guns, torpedoes, rocket launchers, and associated fire control systems.
• It is also equipped with BrahMos missiles instead of the Klub-N missiles, which makes it different from the earlier flight of Talwar-class ships.

About Amangarh Tiger Reserve:

• It is situated in the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh and forms a part of the Terai-Bhabar ecosystem, a unique stretch of forests at the foothills of the Himalayas.
• It was originally a part of the Jim Corbett National Park. After the state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, Jim Corbett fell entirely within Uttarakhand's boundaries, while the Amangarh sector remained in Uttar Pradesh and was later declared a tiger reserve in 2012.
• The landscape here is a blend of dense forests, rolling hills, grassy meadows, and pristine water bodies.
• Flora:
  • The most dominant tree in Amangarh’s landscape is Sal (Shorea robusta), which forms large, continuous forests across the reserve.
  • Alongside sal, species like Khair (Acacia catechu), Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo), and Haldu (Adina cordifolia) thrive abundantly.
• Fauna:
  • Mammals: Tiger, Elephant, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Cheetal, Gangetic Dolphin, Hog Deer, Kakar, Langur, Sloth Bear, Porcupine, Otter.
  • Birds: Hornbill, Red Jungle Fowl, Pea Fowl, Bengal Florican, Fishing Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Osprey, Woodpeckers, Shama, Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher, Orioles, Emerald Dove.
  • Reptiles: Monitor Lizard, various freshwater Turtles, Indian Rock Python, Mugger Crocodile, and Gharial.

About Tasgaon Lift Irrigation Scheme:

• It is an important irrigation infrastructure initiative in Maharashtra. The scheme falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC), Pune.
• It encompasses the construction of a comprehensive water distribution system for a command area of 2,277 hectares across six villages in Satara Taluka (tehsil). These villages are Tasgaon, Varne, Karandwadi, Devkarwadi, Degaon, and Nigadi.
• Unlike gravity-fed canal systems, lift irrigation relies on electrically powered pumping infrastructure to raise water from a lower source body and push it through a pressurized distribution network to farmlands at higher elevations.
• The scheme includes multiple work fronts such as head works, pump houses, switch yards, rising mains, delivery chambers, and a closed-pipe distribution network. It aims to improve water availability and irrigation access across the region by supporting long-term agricultural and rural development.

About Knob-Billed Duck:

• The knob-billed duck, or African comb duck, is a species of duck named for the prominent, leaf-shaped comb on top of the male's bill.
• Scientific Name: Sarkidiornis melanotos
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • It is found in tropical wetlands in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent from northern India to Laos and extreme southern China.
  • It breeds in freshwater swamps and lakes in the tropics.
• Features:
  • It is one of the largest species of duck. Length can range from 56 to 76 cm, wingspan ranges from 116 to 145 cm, and weight ranges from 1.03 to 2.9 kg.
  • Adults have a freckled white head with dark spots, a pure white neck, and glossy blue-black upperparts showing a greenish-blue iridescence. The male is much larger than the female.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern