About Keezhadi Excavation

• The Keezhadi excavation site is located near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, along the Vaigai River.
• It is a major urban Sangam-era settlement, estimated to date between the 5th century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
• It represents one of the most significant archaeological findings in Tamil Nadu since the Adichanallur site.
• Excavations reveal an urban, literate, and craft-oriented society, suggesting early urbanisation in South India independent of North Indian influences.

Sangam Period

• The term ‘Sangam’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Sangha’, meaning an assembly or association, and refers to Tamil literary academies under the Pandya kings.
• Sangam literature provides vital insights into ancient Tamil society, covering aspects like governance, economy, trade, war, social life, and agriculture.
• Key texts include:
  • Tolkappiyam (oldest Tamil grammar),
  • Pattupattu (Ten Idylls),
  • Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies),
  • Padinenkilkanakku (Eighteen Minor Works),
  • The three great epics (Silappadikaram, Manimekalai, and Civaka Cintamani).

About Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by differences in brain development, affecting communication, social interaction, behaviour and learning patterns.
• Symptoms of ASD typically appear before the age of 3 years, though diagnosis is often delayed, particularly in low-awareness settings.
• People with ASD may display repetitive behaviours, narrow interests, and may have unusual learning styles or motor skills.

Causes

• ASD is not caused by a single factor. It results from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental influences.
• Genetics plays a strong role, with studies showing heritability estimates of up to 91% (Tick et al., JAMA, 2016).
• Environmental contributors such as advanced parental age, prenatal exposure to air pollutants, and maternal health are being studied, but no single environmental toxin has been conclusively proven to cause autism.
• Vaccines do not cause autism. This claim stems from a discredited study, and continued misinformation can lead to dangerous vaccine hesitancy.

About Charaka and Charaka Samhita

• Charaka, a court physician during the Kushan period, is considered the Father of Medicine in India.
• He revised the ancient Agnivesha Samhita into what became the Charaka Samhita, a foundational text of Ayurveda.
• Charaka Samhita covers topics such as physiology, diagnosis, prevention, and internal medicine.
• The text is part of the Bṛhat-Trayi (Great Trilogy) of Ayurveda, alongside the Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya.
• The Charaka Samhita was later expanded by Dṛḍhabala, making it an encyclopaedic treatise.
• Charaka emphasised ethics in medicine, highlighting the importance of physician conduct, diet, and preventive care.
• It remained authoritative for over two millennia, and was translated into Arabic, Latin, and other foreign languages, showing its global medical relevance.

About Sushruta

• Sushruta, dating back to the 7th century BCE, is revered as the Father of Surgery and possibly the world’s first documented surgeon.
• He authored the Sushruta Samhita, which elaborates on over 300 surgical procedures, 120 surgical instruments, and various types of fractures and dislocations.
• Innovations include rhinoplasty (nasal reconstruction), skin grafting, cataract surgery, and caesarean sections.
• The Sushruta Samhita also integrates anatomical knowledge, surgical training, patient care, hygiene, and scientific observation.
• Sushruta’s teachings display principles of evidence-based medicine, centuries before modern systems emerged.

About National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)

• Established in 1998 as an autonomous R&D institute, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Formerly known as the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
• Location: Vasco da Gama, Goa.

Mandate and Functions

• Nodal agency for Planning and executing polar expeditions in the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean, and Himalayas.
  • Coordinating scientific research and logistics in polar and oceanic domains.
  • Also works on strategically vital projects like: Mapping of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Continental shelf surveys, and the Deep Ocean Mission.
• Maintains a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) for scientific guidance.

About Polar Bhavan and Sagar Bhavan

• Polar Bhavan, the largest facility on the NCPOR campus, covers 11,378 sq. m and was built at a cost of ₹55 crore.
  • It includes state-of-the-art laboratories, 55 rooms for scientists, conference halls, a library, and the new Science on Sphere (SOS) 3D earth systems visualisation platform.
  • It will house India’s first Polar and Ocean Museum for public scientific outreach.
• Sagar Bhavan spans 1,772 sq. m and costs ₹13 crore.
  • It includes two -30°C ice core laboratories, +4°C storage units for archiving sediment and biological samples, and a Class 1000 metal-free clean room for trace metal and isotope analysis.

India’s Expanding Polar Footprint

• NCPOR maintains India’s research presence in: Antarctica (Stations: Maitri and Bharati), Arctic (Station: Himadri), and Himalayas (Station: Himansh).
• India’s Arctic Policy (2022) and Indian Antarctic Act (2022) were cited as key legislative frameworks for science-led and environmentally responsible polar engagement, aligned with international obligations.

About PM E-DRIVE Scheme

• The PM E-DRIVE (Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement) scheme is a flagship initiative launched to accelerate electric mobility in India through demand incentives and charging infrastructure support.
• It aims to reduce transport-related carbon emissions, improve air quality and enhance energy security by decreasing fossil fuel dependency.
• The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore and will be implemented from 2024 to 2026.

Key Objectives and Scope

• To promote the adoption of EVs by supporting the purchase of electric vehicles (e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-buses, e-ambulances, and e-trucks).
• To deploy a robust national EV charging grid to reduce range anxiety and ensure seamless mobility across cities and highways.
• To provide direct demand incentives through Aadhaar-authenticated e-vouchers sent to the buyer’s mobile number after EV purchase.

BHEL as Nodal Agency

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is being considered the nodal agency for:
  • Demand aggregation for charging infrastructure.
  • Development of a Unified EV Super App for users across India.
• The app will offer real-time charger availability, slot booking, payment integration, and deployment progress tracking, ensuring digital ease-of-use for all EV stakeholders.

About Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund Scheme:

• The Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund has been set up to infuse Rs. 50,000 crore as equity funding in those MSMEs which have the potential and viability to grow and become large units.
• Under this fund of Rs. 50,000 crore, there is a provision of Rs. 10,000 Crore from the Government of India and Rs. 40,000 Crore through Private Equity/Venture Capital funds.
• SRI fund operates through a mother-fund and daughter-fund structure for equity or quasi-equity investments.
• The SRI Fund is being implemented by NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited (NVCFL), which is an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) of Category II registered with SEBI.
• SRI fund is oriented to provide the funding support through NVCFL to the Daughter Funds for onward provision to MSMEs as growth capital, in the form of equity or quasi-equity, for the following:
  • Enhancing equity/equity-like financing to MSMEs and listing of MSMEs on stock exchanges.
  • Supporting faster growth of MSME businesses and thereby ignite the economy and create employment opportunities.
  • Supporting enterprises which have the potential to graduate beyond the MASME bracket and become National/International Champions.
  • Supporting MSSMEs, which help make India self-reliant by producing relevant technologies, goods, and services.
• The Daughter Funds shall invest at least 5 times the amount of capital contribution received from SRI Fund (net of fees and expenses) in MSMEs, covered under the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006.

About Chagos Islands:

• It is an island group located in the central Indian Ocean.
• It is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.
• It is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom that was established on November 8, 1965.
• The principal islands in the archipelago include the Diego Garcia atoll, Danger Island, Egmont Islands, Eagle Islands, Nelsons Island, Peros Banhos atoll, Three Brothers Islands, and the Solomon Islands.
  • Diego Garcia covers an area of about 30 sq.km. and is the largest and the most southerly island of the Chagos Archipelago.
  • Diego Garcia houses a strategic US military base.
• The islands feature flat and low terrain, and most areas of the islands do not exceed more than 2 m in elevation.
• There are no rivers and lakes on the islands.
• Climate:
  • It experiences a tropical marine climate with high temperatures and elevated humidity levels.
  • The island’s climate is heavily moderated by the trade winds which blow over the islands.
• History:
  • The archipelago’s first inhabitants, primarily enslaved people from Madagascar and Mozambique, were forcibly brought to the islands by French enslavers, to work on coconut plantations.
  • Centuries later, they had unshackled themselves from slavery and became Chagossians, an indigenous people with a distinct language and culture.
  • In 1965, the British convinced Mauritian nationalist politicians to give up their claim to the Chagos Islands in exchange for independence.
  • In 1966, Chagos became the ’British Indian Ocean Territory‘ (BIOT) and was denied any claim to independence.
  • This led to the removal of the peoples living there, most of whom relocated to Mauritius.
  • The UK made an agreement with the United States to host a military base in the islands for Indian Ocean defenses.
  • Mauritius, which gained independence from Britain in 1968, has consistently maintained its claim over the Chagos Islands.
  • In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed the UK's right to govern the Chagos Islands and called on its government to withdraw from the archipelago.

About Tiangong Space Station:

• The Tiangong Space Station, translating to ‘Sky Palace’, is a Chinese-owned and operated permanently crewed space station in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• It represents the third and final step of China’s Manned Space Program.
• The first module of the space station was launched in April 2021, following two precursor missions, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2.
• The station consists of a core module known as Tianhe, which connects two science modules, Wentian and Mengtian, as well as a planned space telescope module, Xuntian.
• Tiangong is much smaller than the International Space Station (ISS), with only three modules compared with 16 modules on the ISS.
• Tiangong is also considerably lighter than the ISS, which weighs about 400 tons (450 metric tons); the Chinese station is about 20% as massive.
• It can accommodate up to three astronauts at a time for six-month stays. It can also support six astronauts at a time during crew handovers.
• The aims of the Tiangong Space Station are to:
  • Build a long-term, reliable space station in orbit.
  • Guarantee the long-term health and safety of stationed astronauts.
  • Provide conditions for scientific and technological experiments in space.
• The station serves as an in-orbit laboratory with 23 enclosed experiment racks, each covering a different proposed experiment in the fields of:
  • Space life sciences and biotechnology
  • Microgravity fluid physics and combustion
  • Material science in space
  • Fundamental physics in microgravity
• The space station also features platforms for exposed and unpressurised external experiments.

About Nagarhole Tiger Reserve:

• It is situated in the districts of Mysore and Kodagu in Karnataka.
• It is located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Geographically, it is an “ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
• The reserve is named after a small river, ‘Nagarahole’ (literally a snake stream in Kannada), which meanders within the habitat before joining the river Kabini.
• It is part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is flanked by the Bandipur Tiger Reserve on its southeastern side and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala on the southwest.
• Rivers: It is surrounded by the River Kabini in its north and River Moyar in its south.
• Vegetation:
  • The dry eastern limits of the reserve has dry deciduous forests.
  • Towards the west, with the increase in rainfall, the vegetation changes to tropical moist and semi-evergreen forests.
  • The forests are interspersed with swampy fallows called ‘hadlu’, which are dominated by grasses and sedges, favoured by wild herbivores.
• Flora:
  • It includes rosewood, Indian kino tree, sandalwood, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo, giant clumping bamboo, etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is a shelter for the largest population of wild Asian elephants in South Asia.
  • It comprises other mammals such as Bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, golden jackal, dhole, four-horned antelope, etc.