About Lower Lake:

• Lower Lake, also known as Chhota Talaab, is a man-made lake located in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• It was built in 1794 by Chote Khan, a minister of Nawab Hayat Muhammad Khan Bahadur, to beautify the city. Several earlier wells were merged in this lake.
• Chota Talaab, along with the nearby Upper Lake/Bada Talaab, constitutes Bhoj Wetland, which is now a Ramsar site.
  • The Lower Lake is positioned to the east of the Upper Lake. The two lakes are separated by an overbridge called Pul Pukhta or Lower Lake Bridge.
  • The two lakes are constructed in a terraced way; the lowest level of the Upper Lake is just underneath the highest stage of the Lower Lake.
  • Supplying water to almost 40% of the residents in Bhopal, these lakes play a vital role in serving the city.
• It drains into the Patra rivulet, which joins the Halali River, a small tributary of the Betwa

About Honey Badger:

• The honey badger, or ratel, is a small mammal that is very strong and tough.
• It is a member of the weasel family, which includes skunks.
• Scientific Name: Mellivora capensis.
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • The honey badger has a wide, extensive historical distribution range, which extends through most of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • It occurs from the Western Cape to southern Morocco and southwestern Algeria.
  • In addition, it also occurs in Arabia, Iran, and western Asia, as well as the Indian peninsula.
  • They live mainly in dry areas but are also found in forests and grasslands.
  • They live in holes, which they dig with their strong front legs.

Key Facts about Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• It is connected to Ratapani Tiger Reserve through corridors.
• Flora: The dry deciduous forest consists of teak, tendu, and bamboo.
• Fauna: Its wildlife includes jackals, palm civets, Leopards, Sloth bears, Hyenas, Nilgai, and many bird species.

About Lower Arun Hydropower Project:

• It is a 679 MW run-of-river project planned on the Arun River (a tributary of the Koshi River) in the Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts of Eastern Nepal.
• The project will be built under the build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) model.
• The project is being developed by Investment Board Nepal and SJVN (a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India).
• This is the second project awarded to SJVN in Nepal, the first one being the 900 MW Arun 3 Hydro Electric Project in Sankhuwasabha District.
• The project will not have any reservoir or dam and will be a tailrace development of the Arun-3 hydro project, which will mean water re-enters the river for the Lower Arun project.

Key facts about Arun-3 Hydropower Project:

• It is a 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project being developed on the Arun River in Sankhuwasabha District in Nepal.

About Tuvalu:

• Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island country in the west-central Pacific Ocean.
• It sits about halfway between Australia and Hawaii.
• Its neighbours include Kiribati, to the north, and Fiji, to the south.
• It comprises of reef islands and coral atolls.
  • Nanumanga, Niutao, and Niulakita are the three main islands that make up Tuvalu.
  • The Funafuti atoll is the capital of Tuvalu.
• There are no rivers. Tuvalu’s climate is hot and rainy.
• With the exception of tiny Vatican City, Tuvalu has the fewest inhabitants of any other independent nation.
• Languages: Most people speak a language called Tuvaluan. English is widely used.
• Currency: Tuvalu dollar (equivalent to the Australian dollar)
• Political System:
  • It operates as a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy.

About New Species of Dragonflies:

• Two of the newly described species—the Clouded Boghawker (Sarasaeschna nuboides) and the Siang Boghawker (Sarasaeschna sigotaayo)—were observed around a small, shallow forest pond in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley, where dragonflies were seen flying rapidly and perching close to water.
• The third species, the Long-tailed Boghawker (Sarasaeschna dosdewaensis), was discovered in Assam’s Karimganj district, an area increasingly recognised as an odonate diversity hotspot.

Key Facts about Dragonflies:

• Dragonflies are insects in the order Odonata.
• Insects in this group are characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of wings, and an elongated body.
• Their eyes provide them with excellent vision due to their very unique structure.
• Dragonflies are among the fastest insects known and are voracious predators of flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies.
• They are most commonly found near freshwater habitats throughout most of the world.

About Kendu Leaf:

• Kendu leaf (Tendu Leaf, Diospyros Melanoxylon ) is also called “Green Gold of Odisha”.
• It is a nationalized product like Bamboo and Sal seed. Kendu leaf is one of the most important non-wood forest products of Odisha.
• Characteristics:
  • It has matching aroma with Tobacco.
  • It has hygroscopic in nature which helps drying leaves to withstand crack.
• Primary use: Used to roll tobacco into bidis (local cigarettes); also holds medicinal value.
• Key Producer States: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat.
• Odisha is the third-largest producer after MP and Chhattisgarh.
  • The uniqueness of Odisha Kendu leaves is its processed form. No state produces processed kendu leaves except Odisha.
• Legal Status: Kendu Leaf is covered under Minor Forest Produce (MFP) as per Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. 

About NAMASTE Scheme:

• The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme is a critical initiative addressing the dire challenges faced by Sewer and Septic Tank Sanitation Workers (SSWs) in India.
• It aims to transform their occupational safety, health, and dignity through systemic interventions.
• Ministries involved: It is jointly being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Implementing agency: It is implemented by the National Safai Karmacharis Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• Duration: It would be implemented for three years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26.
• Target Groups: Sewer and septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) and waste pickers in urban areas of India
• The scheme targets
  • Zero fatalities in sanitation work
  • Eliminates direct contact with human faecal matter
  • Ensures all cleaning is done with safety devices by skilled workers
  • Strengthens Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), and empowers workers through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and entrepreneurship.

About Srivilliputhur- Meghamalai Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in Tamil Nadu.
• It lies in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region.
• It was formed by combining Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It will function as a connecting link between Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu’s Southern Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
• Rivers: The Srivilliputhu Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) area primarily relies on three perennial rivers: Vaigai, Suruliyaru, and Shanmuganathi.
• Vegetation: It’s a blend of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dry deciduous and moist mixed deciduous woods, and grasslands.
• Fauna:
  • Mammals: Elephants, Tiger, Leopard, Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Wild Boar, Porcupine, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-Tailed Macaque etc.
  • Birds: Red-Whiskered Bulbul, Common Iora, White-Browed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Bush Chat etc.
  • Reptiles: Wood Snake, Monitor Lizard, Chameleon, etc.

About Sustainable Aviation Fuel:

• It consists of specially processed aviation grade hydrocarbons that are chemically similar to ATF and fully compatible with aircraft engines.
• SAF does not alter the fundamental nature, safety, or performance of aviation fuel.
• Source: It is a biofuel, also known as bio-jet fuel produced from sustainable feedstocks.
• It has chemistry similar to conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil.
• This means that existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend.
• It is made from renewable biomass and waste resources have the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel. 
• Production:
  • It can be produced from a number of sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste and non-food crops.
  • It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air.