About Vitamin A:

• It is a fat-soluble vitamin primarily stored in the liver.
• Although vitamin A is often considered a single nutrient, it is actually a group of fat-soluble compounds, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.
• There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet.
  • Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods.
  • Precursors to vitamin A, also known as provitamin A, are found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. The most common type of provitamin A is beta-carotene.
• In order to use these two types of vitamin A, the body must convert them into the active forms of the vitamin, retinal and retinoic acid.
• Foods with the highest levels of vitamin A include:
  • Beef liver and other organ meats
  • Some types of fish such as herring and salmon and cod fish oil
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products such as cheese and fortified milk
  • Fortified breakfast cereals
  • Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, and cantaloupe
  • Broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables.
• Function:
  • It supports cell growth, immune function, fetal development, and vision.
  • One of the best-known functions of vitamin A is its role in vision and eye health.
  • It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
  • Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light.
  • Vitamin A helps protect surface tissues such as the skin, intestines, lungs, bladder, and inner ear.
  • It supports immune function by promoting the growth and distribution of T cells, a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infection.
  • Vitamin A supports male and female reproductive health and fetal development.
• Vitamin A deficiency can lead to:
  • Reversible night blindness
  • Non-reversible corneal damage known as xerophthalmia
  • Hyperkeratosis or dry, scaly skin.

About Danube River:

• It is the second-longest river of the European continent, after the Russian Volga River.
• Course:
  • It flows from the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers, close to the German town of Donaueschingen in the Black Forest region of Germany.
  • The river passes through 10 European nations: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania.
  • It ultimately drains into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta.
• The Danube delta is located in the Tulcea County of Romania and it is comparatively young and continuously growing.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its rich biodiversity.
• The Danube is fed by major tributaries like the Inn, Drava, Sava, Tisza, Prut, and Siret.
• The Danube River flows directly through many significant European cities, including four national capitals – Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia).
• Countries along the river ship goods from ports of Belgrade, Serbia; Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; and Regensburg, Germany.
• Through the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, it connects the North Sea at Rotterdam to the Black Sea at Sulina, forming a trans-European inland waterway.

About Sooty Bark Disease (SBD):

• It is a fungal disease of maple trees, which causes rapid wilting and mortality.
• The disease is caused by the fungus Cryptostroma corticale.
• It can also have implications for human health if fungal spores are inhaled.
• The fungus is endemic to the Great Lakes region of North America but is considered an introduced disease in Europe.
• It is most often noticed after periods of hot weather when extensive black sooty patches are revealed beneath the bark of affected trees.
• It is a disease which needs high temperatures for extended periods of time.
• The fungus may remain dormant inside a tree for years before becoming active under hot, dry conditions, and it can kill a tree in as little as three years.
• The main characteristic of sooty bark disease is the predominantly black discolouration caused by concentrated spore formation on the trunk.
• There is currently no control that exists for sooty bark disease.

About Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT):

• It is a 2 meter optical-infrared telescope named after Nobel laureate Subramaniam Chandrasekhar.
• It is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle near Leh in Ladakh.
• The cloudless skies and low atmospheric water vapour make it one of the best sites in the world for optical, infrared, sub-millimetre, and millimetre wavelengths.
• The telescope is remotely operated using a dedicated satellite communication link from the Centre for Research & Education in Science & Technology (CREST), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Hosakote, about 35 km northeast of Bangalore.
• Currently, the HCT hosts HFOSC (a spectrograph and camera in the optical), uTIRSPEC (a near-infrared spectrometer and imager), and HESP (a high-resolution Echelle spectrograph).
• HCT is used by astronomers from across India, to study objects as varied as planets and asteroids, to stars and galaxies.
• Some research highlights have been spectroscopy of comets, study of atmospheres of exo-planets, and participation in the discovery of the famous Trappist 1b exoplanet in the field of planetary science.

About Raimona National Park:

• It is located in the Kokrajhar district of Assam within the Bodoland Territorial Region.
• It lies along the India-Bhutan border at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas.
• It shares contiguous forest patches of Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in Bhutan.
• Rivers:
  • The Sankosh River flows along the western boundary.
  • The Saralbhanga River lies on the eastern side.
  • Pekua River forms the southern boundary.
• Flora:
  • Mostly, this park flourishes with myriads of orchid species, other tropical rainforest species, and riverine grasslands.
  • Other intriguing fauna includes varieties of bamboo and numerous wetland ecosystems.
• Fauna:
  • It boasts of an endangered primate species called the Golden Langur, which has been named the mascot of the Bodoland region.
  • The park is also inhabited by various other species such as elephant, Bengal tiger, wild bison, white-spotted deer, clouded leopard, and wild buffalo.

