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🏔️ Mount Cilo

🔸 Latest News

• 50% of the glaciers on Mount Cilo have melted over the past 40 years.

🔸 Location & Geography

• Located southeast of Lake Van in the Taurus mountain range, Anatolia region, Turkey.
• Lies on the Iraqi border in Hakkari province.
• Elevation: 4,135 meters; second highest glacier in Turkey after Mount Ararat.
• Part of Alpine-Himalayan Fold System; formed due to Arabian, Anatolian, and Eurasian plate movements.

🔸 Physical Features

• Has five prominent peaks: Uludoruk Peak, Suppa Durek Peak, Kosedireği Mountain, Kisara Mountain, and Maunseli Sivrisi.
• Characterized by rugged topography, steep limestone cliffs, deep gorges, and glacial valleys.
• Current form due to tectonic activity and erosion.

🔸 Climate Impact

• Affected by heatwaves and droughts in Turkey.
• Record temperature of 50.5°C contributing to glacier melt.

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🐍 Barbados Threadsnake

🔸 Latest News

• Rediscovered recently after being missing for decades.

🔸 Biological Details

• Belongs to family Leptotyphlopidae.
• Blind, burrowing, feeds on termites and ants.
• Lays a single, slender egg.

🔸 Features

• Max length: 10.4 cm; weight: 0.6 g — world’s smallest snake.
• Solitary, fossorial, and nocturnal.
• Found in eastern Barbados, inhabits tropical dry forests.

🔸 Behaviour and Adaptations

• Lives under rocks, near termite nests.
• Produces pheromones to avoid termite attacks.

🔸 Diet & Reproduction

• Carnivorous; eats larvae of termites and ants.
• Oviparous (egg-laying).

🔸 Conservation

• Status: Critically Endangered (IUCN).
• Main Threat: Habitat loss.

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💼 Skill Impact Bond (SIB)

🔸 Latest News

• Highlighted by Minister of State as delivering measurable social impact.

🔸 Concept

• A development impact bond launched in November 2021.
• Focuses on employment outcomes for youth.
• Targets 50,000 youth, 60% women.

🔸 Features

• Uses private capital, outcomes-based funding.
• Backed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
• Key stakeholders: risk investors, outcome funders, and third-party evaluators.

🔸 Working Mechanism

• Risk investors fund training organizations.
• Outcome funders repay investors if employment targets are met.
• Third-party verifies outcomes.

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🩸 CRIB Blood Group

🔸 Latest News

• Discovered in a woman from Kolar, Karnataka.
• Unveiled at ISBT Congress in Milan, Italy.

🔸 About the Blood Group

• Part of Cromer (CR) system.
• Named CRIB – CR (Cromer) + IB (India, Bangalore).
• Involves a new antigen in the DAF system.

🔸 Significance

• Enhances transfusion safety.
• Aids donor-recipient compatibility.

🔸 Rare Blood Types

• Present in <0.1% of population.
• Creates challenges in transfusions, transplants, and surgeries.

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⚡ Dorjilung Hydropower Project

🔸 Latest News

• Tata Power joins Bhutan’s DGPC in project development.

🔸 Project Details

• Capacity: 1125 MW (run-of-river).
• Location: Lhuentse & Mongar, Bhutan on Kurichhu River.
• Expected commissioning: 2032.
• Funding: World Bank.
• PPP model: DGPC (60%), Tata Power (40%).

🔸 Infrastructure

• 139.5 m concrete-gravity dam.
• 15 km headrace tunnel.
• 6 Francis turbines generating 4.5 TWh/year.

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💳 Digital Payments Index (DPI)

🔸 Latest News

• DPI increased to 493.22 (March 2025) from 465.33 (Sept 2024).

🔸 About DPI

• Launched by RBI in January 2021.
• Measures digitization of payments.
• Base Year: March 2018 = Score 100.

