About Heron Mk II:

• It is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
• It was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• Features:
  • It offers an endurance of 45 hours and a top speed of 150 knots.
  • It can reach altitudes up to 35,000 ft and has an operating range of more than 1,000 km.
  • It can carry long-range radars and observation sensors, such as electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) systems for detection and tracking of targets.
  • The Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) and Communications Intelligence (COMINT) systems will be installed on board to detect, analyse, geolocate, and gather electronic and communication radio signals for actionable intelligence at long-range stand-off distances.
  • It is able to gather intelligence from tens of kilometers away without crossing borders.

About Sanchar Saathi:

• It is a security and awareness platform developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• It is available both as an app and a web portal.
• Purpose: To help mobile users manage their digital identity, report suspicious activity, and safeguard their devices.
• The platform also provides educational material on telecom safety and cyber risks, making it a combined service-and-awareness system.
• Features:
  • ‘Chakshu' feature: It lets users report suspicious calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages, such as fake KYC alerts, impersonation scams, or phishing links. It helps authorities spot fraud patterns.
  • Report spam and unwanted commercial calls: Users can report spam calls and messages that break TRAI rules. Complaints made within seven days can lead to action against the sender.
  • Report malicious links and apps: Allows reporting of phishing links, unsafe APKs, and fraudulent websites.
  • Checking mobile connections linked to your identity: Shows how many mobile numbers are registered using your identity. Helps identify SIM cards taken without your knowledge.
  • Blocking lost or stolen phones: Allows users to block the IMEI of a lost or stolen device so it can't be used. Phones can be unblocked if recovered.
  • Verifying the authenticity of a device: Allows users to check if a phone is genuine by validating its IMEI. It is useful when buying second-hand phones.
  • Reporting international calls that appear as Indian numbers: Some scammers use illegal telecom setups to make international calls appear as regular +91 calls. Sanchar Saathi enables users to report such cases.
  • Finding your local Internet Service Provider: The app also includes a feature that lets users check which wired internet service providers are available in their area by entering a PIN code, address, or provider name.
  • Verifying trusted contacts and helpline numbers: Provides a directory to confirm genuine customer-care numbers, emails, and websites of banks and other major institutions.

About Bioremediation

• Bioremediation literally means “restoring life through biology.”
• It is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.
• It is used to clean up contaminated soil, air, and water.
• It harnesses microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants to sequester or transform toxic substances such as oil, pesticides, plastics, or heavy metals.
• These organisms metabolise these pollutants as food, breaking them down into harmless by-products such as water, carbon dioxide, or organic acids.
• In some cases, they can convert toxic metals into less dangerous forms that no longer leach into the soil or groundwater.
• Two Broad Types of Bioremediation:
  • In situ bioremediation, where treatment happens directly at the contaminated site, such as when oil-eating bacteria is sprayed on an ocean spill;
  • Ex situ bioremediation, where contaminated soil or water is removed, treated in a controlled facility, and returned once cleaned.
• Advantages:
  • It cleans up the environment naturally without the use of toxic chemicals. So, it is an environmentally friendly
  • It is cost-effective, as extensive equipment and labor are not needed.
  • It is a recommended method for removing oil stains.
• Disadvantages:
  • It is limited to the compounds which are degradable.
  • It is not able to remove all kinds of impurities from the contaminated site. Like, some kind of inorganic contaminants cannot be treated with this bioremediation method.
  • Some heavy metals cannot be completely broken down, resulting in toxic by-products.

About Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

• It is a legally binding international treaty that bans the use of biological and toxin weapons and prohibits all development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or transfer of such weapons.
• The treaty also bans any equipment or means of delivery that is designed to use biological agents or toxins for hostile purposes or armed conflict.
• It requires signatories to destroy biological weapons, agents, and production facilities within nine months of the treaty’s entry into force.
• It opened for signature in 1972 and entered into force in 1975.
• It was the first multilateral treaty categorically banning a class of weapon.
• Membership:
  • It currently has 187 states-parties, including Palestine, and four signatories (Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, and Syria).
  • Ten states have neither signed nor ratified the BWC (Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Israel, Kiribati, Micronesia, Namibia, South Sudan, and Tuvalu).
  • India signed and ratified the BWC in 1974.
• The convention stipulates that states shall cooperate bilaterally or multilaterally to solve compliance issues.
• States may also submit complaints to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should they believe another state is violating the treaty.
• However, there is no implementation body of the BWC.
• There is a review conference every five years to review the convention’s implementation, and establish confidence-building measures.

What Are Biological Weapons?

