⦿ Squids, belonging to the Cephalopod class (with octopuses and cuttlefish), have a soft mantle, an internal shell (gladius), a parrot-like beak, two tentacles for capturing prey, and eight arms for holding it.
⦿ Cephalopods, they have three hearts and use jet propulsion for movement.
⦿ Squids are among the most intelligent invertebrates, using chromatophores for camouflage, communication, and predator evasion.
⦿They can ink-spray, and detach arm-tips for distraction, and show social behaviors like cooperative hunting (Humboldt squid) and mate guarding.
⦿ Some squids can “fly” by gliding up to 164 feet, show parental care (e.g., bigfin reef squid), and mimic prey to lure food.
⦿ A recent palaeobotanical study conducted by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, has revealed that the Kashmir Valley, currently known for its cool Mediterranean-type climate, was once a warm and humid subtropical region approximately 4 million years ago.
⦿ The study, based on a historic fossil leaf collection at BSIP, was prompted by a climatic mismatch between subtropical fossil specimens and Kashmir’s present-day temperate flora, leading to a fresh investigation into the valley’s ancient climate.
⦿ Fossilized leaves from the Karewa sediments from Kashmir indicate that the valley once supported a lush subtropical forest.
⦿ BSIP was founded in 1946 to promote research in palaeobotany, and its foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949.
It received UNESCO support (1951–53) and became an autonomous body in 1969, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
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⦿ Lotus flowers have once again begun blooming in Kashmir’s Wular Lake due to focused conservation efforts led by Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA).
⦿ Lotus stems (locally called Nadru) couldn’t grow since 1992 as seeds were buried under heavy silt, but the rhizomes (creeping root stalks) survived deep below and sprouted once the silt was removed.
⦿ It is the largest freshwater lake in India and the second largest in Asia (after Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia), located between Bandipora and Sopore in Jammu & Kashmir.
⦿ It is located at the foothills of the Haramuk Mountain and is fed by the Jhelum River along with 25 other streams that feed it.
⦿ In 1990, it was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
⦿The basin of the lake was formed due to tectonic activity. It is also believed to be a remnant of the ancient Satisar Lake.
⦿ Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera).
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⦿At the 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, highlighted major initiatives driving agricultural growth in India, focusing on soil health, credit access, digital innovation, and global trade.
⦿Over 25 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed. SHCs provide farmers with vital information on the health of their soil, guiding them on the type and amount of fertilisers to use, thereby improving crop yield and reducing over-reliance on harmful chemicals.
⦿Kisan Credit Card (KCC): Ensures wider access to crop loans and agricultural credit, supporting timely inputs and farm activities.
⦿PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments will be provided to all land holding farmer families. As of 2024, 11.8 crore farmers have received financial assistance, making it one of the world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
⦿e-NAM Integration: 1,400 mandis have been linked with the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) to improve transparency and price realisation.
⦿The Indian government budgeted over Rs 1.67 lakh crore– nearly 70% of India’s agriculture budget–for fertiliser subsidy for the financial year 2025-26. Fertiliser subsidies are nearly 40% of India’s total subsidy spending.
⦿India’s FTAs with Australia, UAE, EFTA nations, and the UK have opened up new international markets for Indian agri-products.
⦿The Digital Agriculture Mission, approved in 2024, aims to build a farmer-centric digital ecosystem.
⦿The “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs” scheme, launched in 2020, aims to empower small and marginal farmers by collectivising them for better market access, reduced input costs, and improved incomes.
⦿India’s agriculture and fisheries exports have reached Rs 4.5 lakh crore and hold the potential to scale up to Rs 20 lakh crore.
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⦿ India, for the first time, is participating in the 11th edition of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, a major Australia-led multinational military exercise.
⦿ Exercise Talisman Sabre, launched in 2005 and held biennially, began as a bilateral military drill between Australia and the US and has since evolved into a major multinational warfighting exercise involving key Indo-Pacific partners apart from European partners.
⦿ The 11th and largest-ever edition of this exercise involves 19 nations, including Australia, US, India, Japan, France, UK, and others, showcasing enhanced multinational coordination and capability.
⦿ Conducted across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Christmas Island, with first-time extension to Papua New Guinea, marking expanded regional engagement.
⦿ It aims to promote a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, enhance military readiness, interoperability, joint operational capability and reinforce the regional security architecture among allied nations.
⦿ Includes live-fire drills, field training, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, air combat, maritime operations, and force preparation exercises, enhancing joint warfighting capabilities.
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