About Parbati Giri:

• Also known as the Mother Teresa of Western Odisha, and epithet as ‘Banhi-kanya’ (daughter of fire) Giri was a prominent freedom fighter from Odisha.
• While she fought for the Independence of India, after independence she dedicated her life as a social worker.
• In 1942, she was in the forefront of agitation following Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Quit India’ movement.
• She had also staged an agitation at Bargarh Court to persuade the lawyers to boycott the erstwhile court in defiance of the British.
• She was inspired by Gandhian philosophy.
• Giri was also associated with freedom fighter and social reformer Rama Devi.
• Dearly known as Badamaa (Big mother) to the inmates of her Ashrams, the legendary woman from the Western Odishan district Bargarh worked for the poor and downtrodden till her death.

About Mount Aso:

• It is located in Kumamoto-ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan.
• It is the largest active volcano in Japan.
• It has the largest active crater in the world.
• Its caldera (bowl-shaped volcanic depression) marks the original crater and contains the active volcano of Naka-dake and numerous hot springs.
• The crater is inhabited and is crossed by roads and railways.
• Its mountain pastures are used for cattle raising and dairy farming.
• The volcano is the central feature of Aso-Kuju National Park.
• The volcano has been erupting sporadically for decades, most recently in 2021.

About Souparnika River:

• The Souparnika River, also known as Sowparnika, is a west-flowing river in Karnataka.
• It is surrounded by lush green forests of the Western Ghats.
• It originates from the Kodachadri Hills in the Western Ghats, and merges with the Arabian Sea.
• A unique feature of the Souparnika River is observed near Maravanthe Beach, where the river runs parallel to the Arabian Sea, separated by a narrow stretch of land.

About World Economic Forum (WEF):

• It is an international non-profit organisation that brings together business, political, and social leaders to discuss global challenges.
• Established in 1971, the WEF promotes stakeholder theory for broader societal impact.
• This body has a concise mission: ‘To improve the state of the world through public-private cooperation’.
• WEF addresses major global concerns such as climate change, economic challenges, and global security.
• The organization is funded by its diverse membership, which includes prominent global figures.

About Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is situated in Rajasthan.
• It encompasses the historic Kumbhalgarh Fort and is also named after the fort.
• Drainage:
  • The eastern section is the starting point for the Banas River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal.
  • Meanwhile, rainwater from the western slopes forms small rivers like Sukdi, Sumer, Mithdi, and Kot, all of which are tributaries of the Luni River that eventually flow into the Arabian Sea.
• Flora: The flora of the sanctuary is mainly herbs. The species of Churel, Dhok, Khair, and Salar grow abundantly. among others.
• Fauna: The sanctuary provides a natural abode to many creatures like Wolf, Leopards, Sloth bear, Hyena, jackal, Jungle cat, Sambhar, Nilgai, Chausingha (the four horned antelope), Chinkara and Hare.

About Kamchatka Peninsula:

• Location: It lies in far eastern Russia, between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east.
• It is one of the world’s most concentrated areas of geothermal activity.
• It contains the “volcanoes of Kamchatka”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is part of the Kamchatka Krai. Kamchatka, also known as a land of fire and ice, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• It is one of the largest peninsulas in the world.
• Climate: It experiences severe, with prolonged, cold, and snowy winters and wet, cool summers.
• Highest Point: The Klyuchevskaya Sopka in the Eastern Range is the highest point on the Kamchatka Peninsula. 
  • The Kuril island chain runs from the southern tip of the peninsula to a short distance from Japan’s northern Hokkaido Island.

About Responsible Nations Index:

• It is India’s first globally anchored index.
• It is developed by the World Intellectual Foundation (WIF) in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), IIM Mumbai, and the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre.
• The Index covers 154 countries and is built on transparent, globally sourced data to ensure credibility and comparability.
• It is designed to assess countries on the basis of responsible governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship, and global responsibility, moving beyond conventional power- and GDP-based measures.
• It is structured around three core dimensions, namely
  • Internal responsibility: It focuses on dignity, justice, and the well-being of citizens;
  • Environmental responsibility: It is covering stewardship of natural resources and climate action.
  • External responsibility: It measures country’s contribution to peace, cooperation, and global stability.
• Significance: It seeks to promote a global dialogue on ethics, responsibility, global food security, and sustainable leadership in international affairs.
• It is expected to contribute to a more balanced and value-based understanding of national performance on the global stage.

About Indian Skimmer:

• It is one of the three species that belong to the skimmer genus Rynchops in the family Laridae. 
• It gets its name from the way it feeds, flying low over the water surface and ‘skimming’for fish.
• Habitat: It primarily found on larger, sandy, lowland rivers, around lakes and adjacent marshes, and, in the non-breeding season, in estuaries and coasts.
• Distribution: It is native to South Asia and mainly found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, with some populations extending to Nepal and Myanmar.
  • In India, one of the key areas for spotting Indian Skimmers is the Chambal River.
• Features of Indian Skimmer:
  • It has a striking appearance. Its upper body is black, while its underbelly is white.
  • The most eye-catching feature is its beak, which is orange with a lower mandible that is much longer than the upper one.
  • This special beak helps the bird skim across the surface of the water to catch small fish and aquatic creatures.
  • The bird’s wings are long and angular, designed for fast, precise flight.
• Conservation status: IUCN: Endangered.
• Threats: Loss of river habitats, unplanned water release from dams, sand mining, threats from predators.

About Darwin’s Bark Spider:

• The Darwin’s Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini) is a remarkable arachnid famed for producing the largest and toughest known webs in the animal kingdom.
• It belongs to the family Araneidae, or orb-weaver spiders.
• Habitat: It inhabits riverine forests and wetlands.
• Distribution: It is found in the forests of Madagascar.
• Characteristics of Darwin’s Bark Spiders:
  • It weaves silk that outperforms steel and most human-made fibres in both strength and toughness.
  • Their silk is more than twice as tough as any other spider silk studied.
  • Unique Habitat: Unlike most orb-weavers, it builds webs over open water rather than in vegetation.

About Central Silk Board:

• It is a statutory body established in 1948 by an Act of Parliament.
• Nodal Ministry: It is working under the administrative control of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
• Headquarter: Bengaluru
• Mandate of Central Silk Board:
  • To advise the central Government on all matters relating to the development of silk industry including import and export of raw silk
  • To prepare and furnish such other reports relating to the silk industry as may be required by the Central Government from time to time.
  • To create greater opportunities for gainful employment and improved levels of income in sericulture through spread of scientific sericulture practices

Silk production in India:

• India is the second-largest producer and consumer of silk globally.
• India's raw silk production increased from 31,906 MT in 2017-18 to 38,913 MT in 2023-24.
• Major silk producing states: Karnataka(the largest silk producing state), Andhra Pradesh.
• Major Silk varieties Produced: Mulberry, Eri, Tasar and Muga.