About Byzantine Empire:

• It traces its beginnings to the year 330 CE, when Emperor Constantine split the Roman Empire into a western and eastern
• It was the eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived for nearly 1,000 years after the western half of the empire collapsed.
• It is often called the Eastern Roman Empire or simply Byzantium.
• It was based at Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), and at its peak it controlled territory stretching from southern Spain to Syria.
  • Strategically located on the Bosphorus Strait, Constantinople quickly rose to become Europe’s most significant urban hub.
• Throughout their history, the Byzantines rarely controlled Rome and spoke mainly Greek. Despite this, the people of Byzantium continued to refer to themselves as "Romans," .
• Their broader empire was considered to be a "Roman" empire even though it rarely controlled Rome.
• The Byzantine Empire flourished and experienced a "golden age" during the reign of Justinian (A.D. 527 to 565), during which the empire's territories extended into Western Europe, and the emperor's builders constructed the Hagia Sophia, a great cathedral that still stands and is now used as a mosque.
• The governance of the Byzantine Empire was marked by the absolute authority of emperors, who were seen as divinely appointed rulers.
• The Byzantines developed their own political systems, religious practices, art, and architecture.
• However, the empire faced numerous challenges, including territorial losses to emerging Muslim powers and internal religious schisms that eventually led to the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
• Decline:
  • After Justinian's death, the Byzantine Empire weakened and lost territory.
  • In 1204, during the Crusades, the Byzantines were betrayed when crusaders from the west sacked Constantinople in an attempt to gain money.
  • The Byzantine Empire eventually fell when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 CE following a siege.
  • The Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power, and its influence continues today, especially in the religion, art, architecture, and laws of many Western states, Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia.

About Painted Leopard Gecko:

• It is a colourful terrestrial gecko species.
• Scientific Name: Eublepharis pictus
  • Eublepharis is a small genus in the lizard family Eublepharidae, which contains 44 species in six genera distributed in parts of North and Central America, West and East Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and the Malayan Archipelago.
  • First described in 1827, the genus is currently represented by seven species, of which five are known from India.
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • It was scientifically described in 2022 from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
  • The Brahmani River, which runs through the Eastern Ghats, separates it geographically from the East Indian Leopard Gecko, with which it shares a lot of similar traits.
  • It prefers dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows.
• Features:
  • It is strictly nocturnal, actively foraging along trails in forest after dusk.

About Potomac River:

• It is a river in the east central United States.
• Course:
  • It rises in North and South branches in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia.
  • It flows through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., before entering Chesapeake Bay, the largest U.S. estuary.
• It is the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast and the 21st largest in the United States.
• The Potomac’s tributaries include the Shenandoah, the Monocacy, and the Anacostia.
• The river is navigable to Washington, D.C., above which it descends from the Piedmont in a series of rapids and falls, including Great Falls, a cataract about 35 feet (11 metres) high.
• The Potomac, noted for its beauty, is also rich in historical significance.
  • The Potomac River is situated in an area rich in American history, which has led to the river's nickname, "The Nation's River".
  • During the Civil War, the Potomac River divided the Union from the Confederacy. It also gave name to the Union's largest army, the Army of the Potomac.
  • In 1864, Washington, D.C. began using the Potomac River as its principal source of drinking water when the Washington Aqueduct was opened.
  • Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, is on its banks below Washington, D.C.
  • The river’s name derives from “Patawomeck,” as it was recorded by the colonist John Smith in 1608.

About National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC):

• It is a Government of India undertaking under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• NBCFDC was incorporated on 13th January, 1992, under the Companies Act, 1956 (currently a company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013), as a non-profit entity.
• The objective of the corporation is to promote economic and developmental activities for the benefit of the backward classes and to assist the poorer section of these classes in skill development and self-employment ventures.
• The mission of NBCFDC is to provide concessional financial assistance to eligible members of the Backward Classes for self-employment ventures and skill development
• NBCFDC provides financial assistance through State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) nominated by the State Governments/UTs and Banks (PSBs & RRBs).
• The schemes introduced under NBCFDC are listed below:
  • General Loan Scheme
  • Micro Finance Scheme
  • Skill Development Training Programme
  • Vocational Education and Training Loan Scheme (VETLS)
  • Technology Upgradation of Clusters

About MyLIC and Super Sales Saathi:

