About Klyuchevskoy Volcano:

• It is an active stratovolcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, far eastern Russia.
• It is one of the highest active volcanoes (tallest active volcano in Eurasia) in the world, rising to a height of 15,584 feet (4,750 meters), the highest point on the peninsula.
• The volcano consists of a truncated cone with a central crater, with some 70 lateral craters and cones on the lower slopes.
• The volcano, which has erupted more than 50 times since 1700, is characterized by smoke continuously billowing above its summit.
• The Kamchatka Volcanological Station, established in 1935, is located at its base.

Key facts about Kamchatka Peninsula:

• It is located in far eastern Russia.
• It is bordered by the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east.
• Two mountain ranges, the Sredinny (“Central”) and Vostochny (“Eastern”) extend along the peninsula.
• It is one of the largest peninsulas in the world.
• Climate: Severe, with prolonged, cold, and snowy winters and wet, cool summers.
• The Kamchatka Peninsula is the northern link in the 2000 km Kuril-Kamchatka island arc.
• This region contains 68 active volcanoes, over 10 percent of the total found on land anywhere on Earth.
• This arc is part of the "Ring of Fire," a string of volcanoes that encircles the Pacific Ocean.

About Machilipatnam:

• Machilipatnam, also known as Masulipatnam, is a coastal city in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The city is nestled on the southeastern or Coromandel Coast of India.
• It was a flourishing port and a prominent trading centre during the medieval period, attracting traders from various parts of the world.
• The city is also famous for its handloom industry, particularly for its Kalamkari art.
• • Kalamkari is a traditional hand-painted or block-printed textile art showcasing intricate designs and motifs.
• History:
  • The city of Machilipatnam came into existence in the era of the Satavahana Kings in the 3rd century B.C.
  • During that period, the city was known as Maisolos and Masalia.
  • They used this port as the gateway for their sea trade.
  • It was famous for Muslin, a thin, plain-weave cotton cloth. Perhaps, this was the reason why it was referred to as Masalia or Masulipatnam.
  • During the year 1478, the place of Machilipatnam came under Muhammad Shah Bahamani II.
  • Later in 1515, Sri Krishna Devaraya defeated the king, after which the city was captured by Orissa kings like Golconda King and Quli Qutb Shah.
  • But at the same time, European traders, particularly Portuguese and Dutch, established their trade centers near the port.
  • Thereafter, the British came to the port by locating their factory in 1611.
  • Masulipatam was the first British trading settlement on the Bay of Bengal.
  • The Masulipatnam Fort was built by the Dutch in the 17th century.
  • From 1686 to 1759, the city was held by the French and Dutch, until it was finally ceded to the British, who captured the city and fort from the French in 1759.
  • With the entrance of foreign traders and frequent wars and disasters, Machilipatnam could not grow further.
  • In the year 1779, the city had to confront a major cyclone in which almost 20,000 people were killed and the Dutch factory got damaged.

About Maglev Technology:

• Magnetic levitation, or maglev, is an advanced transportation technology that uses the principles of electromagnetism to enable vehicles to float above tracks, eliminating physical contact and significantly reducing friction.
• Maglevs were conceptualized during the early 1900s by American professor and inventor Robert Goddard and French-born American engineer Emile Bachelet and have been in commercial use since 1984.
• How Maglev Technology Works?
  • Maglev trains operate using two key electromagnetic principles: magnetic attraction and repulsion.
  • The system typically consists of three main components:
    • Levitation: Magnets lift the train above the track, ensuring there is no physical contact. This minimizes wear and tear while providing a smooth ride.
    • Guidance: Electromagnets stabilize the train laterally, keeping it centered on the track.
    • Propulsion: Linear motors generate magnetic fields that push and pull the train along the track. This replaces the need for traditional engines or fuel.
  • The tracks, known as guideways, are embedded with powerful electromagnets, while the trains themselves contain superconducting magnets or electromagnets.
  • By carefully controlling the magnetic fields, maglev trains achieve levitation and propulsion with minimal energy loss.
• Benefits of Maglev Technology:
  • Speed and Efficiency: Maglev trains can reach speeds of over 600 km/h (373 mph), making them faster than conventional trains and competitive with short-haul flights.
  • Reduced Friction: With no physical contact between train and track, maglev systems have significantly lower maintenance costs and higher energy efficiency.
  • Eco-Friendly: Maglev trains produce zero direct emissions and can be powered by renewable energy sources, making them a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based transport.
  • Comfort: Passengers experience minimal vibrations and noise, thanks to the absence of wheels and rails.

