About Indian Crested Porcupine:

• It is a large rodent belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae.
• Habitat:
  • It mainly occurs on rocky hillsides but is also found in tropical and temperate scrublands, grasslands, and forests.
  • They are also found throughout the Himalayan Mountains, reaching up to elevations of 2400 meters. 
• Distribution: It is found throughout southeast and central Asia and in parts of the Middle East, including such countries as India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
• Features:
  • Lifespan: 18 to 20 years
  • Quills: A porcupine’s best defense is the formidable set of quills on its back. But it can’t “throw” them. When alarmed, the Indian Porcupine launches its quill for a backward attack. 
  • It is nocturnal, with the species seeking shelter in caves, between rocks, or in its burrow during the day.
  • Diet: They have a very broad and mostly herbivorous They primarily feed on fruits, grains, roots, and other vegetable material.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

About Government e Marketplace:

• It is India’s national public procurement portal launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• It enhances transparency, efficiency and inclusivity in procurement.
• It is the portal for procurement of goods and services for all Central Government and State Government Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Units (PSUs) and affiliated.
• Features
• It is a fully digital, cashless and system-driven platform that offers an end-to-end solution for all government buyers and sellers.
• It uses AI-powered tools and a multilingual Learning Management System (LMS) to facilitate access to public procurement.
• It also features voice-enabled navigation and region-specific training modules that support onboarding and transactions for sellers, including those in remote and underserved areas.
• Objectives of GeM Portal:
  • To increase efficiency, transparency and speed in public procurement
  • To provide multiple modes of procurement like direct purchase; bidding with reverse e-auction; e-bidding and direct reverse auction.
  • To make ministries/ government departments to mandatorily procure goods and services from the portal
  • To enable efficient price discovery; economies of scale and dissemination of best practices

About New Nematode Species:

About Corononema dhriti

• It is a free-living marine nematode found off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
• It is only the fourth known species of this genus globally.
• It was previously documented only in Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

About Epacanthion indica:

• It stands out due to its complex anatomy.
• Unlike many nematodes that feed on microbes, indica possesses specialized mandibles and “teeth,” positioning it as a microscopic predator within the benthic food web.

Significance of marine nematodes

• Nutrient Cycling: Breaking down organic waste and recycling essential nutrients back into the ocean.
• Sediment Health: Maintaining the stability and productivity of coastal sediments.
• Bio-Indicators: Serving as vital markers for environmental health and climate change impact.

What are Nematodes?

• These are any worm of the phylum Nematoda.
• They occur as parasites in animals and plants or as free-living forms in soil, fresh water, and marine environments.
• Features
• Nematodes are bilaterally symmetrical, elongate, and usually tapered at both ends.
• Some species possess a pseudocoel, a fluid-filled body cavity between the digestive tract and the body wall.
• Distribution: They have been reported from every continent on earth and occur in deserts, swamps, the oceans, the tropics and Antarctica..

About Guru Tegh Bahadur:

• Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675) was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.
• He was born as Tyaga Mal.
• He came to be known by the name Teg Bahadur (Mighty of The Sword), given to him by Guru Hargobind after he showed his valour in a battle against the Mughals.
• In 1664, Guru Teg Bahadur succeeded Guru Har Krishan Ji as the ninth Sikh Guru. 
• He was revered with the honour of 'Hind Di Chadar'.
• He raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints.
• Life and Works:
  • He built the city of Anandpur Sahib (in Rupnagar/Ropar district, on the edge of Shivalik Hills, near the Sutlej River, in Punjab).
    • Here the last two Sikh Gurus lived and where Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699.
  • He contributed more than 100 poetic hymns to the Granth Sahib, which cover various topics, such as the nature of God, human attachments, body, mind, dignity, service, etc.
• His martyrdom is remembered as the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur every year on 24 November, according to the Nanakshahi calendar released by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 2003.

About Psychedelics:

• These are drugs that induce states of altered perception, behaviour, consciousness and thought, often with increased awareness of the senses.
• Psychedelics are non-addictive and non-toxic. Compared to illicit drugs, psychedelics cause much less harm to the end user.
• The term ‘psychedelic’ comes from two Greek words denoting mind or soul and manifesting.
• It is a subset of psychotropic substances that can alter a person’s thoughts and perceptions, and elicit intense hallucinations.
• Most psychedelics work by increasing the availability of serotonin—a mood stabilising hormone—in the brain by binding to serotonin receptors.
• Regulation in India: In India, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 prohibits the use of psychedelic substances.
• These are categorised into two broad categories
  • Classical psychedelics: These are thought to trigger hallucinations by activating a receptor called serotonin 5-HT, which is widely present in the human body, from the gastrointestinal tract to platelets to the nervous system. Examples: LSD, psilocybin and DMT
  • Nonclassical psychedelics: These psychedelics bind to varied receptors. Examples: ketamine and MDMA
• Used for research: Five psychedelics are the subject of clinical research for use in treating mental health problems: psilocybin; lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD); 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA); ketamine and N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

