About Euthanasia:

• Euthanasia is defined as the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further suffering.
• The term "euthanasia" comes from the Greek phrase "eu thanatos", in which "eu" means "good" and "thanatos" translates into "death." Literally speaking, the maxim translates to "easy death".
• The practice of euthanasia can be classified into the following two categories:
• Active Euthanasia:
  • Active euthanasia is a method that involves taking active steps to end a life.
  • This involves taking positive steps to end a patient's life, such as by administering them a dose of medication through their intravenous line that will kill them.
  • Active euthanasia is also sometimes referred to by the term "aggressive euthanasia”.
• Passive Euthanasia:
  • Passive Euthanasia is defined as the deliberate act of causing someone's death by withholding or withdrawing artificial life support, such as a ventilator, from a patient who is terminally ill.
  • In a case like this, something that is essential to save a patient’s life is not done.
• Legality in India:
  • In a landmark ruling in the Common Cause vs. Union of India case (2018), a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court recognised the right to die as part of the right to life, legalising passive euthanasia and permitting the creation of a “living will” for terminally ill patients or those in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery, ensuring a dignified exit by refusing medical treatment or life support.
  • However, in India, active euthanasia is illegal and a crime.

About Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD):

• It is an infectious viral disease of cattle and water buffalo.
• It is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which belongs to the genus capripoxvirus, a part of the poxviridae family (smallpox and monkeypox viruses are also a part of the same family).
• LSDV is not zoonotic, so humans cannot get infected by the virus.
• Originally found in Africa, it has also spread to countries in the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Europe.
• LSD is a highly host-specific disease. It primarily affects cows and to a lesser extent, buffalo.
• Morbidity rate is higher in cattle than buffalo.
• The disease is of economic importance as it can cause a temporary reduction in milk production, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to hides and, occasionally, death.
• Transmission:
  • It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies, mosquitoes, or ticks.
  • Infected animals shed the virus through oral and nasal secretions, which may contaminate common feeding and water troughs.
  • Thus, the disease can either spread through direct contact with the vectors or through contaminated fodder and water.
• Symptoms:
  • The disease is characterized by high fever and enlarged superficial lymph nodes on the skin and peculiar multiple nodules or lumps on the skin.
  • It can also lead to death, especially in animals that have not previously been exposed to the virus or have low immunity.
• Treatment:
  • There is no treatment for the virus, so prevention by vaccination is the most effective means of control.
  • The infected animals receive supportive care, which involves the use of antibiotics, painkillers, and wound care sprays to treat symptoms.

About Yashas:

• It is the flagship jet training aircraft of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• The aircraft, previously known as Hindustan Jet Trainer (HJT)-36, has undergone extensive modifications aimed at improving its departure characteristics and spin resistance across the aircraft envelope, leading to its rechristening as ‘Yashas.’
• It is fully equipped for Stage II pilot training, which includes a variety of specialized operations such as counter-insurgency, counter-surface force operations, and armament training.
• Features:
  • It has been upgraded with state-of-the-art avionics and a modern cockpit, enhancing both the training effectiveness and operational efficiency of the aircraft.
  • The modifications also include a reduction in weight and the replacement of imported equipment with Indian-made Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), ensuring a more self-reliant and sustainable system.
  • Its capabilities extend to aerobatics and armament carriage, supporting up to 1,000 kg of payload.
  • It is powered by a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC)-controlled AL55I Jet engine, providing best-in-class thrust-to-weight ratio, optimised thrust management, and reliability.
  • Additionally, the aircraft boasts a stepped-up rear cockpit with a drooped nose, providing improved all-around vision and enhanced situational awareness.

About Quipu:

• It is a recently discovered superstructure in which galaxies group together in clusters and clusters of clusters (superclusters).
• It contains nearly 70 galactic superclusters.
• It is the largest known structure in the universe in terms of length.
• Quipu stretches an astonishing 3 billion light-years across and contains an estimated 200 quadrillion solar masses.
• It is over 13,000 times the length of the Milky Way.
• It is also hundreds of thousands of times more massive than a single galaxy.
• Inspired by the Incan counting system of knotted cords, the structure mirrors its namesake with a long central filament and multiple branching filaments.
• Despite its vast size, Quipu will not last forever. Scientists believe it will eventually break into smaller, collapsing units.
  • They describe it as a "transient configuration" that will change over time.
• Studying Quipu may help refine cosmological models. It could offer new insights into galaxy evolution and large-scale cosmic dynamics.

