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The Winter Solstice is a phenomenon when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun, resulting in the longest night and the shortest day of the year. It occurs annually on December 21 or 22. It marks the 1st day of winter.

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, located between Asia and Europe, and is shared by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. The Caspian Sea is a landlocked sea and is also known as the Mazandaran Sea. It lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. Baku is the largest port on the Caspian Sea and the largest capital city on the southern shore of the Abshe

Volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea

India recently sent relief material worth $1 million for the people affected by a volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea. A major volcanic eruption of Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea resulted in widespread damage and destruction in the island nation. Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activities occur.

Sumatran 0rangutans (Pongo abelii)

3 trafficked Sumatran orangutans were sent back from Thailand to Indonesia recently as part of a joint effort between the countries to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is a species of orangutan that lives in the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are the largest non-human primates in Asia and the largest arboreal primates. Conservation Status IUCN - Critically Endangered CITES - Appendix I

SVEEP

Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is a program by the Election Commission of India. It aims to educate voters, spread awareness, and promote voter literacy since 2009.

Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)

Eurasian otter discovered for the 1st time in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala recently. It is a semiaquatic carnivorous mammal that is native to Eurasia. They are shy and nocturnal and found near small streams in the interior forests and distributed through Europe, Asia, and Africa. Conservation Status IUCN - Near Threatened. CITES - Appendix I. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 - Schedule II

Huntington’s disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare, inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It's also known as Huntington's chorea. HD attacks areas of the brain that help to control voluntary movement, as well as other areas. Symptoms usually start between the ages of 30 and 50. No cure exists, but drugs, physiotherapy and speech therapy can help manage some symptoms.

Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP)

Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) is a zoo and botanical garden established in 1960 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Nandankanan is India's first zoo to join the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. Nandankanan is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger. Nandankanan is the only conservation breeding centre of Indian Pangolins in the world.

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist who is known for his discoveries in vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. He is considered one of the first scientists to discover the role of microorganisms in disease and how vaccines can prevent sickness. He developed the vaccine against Rabies.a

Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)

The aardvark is a burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. The name aardvark comes from Afrikaans and means "earth pig" that hunts termites and ants at night. Aardvarks are found in sub-Saharan Africa, except for Namibia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Madagascar. Conservation Status IUCN - Least Concern.

Talabira power project

The NLC Talabira Thermal Power Project is a 2,400 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Odisha. The project is a Non-National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) Central PSU Electricity Generation project. It will be an ultra-super critical thermal plant. The 2,400 MW is to be shared by Tamil Nadu 1,500 MW, Puducherry 100 MW, Karnataka 400 MW and Odisha 400 MW.

Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG)

Established by - Ministry of Health and Department of Biotechnology, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Aim – To assess SARS-CoV-2 Variants in India. To generate Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data of the virus which can be correlated with clinical epidemiological data for advanced preparedness for public health interventions.