• These are two advanced mobile applications launched by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC); MyLIC for customers and Super Sales Saathi for its vast network of
• MyLIC App:
  • It offers a comprehensive, 360-degree digital experience, integrating multiple services into a single platform.
  • Designed to reduce paperwork and improve convenience, it empowers policyholders to manage their insurance needs
  • Key features include:
    • View and manage entire insurance portfolio in one place
    • Instant premium payments
    • Real-time tracking of policy benefits
    • Paperless policy loans
    • Online policy updates and revival of lapsed policies
    • Digital purchase of new insurance plans
    • Fast and secure e-KYC
  • The app aims to put customers in control of their financial protection journey while ensuring faster and more transparent services.
• Super Sales Saathi App:
  • It is tailored for LIC's intermediaries and agents, enabling them to enhance productivity and customer service through advanced digital tools.
  • Key capabilities include:
    • Digital sales and marketing tools
    • Real-time policy status tracking
    • Automated reminders for follow-ups
    • Integrated communication with customers
    • AI-driven insights to improve customer value
    • Digital sales kits and product explainers
    • Performance dashboards for tracking targets and achievements
  • This platform is expected to significantly improve efficiency across LIC's vast distribution network.
• Both applications are built on LIC's DIVE (Digital Innovation & Value Enhancement) platform, which provides a secure, integrated, and scalable digital infrastructure.
  • The platform is designed to deliver a seamless experience across customers, intermediaries, and employees—ensuring faster processing, enhanced security, and improved service delivery.

About Scarborough Shoal:

• It is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, claimed by both China and the Philippines as part of their territory.
• It is called Huangyan Island by China and Panatag Shoal, or Bajo de Masinloc by the Philippines.
• It was named for the HMS Scarborough, an English ship chartered by the East India Company that struck the atoll in the 18th century.
• It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea.
• Most of the atoll is submerged at high tide, but several rocks, the most prominent of which is called South Rock, remain above water.
• What is the Dispute?
  • China’s claim: China makes a historical claim to the area, stating that they can trace their ownership of the area back to the Yuan Dynasty of the 1200s.
  • Philippines claim: The Philippines claim the area on the basis of geography, as it is much closer to the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, which contains the capital, Manila, but lies over 500 miles from China.
• It is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• There are no structures built on Scarborough Shoal, but the feature is effectively controlled by China, which has maintained a constant coast guard presence at the feature since 2012.
• Commercial Significance: The surrounding waters have rich fishing grounds, and the seabed is believed to hold substantial mineral resources, including petroleum and natural gas.

About Andaman Sea:

• It is a semi-enclosed marginal sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean.
• Borders:
  • It lies between the eastern coast of India and the Malay Peninsula, with Myanmar to the north and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the south.
  • The Bay of Bengal bounds the Andaman Sea to the west and the Strait of Malacca to the east.
  • It is a complex geological region with a tectonically active plate boundary.
• It is part of the larger Sunda Plate, which the Indian Plate borders to the northwest and the Australian Plate to the southeast.
• Climate: The climate of the Andaman Sea is tropical, with two distinct seasons: the southwest monsoon (May-September) and the northeast monsoon (November-February)
• Biodiversity: It is home to extensive coral reef systems, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests, which provide critical habitats for a multitude of marine organisms.

About Tibetan Antelope:

• The Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) is a medium-sized antelope.
• Appearance
  • Male Tibetan antelopes are significantly larger than females, and can also be readily distinguished by the presence of horns and by black stripes on the legs, both of which the females lack.
  • The fur of Tibetan antelopes is distinctive, and consists of long guard hair and a silky undercoat of shorter fibers.
• Habitat: They inhabit in open alpine, montane valleys, and cold steppe environments with sparse vegetation cover.
• Distribution: They are found almost entirely in China, where they inhabit Tibet, southern Xinjiang, and western Qinghai; a few are also found across the border in Chang Thang, Ladakh, India.
• Migration: They are a migratory species, often travelling as much as 400 kilometres between their summer and winter grounds.
• Diet: They are herbivores (folivores, graminivores) and feed on forbs, grasses, herbs, shrubland, and sedges.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

What are Shahtoosh shawls?

• These are made from the hair of the Tibetan Antelope.
• It offers high levels of smoothness and warmth, Shahtoosh shawls became a highly expensive commodity.
• The Shahtoosh shawl trade has been banned globally since 1975 under CITES.

About Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccine:

• It is the live attenuated vaccine form of Mycobacterium bovis.
• It is used to prevent tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections.
• Developed By: It was developed by Calmette and Guérin and was first administered to human beings in 1921.
• It is the only vaccine against tuberculosis.
• It is the most widely administered vaccine and usually a part of the routine newborn immunization schedule.
• Other Uses:
  • It also offers protection against non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections like leprosy and Buruli ulcer.
  • It is also used in the treatment of superficial carcinoma of the bladder.
• The vaccine is administered intradermally.
• It has two components, a freeze-dried vaccine and a diluent to be used to reconstitute the vaccine, presented in amber glass ampoules and colourless ampoules respectively.

Key facts about Tuberculosis (TB)

• It is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
• It is curable and preventable disease
• Transmission:
  • TB is spread from person to person through the air.
  • When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.
  • Even after inhaling a few drops of these germs, a person can get infected.
• Symptoms of TB
  • Persistent cough for more than 3 weeks, often with blood
  • Weight loss, night sweats, high fever, fatigue, Loss of appetite, chest pain, swollen lymph nodes.
• Treatment: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine provides moderate protection, mainly for severe TB in infants and children.