About Tristan da Cunha:

• It is both a group of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and the largest island of that group.
• The archipelago is volcanic in origin.
• It is about midway between southern Africa and South America.
• It is considered the most remote inhabited chain of islands in the world.
• The islands were discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, after whom they are named.
• The island group is a constituent part of the British overseas territory.
• The main island, Tristan da Cunha, has a small settlement named Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. It has an estimated population of 250 permanent residents.
• Other islands in the Tristan Archipelago are uninhabited: two (Gough Island and Inaccessible Island) form a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Nightingale Island, Stoltenhoff and Alex (or Middle) Island also have globally significant biodiversity.
• The archipelago contains no airstrip and is accessible only by boat or helicopter.
• Tristan da Cunha has a unique economic and social structure in which land is communally owned and all families engage in farming.
• Outsiders cannot settle or buy land on the islands.
• In addition to agriculture, the other sectors of the economy are government and commercial fishing.

About Indian Vulture:

• The Indian vulture, also called the long-billed vulture, is a bird of prey native to Asia.
• Scientific Name: Gyps indicus
• It is part of a group called ‘’Old World vultures’’.
• They belong to the Accipitridae family, which includes eagles and hawks.
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • These are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
  • They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
  • It has suffered a 97-99% population decrease due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac.
  • It was given to working animals, as it reduced joint pain and so kept them working for longer.
  • Vultures got poisoned when they ate the meat of dead cattle that had been treated with diclofenac. This caused kidney failure in the vultures.
• Features:
  • It is a bulky medium-sized Females of this species are smaller than males.
  • They have a small, mostly bald head with few feathers.
  • It has a long, featherless neck, dark eyes, and a long, yellowish beak.
  • Its body and covert feathers are light brown.
  • Its wings are broad, and its tail feathers are short.
  • Its large wingspan allows it to fly long distances while using minimal energy.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.

Key Facts about Melghat Tiger Reserve:

• It is located in Maharashtra’s Amravati district.
• Perched on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range, also known as the Gavilgarh Hills, the very name Melghat translates to “meeting of the ghats.”
• It was the first tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
• Rivers: The Tapti River flows gracefully along the reserve’s northeastern boundary, while five tributaries—Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar—crisscross the sanctuary.
• Tribes: The Korkus are the largest tribal community in Melghat.
• Flore:
  • It is dominated by tropical dry deciduous
  • Towering teak trees (Tectona grandis) dominate, interspersed with other valuable species such as Ain (Terminalia tomentosa), Haldu (Adina cordifolia), and Bamboo.
• Fauna:
  • Sloth Bear, Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Leopard, Nilgais, dhole, hyena, jungle cat, langur, etc.
  • It is considered a stronghold of the critically endangered forest owlet.

About Lupus Disease:

• It is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs.
• It causes widespread inflammation and damage to joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs.
• Causes: The causes of lupus are not known. But they may be linked to a person's environment, family history (genetics), or hormonal factors.
• Lupus is much more common among women than men.
• It mostly affects people between 20 to 40 years old but can also occur in newborns, children, and older adults.
• There are several kinds of lupus:
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common It can be mild or severe and can affect many parts of the body. SLE accounts for 70% of lupus cases.
  • Discoid lupus causes a red rash that doesn’t go away.
  • Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun.
  • Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain medicines. It usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine.
  • Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns. It is probably caused by certain antibodies from the mother.
• Symptoms:
  • Lupus causes symptoms throughout your body, depending on which organs or systems it affects.
  • Everyone experiences a different combination and severity of symptoms.
  • The symptoms of lupus occur in times of flare-ups. Between flare-ups, people usually experience times of remission, when there are few or no symptoms.
  • The wide range of symptoms in the body includes joint pain, headache, rashes, fever, fatigue, mouth sores, confusion, swollen glands, and blood clots, among others.
  • Left untreated, it can progress to damage the kidneys, lungs, heart, and even the brain.
• Treatment: There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.

About Sabarmati River:

• It is a monsoon-fed, west-flowing river flowing through Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Course:
  • It originates from the Dhebar Lake, situated in the southeast of the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district.
  • From its source, the river flows in a southwest direction.
  • As it flows through the plains, the river enters the state of Gujarat.
  • It finally empties into the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea.
• The basin is bounded by Aravalli Hills on the north and northeast, by the Rann of Kutch on the west, and by the Gulf of Khambhat on the south.
• The banks of the Sabarmati River have cities like Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
• It flows north-south through Ahmedabad, bisecting the city into its western and eastern halves.
• Major Tributaries: Wakal River, Harnav River, Hathmati River, Watrak River, and Madhumati River.

About Cyrtodactylus varadgiri:

• Cyrtodactylus varadgirii (Giri's Geckoella) is a species of gecko in the gekkonidae family.
• It is nocturnal, insectivorous, and terrestrial, living in dense leaf litter on the forest floor.
• It is endemic to India and found in parts of western and Central India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
• The gecko was first discovered in 2016.
• It is one of the widely distributed but poorly known ground-dwelling geckos from India.
• It is also unusual among its close relatives in being associated not only with natural habitats but also with open and human-modified landscapes, including urban green spaces.
• Except for the record of the occurrence of this species from various locations, mostly during the monsoon, information on other aspects of its natural history is highly understudied.