About Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple:

• It is a prominent Hindu temple situated at Srirangam near Trichy in Tamil Nadu.
• This temple lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.
• It is the biggest functioning Hindu temple in India and is often found ranked amongst the largest religious complexes of the world.
• This temple is dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Hindu deity, Lord Vishnu.
• It is regarded as the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Though the temple has existed since the 2nd century BC, the archaeological inscriptions are available only from the 10th century CE.
• This temple underwent many changes during the rule of the Cholas, Cheras, Pandiyas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar kings, and Nayaks of Madurai.
• In addition, influential Vaishnava leaders like Yamunacarya, Ramanujacarya, and Sudarsanacarya played pivotal roles in shaping the temple’s worship and its enduring legacy.
• Architecture:
  • The entire temple complex is an example of Dravidian architecture.
  • The temple is enclosed by seven concentric walls known as “Prakaram”, symbolizing the seven planetary systems in Vedic cosmology.
  • Within these walls, there are twenty-one towering entrances, known as gopurams, each adorned with intricate sculptures and designs.
  • The Rajagopuram is recognised as the tallest temple tower in Asia.
  • The vimana over the sanctum of the temple is made up of gold.
  • It also comprises a hall containing 1000 pillars. Intricate sculptures are the most attractive part of the hall. The Hall was built during the Vijayanagara period (1336-1565).
  • Inside the temple, one can find inscriptions from the Chola dynasty, accompanied by tales of the Pandya, Hoysala, and Vijayanagara empires that once flourished alongside the Tiruchirappalli rule.
  • A substantial part of Srirangam town resides within the periphery defined by the three outer walls of the temple complex.

About Locus Coeruleus (LC):

• The Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a small nucleus (cluster of nerve cells) located in the pons, a part of the brainstem.
  • The Pons act as a connection between the cerebrum and cerebellum.
• The Locus Coeruleus gets its name from the Latin words for "blue place."
• Although it contains only a small fraction of the brain's neurons, it produces norepinephrine (NE), a chemical messenger that helps regulate attention, learning, heart rate, and the body's reactions to stress and excitement.
• LC is the primary source of norepinephrine to the brain.
• Recent Findings:
  • Scientists have long assumed that the LC operates like a loudspeaker, sending essentially the same norepinephrine signal across the brain.
  • However, in a new study using brain imaging, recordings of neural activity, genetic techniques, and behavioral experiments, researchers discovered that the LC communicates through several distinct pathways.
  • Rather than broadcasting one general message, it delivers signals to specific destinations, with different groups of neurons responding to different experiences.
  • Different groups of cells communicate with specific regions of the nervous system.
  • These pathways determine where signals trigger the release of norepinephrine, creating a much more organized communication network than previously recognized.
  • Neurons in the upper (dorsal) portion of the LC primarily connect to the cerebral cortex and forebrain.
  • Meanwhile, cells in the lower (ventral) portion send their signals mainly to the brainstem and spinal cord.
  • This arrangement allows different parts of the LC to influence separate brain functions.
• Why the Discovery Could Matter for Brain Disorders?
• Norepinephrine plays a central role in regulating attention and mood, making it an important target for medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and ADHD.
• Neurons in the LC are also among the earliest brain cells to deteriorate in Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that the new findings could have implications for understanding and treating these conditions.
• Current treatments that influence norepinephrine can affect multiple brain circuits at once, sometimes producing beneficial effects in one region while causing unwanted effects elsewhere.
• A clearer map of the LC's specialized pathways could help scientists develop therapies that act more selectively on the circuits involved in particular symptoms.

About Azerbaijan:

• Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is located at the junction of Eastern Europe and Western Asia along the southern flanks of the Caucasus Mountains.
• It is bounded in the east by the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and
• The country is highly mountainous, making human settlement very limited to along rivers and coastlines.
• Highest Point: Mount Bazardüzü is the highest peak in the Greater Caucasus Range and the highest mountain in Azerbaijan.
• Government Type: Presidential Republic
• Capital: The capital city, Baku, is famous for its modern architecture and historical sites, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old City.
  • For its location at 28 m below sea level, Baku is the largest city in the world located below sea level and also the lowest-lying national capital in the world.
• Climate: Its climate is highly varied and contains examples of nine out of the world’s eleven climate zones. Most of Azerbaijan is dry, with hot summers and mild winters.
• Major Rivers: Alazani, Aras, and Kura Rivers.
• Currency: Azerbaijani manats (AZN).

About Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD):

• IPRD is the Indian Navy’s annual apex-level international strategic dialogue.
• The idea of an annual IPRD was first conceptualised and conducted in 2018 as the apex-level conference of the Indian Navy.
• It is organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the Navy’s knowledge partner.
• IPRD seeks to translate the broad framework of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) into specific, actionable proposals.
• IPRD also supports India’s maritime vision of MAHASAGAR-Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
• IPRD 2026:
  • It is the eighth edition of the IPRD.
  • Venue: Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
  • Theme: Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Notably, IPRD-2026 will expand its focus beyond traditional STEM disciplines to incorporate social sciences, life sciences, and the humanities into maritime deliberations.
  • The three-day conference will bring together maritime practitioners, scientists, academicians, policymakers, and experts from 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific to formulate actionable proposals for regional cooperation.
  • Five thematic sessions will be held during the conference. They will focus on
    • joint research, research networks, and human development;
    • protection of critical maritime infrastructure and enhanced monitoring;
    • climate resilience and ocean dynamics;
    • maritime resilience and responsible management; and
    • dual-use maritime technologies and their implications.
  • The event aims to identify concrete, solution-oriented measures across national, sub-regional, and pan-regional tiers.

What is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)?

• The Prime Minister of India has proposed the IPOI at the East Asia Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 4, 2019.
• As an open global initiative, the IPOI draws on existing regional cooperation architecture and mechanisms to focus on seven central pillars. They are:
  • Maritime security
  • Maritime ecology
  • Maritime resources
  • Capacity building and resource sharing
  • Disaster risk reduction and management
  • Science, technology, and academic cooperation
  • Trade connectivity and maritime transport.

Key Facts about National Maritime Foundation (NMF):

• It is the nation’s first maritime think tank for the conduct of independent and policy-relevant research on all ‘matters maritime’.
• The foundation was inaugurated on the 15th of February, 2005.
• It was, from its very inception, designed to create and heighten maritime awareness amongst India’s policymakers, intellectual echelons, and civil society at large.
• While the NMF is an independent and autonomous think tank, its intellectual and organisational development is supported by the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Navy.

About Zuqar Island:

• It is a Yemeni island in the southern Red Sea, forming part of the Hanish Islands archipelago.
• It lies between the coasts of mainland Yemen and Eritrea, near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
• Despite its proximity to the African continent, the island is considered a part of Asia because it sits on the Asian continental shelf.
• It has strategic importance because of its location along one of the world’s key maritime routes.
• The island consists of a shield volcano overlain by basaltic pyroclastic cones and spatter cones, which produce youthful-looking pahoehoe lava flows.

What are Pahoehoe Lava Flows?

• Pahoehoe is a type of basaltic lava characterized by a smooth, often shiny, and billowy surface.
• This highly fluid lava spreads in thin sheets and forms ropy folds as it continues to flow beneath a hardening crust.
• The surface of pahoehoe lava flows can appear gently undulating or broadly hummocky, with liquid lava beneath the surface wrinkling it into tapestry-like folds that resemble twisted rope.
• These flows are typically fed internally by streams of liquid lava.

About Arabian Black Electric Ray:

• It was discovered in the Arabian Sea.
• It is the first confirmed record of the genus Tetronarce in the northern Indian Ocean. 
• Features: It features a uniform dark bluish-black or dark brown upper body surface with a whitish belly, lacking any skin bumps (papillae) around its breathing holes (spiracles).
• It forms an independent evolutionary lineage well-separated from all other known electric ray species globally.

