About Lake Neuchatel:

• It is the largest lake entirely within Switzerland.
• It is nestled at the foot of the Jura Mountains.
• It was formed during the last Ice Age.
• The Thiele River enters at its southwestern end and issues from it at its northeastern end. The lake also receives the Areuse and Broye rivers.
• The northwestern shore (Neuchatel canton) is the most thickly settled, and the slopes are covered with vineyards.
• On the north shore is La Tene, famous for prehistoric finds, which gives its name to the late Iron Age culture.

About Baisakhi Festival:

• Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is the popular spring harvest festival which is celebrated in Northern India, especially by the Sikh/Punjabi community.
• It is traditionally observed on the first day of the month of Vaishakha in the Hindu solar calendar, which falls in April.
• The annual festival is observed on April 13 or 14. It marks the Sikh New Year.
• It is primarily a harvest festival, where farmers express gratitude for a good crop yield. It symbolizes prosperity, hard work, and new beginnings.
• It holds special importance for the Sikh community, as in 1699, the foundation of the ‘Khalsa Panth’ or the ‘order of the free/pure ones’ was laid down on Baisakhi by the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh.
  • The Khalsa was founded by him at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, in front of thousands.
• However, as it coincides with the Hindu New Year for many communities that follow the solar calendar, variations of the festival are observed in other regions across India. For instance, we will find Baisakhi being celebrated as
  • Pohela/Poila Boishakh or Nobo Borsho as the Bengali New Year
  • Vishu marking the end of the spring equinox in Kerala
  • Bohag Bihu in Assam
  • Puthandu as the Tamil New Year
  • Vaishakha in honor of Surya, the Sun God in Bihar.

About Arachnids:

• Arachnids are chelicerates, one of the five groups of the phylum Arthropoda, which loosely means ‘jointed foot’.
• These arthropods are primarily carnivorous, wingless, and have 8 legs.
• Like all arthropods, arachnids have segmented bodies, tough exoskeletons, and jointed appendages.
• Comprising around 100,000 species, there are more arachnids than all vertebrate animals (e.g., mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians) combined.
• They encompass various orders, including spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites, making arachnids prevalent in terrestrial habitats across all continents, with some found in freshwater environments.
• They are notable for their anatomical adaptations, such as specialized mouthparts for prey capture and unique respiratory structures, like book lungs and tracheal tubes.
• Arachnids lack jaws and, with only a few exceptions, inject digestive fluids into their prey before sucking its liquefied remains into their mouths.
• They exhibit various lifestyles, including free-living, predatory, and parasitic
• Noteworthy members include highly venomous species, such as the black widow spider and certain scorpions, which can pose risks to humans.
• At a glance, insects and arachnids are easy to mistake for one another. The two easy-to-spot differences between the two are:
  • Body segments: While arachnids have two body segments, insects have three body segments.
  • Number of legs: Insects have six legs compared to arachnids’ eight legs.

About Bankey Bihari Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.
• It is located in the holy city of Vrindavan in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh.
• At this temple, the primary deity is presented in the 'tribhanga' posture, gracefully tilted at three angles. This distinctive pose, where Lord Krishna is bent at three places, earns Him the beloved name "Banke."
• It was established by Swami Haridas, a guru of the famous singer Tansen.
• This is one of the highly regarded shrines, and is one out of the seven temples of ‘Thakur of Vrindavan’, along with Shri Govind Dev Ji, Sri Radhavallabh Ji, and four others.
• The present temple complex housing ‘Banke Bihari’ was constructed in 1864 and is a unique example of Indian craftsmanship.
• Architecture of the temple is influenced by the Rajasthani style, with arches and pillars adding to its magnificence.
• In this temple, from the walls to the ceiling, the pictures of the deities have been painted through oil paintings.
• One unique feature of the Banke Bihari temple is that there are no bells or conchs on the premises.
• In the freedom struggle, this temple was the main center of revolutionary activities; from here, the revolutionary newspaper “Bundelkhand Kesari” was published secretly.

About Bonus Issue:

• A bonus issue, also known as a scrip issue or a capitalization issue, occurs when a company listed on a stock exchange decides to offer free additional shares to the existing shareholders.
• The company decides the number of bonus shares to be allotted to every individual investor for holding a certain number of shares over a set period of time and accordingly rewards them.
• For example:
  • In a 2:1 bonus issue, you get two extra shares for every one share you already own.
  • If you had 10 shares, after the bonus, you’ll hold 30 shares.
  • However, the share price will drop proportionally so that your total investment remains the same.
• This bonus issue aims to attract further investment and reward its existing shareholders as it improves the entity’s market image.
• A bonus issue of shares will increase a company’s share capital but not its market capitalisation.
  • Market capitalisation is calculated by multiplying the company’s current stock price and the total number of outstanding shares. Share capital is the amount that the company raises by issuing shares.
  • By issuing bonus shares, the number of outstanding shares increases with a proportional decrease in the value of each share, ensuring no change in the market capitalization. However, the face value of the shares remains unchanged.
• Bonus shares do not dilute shareholders’ equity because they are issued in a constant ratio that keeps the relative equity of each shareholder the same as before the issue.
• The important thing to note is that companies issue bonus shares from their reserves or retained profits. Instead of paying out cash, they convert their saved earnings into shares and distribute them among shareholders.
• The issuance of bonus shares is not taxable; however, shareholders must still pay capital gains tax if they sell them for a net gain.

