About Narsapuram Lace Craft:

• Narsapur is situated on the bank of Godavari River in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• History of Narsapuram Lace Craft:
  • It is believed that the women of the farming community of this region started creating highly attractive artefacts from colourful lace, about 150 years ago.
  • The craft has survived the Indian famine (1899) and the Great Depression (1929).
• Raw Materials: Primarily uses fine cotton threads in various thicknesses and colors.
  • Artisans also incorporate silk, rayon, or synthetic threads for decorative pieces, with beads and sequins added to enhance export-quality designs.
• Tool used: The main tool is the crochet hook, available in different sizes to create diverse patterns and textures.
• Design: This craft showcases intricate floral, geometric, and paisley patterns inspired by nature and traditional motifs.
• Narsapur’s famed hand-made crochet industry produces doilies, pillow covers, cushion covers, bed spreads, table-runners, and table cloths etc.
• It was recognized with Geographical Indication tag.

About Frequency Comb:

• It is a special kind of laser light whose spectrum, or set of frequencies, resembles the teeth of a comb.
• Frequency combs are simple and compact tools that phase coherently connect the radio frequency domain (say below 100GHz) with the optical domain (say above 200THz).
• Characteristics of Frequency Comb:
  • Instead of containing just one colour (one frequency), it emits a large number of evenly spaced frequencies. The spacing is extremely regular.
  • Frequency combs are widely-used, high-precision tools for measuring and detecting different frequencies colors — of light. 
  • It has high stability and precision.
• Applications of Frequency comb:
  • It helps scientists compare an unknown light frequency to a stable reference with extraordinary precision. 
  • It is an important modern tool to calibrate atomic clocks and measure shifts in light caused by gravity.
  • It is used to detect explanets.
  • It is also used in high-speed spectroscopy.

About Industrial Hemp:

• Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is botanically related to marijuana, but with very different properties.
• While marijuana is rich with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that makes pot a drug of choice by many, hemp contains only the smallest traces of THC (<0.3%),
• It is an herbaceous, dioecious plant belonging to the Cannabis genus within the Cannabaceae family.
• It is high in fiber and low in active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
• Applications of Industrial Hemp:
  • It is used for varieties used for recreational, therapeutic, and industrial purposes, commonly referred to as marijuana and hemp, respectively.
  • Its stalk can be used to produce biofuel, auto parts, paper, upholstery, and fiber for cloth and other textile items.
  • Its stem can also be processed into building materials, industrial products and different kinds of papers.
  • Its seeds can be used to produce feed or food or the sources of oil that can be converted into a lotion or cosmetic products.

About Parvati-Arga Bird Sanctuary:

• Location: It is situated in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It is a permanent freshwater environment consisting of two oxbow lakes namely Parvati and Arga.
• It is designated as Ramsar site.
• Fauna: It is the critically endangered white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), and the endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) have all been recorded.
  • Invasive species such as the common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is also found here.
• Flora: The Vegetation of the Sanctuary is representative of that of the indo-gangetive ecosystem.

What is Eco-Sensitive Zone?

• It is also known as Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs).
• These are areas notified and regulated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. 
• Purpose of declaring ESZs:
  • To create some kind of shock absorbers to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas
  • To act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• Extent of ESZ: An ESZ could extend up to 10 km around a protected area.

About Scheme for Promotion of International Cooperation for AYUSH:

• It is a Central Sector Scheme.
• It provides support to Indian Ayush drug Manufacturers/ Ayush Service providers to give boost to the export of Ayush products & services.
• Objectives:
  • To promote and strengthen awareness and interest about AYUSH Systems of Medicine at international level.
  • To facilitate International promotion, development and recognition of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy.
  • To foster interaction of stakeholders and market development of AYUSH at international level.
  • To support international exchange of experts and information for promotion and propagation of AYUSH systems,
  • To promote academics and research through establishment of AYUSH Academic Chairs in foreign countries.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of AYUSH
• Components of Scheme for Promotion of International Cooperation for AYUSH:
  • International exchange of experts & officers,
  • Incentive to drug manufacturers, entrepreneurs, AYUSH institutions, Hospitals etc. for international propagation of AYUSH by participating in international exhibitions, trade fairs, road shows etc.
  • Support for international market development and AYUSH promotion-related activities,
  • Establishment of AYUSH Information Cells and establishment and strengthening of Health Centre/ Institution in foreign countries.
  • International Fellowship/ scholarship Programme for foreign nationals for undertaking AYUSH courses in premier institutions in India.