About Mission MITRA:

• The Mission MITRA (Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Response Assessment) is a first-of-its-kind team behavioral study designed by ISRO & IAF-Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
• Objective: To examine the physiological, psychological, and operational dynamics of Crew and ground teams functioning in a high-altitude environment.
• It is being conducted in the rugged, high-altitude terrain of Leh, Ladakh.
  • Ladakh is known for its freezing temperatures, low oxygen levels and isolation, Ladakh is an ideal terrestrial analogue for space-like conditions.
• The mission involves India’s four designated Gaganyaan astronauts, supported by a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, medical experts and psychologists.
• This study is targeted to generate vital understanding on the team inter-operability between Crew (Gaganyatris) &ground control teams and effectiveness of decision making under environmental & operational stress.
• Significance: The findings will play a vital role in shaping India’s future human spaceflight missions, especially those involving longer durations in orbit or beyond.

About Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances:

• These are toxic, man-made, hazardous chemicals.
• These are also known as the Forever Chemicals, are a large chemical family of fluorinated chemicals that have partially or completely fluorinated carbon chains of varied lengths. 
• Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily in the environment.
• Subgroups: Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• These subgroups are currently listed under the Stockholm Convention as industrial POPs.
• Applications: PFASs are used in the chemical industry including in Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) production,  the metal plating industry, in the photo imaging industry, and in the semiconductor
• How Are People Exposed to PFAS?
  • They are ingredients in various everyday products. For example, PFAS are used to keep food from sticking to packaging or cookware, make clothes and carpets resistant to stains.
  • PFAS are used in the aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries. Over time, PFAS may leak into the soil, water, and air.
  • People are most likely exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS, or breathing air containing PFAS. 
• Impacts of PFAS on Human Health: Decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, interference with body hormones, increased cholesterol levels, and increased risk of some cancers.
• Regulation: The Stockholm Convention has listed some PFAS, such as Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

About Madras Hedgehog:

• Madras Hedgehog, locally known as Mulleli is a tiny mammal.
• It is also known as the bare-bellied hedgehog, discovered in 1851.
• Habitat: The species prefers dry scrublands, thorn forests, grasslands and the edges of farmlands. 
• Distribution: It is found only in peninsular India, primarily across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka.
• Features
  • It has sharp spines on its back and soft white fur on its belly.
  • Its spines offer protection from predators such as foxes, jackals and mongooses.
  • It is a nocturnal species that curls into a ball to protect itself from danger.
  • It has mastered survival in some of the harshest and driest landscapes.
  • Life Span: It has a short lifespan of five to six years.
  • Diet: It feeds on insects such as beetles, ants, earthworms and termites, apart from plants.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern
• Ecological Role
  • It controls insect populations and aerates soil.
  • It supports the delicate web of life in India’s dry ecosystems.
• Threats: Its population declined largely due to hunting driven by mythical beliefs that its quills and meat have medicinal value.

About Tar balls:

• Tar balls are small, dark, sticky blobs of weathered oil that form in marine environments due to oil spills or natural seeps.
• Formation:
  • Tar balls are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environments. They are transported from the open sea to the shores by sea currents and waves.
  • They undergo physical, chemical, and biological processes, resulting in semi-solid or solid lumps that often wash ashore, causing environmental damage and posing risks to human health. ​
  • Some of the balls are as big as a basketball while others are smaller globules.
• Composition: These tar balls contain toxic contaminants, such as heavy metals, trace elements, and persistent organic pollutants,
• Impacts of Tar Balls
  • Biodiversity: They often accumulate on beaches and pose a danger to seabirds, fish, and marine animals, such as sea turtles, which may mistakenly ingest them, thinking they are food.
  • India’s western coast, particularly the area from Gujarat to Goa, is significantly affected by tar balls, especially during the seasonal period from April to September.

About Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises:

• It is launched by the National Statistics Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• It is aimed at developing a comprehensive database of the incorporated services sector of the country.
• The survey uses the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) database as a sampling
• The survey covers corporate entities in the services sector – companies registered under the Companies Act, 1956/2013 or Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008. 
• The ASISSE will survey over 1.21 lakh enterprises, making it one of the largest exercises of its kind.
• It will be conducted under the provisions of Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, as amended in 2017 and through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 and data will be collected through a secure web-based portal.

Key Facts about National Statistical Office

• It is the central statistical agency of India responsible for collecting, processing, and disseminating official statistical data.
• The NSO was formed in 2019 by merging two key statistical bodies to improve efficiency, coordination, and data quality in India’s statistical system.
• It plays a crucial role in evidence-based policymaking, planning, and governance.
• The NSO is headed by the Chief Statistician of India (CSI), who oversees all statistical activities and ensures coordination between departments.
• It functions under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.