About Fuego Volcano:

• Volcan de Fuego, which translates to “Volcano of Fire” in Spanish, is an active volcano located in Guatemala.
• It is a relatively young basaltic stratovolcano.
• It forms part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, a chain of volcanoes stretching from Guatemala to Panama.
• Guatemala lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

What is a Stratovolcano?

• It is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano.
• Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks.
• They are typically found above subduction zones, and they are often part of large volcanically active regions, such as the Ring of Fire that frames much of the Pacific Ocean.

About Pennaiyar River:

• The Pennaiyar River is a major river in southern India flowing through Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
• It is also known as the South Pennar River, Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada, and Thenpennai, Ponnaiyar, or Pennaiyar in Tamil.
• Course:
  • It originates in the Nandi Hills in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka.
  • It then flows through Tamil Nadu, where it enters the Bay of Bengal at Cuddalore.
• Major tributaries are the Chinnar, Markanda, Vaniar, and Pamban.
• It has reservoirs at Krishnagiri and Sathanur.

Ponnaiyar River Dispute:

• It is a water-sharing dispute between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

About World Wetlands Day:

• It is celebrated every year on 2 February.
• It was first celebrated in 1997 and has been a United Nations International Day since 2022.
• It marks the anniversary of the Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.
  • The agreement is also known as the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
  • It is one of the oldest modern international environmental agreements and the only one focused entirely on a single ecosystem: wetlands.
  • There are 172 Contracting Parties to the convention.
  • Each year, the Convention Secretariat leads the World Wetlands Day campaign, with participation from governments, conservation organisations, businesses, NGOs, media, youth groups, and communities worldwide.
• World Wetlands Day 2026 Theme: The global theme for 2026, ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’, highlights the role of indigenous and local communities in conserving and managing wetlands.

New Ramsar Sites in India:

• Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch, Gujarat, have been officially designated as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, bringing the total number of Ramsar sites in India to 98.

About SAKSHAM:

• Saksham (Samrakshan Kshamatha Mahotsav) is an annual awareness campaign initiated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
• It is designed to promote fuel conservation and raise awareness of sustainable energy practices.
• Organized by oil and gas public sector enterprises in collaboration with local authorities, educational institutions, industries, and key stakeholders, Saksham aims to drive India towards a greener future.
• SAKSHAM 2026:
  • It is a fortnight-long campaign.
  • It features diverse activities to engage citizens, debates, wall paintings, cyclothons, walkathons, workshops, seminars, and awareness programs.
  • The campaign will target various groups, such as schoolchildren, youth, LPG users, fleet operators, farmers, and industry professionals.
  • The theme for the 2026 campaign, “Conserve Oil and Gas, Go Green” (Tel aur Gas Bachao, Harshit Urja Apnao), underscores the transition towards renewable energy sources and energy-efficient solutions for environmental sustainability.

About Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in Kerala.
• It is located on the western slopes of the Nilgiris.
• The name ‘Karimpuzha’ is derived from the Karimpuzha River, a tributary of the river Chaliyar.
• The forest areas of Karimpuzha WLS form part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).
• It forms part of the Nilambur Elephant Reserve (Nilambur ER), one of the four ERs notified in the country.
• It shares a boundary with Mukurthi NP (Tamil Nadu) on the eastern side and Silent Valley NP (Kerala) on the southern side.
• The nomadic tribes, the Cholanaikans, Cave men of Kerala, are living inside the Karimpuzha WLS.
  • They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) by the Government of India.
• Vegetation: It is unique in Kerala for encompassing all seven forest types found in the state, including evergreen rainforest, semi-evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, subtropical savannah, subtropical hill forest, montane wet temperate forest, and montane wet grasslands.
• Flora: It supports rich flora, including teak, rosewood, bamboo, medicinal plants, and endemic orchids.
• Fauna:
  • It harbors a wide variety of fauna, including endangered species like the Nilgiri Tahr, lion-tailed macaque, elephants, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaur (Indian bison), and diverse birdlife.
  • Its pristine forests also shelter endangered fish species like the Malabar Mahseer.

About Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha:

• The Devnimori Relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site, located near Shamlaji in the Aravalli district of Gujarat.
• It was first explored in 1957 by eminent archaeologist Prof. S. N. Chowdhry.
• Major Findings of Excavations:
  • The excavations revealed important Buddhist structures and relics that stand testimony to the flourishing of Buddhism in western India during the early centuries of the Common Era.
  • Relic casket: The relic casket found within Devnimori Stupa, is made out of green schist.
    • It is inscribed in Brahmi Script and Sanskrit language, it reads. “dashabala sharira nilay” - the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relic.
    • It holds a copper box having organic matter with holy ashes, with silk cloth and beads.

About Rafah Border Crossing:

• It's the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt's Sinai peninsula.
• It is controlled by Egypt.
• There are only two other border crossings from and into the Gaza Strip –
  • Erez: A crossing into Israel in northern Gaza, which is for people.
  • Kerem Shalom: A solely commercial goods junction with Israel in southern Gaza.

Key facts about Sinai Peninsula

• It is a triangle-shaped peninsula located in northeastern Egypt.
• It serves as a land bridge connecting Asia and Africa.
• Boundaries:
  • North: It is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by Israel and the Gaza Strip. 
  • West: To the west of the Sinai Peninsula is the Suez Canal, across which lies the African part of Egypt. 
  • It is bordered to the southwest by the Gulf of Suez and to the immediate south by the Red Sea. 
  • The Gulf of Aqaba borders the Sinai in the southeast.

About NeophyteID App:

• It is an AI-powered mobile application designed to help users identify invasive plant species across Kerala.
• It is developed by researchers at the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences (MBGIPS),
• Technology Used: It is powered by the YOLOv11 machine learning
• It is aimed as a citizen-friendly app which enables local communities, students and ecologists to collectively monitor, report and manage the spread of invasive plants threatening native flora and ecosystems.
• Key Features of NeophyteID App:
  • The app leverages image recognition and geospatial tracking to accurately detect and map invasive (neophyte) plant species directly from your camera or gallery.
  • Each identification contributes to a real-time distribution map, supporting research, conservation, and community-based biodiversity management. 
  • Languages: It is accessible in English and Malayalam.