About Sultanpur National Park:

• Sultanpur National Park, formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, is located in Haryana.
• It consists primarily of marshy lakes and floodplains.
• It includes a core area has the main Sultanpur Lake/Jheel.
  • The Sultanpur Jheel is a seasonal freshwater wetland with fluctuating water levels throughout the year.
  • This shallow lake is mostly fed by waters from River Yamuna’s Gurgaon canal and the overflowing waters of the neighboring agricultural lands.
  • It gained national attention in the late 1960s due to the conservation efforts of ornithologists Peter Michel Jackson and Dr. Salim Ali, who frequently visited the site for birding.
• It was recognised as a Ramsar site in 2021.
• It has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
• Flora: The vegetation of this park is tropical and dry deciduous, and the flora includes grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, ber, jamun, banyan tree, neem, berberis, Acacia nilotica, and Acacia tortilis.
• Fauna:
  • It forms a part of the ‘Central Asian Migratory Flyway’ and thousands of migratory birds from the countries of Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Europe visit the park during the winter months.
    • Winter Migrants: Greater Flamingos, Northern Pintails, Eurasian Wigeons, Common Teals, and Bar-headed Geese.
    • Resident Birds: Indian Peafowl, Red-wattled Lapwings, Cattle Egrets, and White-throated Kingfishers.
    • Rare/Threatened Species: Sarus Crane, Black-necked Stork, and Indian Courser have been recorded here.
  • Other faunal species, such as Nilgai, Sambar, Golden jackals, wild dog, striped hyenas, Indian porcupine, mongoose, etc., are also found here.

About Large Language Models (LLMs):

• An LLM is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) program that can recognize and generate text, among other tasks.
• LLMs are trained on huge sets of data, hence the name “large.”
• LLMs are built on machine learning: specifically, a type of neural network called a transformer model, which excels at handling sequences of words and capturing patterns in text.
• In simpler terms, an LLM is a computer program that has been fed enough examples to be able to recognize and interpret human language or other types of complex data.
• Many LLMs are trained on data that has been gathered from the Internet—thousands or millions of gigabytes’ worth of text.
• But the quality of the samples impacts how well LLMs will learn natural language, so LLM's programmers may use a more curated data set.
• LLMs use a type of machine learning called deep learning in order to understand how characters, words, and sentences function together.
  • Deep learning involves the probabilistic analysis of unstructured data, which eventually enables the deep learning model to recognize distinctions between pieces of content without human intervention.
• LLMs are then further trained via tuning: they are fine-tuned or prompt-tuned to the particular task that the programmer wants them to do.
• What are LLMs Used For?
  • LLMs can perform various language tasks, such as answering questions, summarizing text, translating between languages, and writing content.
  • Businesses use LLM-based applications to help improve employee productivity and efficiency, provide personalized recommendations to customers, and accelerate ideation, innovation, and product development.
  • LLMs serve as the foundational powerhouses behind some of today’s most used text-focused generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, and Meta AI.
• Since LLMs are now becoming multimodal (working with media types beyond text), they are now also called “foundation models”.
• Though they are groundbreaking, LLMs face challenges that may include computational requirements, ethical concerns, and limitations in understanding context.

Quick Definitions:

• Machine learning: A subset of AI where data is fed into a program so it can identify features in that data.
• Deep learning: Trains itself to recognize patterns without human intervention.
• Neural networks: Constructed of connected network nodes composed of several layers that pass information between each other.
• Transformer models: Learn context using a technique called self-attention to detect how elements in a sequence are related.

About Solar Storm:

• A solar storm is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the Sun.

What Causes a Solar Storm?

• The Sun creates a tangled mess of magnetic fields.
• These magnetic fields get twisted up as the Sun rotates — with its equator rotating faster than its poles.
• Solar storms typically begin when these twisted magnetic fields on the Sun get contorted and stretched so much that they snap and reconnect (in a process called magnetic reconnection), releasing large amounts of energy.

These powerful eruptions can generate any or all of the following:

• a bright flash of light called a solar flare.
• a radiation storm, or flurry of solar particles propelled into space at high speeds.
• an enormous cloud of solar material, called a coronal mass ejection, that billows away from the Sun.

How Does a Solar Storm Affect?

• When directed toward Earth, a solar storm can create a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field, called a geomagnetic storm, that can produce effects such as radio blackouts, power outages, and beautiful auroras.
• They do not cause direct harm to anyone on Earth, however, as our planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the worst of these storms.

 What are Solar Flares?

• A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation, or light, on the Sun.
• These flashes span the electromagnetic spectrum — including X-rays, gamma rays, radio waves, and ultraviolet and visible light.
• Solar flares are the most powerful explosions in the solar system — the biggest ones can have as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs.

What are Radiation Storms?

• Solar eruptions can accelerate charged particles — electrons and protons — into space at incredibly high speeds, initiating a radiation storm.

What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)?

• A CME is an enormous cloud of electrically charged gas, called plasma, that erupts from the Sun.
• A single CME can blast billions of tons of material into the solar system all at once.
• CMEs occur in the outer atmosphere of the Sun, called the corona, and often look like giant bubbles bursting from the Sun.

Key Facts about Aditya-L1:

• It is the first space-based observatory-class Indian solar mission to study the Sun.
• It was by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The spacecraft is placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.
• A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipse.
• This provides a greater advantage of observing the solar activities continuously.
• The spacecraft is carrying seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and outermost layers of the Sun using electromagnetic and particle detectors.

