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Type: Prelims Only

  • Deuteron

    Why in the News?

    A recent study by the ALICE Collaboration at Large Hadron Collider, CERN has explained how deuterons survive ultra high energy particle collisions.

    About Large Hadron Collider

    • World’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator
    • Located near Geneva, on the France Switzerland border
    • Circular tunnel of 27 km circumference
    • Operated by CERN
    • Collides protons and heavy ions at near speed of light

    About Deuteron

    • Deuteron is the nucleus of deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen
    • Contains one proton + one neutron
    • Denoted by ²H or D
    • Simplest composite nucleus after hydrogen
    • Found in trace amounts in natural water
    • Present in atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn

    Why Deuteron Survival Was a Puzzle

    • LHC collisions create extreme temperature and energy
    • Deuterons should theoretically break apart
    • Yet deuterons and anti deuterons are observed repeatedly

    Key Scientific Finding

    • Deuterons mainly form through coalescence mechanism
    • Protons and neutrons form first, then bind together later
    • Pions act as energy carriers enabling binding
    • Formation happens away from the most violent collision zone
    • Explains survival despite low binding energy

    Applications of Deuteron

    • Production of heavy water (D₂O) used as moderator in nuclear reactors
    • Used in fusion research as a fuel source
    • Used in tritium production
    • Important in nuclear physics experiments
    [2011] The function of heavy water in a nuclear reactor is to? 

    (a) Slow down the speed of neutrons

    (b) Increase the speed of neutrons

    (c) Cooldown the reactor

    (d) Stop the nuclear reaction.

  • Jal Shakti Minister interacts with WaSH Warriors

    Why in the News?

    Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Paatil interacted with WaSH Warriors and school students in New Delhi and inaugurated 25 JALAJ Livelihood Centres, highlighting Jan Bhagidari in water conservation and river rejuvenation.

    Key Initiatives Highlighted

    • WaSH Warriors and Jan Bhagidari
      • Grassroots change makers working on Ganga cleanliness, plastic reduction, biodiversity conservation, and water source protection
      • Promote community driven riverbank cleanliness, plantation, and awareness campaigns
      • Strengthen people’s participation in environmental governance
    • Jal Jeevan Mission Impact
      • Participants highlighted benefits of Jal Jeevan Mission
      • Har Ghar Jal improved health, dignity, and quality of life, especially in rural areas
    • JALAJ Livelihood Centres
      • 25 centres inaugurated
      • Joint initiative of National Mission for Clean Ganga and Wildlife Institute of India
      • Linked to Namami Gange Mission
      • Objective is river conservation linked with sustainable livelihoods
      • Special focus on women participation and community ownership
      • Implemented in the Ganga river basin
    • Youth for Ganga Youth for Yamuna
      • Educational outreach by Eco Roots Foundation
      • Engages students and youth in Ganga and Yamuna conservation
      • Expansion planned across Delhi NCR schools
      • Builds emotional, cultural, and environmental connect with rivers

    Role of Institutions

    • National Mission for Clean Ganga acknowledged for improving cleanliness and ecological health of the Ganga
    • Jal Prahari initiative strengthens monitoring and awareness at the community level
    [2016] Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)? 

    1. River basin is the unit of planning and management

    2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level

    3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis

    Select the correct answer using the code given below

    (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026  

    Why in the News?

    The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, replacing the SWM Rules, 2016. The rules will come into force from April 1, 2026.

    About Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026

    • Focus on Circular Economy, Extended Producer Responsibility, and scientific waste management
    • Strengthen compliance through the Polluter Pays Principle
    • Emphasis on source segregation, decentralised processing, and digital monitoring