• Biological weapons disseminate disease-causing organisms or toxins to harm or kill humans, animals, or plants.
• They generally consist of two parts – a weaponized agent and a delivery mechanism.
• Almost any disease-causing organism (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or rickettsiae) or toxin (poisons derived from animals, plants, or microorganisms, or similar substances produced synthetically) can be used in biological weapons.

About Masala Bonds

• They are rupee-denominated bonds issued outside India by Indian entities.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, issued the first masala bonds in 2013 as part of its $2 billion dollar offshore rupee programme.
• They are debt instruments which help to raise money in local currency from foreign investors.
• That means the currency risk, if exchange rates change, is on the investor, not the issuer. This helps Indian companies manage their risks better.
• To offset the risk of exchange rate fluctuations, bonds typically offer attractive interest rates that are frequently greater than those offered in the investors’ home countries.
• Both the government and private entities can issue these bonds.

Who Can Invest?

• Investors outside India
• Any resident of a country which is member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
• That includes individuals, institutions, and even financial organisations from countries that follow international standards for fair and secure investing, like those under International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
• It also covers multilateral and regional financial institutions of which India is a member.

Maturity Period

• It depends on the size of the bond.
• For bonds up to USD 50 million, the maturity is usually 3 years.
• For larger amounts, it can go up to 5 years, giving investors more flexibility based on their goals.

What Can The Money Be Used For?

• The funds raised through Masala bonds are generally earmarked for productive and regulated purposes.
• The proceeds can fund affordable housing, infrastructure, refinance rupee loans, or meet corporate working capital requirements.
• Activities like buying land, investing in the stock market, or funding real estate projects are off-limits, unless they’ve received specific government approvals.

About Guinea-Bissau:

• It is one of the smallest countries in the African continent.
• Bordering Countries: It borders Senegal to the north and Guina to its eastern and southern boundaries.
• Maritime Boundary: To the west, the country has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
• It includes the Bijagos (Bissagos) archipelago and other islands that lie off the coast.
• Capital City: Bissau
• Geographical Features of Guinea-Bissau
  • Terrain: Mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east.
  • Plateau: The Fouta Djallon Plateau dominates the southeastern part of the country.
  • Climate: It has a generally tropical climate influenced by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
  • Its environment is largely made up of swamps and marshlands.
  • Rivers: Corubal, Geba, and Cacheu ETC.
  • Natural resources: Phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone.
  • Economy: Fishing is a huge local industry of this country.

About Trade Enablement and Marketing Scheme:

• It is the sub scheme of the scheme ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP), which is a Central Sector Scheme. 
• It will empower MSMEs with digital tools and guidance to effectively utilize the e-commerce marketplace.
• Objective: To support MSMEs to help them access different markets by integrating them with e-commerce platforms.
• Eligibility Criteria: All the Udyam registered Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) under manufacturing and services sectors will be eligible for benefits under the Initiative.
• It will focus on:
  • connecting MSMEs with the ONDC Network.
  • providing access to digital storefronts, integrated payment systems, and logistics support.
  • reducing operational barriers and helps businesses tap into wider customer bases.
  • emphasizing formalization of operations and establishing digital transaction histories, which will enhance the credibility and trust of participating MSMEs.
• Implementing Agency: National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC).

About Exercise EKUVERIN:

• Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in Dhivehi language.
• It is one of the three major joint exercises between India and the Maldives.
• It is a bilateral military annual exercise conducted alternatively in India and Maldives.
• It aims to enhance interoperability while carrying out counterinsurgency and counter terrorism operations in semi-urban, jungle and coastal terrain. 
• It also focuses on integration of niche technology to enhance interoperability, the countries will share best practices, reflecting the shared commitment of India and the Maldives towards peace and security in the region.
• Other Exercises between India and Maldives: The two bilateral exercises are “Ekuverin” and “Ekatha” and trilateral- “Dosti”, which includes Sri Lanka. 

India and Maldives Relationship

• India was among the first to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
• The both countries share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity.

About Hornbill Festival:

• It aims to promote inter-tribal interaction and preserve Nagaland’s heritage, blending the traditional with the contemporary in a harmonious display of unity.
• It is also called the “festival of festivals’.
• It is organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments of the Government of Nagaland.
• It is celebrated at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.
• It has evolved into a celebration showcasing the diverse and vibrant cultural and traditional heritage of the tribes of Nagaland.
• It was named after the Hornbill bird given its association with the socio-cultural life of the Nagas.
• Theme of 2025 festival: “Cultural Connect”
• Nagaland has officially named Switzerland and Ireland as country partners for the Hornbill Festival 2025.