About Kwar Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a 540 MW hydropower project located on the Chenab River in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The project is envisaged as a Run of River Scheme.
• The project envisages the construction of a high dam, an underground power house.
• It is expected to generate 1,975 million units (MU) of electricity annually.
• The project is being developed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Ltd. (CVPPL).
  • CVPPL is a joint venture company between NHPC Ltd and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) with equity contributions of 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively.

About Guwahati Declaration:

• It was adopted by the BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation against illicit drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime.
• The declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the two-day BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting held in Guwahati, Assam.
• It was held under India's 2026 BRICS chairship, themed "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,".
• The meeting brought together representatives from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss coordinated strategies against global drug trafficking.
• The joint declaration calls for greater cooperation through the timely exchange of information, intelligence and best practices, in line with national laws and international obligations.
• It also highlights the importance of using innovative technologies, digital tools and data-driven approaches to improve law enforcement and regulatory measures against drug trafficking.
• The declaration also stresses the need to strengthen efforts to reduce drug demand, promote healthy lifestyles and protect vulnerable groups, especially children and young people, through evidence-based and people-centred strategies.

Key Facts about BRICS:

• It is an intergovernmental organization of major emerging economies that aims to create greater economic and geopolitical integration and coordination among member states.
• BRICS, originally coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, started as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), with South Africa joining later in 2010 to form BRICS.
• It was expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
• The grouping has emerged as an influential bloc, bringing together 11 major emerging economies that account for around 49.5 percent of the world's population, about 40 percent of global GDP and nearly 26 percent of global trade.
• In addition to the 11 member nations, 10 partner countries joined BRICS in 2025 -- Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

About Bintang Adipurna:

• The Bintang Adipurna (First Class of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia) is Indonesia's highest civilian honor conferred by the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
• It is awarded to individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the unity, continuity, and prosperity of the Republic of Indonesia.
• Foreign officials receiving such an award are recognized by the Republic of Indonesia as contributors to establishing a relationship based on friendship and mutual respect between the two nations.
• The insignia has very distinctive characteristics.
  • The decoration consists of a shining gold star with several rays that stand for excellence, honour and distinguished service.
  • In the middle of it there is the symbol of Indonesia—the Garuda Pancasila, which stands for the sovereignty of the nation and the five principles of the state.
  • It is worn along with a ceremonial sash, the colors of which are red and white – the national colors of Indonesia.
  • There is also a star badge that is put on in state ceremonies.

About Sudan:

• Location: It is a Northeast African country.
• Bordering Countries: It shares its border with Egypt (north), Eritrea, and Ethiopia (east), Central African Republic and Chad (west), Libya (northwest) and South Sudan (south),
• Maritime Border: It shares its border with the Red Sea.
• Capital City: Khartoum
• Geographical Features of Sudan:
  • Terrain: It is mainly composed of vast plains and plateaus that are drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.
  • Climate: The climate of Sudan varies from north to south.
  • The northern part of Sudan is a desert climate, receiving little rainfall, shifting to semi-arid and the tropical savannah towards the South.
  • Highest point: Jabal Marrah 
  • Major River: The Nile River system is the dominant geographical feature, running from south to north across the country and draining all streams and rivers of Sudan.
  • Natural Resources: Petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower.

About Egyptian Vulture:

• It is one of the world’s smallest vultures.
• Habitat: It inhabits open, arid areas near humans, with plenty of food options. 
• Distribution: It is distributed across southern Europe, northern and central Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
• Characteristics: These are monogamous, migrating between breeding seasons as a pair. They build a large nest and will constantly replenish it during the breeding season.
• Diet: Diverse feeding habit, from carrion to insects, small reptiles and amphibians and mammal faeces
• Threats: The loss of habitat, decrease in food supply, collisions with electricity infrastructure and poisoning from the use of agricultural chemicals.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Endangered
• Ecological Role: It plays a vital ecological role by removing animal carcasses from the landscape and helping maintain healthy ecosystems.

About Leucine:

• Leucine is an essential amino acid.
• It belongs to the family of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) such as isoleucine and valine.
• These are needed for the growth and functioning of organs such as muscles, nervous system, the heart, and the brain.
• BCAAs are not made in the body and need to be supplied from our diet. Without them, the outer membrane of the mitochondrion cannot be properly constructed or maintained. 
• Functions:
  • It is involved in muscle growth, tissue repair, and energy production. 
  • It acts like a protective shield and inhibits the premature degradation of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins.
  • This is done by leucine interacting with a protein called SEL1L, which has a role in recognising and pulling out damaged or misfolded proteins.

What are Amino Acids?

• Amino acids are molecules that combine to form proteins.
• Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life.
• There are 20 different amino acids.
• A protein consists of one or more chains of amino acids (called polypeptides) whose sequence is encoded in a gene.
• Some amino acids can be synthesized in the body, but others (essential amino acids) cannot and must be obtained from a person’s diet.
• The nine essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

About Himalayan Pangolin:

• Scientific name: Its scientific name is Manis aurita
• It went through a demographic contraction around the 14th century, coinciding with the onset of the Little Ice Age in the Himalayan region.
• Features:
  • It is significantly larger in body size and skull.
  • It paradoxically has markedly smaller ears. It also has a shorter and broader nasal bone.
  • It has enlarged olfactory bulb and turbinals, using smell to forage for ants and termites. 
• Distribution: Its distribution is restricted to the southern Himalayan foothills, with confirmed populations in Nepal, South Tibet, and Northeast India, including the state of Assam.
• Threats:
  • It is facing illegal wildlife trade.
  • The products from this species have infiltrated regulated traditional medicine markets.
  • It is also facing an internal threat of inbreeding.

About Vihar Lake:

• It is a man-made reservoir located near Vihar village on the Mithi River within the grounds of the Borivali National Park in North Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The lake was built from 1856 to 1860 by the British government to overcome the drinking water woes of the people of southern Mumbai.
• Source of Water: It gets its water from the Powai-Kanheri hill ranges in the catchment area.
• It is the largest lake in Mumbai in the Salsette group of islands.
• It is bordered between the Tulsi Lake and the Powai Lake.
• It partly meets the drinking water needs of the South Mumbai region.