About Shongtong–Karchham Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a hydro power project on the river Satluj in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh.
• The project is envisaged as a run-of-river (RoR) scheme.
• Capacity: 3 × 150 MW Francis turbines, totaling 450 MW.
• It is being developed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL).

About Chagas Disease:

• Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is an inflammatory, infectious disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi.
• It is an illness that can cause serious heart and stomach problems.
• It is the result of a complex health problem typical of neglected tropical diseases and socially- and environmentally-determined diseases.
• Transmission:
  • The most common way people are infected with Chagas is through the blood-sucking triatomine bugs.
  • This parasite is found in the feces of the triatomine bug.
  • These bugs also are called reduviid. They may also be known as “kissing bugs” because they tend to bite people’s faces.
  • The parasite can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth, through contaminated food and beverages, blood transfusions, organ transplants, or laboratory accidents.
  • Once a person has the infection, they remain infected for decades, often with no signs or symptoms of illness.
  • Chagas disease is common in South America, Central America, and Mexico, the primary home of the triatomine bug.
• Prevention:
  • There is no vaccine to prevent Chagas disease.
  • Vector control, reducing interaction between humans and vector insects, has been the most effective method of prevention.
  • Blood screening is necessary to prevent infection through congenital transmission, transfusion, and organ transplantation.
• Treatment:
  • During the first phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease aims to kill the parasite.
  • Later, it’s no longer possible to kill the parasite. Treatment in this later phase is about managing symptoms.

About Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES):

• WES is the approach used to sequence only the protein-coding regions of the human genome.
• These protein-coding regions within the genome are known as exons, and they make up less than 2% of our entire genome, but they are very important because they contain about 85% of the genetic variants linked to different diseases.
• Together, all the exons in a genome are known as the exome.
• WES focuses on the exome and provides a more targeted approach compared to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), which sequences the entire genome, including non-coding regions.
• Since most disease-related mutations are found in the exome, this makes WES an effective tool for diagnosing genetic conditions and understanding disease mechanisms.
• WES is a faster and cost-effective alternative to WGS. It also simplifies the data analysis
• WES is especially useful in research and clinical settings to identify both common and rare genetic variants.

About INS Dhruv:

• It is India's first dedicated nuclear missile tracking and ocean surveillance ship.
• It was commissioned on 10 September 2021.
• It was built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
• Functions of INS Dhruv:
  • The ship has the capability to map ocean floors, which aids in the research and detection of enemy submarines
  • It is a highly secretive strategic asset designed to track ballistic missiles and gather electronic intelligence (ELINT) to support India's missile defence programme.
  • It provides early warning of missile attacks and helps calibrate India's own ballistic missile defence systems by gathering data on flight trajectories and terminal performance.
  • It is operated jointly by the Indian Navy, the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Features of INS Dhruv:
  • It is equipped with powerful X-band and S-band AESA radars, it can track nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and satellites from thousands of kilometres away.
  • It is capable of monitoring missile re-entry vehicles, distinguishing between different payload signatures and generating data useful for ballistic missile defence calibration, countermeasure development and strategic warning systems.

About Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located near the border of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana of Telangana.
• It was established in 1952.
• Rivers: It has a water source called Dayyam Vagu, which separates the sanctuary into two parts.
• The river Godavari also passes through it.
• Terrain: The landscape is undulating, ranging from steep slopes to gentle slopes from west to east. 
• The famous Sammakka-Saralamma Temple is situated inside the sanctuary.
• Vegetation: The region is covered completely with thick natural vegetation, and it falls in the tropical dry deciduous.
• Flora: It is rich in the growth of teak, bamboo, and other trees like madhuca and terminalia.
• Fauna: This sanctuary provides shelter to Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Wolf, Wild Dogs, Jackals, Sloth Bear, Chousingha, Black Buck, Nilgai, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Four Horned Antilope, Chinkara, Black Buck, Gaur, and Giant Squirrels.

About Calamaria garoensis:

• It is a new species of burrowing reed snake.
• It is found mainly in Garo Hills of Meghalaya.
• It is currently known only from this region, indicating a potentially restricted distribution.