About Quantum Noise:

• It refers to the unwanted disturbances that affect quantum systems, leading to errors in quantum computations.
• Unlike classical noise, which might simply add random errors to a signal, quantum noise can have more complex and detrimental effects.
• What Causes Quantum Noise?
  • Quantum noise comes from the fact that energy—like light or radio waves—exists in discrete packets, or quanta.
  • For example, light is made of photons, and radio waves are made of individual electromagnetic excitations. When you try to measure or amplify these signals, there’s a natural limit to how accurately you can do so.
  • This is a direct result of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which says you can’t perfectly measure certain pairs of properties (like the strength and phase of a wave) at the same time. These unavoidable fluctuations are what we call quantum noise.
  • Even if you had a perfect detector in a perfectly quiet room at absolute zero temperature, quantum noise would still be present.
• Quantum noise can arise from various sources, including thermal fluctuations, electromagnetic interference, imperfections in quantum gates, and interactions with the environment.
• Different types of quantum noise affect qubits in distinct ways. For example, phase noise alters the relative phase between the basis states of a qubit, while amplitude noise affects the probabilities of measuring different states.
• Understanding and characterizing these noise sources is crucial for error mitigation.
• It's a major challenge in the development of quantum computers, as it can cause qubits to lose their delicate quantum state, known as decoherence.
  • Even small amounts of noise can lead to decoherence, causing qubits to lose their superposition and entanglement properties.
  • This loss of quantum information can render computations meaningless and limit the size and complexity of feasible quantum algorithms.

About Cnemaspis Brahmaputra:

• It was found at Dirgheswari Temple on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
• The new species belongs to the Cnemaspis podihuna clade, a group of small, diurnal geckos previously thought to be largely restricted to Sri Lanka.
• Its discovery in Assam strengthens the evidence for an ancient biogeographic link between Sri Lanka and India’s northeast, reflecting historical faunal exchanges across the Indian subcontinent.
• The new species is genetically and morphologically distinct from its Sri Lankan relatives, showing significant evolutionary divergence.
• Features of Cnemaspis Brahmaputra
  • It is distinguished by its larger body size but with fewer mid-body scale rows, more ventral scale rows across the belly, no tubercles on lower flanks, and three enlarged rows of thigh scales parallel to the enlarged femoral scale row.
  • It is the second species of the genus Cnemaspis known from the northeastern region. The first, Cnemaspis assamensis, was described in 2000.
  • Both species are members of the podihuna clade and are restricted to the Brahmaputra River valley.
  • They occur on opposite banks of the river and have significant genetic differences.

About Kaziranga National Park:

• Location: It is situated in the north-eastern part of India in the state of Assam.
• It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
• In 1985, the park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• Terrain: It is of sheer forest, tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes, and shallow pools.
• Rivers: The River Diffalu, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows through the National Park while another tributary, Moradifalu, flows along its southern boundary.
• Flora and Fauna of Kaziranga National Park
  • Flora: It is primarily famous for its dense and tall elephant grasses intermixed with small swamplands. It also includes an abundant cover of water lilies, water hyacinths and lotus.
  • Fauna: Many endangered and threatened species like Rhino, Tiger, Eastern swamp deer, Elephant, Buffalo, Hoolock gibbon, Capped langur, and Gangetic River dolphin are commonly found in the habitat. It is inhabited by the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals.

Highlights of Grassland Bird Survey Report:

• Bird experts, scientists, and conservationists recorded 43 grassland species across Kaziranga’s three wildlife divisions. 
• It reported that the Finn’s weaver (IUCN Status: Endangered), locally known as tukura chorai, is breeding successfully.
• This bird is an important indicator of grassland health and is known for building nests atop trees.