    Key Provisions

    • Four stream segregation at source
      • Mandatory segregation into Wet Waste, Dry Waste, Sanitary Waste, and Special Care Waste
      • Wet Waste to be processed through composting or bio methanation
      • Dry Waste to be sent to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for recycling
      • Sanitary and Special Care Waste to be collected by authorised agencies
    • Environmental compensation
      • Imposed for non compliance, false reporting, forged documents, or operating without registration
      • Guidelines issued by Central Pollution Control Board
      • Compensation levied by State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees
    • Bulk Waste Generators and EBWGR
      • Bulk Waste Generators defined as entities generating 100 kg waste per day, or area above 20,000 sq m, or water use above 40,000 litres per day
      • Includes government offices, PSUs, institutions, commercial establishments, and housing societies
      • Introduction of Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility (EBWGR)
      • Mandatory on site wet waste processing where feasible
      • Bulk generators account for nearly 30 percent of total solid waste
    • Online monitoring and land allocation
      • Creation of a Centralised Online Portal for tracking waste generation, collection, transport, processing, disposal, and legacy waste remediation
      • Online registration, authorisation, and reporting made mandatory
      • Graded buffer zone norms for waste processing facilities above 5 tonnes per day
    • Material Recovery Facilities and local bodies
      • Formal recognition of MRFs for sorting of solid waste
      • Local bodies responsible for collection, segregation, and transportation
      • MRFs may act as collection points for e waste, sanitary waste, and special care waste
      • Local bodies encouraged to generate Carbon Credits
    • Refuse Derived Fuel usage
      • Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) defined as fuel from high calorific non recyclable waste
      • Cement plants and waste to energy plants mandated to use RDF
      • Fuel substitution target raised from 5 percent to 15 percent over six years
    • Landfills and legacy waste
      • Landfilling restricted to inert and non recoverable waste only
      • Higher landfill fees for unsegregated waste
      • Mandatory mapping, biomining, and bioremediation of legacy dumpsites
      • Annual landfill audits by SPCBs with District Collector oversight
    • Hilly areas and islands
      • Levy of User Fees on tourists
      • Regulation of tourist inflow based on waste handling capacity
      • Decentralised wet waste processing by hotels and restaurants
      • Designated collection points for non biodegradable waste
    [2019] As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct? 

    (a) Waste generator has to segregate waste into five categories

    (b) The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies, notified towns and all industrial townships only

    (c) The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities

    (d) It is mandatory on the part of waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.

  • India–EU Cooperation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

    Why in the News?

    European Union and India committed to collaboration on peaceful uses of nuclear energy at the 16th India–EU Summit held on January 27, 2026 in New Delhi

    Nuclear Cooperation Framework

    • Cooperation to be undertaken under the Euratom agreement
    • India and the EU signed the India–Euratom Agreement in July 2020
    • Focus on research and development in nuclear science and technology

    Key Areas of Nuclear Cooperation

    • Advanced materials for nuclear detectors
    • Radiation safety and nuclear security
    • Non power applications of atomic energy
    • Cooperation on radio pharmaceuticals
    • Strengthening collaboration in ITER
    • ITER is the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

    Research and Innovation Cooperation

    • Deepening collaboration under Horizon Europe
    • Horizon Europe is the EU’s main funding programme for research and innovation

    Priority sectors

    • Energy, Water, Agri food, Health, Semiconductors, Biotechnology and Advanced materials

    Prelims Pointers

    • Euratom deals with civil nuclear research, not nuclear weapons
    • ITER focuses on nuclear fusion, not fission
    • Horizon Europe is a research funding programme, not a trade agreement
    • CBAM is a climate linked trade measure, not a free trade tool
    [2018] In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the ‘Additional Protocol’ with the ‘International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’? 

    (a) The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards

    (b) The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA 

    (c) The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

    (d) The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG

  • 3 Buddhist sites in UNESCO tentative list

    Why in the News?

    UNESCO has included the ‘Diamond Triangle’ Buddhist sites of Odisha in India’s Tentative List for future consideration as a World Heritage Site.The sites are located in Jajpur and Cuttack districts of Odisha

    What is the ‘Diamond Triangle’?

    • A cluster of three ancient Buddhist sites 
      • Ratnagiri
      • Udayagiri
      • Lalitgiri Known as the epicentre of Buddhism in eastern India

    Historical and Religious Significance

    • The sites witnessed the propagation of all three schools of Buddhism
       • Hinayana
       • Mahayana
       • Vajrayana
       • Rich remains of Stupas, Monasteries, Relics, Sculptures of Lord Buddha and Buddhist deities

    What is a Tentative List?

