• What was sent? India has sent the first consignment of 4.5 tonnes of medical supplies to Kenya for Ebola epidemic prevention.
• Who handed it over? Dr. Namgya C. Khampa, India's High Commissioner to Kenya, handed over the consignment.
• To whom? To Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Health, Susan Nakhumicha.
• Total Aid: The Government of India has so far sent a total of over 45 tonnes of medical supplies to the 'Africa CDC'.

Kenya:

• Location: A country in East Africa, with the Equator passing through its center.
• Capital: Nairobi.
• Bordering Countries: It shares borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan to the north, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and Somalia to the northeast.
• Maritime Boundary: It has a coastline along the Indian Ocean to the southeast.
• Territorial Disputes: Kenya has had disputes with South Sudan regarding the Ilemi Triangle and with Somalia regarding the maritime boundary.
• Great Rift Valley: This vast geological rift divides Kenya into two parts.
• Mount Kenya: It is the country's highest peak and the second-highest peak in Africa (5,199 meters). Its tropical glaciers are melting rapidly due to climate change.
• Famous Tribe: The Maasai tribe is found in the plains of Kenya and Tanzania.
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Located in Kenya, it is known for the great wildlife migration.
• Currency: Kenyan Shilling
• Official Languages: Swahili and English
• UNEP Headquarters: The headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is located in Nairobi. It was established on June 5, 1972; hence, 'World Environment Day' is celebrated annually on June 5.
• Colony: Like India, Kenya was also under British rule (British Empire). It gained independence in 1963.
• President: William Ruto

Ebola:

• An extremely deadly and infectious viral disease.
• Virus Name: It is caused by the *Orthoebolavirus* group.
• Virus Family: It is a member of the *Filoviridae* family.
• Genetic Material: Single-stranded RNA is found in the Ebola virus.
• Type of Disease: It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it spreads from animals to humans.
• Other Name: It is also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
• First Discovery: The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976.
• Naming: It was named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), near which the first case was found.
• Natural Host: Forest-dwelling fruit bats are considered the primary natural reservoirs of this virus.
• Spread to Humans: Through direct contact with infected animals (bats, monkeys, chimpanzees).
• Human-to-Human Transmission: Through direct contact with the blood, saliva, sweat, vomit, or other bodily fluids of an infected person.

• Who unveiled it? India's current President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.
• In which country? North Macedonia. This is the first historic visit by an Indian Head of State to North Macedonia.
• In which city/museum? At the City Museum of the capital, Skopje.
• Whose statue was unveiled? A bust (a sculpture extending to the chest) of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Who is the current President of North Macedonia? Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.
• Birthplace of Mother Teresa: Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje (present-day North Macedonia).
• President Murmu also visited the 'Mother Teresa Memorial' during her trip.
• Bharat Ratna for Mother Teresa: She was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the 'Bharat Ratna', in 1980.

North Macedonia:

• North Macedonia is a landlocked country located in the Balkan Peninsula of Southeast Europe.
• Neighboring countries: It shares borders with a total of 5 countries: Serbia (north), Kosovo (northwest), Bulgaria (east), Greece (south), and Albania (west).
• Capital: Skopje.
• Currency: Macedonian Denar.
• Geographical location: It is a landlocked country; it has no coastline. Neighboring countries: It shares borders with five countries—Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania.
• Highest peak: Mount Korab.
• Major river: Vardar River (it is the country's largest river).
• Name change: The country was formerly known as 'Macedonia'. In February 2019, it was renamed the 'Republic of North Macedonia'.
• Historic agreement: The 'Prespa Agreement' (2018) was signed to resolve the naming dispute with Greece. The birth anniversary of the great freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad is celebrated annually on July 23
• NATO membership: The country became the 30th member of NATO in March 2020.
• Separation from Yugoslavia: The country gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

• Parties to the agreement: India's Ministry of Coal and the German development agency GIZ.
• Full name of GIZ: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.
• Main focus of the agreement: Scientific management and technical cooperation for closing coal mines.
• Part of which global partnership?: India-Germany Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP).
• Project duration and budget: It will be implemented over 4 years with a budget of 10 million Euros (approximately over ₹90 crore).
• Funding: Sponsored by Germany (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union (EU).
• 'AAROH' Report Released: Along with the agreement, the Ministry released the 'AAROH: Annual Mine Closure Report.' It chronicles the journey of successfully closing 42 coal mines in a scientific manner—a first for the country since independence.
• What is 'Coal NEER'?: A plant (based on RO & UV technology) that treats water discharged from mines and converts it into safe drinking water.

• Name and type of agreement: A 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement has been concluded between the US and Saudi Arabia.
• Under which section/act?: This agreement was concluded under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954; hence, it is also known as the '123 Agreement'.
• Approving President: US President Donald Trump gave formal approval for this in July 2026.
• Exception/Point of discussion ('Gold Standard'): The 'Gold Standard' clause has been omitted from this agreement.
• Note: The 'Gold Standard' implies that the recipient country will not enrich uranium on its own soil; however, this deal leaves open the possibility of an exemption for Saudi Arabia regarding this.
• Nuclear energy regulator: At the international level, nuclear energy is monitored by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).
• IAEA Headquarters: Vienna, Austria (This is a favorite 'Static GK' question for SSC exams).
• Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030': Saudi Arabia is expanding non-fossil fuel energy sources (such as nuclear energy) to reduce its dependence on oil; this initiative has been named 'Vision 2030'.

