1.  Khelo India Tribal Games

Ø News: The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports has recently announced that the inaugural edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games will be organised between March 25 and April 6.

Ø Nature of the Event: The Khelo India Tribal Games are organised as a component of the broader Khelo India Scheme aimed at promoting sports participation across the country.

Ø Medal Sports: The games will include seven medal disciplines, namely athletics, football, hockey, weightlifting, archery, swimming, and wrestling.

Ø Demonstration Sports: In addition to medal events, two demonstration sports will also be showcased, which include mallakhamb and kabaddi.

Ø Host State: The first edition of the Khelo India Tribal Games will be hosted by the state of Chhattisgarh, making it the first state to organise this national-level sporting event dedicated exclusively to tribal athletes.

Ø Participation: The event is expected to witness participation from most states and Union Territories of India.

Ø Organising Bodies: The games will be jointly managed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association, various National Sports Federations, and the Chhattisgarh state organising committee.

Ø Mascot of the Games: The official mascot of the event is named Morveer.

Ø Meaning of the Mascot Name: The name Morveer is derived from two Chhattisgarhi words, where Mor means mine or our own, and Veer represents courage and valour.

Ø Khelo India Scheme:

o  Nature of the Scheme: The Khelo India Scheme is a flagship Central Sector Scheme implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

o  Core Objective: The scheme aims to encourage mass participation in sports while simultaneously promoting excellence in competitive sporting performance.

o  National Importance Status: The Khelo India Games were declared an Event of National Importance in 2020 under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act, 2007.

2.      Commission on the Status of Women

Ø News:   The Minister of State for Women and Child Development is scheduled to participate in the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women held at the United Nations Headquarters.

Ø Institutional Status: The Commission on the Status of Women functions as a functional commission under the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Ø Establishment: The commission was established through a resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 21 June 1946.

Ø Global Role: It serves as the principal international intergovernmental body dedicated to advancing gender equality and empowering women across the world.

Ø Association with the United Nations System: The commission operates within the United Nations framework and works to advance women’s political, economic, civil, social, and educational rights.

Ø Mandate and Responsibilities: The commission plays an important role in promoting the rights of women and girls, documenting the realities of their lives worldwide, and shaping global standards related to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

o  Expansion of Mandate: In 1996, the Economic and Social Council expanded the mandate of the commission to strengthen its role in international gender policy.

o  Monitoring of Beijing Framework: The expanded mandate assigned the commission a leading responsibility in monitoring and reviewing progress and challenges in implementing the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action.

Ø Gender Mainstreaming Role: The commission was also tasked with ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into the activities and programmes of the United Nations system.

Ø Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by 189 countries and represents the most comprehensive global framework aimed at achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls.

Ø Membership Structure: The commission consists of 45 member states of the United Nations at any given time.

o  Election Process: Member states are elected by the Economic and Social Council based on the principle of equitable geographical representation.

o  Tenure of Members: Each member state serves on the commission for a term of four years.

3.      Three Seas Initiative

Ø News:   During the Raisina Dialogue 2026 held in New Delhi, Three Seas Initiative was discussed to strengthen connectivity and infrastructure.

Ø  Background:

o  The Three Seas Initiative was proposed in 2015 by Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, then President of Croatia, and Andrzej Duda, President of Poland.

o  The proposal was influenced by a report prepared by the Atlantic Council that highlighted a major infrastructure and investment gap in Central and Eastern Europe.

o  The first Three Seas Initiative summit was organised in 2016 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

o  Since then, annual summits and business forums have been held on a rotational basis among member states.

Ø About the Initiative: The Three Seas Initiative is a regional cooperation platform bringing together European Union countries located between the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea.

Ø Members: The initiative includes 13 member countries of the European Union.

o  These member states are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

o  The initiative also engages strategic partners such as the United States, Germany, the European Commission, and Japan.

o  Regional partners associated with the initiative include Ukraine and Moldova.

Ø Aim:  The platform aims to strengthen economic growth, enhance energy security, improve connectivity, and promote regional cohesion across Central and Eastern Europe.

Ø Objectives:

o  Connectivity and Infrastructure Development: The initiative emphasises building transport corridors including highways, railway networks, and ports that connect the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Sea regions.

o  Economic Integration: By strengthening connectivity, the initiative aims to facilitate trade, increase investment flows, and stimulate economic growth within Central and Eastern Europe.

o  Investor Attraction: The region has demonstrated above-average economic growth rates, which makes it attractive for international investors. By coordinating national policies and implementing joint projects, participating countries seek to attract greater global financial interest and generate higher investment returns.

o  Energy Security: The initiative promotes diversification of energy sources, infrastructure, and supply routes. Its goal is to reduce dependence on single energy suppliers and enhance stability and strategic resilience in regional energy systems.

o  Digital Connectivity: The initiative supports the expansion of digital infrastructure, including broadband networks and collaborative innovation ecosystems.

o  Climate and Sustainability Goals: By improving transport and energy infrastructure efficiency, the initiative contributes to reducing carbon emissions and advancing carbon neutrality objectives. Three Seas Business Forums and Investment Fund:

Ø Business Forums: The Three Seas Business Forums serve as a platform for companies, financial institutions, and international organisations to cooperate on projects related to energy, transport, and digital infrastructure.

Ø Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund:

o  The Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund was established in 2019 in Luxembourg to provide financial support for infrastructure projects within the region.

o  The founding investors include Poland’s BGK development bank and Romania’s EximBank.

o  Estonia later joined the fund as an investor.

