• A premier national-level educational board in India functioning under the Ministry of Education
• Genesis: Initially set up as the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education in 1921
• Formation as CBSE: 1 July 1962
• Chairperson: Rahul Singh
• Headquarters: New Delhi

• Launch Date: September 10, 2020.
• Implementation Period: FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25, with major ongoing budget allocations and continuous sub-scheme expansions.
• Nature of Scheme: It is an umbrella scheme with components as both a Central Sector Scheme and a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• Extension Services: Deployment of "Sagar Mitras" (village-level extension workers) and creation of "Matsya Seva Kendras" for technical, soil/water testing, and input support.

• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• Continent: North America
• Official Language: No official language at the federal level (English widely used)
• Government Type: Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
• President: Donald Trump
• Vice President: JD Vance
• Legislature: Congress
• Parliament Type: Bicameral Legislature
• Upper House: Senate
• Lower House: House of Representatives
• Independence: 4 July 1776
• Constitution Adopted: 17 September 1787
• National Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner
• National Animal: Bald Eagle
• Number of States: 50 States
• Largest State (Area): Alaska
• Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867.
• Smallest State: Rhode Island
• First President: George Washington
• Border Lines: The 49th Parallel forms the straight mathematical land border between the USA and Canada.
• Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, Lake Michigan
• Major Rivers: The Mississippi River, Missouri, Colorado, and Rio Grande
• Mountain Ranges: Appalachians (East), Rockies (West)
• Highest & Lowest Points: Mount Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) in Alaska is the highest peak in North America; Death Valley in California is the lowest and hottest point.
• International Organizations: The headquarters of major global institutions like the United Nations (UN), the World Bank Group, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are located in New York and Washington, D.C.
• The Pentagon is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.
• The Statue of Liberty was gifted by France in 1886.
• The USA became independent through the American Revolution (1775–1783).
• Washington, D.C. is not a state; it is a federal district.

• Type: A highly lethal zoonotic hemorrhagic fever
• Cause: Orthoebolavirus genus of the Filoviridae family
• Pathogen Type: RNA virus. It was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Natural Host: Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family act as natural reservoirs.
• Treatment: No absolute cure, but early supportive care (intravenous fluids, electrolyte balance) improves survival. Monoclonal antibody treatments (e.g., Inmazeb, Ebanga) exist for the Zaire strain.

Constitutional

• Definition: The term "Scheduled Tribes" (STs) is defined under Article 366(25) of the Constitution.
• Designation: According to Article 342, the President of India, after consultation with the Governor, specifies the tribes/tribal communities as STs for a particular State/Union Territory.
• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST): Established under Article 338A (via the 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003), it is a constitutional body mandated to oversee the safeguards provided to STs.
• Fifth Schedule: Deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. Requires a Tribes Advisory Council.
• Sixth Schedule: Deals with the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. These are administered via Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils.

Largest Tribe: Bhils

States with No STs: Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Puducherry

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• Background: They were originally classified as "Primitive Tribal Groups" by the Dhebar Commission (1973) and renamed PVTGs in 2006.
• Key Facts: There are 75 recognized PVTGs in India. Odisha has the highest number of PVTGs.

Schemes

• The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006: A landmark act recognizing the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and resources.
• PM-JANMAN: The Prime Minister's PVTG Development Mission (widely tracked in recent budgets).
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools: Dedicated central scheme for imparting quality education to ST children in remote areas.
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The nodal ministry for all tribal welfare policies, established in 1999.

Mazor Tribes in India

• Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh: Gonds (one of India's largest groups), Bhils, Baigas, Kols, Kamar, Abujhmaria, Muria.
• Jharkhand: Santhals, Mundas, Oraon, Ho, Birhor, Asur.
• Odisha: Kondhs (Dongria Kondh), Santhals, Gadabas, Juang, Saora, Bonda.
• Rajasthan: Meenas (Minas), Bhils, Sahariya, Damaria.
• Gujarat: Bhils, Dhodia, Rathawa, Siddi (descendants of Southeast Africa).
• Maharashtra: Warlis (known for Warli art), Katkari, Korku.
• Assam: Bodos, Karbi, Dimasa, Mishsing, Rabha.
• Meghalaya: Khasis, Garos, Jaintias (matrilineal societies inhabiting the hills named after them).
• Nagaland: Angami, Konyak (historically known as headhunters), Ao, Sema, Lotha.
• Arunachal Pradesh: Apatanis (famous for sustainable valley cultivation), Nyishi, Abor, Mishmi, Singpho.
• Manipur & Mizoram: Kuki, Lushai, Meitei, Thadou, Chakma.
• Andhra Pradesh & Telangana: Chenchus (inhabiting Nallamala Hills), Lambadas, Yanadi.
• Tamil Nadu: Todas (pastoral tribe of Nilgiri hills famous for distinct embroidery), Irulas, Kotas, Kurumbas.
• Kerala: Kadar, Kanikaran, Kurichchan.
• Himachal Pradesh & J&K: Gaddis and Bakarwals (nomadic transhumance pastoralists), Gujjars.
• Uttarakhand: Tharu (inhabit Terai, historically celebrated Diwali as mourning), Jaunsari, Bhotia.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Sentinelese, Jarawas, Onges, Great Andamanese (Negrito origin); Shompens and Nicobarese (Mongoloid origin).

• Palme d'Or: Fjord directed by Cristian Mungiu
• Grand Prix: Minotaur directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
• Jury Prize: The Dreamed Adventure (Das geträumte Abenteuer) directed by Valeska Grisebach

Best Director (Tie):

• • Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for The Black Ball (La bola Negra)
  • Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland
• Best Screenplay: Emmanuel Marre for Notre Salut
• Best Performance by an Actress (Tie): Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto (Soudain / All of a Sudden)
• Best Performance by an Actor (Tie): Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne (Coward)

Key Initiatives Launched

• SIDBI MachFin Mart: A digital marketplace for machinery, aimed at helping MSMEs with price discovery and technology adoption.
• RRB Co-Lending Portal: A platform to facilitate partnerships between SIDBI and Regional Rural Banks, enhancing credit flow to rural, underserved areas.
• MoRE (Modernisation of Rural Enterprises): A program designed to support 10,000 rural micro-units with development aid over the next three years.

About SIDBI

• Establishment: April 2, 1990 under an Act of Parliament (the Small Industries Development Bank of India Act, 1989).
• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Regulatory Oversight: Regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an All-India Financial Institution (AIFI), alongside NABARD, NHB, EXIM Bank, and NaBFID.
• Triple Agenda: It functions on the triad of promotion, financing, and development of the MSME sector.

Key Subsidiaries

• MUDRA (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd.): wholly-owned subsidiary of SIDBI to fund the "unfunded" non-corporate micro-enterprises (Shishu, Kishore, and Tarun loans).
• CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises): A trust set up by SIDBI and the Ministry of MSME to provide collateral-free credit guarantees to MSME lenders.
• TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System): SIDBI is one of the promoters of this electronic platform to facilitate the financing/discounting of trade receivables of MSMEs.

• Born: Bardhaman, Bengal
• Association with Secret Societies: closely associated with the Jugantar group of revolutionaries and worked under the mentorship of Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin).
• Revolutionary Activities: Alipore Bomb Case (1908), bomb plot to assassinate Viceroy Charles Hardinge in 1912
• Founded: Indian Independence League (1942) in Japan, Azad Hind Fauj (1942)
• Bangkok Conference (June 1942): At this second conference, Rash Behari Bose was elected the President of the League.