• Date of Birth: July 23, 1906 (Chandrashekhar Azad Jayanti is celebrated every year on July 23).
• Place of Birth: Bhabhra village, Alirajpur district, Madhya Pradesh (this village is now named 'Chandrashekhar Azad Nagar').
• Original Name: Chandrashekhar Tiwari.
• HRA (Hindustan Republican Association): It was founded in 1924 in Kanpur by Sachindranath Sanyal, Ram Prasad Bismil, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. Azad was a key member.
• HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association): In September 1928, the HRA was renamed HSRA at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in Delhi. Chandrashekhar Azad became its Commander-in-Chief (military head). The word 'Socialist' was added to the name.

Key Historical Events:

• Kakori Train Action (1925): On August 9, 1925, the government treasury was looted at Kakori, near Lucknow. Azad was the chief strategist behind this and managed to escape after evading the British police.
• Assassination of Saunders (1928): In December 1928, he, along with Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, assassinated John Saunders, the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Lahore, to avenge the lathi-charge on Lala Lajpat Rai.
• Attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1929): Under Azad's leadership, the HSRA attempted to blow up Lord Irwin's train with a bomb near Delhi.

Martyrdom:

• Date: February 27, 1931.
• Location: Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh). Key Fact: During an encounter with the police, he shot himself with his last bullet so that he would never be captured alive. This park is now named Chandrashekhar Azad Park.

• National Broadcasting Day: Celebrated annually on July 23rd.
• First official broadcast: July 23, 1927, from the Bombay Station (by the Indian Broadcasting Company).
• First unofficial attempt: June 1923, by the 'Radio Club of Bombay'.
• Formation of All India Radio (AIR): June 8, 1936.
• When was the name 'Akashvani' adopted?: In 1956, All India Radio was officially renamed 'Akashvani'.
• Motto of Akashvani: "Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya" (For the welfare of many, for the happiness of many).
• Launch of Vividh Bharati: October 3, 1957; it was launched primarily to broadcast film songs.
• Prasar Bharati: India's public broadcasting agency, which encompasses both 'Akashvani' (AIR) and 'Doordarshan'.
• Year of establishment: Prasar Bharati was established as an autonomous body on November 23, 1997, under the 'Prasar Bharati Act, 1990'.
• Ministry: It operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

• Birth: July 23, 1856 (Ratnagiri, Maharashtra)
• Institutions Founded: Deccan Education Society (1884) and Fergusson College (Pune)
• Slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright..."
• Titles: 'Lokmanya' and 'Father of Indian Unrest'
• Newspapers: Kesari (Marathi), Maratha (English)
• Imprisonment: Mandalay Jail (6-year sentence on charges of sedition)
• Death: August 1, 1920 (the same day the Non-Cooperation Movement began)
• In April 1916, Tilak founded the Indian Home Rule League in Belgaum (Pune).
• Father of Indian Unrest: British author Valentine Chirol referred to Tilak by this name in his book 'Indian Unrest'.
• Maker of Modern India: Mahatma Gandhi bestowed this honorific title upon Tilak.

Famous Books:

• Gita Rahasya (Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya) – Written in Mandalay Jail.
• The Arctic Home in the Vedas
• The Orion

Inception of Festivals:

• Ganpati Utsav: Started in 1893
• Shivaji Utsav: Started in 1895

• Project Name: Bhandup Bird Park
• Location: Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Special Feature: This will be India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based bird park/sanctuary experience.
• Total Budget: ₹45 crore has been sanctioned by the District Planning Committee for the development of this eco-nature park.
• Area: It will span approximately 20.09 hectares; infrastructure will be constructed on only 0.35 hectares to ensure no harm comes to the environment.
• Ramsar Site: Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary was declared a Ramsar Site of international importance in 2022 (it is Maharashtra's third Ramsar Site).
• First Flamingo Sanctuary: It was declared the state's first flamingo sanctuary by the Government of Maharashtra in 2015-16.
• Flyway: This sanctuary is a crucial part of the Central Asian Flyway, where thousands of migratory birds (especially Greater and Lesser Flamingos) arrive from Europe and Central Asia during winter.
• Main River/Water Source: Thane Creek receives its freshwater supply primarily from the Ulhas River and saltwater from the Arabian Sea.

• Why in the news?: 'Kilai' has become Tamil Nadu's first fully functional 'climate-resilient village'.
• Location/District: This village is situated in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.
• Under which mission?: It has been developed under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM).
• Collaborating Organization: This model was developed in collaboration with WRI India (World Resources Institute).
• Buckingham Canal: Under this project, a 3 km stretch of the historic Buckingham Canal has been cleaned (SSC exams often ask for the location of canals; this canal is situated in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu).
• Pichavaram: The famous Pichavaram mangrove forest is located near Kilai village; solar-powered e-boats have been introduced there.

Other important information useful for exams:

• India's first 'Dark Sky Reserve': Hanle, Ladakh (within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary).
• India's first 'Wetland City' nomination: Udaipur, Rajasthan.
• India's first Union Territory (UT) powered 100% by solar energy: Diu.
• India's first railway station powered 100% by solar energy: Guwahati Railway Station, Assam.
• World's first airport powered entirely by solar energy: Cochin International Airport, Kerala.
• India's first 'Floating Solar Power Plant': Ramagundam, Telangana. World's first 100% organic state: Sikkim
• India's first 100% organic Union Territory (UT): Lakshadweep
• India's first 'Bio-village': Daspara village, Tripura
• India's first 'Fungus Park': Munsiyari, Uttarakhand
• India's first 'Pollinator Park': Haldwani, Uttarakhand
• India's first 'E-waste Clinic': Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
• India's first 'Garbage Cafe': Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh (here, free food is provided in exchange for plastic waste)