About Public Accounts Committee:

• It is the oldest parliamentary committee in India which was established in 1921.
• It is constituted every year.
• The Chairperson is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its Members of Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker, for the first time, appointed a Member of the Opposition as the Chairperson of the Committee for 1967-68.
• Purpose: Audits the revenue and expenditure of the Government of India to ensure public funds are spent efficiently and legally.
• Functions of PAC:
  • It examines the CAG audit report on government expenditure.
  • It ensures money sanctioned by Parliament is spent properly.
  • It investigates financial irregularities, losses, and inefficiencies in government spending.
• Members:
  • It consists of 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha).
  • Chairperson: A Lok Sabha MP, traditionally from the Opposition.
  • Term: One year.
  • Ministers cannot be members of the PAC.

About BHAVYA Scheme:

• BHAVYA (Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna) is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at developing investment-ready, world-class industrial parks across the country.
• The major focus of the Scheme is on creation of
  • Investment-ready industrial ecosystems with plug-and-play infrastructure, multimodal logistics connectivity, reliable utility systems, worker-support infrastructure, digital governance systems, and sustainable development features.
• Time Period: Six years from 2026-27 to 2031-32
• Features of BHAVYA Scheme:
  • It has been designed to support the Centre’s Make in India and PM Gati Shakti programmes by creating integrated, investment-ready manufacturing zones equipped with plug-and-play infrastructure and multimodal logistics connectivity.
  • It provides for development of both greenfield and eligible brownfield industrial parks.
  • Minimum land requirements have been fixed at 100 acres for non-hilly states and 25 acres for hilly states, northeastern states, Union Territories, and smaller states.
  • Implementation: It will be undertaken through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013.

About Buxa Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
• The fragile “Terai Eco-System” constitutes a part of this reserve.
• It serves as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
• Corridor Connectivity
  • The reserve has corridor connectivity across the border with the forests of Bhutan in the North, on the East it has linkages with the Kochugaon forests, Manas Tiger Reserve and on the West with the Jaldapara National Park.
• Rivers: It is drained by two rivers, namely the River Raidak and the River Jayanti.
• Vegetation: The forests of the reserve can be broadly classified as the ‘Moist Tropical Forest’.
• Flora: Some of the important species are Sal, Champa, Gamar, Simul, and Chikrasi.
• Fauna: The main species include the Tiger, elephant, leopard cat, gaur, wild boar, sambar, hog deer, Chinese pangolin, etc.

About Idu Mishmi Tribe:

• It is one of the tribal groups who have been living primarily in the Dibang Valley, lower Dibang, and Lohit districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• They primarily live in Mishmi Hills, bordering Tibet in Arunachal Pradesh.
• They can be distinctively identified by their typical hairstyle, distinctive customs and artistic pattern embedded on their clothes.
• Occupation: They are known for their weaving and craftsmanship skills.
• Language: Their language, called ‘Idu Mishmi’, is considered endangered by UNESCO.
• Relationship with nature:
  • Traditionally animists, the tribe has strong ties with the region’s rich flora and fauna. 
  • Tigers are especially important to the Idu Mishmis — according to Idu mythology, they were born to the same mother, and thus, tigers are their “elder brothers”.
  • Iyu-ena’: It is a strict belief system of myths and taboos that restrict them from hunting many animals, including a complete prohibition on killing tigers.
• Festivals: They celebrate festivals such as Reh and Ke-Meh-Ha.
• They brew local rice beer called Ebu.
• Society: The Idu-Mishmi society is patriarchal and patrilineal. The property is inherited by the son from the father. 

About Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank:

• It is a multilateral development bank established in
• Objective: It focuses on promoting sustainable economic growth, enhancing regional connectivity, and mobilizing both public and private capital for infrastructure investments. 
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Membership: It has now grown to 111 approved members
  • India is a Founding Member of AIIB and the second-largest shareholder after China. 
• Governance:
  • It is headed by a Board of Governors composed of one Governor and one Alternate Governor appointed by each of the member countries.
  • A non-resident Board of Directors is responsible for the direction and management of the Bank, such as the Bank’s strategy, annual plan and budget and establishing policies and oversight procedures.
  • The bank staff is headed by a President who is elected by AIIB shareholders for a five-year term and is eligible for re-election once.

About Rumen Fluke:

• Rumen flukes are parasites of ruminants and occur worldwide.
• They have a snail intermediate host.
• The adult parasites live in the rumen (stomach), and the immature larval forms live in the small intestine.
• They have been associated with significant disease (paramphistomosis) in tropical and subtropical countries.
  • The disease is due to intestinal damage caused by massive numbers of larvae in the intestine.
  • Transmission: Through ingestion of contaminated water or vegetation carrying larval stages.
  • Symptoms:
    • Key signs of rumen fluke disease are severe diarrhoea, rapid weight loss, and swelling under the jaw, known as “bottle jaw”.
    • It includes reduced milk yield and curdling and significant loss in body mass despite the animal’s willingness to eat.
  • The disease can be treated with targeted anthelmintic medicines. Anthelmintics are medications used to eradicate parasitic worms (helminthes).
  • Management requires proper grazing and pasture control.

About Machkund Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a 120 MW hydropower project located in the Koraput district of Odisha along the border with Andhra Pradesh.
• It is located on the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats near the well-known Duduma Falls, on the Machkund River (a tributary of the Godavari River system).
  • The Jalaput Dam, along with its reservoir, supports the project.
• It is an inter-state Project of Government of Andhra Pradesh and Government of Odisha. 

About Oreshnik Missile:

• It is a Russian-made intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile.
• It was first used by Russia in November 2024 to target the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
• The missile is based on the RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missile, and, like other Russian weapons systems, Oreshnik is capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
• Features:
  • It is mounted on a mobile transporter and launcher for rapid deployment and concealment.
  • Equipped with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), the “Oreshnik” can carry six to eight warheads, hitting multiple targets simultaneously.
  • With a reported range of 5,000 kilometres, the missile can strike targets across Europe and even reach the west coast of the United States.
  • It can travel at Mach 10, around 10 times the speed of sound or approximately 2.5 to 3 kilometres per second, making interception extremely difficult.

About Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is situated in Uttar Pradesh.
• Borders: On the northern side, the Sanctuary shares the international boundary with Nepal, and on the eastern border is Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
• The sanctuary is part of the larger Terai Arc Landscape.
• Drainage: It is drained by the great Gandak, the little Gandak, Pyas, and Rohin
• Topography: It features mostly flat terrain, gently sloping from northwest to southeast.
• Flora:
  • Nearly 75% of the area consists of Sal forest, and other humid areas are covered with Jaamun, Gutal, Semal, Khair trees, etc.
  • The lower region of the sanctuary, which is waterlogged during rains, consists of grasslands and patches of cane forests.
• Fauna:
  • It is inhabited by a variety of animals, which mainly includes Leopard, Tiger, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Langur, Deer, Blue Bull, Wild boar, Porcupine, etc.
  • Resident and migratory birds like peafowls, parakeets, woodpeckers, drongos, and several species of eagles and owls thrive here.
  • During winter, migratory birds from Central Asia visit the wetlands.