About RQ-170 Sentinel:

• It is an American high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
• It was designed and manufactured by Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Martin (an American defense and aerospace manufacturer), for the United States Air Force (USAF).
• It is designed to execute intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and electronic warfare missions over a target area.
• The aircraft entered service in the mid-2000s and has previously been associated with U.S. operations in the Middle East and Asia.
• Features:
  • It features a flying-wing design optimized for reduced radar visibility and long-endurance flights.
  • It features a blended fuselage, pointed nose, and tricycle-type landing gear.
  • An electro-optic camera was incorporated beneath the front fuselage section to seize real-time imagery or videos of the battlefield it is surveying.
  • It can capture real-time imagery of the battlefield and transfer the data to the ground control station (GCS) through a line of sight (LOS) communication data link.
  • It is fitted with an active electronically scanned array radar, synthetic aperture radar, and signal intelligence in its belly fairings.
  • About 90% of the aircraft is made up of composite materials to decrease its overall weight.

About Thadou Tribe:

• They are an indigenous people who live in the hill country adjacent to the Imphal Valley in Manipur.
• The Thadous are the second largest tribe in Manipur, preceded only by the Meiteis, or Manipuris.
• They are also found in smaller numbers in Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Delhi.
• Language: They speak Chin and Thado, which belong to the Tibeto-Burman family of the Sino-Tibetan languages.
• Thadous share a common culture with all the Chin-Kuki-Mizo community.
• Thadou settlements are located in forests. Sites on the tops of ridges or just below ridges are preferred.
  • Villages are not arranged according to an established urban plan, and there is no marking of the perimeter of a village.
  • The village chief’s house is usually the largest dwelling within the village.
  • Outside it there is a platform upon which men gather to discuss matters of importance and to mediate disputes.
• Economy:
  • They practice subsistence activities including animal domestication, cultivation, hunting, and fishing.
  • Jhum (slash-and-burn) agriculture is predominant.
• Religious Beliefs: The Thadou tribe traditionally practiced an animistic religion centered on nature spirits and a supreme god, Pathen, presently, almost all Thadou people are Christians.
• Festival: The Hun-Thadou cultural festival is an annual celebration of this community, which is celebrated at the arrival of the New Year.

About Microlensing:

• It is a fascinating phenomenon where the light of a background star is deflected by the gravity of a foreground object towards an observer, temporarily magnifying the star as the foreground object crosses the observer's line of sight.
• It occurs due to gravitational lensing, predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
• The intervening object acts as a gravitational lens, bending the background light.
• This makes it a great way to find objects that are too far away to be visible, like distant planets, brown dwarfs, and neutron stars, and even those that are entirely invisible, like isolated black holes.
• Microlensing events are transient and generally
• Some events last for just 1 day, while others can continue for months or even years, and they can result in very sudden and dramatic changes in brightness.
• Why Use Microlensing for Exoplanet-Hunting?
  • Most exoplanet-hunting techniques either find planets really close to their star (like the transit and radial-velocity methods), or very big, young planets far away from their star (the direct-imaging method).
  • Microlensing is really helpful for catching the planets in the middle – planets that are similar to Jupiter – and smaller planets much further out, including free-floating ones.
  • It’s even quite effective at detecting Earth-like planets.
  • Other methods require many years to detect such planets. Instead, microlensing relies on the blind luck of the planet passing in front of a star.

About Live Events Development Cell (LEDC):

• It was established by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.
• Objective: Support the structured growth of India’s rapidly expanding live entertainment industry and strengthen the country’s emerging concert economy.
• The LEDC will function as a single-window facilitation mechanism aimed at streamlining processes for the sector and positioning India among the world’s leading live entertainment destinations by 2030.
• It brings together representatives from the Central and State governments, industry bodies, and major event companies to coordinate policy support and sectoral expansion.
• Key Focus Areas:
  • Single-Window Clearance System being developed on India Cine Hub (ICH) for permissions (fire, traffic, municipal, etc.) to ensure faster approvals and investor-friendly processes.
  • Model SOPs for States and removal of redundant permissions.

About Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple located in the town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
• It is dedicated to Lord Govindaraja Swamy, a form of Lord Vishnu.
• It was built in the 12th century by the Cholas and later expanded by the Vijayanagara kings.
• Renowned Vaishnavite philosopher, Saint Ramanujacharya consecrated this temple in 1130 AD.
• The temple has a rich history and has been visited by several kings and emperors over the centuries.
• Architecture:
  • It is a beautiful blend of Dravidian and Vijayanagara styles.
  • Its tall and remarkable seven storied outer Gopuram is adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures.
  • The vimana (tower) above the main sanctum is an architectural highlight. It features a pyramidal shape and intricate carvings, symbolizing the cosmic journey of the deities.
  • The temple complex also includes a large courtyard, several smaller shrines, and a pillared hall.

About Re-circulatory Aquaculture System:

• It is a technology where water is recycled and reused after mechanical and biological filtration and removal of suspended matter and metabolites.
• It is used for high-density culture of various species of fish, utilizing minimum land area and water.
• Key Features of Re-circulatory Aquaculture System:
  • It is an intensive high density fish culture unlike other aquaculture production systems.
  • It is also a closed-loop tank-based farming that recycles water after filtration.
  • RAS filters and cleans the water in the tank, removing waste and keeping it safe for the fish to live in.
  • It has automated set up of culture tanks with both mechanical and biological filtration units, and effectively prevents the entry of pathogens from external sources.
  • It requires the minimal interventions to assess the culture, water and disease monitoring, which allows for improved biosecurity.
  • It can be set up indoors or in areas without natural water sources, allowing fish to be raised closer to cities and where demand is high.

About Battery Pack Aadhaar System:

• It is an indigenous digital identification and data storage system developed to ensure end-to-end traceability of batteries throughout their entire lifecycle.
• Objective: This system aims to bring transparency, accountability, and sustainability to the battery ecosystem by enabling accurate tracking of performance, and environmental impact.
• Features of Battery Pack Aadhaar System:
  • The battery producer or importer shall have the obligation of assigning a unique Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) to each battery that they introduce in the market and the battery they put to self-use.
  • Every Electric Vehical battery pack and industrial battery above 2 kWh will be assigned a Battery Pack Aadhaar Number, or BPAN, along with a QR code.
  • The BPAN will store:
    • Static information: It includes the manufacturer’s identity, battery specifications, material composition, and carbon footprint.
    • Dynamic data, including battery health, thermal events, charge-discharge cycles, and end-of-life status — will be maintained on a central server, enabling predictive maintenance and efficient recycling.
  • Significance: BPAN will play a crucial role in enabling second-life usage, regulatory compliance, and efficient recycling.

About Rani Velu Nachiyar:

• Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730–1796) was an 18th-century queen of Sivaganga in present-day Tamil Nadu.
• She was the princess of Ramanathapuram and the only child of Raja Chellamuthu vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom.
• She is also known as
• Skills: She was trained in handling various weapons, horse riding, archery, and traditional martial arts such as Silambam and Valari.
  • She was also a distinguished scholar. She was proficient in multiple languages, including Tamil, English, French, and Urdu. 
• Contributions of Rani Velu Nachiyar:
  • Strategic Alliances: She forged strategic alliances with Hyder Ali of Mysore and Gopala Nayaker.
  • She raised a formidable army that included a dedicated women’s battalion and the queen named her women’s army “Udaiyaal” in her adopted daughter’s honour.
  • Her army commander Kuyili, participated is considered the “first woman martyr” and the first suicide bomber in Indian history.
• She was the first queen to fight for freedom from the British in India. She granted powers to the Marudu brothers to administer the country in 1780.

About Cetacean morbillivirus:

• Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) refers to a viral infection affecting marine mammals, particularly cetaceans.
• It belongs to the family ​Paramyxoviridae​, which affects marine mammals such as dolphins, whales, and porpoises.
• Characteristics: These viruses are enveloped, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses.
• It has been responsible for numerous outbreaks across the world, especially in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
• Transmission: It is highly infectious and spread by the respiratory route and direct contact.
  • The virus is shed by infected animals in ocular and respiratory secretions, urine, feces, and sloughed skin.
• It impacts the respiratory and neurological systems of the marine mammals, and can lead to mass strandings and deaths.
• Treatment: There is no treatment for morbillivirus infections in marine mammals, only supportive care.

What are Cetaceans?

• The Cetacea are one of the most distinctive and highly specialized orders of mammals.
• Cetaceans (order Cetacea) are aquatic mammals, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
• Cetaceans are entirely carnivorous and are distributed in all of the world's oceans.