Key Facts about Electric Ray:

• An electric ray refers to a type of cartilaginous fish capable of producing an electric shock.
• Appearance: These rays are characterized by their flat bodies and enlarged pectoral fins that are fused to their heads.
• Habitat& Distribution: The electric rays are found worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate bodies of water and are commonly found to inhabit and prefer shallow waters
• Diet: These are mesopredators, typically prey on smaller animals 
• They have electric shock producing ability which helps them to stun their prey.

About Indo-Tibetan Border Police:   

• It is a Central Armed Police Force functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
• It guards the India-China borders ranging from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Background:
  • It was raised in 1962, in the wake of the Sino-Indian War of 1962, for deployment along India’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
  • ITBP was initially raised under the CRPF Act. However, in 1992, parliament enacted the ITBPF Act, and the rules thereunder were framed in 1994.
  • In 2004, ITBP was declared as a full-fledged central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Motto: “Shaurya-Dridhata-Karma Nishtha” (Valour – Determination – Devotion to Duty).
• It is known as one of the most specialized mountain forces in the world, ITBP operates in some of the harshest and most remote areas.
• ITBP trains its personnel in mountaineering, skiing, and tactical combat, in addition to maintaining readiness for disaster response and relief operations in the Himalayan region. 
• Headed By: It is headed by a Director General under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.

About Zavodovski Island:

• Location: It is an uninhabited volcanic island situated in the Traversay Islands subgroup of the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
• Zavodovski Island hosts the world’s largest known chinstrap penguin colony.
• Volcano: The basaltic stratovolcano on the island, known as Mount Curry, has a large lava platform extending east from two parasitic cones on the side of the main edifice.

Key facts about Chinstrap penguin

• The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus ) is a species of penguin that inhabits a variety of islands and shores in the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic Oceans.
• Appearance: Its name stems from the narrow black band under its head, which makes it appear as if it were wearing a black helmet, making it easy to identify.
• It is also known as Ringed penguin, Bearded penguin, and Stonecracker penguin, due to its loud, harsh call.
• Behavior: They are highly social birds, gathering in large colonies, where they live and breed.
• Diet: It mainly feeds on Antarctic krill, tiny, shrimp-like creatures that live in the ocean and form an important part of the Antarctic food chain.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

About Amur Falcon:

• It is a migratory raptor of the falcon family.
• Other Names: Eastern Red-footed Falcon, Eastern Red-footed Kestrel, Manchurian Falcon, and Red-legged Falcon.
• Habitat: It is found across open forests, grasslands, wetlands and agricultural landscapes.
• Distribution: They breed in southeastern Siberia and Northern China and migrate long distances in large flocks to winter in Southern and East Africa.
• Along the way, large numbers pass through India, with the biggest congregations seen in the northeastern states mainly in Nagaland, Manipur, and parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Threats: Hunting during migration and habitat loss at roosting sites, and changing weather patterns.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

About Sakharov Prize:

• It is European Union’s highest honour dedicated to human rights work.
• Background:  It was established in 1988 and inaugural prize was jointly conferred to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko.
• It is named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov.
• It is awarded annually by the European Parliament during its plenary session.
• This prize consists of € 50, 000 endowments, along with an official citation.
• Focus: Recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations that make an outstanding contribution to defending human rights, freedom of thought, free expression, minority rights and international law.

Key Facts about International Criminal Court

• It is a permanent and independent criminal court established to prosecute offenders of serious crimes in the international community.  
• It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
• It was created by the Rome Statute, which came into force on July 1, 2002.
• Mandate: ICC investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community.
  • Specifically, the ICC is intended to prosecute the following crimes: Genocide, Crimes against humanity, War crimes and the crime of aggression.
• Members: There are 125 member countries (China, India, Israel, Russia, and the United States are not ICC parties).
• Composition:
  • Judges: The court has eighteen judges, each from a different member country, elected to non-renewable nine-year terms.
  • The Presidency:
    • Consists of three judges (the President and two Vice-Presidents) elected from among the judges.
    • It represents the Court to the outside world and helps with the organization of the work of the judges.