About Giant’s Causeway:

• It is located on the coastal edge of the Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland.
• The region consists of 6 kilometers (4 miles) of stepping-stone-like black basalt columns.
• Each stone is a curiously distinct polygon or hexagon, with seemingly unnatural straight edges.
• The pillars range in height, and shoot up out of the sea, increasing in height until they reach the cliff top.
• This stepping stone or stair-like appearance of the area is where the Giant’s Causeway name is thought to have originated, as the columns look much like steps for a giant.
• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
• Formation:
  • The rock and column formations were first formed some 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period.
  • The columns originally formed due to extensive volcanic activity in the area.
  • Molten basalt rose up through a layer of chalk beds, creating what is known as a volcanic plateau.
  • The lava then began to cool and contract, which caused fractures and edges within the rock.
  • As the lava flow continued to cool, it receded, leaving behind tall column shapes.
  • Because the lava cooled very quickly, it receded a great deal, leaving behind particularly prominent and large columns.

About Indrayani River:

• It is located in Maharashtra.
• It is a tributary of the Bhima River (a tributary of the Krishna River).
• Course:
  • It is a rain-fed river that originates from the Western Ghats, near the hill station of Lonavala, located along the Mumbai-Pune Highway.
  • It flows eastward, making its way through parts of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad districts before merging into the Bhima River at Tulapur.
  • It follows a course mostly north of the city of Pune.
• The river has great religious importance, and the two sacred towns, Alandi and Dehu, are situated on its banks.
  • Dehu is known to be a sacred place for being the hometown of the poet Saint Tukaram, who was a popular saint of Maharashtra, and Alandi holds the samadhi of the poet Dnyaneshwar.
• The Indrayani also passes through the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and plays a role in irrigation and local agriculture.
• Valvan Dam at Kamshet, situated on the Indrayani River, is a hydroelectric generating station.

About  Arbitrage Funds:

• Arbitrage funds are equity-oriented hybrid funds that leverage arbitrage opportunities in the market.
• The basic principle behind arbitrage is to take advantage of temporary price differences to generate profits with minimal risk.
• These can be a pricing mismatch between two exchanges, different pricing in the spot and futures market,
• The fund manager of an arbitrage fund buys and sells the shares at the same time and earns the difference between the selling price and the buying price of the share.
• The underlying principle is to capture the price spread between the buying and selling, often within a short time frame.
• This is fundamentally different from any other form of investing, where you purchase an asset and wait for it to grow in value before selling it.
• In an arbitrage fund, the fund manager invests in equities only when he finds a definite opportunity to earn returns.
• If there are no arbitrage opportunities available, then the fund invests in short-term money market instruments and debt securities to ensure stable returns.
• The important thing to note here is that the price difference is usually very small. Therefore, the fund manager has to make several trades in one day to book a reasonable profit.
• They are classified as hybrid mutual funds where according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), at least 65% of the fund’s assets must be in equities and equity-related securities.
• Benefits:
  • Low Risk, Equity-Like Returns: Since the buying and selling are hedged, the risk is minimal, making it an attractive option for risk-averse investors.
  • Tax Advantages: Gains from arbitrage funds held for more than one year qualify as long-term capital gains (LTCG).
  • Liquidity: Arbitrage funds offer high liquidity, allowing investors to redeem their money quickly when needed.
  • Diversified Portfolio: These funds diversify investments across various sectors and instruments, reducing the risk.
• Limitations:
  • Market Dependency: Returns are linked to market volatility; low volatility means fewer opportunities for arbitrage.
  • Short-Term Focus: They may not be ideal for long-term wealth creation.

About Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in Rajasthan.
• It is also known as the Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is situated in a valley formed by two parallel mountains, viz. Mukundra and Gargola.
• It encompasses the area of Mukandra National Park, Darrah Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary, and part of Chambal Sanctuary (from Garadia Mahadev to Jawahar Sagar Dam), forming its core/critical tiger habitat. 
• It is strategically located between Ranthambore and Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, making it a vital corridor for tiger movement.
• River: It is located on the eastern bank of the Chambal River and is drained by its tributaries.
• Vegetation: Dry Deciduous Forest
• Flora: Kala Dhok, or Kaladhi, is the predominant species, along with Khair, Ber, Kakan, Raunj, etc.
• Fauna: Leopard, Sloth bear, Nilgai, Chinkara, Spotted Deer, Small Indian Civet, Toddy Cat, Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Common Langur, etc.

