About Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a 1,856-MW run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab River in the Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The project will be built by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• The plant will ensure reliable power supply to the region, particularly during the harsh winter months, when electricity demand peaks and shortages are common.
• It also has the potential to turn J-K into a power-surplus region, creating scope for exporting surplus energy to the national grid.
• It is a key part of India’s plan to fully utilise its share of water from the western rivers under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

About Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR):

• It is located in the Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.
• It is spread over two protected areas of Koyana Sanctuary (KWLS) and Chandoli National Park (CNP).
• The central portion of STR is occupied by the “Shivsagar” reservoir of the Koyana River and the “Vasant Sagar” reservoir of the Warana River.
• Vegetation:
  • The forest cover here is that of moist evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist, and dry deciduous
  • It is the only place where climax and near-climax vegetation are plentiful and prospects of adverse anthropogenic influence in the future are minimal.
• Flora:
  • Dense tree cover includes species such as teak, bamboo, Indian laurel, and jamun.
  • Medicinal plants like Asparagus racemosus and Aegle marmelos grow abundantly.
  • Unique Western Ghats endemics, including rare orchids and shrubs, flourish in the reserve’s humid microclimates.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to the endangered species of top carnivores such as Tiger, Wild dog, and Leopard.
  • The herbivores include Gaur, Sambar, Four Horned Antelope, Mouse Deer, and Giant Squirrel.
  • The habitat also supports hornbills, and many other endemic birds.

About Paraleocrates indica:

• It is a new species of marine worm discovered in the muddy banks of the Champa Estuary in the Bay of Bengal.
• It marks the first time this rare group of creatures has ever been recorded in Indian waters.
• It is a type of muddy bristle worm in the family Hesionidae, known for its colourful bodies and often symbiotic relationships with other sea life, such as starfish.

About Kordofan Region:

• It is a region constituting the central and southern area of Sudan.
• The region is divided into three federal states: North Kordofan (capital: El Obeid), South Kordofan (capital: Kadugli), and West Kordofan (capital: Al Fula).
• Traditionally the area is known for the production of gum Arabic.
• Most of the people in Kordofan are Arabs. Minorities include the Nubian, Beja, Daju, Zaghawa, and Darfunj peoples.
• It has been a conflict-prone area, especially since Sudan’s civil wars.
• It is a strategic region due to:
  • Proximity to South Sudan.
  • Oil fields in West Kordofan.

About Lyriothemis keralensis:

• It is a new species of dragonfly.
• It was discovered in the low-lying coastal regions of Kerala.
• It is commonly called the Slender Bombardier.
• Unlike many dragonflies found in forest areas, the Slender Bombardier prefers human-modified landscapes.
• It thrives in irrigation ecosystems such as pineapple and rubber plantations and is commonly seen in shaded canals and seasonal pools within agricultural areas.
• It is a seasonal resident, emerging during the monsoon and retreating as rainfall declines.

About Giant Phantom Jellyfish:

• It is a rare and mysterious deep-sea jellyfish known for its ghostly, translucent appearance.
• It is among the largest jellyfish.
• Scientific Name: Stygiomedusa gigantea
• It is in the Ulmaridae family.
• It is believed to be widespread throughout the world’s oceans, except in the Arctic Ocean.
• Unlike most jellyfish, it lacks tentacles. Instead, they use ribbon-like arms to grab prey, typically plankton or small fish, and pull them into their mouths. 

About Copernicus Sentinel-2 Mission:

• It is an Earth observation satellite mission developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• It is part of Copernicus - the European Union’s Earth observation program.
• It aims at monitoring variability in land surface conditions.
• It comprises a land monitoring constellation of two polar-orbiting satellites placed in the same sun-synchronous orbit.
• It delivers high-resolution optical multispectral imagery in the visible to shortwave infrared.
  • This data supports a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture, food security, ecosystems monitoring, disaster management (e.g., volcanoes, wildfires, floods, landslides), water quality assessment, and observing anthropogenic methane emissions.

Key Facts about Copernicus Programme:

• It is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme.
• This initiative is headed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
• It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth observation and in-situ (non-space) data.
• The programme consists of a complex set of systems that collect data from multiple sources, including Earth Observation satellites, in-situ sensors like ground stations, and airborne and sea-borne sensors.
• Users have free and open access to a great deal of this data, which is also processed to provide a set of services based on reliable and near-real-time information.
• ESA has developed a new family of satellites, called Sentinels, specifically for the operational needs of Copernicus.

About Thwaites Glacier:

• Location: It is a large glacier in West Antarctica, about the size of a large country.
• Scientists have often called it the “Doomsday Glacier”.
• Impact of Melting of Thwaites Glacier:
  • It has been becoming thinner, retreating, and contributing to sea-level rise.
  • If it weakens beyond a point, other glaciers may lose ice faster as well, further increasing sea-level rise.
  • Higher sea levels will cause coasts to flood more easily, worsen erosion, increase storm surges, and threaten cities, low-lying islands, and ports.
  • Significance: It is one of the most important places on the earth for those trying to understand how sea levels will rise in future.

About Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS):

• It was established as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Mandate: It is mandated to provide ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focussed research.
• It established the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) which provides tsunami alerts serving India and 28 Indian Ocean countries.
• It is a permanent member of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
• It is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Initiatives of INCOIS:
  • It has developed the Search and Rescue Aided Tool (SARAT) to assist the Indian Coast Guard, Navy and Coastal Security Police, in locating individuals or objects lost at sea.
  • INCOIS has also established the SynOPS visualization platform which integrates real-time data to strengthen response coordination during extreme events.

What are JellyAIIP, SAMUDRA 2.0 Mobile App, and SIVAS?

• JellyAIIP (Jellyfish Aggregation Information Interactive Portal): It is a national web-based platform for reporting and visualising jellyfish aggregation, swarming, and stranding events along the Indian coast, with geospatial mapping, hotspot analysis, and multilingual first-aid guidance.
• SAMUDRA 2.0 Mobile App: It is an upgraded multilingual advisory platform delivering ocean information and early warnings to fishermen and maritime users.
• SIVAS: Swell-Surge Inundation Vulnerability Advisory System, is a coastal inundation early warning service designed to provide advance alerts on swell-surge flooding events, currently operational for the Kerala coast, with multilingual forecast bulletins.

About Greece:

• It is bordered by, North Macedonia and Bulgaria in the north, Albania in the northwest, and Turkey in the northeast.
• Bordering Seas: It is also bounded by the Aegean Sea in the east, Ionian Sea in the west and the Mediterranean Sea in the
• Capital: Athens
• Geographical features of Greece:
  • Terrain: It is predominantly mountainous, with approximately 80% of its terrain consisting of mountains or hills, making it one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.
  • Climate: The climate of Greece is typically Mediterranean.
  • Major Mountain: Pindus mountain range on the mainland contains one of the world's deepest gorges, Vikos Gorge.
  • Highest Peak: Mount Olympus
  • Major Rivers: Maritsa, Struma and Vardar etc.
  • Natural Resources: It mainly consists of petroleum, magnetite, lignite, bauxite, hydropower, and marble.