About Wildlife Institute of India (WII):

• It is an autonomous institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India, for nurturing the growth of wildlife science in the country.
• Location: Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• It is an internationally acclaimed institution that offers training programs, academic courses, and advisory in wildlife research and management.
• Objectives:
  • Build up scientific knowledge on wildlife resources.
  • Train personnel at various levels for conservation and management of wildlife.
  • Carry out research relevant to management, including the development of techniques appropriate to Indian conditions.
  • Provide information and advice on specific wildlife management problems.
  • Collaborate with international organizations on wildlife research, management, and training.
  • Develop as a regional centre of international importance on wildlife and natural resource conservation.
• The institute carries out research work in the fields of study, which include biodiversity, policy related to wildlife, endangered species, wildlife management, forensic wildlife research work, eco-development, spatial Modelling, and studies related to changing climatic conditions.
• A large number of foresters and wildlife managers from other developing countries, particularly south and southeast Asia, have been trained in WII since its establishment.
• Governance:
  • At the apex of the WII's governance is the Society, chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
    • It has representatives from Central and State Governments, institutions, and academia.
  • The institute's executive arm is the Governing Body, chaired by the Secretary (Environment & Forests), Government of India.
    • It also has representatives from Central and State Governments, including six Chief Wildlife Wardens of States on a regional rotation basis.

About Mitrephora rashmiae:

• It is a new species of flowering tree.
• It was discovered in the remote forests of Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district.
• It belongs to the custard apple family.
• It is only the second species of the Mitrephora genus ever recorded from the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot.
• It is also the first known species in the genus to bear both male and bisexual flowers on the same tree, making it unique from a scientific perspective.
• Mitrephora rashmiae can be identified by its pale-yellow flowers marked with purple stripes and a unique dome-shaped floral structure formed by the inner petals.
• It is currently known from a single tree in the wild. Only one seven-metre-tall tree has been located, growing beside a stream in a degraded forest patch.
• As no additional specimens have been found, scientists have classified the species as “Data Deficient”.

About Neonatal Sepsis:

• It is a life-threatening bloodstream infection that occurs in babies under 90 days old, often affecting premature or low-birth-weight infants.
• It is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in the world, taking 30% to 50% of babies’ lives.
• Cause:
  • Bacterial infections are the most common cause of neonatal sepsis.
  • It can be caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E coli), Listeria, and some strains of streptococcus.
  • The herpes simplex virus (HSV) can also cause a severe infection in a newborn baby. This happens most often when the mother is newly infected with HSV.
• Classification:
  • Early-onset sepsis (EOS):
    • It presents at or before 72 hours of life.
    • The source of infection has been traditionally believed to be the maternal genital tract.
  • Late-onset sepsis (LOS):
    • It presents after 72 hours of life.
    • LOS can be either healthcare-associated (HAI) or community-acquired infection.
  • Treatment:
    • Sepsis in newborns is curable.
    • It must be treated in a hospital, usually through antibiotics transmitted intravenously.

About Drishti-10 Starliner:

• It is an advanced, indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
• It is a variant of Israel’s Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 platform , built by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility under a technology transfer
• It is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and is a crucial asset for enhancing India's maritime and border security capabilities. .
• Features:
  • MALE Class UAV: It is a (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV, which means it has the capability to fly high (usually 10,000 to 30,000 feet) and the endurance of continuous flight for up to 36 hours.
  • Payload Capacity: It is equipped with the potential of carrying 450 kilograms of heavy and sophisticated sensors, communication gear, and radar units among others.
  • Certification: It is certified according to NATO STANAG 4671, which is one of the most important airworthiness standards, and this enables the drone to operate in both segregated and unsegregated airspace with safety.
    • This kind of certification is very rare for military drones and it enhances the operational flexibility.
  • Autonomy & Connectivity: Built for self-governing operations and SATCOM (satellite communication), which indicates that it can be managed and provide data beyond the line-of-sight, right across the horizon.
  • One of the distinguishing features is its minimal maintenance requirements, making it cost-effective and operationally efficient.

About National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER):

• Established in 2006, NISER is an Autonomous Institute under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India.
• It is a residential institute about 20 km south of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, equipped with the state-of-art laboratories, computational facilities, computer center, library and hostel facilities.
• It is affiliated with Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, a deemed research university that oversees academic programs at institutions that are part of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) structure.
• The primary objective of the Institute is to train and nurture human resources in the Sciences for the knowledge economies of the future
• The activities at NISER can be broadly classified into three categories:
  • Science Education:
    • It serves as a centre of excellence for undergraduate and postgraduate education in basic sciences.
    • It offers a five-year integrated MSc as well as PhD degrees in pure and applied sciences.
  • Scientific Research:
    • NISER encourages both theoretical and experimental research in frontier areas in all branches of science.
    • NISER currently has seven separate schools specializing in different areas of science.
  • Science Outreach & Policy:
    • NISER actively participates in the dissemination of scientific knowledge to public and school students with the aim to foster scientific temper, motivation and inspiration for education and career in science.
    • The faculty members of the institute are also members of various governmental committees that develop science policies for the country.

About Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization:

• It was launched in 2014–15.
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
• SMAM aims to “reach the unreached” by extending the benefits of mechanization to underserved sections.
• It includes small and marginal farmers, including women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and rural entrepreneurs.
• It is designed to promote inclusive and efficient farm mechanization by improving access to modern agricultural equipment, reducing drudgery, and enhancing farm productivity.
• Features of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization:
  • The scheme promotes the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs). 
  • These are units comprising a set of farm machinery, implements, and equipment meant for hiring by farmers.
  • It also supports the development of hubs for hi-tech and high-value agricultural equipment, and the distribution of farm machinery.
  • It focuses on regions with low farm power availability and on addressing structural constraints such as small landholdings and high capital costs through affordable rental services via CHCs.
  • It supports the performance testing and certification of agricultural machinery. Targeted Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities are undertaken to enhance adoption among stakeholders.

About Mugger Crocodile:

• It is a medium-sized crocodile and a member of the genus Crocodylus.
• Appearance: It has the broadest snout among living crocodiles. It has a powerful tail and webbed feet. Its visual, hearing, and smelling senses are acute.
• Habitat: It is found in a number of freshwater habitat types including rivers, lakes and marshes.
• Distribution: It occurs in the Indian subcontinent as well as surrounding countries: Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.
• It is a hole-nesting species, with egg-laying taking place during the annual dry season.
• Diet: Muggers are primarily carnivorous, eating mostly fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects etc.
• Threats: The main threats to this animal come from the destruction of its habitat and illegal hunting for its skin and for the alternative medicine market.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:Schedule I

What is Aldrin?

• It is a pesticide from the organochlorine group.
• It has been included in the list of banned pesticides by the Government of India because it persists in the environment for a long time and pollutes soil and water.
• It gradually accumulates in the food chain and can have serious adverse effects on the nervous system of humans and wildlife.

About ULLAS Programme:

• It is a centrally sponsored initiative that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• It aims to empower adults aged 15 and above from all backgrounds who missed formal schooling.
• Focus: The programme focuses on imparting functional literacy including reading, writing, and numeracy skills, and enriches learners with critical life skills, fostering lifelong learning.
• It is implemented through volunteerism and promotes social responsibility.
• It encourages learners to access educational content in regional languages via the DIKSHA Portal and the ULLAS mobile app.
• Implementation Period:2022-2027.
• Target: The target is to provide Foundational Literacy and Numeracy to 5 (five) crore learners, with 1 crore learners per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)”. 
• Components of ULLAS:
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy,
  • Critical Life Skills (financial literacy, digital literacy, legal literacy, healthcare and awareness, childcare and education, family welfare, etc.),
  • Basic Education for providing appropriate equivalence
  • Vocational Skills (Skill development will be a part of the continuous learning process for neo-literates to obtain local employment),
  • Continuing Education (This includes engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners)

About Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket:

• It is an extended-range, precision-guided rocket developed for the Indian Army’s Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
• It has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).
• Features of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket:
  • Range: Its maximum strike range is around 120 kilometres.
  • Backward compatibility: The rockets are backward compatible, meaning they can fit into existing launch systems without any significant structural changes.
  • Guidance system for improved accuracy: This feature makes the rocket highly effective in mountainous terrain, where precision is critical. 
  • In the Guided Pinaka system, launchers carry eight guided rockets due to additional electronic components.
  • It is equipped with a guidance system that significantly improves accuracy, enabling it to engage targets such as enemy artillery positions, command nodes and logistics installations at long distances.

About Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS):

• It is a new framework aimed at strengthening cooperation in cyber security, critical technologies, resilient supply chains and defence research.
• It replaces the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation (2020 Framework).
• Bilateral Oversight: The partnership will be jointly overseen by India’s Deputy National Security Advisor and Australia’s Deputy Secretary of the International and Security Group in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
• Pillars of PACTS:
  • Supply Chain Resilience and Diversification:
    • Under this both countries will work towards secure, resilient and trustworthy supply chains.
    • They will also work to develop secure and trusted technology supply chains, strengthen cooperation on undersea cable security through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.
    • India Lead: National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)
  • Critical Technology:
    • Under this pillar, both countries will commit to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence, space technologies, telecommunications, biotechnology and advanced materials.
    • India Lead: National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)
  • Cyber security Pillar:
    • India and Australia will enhance cooperation to combat cybercrime, strengthen cyber resilience and protect critical infrastructure.
    • It includes plans to establish a streamlined bilateral cyber cooperation mechanism, expand dialogue on cybersecurity and data governance and establish a cyber-technology skill incubator to promote workforce development.
    • India Lead: Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs
  • Digital Resilience:
    • It aims to expand cooperation in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across the Indo-Pacific.
    • Affordable DPI includes areas such as clean and renewable energy, resilient critical infrastructure etc.
    • The initiative also seeks to support partner countries in adopting India’s Digital Public Infrastructure model through capacity-building programmes and pilot projects.
    • India Lead: Oceania Division, Ministry of External Affairs
  • Defence Research Collaboration:
    • Under this the two countries will strengthen ties between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
    • It also promotes collaboration between defence start-ups, and undertakes joint research in maritime surveillance, advanced materials and other defence technologies.
    • India Lead: Ministry of Defence