About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):

• It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) launched in May 2016.
• Objective: To make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes, etc.
• Benefits:
  • 1600 for a 14.2 kg cylinder or Rs. 1150 for a 5 kg cylinder.
  • Additionally, All PMUY beneficiaries will be provided with their first LPG refill and stove (hot plate), both free of cost, along with their deposit-free connection.
  • Priority would be given to the states which have lower LPG coverage (compared to the national average) as on 1st Jan 2016.
• Eligibility: An adult woman belonging to a poor household and not having an LPG connection in her household will be eligible under UJJWALA 2.0. The beneficiaries should belong to any of the following categories:
  • Eligible as per the SECC 2011 list
  • Belongs to SC/ST households, be a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Forest dwellers, Most Backward Classes (MBC), Tea and Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, People residing in river islands (Beneficiary will submit supporting document).
  • If she is not falling in the above 2 categories, then she can stake her claim to be a beneficiary under a poor household by submitting a 14-point declaration (as per prescribed format).
• Exclusions: Male members from a household cannot apply for the scheme.

About PRASHAD Scheme:

• The PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive) was launched in the year 2014-2015 under the Ministry of Tourism.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme with the objective of integrated development of identified pilgrimage destinations.
• The primary objective of the scheme is to develop tourism infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites, ensuring a more enriching experience for pilgrims and heritage enthusiasts.
• Under the scheme, the ministry provides financial assistance to state governments and Union Territory administrations for the development of tourism infrastructure at these sites.
• Additionally, the scheme incorporates voluntary contributions through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
• The scheme aims at infrastructure development such as entry points (road, rail, and water transport), last-mile connectivity, basic tourism facilities like information/interpretation centers, ATMs/money exchange, eco-friendly modes of transport, area lighting and illumination with renewable sources of energy, parking, drinking water, toilets, cloakrooms, waiting rooms, first aid centers, craft bazaars/haats/souvenir shops/cafeterias, rain shelters, telecom facilities, internet connectivity, etc.

About Shongtong Karcham Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a hydropower project, on the river Satluj in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh.
• It is a run-of-river project.
• Capacity: 3 × 150 MW Francis turbines, totaling 450 MW; produces 1,594 million units per year.
• The gross head and net head of the project will be 128.57 m and 126.58 m respectively.
• The total number of penstocks, pipes, or long channels that carry water down from the hydroelectric reservoir to the turbines inside the actual power station is expected to be 3 in number.
• The penstock length will be 5.1 m. The project is expected to generate 1,593.93 GWh of electricity.
• The project is being developed and currently owned by Himachal Pradesh Power.

About Key Facts about Sharda River:

• It is a river of northern India and western Nepal.
• Course:
  • It rises as the Kali River in far northern Uttarakhand state in the Great Himalayas on the eastern slopes of the Nanda Devi massif.
  • The river then flows generally south-southwest, where it constitutes the border between Uttarakhand state and Nepal.
  • Descending from the mountains, it enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain at Barmdeo Mandi (Nepal), widening there above the Sharda Barrage. Below that point it is known as the Sharda River.
  • The Sharda then continues southeastward into India through northern Uttar Pradesh state before joining the Ghaghara River (a tributary of the Ganges) southwest of Bahraich, after a course of about 300 miles (480 km).
• Its major tributaries are the Dhauliganga, Goriganga, and Sarju.
• The Sharda Barrage (dam), near Banbasa (Uttarakhand), is the source of the Sharda Canal (completed 1930), one of the longest irrigation canals in northern India.

About Servants of India Society:

• The Servants of India Society (SIS) was founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, along with K. Devadhar, A.V. Patwardhan, and N.A. Dravid, in Pune, Maharashtra, on June 12, 1905.
• According to Gokhale, the society's objectives were to train individuals who were willing to devote their lives to the country's cause in a religious spirit, for political education and agitation and to promote the national interest of the Indian people through constitutional means.
• The members of the society were considered as young missionaries of Indian nationalism.
• Several young Indian nationalists, including S. Sreenivasa Sasthri, Hriday Nath Kunzru, and A.V. Thakkar, enrolled as a member of the SIS.
• Members go through a five-year training period and agree to serve on extremely modest salaries.
• In 1915 Gokhale was succeeded as president by Srinivasa Sastri (1869–1946).
• The organization has its headquarters in Pune (Poona) and branches in Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay), Allahabad, Nagpur, and other locales.
• Though the number of members has dwindled over time, the society has been influential in its demonstration of the ideals of social service.

About Nandur Madhyameshwar Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Nashik district of Western
• It was named the "Bharatpur of Maharashtra" by Dr. Salim Ali, one of India's most famous ornithologists.
• The Site is a mosaic of lakes, marshes and riparian forest on the Deccan Plateau.
• Construction of the Nandur Madhameshwar Weir at the confluence of the Godavari and Kadwa Rivers helped create a thriving wetland.
• Flora: The trees that are found on the edge of the lake are Babul, Neem, Tamarind, Jamun, Maharukh, Vilayati Chinch, Mango, Pangara, Nilgiri and so on.
• Fauna:
  • The occupant feathered creatures incorporate Black Ibis, Spot Bills, Teals, Little Grebe, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Stork, Kites, Vultures, Buzzards, Harriers, Osprey, Quails, Partridges, Eagles, Water Hens, Sand Pipe, Swifts, Grey Hornbill, Peafowl, and so on.
  • The creatures spotted here are Otter, Palm Civet, Fishing Cat, Jackal, Mongoose, Wolves and numerous types of Snakes, and so forth.
• In Jan 2020, the sanctuary achieved the distinction of becoming Maharashtra's first Ramsar site.