Ø Projects Financed by the Fund:

o  The fund has supported infrastructure projects such as the Polish railway company Cargounit.

o  It has also financed the Austrian renewable energy developer Enery.

o  Additional investments include the Bulgarian port of Burgas and the Estonian digital infrastructure company Greenergy Data Centers.

Ø Investment Participation: The fund is open to participation from countries, pension funds, and private investors interested in supporting regional infrastructure development.

UPSC GS 3

4.      Deinococcus Radiodurans

Ø News:  Recent research has shown that the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can also endure the enormous pressures generated when material is blasted off a planet’s surface, estimated to be around 14,000 to 24,000 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure.

Ø  Nature of the Organism: Deinococcus radiodurans is a bacterium that is widely recognized for its extraordinary resistance to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation.

Ø Basic Biological Characteristics:

o  It is a gram-positive bacterium, meaning that it possesses a particular type of thick cell wall structure.

o  The organism is nonmotile, which means that it cannot move independently.

o  It has a distinctive reddish coloration.

Ø Discovery:

o  The bacterium was first discovered in 1956.

o  It was identified in canned meat that had been exposed to radiation intended to eliminate harmful microorganisms.

Ø Popular Nickname: Because of its remarkable ability to survive extreme environmental conditions, the bacterium has earned the nickname Conan the Bacterium.

Ø Radiation Resistance:

o  Deinococcus radiodurans is capable of surviving radiation levels that are thousands of times higher than doses that would be fatal to humans.

o  Due to this exceptional capability, it is considered the most radiation-resistant organism known on Earth.

Ø Chemical Basis of Resistance:

o  Its resistance to radiation is partly attributed to a group of simple metabolites present within the cells.

o  These metabolites interact with manganese to create a highly effective antioxidant system that protects cellular components from radiation damage.

Ø DNA Repair Mechanisms:

o  The bacterium possesses highly efficient mechanisms to repair its DNA when it is damaged.

o  An enzyme known as thioredoxin reductase plays a key role in repairing broken DNA strands.

Ø Additional Genetic Protection:

o  The organism can remove damaged segments of DNA from its cells.

o  It also maintains multiple copies of essential genes, which helps ensure genetic stability and recovery after severe damage.

Ø Adaptation to Environmental Stress:

o  These protective mechanisms enable the bacterium to survive conditions such as extreme dryness, which is known as desiccation.

o  The organism can also endure situations where nutrients are scarce, a condition referred to as starvation.

Ø Tolerance to Extreme Conditions:

o  Deinococcus radiodurans is capable of surviving extremely low temperatures.

o  It can tolerate severe dehydration.

o  The bacterium can survive in vacuum-like environments.

o  It is also able to withstand acidic conditions.

5.      Blue Sparrow Missile

Ø News:    Reports suggest that Israel recently used the Blue Sparrow missile in a strike operation in Tehran targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ø  Nature of the Missile: The Blue Sparrow missile is an air-launched ballistic missile that belongs to a group of three Sparrow missiles developed for advanced missile testing and operational purposes.

Ø Missile Family: The Blue Sparrow is part of a missile family that also includes the Black Sparrow and the Silver Sparrow.

Ø Developer: The missile systems were developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which is an Israeli defence technology company.

Ø Original Purpose: These missiles were initially designed to function as practice targets for testing Israel’s Arrow missile defence system.

Ø Operational Evolution: Over time, the Blue Sparrow missile was modified and adapted for use as an offensive air-to-surface strike weapon.

Ø Features:

Ø Physical Dimensions:

o  The missile has an overall length of approximately 6.5 metres.

o  Its total weight is around 1.9 tonnes.

Ø Launch Platform:

o  The missile is usually launched from fighter aircraft.

o  Israeli F-15 fighter jets are among the platforms capable of deploying the missile.

o  Booster rockets attached to the missile help propel it to high altitude immediately after launch.

Ø Operational Range: The Blue Sparrow missile has a range of roughly 1,995 kilometres.

Ø Flight Path:

o  Unlike many traditional weapons, the missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory during its flight.

Ø Atmospheric Flight Profile:

o  After being launched, the missile rapidly ascends to very high altitudes.

o  It may even exit the Earth’s atmosphere before re-entering and descending toward the intended target.

Ø Interception Difficulty: The ability of the missile to leave and re-enter the atmosphere makes it more difficult for conventional air defence systems to intercept it.

6.      Syphilis

Ø News: The World Health Organization has certified Denmark for achieving the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

Ø   Nature of the Disease: Syphilis is a preventable and curable bacterial sexually transmitted infection.

Ø Cause: The disease is caused by a bacterium known as Treponema pallidum.

Ø Transmission:

o  Syphilis is commonly transmitted through sexual contact with an infected individual.

o  Infection occurs when any part of the body comes into contact with a sore or rash present on a person who has syphilis.

o  The infection can also be transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth.

o  In some cases, transmission may also occur through breastfeeding.

Ø Symptoms of Syphilis:

o  The disease progresses through several stages over time.

o  It usually begins with the appearance of a sore that is often painless.

o  This sore generally develops on the genitals, rectum, or mouth.

o  The infection may also cause swelling of nearby lymph nodes.

o  Many individuals may not notice symptoms for several years.

o  Symptoms may disappear and reappear during the course of the disease.

o  If untreated, syphilis can eventually damage vital organs such as the heart and brain.

Ø Impact during Pregnancy: When syphilis during pregnancy is not treated, treated too late, or treated with an incorrect antibiotic, it can lead to adverse birth outcomes in about 50 to 80 percent of cases.

Ø Treatment:

o  Syphilis can be effectively cured using antibiotics, particularly when diagnosed in the early stages.

o  Penicillin is the most commonly used medication for treating the infection.