About PM-YUVA 3.0 Scheme:

• The Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors (PM-YUVA 3.0) aims to nurture young writers under 30 years of age, providing them with mentorship and exposure to hone their creative writing skills.
• The scheme will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on various facets of India, encompassing the past, present, and future.
• PM-YUVA 3.0 intends to bring to the fore the perspectives of the young generation of writers on the following themes:
  • Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Nation Building;
  • Indian Knowledge System; and
  • Makers of Modern India (1950-2025).
• Besides, the scheme will also provide a window for the aspiring youth to articulate themselves and present a comprehensive outlook of the contribution of Indians across fields in ancient and present times.
• The National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education as the Implementing Agency, will ensure phase-wise execution of the scheme under well-defined stages of mentorship.
• Selection Process:
  • The scheme invites applications from aspiring writers through MyGov India’s online portal.
  • The shortlisted candidates undergo a multi-stage selection process before the final selection.
  • Applicants who had qualified for the PM-YUVA Scheme 1.0 and PM-YUVA Scheme 2.0 are not eligible for the PM-YUVA 3.0 scheme.
• Mentorship and Support:
  • Selected authors receive a mentorship program spanning six months.
  • The authors undergo workshops, interactions with mentors, and exposure to India’s literary ecosystem.
  • At the end of mentorship, a consolidated scholarship is offered.
  • A book or a series of books written by the young authors will be published by NBT, India as the outcome of the mentorship programme.
  • A royalty of 10% will be payable to the authors on successful publications of their books at the end of the Mentorship Program.
  • The books thus published under the scheme may be translated into other Indian languages.
  • Selected authors get the opportunity to present their work at literary festivals and international forums.

About Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR):

• It was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
• It is aimed at significantly improving the promptness and effectiveness of addressing air traveller grievances.
• It functions as an integrated hub bringing together officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), airline operators, and other key stakeholders under one roof at Udaan Bhawan, in New Delhi.
• It operates 24x7, continuously monitoring aviation operations, attending to passenger calls, and coordinating real-time assistance and grievance resolution.
• The AirSewa system has also been fully integrated into the PACR, enabling seamless handling of passenger grievances received through it.
• An omni-channel technology backbone converts passenger inputs into actionable cases, supported by data-driven dashboards that provide live visibility on grievance types, timelines, and stakeholder actions.
• The physical presence of airline representatives within the control room allows immediate coordination and on-the-spot resolution of issues.
• Grievances related to flight delays, cancellations, refunds, and baggage issues are prioritised and addressed in accordance with the provisions of the Passenger Charter.

About Kolleru Lake:

• It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India, located in Andhra Pradesh.
• It is located in the inter-deltaic plain of rivers Krishna and Godavari near the city of Eluru and serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers.
• It is the largest freshwater lake in Andhra Pradesh.
• Characteristically, it is a shallow lake.
• It receives water from Budameru, Ramileru, Tammileru, and Errakalva rivers.
• It drains into the Bay of Bengal through an outlet called 'upputera'.
• It is also known as the "Peerless Fisherman’s Paradise and Bird Heaven".
• It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1999.
• It was designated as a wetland of international importance in 2002 under the International Ramsar Convention.
• It supports migratory birds annually, including grey pelicans, painted storks, and open-billed storks.
• It is deeply intertwined with local livelihoods, sustaining thousands who depend on fishing, duck farming, and paddy cultivation.

About INS Vagsheer:

• It is the sixth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class, or Scorpene-class, submarines ordered by the Indian Navy under Project-75.
• It is named after the sandfish, a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
• It was officially commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2025.
• It now joins its sister vessels INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela, and INS Vagir.
• These submarines have been completely built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) through French technology transfer.
• Features:
  • It boasts advanced stealth technologies, including reduced radiated noise levels and sophisticated hydrodynamic design, making it one of the quietest submarines in the world.
  • Armed with torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and mine-laying capabilities, it excels in anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and surveillance.
  • It consists of indigenously developed systems like the air-conditioning plant, internal communication network, and the Ku-Band SATCOM system.

About Parasynnemellisia khasiana:

• It is a new species of fungus.
• It was discovered in the bamboo forests around Mawsynram, Meghalaya.
• It is named after the Khasi Hills.
• The fungus was found on dead stems of a thorny bamboo species (Chimonocalamus griffithianus) while surveying bamboo litter in the Mawsynram area.
• Laboratory analysis confirmed that the organism did not belong to any existing fungal genus.
• As a result, the researchers established a new genus, Parasynnemellisia, with khasiana as its first described species.
• It forms a distinct evolutionary lineage within the fungal family Phaeosphaeriaceae, separating it from superficially similar bamboo-associated fungi found elsewhere in Asia.

What are Fungi?

• A fungus (plural: fungi) is a type of eukaryotic organism belonging to the kingdom Fungi, alongside plants, animals, protozoa, and monera.
• As eukaryotes, their cells contain a nucleus, mitochondria, and a complex system of internal membrane, including the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.
• All fungi possess cell walls made of a tough polysaccharide called chitin; the cell wall provides structural strength to the fungal body.
• Fungi are incredibly diverse, with commonly encountered forms including yeast, molds, truffles, and mushrooms.
• Fungi come in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with yeast representing the simplest unicellular type and molds like Rhizopus, Mucor, and Penicillium are examples of multicellular fungi.
• They’re the most populous kingdom on the planet – an estimated 8 million fungi exist worldwide – and yet, more than 90% of them are currently unknown to science.
• They are found in just about any habitat, but most live on the land, mainly in soil or plant material rather than sea or fresh water.  
• They are more closely related to animals than to plants, as they do not photosynthesise.
• Different species of fungi can be mutualistic, parasitic, or serve as decomposers.
• Most of the fungi are saprobes (live on dead organisms). They are important decomposers and recyclers of nutrients within the environment.