About Saffron Reedtail Damselfly:

• It is referred to as Indosticta deccanensis and commonly called saffron reedtail because of the saffron bodies.
• This particular species belongs to the family Platystictidae, commonly referred to as shadow damselflies.
• Appearance: They are slender and delicate insects.
• It is a rare species of damselfly endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
• Habitat: They are seen in streams surrounded by thick vegetation and usually found near slow-moving forest streams where they rely on pristine water quality for their lifecycle.
• Prior to this discovery, the distribution of these damselflies was documented in the southern parts of the Western Ghats (In Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
• Significance: The presence of them is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem, as they are highly sensitive to environmental changes and pollution.

What are Damselflies?

• They are group of predatory, aerial insects that are in the order Odonata. 
• Habitat: Damselflies are found mainly near shallow, freshwater habitats and are graceful fliers with slender bodies and long, filmy, net-veined wings.
• They are generally smaller, more delicate, and fly weakly in comparison with dragonflies.

About Devi Ahilyabai Holkar:

• Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the Holkar Queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom, India.
• Under her rule Malwa enjoyed relative peace, prosperity, and stability, and her capital, Maheshwar, was turned into an oasis of literary, musical, artistic, and industrial pursuits.
• Military contribution
  • She was military-trained under her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar and personally led armies into battle. 
  • She appointed Tukojirao Holkaras the Chief of Army.
• Administration
  • She held daily public audiencesto help redress the problems of the common man.
  • She earned a reputation for administering justice fairlyduring her rule, without partiality or partisanship. Ex: She sentenced her only son, found guilty of a capital offense, to death by being crushed by an elephant.
  • She also made some landmark decisions during her reign, including the removal of traditional law confiscating the property of childless widows.
  • Promotion of craft: She established a textile industry in Maheshwar, which today is very famous for its Maheshwari sarees. 
• Cultural contribution
• • She welcomed stalwarts such as Marathi poet Moropant, Shahir Ananta Gandhi, and Sanskrit scholar Khushali Ram into her capital.
  • She was a great pioneer and builder of Hindu temples.
  • She built hundreds of temples and Dharmashalas throughout India.
  • Her most notable contribution was the renovation and repair of the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1780.
• She passed away on August 13, 1795, at the age of seventy. 
• Titles: John Keay, the British historian, gave the queen the title of ‘The Philosopher Queen’.

About Kurdistan Region:

• It is broadly defined geographic region traditionally inhabited mainly by Kurds.
• It consists of an extensive plateau and mountain area, spread over large parts of what are now eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and western Iran and smaller parts of northern Syria and Armenia.
• Governorates:Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk, Halabja.
• Geographical Features
  • Mountains: It includes the mountain systems of the Zagrosand the eastern extension of the Taurus.
  • Rivers: Tigris and Greater Zab Rivers flows through this region and support agriculture and settlements.
• Capital: Erbil

India and Kurdistan region

• India established a consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, in August 2016 to enhance economic and commercial ties with Iraq.
• Several Indian businesses have participated in trade fairs and exhibitions in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in recent years.
• The Kurdistan region, comprising Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk, has seen a steady increase in Indian workers employed in sectors such as steel mills, oil companies, and construction projects. Workers from India are appreciated for their roles in these industries

About Ocean Coordination Mechanism:

• It was conceived under the 10-year CLME+ Strategic Action Program (CLME+ SAP), endorsed by countries in the Wider Caribbean in 2014.
• Its purpose is to establish a collaborative governance framework for the sustainable management of marine resources.
• Aim: To coordinate and streamline actions addressing critical marine issues such as sustainable fisheries, ecosystem restoration, pollution control, blue carbon development, marine spatial planning, and the establishment of marine protected areas.
• It solidifies a transformative effort to enhance integrated ocean governance in the Wider Caribbean region, including the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem.
• It is designed to foster collaboration among countries, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and key stakeholders.
• Funding: It will receive funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the $15 million UNDP/GEF PROCARIBE+ Project for the period 2024–2028.
• Significance: The OCM is pivotal in addressing the Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity nexus by facilitating cross-country and cross-institutional collaboration. It ensures the sustainable development of the blue economy while prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable communities.

About Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal:

• It was established by amending the TRAI Act of 1997 in the year 2000.
• It was set up to adjudicate disputes and dispose of appeals with a view to protect the interests of service providers and consumers of the telecom sector and to promote and ensure orderly growth of the telecom sector.
• Composition of TDSAT
  • It consists of a Chairperson and two Members appointed by the Central Government.
• Eligibility:
  • Chairperson: The Chairperson should be or should have been a Judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court.
  • Other member: They should have held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent post in the Central Government or the State Government for a period of not less than two years or a person who is well versed in the field of technology, telecommunication, industry, commerce or administration.
• Tenure of office: The Chairperson of the tribunal shall hold office for a term of maximum four years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier.
  • Other members hold office for four years or till the age sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.
• Powers and Jurisdiction of TDSAT
  • It exercises jurisdiction over Telecom, Broadcasting, IT and Airport tariff matters under the TRAI Act, 1997, the Information Technology Act, 2008 and the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008.
  • It exercises original as well as appellate jurisdiction in regard to Telecom, Broadcasting and Airport tariff matters.
  • In regard to Cyber matters the Tribunal exercises only the appellate jurisdiction.
  • In January 2004, the Government included broadcasting and cable services also within the purview of TRAI Act. After coming into force of the relevant provisions of the Finance Act 2017, the jurisdiction of TDSAT stands extended to matters that lay before the Cyber Appellate Tribunal and also the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal.

About Geo-Economic Fragmentation:

• ‘Geo-economic fragmentation’ can be defined as a policy-driven reversal of global economic integration often guided by strategic considerations.
• It is characterized by countries forming trade and financial partnerships based on geopolitical alignments.
• This process encompasses different channels, including trade, capital, and migration flows.
• This trend, marked by a retreat from multilateralism, has made geography less relevant than geopolitics in trade and investment decisions.
• Such fragmentation would result in permanent losses to global GDP.
• Based on IMF estimates, the costs of geoeconomic fragmentation can range from 0.2 percent to up to 7 percent of GDP in some economies.
• These losses can emanate from technological decoupling, trade restrictions, reduced capital movements owing to higher risk aversion, and a decline in international cooperation in the provision of global public goods among economies.
• Trade is the main channel through which fragmentation is reshaping the global economy.
• The impact of geo-economic fragmentation is seen in global FDI flows, which are increasingly concentrated among geopolitically aligned countries, particularly in strategic sectors.

About Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs):

• UPFs refer to food products that have been significantly altered from their original form through various industrial processes.
• These foods typically contain numerous ingredients that are not commonly used in home cooking, such as artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and other additives designed to enhance flavor, texture, and shelf life.
• Consuming high amounts of UPF has been linked to chronic health conditions—cardiovascular disease, obesity, colorectal cancer, among others.
• Characteristics of UPFS:
  • High levels of added sugar, fat, and salt: These ingredients are often added to enhance taste and appeal, but they can contribute to various health issues, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
  • Low nutritional value: Despite being calorie-dense, UPFs generally lack essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
  • Extensive use of additives: These foods often contain synthetic ingredients that are not typically found in traditional or minimally processed foods.
  • Highly palatable and convenient: They are designed to be easy to consume and highly appealing, which can lead to overconsumption.
• List of Foods Classified as UPF:
  • According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), UPFs include commercially produced bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, chips, biscuits, fries, jams, sauces, mayonnaise, commercially produced ice cream, protein packs powders, peanut butter, soy chunks, tofu, frozen foods with additives, commercially produced cheese, butter, paneer with additives, meats, plant-based meats, refined flours of cereals, millets and legumes, energy drinks, health drinks added to milk, beverages, and fruit juices.
  • The group also includes many culinary ingredients such as cooking oils, refined sugars, salt and spices, since cosmetic food additives such as artificial colours and emulsifiers are often used in their processing.

About Financialisation:

• Financialization refers to the increasing influence of financial motives, markets, instruments, actors, and institutions in both domestic and international economies.
• It involves the growing dominance of finance tools in firm management, the impact of financial markets on decision-making, and the significance of the global financial system in capital distribution worldwide.
• It represents the shift from traditional industrial or productive activities (like manufacturing) to financial activities that involve the trading, management, and speculation of financial assets.
• Financialization transforms the functioning of the economic system at both the macro and micro levels.
• Its principal impacts are
  • Elevate the significance of the financial sector relative to the real sector;
  • Transfer income from the real sector to the financial sector;
  • Increase income inequality and contribute to wage stagnation.
• Financialization operates through three different conduits: changes in the structure and operation of financial markets, changes in the behavior of non-financial corporations, and changes in economic policy.