About Devon Island:

• It is located in the Canadian arctic archipelago, within the zone classified as the High Arctic.
• It is the world’s largest uninhabited island.
• Ellesmere Island lies to the north of Devon Island and Baffin Bay lies to its east.
• Although completely devoid of human settlements, a few species reside on the island.
• Winters are extremely harsh with temperatures being as low as −50 °C.
• The “out-of-the-world-like” landscape here is cold, dry, and rocky. Snow and ice blanket the island’s ice cap for the entire year.
• NASA uses Devon Island to study Mars, primarily because it's barren, and its freezing, polar desert conditions allow researchers to test next-generation rovers.
• It is home to a 14-mile-wide Haughton Crater. It was formed when a meteorite struck millions of years ago, leaving behind terrain that resembles the surface of Mars. 

About Bascule Bridge:

• It is a type of bridge that can be raised to provide clearance for waterway traffic and is also referred to as a lifting bridge or a drawbridge.
• It makes use of a counterweight to balance a span or leaf through its upward trajectory.
• The balance of the weight is sometimes adjusted according to the frequency of waterway traffic.
• The counterweight is usually heavier than the leaf itself, which makes lifting easier and reduces the energy needed to operate the bridge.
• The span can be single or double, and in rare cases it may even be triple or quadruple.
• A pulley system helps raise and lower the bridge.
  • Cables or chains connected to the counterweight run through pulleys and are attached to the leaf.
  • This mechanical system helps reduce the force needed to lift the leaf, using something called "mechanical advantage.”
• The word ‘bascule’ is French in origin and translates loosely as a seesaw or a balancing mechanical device.
• It is thought that bascule bridges were first designed during the mediaeval era in Europe, when they served defensive purposes.
• The longest double-leaf bascule bridge in the world is the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon, USA.

About Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):

• It is a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in India operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It provides security to various critical infrastructures, including airports and important national installations.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Motto: “Protection and Security”.
• Establishment:
  • The CISF came into existence in 1969 through the CISF Act 1968 with a sanctioned strength of only three battalions.
  • The Act was amended in 1983, declaring the CISF as an Armed Force of the Union.
• Organisation Structure:
  • CISF is headed by an Indian Police Service officer with the rank of Director-General, assisted by an IPS officer in the rank of Addl. Director-General.
  • The force is divided into seven sectors (Airport, North, North-East, East, West, South, and Training) and also has a Fire Service Wing.
  • The force consists of seven training institutes – six Recruit Training Centers and the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA).
• Functions:
  • The CISF security umbrella includes India’s most critical infrastructure facilities, like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants,
  • In addition, the CISF also protects important government buildings, iconic heritage monuments, Delhi Metro, Parliament House Complex, and Central Jails of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The CISF also has a specialized VIP Security vertical, providing round-the-clock security to important protectees.
  • CISF personnel are trained in disaster management techniques, enabling them to actively respond to natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and cyclones.
  • CISF is one of the largest Fire Protection Service providers in the country. CISF is the only force with a customized and dedicated fire wing.
  • It is a compensatory cost force, which means that it bills its clients for the services it provides.
  • The CISF is the only CAPF with a daily public interface – in the airports, in the Delhi Metro, and in the iconic monuments.

About Blue-and-White Flycatcher:

• It is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.
• Scientific Name: Cyanoptila cyanomelana
• It is also known as the Japanese flycatcher.
• Distribution:
  • It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of northeastern China and the Russian Far East.
  • It winters in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo.
• Habitat:
  • It lives in wooded areas in lowlands and submontane forests such as taiga, wooded slopes, and gullies at up to 1200 metres of elevation.
  • It can also be found in scrub, bushes, and plantations.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

About Roopkund Lake:

• Roopkund, also known as the “lake of skeletons” is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand.
• It is surrounded by snow-capped peaks and lush green meadows.
• Mystery:
  • It is called the “lake of skeletons” as the glacial body conceals numbers of human skeletons, some with preserved flesh.
  • Depending on the season and weather, the lake, which remains frozen for most of the year, expands and shrinks.
  • Only when the snow melts are the skeletons visible.
  • The skeletons in the lake were first discovered by a patrolling British forest ranger in 1942.
  • These skeletal remains dating back to around the 9th century AD, have led to various theories about the cause of death.
  • Scientific studies used radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis to learn more about the victims.

About Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in Karnataka.
• It is part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It was formed by combining the existing Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and the adjoining reserve forest blocks. 
• The sanctuary shares its southwestern boundary with the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Vegetation: It mainly consists of tropical evergreen to semi-evergreen types of forests, moist deciduous forests, and grasslands and savanna.
• Flora: The sanctuary is immensely rich in species like Dhoopa, Gulmavu, Surahonne, Mavu, Nandi, etc.
• Fauna: It is home to endangered lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar,barking deer, mouse deer etc.

About National Leprosy Eradication Programme:

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme under the overarching umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM).
• Aim: The primary aim is controlling leprosy through early detection and treatment.
• Goal: Its goal is to make India leprosy-free by interrupting transmission, eliminating stigma, and ensuring dignified care for all affected individuals.
• The programme offers free-of-cost services for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of leprosy through all public health facilities across India.
  • It provides both technical and financial support to all States and Union Territories for implementation of activities related to prevention, early detection, case confirmation, treatment, disability prevention, and post-treatment care.
• It also facilitates convergence with other national health programmes and deploys digital platforms such as Nikusth 2.0 for surveillance and reporting.
• The programme is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Global Leprosy Strategy.
  • WHO Global Leprosy Strategy aims to achieve zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination by 2027.
• It was declared as a Notifiable Disease.
• Objectives:
  • To reduce Prevalence rate less than 1/10,000 population at sub national and district level.
  • To reduce Grade II disability % < 1 among new cases at National level.
  • To reduce Grade II disability cases < 1 case per million populations at National level.
  • Zero disabilities among new Child cases.
  • Zero stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy.

About Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:

• It was launched in 2022 which aims at development and upgradation of stations over the Indian Railways (IR) network.
• The scheme envisaged development of stations with a long term vision.
• The policy is based on Master Planning for long term and implementation of the same as per needs and demand of the station to station.
• The ABSS has a long-term vision that involves creating master plans, promoting multimodal connectivity, better station accessibility for passengers, etc.
• The goal is to make stations cleaner, more comfortable, and easier to use.
• Key Features of Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:
  • Amenities: It includes proving entry and exit points, waiting halls, toilets, platforms, and roofing. Facilities like lifts, escalators, and free Wi-Fi are added wherever needed.
    • There are also better signs and information systems to help passengers. Some stations will have executive lounges and special areas for business meetings.
  • Local Economy Support: Local products will be sold at kiosks under the ‘One Station One Product’ scheme, and efforts will be made to make stations look greener and more attractive.

About Air Droppable Container- 150:

• It is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity. 
• Key components of the system were developed by several DRDO laboratories.
  • The parachute system was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment in Agra.
  • The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification in Bengaluru provided flight clearance and certification for the trials.
  • Instrumentation support for the tests was provided by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory in Hyderabad.
• Significance: The system enables rapid delivery of critical stores, equipment, and medical supplies to naval vessels deployed in the open sea or in distress.

What is P-8I Poseidon aircraft?

• It is a long-range, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft being manufactured by Boeing (a U.S. aerospace company) for the Indian Navy. 
• The P-8I Poseidon flown by the Indian Navy is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the United States Navy.
• Its advanced sensors, weapons systems, and long-range capabilities enable it to detect and respond to a wide range of threats, from submarines and surface vessels to environmental challenges. 
• It can conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (AsuW), intelligence, maritime patrol, and surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
• Speed: It can fly at a maximum speed of 789 km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,496 m. 
• Range: It has a maximum range of over 2,222 kilometres with a time on station of four hours.