About APAAR ID:

• APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry.
• It was introduced by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, under the 'One Nation, One Student ID’ initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.
• APAAR is a permanent academic identification system created for every student, from school to higher education.
• APAAR assigns a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student, offering a comprehensive record of their academic achievements, including degrees, scholarships, awards, and other credits.
• The APAAR ID card allows students to access their academic credits, degrees, and other information online.
• The APAAR ID will be unique and remain the same through one’s education journey.
• It is linked to Aadhaar and stored in DigiLocker for easy access.
• It serves as a lifelong academic passport, consolidating all achievements and credentials of a student in one place.
• With a single digital ID, students can move between schools, apply for courses, submit documents for admissions or jobs, and track their credits without relying on multiple paper certificates.
• Advantages of APAAR ID:
  • Unique Student Identification: Every student gets a unique APAAR ID, which remains with them throughout their academic journey.
  • Lifelong Learning Record: Stores academic achievements, skills, and extracurricular activities from school to higher education.
  • Integration with Digi Locker: APAAR ID is linked with Digi Locker, enabling students to securely store and access their academic certificates digitally.
  • Credit Transfer & Mobility: Helps in seamless credit transfers between institutions under the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) framework.

About Gonorrhoea:

• It is a preventable and curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhea.
• It’s also sometimes called “the clap” or “drip.”
• Gonorrhea bacteria can infect the urethra, rectum, female reproductive tract.
• Transmission:
  • It is most commonly spread during vaginal, oral or anal sexual activity.
• Gonorrhea can affect people of any age, anatomy, or gender, but it’s particularly common among teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24.
• Symptoms:
  • It can cause a sore throat, conjunctivitis, unusual vaginal or penile discharge, and pelvic and genital pain.
• Untreated gonorrhoea can cause:
  • infections affecting the skin, joints, heart (endocarditis), and brain (meningitis)
  • infertility in both females and males
  • pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  • epididymitis and prostatitis
  • Some of these complications can cause permanent damage to health.
• Treatment:
  • Gonorrhoea is treatable and curable with antibiotics.

About Pyrite:

• It is a brass-yellow mineral with a bright metallic luster.
• It has a chemical composition of iron sulfide (FeS₂), and is the most common sulfide mineral.
• The name comes from the Greek word pyr, “fire,” because pyrite emits sparks when struck by metal.
• Nodules of pyrite have been found in prehistoric burial mounds, which suggests their use as a means of producing fire.
• Pyrite is called “Fool’s Gold” because it resembles gold to the untrained eye.
  • However, pyrite is quite easy to distinguish from gold: pyrite is much lighter but harder than gold and cannot be scratched with a fingernail or pocket knife.
• It is found in a wide variety of geological formations worldwide, from sedimentary deposits to hydrothermal veins and as a constituent of metamorphic rocks.
• Uses:
  • It is a source of iron and sulfur and is used for the production of sulfuric acid.
  • It is used to create iron sulfate that is used to make nutritional supplements, ink, lawn conditioner, water treatment and flocculation, moss killer, and many other chemical processes.
  • Iron sulfate, which comes from pyrite, is used to treat iron-deficiency anemia.
  • Some types of pyrite contain enough microscopic gold to warrant mining them as a gold ore.

About Pax Silica Initiative:

• It is a U.S.-led  strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain—from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and logistics.
  • The term 'Pax Silica' comes from the Latin term ‘pax’ which means peace, stability, and long-term prosperity.
  • Silica refers to the compound that is refined into silicon, one of the chemical elements foundational to the computer chips that enable AI.
• It aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to AI, and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
• Which Countries Are Part of Pax Silica?
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Singapore
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • Israel
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Australia
• Countries Affirmed a Shared Commitment To:
  • Pursue projects to jointly address AI supply chain opportunities and vulnerabilities in priority critical minerals, semiconductor design, fabrication, and packaging, logistics and transportation, compute, and energy grids and power generation.
  • Pursue new joint ventures and strategic co-investment opportunities.
  • Protect sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure from undue access or control by countries of concern.
  • Build trusted technology ecosystems, including ICT systems, fiber-optic cables, data centers, foundational models and applications.

About Ratle Hydroelectric Project:

• It is an 850 MW run-of-river hydroelectric power project being built on the Chenab River in the Kishtwar District of Jammu & Kashmir.
• The project is implemented by the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation (RHPCL).
• The project is expected to generate 3,137 GWh of electricity.
• Pakistan has frequently alleged that the project violates the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

About New Ramsar Sites:

Siliserh lake

• Location: It is located in in the state of Rajasthan.
• It is a human-made lake within the buffer zone of Sariska Tiger Reserve.
• It was built in 1845 by Maharaja Vinay Singh to supply drinking water to Alwar city.
• It is in a semi-arid zone, and the Site serves as an important water source for diverse species of the region. 
• Fauna:
  • It supports various bird and mammal species including the vulnerable river tern and the endangered tiger, black stork (Ciconia nigra). 

Kopra Jalashay

• Location: It is located
• It is a reservoir located in the upper catchments of the River Mahanadi.
• Fauna: Notable species include the vulnerable greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga) and the endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). 

About Preah Vihear Temple:

• Location: 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 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Architecture of Preah Vihear Temple
  • Style: It is a masterpiece of Khmer architecture.
  • The temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries.
  • 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.

About Ponduru Khadi:

• ​Ponduru Khadi, is a famous handspun and handwoven cotton fabric from Andhra Pradesh.
• It is locally known as Patnulu and is produced in Ponduru village in Srikakulam district.
• It has been nominated for the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme from the Srikakulam district. 
• During the pre – independence era Mahatma Gandhi mentioned its virtues in his Young India (the national weekly that Gandhiji edited).
• Key Characteristics of Ponduru Khadi:
  • ​Production: It is produced from one of three types of cotton: hill cotton, punasa cotton, or red cotton.
  • ​Cotton Source: Cotton is indigenous to Srikakulam district and is grown in and around Ponduru.
  • ​Process: The entire process, from cotton to fabric, is carried out manually.
• Unique to Ponduru Khadi:
  • Cleaning: The process of cleaning the cotton with the jawbone of Valuga fish is unique to Ponduru khadi and is not practiced anywhere else in the world.
  • ​Spinning: Ponduru is the only place in India where spinners still use single-spindle charkhas.

About Geminid Meteor:

• The Geminid meteor shower is named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate, Gemini.
• It peaks during mid-December each year.
• Origin: Unlike most meteor showers that originate from comets, the Geminid stream appears to originate from an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.
• The Geminids are best viewed during the night and predawn hours.

What are Meteors?

• Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids.
• As they enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they burn up, creating a spectacular “shower”.
• When these objects come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them.
• Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.

About Tapanuli Orangutan:

• The Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is a species of orangutan found in the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
  • It is one of three known species of orangutan, alongside the Sumatran orangutan, found farther northwest on the island, and the Bornean orangutan.
• It is on the critically endangered species list.
• Appearance: These species resemble Sumatran orangutans more than Bornean orangutans in body build and fur color.
• Distribution: It lives in tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests that are located south of Lake Toba in Sumatra.
• Habitat: These are exclusively arboreal and spend most of their time high up in the trees. 
• Characteristics of Tapanuli Orangutan:
  • They lead a solitary life and can be seen in pairs only when a mother is raising her young.
  • Orangutans communicate with various sounds.
  • Both sexes will try to intimidate conspecifics with a series of low guttural noises known collectively as the "rolling call".
• Diet: They are omnivores.
• Reproduction: Tapanuli orangutans are one of the most slowly-maturing animals in the world.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically endangered