About AviSpray-10c:

• It is a compact spraying drone smaller than the current generation.
• It was developed by the AvironiX Drones, a Chennai-based deep-tech drone company focused on precision farming and defence technologies.
• It is designed to significantly reduce the cost, operational complexity, and manpower requirements of drone-based crop spraying in India.
• Unlike many agricultural drones developed primarily under laboratory conditions, the AviSpray-10c has been validated through extensive real-world deployment.
• Advantages:
  • Small-sized form factor for transport on scooters and bicycles
  • No requirement for bulky transport vehicles
  • Elimination of permanent drone mounting boxes
  • Single-operator deployment with no assistant required
  • Reduced battery count, lower upfront capital costs, and lower fuel consumption
  • Higher improvement in spraying accuracy
  • Terrain-following radar and collision-avoidance systems
  • Multiple nozzle configurations
  • Swappable chemical tanks.

About Asemonea dentis and Colyttus nongwar:

• These are two new species of jumping spiders discovered in Meghalaya.
• Both species belong to the Salticidae family, the tribe of “jumping spiders” known for their sharp vision, rapid reflexes and predatory precision.
• Unlike traditional web-weavers, these spiders stalk their prey with stealth before springing in a split-second leap.
• Asemonea dentis:
  • Only the third Indian species identified under the Asemonea genus, a group that remains sparsely documented in the country.
  • The species is named ‘dentis’ for a distinctive tooth-like projection on the male’s palpal femur.
• Colyttus nongwar:
  • It is the second Indian member of the little-known Oriental genus Colyttus.
  • It draws its name from Nongwar, the Khasi Hills village where it was documented.

About Brunei:

• Location: It is located along the northern coast of Borneo Island in Southeast Asia.
• Bordered by: Brunei is bordered by the South China Sea in the north and on all other sides by Malaysia.
• Capital: Bander Seri Begawan – the capital and largest city of Brunei.
• It is a member country of Commonwealth and ASEAN.
• Geographical Features of Brunei
  • Climate: The climate of Brunei (or Brunei Darussalam) is equatorial, i.e., hot, humid and rainy throughout the year. 
  • Mountain: Bukit Pagon is the highest point.
  • Rivers: Numerous rivers drain the land, including the Belait, Pandaruan, and Tutong.
  • Natural Resources: It is also a major oil producer in Southeast Asia.

About Buxa Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in West Bengal.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
• The fragile “Terai Eco-System” constitutes a part of this reserve.
• It serves as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
• The reserve has corridor connectivity across the border with the forests of Bhutan, Kochugaon forests, Manas Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara National Park.
• Rivers: Two rivers, namely the River Raidak and the River Jayanti, flow through the forest of Buxa. 
• Vegetation: The forests of the reserve can be broadly classified as the ‘Moist Tropical Forest’.
• Flora: Some of the important species are Sal, Champa, Gamar, Simul, and Chikrasi.
• Fauna: The main species include the Tiger, elephant, leopard cat, gaur, wild boar, sambar, hog deer, Chinese pangolin, etc.

About Blue Corner Notice:

• The Blue Corner Notice is an international alert issued under Interpol’s colour-coded system, which allows member countries to share information and requests for information across borders.
• It is also known as an “enquiry notice” allows police forces in member states to share critical crime-related information such as obtaining a person’s criminal record, and location and, having his or her identity verified among others.
• Blue corner notices are issued prior to the filing of criminal charges.
• Other types of notices of INTERPOL include:
  • Red Notice: To locate and arrest individuals wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence
  • Yellow Notice: It is issued to trace missing persons—especially children—or identify individuals unable to confirm their identity.
  • Black Notice: To gather information about unidentified bodies.
  • Green Notice: Alerts member countries about someone with a history of criminal behaviour who may pose a threat.
  • Orange Notice: Warns about a person, object, or event that could pose an immediate risk to public safety.
  • Purple Notice: Shares details on criminal methods, tools, or concealment techniques.
  • Silver Notice (pilot): Helps identify and trace assets linked to criminal activities.

What is INTERPOL?

• The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), is commonly known as Interpol, is an international organization facilitating international police cooperation against cross-border terrorism, trafficking, and other crime
• Members: 196 member India joined Interpol in 1949.
• It has enjoyed a special role, that of Permanent Observer at the United Nations – since 1996.
• Headquarter: Lyon, France.

About African Penguin:

• The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is a species of penguin that lives in southern African waters.
• Breeding: The species breeds naturally in burrows dug into guano (a natural substance composed of the excrement of birds, bats, and seals), which protects them from the extreme heat of their environment. 
• Penguins can lose almost half their body mass during their annual 21-day moult.
  • During this period, the birds come ashore, shed their feathers and cannot enter the water to feed.
• Distribution: It is mainly found along the coast of Namibia and the Atlantic coast of South Africa.
• Threats: Global-warming-induced shifts in the marine and atmospheric environment are destructive to the African penguin’s habitat.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.

About International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation:

• It was established in 1957 as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
• It officially changed its status from a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) to an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO).
• Its mandate is to harmonise global maritime navigation systems, promote maritime safety initiatives, and collaborate with member states, international organizations, and industry stakeholders to address emerging challenges in maritime safety and environmental protection.
• Motto: “Successful Voyages, Sustainable Planet.”
• Governance: It is the key decision-making body of the intergovernmental organization responsible for marine aids to navigation.
• It aims to:
  • Foster safe, economic and efficient movement of vessels by improving and harmonizing aids to navigation worldwide and by other appropriate means.
  • Encourage, support and communicate recent developments; develop international cooperation by promoting close working relationships and assistance among members;
  • Enhance mutual exchange of information with organizations representing users of aids to navigation.
• Headquarters: France.