ಬೋಧಿವೃಕ್ಷ

🌊 Red Sea The Red Sea is a long, narrow and highly saline sea located between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It forms part of a major continental rift system and is known for its warm waters, coral reefs and unique deep-sea mineral-rich brine pools. 📍 Location: It extends roughly from Suez in Egypt southward to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Through the Suez Canal, it is connected to the Mediterranean Sea, while its southern end connects through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait → Gulf of Aden → Arabian Sea → Indian Ocean. 🌍 Bordering countries: 🇪🇬 Egypt • 🇸🇩 Sudan • 🇪🇷 Eritrea • 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia • 🇾🇪 Yemen 🌋 Geological origin: The Red Sea formed mainly through continental rifting associated with the separation of the African Plate and Arabian Plate. The rift continues southward into the Afar region, making it an important area for studying plate tectonics. 🌊 Important gulfs: • Gulf of Suez — relatively shallow; connected to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. • Gulf of Aqaba — deep and narrow, lying between the Sinai Peninsula and Arabian Peninsula; it is connected to the Red Sea through the Strait of Tiran. 🐠 Coral reefs: The Red Sea has extensive fringing coral reefs, supported by its warm, clear waters. These reefs are among its most important marine ecosystems. 🌋 Other features: The Red Sea contains deep axial troughs, volcanic islands and hot, mineral-rich brine pools on its deep seabed. These brine pools are associated with hydrothermal/geological activity and contain high concentrations of dissolved minerals.

🌊 Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed, shallow and brackish sea in Northern Europe. It is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean and is considered the largest body of brackish water in the world. Because of its location and connection with northern European countries, it has historically been an important trade, transport and strategic maritime corridor. 📍 Location: It extends from southern Denmark in the southwest towards the Arctic Circle in the north. It connects with the North Sea through narrow Danish waterways, particularly the Øresund, Great Belt and Little Belt. 🌍 Countries bordering the Baltic Sea: 🇩🇰 Denmark • 🇸🇪 Sweden • 🇫🇮 Finland • 🇷🇺 Russia • 🇪🇪 Estonia • 🇱🇻 Latvia • 🇱🇹 Lithuania • 🇵🇱 Poland • 🇩🇪 Germany. Of these nine countries, eight are NATO members; Russia is the exception, which contributes to the sea's geopolitical importance. 💧 Why is it brackish? The Baltic Sea has low salinity because its connection with the more saline North Sea is restricted, while it receives a large amount of freshwater from rivers, including the Vistula and Oder. Therefore, salinity is much lower than in the open ocean. 🌊 Important sub-regions: • Gulf of Bothnia — between Sweden and Finland • Gulf of Finland — between Finland and Estonia, extending towards Russia • Gulf of Riga — between Estonia and Latvia • Kattegat and Skagerrak — important waterways associated with the Baltic–North Sea connection ⚓ Strategic importance: The Baltic Sea contains important energy pipelines, electricity/power cables, telecommunications cables and shipping routes. Its relatively shallow seabed makes some underwater infrastructure particularly vulnerable to accidental damage and deliberate disruption/sabotage. ❄️ Climate: The Baltic has a cold climate, and portions of it can freeze during winter, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland.

🌱 Mapping

🌱 ಭಾರತೀಯ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಕೊಡುಗೆಗಾಗಿ ನಟ ಅನಂತ್ ನಾಗ್ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಇದೀಗ ದಾದಾಸಾಹೇಬ್ ಫಾಲ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ 2024 ಅನ್ನು ಘೋಷಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಸೆಪ್ಟೆಂಬರ್ 22, 2026 ರಂದು ಗುಜರಾತ್‌ನ ಕೆವಾಡಿಯಾದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯಲಿರುವ 72 ನೇ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಪ್ರದಾನ ಸಮಾರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರದಾನ ಮಾಡಲಾಗುವುದು.