About R-37M Missile:

• The R-37M missile, known by its NATO reporting name AA-13 Axehead, is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by Russia.
• It is designed to eliminate enemy fighter jets and drones beyond visual range (BVR).
• It evolved from the earlier R-33 missile and is designed to engage high-value targets such as AWACS, tanker aircraft, and other support platforms, thereby keeping the launching aircraft out of the range of enemy fighters.
• Features:
  • It has a weight of approximately 510 kilograms and a length of over 4 meters, with a warhead weighing 60 kilograms.
  • The guidance system of the R-37M is a combination of inertial navigation with mid-course updates, an active radar homing head, and semi-active radar guidance for the terminal phase.
  • It features a jettisonable rocket booster that allows it to achieve a range of 300 to 400 kilometers, making it one of the longest-reaching air-to-air missiles in service globally.
  • Its speed can reach hypersonic levels, up to Mach 6, which is crucial for intercepting fast-moving targets.

About Autonomous District Council:

• The Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution provides a list of ten tribal areas in Assam(3), Meghalaya (3), Tripura (1) and Mizoram (3).
• Each of these tribal areas constitutes an autonomous district.  Each autonomous district has an Autonomous District Council(ADC). 
• Membership of Autonomous District Council: 
  • They have up to 30 members with a term of five years.
  • Out of 30, four are nominated by the governorand the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise.
• Tenure of Autonomous District Council: Five years from the date of their constitution. 
• Functions:
  • They make laws on land, management of forests, except reserved forests, appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen, 
  • They make rules regulating the inheritance of property, marriage, divorce, the constitution of village courts, 
  • They can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district.
  • They can also make regulations for the control of money lending and trading by non-tribals. But such regulations require the assent of the governor.
• Revenue source:The main Revenue Sources of ADCs, as specified in the Sixth Schedule, were:
  • taxes on professions, trades, callings and employment;
  • taxes on animals, vehicles and boats;
  • taxes on the entry of goods into a market and sale therein, and tolls on passenger and goods carried on ferries; and
  • taxes for the maintenance of school, dispensaries or roads.

About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension:

• It is a specific type of pulmonary hypertension that is caused when the tiny arteries in your lung become thickened and narrowed.
• This blocks the blood flow through the lungs which raises the blood pressure in the lungs and causes the heart to work harder to pump blood through those narrowed arteries.
• Causes:
  • The exact cause of PAH is unknown but it is believed that PAH occurs when there is injury to the cells that line the blood vessels of the lung, which over time results in this blood vessel disease.
  • It can also develop in association with other medical conditions including congenital heart disease, liver disease, HIV and connective tissue diseases — such as scleroderma and lupus.
  • PAH can even be associated with past or present drug use, such as the use of methamphetamine or certain diet pills.
• Symptoms: Blue fingers or lips, Chest pain, Dizziness or fainting, Fatigue, Shortness of breath that gets worse over time etc.
• Treatment: While there are treatment options for PAH, there is no known cure.

About PM-AJAY Scheme:

• The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM- AJAY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• It is aimed at reducing poverty among the SC communities through various initiatives like the generation of additional employment and improving socio-economic indicators in SC dominated villages.
• It is a merged scheme of three Centrally Sponsored Schemes, namely Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP), and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY).
• Objectives:
  • To increase the income of the target populationby way of various income generating schemes, skill development and infrastructure development.
  • To reduce the poverty among the target population and bring them above the poverty lines.
• Eligibility Criteria:
• • The Scheduled Castes persons living below the poverty lines are eligible for getting benefits under this scheme.
  • In case of Infrastructure Development, the villages having 50% or more SC population are eligible for grants under the Scheme.
• It is being implemented since 2021-22 as three components, which are as under:
  • Development of SC dominated villages into an ‘Adarsh Gram’ component
  • Grants-in-aid for District/State-level Projects for socio-economic betterment of SCs’ component
  • Construction of Hostels in Higher Educational Institutions’ component

About Exercise Cyclone 2025:

• It is a joint military exercise held between India and Egypt army.
• This is the third edition of Cyclone exercise. The first edition of the exercise was conducted in 2023 (In India) and second edition (In Egypt) was in 2024.
• Goal: The goal of the exercise is to improve coordination between the two armies. Training will include real-world scenarios and tactical drills.
• Motto of Exercise Cyclone 2025: “Together we train, together we excel”
• The exercise will involve the special forces of both countries. The Indian Army and the Egyptian Army would train together in desert conditions. The focus will be on counter-terrorism, high-intensity combat, and survival techniques.
• Military cooperation between India and Egypt has strengthened in recent years. Both countries have emphasised the need to strengthen security efforts. The exercise will allow both forces to operate together in simulated combat situations.