DUGONG
- Also known as the “Sea Cow“
- Habitat: Found in shallow coastal waters
- Location – Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Diet: Herbivorous
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: under Schedule I
- Threats: Habitat loss, pollution, illegal fishing
- Conservation Efforts – India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve established in Palk Bay
SUN
News – It’s clear now: iron inside the sun is more opaque than expected
- Sun’s interior consists of – core, radiative zone, and convective zone
- Its atmosphere includes – photosphere, chromosphere, and corona
- Composition – hydrogen (98%) and helium (2%)
- Process – Nuclear fusion in the core powers the Sun, converting hydrogen into helium
- Solar Cycle – Sun undergoes an 11-year magnetic cycle
- Time taken by light from sun to reach Earth – 8 mins
- Aditya-L1 Mission – by ISRO
- Aim – To study the Sun’s corona and solar wind
PHILIPPINES
News – Philippines, U.S. launch joint drills aimed at ‘strategic deterrence’
- Philippine is – 2nd largest archipelagos in the world.
- It consists of – 7,641 islands
- Three main island groups are – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- Capital – Manila
- Location – surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, and Celebes Sea.
- Official languages – Filipino
- Curency – Philippine Peso
- Political System – Unitary presidential constitutional republic
- Popular Festivals – Sinulog, Ati-Atihan, and Pahiyas
NEW PAMBAN BRIDGE
News – New Pamban bridge an engineering wonder: PM
- Location: Connects Rameswaram Island to the mainland of Tamil Nadu across the Palk Strait.
- Rameswaram is – a major pilgrimage site
- Historical Significance: It was was India’s first sea bridge.
- New Pamban Bridge –
- It is India’s – first vertical-lift railway sea bridge.
- Length – 2.07 km
- Lift – 72.5-meter vertical lift span
- It includes – an automated electro-mechanical lift system.
AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA
News – AAI team to visit sites identified for second airport in Bengaluru
- Estb in – 1995, by merging the National Airports Authority and the International Airports Authority of India.
- Role: It is responsible for creating, upgrading and maintaining civil aviation infrastructure in India
- Hq – New Delhi
- Status – AAI is a Miniratna Category-1 company
- Functions-
- Manages 137 airports
- Provides Air Traffic Management (ATM) services
- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which aims to enhance regional air connectivity
WORLD HEALTH DAY
- Celebrated annually on – April 7th
- History – It marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.
- Purpose:
- Aims to raise awareness about global health issues
- Encourage collective action for better healthcare.
- Theme – “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures“
- Indian Initiatives –
- Ayushman Bharat Abhiyaan
- National Health Mission
- Global Significance-
- Developes Preparedness for Pandemics, non-communicable diseases, and healthcare equity
MCQs
1. Dugong is also known as?
A. Sea Horse
B. Sea Bird
C. Sea Lion
D. Sea Cow
2. Which gas forms bulk of Sun’s atmosphere?
A. Hydrogen
B. Helium
C. Carbon
D. Oxygen
3. Capital of Philippine is?
A. Shanghai
B. Manila
C. Tokyo
D. Bangkok
4. New Pamban Bridge is located at?
A. Bay of Bengal
B. Arabian Sea
C. The Great Himalayas
D. Palk Strait
5. “World Health Day” is celebrated on?
A. 1st January
B. 7th April
C. 23rd October
D. 25th December