🌱 Virupaksha Temple: Virupaksha Te mple is a 7th-century Shiva temple located at Hampi in central Karnataka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lord Virupaksha, also known as Pampapathi, is the main deity of the temple. The temple complex also contains shrines dedicated to Bhuvaneshwari and Vidyaranya and is surrounded by three gopuras (towers). The main eastern gopura, which forms the principal entrance, is an imposing nine-storey structure about 50 metres tall, built in the 15th century. Each floor of the eastern tower is richly decorated with intricate carvings of hundreds of Hindu gods and goddesses. A notable feature of the temple is that the inverted shadow of the main tower falls on a wall inside the temple, demonstrating an interesting use of architectural design and light.

🌿 Kelp Forests Kelp forests are underwater forests formed by large brown algae (seaweeds). They mainly grow in shallow, cool and nutrient-rich coastal waters. Kelps are not true plants; they are large multicellular algae. They are generally found in temperate and polar regions, farther from the tropics than coral reefs, mangroves and warm-water seagrass ecosystems. 📌 KPSC Exam Traps - Kelp → Brown algae - Habitat → Shallow coastal marine waters - Best conditions → Cool, nutrient-rich waters - Distribution → Mainly temperate and polar regions - Not a true plant → Algae - Major threats → Marine heatwaves, warming oceans, pollution and excessive herbivory - Ecological importance → Biodiversity, habitat, nursery grounds, fisheries and coastal protection - Kelp forests ≠ coral reefs — kelp is algae; coral reefs are formed by coral organisms.

Abathsahayeswarar Temple Wins UNESCO Heritage Award The 12th-century Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi, near Kumbakonam, received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction for Heritage Conservation (2024). The restoration was carried out by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department and IIT Madras' National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures (NCSHS). Associated with Chola rulers Kulottunga I and Vikrama Chola, it is the only major temple built entirely during Vikrama Chola's reign. The temple is a rare Kara Kovil (chariot-shaped shrine) and houses Lord Sarabeshwarar. Restoration combined traditional Sthapatya Veda with drone surveys, 3D mapping, digital anastylosis, and careful restoration of the temple's prakarams. https://www.shankariasparliament.com/current-affairs/prelim-bits-5/thukkachi-temple

i-DRONE Initiative for Faster TB Diagnosis The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tested drone-assisted transport of tuberculosis (TB) sputum samples under the i-DRONE initiative in Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. Using a hub-and-spoke model, drones carried samples from nearby health centres to diagnostic laboratories, reducing the median diagnosis time from 15 days to 5 days. The initiative also cut patients' out-of-pocket expenses from about ₹9,451 to ₹91 by lowering travel and wage-loss costs. It linked 11 Primary Health Centres, 60 sub-centres, and four TB Units, improving access to timely TB diagnosis in remote areas.

18 Years of Sariska Tiger Reintroduction The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change marked 18 years of the Sariska Tiger Reintroduction Programme, the world's first successful scientific reintroduction of tigers into a locally extinct habitat. Three publications were released, including the Road Map on Active Management of Tigers in India and the Annual Report of Project Cheetah (2024–25). India has expanded its tiger reserves from 46 to 58 and achieved the St. Petersburg Declaration target of doubling wild tiger numbers. The workshop highlighted community participation, prey-base augmentation using Gaur and Barasingha, and lessons from Project Cheetah for future wildlife restoration. https://ddindia.co.in/2026/06/tiger-conservation-goes-beyond-protecting-a-single-species-bhupender-yadav/

Greater Tunb Island Greater Tunb is a small but strategically significant island in the Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil trade passes. Controlled by Iran since 1971, it, along with Lesser Tunb, overlooks one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints, giving it strategic leverage over commercial shipping. The island remains a longstanding territorial dispute between Iran and the UAE, which also claims Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. Recently, the island gained attention after U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian defence installations and missile sites amid escalating regional tensions. Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/what-is-greater-tunb-island-the-strategic-point-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-targeted-by-us-airstrikes/article69932074.ece

