India's first quantum computing testing facility has been launched at SRM University, Amravati, Andhra Pradesh on the World Quantum Day.

• April 14 is celebrated as World Quantum Day because the date (4/14) refers to the rounded first three digits of Planck's constant (4.14×10⁻¹⁵ eV⋅s) – a fundamental constant governing quantum physics. 

About Quantum Computing

• Quantum computing is an emerging field of computer science that uses properties of quantum mechanics to solve problems beyond the reach of classical computers.
• Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits (linear combination of 0 or 1) similar to the bits (sequence of 0 or 1) in today’s digital computers.

According to a recent study, back-to-back Amazon droughts have altered ecological functioning of Amazon rainforests.

About Amazon Rainforests

• It is the world's largest rainforest located in South America in the Amazon River Basin.
• It spans across Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (an overseas territory of France).
• Often called the ‘Lungs of the Earth’, it is the most biologically diverse place on Earth, holding over 10% of all known plant and animal species.

President and Vice President have extended greetings on multiple harvest festivals and new year celebrations across India.

Different Harvest Festivals and New Years

• Baisakhi - Punjab and Haryana
• Bohag Bihu- Assamese New Year
• Meshadi Puthandu- Tamil New Year
• Vishu - Kerala New Year
• Pana Sankranti- Odia New Year
• Cheiraoba- Lunar new year in Manipur
• Poila Boishakh- Bengali New Year

The tribals have been protesting in Panna Tiger Reserve over compensation and rehabilitation related to the Ken–Betwa river-linking project.

About Panna Tiger Reserve

• It is a National Park, Tiger Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve.
• Core constitutes: Kenghariyal Sanctuary and Panna (Ganga) Sanctuary.
• Location: Panna and Chhatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh (Vindhya Hills).
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous forest along with grassland. 
• River Ken: Flows from South to North.
• Fauna: Tiger, leopard, nilgai, chinkara, chousinga.
• Flora: Teak, Kardhai forestMadhuca indica etc.

Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals feared missing after boat capsizes in Andaman Sea.

About Andaman Sea 

• Location: Northeast Indian Ocean.
  • It is bounded by Myanmar (north/east), Thailand & Malaysia (east), Sumatra (south), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (west).
• Economic Significance: Important for Fisheries, limited minerals (tin deposits), and ports (Yangon).
• Strategic significance: Part of the maritime route through the Strait of Malacca.

KABIL secures environmental clearance for deep exploration of five lithium blocks in Argentina.

• Lithium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal and has the lowest density of all metals.
• Argentina, Bolivia and Chile (Lithium Triangle) hold more than 75 percent of the world’s lithium supply.

About KABIL

• Overview: Established in 2019 as a Joint Venture Company of the National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL) and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd.
• Operates under the aegis of Ministry of Mines. 
• Objective: Itidentifies, acquire, develop, process and make commercial use of strategic minerals including Lithium in overseas locations for supply in India.

Cancer cases rise in villages along Ghaggar River in Haryana and are reportedly being linked to the polluted river water. 

About Ghaggar River

• Overview: It is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows only during the monsoon season.
  • The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage and as the Hakra downstream of the barrage.
• Origin: It originates in the village of Dagshai in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh.
  • It flows through the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
• Tributaries: Kaushalya, Jhajra.
• Significance: Many archaeologists identify Ghaggar with the Vedic Saraswati River while Harappan sites such as Kalibangan, Cholistan are found along the bed of the River.

New burrowing reed snake species discovered in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills.

• The discovered species is named as Calamaria garoensis (Garo Hills reed snake). 

About Garo Hills reed snake

• It is a small, burrowing reed snake.
  • Reed snakes are generally small with slender bodies, making them excellent burrowers.
• Habitat: Forested region of West Garo Hills. 

Garo Hills

• Location: It is located in western part of Meghalaya State. 
• People and Culture: Predominantly Inhabited by Garos tribes.
  • Garos tribe is a matrilineal society belonging to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burman race tribes.
  • These are the second largest tribe after the Khasis in Meghalaya. 
• Significance:  Garo Hills Conservation Area forms the western most limit of the Indo Malayan Biodiversity Hotspots.