#history Francois Bernier arrived India in 1658. worked as a physician to Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, after Dara Shikoh's execution, he was attached to the court of Aurangzeb.

#history The Bakhshali manuscript is perhaps the oldest extant manuscript in Indian Mathematics.

#international Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organisation. Gaza is a Palestinian exclave on the eastern coast of Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt and Israel.

#environment Ludwigia peruviana threat to elephant habitats a rapid coloniser and an invasive species.

#environment ants know how much food their hungry colony needs.

#environment sydney seahorse project; seahorse is a fish and not mammal; whereas sea cow and sea lion are. upsc pyq. (2013)

#environment batagaika: Russia

#international [Mineral Security Partnership] graphite, lithium and cobalt are major critical minerals; uses: manufacturing of EV, semiconductors, fighter jets. India has the world’s fifth largest reserves of rare earth elements. Major producers: Indonesia, Congo, China, Australia, and South Africa. 3/4th of worlds cobalt is produced by DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) upsc PYQ (2023).

#history dubash is an Indian translator or interpreter; he wrote ‘Kasi Yatra Charitra’ Travelogue in Telugu about his pilgrimage to Varanasi.

#science high-throughput

#science metagenomics can be used to study the DNA sequences of Viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. powerful tool to study prokaryotes and viruses in the environment. Aerial metagenomics refers to collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go. upsc-PYQ (2023)

#science HLD 6: scientific discovery; revelation of fossilised hominid remains. major finding is lack of chin, a feature seems to mirror the ancient Denisovan species. the word ‘denisovan’ mentioned in media refers to an early human species (upsc PYQ 2019)

#international ECOWAS: Economic community of West African States.

#international sponge cities

#international havana syndrome

#international Katchatheevu Island; as part of Indo-Sri Lanka Maritime Agreement; Indira Gandhi ceded it to Sri Lanka in 1974.

#culture Allagadda Stone Carving: Andhra Pradesh.

#mnemonic to remember borders of Niger; place in news: important: AB2CLMN:
Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Nigeria.

#international murmansk port

#history Karnail Singh Isru; Goa Liberation Movement.

#history operation Jericho; to take control of Aizawl.