About Smooth Coated Otter:

• It is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale.
• Appearance: It has rounder head, prominent naked noses, and flattened tails, webbed feet and strong dexterous paws that are armed with sharp claws.
• Distribution: They live in southern and Southeast Asia, China, and India, and in Iraq there is a small population.
• Habitat: It is mostly found in lowlands, coastal mangrove forests, peat swamp forests, freshwater wetlands, large forested rivers, lakes, and rice paddies.
• This species is equally comfortable on land and can travel long distances overland in search of suitable habitat. 
• Features of Smooth-coated Otters:
  • They are the largest otter in Southeast Asia.
  • The fur of this species is smoother and shorter than that of other otters.
  • They have short, tightly packed under fur and longer, water-repellant guard hairs.
  • They are strong swimmers and hunt in groups. When fishing, they travel in a V-formation going upstream.
• Threats:  Loss of habitat, habitat degradation due to water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides and poaching.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable

About e-Zero FIR System:

• It is a technology-based platform that enables the automated registration of Zero FIRs for value cyber financial crimes. 
• It is a new mechanism where financial cybercrime complaints involving fraud above ₹10 lakh are automatically converted into FIRs if reported via the 1930 helpline or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
• Statutory Backing: It is enabled under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
• How Does the System Work?
  • Complaints of financial cybercrime losses above ₹10 lakh, once filed through 1930 or NCRP, will automatically trigger a Zero FIR at the e-Crime Police Station.
  • This Zero FIR is immediately routed to the relevant territorial cybercrime police station, based on the complainant’s location.
  • Victims are required to visit the cybercrime police station within 3 days to get the Zero FIR converted into a regular FIR.
• Integration of Key Platforms
  • The process involves integration of: I4C’s National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).
• Nodal Body: It is led by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs.

About Machilipatnam ASW Warship:

• It is the seventh of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).
• It derives its name from the historic port city of Machilipatnam, in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy.
• Features:
  • It has a displacement of around 900 tonnes, a maximum speed of 25 knots and an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles.
  • The ships are equipped with indigenously developed advanced systems, including hull-mounted sonar and low-frequency variable depth sonar, in line with the Government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
  • It is equipped for Underwater Surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), along with Mine Warfare capability.
  • It has indigenous content exceeding 80 percent.
• Significance: It will further bolster coastal defence and enhance Maritime Domain Awareness.

About Pradhan Mantri Vidyalaxmi Scheme:

• It is a flagship initiative of Ministry of Education that seeks to make quality higher education accessible to deserving students facing financial constraints. 
• Eligibility Criteria for Students:
  • It is available to students who have secured merit-based admission through competitive exams in any of the designated Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) in India.
  • The scheme provides education loans for all degree and diploma courses.
• Eligibility Criteria for Higher Education Institutions:
  • Top 100 ranked HEIs in the overall/ category-specific and/or domain-specific rankings in the latest list of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) published by the Ministry of Education
  • Top 200 ranked HEIs under the governance of State/Union Territories governments in the latest list of NIRF published by the Ministry of Education
  • All remaining HEIs under the governance of the Government of India.
• Loan Repayment Period: The repayment period of the education loan would be up to 15 years excluding the moratorium period (course period + 1 year).
• Credit Guarantee: Loans up to ₹ 7.5 lakhs are provided 75% credit guarantee by Government of India.
• Interest Subvention:
  • For students with up to ₹ 8 lakhs annual family income, the scheme provides for 3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹ 10 lakh.
  • This is in addition to the full interest subvention already offered to students with up to ₹ Rs. 4.5 lakhs annual family income.
  • The scheme offers affordable education loans with interest rates capped at the bank's Externally Benchmarked Lending Rate (EBLR) + 0.5%.
• The educational loans are provided through Scheduled Banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), and Cooperative Banks participating in the scheme.
• Under this, interest subvention and credit guarantee benefits are available only once for undergraduate, postgraduate, or integrated courses.