• Established: April 1, 1995
• Formed by: Merger of the National Airports Authority (NAA) and the International Airports Authority of India (IAAI)

• Act: Airports Authority of India Act, 1994
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation

• Leadership: Led by Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Herminie and India's Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal
• Key Sectors: Maritime trade, Blue Economy, ports, logistics, renewable energy, and sustainable development
• Organizer: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India

Seychelles:

• Location: An island nation in the Indian Ocean
• Continent: Africa
• Capital: Victoria
• Currency: Seychellois Rupee (SCR)

• Advanced Technology: The system is an integrated solution of radio frequency (RF) and radar-based drone detection and jamming systems.
• Security Coverage: It provides 360-degree coverage and omnidirectional protection.
• Effective Range: It is capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing unauthorized drones with an effective range of up to 5 kilometers.
• Collaboration: The port authority has signed an agreement with Central Electronics Limited (CEL), a Government of India enterprise, for the implementation of this project.

V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority:

• Former Name: Tuticorin Port Trust (renamed in 2011 after the renowned freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar)
• Location: Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu
• Location: Strategically located in the Gulf of Mannar on the southeastern coast of India
• Declared as India's 10th major port on July 11, 1974

• It is a system of local self-governance at the rural level.
• Founder: Lord Ripon is considered the father of local self-governance in India.
• Beginning: In independent India, the Panchayati Raj system was first introduced on October 2, 1959, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Constitutional Status: Panchayats received constitutional recognition through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

Three-tier Structure:

• A three-tier system was adopted in India on the recommendation of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957).
• Gram Panchayat: At the village level (Head: Sarpanch/Pradhan)
• Panchayat Samiti: At the block (intermediate) level
• Zilla Parishad: At the district level
• Elections: The term of Panchayats is 5 years. Elections are mandatory before the expiry of the term or within 6 months of dissolution.
• Reservation: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women (at least 1/3 of the seats) is mandatory.
• Subjects: The 11th Schedule of the Constitution specifies 29 subjects (such as agriculture, health, education) for the functioning of Panchayats.

Important Articles and Committees:

• Article 40: Directs state governments to constitute Gram Panchayats.
• Part IX (Articles 243 to 243-O): Detailed constitutional provisions related to Panchayati Raj are contained in this part.
• Committees: The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977), G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985), L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986), and P.K. Thungan Committee (1988) played a significant role in strengthening this system.

• Each Urban Local Body (ULB) will have to strive to maintain at least 15% of its total geographical area as 'green cover'.
• Under the policy, trees, urban forests, parks, and wetlands will be mandatorily included in city planning and development.
• A dedicated 'Urban Forest Wing' will be established under the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.
• The state will adopt international standards such as the '3-30-300' urban green livability guidelines and the 'Singapore Index' (City Biodiversity Index).
• Funding for greening projects will be mobilized from existing schemes like AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, and Green Tamil Nadu Mission. Digital dashboards and geo-tagging will be used for monitoring.
• This supports the Green Tamil Nadu Mission's goal of increasing the state's overall green cover from 23.7 percent to 33 percent.

Tamil Nadu:

• Established: November 1, 1956.
• Capital: Chennai (known as the 'Detroit of South Asia')
• Official Languages: Tamil (one of the world's oldest languages) and English
• State Animal: Nilgiri Tahr
• State Bird: Emerald Dove
• State Tree: Palmyra Palm
• State Flower: Gloriosa Lily
• State Fruit: Jackfruit
• State Sport: Kabaddi
• State Emblem: Gopuram of Srivilliputhur Temple
• Classical Dance: Bharatanatyam, which originated in the temples here.
• Major Festivals: Pongal (major harvest festival), Puthandu (Tamil New Year).

• Location: Southeast Asia
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Official Language: Malay
• Government System: Constitutional Monarchy
• Head of State: Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King)

• Head of Government: Prime Minister
• Neighboring Countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore
• Sea: South China Sea
• Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)

• Merger Structure: This merger has been approved under two separate 'Composite Schemes of Arrangement':
• Scheme Group-A: This involves the merger of 12 subsidiaries into POWERGRID Khavda II-C Transmission Limited.
• Scheme Group-B: This involves the merger of 5 subsidiaries into POWERGRID Vataman Transmission Limited.
• Impact: This merger is binding on all shareholders and creditors and will be deemed legally effective from April 1, 2024.

• Historical Background: These relics were obtained from the Devni Mori archaeological site located in the Aravalli district of Gujarat. They were discovered in 1957 by the renowned archaeologist Prof. S. N. Chaudhary.
• Special Details: The relics are housed in a green schist urn, inscribed with "Dashabala Sharira Nilaya" (Abode of the bodily relics of Lord Buddha) in Brahmi script and Sanskrit language.

Major Sites Where Buddha's Relics Have Been Found:

• Devni Mori, Gujarat: These recently discussed relics were found in 1963 from a stupa. An urn inscribed with "Dashabala Sharira Nilaya" was found here.
• Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh: This is identified as Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Buddha. Here, urns filled with bone relics and jewels were discovered by William Peppe in 1898.
• Vaishali, Bihar: Buddha's bone relics were found from a stupa near the 'Abhishek Pushkarani' here, which are believed to be the share of the Lichchhavis.
• Sarnath: The sacred relics of Buddha are preserved in the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, where he delivered his first sermon.
• Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh: Relics of Buddha's chief disciples (Sariputra and Mahamoggallana) have been found in the stupas here.
• Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh: This is where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana. The Ramabhar Stupa here is considered to be his cremation site, from where the relics were collected.
• Sri Lanka: The sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha is preserved in the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
• China: The Famen Temple is believed to house a bone relic of Buddha's finger.

• The event also saw the release of the book "Birds of Goa: Konkani Nomenclature - Olakh Suknaynchi," which contributed to the documentation and dissemination of information about the bird world in the local language.
• It was held at the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its theme was "Magnificent Mhadei."
• Mascot: This year's mascot was the Malabar Barbet, a bird endemic to the Western Ghats.
• Organizer: The festival, organized by the Goa Forest Department, was inaugurated by Goa Chief Secretary C. Kandavelu.

• Winner: India
• Runner-up: Bangladesh
• Host Country: Nepal (Pokhara Rangasala Stadium)
• Participating Teams: 4 (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan)

• Best Goalkeeper: Munni (India)
• Fair Play Award: India
• Top Scorer: Alpi Akhtar (7 goals - Bangladesh)
• Best Player: Alpi Akhtar (Bangladesh)

• Previous Record Broken: The previous record was held in Salerno, Italy, where 962 people participated in 2019.
• Products: The children enjoyed popular flavors from Arun Ice Cream, such as Blackcurrant and Strawberry bars, Caramel Sandwiches, and Chocolate Cones.
• Official Recognition: Richard William Stanning, a representative from Guinness World Records, officially recognized the record and presented the certificate to C. Sathyan, Vice Chairman of Hatsun Agro Product Ltd.