About Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP):

• It is a proposed 11,000 MW hydropower project on the Siang River near the Geku Village in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The Siang River is the upper course of the Brahmaputra
• It is envisioned as one of India’s largest hydropower reservoirs and as a strategic countermeasure to China’s proposed 60,000 MW super dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in Tibet’s Medog County.
• This project aims to not only harness hydropower but also to control flooding and erosion downstream in the upper Brahmaputra basin.
• The area is primarily inhabited by the Adi Tribe, an indigenous community with a strong connection to the Siang River.
• Developers: Jointly undertaken by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).

About Eulophia picta:

• It is a medium-to-small, hot-growing terrestrial orchid.
• It is commonly known as Nodding Swamp Orchid or pink nodding orchid.
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • It is found from India to Southeast Asia to Australia in moist grasslands, sandy areas behind beaches, and rainforests.
  • It is also found in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests at elevations up to 1000 m, with underground, spherical pseudobulbs.
• Description:
  • A distinctive leafy species with three to five broad, smooth, ribbed leaves and pale pink, rarely white flowers.
  • The flowers do not open but remain as a tube.
  • The distinctive inflorescence is hooked like a shepherd's crook when plants are flowering but straightens as the prominently ribbed seed capsules develop.
• It thrives in full sun to partial shade, making it versatile for various garden settings.

About Lake Issyk-Kul:

• It is located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan.
• Surrounding the lake are the snowcapped Tian Shan mountains (the Heaven’s mountains).
• It has an endorheic basin, meaning it has no outflow to other bodies of water like rivers or oceans.
• The water in the lake is blue and brackish.
• It is after Lake Titicaca in South America, the world's second-largest high mountain lake.
• It is the second-largest saline lake in the world after the Caspian Sea. It is also the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan.
• It ranks seventh in the list of the deepest lakes in the world.
• Owing to its depth, low salinity, and warm springs, it does not freeze, even in winter. Issyk-Kul translates as "hot lake".
• From the lakeshore, all major landscape types, from subtropical to tundra, occur in close succession.
• In 1976, it was included on the Ramsar list as a wetland of international importance.

About Dopamine:

• Dopamine is a hormone and a type of neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, made in your brain.
• Your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. These messages also travel between your brain and the rest of your body. 
• This unique neurotransmitter affects your body, brain, and behavior.
• Dopamine is the chemical that mediates pleasure in the brain.
  • It is released when your brain is expecting a reward.
  • When you come to associate a certain activity with pleasure, mere anticipation may be enough to raise dopamine levels.
• It's a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps us focus, work towards goals, and find things interesting.
• Dopamine also plays a role in these functions:
  • learning and attention
  • mood
  • movement
  • heart rate
  • kidney function
  • blood vessel function
  • sleep
  • pain processing
  • lactation
• High or low dopamine levels are associated with diseases including Parkinson’s disease, restless legs syndrome, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Dopamine is also made in other parts of your body, where it acts as a hormone.
• Dopamine acts as a hormone to help:
  • relax or tighten your blood vessels when needed
  • control your salt levels and urine production
  • control how much insulin you make
  • slow down some parts of your digestion
• Dopamine is found in humans as well as animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates.

About Vitamin E:

• It is a fat-soluble vitamin with several forms, but alpha-tocopherol is the only one used by the human body.
• The body stores vitamin E in fatty tissue and the liver.
• Functions:
  • The main role of vitamin E is to act as an antioxidant, scavenging loose electrons—so-called “free radicals”—that can damage cells.
  • Vitamin E helps keep your immune system healthy, promotes good eye health, and supports healthy skin.
  • It helps form red blood cells and widen blood vessels to keep blood from clotting inside
  • It helps the body use vitamin K.
• Food Sources:
  • Foods rich in vitamin E include vegetable oils such as canola and olive oils, nuts, and seeds.
  • Meats, dairy, leafy greens, and fortified cereals also have vitamin E.
• People who have digestive disorders or do not absorb fat properly (e.g., pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease) can develop a vitamin E deficiency.
• The following are common signs of a deficiency:
  • Retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eyes that can impair vision)
  • Peripheral neuropathy (damage to the peripheral nerves, usually in the hands or feet, causing weakness or pain)
  • Ataxia (loss of control of body movements)
  • Decreased immune function

