Kaziranga Records First Yellow-throated Marten

Environment

Context

Kaziranga National Park has confirmed the presence of a yellow-throated marten for the first time.

Yellow-throated Marten

- Scientific name: Martes flavigula.
- It belongs to the weasel family (Mustelidae), which also includes otters, badgers, and wolverines.
- It is a diurnal (active during the day), tree‑climbing mustelid that assists seed dispersal, a role that supports healthy forest regeneration and ecosystem balance.
- Distribution – It is found across the Himalayas, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and parts of Russia.
- In India, the yellow-throated marten is found across the Himalayan region and in other parts of the northeastern region, including Assam.

It is protected as a Schedule II animal under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

Additional Information- Kaziranga National Park

- It was established in 1908 as a reserve forest and became a national park in 1974.
- It was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985.
It is the largest habitat of theIndian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).

Geography & Environment

Context

Bangladesh has approved a large river engineering project called the Padma barrage, on the Padma river, which is Bangladesh’s stretch of the Ganga, in Rajbari district.

Padma River

The Padma River is one of the largest and most important rivers in Bangladesh.
It is the main distributary of the Ganges River after the Ganges enters Bangladesh from India.
The Padma flows southeast, joins the Jamuna River (the lower Brahmaputra), and later merges with the Meghna River before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
It is a major part of the world’s largest delta system, the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta.

Additional Information – Ganga River System

The Ganga River System is India’s largest river basin.

Origin – The river starts as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri Glacier.
Name: It becomes the Ganga when it joins the Alaknanda at Devprayag.
RiverLength: It is 2,525 km long.
States: It flows through five states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
The Delta: It splits in West Bengal. One part goes to Bangladesh (called Padma). It helps form the Sundarbans Delta, the biggest delta in the world.

Important Tributaries

Key Exam Facts

Geography

Context

India and Zimbabwe agreed to enhance bilateral defence ties by expanding existing cooperation.

About

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country situated in south-central Africa between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers, covering an area of over 390,000 sq km.
It is bounded by Zambia to the north and northwest, South Africa to the south, Mozambique to the east and northeast, and Botswana to the southwest.
Zimbabwe lies entirely north of the Tropic of Capricorn and forms part of the southern African plateau.
The Victoria Falls, located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world’s largest sheet of falling water.

Polity

Context

The Government of India has announced the winners of the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026.
A total of 17 initiatives were selected across seven award categories, comprising 10 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, and 1 Jury Award.

National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG)

Mandate- The awards are presented annually to promote excellence in e-governance and digital public service delivery.
They recognize innovative use of technology to improve governance, transparency, accountability, and citizen-centric services.
It is instituted by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
The awards cover initiatives implemented by Ministries, Departments, States, UTs, Districts, Urban Local Bodies, and Gram Panchayats.

Major Award-Winning Initiatives (Gold and Silver Awardees)

- Agri Stack: Developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Creates a digital ecosystem for farmers through unique farmer identities and land-linked databases.
- It facilitates targeted delivery of subsidies, crop insurance, credit, advisories, and government schemes.
- e-Jagriti: It is a digital platform for filing and tracking consumer complaints, and developed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

Mahakumbh 2025 Digital Governance Model: Implemented by the Prayagraj Mela Authority.

It demonstrated large-scale use of technology in managing one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
Blood Bag Traceability and Citizen Interaction Portal: It is developed by Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and enables end-to-end tracking of blood units from donation to transfusion.
AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support system in eSanjeevani telemedicine service: It is developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Government Schemes

News

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament recently raised serious concerns about the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) as the scheme appears to have been training people for industries that aren’t necessarily hiring.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

Key features –

Short-Term Training (STT): Free training in digital skills, life skills, and trade work.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Exams and certificates for people who already have skills but no official degree.
Special Projects: Custom training for unique jobs or tough areas like tribal regions

PMKVY 4.0?