🔸 Parameters

1. Payment enablers – 25%
2. Payment infrastructure (supply + demand) – 10% each
3. Payment performance – 45%
4. Consumer centricity – 5%

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🌊 Tsunami

🔸 Latest News

• 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.
• Triggered tsunami alerts in Pacific regions.

🔸 Understanding Tsunamis

• Caused by large ocean displacement.
• Common causes: earthquakes (80%), also volcanoes, landslides, meteorites.

🔸 Characteristics

• Radiate in all directions.
• Travel at 950 km/h, heights up to 30 m.
• Speed slows, height increases near coast.
• Sign: abnormal retreat of coastal waters.

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🏞️ Musi River

🔸 Latest News

• HYDRAA cracks down on illegal encroachments on riverbed.

🔸 River Profile

• Known as Muchukunda/Musunuru.
• Tributary of Krishna River, originates from Anantagiri Hills, Telangana.
• Length: 240 km.
• Dams: Himayat Sagar, Osman Sagar.

🔸 Course

• Flows eastward through Hyderabad, divides Old and New City.
• Confluence: Krishna River near Wazirabad.

🔸 Issues

• Pollution from Hyderabad waste.
• 24 diversion weirs for irrigation.

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🐅 Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary

🔸 Latest News

• Odisha planning to introduce tigers to the sanctuary.

🔸 Profile

• Location: Bargarh district, Odisha near Hirakud Dam.
• Area: 347 sq.km; declared in 1985.
• Historical link: Veer Surendra Sai used it during British resistance.

🔸 Biodiversity

• Vegetation: Mixed & dry deciduous.
• Flora: Sal, Asana, Aanla, Dhaura.
• Fauna: Leopards, bears, chousingha, sambar, gaurs, dholes.
• Birds: Crested serpent eagle, bulbul, drongo, oriental white-eye.

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✈️ Schengen Visa

🔸 Latest News

• Cascade system allows faster, long-term visas for Indians with clean history.

🔸 Basics

• Allows travel to 29 Schengen countries.
• Stay up to 90 days in 180 days.
• For tourism, business, family, cultural, etc.
• Doesn’t permit work.

🔸 Cascade System

• 2-year visa if you had 2 Schengen visas in 3 years.
• 5-year visa possible with prior usage.
• Tiered validity based on past usage.
• Offers visa-free-like mobility, no work rights.

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PRELIMS MCQs

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1. Mount Cilo

Q1. Consider the following about Mount Cilo: / माउंट सिलो के बारे में निम्नलिखित पर विचार करें:

1. It is part of the Alpine-Himalayan Fold System. / यह एल्पाइन-हिमालयन फोल्ड सिस्टम का हिस्सा है।
2. It is the highest peak in Turkey. / यह तुर्की की सबसे ऊँची चोटी है।
3. It lies on the border between Turkey and Iraq. / यह तुर्की और इराक की सीमा पर स्थित है।
   Which of the above is/are correct? / उपरोक्त में से कौन सा/से कथन सही है/हैं?
   a) 1 and 2 only / केवल 1 और 2
   b) 2 and 3 only / केवल 2 और 3
   c) 1 and 3 only / केवल 1 और 3
   d) 1, 2 and 3 / 1, 2 और 3

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2. Barbados Threadsnake

Q2. Barbados Threadsnake is unique for which of the following reasons? / बारबाडोस थ्रेडस्नेक किस कारण से अद्वितीय है?
a) It is the only venomous threadsnake in the world. / यह दुनिया का एकमात्र विषैला थ्रेडस्नेक है।
b) It lays multiple eggs in a year. / यह वर्ष में कई अंडे देता है।
c) It is the world’s smallest known snake. / यह दुनिया का सबसे छोटा ज्ञात साँप है।
d) It is found in deserts of Africa. / यह अफ्रीका के रेगिस्तानों में पाया जाता है।

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3. Skill Impact Bond

Q3. Which of the following statements about the Skill Impact Bond (SIB) are correct? / स्किल इम्पैक्ट बॉन्ड (SIB) के बारे में निम्न में से कौन से कथन सही हैं?

