About Panama:         

• Location: It is a country of Central America located on the Isthmus of Panama.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia.
• Water Bodies: It is bounded by the Caribbean Sea to the north and by the Pacific Ocean to the south.
• Capital City: Panama City.
• Geographical Features of Panama:
  • Climate: Panama has a moist tropical and subtropical climate.
  • Lakes: Lake Gatun which also plays a vital role in the operation of the Panama Canal.
  • River: Tuira River is the longest river of Panama.
  • Mountain Range: The Cordillera Central, or Central Mountain Range, runs down the middle of Panama.
  • Natural Resources: It mainly consists of gold, copper, manganese, and iron.

About Khadi and Village Industries Commission:

• It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956.
• Nodal Ministry: It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
• It is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.
• Organisation Structure: At the state level, Khadi & Village Industries Boards were set up to effectively implement the schemes of KVIC in their respective states.
• Objectives of the KVIC are:
  • Social Objective: To provide employment in rural areas
  • Economic Objective: To produce a saleable product
  • Wider Objective: To create self-reliance among the economically weaker section
• Functions of the KVIC
  • Strategic Reserve: To build a strategic reserve of raw materials and implements for supply to producers.
  • Processing: To create common service facilities for processing raw materials as semi-finished goods and provisions for facilities for marketing KVI products.
  • Marketing: To enhance the sale and marketing of Khadi and other products of village industries or handicrafts.
  • Research: To be responsible for encouraging and promoting research in the production techniques.
  • Standards: To assure the genuineness of the products and to set standards for the quality of products from Khadi and Village Industries.

About Bathukamma Festival:

• It is a floral festival celebrated by the women folk of Telangana.
• History Behind Bathukamma:
  • The term “Bathukamma” translates to “Mother Goddess Come Alive”, reflecting the divine feminine energy and protection.
  • Folklore connects the festival to legends of Goddess Gauri and her miraculous survival as well as King Dhramangada and Queen Satyavati of the Chola dynasty. 
  • Historically, the Kakatiya dynasty emphasized Bathukamma as a celebration of feminine strength and agricultural prosperity.
• Every year this festival is celebrated usually in September–October of the Gregorian calendar.
• Cultural Traditions: It is celebrated for nine days during Durga Navratri and the 9-day festivities will culminate on “Saddula Bathukamma” or “Pedda Bathukamma” festival.
• Bathukamma is followed by Boddemma, which is a 7-day festival.
• State Festival: It has been declared as the Telangana State Festival.

About Project Seabird:

• It is the largest naval infrastructure project for India.
• Location: It involves creation of a naval base at Karwar, Karnataka, on the west coast of India. 
• Phases of Project Seabird:
  • Phase 1: Its first phase, which included the construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift, was commissioned in 2005.
  • Phase 2: The development of phase 2 of INS Kadamba commenced in 2011.
  • This phase is further divided into 2A and 2B. It was planned to expand the facilities to dock additional warships and a new Naval Air Station, among other projects. 

About Epstein - Barr Virus:

• EBV, also known as human herpesvirus 4, belongs to the herpesvirus family.
• Transmission: It spreads mainly through EBV is classified by IARC as a Group 1 carcinogen.
• It usually does not cause any harm, but the virus gets reactivated inside the body in some unusual conditions like immunological stress or immunocompetence.
• This may further lead to various complications like a type of blood cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma, stomach cancer, multiple sclerosis.
• Treatment: There is no specific treatment for EBV. However, some things like drinking fluids to stay hydrated, getting plenty of rest can be done to help relieve symptoms.

About Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana:

• It was launched in 2025 to support farmers.
• The objective of the scheme is to:
  • Enhance agricultural productivity
  • Increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices
  • Augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels
  • Improve irrigation facilities
  • Facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.
• It bridges developmental gaps by integrating schemes from different departments, ensuring convergence in efforts and efficient resource utilisation.
• It focuses on transforming agriculture and allied activities across 100 Aspirational Agricultural Districts.
• These districts were identified using three key indicators: low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less agricultural credit disbursement.
• The selection also considered the share of net cropped area and operational holdings in each State and Union Territory. Each State has at least one selected district.
• Administrative Structure for Implementation
  • The PMDDKY scheme follows a three-tier implementation structure-
    • District Level: The District Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti, headed by the District Collector/DM, prepares and implements the District Action Plan.
    • State Level: The State Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti, headed by the Chief Secretary of the State, reviews and monitors the District Plans.
    • National Level: Two committees oversee the scheme. The National Executive Committee is headed by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The National Monitoring Committee is headed by the Secretary, DA&FW.

About Central Asian Flyway Digital Hub:

• It is developed by the Central Asian Conservation Network (CACN).
• It aim is to strengthen the sharing of knowledge and information for the conservation of migratory birds across one of the world’s major migration routes.
• It brings together information on bird species, important flyway sites, conservation initiatives, educational resources and participation opportunities across the flyway.
• It will also provide dedicated portals for recording bird collisions and sightings of marked birds.
• Features:
  • Collection of educational and awareness materials: These are designed to make the story of migratory birds accessible to children, teachers, communities, birdwatchers and the wider public.
  • Bird Collision Reporting Portal: It is for documenting bird deaths and injuries caused by infrastructure, and a
  • Ringing and Resighting Portal: It is for recording observations of marked birds and understanding migration routes.
  • It will continue to expand with new species information, educational resources, conservation projects and monitoring data.

About Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve:

• Location: It is one of India’s most important protected mountain ecosystems located in the Western Himalayas of Uttarakhand.
• It includes the Nanda Devi National Park and the Valley of Flowers National Park, both of which are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• The reserve is recognised under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
• Geographical Features:
  • It consists of rugged mountain ranges, deep gorges, glaciers and snow-covered peaks.
  • Glaciers: Numerous glaciers, including the Uttari Rishi, Dakshini Rishi, Trisul and Ramani
• Vegetation: Alpine meadows (Bugyals), temperate forests and sub-alpine vegetation dominate the landscape.
• Rivers: The Rishi Ganga River originates from the glaciers within the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It joins the Dhauliganga River, which is a tributary of the Alaknanda River.
• Flora: Temperate forests contain oak, deodar, blue pine, fir, spruce and rhododendron.
• Fauna: Snow Leopard, Himalayan Musk Deer, Himalayan Tahr, Bharal (Blue Sheep), Asiatic Black Bear and Common Leopard.

About INS Shreyas:

• It is the third of four next-generation offshore patrol vessels.
• These ships derive their names from India’s rich heritage, with this ship being named as ‘Shreyas’, meaning ‘Best’ or ‘Most Excellent’ in Sanskrit.
• It is being built by defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd for the Indian Navy.
• Features of INS Shreyas:
  • Speed and Capacity: It will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 23 knots and have an endurance of 8,500 nautical miles.
  • Operations: It is designed for a wide range of maritime operations, the NGOPVs will undertake coastal and offshore asset protection, maritime interdiction, surveillance, mine warfare and special operations.

About Red-Headed Vulture:

• The Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) is an Old World vulture.
• Other Names: It is also known as the Asian king vulture, Indian black vulture, or Pondicherry vulture.
• Habitat: They are usually found in open country and in cultivated and semi-desert areas, deciduous forests foothills, river valleys and also in mountainous
• Distribution: It is mainly found in South Asia with small disjunct populations in some parts of Southeast Asia.
  • Typically found in Central India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• Breeding: Breeding typically takes place between November and January.
• Diet: These are scavenging birds, feeding mostly on carcasses of dead animals which they find by sight.
• Threats: It was extensively found in India but its numbers drastically reduced after diclofenac poisoning
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1