About Sahayog Portal:

• It is an online platform launched in 2024 to help remove illegal content from the internet quickly.
• It allows government agencies to send takedown notices directly to social media platforms and other online intermediaries.
• It operates under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, giving it legal backing.
• It ensures that intermediaries act fast while retaining safe harbour protections.
• Nodal Ministry: Union Home Ministry
• Features of Sahayog Portal:
  • Centralised Communication: Connects government agencies, state/UT nodal officers, and 65 online intermediaries in a single platform.
  • Automated Takedown Notices: Sends quick, documented notices to intermediaries for prompt removal of unlawful content.
  • Legal Backing: Operates under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, ensuring legal enforcement and consequences for non-compliance.
  • Separate from Section 69A: Focuses on intermediaries’ responsibility to disable unlawful content rather than government blocking powers.

About Barbary Macaque:

• Barbary macaques are one of 25 species of macaque found around the world.
• They’re the only macaque species living outside Asia and the only non-human primate in North Africa and Europe.
• Habitat: They are most commonly found in high-altitude mountains, rocky cliffs, and gorges. The ideal habitat of this species is cedar forest.
• Distribution: They are mainly found in Africa, Asia and Europe.
  • The natural range of these primates covers the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco in North Africa.
  • The Barbary monkeys have also been introduced from Morocco to Gibraltar, where these animals currently occur in a small population.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered

About Nilgiri Tahr:

• The Nilgiri Tahr is a mountain ungulate endemic to the southern part of the Western Ghats. 
• It is also known by the name Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex. Locally the animal is called ‘Varayaadu’.
• It is the only mountain ungulate in southern India.
• Habitat: It inhabits the open montane grassland habitat of the southwestern ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. 
• Distribution: It is found in the Western Ghats and in states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 
  • The Eravikulam National Park (Kerala) has the highest density and largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr. 
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered 
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I.
• Threats: Habitat loss due to rampant deforestation, competition with domestic livestock, hydroelectric projects in Nilgiri tahr habitat, and monoculture plantations.

About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:

• It is a prestigious national honour conferred annually by the Government of India.
• It is awarded to children for exceptional excellence in Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment, Social Service, Science & Technology, and Sports.
• The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development Government of India.
• Eligibility for Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:
  • A child should be an Indian Citizen.
  • Age: A child above the age of 5 years and not exceeding 18 years (as of 31st July of respective year).
  • The act/incident/achievement should have been within 2 years of the last date of receipt of application/nomination for the year of consideration.
  • The number of awards will be 25, however, any relaxation to this maximum number may be permitted at the discretion of the National Selection Committee.
  • Each awardee will receive a medal, certificate and citation booklet.

About Cyborg Botany:

• It is a hybrid system that integrates living plants with electronic components.
• It is an intersection of biology, materials science, and engineering.
• The word ‘cyborg’ itself comes from ‘cybernetic organism’, a concept long associated with science fiction.
• Its goal is to use the biological processes of living plants and merge them with artificial electronic functionality.
• Working:
  • Embedding Nanowires and Electronic Transistors: These can be directly embedded into plant cell walls, where they can function as biosensors, picking up biochemical changes as they happen.
  • Polymers as living wires: Certain conductive polymers such as PEDOT (a biodegradable, electrically conductive material) can act as living wires within plant tissue, carrying signals from the plant’s cells to an external device.
• Significance:
  • Plants face two broad types of stress: biotic stress, such as pest infestations and disease, and abiotic stress, such as drought and extreme temperatures.
  • If a sensor embedded in a crop plant could flag a moisture deficit or a disease signal days or weeks before the physical symptoms appear.
  • Farmers could intervene early by applying water and nutrients or treatments only where and when they are needed.