1. It is India’s first outcomes-based bond for skill development. / यह भारत का पहला परिणाम-आधारित कौशल विकास बॉन्ड है।
2. Private sector investors are repaid only if targets are met. / निजी निवेशकों को केवल लक्ष्यों की पूर्ति पर भुगतान किया जाता है।
3. It focuses mainly on certification over placement. / यह मुख्यतः प्रमाणन पर केंद्रित है, नियुक्ति पर नहीं।
   a) 1 and 2 only / केवल 1 और 2
   b) 2 and 3 only / केवल 2 और 3
   c) 1 and 3 only / केवल 1 और 3
   d) 1, 2 and 3 / 1, 2 और 3

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4. CRIB Blood Group

Q4. CRIB blood group is named based on which of the following? / CRIB रक्त समूह का नाम किस पर आधारित है?
a) Clinical Rare Indian Blood / क्लीनिकल रेयर इंडियन ब्लड
b) Cromer India Bangalore / क्रोमर इंडिया बैंगलोर
c) Critical India Bloodtype / क्रिटिकल इंडिया ब्लडटाइप
d) Combined RBC Immuno-Biology / कंबाइंड आरबीसी इम्यूनो-बायोलॉजी

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5. Dorjilung Hydropower Project

Q5. The Dorjilung Hydropower Project is being developed in which of the following models? / डोरजीलुंग जलविद्युत परियोजना किस मॉडल में विकसित की जा रही है?
a) BOT (Build Operate Transfer) / बीओटी (निर्माण, संचालन, हस्तांतरण)
b) Government Funded / सरकारी वित्तपोषण
c) PPP (Public Private Partnership) / पीपीपी (सार्वजनिक-निजी साझेदारी)
d) BOO (Build Own Operate) / बीओओ (निर्माण, स्वामित्व, संचालन)

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6. Digital Payments Index

Q6. The RBI Digital Payments Index uses which of the following as the base period? / आरबीआई डिजिटल पेमेंट्स इंडेक्स किस आधार वर्ष का उपयोग करता है?
a) January 2021 / जनवरी 2021
b) April 2019 / अप्रैल 2019
c) March 2018 / मार्च 2018
d) December 2020 / दिसंबर 2020

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7. Tsunami

Q7. What causes tsunami waves to increase in height near coastlines? / तटों के पास सुनामी तरंगों की ऊँचाई क्यों बढ़ जाती है?
a) Increase in ocean temperature / महासागर के तापमान में वृद्धि
b) Shallow ocean depth near shore / तट के पास महासागर की उथली गहराई
c) Change in moon’s gravitational pull / चंद्रमा के गुरुत्वाकर्षण बल में परिवर्तन
d) Strong surface winds / तेज सतही हवाएँ

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8. Musi River

Q8. The Musi River divides which Indian city historically? / मुसी नदी ऐतिहासिक रूप से किस भारतीय शहर को विभाजित करती है?
a) Bengaluru / बेंगलुरु
b) Hyderabad / हैदराबाद
c) Pune / पुणे
d) Nagpur / नागपुर

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9. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary

Q9. Which of the following species is found in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary? / देब्रीगढ़ वन्यजीव अभयारण्य में निम्नलिखित में से कौन सी प्रजाति पाई जाती है?
a) Snow Leopard / हिम तेंदुआ
b) Chousingha / चौसिंगा
c) Hangul / हंगुल
d) Asiatic Lion / एशियाई शेर

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10. Schengen Visa

Q10. Under the cascade system, how long is the multi-entry Schengen visa granted to Indian citizens with two valid Schengen visas in the last three years? / कैस्केड सिस्टम के तहत, पिछले तीन वर्षों में दो वैध शेंगेन वीज़ा वाले भारतीय नागरिकों को कितने समय के लिए मल्टी-एंट्री शेंगेन वीज़ा दिया जाता है?
a) 6 months / 6 महीने
b) 1 year / 1 वर्ष
c) 2 years / 2 वर्ष
d) 5 years / 5 वर्ष

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