About Platypus:

• The platypus is a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia.
• Scientific Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
• Habitat:
  • Platypuses occur in freshwater systems from tropical rainforest lowlands and plateaus of far northern Queensland to cold, high altitudes of Tasmania and the Australian Alps.
  • When not foraging, the platypus spends most of the time in its burrow in the bank of the river, creek, or a pond.
• Features:
  • Platypus is well adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
  • In addition, males possess a horny spur on their ankles, which is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg, making the Platypus one of the few venomous mammals.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

About Piprahwa Relics:

• The Piprahwa Relics are a collection of sacred artifacts discovered in 1898 at the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh.
• Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Lord Buddha spent his early life prior to renunciation.
• These are among the earliest and most historically significant relic deposits directly connected to Lord Buddha.
• These relics, unearthed by British colonial engineer William Claxton Peppé in 1898, include bone fragments believed to be those of Lord Buddha, along with crystal caskets, gold ornaments, gemstones, and a sandstone coffer.
• An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets links the relics directly to the Sakya clan, to which Buddha belonged, indicating that these remains were enshrined by his followers around the third century BC.

About E-PRAAPTI Portal:

• E-PRAAPTI (EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts), a dedicated digital platform of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
• Purpose: To facilitate identification, tracking, Unique Account Number (UAN) linking, and activation of old EPF accounts.
• The E-PRAAPTI Portal will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism that will enable members to securely access their old EPF account that are not linked to a UAN and initiate the process for updating their member profile, followed by seamless UAN linking and activation.
• In the initial phase, the portal will be member ID-based, ensuring a secure and efficient rollout while delivering immediate benefits to a large segment of members who possess their member IDs.
• E-PRAAPTI’s scope will later be expanded to include members who may not be able to recall or access their old member IDs.

About Preah Vihear Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple located in the Preah Vihear Province, in the northern part of Cambodia.
• It is situated atop a cliff on the Cambodia–Thailand border in the Dangrek Mountain range.
• It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• It was built during the period of the Khmer Empire, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
• It was built firstly by King Suryavarman I (1002-50) and then expanded upon by Suryavarman II (1113-50).
• It was used by the ancient kings of Angkor for over 800 years.
• After the decline of Hinduism in the region, the temple gradually transformed into a Buddhist monument, which is why it features some Buddhist decorations.
• Due to its location, the Preah Vihear temple has been at the heart of the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand since the 19th and 20th centuries.
• In 1904, both countries signed a treaty granting Cambodia the right to occupy the temple.
  • However, the Thai government contested the treaty and took control of the site.
  • This led to a public protest by Cambodians in 1959.
  • To resolve the issue, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled in 1960, affirming Cambodia's ownership of the temple.
• In July 2008, Preah Vihear was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Architecture:
  • It is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture.
  • The temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases.
  • It features more than five successive gopuras.
  • Unlike other structures of this kind, the gopuras here are connected by a long path and topped with multi-tiered platforms.
  • Some of these gopuras have stone roofs, while others have wooden roofs.

About Diaphanes meghalayanus and Diaphanes mawlynnong:

• They are two new species of fireflies.
• They were discovered in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills.
• meghalayanus has been named after Meghalaya to indicate its broader distribution in the region, while D. mawlynnong derives its name from Mawlynnong village, where the species was first recorded, acknowledging the local Khasi community.
• Both species thrive in dark, humid environments with minimal human interference.

About Mission SAKSHAM:

• The mission SAKSHAM (Sahakari Bank Kshamta Nirman) is a sector-wide capacity-building and certification framework for urban co-operative banks (UCBs).
• It aims to enhance managerial and operational capabilities, improve compliance culture, and strengthen institutional resilience across UCBs.
• It is a mission-mode, sector-wide and all-India capacity-building training initiative for UCBs, under which the RBI will conduct a large number of training programmes,
• Features:
  • Target Groups: It targets board members, senior management, heads of risk, compliance and audit functions, and employees working in IT functions and other critical areas.
  • Delivery Model: Blended learning (in-person and digital) with a focus on regional language accessibility.
  • Collaboration: Designed with the Umbrella Organisation for UCBs and State/National Federations.
  • Core Objective: To improve compliance culture and strengthen the financial health of cooperative institutions
  • It focuses to establish a sustainable, self-reinforcing ecosystem for systemic stability and the healthy growth and development of the UCB sector.

About Panchayat Advancement Index 2.0:

• It is India’s first nationwide data-driven framework to assess Gram Panchayat performance.
• It serves as a robust tool for evidence-based planning, performance monitoring, and incentivising Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• It evaluates each of the more than 5 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country.
• It is built on the framework of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), which consolidates the 17 global SDGs into nine thematic areas relevant to Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Covering Poverty, Health, Child Welfare, Water, Environment, Infrastructure, Social Justice, Good Governance, and Women’s Empowerment.
• Based on their composite PAI scores, Gram Panchayats are classified into five performance categories
  • Achiever (A+: 90 and above)
  • Front Runner (A: 75 to below 90),
  • Performer (B : 60 to below 75),
  • Aspirant (C: 40 to below 60),
  • Beginner (D: below 40)
• It is prepared by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

About Kyrgyzstan:

• Location: It is a landlocked mountainous country in Central Asia.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by four nations; Kazakhstan (north), Uzbekistan (west), Tajikistan (south), and China (east).
• It is occasionally referred as “the Switzerland of Central Asia”.
• Capital City: Bishkek
• Geographical Features of Kyrgyzstan:
  • Climate: The climate is continental and varies according to the altitude. The winters are cold, often freezing, and the summers warm and sunny.
  • Highest Peak: Victory Peak
  • Major Rivers: Syr Darya, Naryn, Chu.
  • Lakes: Lake Issyk-Kul, the second-largest saline lake in the world is located here.
  • Natural Resources: It consists of coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium, alongside deposits of gold and rare earth metals.

About Exercise Pragati:

• The PRAGATI (Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region)is a multilateral military exercise.
  • It is the first edition of exercise which will be held in Umroi,
• Participating Countries: It includes 11 friendly countries Laos, Myanmar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nepal, Maldives, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bhutan.
• Aim: It aims to strengthen defence cooperation, enhance interoperability, and build mutual trust among participating nations.
• It reflects a shared commitment to collective security and regional stability.
• Key Focus of Exercise Pragati:
  • It centers on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, emphasising joint training and defence diplomacy.
  • It is part of India’s growing defence engagement with its neighbouring and Indian Ocean region nations, focusing on building capacity and shared operational capabilities.
  • It will mark a shift in the Indian Army training from bilateral to consortium-style engagements.
  • Besides war games, a key component of the event is a two-day industry exposition, highlighting the Indian Army's capabilities and fostering industrial partnerships with ASEAN nations.