About Swachh Survekshan Award:

• It is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India, launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (under SBA-Urban).
• It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) with Quality Council of India (QCI) as its implementation partner.
• It recognizes the tireless efforts of cities driving the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) forward.
• This year, the prestigious awards will be presented across 4 categories:
  • Super Swachh League Cities
  • Top 3 clean cities in 5 population categories
  • Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Mahakumbh
  • State Level Awards – Promising clean city of State/UT. A total of 78 Awards will be presented this year.
• Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 adopted a smart, structured approach to assess urban cleanliness and service delivery, using 10 well-defined parameters with 54 indicators—offering a complete view of sanitation and waste management in cities.
• This year it unfolds a very special league, Super Swachh League (SSL) - a separate league of cities excelling in cleanliness.
• The introduction of the SSL serves a dual purpose: it inspires top-performing cities to reach even higher standards of cleanliness, while also motivating other cities to improve their performance and compete for top rankings.
• The SSL features cities that have ranked in the top three at least once in the last three years and remain in the top 20% of their respective population category in the current year.
• For the first time ever, cities have been classified into five population-based categories:
  • Very Small Cities: < 20,000 population,
  • Small Cities: 20,000 – 50,000 population,
  • Medium Cities: 50,000 – 3 Lakh population
  • Big Cities: 3 – 10 Lakh population 
  • Million-Plus Cities: > 10 Lakh population.
• Each category has been evaluated using parameters specifically tailored to its size and unique needs.

About Prime Minister Professorships:

• It is a prestigious initiative aimed at fostering world-class research and innovation within emerging institutions.
• It seeks to leverage the expertise of eminent scientists, senior faculty, and accomplished industry professionals to provide mentorship and support to faculty and students in less-endowed state universities, thereby strengthening their research and development culture.
• Objective: To utilize the extensive knowledge and experience of active, eminent, and superannuated/retired scientists and professionals.
• Eligibility Criteria for Prime Minister Professorship:
  • Superannuated faculty or scientists from reputed Indian institutions, research laboratories or from private institutions are eligible to apply.
  • Overseas scientists—including Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs)—are also encouraged to apply under this scheme.
  • In addition, professionals from industry/ experienced Professor of Practice, with a distinguished record of research and innovation may also apply.
  • Applicants with strong research credentials, must be actively involved in research and innovation activities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to mentor faculty at the eligible state universities where research and innovation is still at a nascent stage.
  • Eligible host institutions are the state universities which have been qualified as spoke institutions in Category A of recently awarded PAIR program of ANRF (see category list here) Applicants must be willing to relocate to the proposed host institution on full time basis and should have a proper  plan to contribute significantly to the development of its research capabilities and innovation culture.
• Duration: The tenure of the PM Professorship will be up to 5 years, based on performance evaluated by the expert committee constituted for the purpose.
• Age limit: Superannuated on the date of application (no upper age limit)
• Funding Support: A PM Professor will receive a fellowship of Rs. 30 lakh plus Rs. 24 lakh as research grant (consumables, domestic travel, contingencies, equipment etc.) per annum. Also, an overhead of a fixed amount of Rs.1 lakh per year to be provided under the program.

About Behdeinkhlam Festival:

• Beh Dien means to drive away the plague with sticks and prayers and Khlam means plague or pestilence.
• It is a significant cultural festival celebrated by the Pnar community in Meghalaya.
• It translates to “driving away the plague” or “chasing away the demon of cholera”;
• It is a festival that seeks to ward off evil spirits, diseases, misfortune, and invoke blessings for a good harvest and communal prosperity.
• It is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period.
• Rituals of Behdeinkhlam Festival
  • The main part of the festival was the making of the Dein Khlam and Khnong which are rounded, polished and straight tree trunks from the forest.
  • During the cultural festival tour, young men make a symbolic gesture of driving away of the evil spirit, plague and disease by beating of the roof of every house with bamboo poles. 
  • It is carried out for three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums.
  • On the final day people would converge to a place called Mynthong to witness a game played similar to football, called dad-lawakor.