• A sudden tremor on the Earth's surface.
• Caused by the movement of tectonic plates or volcanic activity.

Three major tectonic sub-regions in India:

• The Himalayas in the north
• The Gangetic and other river plains
• The Peninsular region
• Earthquake Zones in India:
• Zone II (Low-risk area)
• Zone III (Moderate-risk area)
• Zone IV (High-risk area)
• Zone V (Very high-risk area)

• Richter Scale measures the energy released by an earthquake.
• Mercalli Scale measures the damage caused by an earthquake.
• Seismograph records seismic waves.
• Regulatory and Research Bodies:
• The National Center for Seismology (NCS) is the nodal agency of the Indian government for monitoring seismic activities.
• The study of earthquakes is called Seismology.

• Vehicle owners must recharge their FASTag at least 60 minutes before crossing the toll plaza or within 10 minutes after crossing. Otherwise, they may have to pay double the toll fee.
• If there is no minimum balance in FASTag and the toll payment is not processed after crossing, the toll operator will be held responsible.

FASTag:

• An electronic toll collection system launched by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for collecting toll fees at toll plazas efficiently.

• North: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh
• East: Bihar
• West: Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi
• South: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
• International Border: Nepal

Population & Demographics:

• Population (2011 Census): 199.8 million (1st in India)
• Most populous district: Prayagraj
• Least populous district: Mahoba

• Sex ratio: 912 females per 1,000 males
• Literacy rate: 67.68%

Textile & Handloom Industry:

• Banarasi Silk (Varanasi)
• Chikankari Embroidery (Lucknow)
• Carpet Industry (Bhadohi, Mirzapur)
• Kanpur & Agra: Major leather production centers
• Firozabad: Hub for glass and bangles production
• Moradabad: Famous for brass products

• Agra: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
• Varanasi: Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ganga Ghats
• Prayagraj: Triveni Sangam, Kumbh Mela
• Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi

• Mathura-Vrindavan: Krishna Janmabhoomi
• Jhansi: Jhansi Fort
• Sarnath: A major Buddhist site
• Lucknow: Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza

• Capital: Dispur
• Largest City: Guwahati
• State Symbols:
• State Animal: One-horned Rhinoceros
• State Bird: White-winged Heron
• State Tree: Hollong
• State Flower: Kopou Phool
• State Dance: Bihu Dance

Boundaries:

• North & East: Arunachal Pradesh
• East: Nagaland, Manipur
• South: Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram

• West: West Bengal, Bhutan
• International Border: Bangladesh

Major Rivers:

• Brahmaputra River
• Barak River
• Majuli Island (World’s largest river island on the Brahmaputra)
• Important Festivals & Fairs:
• Bihu Festival
• Ambubachi Mela
• Raas Mahotsav (Majuli Island)
• Magh Bihu & Kati Bihu

• Venue: Muscat, Oman
• Dates: February 16-17, 2025
• Organizers: India Foundation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman
• Objective: To promote regional dialogue and cooperation
• Key Issues: Maritime security, economic cooperation, disaster management, regional stability

• During the inaugural session, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and described the Indian Ocean as a vital global route.
• To mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Oman, both countries jointly released a logo and launched the book 'Mandvi to Muscat: Indian Community and the Shared History of India and Oman.'

• According to the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), the total merchandise export for this financial year is expected to reach 446.5 billion dollars, marking a 2.2% increase compared to FY24.
• Non-oil exports are expected to grow significantly by 11.34%, reaching 109.3 billion dollars.
• Exports excluding oil, gems, and jewelry are anticipated to rise by 10.1%, reaching 98.5 billion dollars.

• A marathon is a long-distance race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (or 26.2 miles), a distance that was officially established in 1921.
• A half marathon is a road race with a distance of 21.0975 kilometers (or 13 miles 192.5 yards), which is exactly half the distance of a marathon.

• Par: The designated number of strokes for a hole.
• Bogey: One shot over par for a hole.

• Eagle: Two shots under par for a hole.
• Hole-in-One: Getting the ball in the hole with the first shot.

• The heart is a muscular organ located on the left side of the body.
• It has four chambers: the left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium, and right ventricle.
• The normal heart rate is typically between 60 to 100 beats per minute.

• An Einstein Ring is a rare astronomical phenomenon.
• It occurs when the light from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravitational pull of a massive object, such as another galaxy.
• The discovery of the Einstein Ring was made for the first time in 1987, and it remains one of the rarest astronomical events, found in less than 1% of galaxies.

• Best Film: 'Conclave'
• Best British Film: 'Conclave'
• Best Director: Brady Corbet, 'The Brutalist'
• Best Actor: Adrian Brody, 'The Brutalist'

• Best Actress: Mikey Madison, 'Anora'
• Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, 'A Real Pain'
• Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana, 'Emilia Pérez'

• Type: An annual military exercise
• Objective: To enhance military cooperation and improve joint capabilities for conducting operations in semi-urban environments under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
• Location: The exercise takes place in India and Japan.
• 2024 Edition: Held at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, India.