About Rudrastra:

• It is a hybrid Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drone developed by Solar Aerospace and Defence Limited (SDAL).
• Features
  • It can not only take off like a helicopter but also cruise like an aircraft, making it versatile and hard to spot.
  • The drone is equipped with smart warheads meant for anti-personnel roles, meaning it can target enemy soldiers and positions with high accuracy.
  • It can hit targets more than 50 km away.
  • In tests at the Pokhran range, it demonstrated a full range of 170 km and stayed in the air for nearly 90 minutes, relaying real-time video and returning on its own.
  • It even dropped an airburst munition that exploded low to the ground, damaging a wide area, perfect for enemy camps or artillery.
• What can Rudrastra do?
  • It’s meant for deep strikes, think enemy artillery guns or terrorist hideouts well inside hostile territory.
  • The drone can quietly sneak in, strike, and return, all without risking lives. It gives the Army a powerful “stand-off weapon” that works from a safe distance.

About Spartaeus karigiri:

• It a jumping spiders belongs the Spartaeinae subfamily in southern India.
• It is for the first time that the genera Spartaeus and Sonoita (specific groups within subfamily), previously known only from Southeast Asia and Africa, have been found in India.
• It is named after Karigiri, or Elephant Hill, in Devarayanadurga, Karnataka, where the spiders were first observed. 
• Features
  • It is known for its intelligent hunting skills and web-invasion tactics.
  • These species are known for their keen eyesight and unique hunting methods, often deceiving other spiders by mimicking prey.
  • With these findings, India’s spider fauna under the Spartaeinae subfamily has grown to 15 species across 10 genera.
• In addition, Sonoita cf. lightfooti, a species previously thought to be confined to Africa, was also identified in Karnataka.
• Despite these advancements, the study pointed out, much of India’s varied terrain remains under-studied, with many more species waiting to be uncovered.

About International Civil Aviation Organization:

• It is an intergovernmental specialized agency associated with the United Nations (UN). 
• It was established in 1947 by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (1944) known as Chicago Convention.
• Functions:
  • It is dedicated to developing safe and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes and ensuring a reasonable opportunity for every state to operate international airlines. 
  • It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security and facilitation, efficiency, and economic development of air transport as well as to improve the environmental performance of aviation. 
  • It also serves as a clearing house for cooperation and discussion on civil aviation issues among its 193 member states.
  • It also promotes regional and international agreements aimed at liberalizing aviation markets.
  • It helps to establish legal standards to ensure that the growth of aviation does not compromise safety, and encourages the development of other aspects of international aviation law.
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

About DNA identification:

• It is the gold standard for identifying human remains, especially after mass fatality events in which bodies might not be easy to identify otherwise.
• Collection and Storing samples of DNA
  • As soon as an individual dies, their DNA begins to degrade.
  • DNA survives much better in cold and dry conditions, than when it is hot and humid. Once collected, stored in as cool and dry an environment as possible.
  • DNA samples should be frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius, or, in the case of soft tissues (skin, muscles, etc.), they may be stored in 95% ethanol.
  • DNA from soft tissues degrades much faster than that from hard tissues (bones and teeth).
  • This is because cells in hard tissues are largely protected from the effects of putrefaction and decomposition.

Methods to analyse DNA Samples

• Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis:
  • It evaluates short tandem repeats, which are essentially short repeating sequences of DNA.
  • STRs are used for DNA identification as they widely vary between individuals. “After analysing 15 or more of these hyper-variable regions of DNA… the resulting profile can be used to ascertain family relationships with a high degree of confidence,
  • STRs are typically found on nuclear DNA which is located within the nucleus of a cell.
  • Therefore, to carry out STR analysis it is essential that the nuclear DNA extracted from the sample is not degraded.
• Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis: 
  • It is used when nuclear DNA is degraded or unavailable.
  • Mitochondrial DNA is found within the cell’s energy-producing organelles known as mitochondria.
  • As mtDNA is present in multiple copies within the cell, it is easier to recover from human remains that are not well preserved.
  • This is used for identification because mtDNA is passed down by the mother, unchanged, to her children.
  • This means that samples from a person’s remains can be matched with reference samples from their mother, maternal grandmother, sibling, maternal aunts or uncles, and distant relatives as long as they belong to the maternal line of inheritance.
• Y chromosome analysis:
  • Humans have two types of sex chromosomes, X and Y: biological males typically have one X and one Y chromosome, and biological females typically have two X chromosomes.
  • In this method, a panel of STR on Y chromosomes, passed on from father to son, is examined to match the remains of the victim with their male relatives.
  • “This can be useful when close relatives are not available for comparison: any member of the paternal line, including brothers, paternal uncles, and paternal male cousins, may be used for matching,”
• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis:
  • It is used when the DNA to be analysed is highly degraded.
  • A SNP is a variation in the DNA sequence where a single base — A, C, G, or T — at a specific location differs among people.
  • Given that SNPs are unique to each person, they can be used for identification purposes with the help of reference samples taken from the victim’s personal belongings such as a toothbrush and hairbrush.