I-2SEA Submarine Cable System The I-2SEA submarine cable system has been unveiled to strengthen digital connectivity between India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Built by a consortium of Microsoft, Singtel, Tata Communications, and Lightstorm, the 3,600-km high-capacity cable will connect Singapore to Machilipatnam, with onward connectivity to Hyderabad and a second landing in South Chennai. It is designed to support hyperscalers, GPU infrastructure providers, and AI-driven enterprises across the India–Southeast Asia corridor. The project will connect major AI and data centre hubs and is expected to be ready for service by Q4 2029. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/submarine-cable-system-project-linking-india-malaysia-singapore-unveiled/article71173557.ece

🌱 Saushrutam 2026 The President of India highlighted the enduring relevance of Acharya Sushruta, urging medical professionals to uphold medical ethics, innovation, and compassionate patient care. She expressed confidence that Saushrutam 2026 would generate new knowledge and strengthen international cooperation in Ayurvedic surgery, enhancing Ayurveda's contribution to holistic healthcare. The three-day international seminar, hosted by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), brings together eminent surgeons, academicians, and researchers from India and abroad to advance research, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration in Ayurvedic surgical sciences. Source: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2284764&reg=48&lang=1

🌱 Protein Biosensors Protein biosensors enable rapid, real-time detection of disease biomarkers, helping diagnose conditions like sepsis, cancer, malaria, and COVID-19 much earlier than conventional tests. Modern biosensors use aptamers (synthetic DNA/RNA molecules) instead of antibodies because they are cheaper, more stable, and highly specific. Advances in nanotechnology, CRISPR, machine learning, and nanomaterials (gold nanoparticles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, MXenes) have greatly improved sensitivity. Emerging applications include wearable microneedle sensors, multi-marker diagnostics, and cell-free biosensors for environmental monitoring, food safety, and detection of biological threats. https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_international/issues/194331/OPS/G4EG7ERM4.1+GULG8IIPE.1.html

🌱 15th July - World Youth Skills Day On World Youth Skills Day 2026, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship emphasized lifelong learning, innovation, and adaptability to prepare youth for future jobs. The government highlighted initiatives such as IndiaSkills, Centres of Excellence, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships to enhance employability. It also stressed greater participation of women in non-traditional sectors. Additionally, the WorldSkills India Champions Club was launched to mentor aspiring competitors and promote excellence in vocational skills. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285084

Karnataka will establish India’s first government-driven AI university Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced the establishment of India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University and an AI Hub at Google I/O Connect India 2026 in Bengaluru. The AI University will focus on world-class talent, advanced research, and academia-industry-government collaboration, while the AI Hub will incubate startups and innovators. Karnataka aims to become an AI-native state, integrating AI in governance, education, healthcare, agriculture, and public services. With Bengaluru’s strong tech ecosystem, this initiative positions Karnataka as a global hub for responsible AI innovation. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/karnataka-will-establish-indias-first-government-driven-ai-university-says-chief-minister-dk-shivakumar/article71220051.ece

Pygoluciola mawsynram (New Firefly Species) Researchers from Assam Don Bosco University and Debraj Roy College discovered a new firefly species, Pygoluciola mawsynram, in Mawsynram (Meghalaya), the world's wettest place. Published in the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology, the discovery increases the global Pygoluciola species count from 28 to 29 and India's count to five. The species was identified through morphological and DNA-based phylogenetic analyses and has a limited distribution, being found at only 10 of 29 surveyed sites. Named after Mawsynram and the Khasi community, the discovery highlights the importance of indigenous conservation practices, Northeast India's biodiversity, and the need for further scientific surveys. Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/meghalaya/story/northeast-researchers-discover-new-firefly-species-name-it-after-meghalayas-mawsynram-1263026-2026-07-12⁠

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) is a nocturnal, arboreal rodent of the Sciuridae family, capable of gliding using a skin membrane (patagium) between its limbs. Recently, it was spotted in Ramnagar forests, Uttarakhand, after nearly 12 years. It is distributed across South and Southeast Asia and southern and central China, inhabiting dry deciduous, evergreen forests, and plantations, mainly in hilly regions. One of the largest flying squirrels (30–45 cm body; tail up to 60 cm), it has grey-brown fur and a bushy tail. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Source: https://vajiramandravi.com/current-affairs/upsc-prelims-current-affairs/2026/07/14/

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