    • Mandatory prerequisite for nomination to the World Heritage List
    • Identifies sites of Outstanding Universal Value
    • Can be cultural, natural or mixed
    • Only sites on the tentative list can be considered for final inscription

    India and the Tentative List

    • India currently has 70 sites on the tentative list
    • Categories include cultural, natural and mixed
    • Odisha sites already on the tentative list include
      • Ekamra Kshetra, Bhubaneswar
      • Chilika Lake
      • Chausathi Yogini temples group was added last year
      • Two located in Odisha at Bhubaneswar outskirts and Balangir

    Prelims Pointers

    • Tentative list inclusion does not guarantee World Heritage status
    • Diamond Triangle reflects pan Buddhist evolution in India
    • ASI is the official nodal agency for UNESCO nominations
    • Odisha is emerging as a major Buddhist heritage corridor
    [2024] Consider the following properties included in the World Heritage List released by UNESCO: 

    1. Shantiniketan 

    2. Rani-ki-Vav 

    3. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas 

    4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya 

    How many of the above properties were included in 2023? 

    (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four

  • First SCO Council of National Coordinators Meeting 2026

    Why in the News?

    The first meeting of the Council of National Coordinators (CNC) for 2026 of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization opened in Beijing, under the chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic, to finalise the agenda for upcoming high level SCO summits.

    Council of National Coordinators (CNC)

    • The primary coordination and management mechanism of the SCO
    • Acts as the link between member states and SCO standing bodies
    • Coordination: Synchronises multilateral cooperation in line with the SCO Charter
    • Preparation: Conducts groundwork for meetings of
      • Council of Heads of State
      • Council of Heads of Government
    • Implementation: Oversees execution of decisions taken at previous SCO summits

    Participants

    • Representatives of all 10 SCO member states
    • SCO Secretariat
    • Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)
    • SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev delivered the opening address

    Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

    • A permanent intergovernmental international organization
    • The world’s largest regional body by geographic scope and population
    • Represents about 42 percent of global population and over 23 percent of global nominal GDP
    • Established: June 15, 2001
    • Predecessor: Shanghai Five (1996)
    • Headquarters: Beijing
    • Official languages: Russian and Chinese

    Member States of SCO

    • China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus
    [2022] Consider the following: 

    1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 

    2. Missile Technology Control Regime 

    3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation India is a member of 

    which of the above? 

    (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • New Plant Species Discovered in Nagaland: Hoya nagaensis

    Why in the News?

    Researchers from Nagaland University have discovered a new plant species, Hoya nagaensis, in the high-altitude forests of Nagaland, highlighting the biodiversity richness of Northeast India and the conservation value of community-managed forests.

    About Hoya nagaensis

    • Newly identified plant species belonging to the Hoya genus
    • Genus Hoya is known for ornamental plants with distinctive flowers
    • Characterised by
      • Unique leaf shapes
      • Distinct floral features, clearly differentiating it from known species

    Location of Discovery

    • Found in Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest
    • District: Phek, Nagaland
    • Habitat: High-altitude temperate forests of the Eastern Himalaya
    • Recorded so far from only one location

    Conservation Status

    • Provisionally classified as Critically Endangered
    • Reasons
      • Extremely limited geographical range
      • Threats from shifting cultivation
      • Forest disturbance
    [2023] Consider the following statements: Once the Central Government notifies an area as a ‘Community Reserve’ 

    1. The Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest

    2. Hunting is not allowed in such area

    3. People of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce

    4. People of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices

    How many of the above statements are correct? 

    (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four

    Hoya nagaensis was specifically discovered in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest. This PYQ tests the administrative and legal rules governing such protected areas, which are vital for the conservation of rare species in the Northeast.

  • Wings India 2026: Asia’s Largest Civil Aviation Event

    Why in the News?

    India’s rapidly expanding civil aviation sector will be showcased at Wings India 2026, Asia’s largest civil aviation event, scheduled from 28 to 31 January 2026 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.