About Atal Innovation Mission:

• It is led by the NITI Aayog was established in 2016 as an opportunity to improve the entrepreneurial and innovative culture of Indian administration.
• It aims to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across India.
• Objectives:
  • Encourage creativity as the foundation for strategic planning across various sectors
  • Facilitating collaboration by providing a platform for diverse stakeholders
  • Serving as a central body to oversee and integrate the nation’s technological infrastructure.
• The NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has launched several key initiatives to foster innovation and entrepreneurship:
• Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL):
  • It is designed to spark creativity and innovation among young minds.
  • It provides access to advanced technology for students who are 12 years and above.
  • It focuses on teaching concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using modern tools and equipments.
• Atal Incubation Centres (AIC): It actively supports innovative entrepreneurs to enhance accessibility, sustainability, and scalability.
  • It aims to establish world-class startups and long-term businesses in 110 smart cities and the top five institutions in each state.
  • It provides infrastructure, mentorship, and access to funding to help innovators thrive in their fields.
• Atal Research and Innovation for Small Businesses (ARISE):
  • It aims to enhance the performance of Indian startups and MSMEs by fostering research and technology-driven initiatives.
  • It focuses on creating a steady pipeline of innovative products, with initial clients being Central Government Ministries/Departments.

About Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi:

• These are groups of root obligate biotrophs belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota.
• These are soil-borne microorganisms form symbiotic associations with approximately with 80% of terrestrial vascular plants.
• Structure: These are made up of tiny branching threads called hyphae.
• These hyphal networks form two-way pipes to channel nutrients and carbon to and from plants.
• Grassland ecosystems like those in South Sudan, the Tibetan plateau, and India’s Banni grasslands house 40% of the world’s AM fungal networks.
• It networks also weigh around 300 million tonnes of carbon, which is four- to six-times the weight of the entire human population.
• Ecological Role:
  • They are considered natural biofertilizers which provide the host with water, nutrients, and pathogen protection.
  • They provide nutrients and water in exchange for the carbon produced by the plants, and helps to regulate the climate by drawing carbon into soils.
  • It formed symbiotic relationships with 70% of plant species, trading nutrients for carbon and sequesters an estimated 4 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent a year.

About Armenia:

• Location: It is a landlocked country, located in the south of Caucasus mountain range.
• Bordering Countries: It is bounded by Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east, Iran in the southeast and Turkey in the west. 
• Capital:
• Geographical Features of Armenia:
  • Climate: It is impacted by highland continental, hot summers, cold winter climate.
  • Terrain: The Lesser (or Little) Caucasus Mountains dominate much of Armenia’s landscape. 
    • Much of Armenia’s soil, formed partly by residues of volcanic lava, is rich in nitrogen, potash, and phosphates. 
  • Highest Peak: Mount Aragats
  • Rivers: Aras, Hrazdan, Arpa, and Vorotan, rivers which provide hydropower and irrigation facilities to the country.
  • Lakes: Lake Sevan is the largest lake of Armenia.
  • Natural resources: It consists of small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite.

About Greater Hog Badger:

• It is a nocturnal small burrowing omnivore mammal.
• It is called ‘mati gahori’ in Assamese.
• Globally, there are three extant species of this mammal—the greater hog badger, the northern hog badger (Arctonyx albogularis), and the Sumatran hog badger (Arctonyx hoevenii). The first two are found in India.
• Appearance:
  • It possesses an elongated pig-like snout and modified teeth which point forward and are used for turning over the soil.
  • Its body fur is dark grey to brownish.
• Distribution: It is distributed across parts of South, Central, and Southeast Asia.
  • Its range extends from Bangladesh and northeastern India eastwards through Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam.
• Habitat: They live in tropical evergreen forests, savanna, grasslands and shrubland, hills, and mountains.
• Characteristics:
  • It is a ground-dwelling very shy and leads a secretive solitary life.
  • These are territorial creatures that mark their territories with their scents on the grass, rocks, and tree trunks.
  • They are excellent burrowers and dig into the ground to create burrows for shelter and to find their food.
  • Diet: Its diet includes worms, insects, small mammals but also fruits, tubers, and roots.
• Ecological Role: It contributes to ecosystem function as a highly fossorial mammal (a term for animals adapted for digging, burrowing, or living primarily underground) through soil disturbance, nutrient redistribution, and leaf litter turnover during foraging.
  • Such digging behaviour enhances soil aeration and may facilitate seed germination and micro-habitat formation for invertebrates and small vertebrates.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I