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“Shiva Nataraja” is a Chola-period bronze sculpture originally belonging to Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple, Thiruthuraipoondi Taluk, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. • The sculpture was photographed in the temple in 1957 and later found to have been removed illegally from India. • Two antiquities have already reached India: 1. “Somaskanda-Shiva and Uma” - 12th century Chola period bronze. 2. “Saint Sundarar with Paravai” - 16th century Vijayanagara-period bronze. • “Shiva Nataraja” is currently displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (US) and will return to India in 2028 under a long-term loan arrangement. • Nataraja represents Lord Shiva as the “Cosmic Dancer”, symbolising creation, preservation and destruction in Shaivism. • Chola bronze sculptures are famous for the lost-wax casting technique (cire perdue method).

• PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) has been renamed as PMOS - Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. • The renaming was published in medical journal The Lancet after 14 years of global collaboration. • PMOS highlights that the disorder is not limited to “ovarian cysts” but involves endocrine, metabolic and reproductive systems. • PMOS symptoms include irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, acne, excess hair growth, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. • In PMOS, follicles in the ovary often remain immature (“arrested follicles”) instead of maturing and releasing eggs. • India has a high prevalence of PMOS/PCOS - estimated around 16%–18% among women. • The term “metabolic” was added because PMOS is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. • The “thrifty genotype hypothesis” is linked with higher susceptibility to obesity and Type-2 diabetes in calorie-abundant environments.

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• Current Account Deficit (CAD) = Excess of imports over exports in the Balance of Payments. • India’s CAD rises mainly due to high crude oil and gold imports. • India imports nearly 85–90% of its crude oil requirement. • Higher crude oil prices widen CAD and weaken the rupee. • Persistent CAD increases demand for US dollars and pressures forex reserves. • CAD is measured as a percentage of GDP. • Import cover = Number of months imports can be financed using forex reserves. • CAD is financed through capital inflows like FDI, FPI and external borrowings.

• China’s Decree 834: first national supply-chain security regulation. • Decree 835 deals with counter-extraterritorial rules. • Aim: strengthen China’s control over industrial supply chains. • Linked to global “China+1” manufacturing shift. • Vietnam & India are major alternatives to China manufacturing. • U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act targets forced-labour imports. • EU “Blocking Statute” protects firms from foreign sanctions/laws. • India may consider its own supply-chain security framework.

National Council of Educational Research and Training launched AI-based digital companion app “e-Jaadui Patra” for parents and teachers. • e-Jaadui Patra has 3 AI bots - “Teacher Tara”, “Parent Tara” and “Katha Saki”. • “Katha Saki” AI tool can generate large numbers of stories, including customised bedtime stories for children. #CA2026