    About Wings India 2026

    • Asia’s largest civil aviation event
    • Organised as a global platform for Connectivity, Manufacturing, Services, Innovation and Sustainability
    • Inaugurated by Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation

    Theme
     “Indian Aviation: Paving the Future from Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation and Safety to Sustainability”

    India’s Aviation Growth Story

    • India among the fastest growing aviation markets globally
    • Passenger traffic has grown multi fold in the last decade
    • Record aircraft orders place India among the largest future aircraft markets
    • Rapid expansion of airport infrastructure Greenfield airports, Modernised terminals and Regional connectivity under UDAN

    Prelims Pointers

    • Wings India is a civil aviation industry event, not a treaty or summit
    • Held at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad
    • Focus areas include MRO, SAF, drones and advanced air mobility
    • Reflects India’s transition from aviation growth to aviation leadership
    [2024] Consider the following airports: 

    1. Donyi Polo Airport 

    2. Kushinagar International Airport 

    3. Vijayawada International Airport 

    In the recent past, which of the above have been constructed as Greenfield projects? 

    (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • Prime Minister at India Energy Week 2026

    Why in the News?

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inauguration of India Energy Week 2026 via video conferencing, highlighting India’s growing role in the global energy sector, major investment opportunities.

    India Energy Week 2026

    • Representatives from nearly 125 countries participated
    • Emerged as a global platform for energy dialogue and action
    • Focus on energy security, sustainability, and global partnerships
    • Venue: Goa

    Key Highlights from the Prime Minister’s Address

    India’s Energy Potential

    • India is the world’s fastest growing major economy
    • Rising domestic energy demand and strong export capacity
    • Among the top five exporters of petroleum products, supplying over 150 countries
    • Large opportunities across the entire energy value chain

    Oil and Gas Exploration Sector

    • India has opened up its exploration sector significantly
    • Linked to Samudra Manthan Mission for deep sea exploration
    • Targets by end of decade
      • 100 billion dollars investment in oil and gas
      • Exploration area expanded to 1 million sq km
    • Over 170 blocks already awarded
    • Andaman and Nicobar Basin emerging as a new hydrocarbon zone
    • Reduction of No Go areas and regulatory reforms undertaken

    Refining and Petrochemicals

    • India ranks second globally in refining capacity
    • Current capacity: around 260 MMT per annum
    • Target: exceed 300 MMT per annum and become number one globally
    • Rising demand for petrochemical products due to population and economic growth

    Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Focus

    • Target to meet 15 percent of total energy demand through LNG
    • Investment opportunities across LNG transportation, LNG terminals and Regasification infrastructure
    • Domestic shipbuilding supported by ₹70,000 crore shipbuilding programme
    • Expansion of National gas pipeline network and City gas distribution systems

    Energy Reforms and Vision

    • India moving from energy security to energy independence
    • Focus on Transparent, Investor friendly and Reform driven ecosystem
    • Estimated 500 billion dollars investment opportunity in India’s energy sector
    [2019] Consider the following statements: 

    1. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is the first regulatory body set up by the Government of India

    2. One of the tasks of PNGRB is to ensure competitive markets for gas

    3. Appeals against the decisions of PNGRB go before the Appellate Tribunals for Electricity. Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) Neither 1 nor 2

  • Pygmy Hog

    Why in the News?

    India’s Pygmy hog is rapidly declining due to loss and degradation of tall grassland habitats, even though it plays a critical role in maintaining grassland ecosystem health.

    About Pygmy Hog

    • Smallest and rarest wild pig species in the world
    • One of the few mammals that builds its own nest with a roof
    • Functions as an indicator species, reflecting grassland health

    Habitat

    • Prefers undisturbed tall grasslands with early succession riverine vegetation
    • Habitat includes dense tall grasses mixed with herbs, shrubs and young trees
    • Present distribution restricted to
      • Manas National Park
      • Orang National Park

    Ecological Role

    • Forages by digging soil using its snout
    • Feeds on roots, tubers, fruits, termites, earthworms and eggs
    • Improves soil aeration and fertility
    • Aids seed dispersal, supporting grassland regeneration

    Conservation Status

    • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
    • Listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
    • Estimated wild population is very small, confined to Assam
    [2013] Consider the following: 

    1. Star tortoise 

    2. Monitor lizard 

    3. Pygmy hog 

    4. Spider monkey 

    Which of the above are naturally found in India? 

    (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4