Key Facts about Reed Snakes

• They are small, slender, non-venomous snakes.
• Reed snakes of the genus Calamaria are small, secretive, and largely burrowing.
• Appearance: Typically brown, reddish, or blackish in color.
• Distribution: They are found in southern and southeastern Asia.
• Habitat: They are mostly found in moist forests, leaf litter, under logs, stones, and soil.
• They are fossorial/semi-fossorial – spend most of their time underground or hidden in leaf litter.
• Diet: They eat small, soft-bodied invertebrates.

About Sakurajima Volcano:

• Location: It is located on the southern tip of Kyushu island near the city of Kagoshima, Japan.
• It is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis.
• Sakurajima is a stratovolcano formed from layers of lava and ash.
• It is situated on a convergent plate margin.
• It is an andesitic volcano (meaning it has a high gas content and is very viscous) located at the southern edge of the Aira caldera.
• It is formed by the central cones of the Kitadake (northern peak) and the Minamidake (southern peak).
• Sakura-jima formed an island until 1914, when an explosive eruption produced enough material to join the island to the peninsula on the east.

Key Facts about Stratovolcanoes

• These are also known as composite volcanoes which are tall, steep, and cone-shaped types of volcanoes.
• Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks.
• They are built of successive layers of ash and lava.
• The magma (molten rock) within the volcano is viscous and often contains trapped gas, causing explosive eruptions. 
• Stratovolcanoes occur at the margins of tectonic plates, large sections of Earth’s crust that move together. 
• The continental plates, composed of less dense material, override the oceanic plates.
• Magma generated from the subducting plate rises and squeezes into cracks, eventually reaching the surface in a volcanic eruption.
• They comprise the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth’s individual volcanoes.

About Anusandhan National Research Foundation:

• It was established through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.
• It is functioning under the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has been merged into ANRF.
• Objective: To seed, grow, and promote R&D, and foster a research and innovation culture across universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D labs in India.
• It acts as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy.
• Funding Target: It aims to mobilise funds amounting to ₹50,000 crore during 2023–28 through multiple streams including the ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering Research Fund, and Special Purpose Funds.
  • ANRF forges collaborations among the industry, academia, research institutions and government departments.

What is SARAL AI?

• It is an AI-based platform.
• Objective: To convert complex technology and research work into simple language social media content, including podcasts and short videos in 18 Indian languages, enabling wider dissemination of scientific knowledge across the country.

About Sudan:

• It is a Northeast African country.
• Bordering Countries: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, and Central African Republic.
• Maritime Border: It shares its border with Red Sea.
• Capital City: Khartoum
• Geographical Features of Sudan:
  • Terrain: It is mainly composed of vast plains and plateaus that are drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.
  • Climate: The climate of Sudan varies from north to south. The northern part of Sudan is a desert climate, receiving little rainfall, shifting to semi-arid and the tropical savannah towards the South.
  • Highest point: Jabal Marrah 
  • River: The Nile River system is the dominant geographical feature, running from south to north across the country and draining all streams and rivers of Sudan.
  • Natural Resources: Petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower.

About e-SafeHER Initiative:

• It is a cyber-security awareness training programme to enable one million women across rural India.
• It aims to strengthen last mile cybersecurity awareness, particularly among women in rural India, who are increasingly engaging with digital platforms for financial transactions, livelihoods and access to essential services. 
• This initiative is anchored under Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY’s) Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) programme through C-DAC Hyderabad.
• Target and Duration: To empower one million Cyber Sakhis in rural India over the next three years.
• Implementation Strategy:
  • C-DAC will lead the development, localization, and continuous enhancement of cybersecurity training content under the ISEA Project.
  • Reliance Foundation will leverage its extensive grassroots presence and women’s empowerment platforms across rural India, for delivery through a peer-led, community-based model.
• The initiative will be started first in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha and expanded nationwide in a phased manner.

What is Information Security Education and Awareness?

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
• It was started in 2005 and currently in its third phase since Oct. 2023 onwards.
• Purpose: Generating human resources in the area of Information Security and creating general awareness on cyber hygiene/cyber security among the masses.
• Aim: It is aimed at human resources development for safe, trusted, and secure cyber space.