What is a Stock Split?

• A stock split is an action taken in which a company divides its existing shares into multiple shares to boost the liquidity of shares.
• A split is usually undertaken when the stock price is high, making it pricey for investors to acquire.
• It brings down the share price as the number of shares increases.
• The market cap of the firm and the value of each shareholder’s investment stay unchanged after a stock split.

About Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis:

• It is a species of bent-toed gecko.
• It belongs to the Cyrtodactylus genus which is amongst the largest groups of geckos worldwide.
• It has been found near Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district, Assam and named after the park itself.

Key Facts Raimona National Park

• Location: It is located in the north-western part of Assam.
• It lies along the India-Bhutan border and is situated at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. 
• It is connected with Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park.
• Rivers:
  • The Sankosh River flows along the western boundary.
  • The Saralbhanga River lies on the eastern side.
  • Pekua River forms the southern boundary.
• Vegetation: Moist Sal forests, Sub-Himalayan semi-evergreen forests, Moist mixed deciduous forests, Savannah forests.
• Flora: Many orchid species and Riverine grasslands
• Fauna: It is famous for the Golden Langur, Asian Elephant and Bengal Tiger

About Millipede:

• Millipedes are cylindrical or slightly flattened invertebrates.
• They constitute the class Diplopoda within the subphylum Myriapoda. 
• The name ‘millipede’ derives from the Latin words ‘mille’, meaning thousand, and ‘pes’, meaning foot. 
• Appearance:
  • They are slow-moving arthropods having long, segmented bodies, with most segments bearing two pairs of legs attached to the underside of the body.
  • Their exoskeleton is typically brown to black in color, and thus, they can easily remain camouflaged in the soil.
• Habitat: Their highest diversity is found in the tropical region, where they inhabit moist microhabitats on the forest floor, including leaf litter, dead wood, and soil.
• Distribution: These arthropods are found on all continents except Antarctica.
• Features:
  • Defence Mechanism: They lack speed or the ability to bite or sting, their primary defensive mechanism is curling into a coil, exposing their protective exoskeleton to the predator.
  • Diet: Most species are typically detritivores, feeding on rotting leaves, wood, and other decomposing plant debris.
• Ecological Role: They act as decomposers, conserving soil erosion and nutrient cycling, and are among the greatest vital foliage litter creatures.

About Keytruda:

• It is the brand name of pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug used for treating several cancers.
• It was manufactured by US-based global pharma major Merck & Co (MSD)
• It belongs to a class called “checkpoint inhibitors” — drugs that remove the brakes preventing the body’s T cells, which are a crucial weapon in the body’s immune system, from attacking cancerous cells.
• In other words, it uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
• It belongs to the category of monoclonal antibodies.
• Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made molecules designed to bind with specific targets, enabling the immune system to identify and destroy cancerous cells.
• Working:
  • Pembrolizumab works by attaching to receptors called PD-1 on T cells.
  • This prevents T cells from binding with corresponding PD-L1 receptors on cancer cells, letting them identify the abnormal cells and triggering an immune response.
• It was first approved by the US FDA in 2014 for advanced skin cancer.
• Keytruda is now used globally for certain lung cancers, cervical cancer, renal cell cancer and aggressive breast cancer, among others. 

About Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation:

• It is a complex system of ocean currents and eddies (circular currents of water) that form a huge vertical loop spanning the whole length of the Atlantic Ocean.
• AMOC is also one of the 16 Earth system climate tipping elements being studied by scientists
• Mechanism:
  • AMOC acts as an ocean conveyor belt, transporting warm water northward from the tropics across the Atlantic at the surface, and cold water southward at the bottom.
  • This circulation is driven by differences in temperature and salinity, which create differences in water density – a process known as thermohaline circulation.
  • In the North Atlantic Ocean, the warm water cools and becomes denser, sinking and down into the deep ocean.
  • This dense water then travels southward along the ocean floor, eventually warming and resurfacing to complete the cycle.
• Reason for weakening of AMOC:
  • It will weaken as greenhouse gas concentrations rise and global temperatures increase.
  • One of the main drivers is believed to be the influx of freshwater from the melting Greenland Ice Sheet, which reduces ocean salinity and disrupts the circulation. 
• Impacts of Weak AMOC:
  • Gulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for mild climate at the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe.
  • Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.
  • Modelling studies have shown that an AMOC shutdown would cool the northern hemisphere and decrease rainfall over Europe.
  • It can also have an effect on the El Nino.

About Konyak Tribe:

• The Konyaks can be found in the Mon district of Nagaland and also in the Tirap and Changlang districts of
• Origin: The Konyaks are of Mongoloid origin and about 95% of the population follows the Christian faith now.
• Tattooed: Traditionally, facial and body tattoos were closely linked to social status and life achievements.
• Language: They speak the Konyak language belongs to the Northern Naga sub branch of the Sal subfamily of Sino-Tibetan.
• Society
• The Konyak society is a patriarchal society and the eldest son of the family usually inherits the paternal property.
• Festivals: Festivals occupy an important place in the lives of the Konyaks. The three most significant festivals were Aolingmonyu, Aonyimo and Laoun-ongmo.
• Economy: They are skilled in the art of making firearms. They are also skilled in handicrafts like basket making, cane and bamboo works, brass works etc.