About Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in Tripura.
• It also has hosts Abasarika and Amrit Sagar lakes.
• Clouded Leopard National Park, is a part of the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Vegetation: Moist deciduous forest
• Flora:
  • It hosts various tress like Sal, Chamal, Garjan, and Kanak.
  • Pichla, Kurcha, Awla, Bahera, Hargaja, Amlaki, Bamboos and grasses, are also found here.
• Fauna:
  • It is the habitat of different species of primates like the Rhesus macaque, Pigtailed macaque, Capped langur, Spectacled monkey, Slow loris and several other wild animals like Leopard, Clouded leopard, Jungle fowl, Civets, Barking, Deer, Wild pig, crab-eating mongoose.
  • The avian population of the sanctuary is also rich, with a variety of winged stork, Whistling teal, and the White ibis.

About Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):

• It is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
• It promotes maritime cooperation, mutual understanding, and collaboration on issues such as maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
• In the process, it endeavours to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to common understanding and possibly cooperative solutions on the way ahead.
• IONS is structured around a rotating chairmanship, biennial conclaves of chiefs, and working groups.
• There are 36 littoral in the Indian Ocean, which have been geographically grouped into the following four sub-regions:
  • South Asian Littorals: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and United Kingdom (British Indian Ocean Territory)
  • West Asian Littorals: Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
  • East African Littorals: France (Reunion), Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania.
  • South East Asian and Australian Littorals: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
  • Observers: China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Russia, and Spain.

About Mir Alam Tank:

• Mir Alam Tank, located in Hyderabad, Telangana, is a historic reservoir to the south of the Musi river.
• It was the primary source of drinking water for Hyderabad before the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs were built by the last Nizam of Hyderabad between 1913-25.
• History:
  • The tank was named after Mir Alam Bahadur, then the Prime Minister of Hyderabad during Asaf Jah III’s reign, the third Nizam of Hyderabad
  • Mir Alam Bahadur is believed to have laid the foundation for the tank .
  • Mir Alam had led the forces of Nizam against the battle with Tipu Sultan.
  • It is believed that Mir Alam built the lake from part of the treasure that he grabbed from Srirangapatna after defeating Tipu
  • The tank was designed by a French engineer and features semi-circular arches, making it an architectural marvel of its time.

About Strategic Asset Allocation and Risk Governance (SAARG) Committee:

• It is a high-level committee of investment experts to review, recommend, and modernise the investment framework under the National Pension System (NPS).
• It was constituted by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Objective: Strengthening the long-term investment architecture of NPS by improving diversification, enhancing risk management practices, and expanding investment choices available to subscribers.
• SAARG has been tasked with undertaking a comprehensive review of existing NPS investment guidelines for both government and non-government sectors.
  • The review will include benchmarking India’s pension investment framework with leading global pension systems as well as the evolving domestic investment ecosystem.
• The committee will examine a wide range of issues, including strategic asset allocation frameworks, introduction and review of asset classes, performance measurement systems, accountability mechanisms, asset-liability management (ALM) practices, valuation standards for alternative investments, portfolio stability and liquidity optimisation.
  • Governance structures, intermediary architecture, and integration of sustainability considerations into investment decision-making will also fall within its scope.

About Hemileccinum indicum:

• It is a new species of mushroom.
• It was found growing among oak trees in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand.
• It marks the first time the genus Hemileccinum has been documented in India.
• Ecologically, these mushrooms are ectomycorrhizal, meaning they form a vital symbiotic partnership with the roots of trees, such as the Quercus (oak) species they were found under, helping the forest exchange nutrients and stay healthy.

About Chatergala Pass:

• Location: It is situated in the Bhaderwah–Chatergala axis in Jammu region of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is a high mountain pass that connects Bani in the Kathua district to Bhaderwah in the Doda district. 
• It is tucked in the Chamba-doda ranges of the greater Himalayas.
• Terrain: It is surrounded by alpine meadows, snow-covered peaks, and dense forest
• Fauna: Himalayan monals, ibex, and musk deer are found here.

Key Facts about Border Roads Organisation:

• It is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to the Indian Armed Forces.
• BRO was entirely brought under the Ministry of Defence in 2015.
• Establishment: It was formed on 7 May 1960 to secure India’s borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and northeastern states of the country.
• Function: It develops and maintains road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
• The executive head of the BRO is the Director General of Border Roads (DGBR), who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. 
• Officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the BRO.
• It is also staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers on extra-regimental employment (on deputation).
• Motto: Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hard work).

About Pygmy Hog:

• It is the smallest and rarest species of wild pig in the world.
• It is one of the very few mammals that build its own home, or nest, complete with a ‘roof’.
• It is an indicator species as its presence reflects the health of its primary habitat.
• Habitat: It prefers undisturbed patches of grassland dominated by early succession riverine communities, typically comprising dense tall grass intermixed with a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and young trees.
• Currently, they survive only in the grasslands of Assam’s Manas and Orang national parks.
• Ecological Role of Pygmy Hog:
  • Using its snout, it digs for roots, tubers, wild fruits, termites, earthworms, eggs and other food sources found in the grasslands.
  • This digging aerates the soil and enhances its quality.
  • It also helps disperse seeds through its dietary and foraging habits.
• Conservation status of Pygmy Hog:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:Schedule I

About Bacillus subtilis:

• Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a type of probiotic ("good" bacteria) found naturally in the human gut.
• It's also found in fermented foods.
• Characteristics of Bacillus subtilis:
  • It is a spore forming, motile, rod-shaped, Gram-positive, facultative aerobe.
  • It is mostly found in soil and vegetation with an optimal growth temperature from 25-35 degrees Celsius. 
  • subtilis has the ability to produce and secrete antibiotics.
  • The genomic structure of this microorganism contains five signal peptidase genes that are important for the secretion of these antibiotics. 
  • It has shown to be capable of secreting polymyxin, difficidin, subtilin, and mycobacillin.
  • It is used as a model organism for studying endospore formation in bacteria.
  • Endospores of B. subtilis can tolerate harsh environmental conditions, such as UV exposure and high temperatures.
• Transmission and Disease: subtilis is non-pathogenic but can contaminate food and be considered an opportunistic pathogen among the immuno-compromised.
• Applications Bacillus subtilis:
  • It is used on seeds, vegetables, and plants as a fungicide because of their ability to produce antibiotics. 
  • It inhabits the root system of the plant competing with disease causing organisms.
  • Some B. subtilis strains are capable of producing toxins for insects. These strains are used by farms to protect their crops.
  • subtilis endopores serve as one of the models for evaluating the effectiveness of sporicides and sterilants.