About Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR):

• It is located in the Nallamala hill ranges (an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats) of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is one of the largest tiger reserves in India, spreading over an area of 3,728 sq km.
• It hosts the largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghat landscape.
• It is named after two major dams in the area, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam Dam.
• Two wildlife sanctuaries, namely Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM), constitute the NSTR.
• The river Krishna traverses through this reserve for a linear distance of around 270 kilometers.
• The reserve holds significant importance with ancient temples like the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at Srisailam and several archaeological sites, including Buddhist relics from the Nagarjuna Konda area.
• Topography: It consists of plateaus, ridges, gorges, and deep valleys.
• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous forests having an undergrowth of bamboo and grass.
• Flora: The habitat has several endemics like Andrographis nallamalayana, Eriolaena lushingtonii, Crotalaria madurensis Var, Dicliptera beddomei, and Premna hamiltonii.
• Fauna:
  • Top faunal species include Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, Wild Dog and Jackal.
  • The prey species are represented by Sambar, Chital, Chowsingha, Chinkara, Mouse Deer, Wild boar, and Porcupine.
  • The river Krishna has Muggers, Otters and Turtles.

About Amphipods:

• They are a type of small crustacean.
• They are related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
• They can be found in almost all water environments.
• They live in the ocean, in fresh water, and even on land.
• The name ‘amphipoda’ means "different-footed."
  • This is because they have many different kinds of legs.
  • Unlike some other crustaceans, their legs are not all the same.
• There are over 7,000 known species of amphipods. Most of them belong to a group called Gammaridea.
• Amphipods can be very tiny, about 0.1 centimeters (0.04 inches) long. But some can grow quite large, up to 34 centimeters (13 inches).
• Most amphipods eat tiny bits of dead plants and animals. Some are also scavengers, eating what they find.
• They live in many places.
  • About 750 species live in caves.
  • Some amphipods are terrestrial animals, like sandhoppers.
  • The largest amphipods live deep down on the sea floor. They can be found seven kilometers (about 4.3 miles) deep.

About Grandidierella geetanjalae and Grandidierella khambhatensis:

• They are two new species of marine amphipods.
• Grandidierella geetanjalae was collected from the Chilika lagoon near Rambha in Ganjam district, Odisha.
• Grandidierella khambhatensis was collected from the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat.
• Both species measure between 5.5 and 6 mm in length.
• They are detritivorous, feeding primarily on organic matter and playing an important role in maintaining ecosystem health by contributing to natural cleaning processes.

About Katkari Tribe:

• It is a primitive tribe found in Maharashtra (Pune, Raigad, and Thane districts) and parts of Gujarat.
• It is one of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India.
• They were historically forest dwellers.
• Katkaris are also known as Kathodis because of their old occupation of making Katha (Catechu), the thickened sap from wood of Khair (Acacia catechu).
• The Katkaris were also one of the few tribal communities of India that consumed rodents.
• Many of them still live in their traditional huts made of bamboo and anything they can find in the forest.
• Despite having a patriarchal system, it does not follow the joint family structure, preferring the nuclear family model.
• Language:
  • They are bilingual, speaking the Katkari language amongst themselves and Marathi with others.
  • A few of them speak Hindi as well.
• Occupation:
  • They serve as agricultural labourers and sell firewood and some jungle fruits.
  • They also take up fishing for domestic consumption, coal making, and brick manufacturing.
• They have tremendous knowledge about uncultivated foods like fish, crabs, animals, birds, tubers/rhizomes, wild vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.
• A majority of the Katkari families are landless. The landless rate of 87% among the Katkari is much higher than 48% for rural households in India as a whole.
  • As a result of landlessness, migration is rampant, and livelihoods are seasonal.

About Pilia malenadu:

• It is a new species of spider.
• It belongs to Pilia, a genus of jumping spiders.
• It was discovered in Madhugundi in the Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, at the foothills of the Western Ghats.
• The researchers named it “Pilia malenadu”, to give credit to the place it was found.
• The discovery is significant because the last time a species of spiders belonging to the pilia genus was discovered was about 123 years ago (1902) in Kerala.
• Further, the researchers, for the first time, have found both male and female spiders of the species.
• These spiders were found in only two plant species — Memecylon umbellatum and Memecylon malabaricum.
• In fact, the spiders were found concealed between the leaves of these plants.

About Heavy Metals:

• The term ‘heavy metal' refers to any metallic chemical element that has a relatively high density and is toxic or poisonous at low concentrations.
• Examples of heavy metals include mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), and lead (Pb).
• Heavy metals are natural components of the Earth's crust. They cannot be degraded or destroyed.
• To a small extent they enter our bodies via food, drinking water, and air.
• As trace elements, some heavy metals (e.g. copper, selenium, and zinc) are essential to maintain the metabolism of the human body.
• However, at higher concentrations they can lead to poisoning.
• Heavy metal poisoning could result, for instance, from drinking-water contamination (e.g. lead pipes), high ambient air concentrations near emission sources, or intake via the food chain.
• Heavy metals are dangerous because they tend to bioaccumulate.
  • Bioaccumulation means an increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical's concentration in the environment.
  • Compounds accumulate in living things any time they are taken up and stored faster than they are broken down (metabolized) or excreted.
• Heavy metals can enter a water supply by industrial and consumer waste, or even from acidic rain breaking down soils and releasing heavy metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
• Mercury, lead, and cadmium are of greatest concern because of their ability to travel long distances in the atmosphere.

About Melatonin:

• Melatonin is a naturally-occurring hormone in human beings that controls sleep and wake cycles in our daily lives. 
• Its levels rise in the evening, helping to promote sleep.
• It is secreted by the pineal gland in human body.
  • Pineal gland releases the most melatonin when there’s darkness and decreases melatonin production when you’re exposed to light. 
• Melatonin can also be made synthetically in a lab and sold as a dietary supplement. It’s called exogenous melatonin.
• Those people whose sleep is not optimal and who travel frequently across time zones prefer melatonin supplements.
• Side Effects of Melatonin supplements:
  • Overuse of melatonin may cause headaches, hormonal changes, or mood swings, disturbing the very rhythm and sleep cycle.

About Silicon Carbide:

• It is a synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon.
• Its chemical formula is SiC and it is the most widely used non-oxide ceramic.
• It was discovered by the American inventor Edward G. Acheson in 1891. 
• Properties of Silicon Carbide
  • Hardness: It is the hardest ceramic material and has excellent thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion.
  • Conductivity: It is also classed as a semiconductor, having an electrical conductivity between that of metals and insulating materials.
  • It has excellent mechanical properties, and excellent resistance to wear and oxidation.
• Applications of Silicon Carbide
  • Abrasives: Its primary application is as an abrasive because of its high hardness, which is surpassed only by diamond, cubic boron nitride, and boron carbide.
  • Refractory linings: It is used in refractory linings and heating elements for industrial furnaces, in wear-resistant parts for pumps and rocket engines.
  • Semiconducting substrates: It is used in semiconducting substrates for light-emitting diodes.
  • It is a promising ceramic material with excellent thermo mechanical characteristics.

About Integrated Sohra Tourism Circuit:

• It is jointly developed by the Ministry of DoNER and the Government of Meghalaya.
• It aims to transform Sohra into a multi-day experiential tourism destination rooted in sustainability and local livelihoods.
• Key Components of Integrated Sohra Tourism Circuit:
  • Sohra Experience Centre: It will serve as the cultural nucleus of the circuit, showcasing Meghalaya’s diverse tribal heritage through amphitheatres, rain experience parks, art galleries, and craft pavilions.
  • Supporting projects: It includes Nohkalikai Falls precinct, Mawsmai Eco Park, Shella Riverside Development, and Wahkaliar Canyon with adventure tourism.

Key Facts about the PM-DevINE scheme

• The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE), was launched in 2022 as a Central Sector scheme, with 100% Central funding.
• The scheme has an outlay of Rs.6,600 crore for the 4 year period from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• The objectives of PM-DevINE scheme are to:
  • Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti;
  • Support social development projects based on felt needs of the NER;
  • Enable livelihood activities for youth and women; and
  • Fill the development gaps in various sectors.

About Pampadum Shola National Park:

• Location: It is located in the eastern part of Southern Western Ghats of
• It is the smallest national park of Kerala and shares a border with Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. 
• It was declared a national park in 2004.
• It is the southernmost shola–grassland mosaic in the Western Ghats, one of the world’s oldest mountain systems predating the Himalayas.
• It is a part of Palani hills stretched up to Vandaravu peak.
• It connects the Eravikulam National Park and the Palani Hills, providing a free range for many animals.
• Pampadum Shola Forests receive heavy rain in the North-East monsoon.
• Topography: The terrain is undulating with hillocks of varying heights. The altitudes range between 1600-2400 m. 
• Flora: The park’s unique shola forests are a mix of grasslands and patches of tropical montane forests. The park is rich in medicinal plants, orchids, ferns, and other native species.
• Fauna: Nilgiri marten, Kerala laughing thrush, black-and-orange flycatcher etc.