About Satpura Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• It is situated in the Satpura ranges of the Central Indian Landscape.
• It lies south of the river Narmada.
• The tiger reserve comprises three protected areas, Satpura National Park, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, and Pachmarhi Sanctuary.
• Terrain: The terrain here is extremely rugged and consists of sandstone peaks, narrow gorges, ravines, and dense forests.
• Geological formations include the Deccan trap series, Gondwanas, and metamorphic rocks.
• Vegetation: It mainly consists of mixed deciduous forest with a variety of flora typical of the Central Indian Highlands.
• Flora: It includes teak, bamboo, Indian ebony, various acacias, wild mango, Indian gooseberry, satinwood, etc.
  • Twenty-six species of the Himalayan region and 42 species of the Nilgiri areas are found. Hence, STR is also known as the northern extremity of the Western Ghats.
• Fauna: It is home to tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Indian gaurs (bison), and sambar deer.

About G7 Group:

• The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies.
• It was founded in 1975 in response to the oil crisis. 
• Members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • Russia was member from 1998, the group temporarily became the G8.
  • In 2014, the group returned to the G7 format. 
• The G7 originally dealt exclusively with issues related to the development of the global economy. 
• It now covers the entire spectrum of global issues, such as foreign and security policy, trade, climate, and development.
• Governance
  • There is no firmly established secretariat, procedural guidelines, or administrative structures. 
  • Its presidency rotates each calendar year among the member states. The EU does not hold the rotating presidency of the G7.
  • The changing agenda and thematic priorities of the G7 are determined by the respective presidency. 
  • Decisions are usually taken by consensus.

About Nyctibatrachus kali:

• It is more commonly called 'Kali Night Frog’.
• It was found in the Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
• It was named after the nearby Kali River (the reserve is also named after the river which flows through it).
• The new frog species is known to be a 'cryptic' one, which has similarities with the 'Kumbara Night Frog' (Nyctibatrachus kumbara) discovered in 2014.
• Its sound resembles that of wood-chopping in the forest.

Key Facts about Kali Tiger Reserve

• It is situated in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
• It is composed of Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park.
• River: The Kali River, which forms the major source of water for Uttara Kannada, flows through the tiger reserve.
• Vegetation: It is a blend of semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, interspersed with patches of bamboo and grasslands.
• Flora: It features species like teak, silver oak, eucalyptus, and various medicinal plants.
• Fauna: Animals found in the Tiger Reserve include Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Bison, Wild dog, Sambar, Spotted deer.

About Zojila Pass:

• Zojila Pass, also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
• It is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1).
• It lies in the Greater Himalayan Range.

What is Avalanche?

• It is a large amount of snow that quickly moves down a slope. 
• It can be deadly because it will bury or sweep away anything in its path. 
• Many different conditions make an avalanche possible. 
  • An avalanche is more likely to happen on a slope without trees or large rocks. These things help to keep snow in place. 
  • A weak layer of snow also makes an avalanche likely.

About Shigellosis:

• It is an infection caused by the Shigella bacteria.
• It is highly contagious, causes acute diarrhoea, and can affect anyone, but children under five are particularly susceptible.
• It is one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhoea worldwide.
• Humans are the only natural reservoir of the Shigella bacteria.
• The disease may be more severe in young children, older adults, immune-compromised individuals or malnourished persons.
• Transmission:
  • The infection is transmitted through direct, close contact with infected individuals, through the faecal-oral route and through sexual contact.
  • It can also spread through contaminated food and water or contact with faeces of an infected person.
• Symptoms:
  • The most common symptoms is diarrhoea, which can be bloody, contain mucus and last for a prolonged period of three days or more.
  • Other symptoms include stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and feeling the need to pass stool even when the bowels are empty.
• Treatment: It is typically self-limiting, which means in most mild cases.
• Medicines, including antibiotics may be prescribed for a serious infection.

About Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar:

• It is a prestigious national award recognizing outstanding contributions in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.
• The RVP seeks to honour scientists, technologists, and innovators whose work has significantly advanced India’s scientific landscape and contributed to national development.
• Eligibility: 
  • Scientists/technologists/innovators working in government or private sector organizations or any individual working outside any organization, who have made distinguished contributions in terms of path-breaking research or innovation or discovery in any field of science, technology, or technology-led innovation shall be eligible for the awards. 
  • People of Indian Origin staying abroad with exceptional contributions benefiting the Indian communities or society shall also be eligible for the awards.
• The awards will be presented in four categories:
  • Vigyan Ratna (VR): For lifetime achievements in science and technology.
  • Vigyan Shri (VS): For distinguished contributions in the field.
  • Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB): To encourage young scientists (up to 45 years) showing exceptional promise.
  • Vigyan Team (VT): For collaborative excellence by research teams of three or more members.
• The awards are administered by the RVP Secretariat, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

About Earth Hour:

• It is a global grassroots movement uniting people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet.
• It is organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
• Background: It started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007as a symbolic lights-out event and has since grown into a global movement involving millions of people in over 190 countries and territories.
• It takes place towards the end of March every year.
• Participation: “Earth Hour” encourages people to switch off all lights for an hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, to promote awareness of climate change challenges and energy conservation.
• Governments and companies also participate by turning off non-essential lights in their buildings, monuments, and landmarks to raise awareness about the impact of energy consumption on our planet.
• This symbolic act, known as the ‘lights off’ moment, unites people worldwide in a show of support for the planet and serves as a reminder of the environmental issues facing us.

About Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile:

• It is a European-designed short-range air-to-air missile built by the multinational company MBDA.
• Features
  • The ASRAAM uses heat-seeking technology and is optimised for close-in dogfights.
  • It operates on a fire-and-forget principle, which means once launched; the missile guides itself to the target without further input from the pilot.
  • Speed: It reaches speeds in excess of Mach 3, can engage fast-moving fighter aircraft at ranges greater than 25 kilometres and delivers pinpoint accuracy. 
  • The technology features a Lock-On After Launch (LOAL) capability, allowing the pilot to fire the weapon before the seeker even sees the target. 
  • It has already been integrated on the indigenous LCA Tejas and Jaguar aircraft.
  • The weapon is highly manoeuvrable, capable of pulling extreme G-forces to track rapidly turning fighter jets.
    • Once fired, its aerodynamic design and powerful rocket motor ensure it maintains high energy throughout its flight path.

About Red-crowned Roofed Turtle:

• It is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to South Asia.
• It is one of the three large freshwater species in the genus Batagur found in India.
• Distribution
  • It is native to India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
  • Historically, the species was widespread in the Ganga River, both in India and Bangladesh.
  • It also occurs in the Brahmaputra basin.
• Features of Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle:
  • In comparison to their female counterparts, the males are shorter and reach only half their length. 
  • They have a reddish-orange colored headwith a black crown and a greenish-brown carapace (upper shell) with yellowish patterns. 
  • Their plastron (lower shell) is yellow with black markings. 
  • Diet: It is omnivorousand feeds on a variety of plants and animals.
  • It functions as a bio-indicator of river health.
  • It contributes to the cycling of nutrients within the river, which is essential for the overall health of the aquatic environment. 
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: Rampant harvest of adults and eggs, illegal trade, habitat degradation

About Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council:

• It is an Apex Autonomous Body established as a registered Society.
• It was formed by subsuming 14 Autonomous Institutes of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). 
• BRIC aims to provide a centralized and unified governance mechanism for the administration of its research institutions through intra-mural core grants.
• It emphasizes multi-disciplinary research support from basic discovery to application in areas of strength within the DBT institutions.
• BRIC seeks to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders by enabling the pursuit of knowledge and innovation in globally competitive and nationally relevant ecosystems.
• The objectives of BRIC are:
  • Promoting cutting-edge research in biotechnology aligned with national priorities
  • Fostering innovation and translation across institutional boundaries
  • Developing indigenous technologies and capabilities in line with the principles of Atmanirbhar Bharat
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology